Press Release by Jim Pluhar
Santa Maria, CA - May 23, 2009...

The Annual Memorial Weekend Don Roberts Memorial was held Saturday night at Santa Maria Speedway. West Coast 360 Sprint Cars, East vs. West Super Streets, and MMI Factory Stocks all saw action on the 1/3-mile clay oval.

Jace VanderWeerd, of Visalia, set fast time for West Coast Sprint Cars of 14.535 seconds but was taken out of the top-five in the 30-lap main event, along with his twin brother Richard, in a lap 6 accident that catapulted point leader Peter Murphy, of Clovis, into the lead. Richard was through for the night but Jace was able to restart at the back of the 21-car field and work his way to a sixth place finish. Kerman's Davey Pombo followed Murphy to the checkered flag with Hanford drivers Michael Faccinto and Justyne Hamblin third and fourth. Tyler Schmidt, of Hollister, was fifth. Murphy, Faccinto, and J. VanderWeerd captured 8-lap heat races.

East vs. West Super Street point leader, and defending champion, Tim Randolph, of Santa Maria, scored a sweep of the division, setting fast time of 17.408 seconds, winning an 8-lap heat race and the 4-lap trophy dash, and capping the night off with victory in the 50-lap main event. Kyle Heckman, of Nipomo, was second in the feature followed by Bakersfield's Lonnie Welch, Eric Cemintal, and Nick Sylvester. Chad Shaffer, of Santa Maria, won the second heat race.

Santa Maria's Michael Frazier made his first top-five finish of the season a good one, winning the 20-lap Factory Stock feature event. Point leader Kirk Morgan, of Santa Maria, and Kevin Linson, of Arroyo Grande, came in second and third. Lompoc's Brandon Brickey, Sr. and Atascadero's Mike Leland completed the top-five. Eight-lap heat races were won by Brickey, Gary Rayburn, Jr., and Chris Graham, both of Grover Beach.

Next Saturday night Super Late Models, Papich Construction IMCA Modifieds, MMI Factory Stocks, and Toste Grading & Paving Mini Stocks will take over the oval. It will also be Wallmart "Give a Heart Night". Ticket prices will be $16.00 for adults, $14.00 for seniors and military, and $6.00 for children six to twelve. Kids five and under are free. Spectator gates will open at 3:00 p.m., with qualifying at 5:00 p.m. and racing at 6:00 p.m. The Speedway is located 1/4-mile north of the US 101/166 interchange on Hutton Road.

RACE SUMMARIES:
Sprint Cars: Fast Time - Jace VanderWeerd, 14.535.
Heat 1 - J. VanderWeerd, Davey Pombo, Tyler Schmidt, Rusty Carlile, Joey Layman, Mike Smith, Terry Nichols.
Heat 2 - Michael Faccinto, Richard VanderWeerd, Albert Pombo, Jared Little, Bill Jones, Geoffery Strolie, Chris Larsen.
Heat 3 - Peter Murphy, Justyne Hamblin, Greg Porte, Kevin Barnes, Rick Eberhardt, Jeff Culver, Kenny Perkins.
Main Event - Murphy, D. Pombo, Faccinto, Hamblin, Schmidt, J. VanderWeerd, Porte, A. Pombo, Carlile, Little, Layman, Barnes, Eberhardt, Nichols, Smith, Culver, Jones, Larsen, R. VanderWeerd, Strolie, Perkins.

Super Streets: Fast Time - Tim Randolph, 17.408.
Trophy Dash - Tim Randolph, Kyle Heckman, Toby Randolph, Billy Simkins.
Heat 1 - Tim Randolph, Toby Randolph, Lonnie Welch, Nick Sylvester, Simkins, Mike Chambers, Larry Blake.
Heat 2 - Chad Shaffer, Heckman, Eric Cemintal, Bobby Meneley, Morris Sealy, Ed Elloitt.
Main Event - Tim Randolph, Heckman, Welch, Cemintal, Sylvester, Meneley, Sealy, Toby Randolph, Elloitt, Chambers, Blake, Simkins, Shaffer.

Factory Stocks:
Heat 1 - Gary Rayburn, Jr., Kirk Morgan, Charlie Scovell, Tim Bennett, Tom Renner, John Hanson, Glen Sparks.
Heat 2 - Brandon Brickey, Sr., Kevin Linson, Theo Van De Sande, Chuck Barfoot, Matt Marchiando, Gary Rayburn, Sr, Robert Read.
Heat 3 - Chris Graham, Randy Obert, Michael Frazier, Pete Lethcoe, Mike Leland, Jonathan La Rosa, Dale Sylvester.
Main Event - Frazier, Morgan, Linson, Brickey, Leland, Read, Bennett, Van De Sande, Rayburn, Sr., Marchiando, Hanson, LaRosa, Sylvester, Renner, Lethcoe, Graham, Sparks, Rayburn, Jr., Scovell, Barfoot, Obert.

POINT STANDINGS:
Factory Stocks:
1. Kirk Morgan, 139 2. Dale Sylvester, 124 3. Tim Bennett, 121 4. Brandon Brickey, Sr./Matt Marchiando, 119.