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Press Release

Rescino Victorious on Hot CASA Night at Ukiah
by Glenn Hopper

7-16-05 – Ukiah, CA...A hot, 104 degree day led to a hot and somewhat wild night of California Asphalt Sprintcar Association action at the high banked quarter-mile Ukiah Speedway where Nick Rescino Jr. returned to his winning ways after a hard fought 75 lap battle and a brief hiatus from victory lane. “Last year we won so much and now we’ve had some problems. You kind of start doubting if you can do this,” grinned Rescino of tonight’s win after a few sub-par events for the #11 team.

After all the CASA drivers, nearly reluctantly, suited up for action on this sweltering afternoon, rapidly improving rookie of the year candidate Jessica Helberg laid down the fastest qualifying lap, 12.215 to take fast time honors, posting her first fast time in a sprint car and becoming only the second rookie to do so in a CASA event. “The car’s just been getting better,” she said humbly after her run.

The fast car trophy dash was a quick three lap burst won by Glenn Hopper over Rescino, Destiney Hays and Helberg, while a very entertaining heat number one followed with “Super Veteran” Marvin Mitchell holding off 2003 CASA champ Tony Iacobitti and nearby Cotati, CA resident Ivan Worden for several laps until Worden slipped past for the win. Iacobitti also passed Mitchell to then challenge Worden and Mitchell had to settle for third over Joe Hauck and Scott Clough. The Lightning Sports heat race was also won by a driver from the north bay area as Santa Rosa’s Trever Cummins jumped out to the early lead and held off a determined Nick Green, Hays, Hopper, Rescino and Helberg in the second 10 lap preliminary event.

When the sun finally set and the temperature became more moderate, it was time for the CASA sprinters to turn up the heat again for the 75-lap feature. By virtue of a six-car inversion, Trever Cummins, fresh off his heat race victory, assumed the pole position next to fellow rookie Nick Green. As the green flag flew over the thundering field Cummins took his #17 to the low side looking for the lead but Green was equally as fast in the high groove and the two battled for a few laps in side-by-side fashion while the rest of the field hung in a close pack, each looking to gain the slightest advantage. After a entertaining battle Cummins emerged as the leader and despite being a little on the loose side, held off Green until a lap 19 caution for Iacobitti in turn one.

As racing resumed, Green, eager to wrest the lead from Cummins, applied more than just pressure to the back of the orange #17. Green repeatedly bumped the back of Cummins and after several laps, Cummins spun into the infield in turn two. As Cummins was positioned for restarting and the track crew swept some dirt off the racing surface that had been kicked up as a result of the spin, CASA and track officials determined Green guilty of a rough driving infraction and sent him to the rear of the field. Rough driving, a particular issue discussed at the pre-race drivers meeting, was not going to be tolerated and unfortunately for the Green team, it meant restarting at the rear of the pack.  

With Cummins’ spin and Green dispatch to the rear, Rescino, after passing Hopper and Hays in the early going, found his third place standing on the leader board upgraded to the number one spot. However, as the field was ready to go green again, Hays stopped just off the edge of the backstretch with a flat right front tire. Her crew quickly made repairs but her #28 was also moved off the leader board as she too went to the rear for the restart.

When racing resumed, Rescino inched his way ahead of Hopper who now had Helberg breathing down his neck. Worden, after displaying his speed in his heat race ran a solid fourth. As the top runners encountered lapped traffic, Iacobitti began his charge from his earlier misadventure and was now up to fifth but an undeterred Green, a still fast Cummins and Hays were heading forward as well. Well past the midway point of the event, the yellow flag slowed the field again as Cummins coasted to a stop at the beginning of the front straight and he needed a tow to the pits, retiring him from the action.

Rescino held fast again on the restart with Hopper still trying hard to close the gap from second. Helberg ran flawlessly in third while Iacobitti and Green managed their way ahead of Worden. Hays retired from the fray along with Clough who suffered a rare tire valve stem problem causing a deflating right front tire. Both left the track under power allowing racing to continue. And continue it did as the latter laps of the race clicked off quickly until lap 65 when Helberg’s excellent run found her flame-painted #4 spun in the turn three infield dirt. She rejoined the field setting the stage for a ten-lap sprint to the finish.

Hopper pulled all stops trying to overtake Rescino in the closing stages of the race but Rescino’s strength allowed him to continually inch away, putting a safe cushion behind him. Green made an attempt on Hopper with a scant few laps remaining but found Iacobitti slipping past in the low groove while Green negotiated the high side in his attempt to garner second. As the black and white checkers waved over Rescino’s dark blue #11 in victory, Hopper hung on for a hard fought second, Iacobitti in a brilliant come from behind drive secured third over and equally determined effort of Green, and an excellent fifth place showing of Worden. Helberg rebounded nicely in the limited amount of laps remaining for sixth, Joe Hauck ran smoothly for seventh over Mitchell in eighth. Hays, Cummins and Clough were credited with ninth through eleventh.

Next weekend finds the CASA cars and stars visiting Madera Speedway for the third of four dates this season on Saturday July 23rd. The “Tire Burning Thunder” of the California Sprint Cars is eager to return to the immaculate third mile facility even if the hot valley weather will once again greet the CASA contingent. Please visit www.casaracing.com for more information on all CASA activities.

7-16-05 CASA Results

QUALIFYING
1. Jessica Helberg- 12.215,
2. Nick Rescino, Jr.- 12.217, 3. Destiney Hays- 12.282, 4. Glenn Hopper- 12.329, 5. Nick Green- 12.385, 6. Trever Cummins- 12.446, 7. Ivan Worden- 12.644, 8. Tony Iacobitti- 12.664, 9. Joe Hauck- 12.936, 10. Scott Clough- 13.019, 11. Marvin Mitchell- 13.091

TROPHY DASH 
1. Glenn Hopper,
2. Nick Rescino Jr., 3. Destiney Hays, 4. Jessica Helberg

75 LAP MAIN EVENT
1. Nick Rescino, Jr.,
2. Glenn Hopper, 3. Tony Iacobitti, 4. Nick Green, 5. Ivan Worden, 6. Jessica Helberg, 7. Joe Hauck, 8. Marvin Mitchell, 9. Destiney Hays, 10. Trever Cummins, 11. Scott Clough

POINT STANDINGS 7-16-05

1

Nick Rescino, Jr.

447

2

Nick Green

415

3

Glenn Hopper

379

4

Tony Iacobitti

370

5

Jessica Helberg

355

6

Marvin Mitchell

317

7

Joe Hauck

313

8

Earle Stanton

279

9

Jeff Gardner

265

10

Scott Clough

263

11

Trever Cummins

234

12

Ryan Baumgartner

190

13

Craig Smith

154

14

Ivan Worden

149

15

Brad Bumgarner

124

16

Brian McClish

119

17

Anthony Simone

97

18

Destiney Hayes

76

19

Michael Trimble

71

20

Jeff Burrows

66

21

Amy Barnes

63

22

Ed Amador

62

23

Burt Silverling

62

24

Pat Ariaz

61

25

Shauna Hogg

48

26

Eric Silsby

46

27

Alan Kaiser

40

28

Pat Bliss

37

29

Rob Hammond

36

30

Bob Beck

34

31

Michael Zarevich

32

32

Allen Beck

32

33

Tom Haxall

28

34

John Silva

28

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