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Packed house sees Bomber Demolition;
Bartlett in virtuoso Pro Stock drive;
Tilford picks up Pure Stock Gold
By
Bob
Burbach
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Marysville CA -
October 14, 2007 --- Yuba City’s Jerry Bartlett took on some of the finest stock car drivers in northern California and won the 30 lap Pro Stock feature event at Paul and Kathy Hawes’ Marysville Raceway park Saturday night. Tom Tilford of Placerville found victory lane in the companion 30 lap Pure Stock program. This event showcased current and former track champions in both classes. The result was a thrilling side by side stock car slug-fest that featured full fields in both classes and a B main in the Pure Stock class.
The hoot n’ holler, crash ‘em up finale, the 1st annual “Extreme Bomber Regatta and Demolition Derby”, had the fans on their feet throughout the event. Jared Powers with perhaps the heaviest and biggest car in the field, finally eclipsed the smallest, lightest car in the field when leader “Crazy Dave” (never did find out his last name) rolled to a halt in turn two in his sub-compact front drive car. Powers found victory lane as the last car running as some 20 other entrants crashed, burned and fizzled to a stop. Cars hauling RVs, boat trailers (with boats) and any number of other items were entered.
The Pro Stock feature event started the series of main events that led up to the Derby. The event was peppered with outstanding Pro Stock drivers ready to lock horns. The pill draw put Yuba City’s Jeff Olschowka on the pole flanked by Bartlett’s familiar #00. With 30 laps as the distance the quick and talented field would have time to make it to the front.
Olschowka got the initial jump as the 20 car field poured into turn 1. Bartlett shadowed Olschowka for the first few circuits as John “Porkchop” Johnson slipped into 3rd. Antioch Speedway champion Todd Gomez started 7th, but was moving rapidly and got to 4th by the 5th round. Johnson and Gomez battled briefly before Gomez reached 3rd and took off after the streaking lead duo. Placerville’s Trent Petersen got by Johnson shortly thereafter for 4th and the quartet of Olshowka, Bartlett, Gomez and Petersen gradually pulled away from the field by 20 yards. Gomez hounded Bartlett relentlessly through this stage of the event and got by Bartlett as the yellow flew for the 1st time. Johnson’s car came to a stop smoking badly, prompting the yellow flag segment.
The restart saw the leaders begin a monumental struggle for the top spot as the race reached for the ½ way mark. Gomez looked low and high for a way around Olschowka. Bartlett, in turn, was showing Gomez his fender lap after lap. It was a battle royal between the three leaders that reached almost legendary status. At ½ way the warriors made it 3 wide out of 4 with the fans on their feet. Olschowka, with the high-side line into turn 1, prevailed on that lap but Bartlett crept up on the outside of Gomez on the next time around. Three champion drivers were so close that no more than the width of a piece of paper separated the trio. Petersen was lurking just a car length behind waiting for what appeared to be the inevitable crash that would thrust him into the lead. But that crash never happened. Nearing 20 laps distance, Gomez made good an inside pass on Olschowka and Bartlett, with Petersen glued to his tail, slipped on by as well.
At this point it became obvious that another racer was making some serious progress through the field. Phil Shelby Sr., saddled up for the 1st time this year, had taken a dismal starting position and parlayed it into a top 5 run. Shelby was shedding parts along the way after absorbing some scrapes and bangs in his run to the front. Once again, a champion driver was showing his talents in this star studded event. Shelby would need some yellow flag help and some serious miscues by the leaders to challenge for the top spot. Those breaks didn’t come as he needed them to, but his drive was noteworthy, nonetheless.
The last 5 laps of the event were breathtaking. Gomez Bartlett and Peterson were into heavy lapped traffic as Shelby made his way into 4th. Olschowka was out of the picture now as he had spun off of the 4th turn, out of contention. Gomez and Bartlett started to leave Peterson as they flashed through traffic more quickly. Then Bartlett was on the outside of Gomez with 3 to go. Gomez moved a little higher on the track as the end drew near. Bartlett pounced and the pair raced side by side, through traffic as they headed to the white flag. Bartlett, on the inside, inched ahead at the line with a ¼ mile to go. Gomez slipped high in turn 1 and Bartlett was gone. Peterson took advantage of Gomez’ final lap miscue and scored second with a nice rally of his own. It was truly a thriller, and one for the books, as this thrash for the top spot kept the fans, and this observer, riveted. Shelby did get to 4th in the end followed by Kevin Ward of Chico.
The Pure Stock Main event had whittled the starting field to 20 having to use a B main for the full field of challengers. Yuba City’s Billy Knoop and infrequent visitor Jess Garland had the front row at the initial green flag. Knoop and Garland were on the gas way too early for race director Tim Sherman’s liking and were sent to the rear for the restart. The new front row included Jason England, who won here 2 weeks ago and the very quick Tom Tilford.
The new green had Tilford and England battling for the lead in the early laps with England taking the measure of Tilford as the race progressed to lap 5. As an extra added attraction the MRP Mini Stocks were allowed to compete in the Pure Stock program with many of the top cars easily staying with the top Pure Stock racers. Marysville’s Jeremy Hawes and Reno Nevada’s Shawn Nadenstadt were moving forward, taking their 4 cylinder hot rods into the top 10.
But the story of this race was the titanic charge of former MRP Champion driver Knoop. After his penalty had sent him to the rear, he rocketed his way through this field of top drivers to the front. Often making daring, 3 wide passes in traffic, Knoop was on a mission. Bumps and bangs were part of Knoop’s charge to the front. Before the race was ½ over, Knoop was knocking on the door for 2nd. Tilford put up a fight, but was easily passed by Knoop in a spectacular 2-car pass that also shot Knoop past the leader, England. It was all over from there as Knopp sailed on to take the checkered flag in a race that had few yellow flag pauses.
On the last lap as Knoop took the checkers, England lost the handle on the low side of turn 4 coming to the line. Tilford slipped by the errant England and claimed what he thought was 2nd place. Amazingly, Hawes in the #8 MRP Mini Stock was in 4th at the time of England’s last lap slide. He also got by and finished an unbelievable 3rd under the flag.
At the flag, race director Sherman penalized Knoop 4 positions for rough driving in his charge to the front. 2nd running Tilford was declared the race winner and Hawes was 2nd. Rick Gruner placed 3rd in the event with England recovering for 4th. The 4 position penalty should put Knoop into 5th position. All finishes to all events are not official until the close of business on Tuesday. Watch the website for final finishing positions.
Paul and Kathy Hawes brought down the curtain on the 2007 racing season with a spectacular crash‘em up finale. The 1st annual “Extreme Bomber Regatta and Demolition Derby” was presented. It was pretty simple and was an absolute gas! Trailers were towed by the Extreme Bomber Stock Cars around the MRP ¼ mile. Winged Sprint Car standout Korey Lovell and arch nemesis Brandon Dozier piloted vans with trailers attached... and, of course wings!
Scott Schrum and Eric Jones took advantage of their front row starting positions to lead the early laps of this vehicle crunching slugfest. Dozier actually shadowed 2nd running Jones for a number of laps. It was really close for a while before Jones took the lead with Dozier in tow. Both were destined to become victims of the mechanical carnage that this race soon became. Jeremy Hawes in the now infamous “Enforcer” was doing damage wherever he could.
The race was red flagged on lap 9 as Jamey Ollar’s car started to burn. Ollar was the LAST car to stop under this red-flag condition as fire fighters ran in circles trying to get Ollar’s attention. With the fire out, Ollar and his co-driver left the car right where it was (on the front chute) and the green light was turned back on.
A couple of laps after that incident, Jones slammed into wreckage on the back chute and his night came to a noisy end. Shortly thereafter Dozier’s mount was done with indescribable damage. Korey Lovell highsided his silver, winged van near turn 3 at about the same time that front runner Jake Bradley hit Hawes so hard from the rear that Bradley’s car actually “trailered” itself on Hawes trailer. Amazing, but true. Both cars continued around only to stop on the back chute next to Lovell’s van…MEANWHILE, the #ou812 of the aforementioned “Crazy Dave” was motoring around with little resistance and was the leader followed (nearly 3 laps down) by Powers. Kenny Lloyd, a recent winner in Bomber competition was lapping quicker than anyone as the race approached 30 laps of the 100 lap (or last car running) distance.
However, MRP had turned into as minefield of mechanical garbage. As the race plowed its way along Hawes broke free and banged into Lovell freeing the winged 71 and hanging himself out to dry for the final time. With about 6 cars left moving, Lovell’s
car finally caught fire on the front chute bringing out another red flag.
Of the remaining cars, only 3 restarted. Lloyd, “Crazy Dave” and Powers hammered the gas. 37 laps had been scored. It was obvious that this was going to be a “last car running” close to this entertaining event. A couple of laps after the restart Lloyd’s car simply stopped. No drama, no crash…just stopped. Someone said they forgot to check the gas. I don’t know. So the final two combatants were in diametrically opposed car types. Powers had a gigantic Ford or Mercury 4 door with a full trailer (with passenger chair) still attached and “Crazy Dave” was tooling around in a little Geo (or something similar) with his trailer ripped to pieces over 20 laps ago.
With a wimper and a small puff of smoke, “Crazy Dave” and his little giant killer rolled to a silent stop in turn 2 amongst the smoking battered junk that was once the starting field in this event. Powers was given the checkered flag as the winner of this outrageous race. Powers didn’t last another lap as his beaten car rolled to a stop, smoking and making a bizarre grinding sound, before he got to victory lane. That’s probably a good thing as the starting line area was almost completely blocked by cars in various states of disrepair.
The whole evening was a stunning success as the racing was excellent in the two stock car classes, and the Derby was…well, the Derby…a real crowd pleaser. The track was hooked up and smokin’ all night long. The grandstands were packed. It’s been more than a decade since MRP finished the season with an open stock car show. It used to be a staple of this 39 year old facility. Perhaps some traditions need to be reborn. This observer is looking forward to this event next year and would like to encourage promoter Hawes to end next season on a similar note. The Western Dirt Championship that has so long been forgotten needs this place on the MRP post-season calendar next year. But, keep the Derby in place to bring down next year’s curtain.
Next year Paul and Kathy Hawes will be back to MRP celebrating the 40th year of continual operation. Look for many special events to be posted here in the near future. Don’t forget the Awards Banquet set for November 10th at the beautiful Colusa Casino. All 5 Divisions will be celebrated with awards and a great night is anticipated by all. This event is open to the public. 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 or incorrect. 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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