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| Press Release |
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Simas, Olschowka,
Luster, Weger and Dozier prevail |
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Marysville CA - April 6, 2008 --- The 40th Anniversary Season at Paul and Kathy Hawes Marysville Raceway Park continued Saturday night with a lightning fast 4-division program. Jeff Olschowka of Marysville held off a couple of multiple former track champions Saturday night to win the street stock main event at Marysville Raceway Park. Taylor Simas of Orland won the fast and entertaining MRP Wingless Sprint Car feature. Pat Weger of Grass Valley won the Nor Cal Dwarf Car main event with a daring, brilliant last lap pass on former champ Brian Quilty of Fair Oaks. Robert Luster of Marysville won the mini-stock main event after an outstanding race long duel that had the crowd screaming. It’s conclusion was epic and the surprised Luster was handed the hardware after race officials had digested the last few laps and decided on rulings that would affect the final result. Brandon Dozier of Marysville won the Extreme Bomber’s slugfest that ended the night’s races. Olschowka shot into the lead at the beginning of the MRP
Street Stock event. He started on the outside of the front row. Three-time track
champion Jerry Bartlett of Yuba City was next to Olschowka as the green was
unfurled. He pressed Olschowka early, but it was clear that Olschowka was the
quicker racer on this night. Two-time champ Bill Knoop of Hallwood settled into
3rd right away probably thinking it was a really good place to be in the early
laps. Knoop soon muscled his way past Bartlett and secured 2nd. Bartlett got
right back by Knoop one lap later as Knoop was slowed by lapped traffic.
Olschowka was a master in lapped traffic and used some great moves to extend his
lead on the pair dicing it out for 2nd. Knoop recovered and camped on
Bartlett’s tail when Bartlett started a lazy slide in turn 3 that allowed
Knoop an opening on the inside. Knoop brushed the front end of Bartlett's car,
ripping off Bartlett’s nosepiece and tearing his hood loose. Bartlett raced on
with his hood being held in place by a single hood pin, but he lost 2 positions
in the altercation. Olschowka stayed in the lead the rest of the way. Olschowka
repelled every advance by the aggressive Knoop. Knoop, who won the first two
features of the season, just could not quite muster enough speed to get by the
fleet Olschowka. The race was a thriller from start to finish up front. Next up, the Nor Cal Dwarf Cars provided some fireworks of their own in the race for the lead. Brothers Pat and Dan Weger were the story for the 1st part of this one. Former Nor Cal champion Brian Quilty of Fair Oaks joined in the tussle up front almost immediately. Quilty was moving forward quickly and had just secured 2nd behind Dan Weger when Quilty lost it and dropped like a rock toward the rear. We would hear from him later. Josh Hiatt was in the mix as well and raised some eyebrows as he challenged for the top spot after Quilty’s miscue. Quilty battled back immediately and started to really make
some progress as the race went green for a while near ½ way. Pat Weger had run
a close 2nd to Dan Weger when, with a powerful move in turns 3 and 4, he forged
into the lead. Dan Weger began to fade thereafter as Quilty sliced his way to
the front. As the race drew to it’s conclusion Quilty parked on Pat Weger’s
rear bumper and with 4 to go forged into the lead. Then, as the pair raced to
the white flag Weger and Quilty collided as they approached slow traffic on the
front chute. Quilty went low and Weger stayed in the gas and went high as the
lapped car split the battling duo. Weger threw his #19 into the cushion in turn
1 and it worked. Weger inched past Quilty on the backstretch and retook the
lead. It was one for the books as Pat Weger made it stick through 3 and 4 and
just nipped Quilty at the flag. It was a remarkable race at the front. Judging
from the crowd reaction it was a real thriller from the grandstands as well. Taylor Simas of Orland parlayed his newly acquired #1 starting position into a lead he would never relinquish. Simas led at will. Only lapped traffic put the young speedster at any risk on this night. A rare miscue by point leader John Andersen sent him from 4th position to the rear early on. Anderson executed a quick spin in turn 3 and came to a halt. The new green provided a long stretch of green flag racing that allowed Simas to put lapped traffic between himself and 2nd running Mason Myers (brother of Cody). Jeremy Hawes and Cort Dozier of Marysville started to move and became factors by ½ way. With some mid race heroics, Hawes moved into second on lap 12 of the scheduled 20. Simas was slowed on the last lap by traffic and Hawes made up a lot of time but he was unable to catch Simas. Mason Myers finished third while Dozier was fourth. Cody Meyers worked hard after his 1st lap flip and wound up 7th in the final tally. Dozier and Hawes made up a lot of ground on point leader Anderson. The trio should be closely bunched when the new standings are made official on Tuesday. With MRP open wheelers in mind, this observer would be remiss
if we did not mention the untimely passing last week of Mike Wasina (the elder).
The former open wheel star and CSRA champion will be sorely missed at this and
other venues where the Wasina family has made their mark on open wheel racing.
Son, Mike (Sr) was MRP’s 1st ever Winged Sprint Car Champion in 1991. He won
the championship again before his son; Mike Wasina (Jr.) captured his two titles
here at MRP. The Wasina’s were perhaps one of the most influential families in
MRP’s early efforts at presenting weekly Winged Sprint Car point racing. A tip
of the hat to one of the pioneers, Mr. Mike Wasina Giusti’s #17 gave up the ghost and stopped in turn 3 bringing out a caution flag. During the break it became obvious that Marysville’s Robert Luster who had started deep in the pack had been carving his way to the front with Mike Merritt in close proximity. The new green put Gillaspie on Foster’s tail and that race became a hum-dinger. If Mini Stocks could draft, these two would be drafting. Gallaspie’s pressure was relentless. But, Foster stayed cool and did not put a wheel wrong during this segment. As the race was heading into its final stages, fast qualifier Eddie Staving and Furuta got together in turn 4 and Furuta pounded the wall a ton. Furuta’s lead pack challenge was over and Staving sustained some damage of his own. Luster kept on coming and was now 5th behind Staving and Merritt who was behind Gillaspie who was shadowing the leader, Foster. The final green flag flew with three to go. Gillaspie tried outside and inside and could not get by the stubborn Foster. Luster got by some fast lapped traffic. It seemed that his effort from the rear would fall short. The white flag waved on Foster as he carried Gillaspie into
the last lap. Gillaspie had a great turn 2 pulled up on the inside of Foster.
Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Foster was sideways and sliding into the
infield on the backstretch after 19 perfect laps. Gillaspie flew by with
Staving, Merritt and Luster in tow. Luster got Merritt and Staving with a
brilliant turn 4. Gillaspie took the checkers 1st with Luster in an excellent
2nd after his last lap charge. Foster limped around to a 14th place finish. When the dust had settled, Luster was declared the winner. Mike Merritt, who Luster passed in turn 4 of the last lap, was 2nd, Gillaspie 3rd and Staving 4th. The EXTREME BOMBERS ended the evening with a slam-bang finale that produced Brandon Dozier as the winner. With carnage all over the racetrack it was apparent that the crowd-pleasing win it or wreck it format is as strong as ever. Other Dash For Cash winners besides feature winner Olschowka
were Dozier in the MRP Wingless Sprints class, Gillespie in the Mini-Stocks and
Marysville’s Neil Stinson in the Dwarf Cars. Next Saturday night the Winged Sprint Cars will headline the “Fallen Racers Memorial” program with a return visit by the MRP Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, the SORA Sprint 100s and the debut of the Winged 600 Lites. The “ Fallen Racer Memorial “ will honor racers who are no longer with us. A list of drivers, promoters and other personalities associated with MRP’s 40 years of continuous operation will be read. This in advance of the installation of huge bronze plaques to be installed on the brand new obelisk that stands in the middle of the infield raising old glory high into the night air here each Saturday night. Promoter Hawes is most insistent that those who have participated in the 40-year history of MRP should never be forgotten. This is the 1st step in this noble effort. We’re still looking for great racing stories from MRP’s glorious past. Got a great memory or story? Let’s hear it!! If you email it, we’ll print it (within the parameters of good taste and humor). Pit gates open at 3 with the grandstands opening at 5. 1st race always runs off at 7PM. Something to say?: Drop this observer a line at raceproducer@yahoo.com . 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 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. |
