Fernley 95A Speedway Race Results for July 21, 2012

The weather was hot, and so was the racing action at Fernley 95A Speedway last Saturday night. The Hobby Stock division led off, with Tom Haxall of Verdi taking the lead from pole and building a margin over Sun Valley’s Rick Miller and Jake Baker of Reno. Carl Barlow of Silver Springs, who won from the back of the field two weeks ago, wasted no time charging through the field to second place. Newcomer Haxall didn’t realize that the track rules call for racing back to the yellow, so when the first caution came out for two cars spinning in turn two, he lost the lead to Barlow. A spin on the restart brought out another caution, setting up a green/white/checker finish. Barlow took off like a scalded cat at the final green flag and held the lead to the checker. Behind him, Dayton’s Royce Goetz charged past Baker and Miller, bringing Reno’s Richard Italiano along with him. The finish order was Barlow, Goetz, Italiano, Miller, and Baker. Barlow won his heat race, as did Baker.

Another charge from the back of the field characterized the Pure Stock main, as Fallon’s Al Bishop cut through the field in no time to take the lead. As Bishop disappeared into the distance, Bryce Phillips of Lovelock, Silver Springs driver Justin Schilling, Mark Serchio Jr. of Stagecoach, Reno racer Travis Barr, and Dayton’s Loghan Cologna squabbled over the next five positions. Phillips finally broke away from the pack, and Fernley driver Bracee Langevin retired with a kinked fuel line suffered when she parked her car atop a hay bale in the heat race. Serchio got by Schilling on the final lap, and at the finish it was Bishop, Phillips, Serchio, Schilling, and Barr in the top five. Barr grabbed the heat race win earlier in the evening.

Will Ritchey took the early lead in the Modified Mini main, pursued by Stephen Crook of Sparks and Fernley’s Steve Singley. Dennis Crook of Reno spun, bringing out a caution. Debris in turn one necessitated a second caution after just one lap, and Stephen Crook sailed past Ritchey on the next restart, followed through by Justin McIlvain of Sparks. The front four ran nose to tail, with Dennis Crook the caboose as they opened a gap to Singley in fifth place. Singley pitted, leaving only five cars remaining on the track, and at the finish the order was Stephen Crook, McIlvain, Dennis Crook, Ritchey, and “Sculley” Reader. Stephen Crook made it a sweep by winning the heat race as well as the main.
Carson City’s Jeff Shurley shot from the outside pole to the lead in the Dwarf main, with Yerington’s Roy Peterson and Robert Miller of Gardnerville in tow. Miller spun, bringing out the caution and losing a lap in the process, and Carson City’s Shane Ramthun took over the lead and pulled away. While Miller battled with Tate Morehead of Fernley behind him, Ramthun ran away and hid, opening a huge gap on the field. The race ran green to the checker, with a dominant Ramthun taking the win ahead of Morehead, Fernley’s Calvin Ryle, Shurley, and Peterson. Miller salvaged the evening by winning the earlier heat race.
The Pro Stock main provided the most exciting and entertaining finish of the evening. Reno’s Jack Randall put on the drive of his career, leading from the green flag and holding it to the finish. As Randall opened a gap to second-place Jim Klopp of Reno, Fallon’s Rob Grace began moving through the field, taking over third place from Reno racer Scott Deutsch. Smoke started issuing from Grace’s car in the corners, but it didn’t seem to slow him down. As the laps wound down, a caution flag for a spin in turn three bunched the field for a green-white-checker finish. Randall got a good jump on the restart and held his lead to the checker, but a wad of cars crossed the line almost four abreast behind him. When the scoring ladies got it sorted out, Grace was credited with second, Chris Coclich of Fernley was third, Klopp fourth, and Deutsch fifth. Heat race wins went to Grace and Carson City’s Gary Nevers.

The IMCA Modifieds were the last race of the evening. Polesitter Mark Skender of Fernley led at the green, but on a restart after an early caution Mike McMordie of Reno took the lead, followed by Fernley’s Shawn Natenstedt and Jake Holland of Calpine, California. Natenstedt soon passed McMordie and began to stretch out a lead, as Yerington’s Gene Kay took over second place, battling with Holland. Gardnerville driver Robert Miller advanced to fourth place with Carson City’s Tom Purcell in fifth. Another caution bunched the field, but Natenstedt drove away on the restart while second through fifth traded passes battling for position. McMordie scraped the front straightaway wall when his suspension failed, bringing out the final caution and setting up a dash to the finish. Natenstedt hung on to take the win, with Kay, Miller, Reno’s Bill Pearson, and Russ Cazier of Gardnerville rounding out the top five. Natenstedt won his heat race, and Wade Deburg of Chilcoot, California won the other heat.
Fernley 95A Speedway will be dark until August 18.