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Marysville
CA - March 31, 2008 --- The 40th Anniversary Season at Paul and Kathy Hawes Marysville Raceway Park continued Saturday night with a lightning fast 4 division program. Former champ Bill Knoop of Yuba City captured the MRP Street Stock main for the 2nd consecutive week. Marysville’s Cort Dozier won the MRP Winged Sprint Car feature while Santa Rosa’s Terry Shank rushed to the front in the MRP Wingless Sprint car finale. The inaugural running of the “Open 4 Cylinders” class was captured by Medford Oregon’s Tyler Jensen after a torrid race with first, James Foster and then a surprisingly fast Misty Castleberry.
The lengthened track once again created a remarkable visual spectacle of speed. The cars LOOK as fast as they are going by. Additionally, new track lights were added this week and a complete ring of tri-colored caution lamps welcomed the racers as promoter Hawes’ continues to make safety his #1 priority.
The MRP Street Stocks were first to present their feature event. Knoop started on the pole of the main but settled into second place behind Craig Eubanks of Yuba City after the first lap. Eubanks leapt from his front row start beside Knoop into the lead. Olivehurst’s Robert Mull was quick on the gas and powered into a fine 3rd as John Johnson, Les Friend and Lisa Shelby slugged it out behind the lead trio. Eubanks was never really threatened as Knoop stayed 3 or 4 car lengths behind. A monster battle continued for 3rd on back as the Johnson-Friend-Shelby ruckus kept the fans cheering. Johnson gained momentum and camped on Mull’s tail as the ½ way point came and went. A quick yellow to remove Jeff Olschowka’ s disabled racer allowed the front runners to breathe. The new green gave everyone an opportunity to close on the rapid #11 of Eubanks. The race would go to the checkers from here. Eubanks seemingly would not be denied. He re-established his lead over Knoop and was on cruise control with 5 laps left.
But, to finish 1st you first must finish. On lap 15 Eubanks slowed on the backstretch and headed to the pits. This was another early out for Eubanks: the second in consecutive weeks. Eubanks was able to easily keep a safe lead on Knoop up to this time. Knoop passed Eubanks as he slowed on the back straight away and held on for the win beating Robert Mull to the checkered flag. Les Friend was 3rd after last lap contact between Johnson and Shelby sent them spinning. Cory Hall slipped into 4th for his best ever MRP Street Stock finish. Let’s give the rapidly improving Mull a nod on this one. 2nd in his Dash…2nd in his heat…and 2nd in the feature showed Mull is a serious contender for the title. Pre-race favorite Jeff Olschowka did not return after the turn 2 incident.
The MRP Winged Sprinters were next on the card and they did not disappoint. The winged cars were carrying so much more speed this week that their high speed ballet was almost frightening at times.
Cort Dozier and Troy Degaton shared the front row and drag raced into turn 1 with Dozier getting the early advantage up the back chute, leading lap 1. Marysville's Jeremy Phillips started the winged sprint feature event on the outside of the second row and started pressing the two leaders immediately. Phillips passed first Degaton, then went after Dozier. On lap 3, 2007 MRP champion Jeremy Burt of Grass Valley spun to a stop in turn 2, slowing the pace for a moment. The new green had Phillips glued to the leader Dozier. Dozier and Phillips hooked up in a crowd pleasing duel for a couple of circuits running side by side at very high speed. Phillips arched past Dozier with a dangerous outside pass in turn 3 and took the top spot.
4 laps later Phillips # 28 came past the grandstand making a terrible sound and the leader’s night was finished as he slowed, then came to a stop in turn 2. Dozier inherited the lead, AND a charging Brent Dothage (2 time champion from Kelseyville) who had made his way into 2nd from 6th. The new track record holder kept Dozier honest for the rest of the event, but tonight Dozier flashed under the checkers 1st. Dothage did everything but stand his red and yellow 2 on it’s nose in his efforts to get by. Degaton held on for 3rd with Brandon Dozier in 4th. 3 time champ Korey Lovell recovered in fine fashion from a spin to garner 5th position in the final tally.
During qualifying for the MRP Winged Sprint Cars, Dothage set a track record in the winged sprint class, getting around the reconfigured clay oval in 12.649 seconds. Dothage clipped more than a second off of the track record set by Mike Monahan just last week.
Buddy Olshowka of Marysville and much improved 2007 Rookie of the Year Eddie Garner started on the front row in the MRP Wingless Sprint Car feature. Olschowka took the lead at the drop of the green flag. He held on to the lead until the fifth lap, when 4th starting Shank found the outside and passed first Gardner, then Olschowka, in a well calculated series of moves. Shank checked out from that point forward and was never challenged again.
By ½ way only Taylor Simas of Orland and John Anderson of Sacramento were moving forward with any authority. Simas was the show for awhile as the fleet racer was showing that the new surface seemed to suit his style.
The 4th lap was a bit of a thriller for Tim Sherman Jr. of Rocklin. Sherman caught a right rear wheel with his left front at the entrance to turn 1. The car bicycled, first right, then left and the busy Sherman nearly had it saved when he tapped the wall in turn 2. The car gingerly toppled over on its cage, Sherman popped out immediately.
The race ended with Shank, Simas and Anderson taking the top 3 positions. Winged sprint car victor Cort Dozier wound up 4th after a really clean and steady drive to the front. Olschowka was 5th.
The inaugural running of the “Open 4 Cylinders” brought down the curtain with their $1000 to win feature event. James Foster of Marysville took advantage of a restart to muscle his way into an early lead at starter Robin Davies green banner. Foster used every trick in the book to lead an obviously faster Tyler Jensen. Jensen finally passed him on a lap 8 restart. Try as he might, Foster could not retaliate.
The rest of the race was a monstrously entertaining battle between Foster, an outrages Misty Castleberry and a fast moving Dan King, also from Medford. King’s fortunes changed rapidly near the end and he spun out of contention. Castleberry passed Foster with a slick inside move near the end and secured 2nd place at the checkers. Jensen held on for the win in this unique race format.
MRP Dash For Cash winners were Phillips in the MRP Winged Sprinters, Jeremy Hawes of Marysville in the MRP Wingless Sprints, Knoop in the MRP Street Stocks and Orland’s Jake Van Tole in the open four-cylinders.
Heat race winners were John-Michael Bunch of Paradise and Shawn Amos of Gridley in the MRP Winged Sprint Cars. Both young racers showed spectacular car control in the caution free events. Simas, Anderson and Shank were heat winners in the Wingless Sprints, Knoop and Eubanks in the MRP Street Stocks, and Van Tole, Foster and Jensen in the Open 4 Cylinders.
Next Saturday night the Wingless Sprint Cars will headline the program with a return visit by the MRP Street Stocks, Mini Stocks and the Nor Cal Dwarf Cars. PLUS!!!! The Slam-Bang return of the EXTREME BOMBERS!!!
Pit gates open at 3 with the grandstands opening at 5. 1st race always runs off at 7PM.
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Don’t forget this one: The Western All Stars Super Late Model extravaganza is on for April 26. Do not miss this show. Visit http://www.westernallstars.com/ to have a look at some of the fantastic racecars that will challenge MRP
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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.
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