Simpson, Schutte, DeCarlo, & Learn Exhaust Competition on Flowmaster Night
By Devin Mayo
It was open wheel madness at Petaluma Speedway Saturday Night featuring the season opener for the Joe Hunt Magneto Wingless Sprints and would have 17 cars sign into the pits. It was to no surprise Klint Simpson would set quick time of the night. Terry Schank Jr. and Barry Pries would pick up heat race victories. A 6 car dash saw Schank lead flag to flag and would lead the field to green during the A Main. A mix up of yellows and short green flag runs saw the lead change multiple times between Nick Larson, Simpson, Schank, and Shayna Silvia. Simpson would use a late race pass on Larson and hold off Silvia to win the Hunt Series season opener with Silvia and Pries rounding out the top 3.
The BCRA midgets made their season debut at the Adobe 3/8th’s with 15 midgets signing in. Alex Schutte set quick time and would also win the 1st heat race of the evening with Taylor Simas winning the 2nd heat race of the evening. Robert Dalby would lead the field to green for 30 laps. Dalby would lead to halfway before Schutte would make the pass for the lead in traffic. Schutte would go on to win the main event with Dalby in 2nd and Britton Bock in 3rd. The non-stop 30-laps took just 7:30 to complete.
The Lumberjack Restaurant Super Stocks came into Petaluma Speedway with a fast and always furious field. Shawn McCoy would win the first heat as last week’s winner Woody Woodward copped the second. Having his best night in years McCoy would lead the field to green in the feature and pace the field for the first 6 circuits when Mike Learn made the pass for the lead. Learn would catch traffic on lap 13 and that would allow Matt While to catch the leader. The last 3 laps would be a battle for the ages but Learn would hold off While for his first victory in the super stock class with While and McCoy rounding out the top 3. The feature went non-stop and was took 7:24 for the 25 laps.
The McLea’s IMCA Modifieds made their return to the speedway with a decent car count that saw Terry DeCarlo and Oreste Gonnella pick up heat race victories. Defending track champion Nick DeCarlo would lead the field to green with the field in tow. A couple of yellows would bunch the field back up but DeCarlo would not be phased and hold off the field to win the A Main with Gonnella in 2nd and Nick Viscusi in 3rd.
Petaluma Speedway returns this Saturday with the first of two appearances of the Civil War Sprint Car Series with Dwarfs, and 600’s. For more information, please visit http://www.petaluma-speedway.com.
