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Petaluma Speedway
PETALUMA, Calif. (May 24) - Racing in the veteran-laden late models, a division that presents a steep learning curve and often takes years to master, rookie driver Rick Shafer has proved himself to be fast learner. Competing in just his fifth feature race, and engaged in a torrid battle for the lead, Shafer grabbed the spotlight last Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway by outgunning Anthony Restad and holding on to win his first-ever feature.
The victory capped a celebratory night for the Shafer family, Rick, who won his heat and the 14-car, 25-lap feature, and his son Randy, who captured the trophy dash. "The car was perfect right off the trailer, I finally made it," beamed the 49-year-old Vacaville driver sporting a wide grin amid congratulatory handshakes from well-wishers.
The victory lifted Shafer, who spent two seasons in the Dirt Modifieds where his best finish was sixth-place, and had two previous third-place finishes this year, up a notch, to third place, in the All-Pro point standings. From fourth-row starting, Shafer grabbed the lead on lap-8 and quickly had Restad and Nick Perivolaris on his tail. A bottom pass on lap-15 gave Restad the lead and a similar pass by Perivolaris on the next circuit dropped Shafer to third place but three laps later Perivolaris left the track with motor problems allowing Shafer to make a successful run underneath Restad in turn-4 to regain the front spot. "I got passed, but I got a second wind and passed him back," noted Shafer afterwards. Restad finished a season-best second, followed by Paul Guglielmoni, heat winner Steve Johnson, Michael Paul Jr., Rich Barbaccia, and Norman Beck.
There's been speculation that a bounty should be awarded to any driver who wins the Spec Sprint feature over Darrell Hanestad who, Saturday night, claimed his fourth straight victory. "Just leave things alone," says the veteran Hanestad, who's against any attempts to throw a wrench into his recent run of success. "It's all going real smooth for us now, we're on a roll with six wins (counting other tracks) in a row. I've done this too long, you ride it as long as you can."
As (Hanestad's) luck would have it he started in the front row and all but left the rest of the 14-car field vying for runner-up spots well before the mid-point. Pole-sitter Troy Caraway ran a strong second most of the way before new points leader Bob Newberry mounted a serious challenge over the final six laps before Caraway nipped Newberry at the finish. Fast qualifier David Press finished fourth, followed in order by trophy dash winner Jason McIntosh, Marc Zieske, Marcus Hardina, and Dave Ellis.
Sparks were seen flying at the start of the Super Stock feature and a few accusations were tossed at the end of the intense battle after Danny Potts rolled to his third victory in five attempts and chipped one point off Dean DeVolder's All-Pro points lead.
In the 17-car feature Potts and pole-sitter Woody Woodward scraped together almost as soon as the green flag dropped and remained side-by-side for the entire first lap, but when the two adversaries came out of Turn-4 too wide and Potts scraped the crash wall track officials immediately waved the black flag at Woodward for rough driving.
The race resumed with Potts leading Dave Byron and defending champ DeVolder. Tension mounted as Potts led the leaders through several lapped cars until, unexpectedly, a down car spun in front of Byron, causing a crash that spoiled the Petaluma veteran's best effort of the season. "Those (slower) cars need to learn to move over," said an obviously upset Byron afterwards. Potts protected his lead over the final three laps to post the win over DeVolder, Manny Avila, Steve Studebaker, Michael Drew, Shawn McCoy, Rich Levacque, Kevin Aguirre, and Michelle Byron.
Following an unusual turn of events in the Dwarf Car division John Wear's two-race win streak ended with Wear disqualified before the race began and John Barker picked up his first win of the year in an unusual manner. According to track officials Wear, who entered the night ranked second in points, was disqualified because another driver took his place during the heat race.
In the 25-lap feature Mark Tillinger, winner of his heat and the trophy dash, was leading the feature and on course for a clean sweep when he was passed by Russ Sieber and Barker on lap 19. When Sieber's car began spewing heavy smoke he was black flagged, but he ignored the flag. At the finish Barker was declared the victor and Tillinger the runner-up, with Sieber demoted to 10th place. Rounding out the finish in the 13-car event was third place John Peters, Dan Williams, David Teves, Sonny Calkins, Alan Cox, Dan Zuger, and Gary Klintobe.
The 360 Sprint Cars return to action at the Speedway this Saturday night along with Late Models, Dirt Modified and Mini Stock.
LATE MODELS
Heat 1--Rick Shafer; Paul Guglielmoni; Rich Barbaccia; Anthony Restad; Dennis Souza; Norman Beck.
Heat 2--Steve Johnson; Randy Shafer; Chevy McGinnis; Michael Paul Sr.; Nick Perivolaris; Don Iverson.
Dash--Randy Shafer; Rick Shafer; Guglielmoni; Johnson.
Main--Rick Shafer; Restad; Guglielmoni; Johnson; Paul; Barbaccia; Beck; Perivolaris; McGinnis; Souza; Iverson; Randy Shafer; Clarke Guglielmoni; Rod Arnold.
SPEC SPRINTS
Fast time--David Press 14.810.
Heat 1--Troy Caraway; Jack Clark; Press; Bob Newberry; Joel Myers; Rick Sharp.
Heat 2--Darrell Hanestad; Jason McIntosh; Cameron Beard; Marc Zieske; Dave Ellis; Marcus Hardina; Bill Hopper.
Dash--McIntosh; Caraway; Hanestad; Clark.
Main--Hanestad; Caraway; Newberry; Press; McIntosh; Zieske; Hardina; Ellis; Sharp; Clark; Scott Dupont; Myers; Beard; Ryan Bernal.
SUPER STOCK
Heat 1--Dean DeVolder; Woody Woodward; Manny Avila; Shawn McCoy; D.W. Drew; Kevin Aguirre; Nate Schleth; Larry Drew; Rich Levacque.
Heat 2--Dave Byron; Danny Potts; Steve Studebaker; Gary Adams; Steve Dempsey; Michael Drew; Michelle Byron; Paul Hanley.
Dash--Potts; Woodward; Avila; D. Byron.
Main--Potts; DeVolder; Avila; Studebaker; M. Drew; McCoy; Levacque; Aguirre; M. Byron; Hanley; L. Drew; D. Byron; Tim O'Hara; Adams; Woodward; Dempsey; Schleth DNS; D.W. Drew DNS.
DWARF CARS
Heat 1--Mark Tillinger; Russ Roy; David Teves; Alan Cox; Dan Williams; Brian Mashburn; Keith Spriggs.
Heat 2--John Peters; John Barker; Russ Sieber; Dan Zuger; Sonny Calkins; Gary Klinetobe.
Dash--Tillinger; Roy; Barker; Peters.
Main--Barker; Tillinger; Peters; Williams; Teves; Calkins; Cox; Zuger; Klinetobe; Sieber; Roy; Mashburn; Spriggs.
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