Simpson, Faulkner, Matthias, and Brown Nab Early Season Wins
By Devin Mayo and Rick Faeth
A beautiful spring evening brought fans out to Petaluma Speedway this past Saturday for the first round of the Pit Stop USA Wing 360’s series for 2018. Long time Petaluma Speedway racer Norm Johns would set quick time with a time of 13.544. A three heat race format saw John Clark win heat race #1, Bret Barney capture heat #2, and Brett Rollag cop the final 8-lapper. Jake Haulot and Brett Rollag would lead the field to green for 25- laps with Haulot getting the jump on the field. As Haulot scampered away, Lucas Ashe and Bradley Terrell would make moves around outside front row starter Rollag. Terrell would get around Ashe for 2nd. After a pair of early yellows, the field would go back to green but Terrell and Ashe would make contact between turns 1 and 2. Simultaneously, Kenny Drew would hop a right rear and collide with the wall. Terrell’s night was finished but Kenny Drew would return to the track after another yellow following the red flag. The field started to string out and race leader Jake Haulot would reach lap traffic. This allowed Lucas Ashe and Klint Simpson to close. Ashe would make a 3 wide pass down the backstretch to take command over Haulot. Simpson made a pass on Haulot and would start to catch the new race leader Ashe. Simpson would make the pass but Ashe would cross back over to re-take the top spot. With 10 laps to go, Simpson would take command and never looked back. Behind him, early race leader Haulot would battle Ashe for the runner up spot. Simpson would go on to notch his first Pit Stop USA Winged 360 Series victory in the potent Kirk Edison #101. Rounding out the top five would be: Haulot in 2nd, Ashe was 3rd, over Rollag and 2017 rookie of the year Bret Barney.
The McLea’s Tire & Automotive Modifieds made their first 2018 visit to the Adobe Clay. Heat race winners were Jeff Faulkner and Oreste Gonnella. Michael Paul would lead the field to green. Faulkner would make moves and would find himself in second and try to run down Paul. A few yellows would allow Faulkner to get a chance at the lead. Paul and Faulkner would battle neck and neck for the remainder of the race but in the end, Jeff Faulkner would win the Modified main event followed by Michael Paul in 2nd and Gonella in 3rd.
The Redwood Dwarf Car Association presented by General Hydroponics made their third trip the Petaluma Speedway. Heat race winners were Dave Mosier, Adam Teves, and Chad Matthias. Carroll Mendenhall and Matthias would lead the field to green with Matthias getting the early lead. Mosier would move into second. Matthias and Mosier would duke it out for the lead, swapping the lead for the majority of the race. Mosier would get the lead and start to run away with the race but an issue allowed Matthias to real Mosier in and take back the lead. Teves would be able to run down Mosier and get second and would make a charge at Matthias for the lead. Teves would run out of time as Matthias would pick up the victory, followed by Teves in 2nd, and Mosier despite having late race mechanical issues would round out the podium.
The Jakes Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks took to the track this weekend for their 2nd points race. Heat races were won by Sean Hale and Tom Brown. Roy Dearing and Hale would be your front row for the main event but Hale would be the first yellow of the main event when he spun in turns 3 & 4. Hale would charge back to finish 4th in the main event. Dearing and Brown would lead the field back to green and Brown would get a run off of two and take the lead off of tuen 4. Hale made his charge back to the front and on the next restart, he would make it back into 2nd until spinning right in front of the field, collecting Dearing. They would both be able to continue. Brown was the car to beat as he pulled away from the field as Richard Sklarski and Kelly Campanile would battle for 2nd. At the conclusion of the 20 lap main event, Brown would dominate and pick up the victory followed by Sklarski in 2nd and Dearing in 3rd.
Petaluma Speedway returns this Saturday with the 3rd Round of the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Abreu Vineyards and the Santa Rosa Auto Body 600’s. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.petaluma-speedway.com
