Duppman last to 1st with last lap pass
Shelby, Olschowka and McColloch also win on Kids Night
By Bob Burbach

Merritt Brothers Racing sponsored this 3rd edition of Kids Night giving away some 300 prizes donated by a multitude of local businesses and friends of racing here locally. The donations included bicycles, DVD players, t-shirts and a host of other great and valuable prizes. A fair-like atmosphere with clowns and balloons greeted the large crowd. A tip of the hat from this observer to the Merritt Brothers Racing Team and in particular, Jennifer Merritt. Jennifer has recently undergone some serious surgery, put aside her own recovery period and soldiered on to prompt, pick up and deliver the many prizes given away at this festive event. Simply organizing an event of this kind took hours and Jen was always on the phone and making things happen. Cheers, to a great effort.

The KKCY Stock Cars were first up for their feature event and Olschowka powered into the lead from his second row starting position as the field roared through the first two circuits. Pole sitter Heather Bartlett had a dismal first lap and fell to fifth with a big push in turn four on the initial lap. Dad, Jerry Bartlett, and Ray Benkowski, both from Yuba City, once again settled into a ferocious battle for second with Benkowski getting past Bartlett and then Bartlett returning the favor.

The race ended prematurely for the swift Benkowski as rookie driver Carl Harter lost control in his first ever ride coming out of turn four. Harter recovered and drove through the infield as he approached the starting line. He then pulled quickly onto the speedway right into the path of the fast approaching leaders. Harter hit Benkowski a ton. The impact sent Benkowski high in the air and over the banking in turn one. The video showed Benkowski motionless at the wheel as battered 25 came to rest. The red flag was thrown as track rescue crews bolted toward the wrecked racer. Benkowski was quickly removed and soon walked away from the harrowing ride. Olschowka led the rest of the way with ease as the race featured long green flag segments. 2006 champion and last week's feature event winner Phillip Shelby cruised to an easy third place in front of Billy Knoop and Heather Bartlett.

Front row starter Lisa Shelby led wire to wire in the KKCY Country 103 Cup Mini Stock Feature. But it was a much better race than that headline would indicate. She was pressured relentlessly by teammate Blane Baker in a race long duel. Baker actually nosed into the lead on the back chute at about ½ way, but Shelby was back in front as the pair crossed the start/finish line. Just behind them Marysville's James Foster and 2006 KKCY Mini Stock Champion Joel Giusti had a slugfest going on that had ramifications that would affect the point standings. Giusti came into the main event with a 3 point lead on Foster as Giusti beat Foster to the line in a heat race that both drivers competed in earlier. Foster just beat Giusti to the finish line for third in the feature and when the event becomes official on Tuesday Giusti will have but a single point lead on Foster for the championship. Mike Merritt passed his way into a great fifth place finish.

The Winged Pacific Sprint Car race simply had it all. For much of the race the crowd was on their feet or silenced with apprehension as thrilling duels and a wicked first lap crash were ingredients of event.
At the green front row starters Brandon Dozier and Sparks Nevada's Mike Monahan took the field into turn one with Monahan gaining the initial advantage. Marysville's Dozier tried to answer on the back chute, but he lost it. Dozier's car careened out of control in the middle of the back chute as the entire 20-car field darted to miss the sliding 95. Mike Wasina Sr. was sideways as he tried to avoid the mishap and was hammered by Sacramento's Tom Baker at full tilt. The racket from that impact hushed the crowd as Wasina flipped. An instant later, Wheatland's Tim Barnes made a dive for the inside as Wasina flipped toward the outside, but Barnes caught a wheel and flipped as well. He landed close to the entrance of turn three. Duppman was caught in the chaos and slid to a stop on the outside of the entry to three after bouncing around in the middle of the grinding crash. Duppman's car remained upright and apparently undamaged. Duppman and, amazingly, Brandon Dozier were able to restart in 18th & 19th positions respectively. All of the drivers in the mishap were OK.

The new front row for the restart would be loaded with championship talent. The pole sitter would be 3-time champion Korey Lovell, with 2004 champion Monahan resuming his outside pole status. At the new green, Lovell jumped into the lead with Monahan securing second. Cort Dozier made a quick move into third shadowed by 2-time champion Mike Wasina Jr. of Elverta. A series of quick yellow flag periods kept the field bunched. The track was changing quickly and it was a great race that required skill and daring to move forward.

As ½ way approached Wasina Jr. started to move. He quickly eclipsed Monahan for third who had just been passed by Cort Dozier on the previous circuit. Duppman, however, had used the first ½ of the race to pass cars from his eighteenth starting position on the restart. He passed 11 cars in 9 laps in an astounding display of quick, smooth driving. He was sixth two laps later as the leaders hit lapped traffic. Wasina dove under Dozier with an extraordinary inside move in turn one. It was either going to be a brilliant pass or an outrageous crash. It turned out to be a great pass but Dozier lost the handle and spun a great, wide loop and continued on, only to be slowed by a flat tire moments later. That yellow freed the leaders from lapped traffic with Lovell leading Wasina Jr., Monahan, point leader Jeremy Burt, and Duppman.

At the new green Duppman made quick work of Burt. Coming to Robin Davies white flag, Wasina encountered mechanical problems in turn four and slowed abruptly. Monahan was unable to avoid the white #7w and climbed over Wasina's left side wheels. Wasina rolled to a halt on the front chute well into the infield. The green stayed on. Monahan saved the blue 49 as it balanced precariously on it's left side tires for a moment. Monahan had skillfully averted disaster and brought his car down on all four. Lap 19 was scored as Monahan motored back onto the speedway in fifth as the white flag was displayed. As Lovell approached the checkered flag off of four, rookie Rod Ramirez spun on the entrance to one. The yellow was displayed at once negating lap 20. A one-lap dash to the checkers was going to decide this one, but leader Lovell was nursing a wounded mount. Lovell's right front tire was flat. Duppman had benefited from the Monahan/Wasina problem and was second.

The one lap dash was on. Lovell faltered coming out of two having obvious handling problems. Duppman dove low and the two cars rubbed on the back chute. Duppman threw his 96 into turn three with a slim lead in front of the screaming crowd; it stuck and he cruised through turn four for the victory. It was a thriller. Duppman's victory was particularly sweet given his dramatic charge to the front. Lovell muscled his wounded mount to second. A scramble in four on the last lap found Shawn Amos finishing third.

The Sprint 100s closed out the evening with a new star rising. Front row starter P.J. Petersen just took off and hid from the rest of the field in an impressive display of driving from the rookie contender. Tim McLaughlin, Tony Gaioran and teammate Nick McColloch couldn't make a dent in Petersen's lead. A series of yellow flag incidents and the resultant slowdowns didn't faze the poised Petersen.

Then, with but a handful of laps remaining, Petersen lost the handle in four and took McLaughlin with him in a slide that almost had the quick rookie on his lid. McColloch motored on to a fine victory and saluted Petersen's great drive in victory lane.

The California Sprint Car Civil War comes to town next week with 35-40 fire breathing, alcohol burning winged rockets doing battle for victory. The finest Winged Sprint Car show in California will make it's second of three stops to the Marysville ¼ mile. This event is the final Winged Sprint Car event of the long 4th of July week of racing that started Saturday night with the 3rd Annual Kids Night Sponsored by Merritt Bros. Racing.

Three time Civil War Series champion Andy Forsberg of Auburn is once again at the top of the Civil War driver standings. Colby Wiesz, of Colfax has climbed up to second in the point standings. The three time Marysville Raceway Park track champion, Wiesz, is 17-points behind the leader and is sure to be a contender at the track he calls home. Last time out at the Civil War race at Marysville Raceway Park; World of Outlaws star Brandon Wimmer of Fairmount Indiana took the checkers. Three drivers took flight and flipped during that event, including 2007 track point leader in the MRP Winged Sprint Car series, Grass Valley's Jeremy Burt. The action will be hard hitting and heavy for this second 2007 appearance of the Civil War at MRP. The final show for the Civil War at MRP is scheduled for Saturday night September 22nd. The stakes are high, as the series will pay over $30,000 in prize money to the competitors.

Many local drivers are also expected to compete on their home track. Completing the list of track regulars that are expected will be Burt, the team of Cort and Brandon Dozier, Jim Marsh, Tom Baker, Lee Armstrong, David Derr Jr., former track champion Mike Monahan of Sparks Nevada and recent feature winner Shawn Amos. 2-time track champion Mark Hall of Grass Valley is expected to be in the show as well. Kids Night winner Geoff Duppman is also expected to make the tow.

Pit gates always open at 3PM. Spectator Gates Open at 5PM with racing getting underway at 7PM. Contact the promoters at 1.530.743.1327 or email as indicated on the home page. Put www.marysvilleracewaypark on your "favorites" button on you computer. Watch this site for press releases, updates and complete results.

Note: Please make this observer aware of any names that are misspelled. The text is based on information we have at the time of its release.