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Tracks >> MARYSVILLE RACEWAY PARK >> Marysville Raceway Park - 9/5 Results
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Message started by Media on 09/06/09 at 5:47pm

Title: Marysville Raceway Park - 9/5 Results
Post by Media on 09/06/09 at 5:47pm

Marysville Raceway Park
Press Release 9.5.09
For immediate release
By Bob Burbach

Castleberry gets 1st Title! Dothage sweeps as Shank, Hall, Juan & Nunes also win. Maclaughlin takes 3rd Pro 4 title. 86 cars sign in

Marysville- Paul and Kathy Hawes turned the lights on Saturday and the pits once again filled with 86 competitors. Brent Dothage swept the MRP Winged Sprint Car show. Terry Shank literally battled his way to victory in the Browns Valley RV/Performance Auto Supply Wingless Warrior Sprint Car Series main. This race, perhaps the best ever offered in the wingless sprint car class. Brent Hall ran away with a convincing victory in the MRP Mini Stock feature as Misty Castleberry grabbed her 1st championship in that class. Denmark Juan posted a fine victory in the Pro 4 sprints as Tim Maclaughlin clinched his 3rd straight title in that class. Doug Nunez easily powered his way to victory in the BCRA Midget Lite main. The 5-division show, with all of its thrills and spills, was checkered before 10:30.

Some great competitive racing highlighted the preliminary action before feature event action sparked everybody’s interest. In the MRP Winged Sprint Car feature, the two combatants locked in a heated battle to be MRP’s 1st 4-time sprint car champion lined up side by side in the front row. Brent Dothage was on the pole and Korey Lovell was outside. The last time these two held the front row, a wheel-banging incident at the green flag sent Dothage to the pits. Not This Time.

Dothage was quick off the line and beat Lovell into turn 1, and that’s where the race for the lead ended. Lovell fell into a comfortable 2nd, but could not challenge the fleet #7B. A spirited battle ensued behind the lead duo as fast rising star Reyna Krueger, Jeremy Burt, Mike Monahan and Cort Dozier diced for the show spot. A lazy tip onto the wing by Cody Myers gave Lovell and the others a shot at Dothage, but Dothage just pulled away at will. Burt stayed 3rd for the balance of the race. Cort Dozier was 4th in an amazing ride to the front from 10th (more on that below).

Dothage scored the victory and was unusually animated in victory lane. For a man who typically displays a calm demeanor when interviewed he was excited with fists in the air. He thanked everybody associated with his effort. And, he said, “I especially want to thank the fans…you are the reason we do this.” Dothage broke the deadlock at the top of the standings and will take a 4-point lead into the “Sprint Car Championship Showdown” on September 19th. The race will crown the 1st ever 4-time champ in the division. Dothage, Jimmy Steward and Brandon Dozier took heat race honors.

The Browns Valley RV/Performance Auto Supply Wingless Warrior Sprint Car Series main was one for the archives. In a division that has fostered the raceway’s closest-ever finish and memorable slide for life racing memories, this one was among the best…if not THE best race ever showcased in the division. A monumental tussle at the front all race long had the fans standing and screaming at the dangerous and dazzling display of driving.

The first 3 laps were eye candy for any sports fan. Pole sitter Tony Richards and fellow front row starter Jeremy Hawes stayed side by side for the 1st 3 outrageous circuits. Only a quick yellow put an end to that duel, which renewed again as the green flag flew. There’s history between these two veteran campaigners and it’s not a pretty one. That made this slugfest for the lead all the more spectacular. Richards was able to secure the lead as Hawes ran into mechanical problems soon after the new green and Hawes would reluctantly drop into 4th position by the end fighting power steering problems. Meanwhile, 6th starting Shank was using all of his skills to squeeze forward in this hornet’s nest of competition at the front. Shank engaged Hawes in a mighty battle for the runner up spot.

Then, as the event was at lap 8, everything went terribly wrong on the back chute. Point leader Cort Dozier was 9th trying to carve his way to the front when a slow, lapped car made an erratic move that caught everybody by surprise off of 2. First Brett Youngman caught a wheel and jumped into the air. This sent the lapped car directly into Dozier’s path. Dozier’s white 97C went right side wheels up over the errant racer, dug in and executed a terrifying series of cage crunching flips. The car tore itself to pieces flinging the fuel cell at rocket fast speed into the infield. With Dozier still in the throttle the car came down and the rear tires dug in sending Dozier into another series of flips slamming into the protective tires that surround the infield light standard. It was a wicked, vicious ride that took Dozier the length of the back chute.

The stunned silence was frightening. After this great battle for the lead, the crash shocked the large crowd into an immediate, all encompassing silence. Dozier could have clinched the title in this race. The title seemed unimportant now, as every was wondering how badly Dozier may have been injured in the bone-jarring ride. It wasn’t a minute before a shaken and visibly angry Cort Dozier got free of the smoking wreck that moments ago could have been the championship car. Dozier stomped away from the scene. The crowd erupted with relief and saluted Dozier with a remarkable response as he made his way to the pits. Finally, he stopped at the top of 2 and waved to the crowd. Another roar came from the packed grandstands (Dozier disappeared to the pits and reappeared for the winged car feature that was THE NEXT RACE on the card. Dozier soldiered his way to an amazing 4th place finish in that event after his harrowing ride up the back stretch).

12 laps were left and Richards led Shank and Hawes to the new green. Hawes immediately got back by Shank to the approval of the large crowd that was now, collectively on their feet. The struggle at the top was spectacular. Two laps later Shank got back by Hawes and started to reel in Richards. Shank was high and low and flirting with disaster on every lap. Finally, with 3 to go Shank forced his red #1 between the front stretch wall and Richards in a daring attempt to secure the lead. Richards fought back and the pair stayed side by side for nearly a lap before Shank inched into the lead. At the white flag Shank pulled Richards by a car length and held on for the victory. It was an amazing race. In the end, 15-year-old Devon Osthmeir got by Hawes for 3rd in his 1st ever appearance at MRP. The rookie’s performance was overshadowed by the incredible events surrounding this event. Shank and Jay Youngman grabbed heat race honors.

Shank commented in victory lane, “We got real busy there for awhile…with all the bumping and banging I got real _____ off. I got up top and had to win this one.” The Shank-Hawes-Richards battle will be long remembered.

The highest finishing members of the association in both classes of MRP Sprint Cars got the Contingency Connection bonus. The bonus winner can receive up to $1250 in award certificates good for products from Contingency Connection sponsors. In addition to our cash purse prize money, MRP gets contingency vouchers and certificates for our winged and wingless sprint cars. The way it works is that Contingency Connection has signed up over 200 sponsors nationwide who contribute merchandise vouchers each race to the winner. The only catch is that drivers must be sporting the decal of that sponsor to earn the bonus. The vouchers can be saved and traded in for larger ticket items. The bonus is a healthy addition to the weekly $1000 cash prize promoter Hawes already pays to the winner of MRP sprint car main events. You must be a member of the association to be eligible, but you can become a member at any event throughout the year for a nominal fee.

In the MRP Mini Stock class, the race belonged to fast rising star Brent Hall. But, the season belonged to 6-time feature event winner Misty Castleberry. Castleberry clinched the title with another solid run in her red, white and blue #95. She was 2nd to Hall in the main.

Hall jumped to an early lead and was the star of the show. But the crowd erupted when Castleberry was announced as the champion one race in advance of the end of the season. Willie Horn was 3rd in the feature with championship contender Joel Giusti in 4th. Giusti was the only driver with a mathematical shot at Castleberry on this evening. It wasn’t to be as Castleberry won her heat. With Giusti finishing 5th in his heat, Castleberry had to finish 14th or better in the feature…if Giusti won. With 16 cars eligible to start the feature, Castleberry was a shoe-in for the title.

In victory lane, winner Hall said it was going to be, “…a different story next year. I’m going to run for the championship.” He’s the only one who’s shown he’s capable of beating Castleberry with any regularity. 2010 is a season to look forward to.

The championship was well deserved by this talented lady racer. Her barrage of top 5 finishes coupled with 6 feature victories kept the rest of the competitors breathing her exhaust most of the season. It was a fitting climax for Castleberry who now is a champion on the track her dad Richard Sinnott raced on. If Castleberry was nervous at all on this night, she didn’t show it. Her composure was professional and focused during each of her events. She went forward all night. A spectacular light show went off near the Castleberry pits after the final checkered flag. Perhaps it was a gala celebration for a job well done. A tip of the straw hat from this observer to Misty Castleberry on a fine run to the title.

Speaking of fine runs, the “Colusa Comet” Tim Maclaughlin grabbed his 3rd straight title in the Pro 4 Sprint Series. He did it from the infield as “…a new battery…” malfunctioned as Maclaughlin was trying to get to the front. Denmark Juan won a great victory over P.J. Petersen and a rejuvenated John Cardoni. Juan and Jeremy Hawes won the heat races. Maclaughlin’s well-deserved title shows the dominance this personable racer has shown over the last 3 seasons. He too won his class a race in advance of their season closing appearance on September19th.

More information on Doug Nunes victory here can be found on bcraracing.com.

We’ll be dark on Saturday September 12, but we do it with the lights on again Saturday night September19th. The mighty MRP Winged Sprint Cars will headline the show with the Browns Valley RV/Performance Auto Supply Wingless Warrior Sprint Car Series. The titles in both divisions will be decided in the “Sprint Car Showdown”. The Pro 4 Sprints and the Nor Cal Dwarf Cars will also be on the all-open-wheel card. The spectator gates open at 5PM with hot laps at 6 and qualifying at 6:30. The races will start promptly after qualifying. The pit gate opens at 3PM.

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.