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Shelby, Foster, Grenert and McLaughlin take 1st Beer Cup Trophies
By
Bob
Burbach
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Marysville CA - September
9, 2007 ---
A festive atmosphere filled the air as Paul and Kathy Hawes presented the 1st Annual Beer Cup at Marysville Raceway Park Saturday night. The event was also filled with tension and emotion as the KKCY Street Stock point leaders were separated by only one point coming into the program. A swift contingent of out of town stock car drivers threw an extra element into the Street Stock event. Marysville’s James Foster found victory lane with a wire-to-wire win in the KKCY Mini Stocks. The Colusa Comet, Tim McLaughlin padded his Sprint 100 point lead and the Nor Cal Dwarf Cars crowned their 2007 champion. The Extreme Bomber Wrong Way/ Paint Gun shootout capped the evening’s entertainment. The 1st ever “Beer Belly” contest also proved to be a crowd pleaser filled with comic moments.
The KKCY Country 103 Cup Mini Stocks were the first of MRP’s primary divisions to present their feature event and it was a James Foster benefit. The Marysville hot shoe led wire to wire from his front row starting position. Foster could not have known how close he came to being challenged by hard charging Jamey Ollar. Ollar didn’t even qualify through his heat race for the main and had to win the “B” main just to get in. Ollar then started 17th in the Main event.
Aside from Foster’s impressive run, Ollar was the show. He clawed his way through the field with a startling aggression that has had Ollar in victory lane often lately. A number of yellow flag incidents helped Ollar close gaps during the race, but that should not take anything away from Ollar’s solid performance.
At the drop of the green Foster was gone. Point contender Blane Baker had early race problems that put him a lap down. Point leader Lisa Shelby was coming forward but a backstretch incident stopped the quick 88 and prompted a yellow flag. 2006 champion Joel Giusti stood to benefit to a large degree in the points as Shelby’s car was pushed off the track. But, as the new green waved, Shelby rejoined the field and Giusti’s opportunity to take a big chunk out of her point lead vanished. As a matter of fact, Giusti had mid race problems himself that sent him to the rear. Like Shelby, Giusti did some impressive racing of his own after his crash to salvage a 5th place in the final rundown. Orland driver Steve Barbo made quick moves in the early laps to secure 2nd place before Ollar hunted him down in the late going. Barbo stayed 3rd in his 1st ever performance at MRP. Mike Merritt placed a fine 4th.
Foster was asked in victory lane about the battles that went on behind him. He said, “I don’t know what to say, I was in front of it all.” Indeed he was.
Point leader Lisa Shelby of Yuba City had her ups and downs in this one. All told, however, she came out of the event with a nice point lead going into the final event. All finishes and points are official at the close of business on Tuesday.
The KKCY Street Stocks rolled out next and Yuba City’s Heather Bartlett and Phillip Shelby shared the front row. After the heat races, Bartlett held a 2 point advantage over Shelby heading into the feature event. Starter Jerry Witzke waved the green and Heather Bartlett jumped to a healthy early lead. Shelby overcooked his entry into turn 1 in the first few circuits and fell back a couple of positions as Jerry Bartlett secured 2nd behind daughter Heather. The race stayed green as Shelby ran through the infield, recovered and started to run down the lead duo.
An impressive field of stock car racers included Placerville’s last two champions and young Forryst Carnett was right in the mix up front. But, Shelby having recovered started to reel in the leaders. There was a whirl of action as the race leaders ran down lapped traffic at a dizzying clip. The Bartlett pair seemed invincible as Shelby had to battle through the same lapped traffic they had easily eclipsed. The race had gone without a yellow to this point.
Then Shelby got clear of lapped cars and started to run down 2nd running Jerry Bartlett. The duel was a fierce one, but the 2006 champion finally got by the 4-time champ and set sail toward the leader. Heather Bartlett was turning some impressive laps, but Shelby was a tick quicker. The gap closed slowly, but continually. Finally, Shelby reached leader Heather Bartlett and the battle for the championship was on display right in front of the vocal crowd. Shelby threw low side moves at the leader, but Heather Bartlett kept the bottom closed. At ½ way this race was shaping up as an all time thriller. With 7 to go Shelby had a very quick turn 1 & 2 and had a run on the pink 99 going up the back chute. Shelby nosed ahead in turn 3 and cleared Heather Bartlett as the duo roared up the front stretch.
From that point it was all Shelby. He started to leave the Bartletts and put together a 20-car length lead at flag. This one went green to checkered without a yellow. Considering Shelby’s foray into the infield early on, his drive to the front and eventual victory was that much more impressive having no yellow flags to help him close the gaps. It was one of the more memorable drives in stock car racing history at this 39-year-old facility.
Shelby’s pass of Heather Bartlett is what he needed as the lead pass put him exactly 1 point ahead of Heather Bartlett going into the final event. Once again history will be made as, like the 2007 Wingless Sprint Car Series before, a single point will separate the championship point contenders in the final race.
The local racing classes were capped by the 1st Wrong way/Paint Gun shootout. A finale staged by the ever popular Extreme Bombers. The series of tasks included paint gun firing at road signs and the general mechanical mayhem that is expected in every Extreme Bomber event. No one was disappointed as the carnage and crashing left but one car still circulating among the smoking, smashed –up competitors. Former MRP stock car driver Kenny Lloyd and his wife piloted the only car on the track that featured a tongue painted on its grill. It was also the only car running at the finish and was appropriately awarded the first ever Wrong Way/Paint Gun Shootout Race trophy.
The first “Beer Belly” contest staged earlier in the evening was a success judging from the hoots and hollers that ricocheted through the grandstand. The field of entrants was all male (we should have a female class next year, whaddya think?) and featured the very big with the not so big. Promoter Paul Hawes won round 1 and promptly disqualified himself. The final round drew an enormous roar from the crowd as “Taco”, as he likes to refer to himself (no last name, I guess), claimed the 1st place trophy. In other intermission action, announcer Tim Gilbert finally paid off his bet to stock car star Heather Bartlett. Gilbert said earlier in the year that if Heather Bartlett won a feature this year he would let her paint his hair the color of her car…pink. In front of the grandstand with everyone’s apparent approval, Gilbert got PINKED. Bartlett did the honors and a great time was had by all.
The Nor Cal Dwarf Cars crowned their 2007 champion in this event. Mike “Spanky” Grenert of Beale Air Force Base in Vacaville did what he had to do to secure his championship…he won the feature race. Rocklin’s Kevin “Hollywood” Bender had a mathematical shot at the title if Grenert had problems and if Bender could sweep.
In the feature, however, Grenert got to the front early and that was all she wrote. Bender was attacking all night long, but could not catch the high flying Grenert. In a race that was plagued by a constant series of minor yellow flag incidents, Grenert could not get away from the pack.
The final blow for Bender came at the end, as he was involved in a turn 1 skirmish that sidelined the likable racer. Grenert roared on to victory and turned a number of victory donuts to celebrate his great night at MRP. “Dangerous” Dan Weger was the show in the later stages as he took his black rocket to the high side and started to sling his way past competitor after competitor to grab a remarkable 2nd place at the finish.
The Colusa Comet, Tim McLaughlin inched closer to his first ever SORA Sprint 100 title with a terrific victory in the highly competitive Sprint 100 feature event. After early race difficulty getting through the field from his distant starting spot McLaughlin grabbed the lead an appeared to check out on the rest of the field. This time, however, SORA champ Tony Gaioran of Livermore followed him through and was parked on McLaughlin’s tail. It seems that when the SORA performs at MRP either Gaioran or McLaughlin are on top of their game…but not at the same time. This time it was different, and both drivers battled each other hard.
Lapped traffic would make the difference in this one as Gaioran finally ran down McLaughlin and grabbed the lead with a slick move in turn 3. The final 5 laps were about the best SORA racing we’ve seen at MRP. The two title contenders weaved their way in and out of traffic. On more than one occasion McLaughlin stuck his nose back by Gaioran, but Tony G. thwarted the attempts. With 2 to go Tony G. had to make a quick decision in lapped traffic and darted to the outside for a pass. McLaughlin guessed low…and guessed right. Gaioran was bottled up momentarily on the high side and McLaughlin grabbed the lead. He would not relinquish it despite several attempts by Gaioran to get back by. Lincoln hot shoe Gregg Hansen held on to a fine 3rd after early race battles with both Gaioran and McLaughlin.
MRP will be dark next week, but promoter Paul Hawes and wife Kathy will present The California Sprint Car Civil War on Saturday night September 22nd. The winged Pacific Sprint Cars, some 40 strong will invade MRP for the final time in 2007. The Civil War Championship will be on the line. 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. Complete finishes, stats and points become official and available at the close of business on Tuesday and will be posted to the web site.
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