Ensign Three-peats, DeCarlo Repeats, Stornetta Smokes

~~PETALUMA, CA, May 3— Chilly temps and blustery winds greeted Petaluma Speedway Patrons for the third points race of the season.  Herman Klein collected his first Pit Stop USA fast time award in the Winged 360 class with a 14.012.  HK backed up his single fast lap with 8 more quick ones in capturing the first heat race.  Point leader Geoff Ensign was victorious in the second heat.  The 25-lap feature saw Wayne Katen grab the early lead over pole sitter Chris Magoon.  Ensign, starting sixth blasted to second by the second lap and overpowered Katen for the lead on lap three.  The fourth lap saw Lance Tomlinson sever a rear axle in turn four, causing several other competitors to scatter.   A debris caution on the eleventh lap slowed the action  The restart saw Klein pass Katen for second on lap 13 and Chase Johnson displace Katen for third on lap 16.  Magoon’s excellent run stalled on lap 20 for the final caution.  The last five laps saw Ensign pull away for his third win in a row over Klein, Johnson, Jake Haulot, and Katen.
            You had to have a last name that started with the letter ‘S’ if you wanted to experience success in the Pit Stop USA Spec Sprint Division. Nineteen entrants qualified in group fashion with Napa’s Joe Stornetta zipping through the timing lights with a 15.883 effort.  Heat races were nabbed by Trevor Schmid, Colton Slack, and Terry Schank Jr.  The 25-lap main event saw Schank get the best of the field on the initial start only to have his trusty Hunt Magneto sponsored #1 mysteriously stall in turn four with the field splitting him.  Schank pushed off and restarted 18th.  On the restart defending track champion Scotty Dupont was on point with Stornetta up to second and Schmid to third.  Lap 6 saw Bob Newberry eliminated with front end damage.  Stornetta passed Dupont for the lead as the field returned to green.  Enter Zack Lynskey who started an epic side-by-side battle with Schmid for runner-up honors.  Lynskey found the cushion to his liking as Schank mounted his charge from the back entering the top 10 on lap 10 and passed Sparky Howard for fifth on lap 13.  Colton Slack and Schmid tangled in traffic entering turn one on lap 20 for the last delay in action.  Five more exciting laps ensued as Stornetta nursed a smoking power plant into victory lane over Lynskey, McIntosh, Schank, and Shane Myhre.
   The Carr Racing Chassis IMCA Modified Division saw the top two competitors from the first event Nick DeCarlo and Joel Myers pick up preliminary heat race wins.   At the outset of main event it was David Spriggs standing tall in the saddle and in the lead.  DeCarlo and Jeff Thomas made multiple moves toward the front through the first five circuits.  Michael Paul Jr. entered the top 3 on the fifth lap and Thomas wrestled the lead from Spriggs on the next lap.  Thomas’ time up front was short as DeCarlo made a nifty high-side pass for the lead on lap 8.  Myers and 2013 champion Oreste Gonnello now battled as they entered the top five.  A pair of Brian Azevedo spins were the only halts in action as DeCarlo extended his lead to a third of a lap and at the finish backed up his April 19th win over Spriggs, Gonnello, Myers, and Michael Paul Jr.
            The Jake’s Performance Hobbies Mini Stock division featured ten cars.  Rookie Jake Fernandes and Pistol Pete Langley copped the heats.  Fourth place finishing Jake Fernandes was awarded the victory due to post-race technical violations.  Finishing second through fifth were: Bob Davis, Scott Nelson, Tom Curley, and Langely.
            Petaluma Speedway returns to action this Saturday Night, May 10th  with the King of the West Sprint Car Series and the Lumberjack Restaurant Super Stocks, presented by Victory Chevrolet and Autoworld Dodge, Jeep, & Chrysler  For more information please go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.