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2008 Local Track Articles
Gary Scelzi Entertains Crowd at Madera Speedway's First Super Saturday
Madera Speedway opened its second night of racing action this season with the first of six BIG Super Saturday Events on the 2008 schedule. Action on Saturday night included racing from both the 410 and 360 Super Modifieds, Bay Cities Racing Association (BCRA) Midgets, Legends of the Pacific, NASCAR Whelen Weekly Racing Series Western Late Models, American Limited Stock Cars (ALSC) and the first Spectator Racing Series event of the season.
Fans in the packed grandstands were also presented a special treat as NHRA legend and Fresno native Gary Scelzi was in attendance to compete in the Spectator Racing Series and mingle with the hometown crowd.
'I should have had a donut sponsor because I was making so many laps around here in practice,' said the always competitive Scelzi. scelzi, one of the NHRA's most popular figures, has three NHRA Nitro Top Fuel Championships to his credit and one Funny Car Championship. Scelzi and Kenny Bernstein are the only NHRA racers in history to win championships in two NHRA divisions.
Scelzi finished the race in the second position, announcing afterward that he would donate $1000 to the American Cancer Society.
'Man, that was a lot of work,' said Scelzi after the race. 'I am used to racing for just 4.7 seconds!'
David Aita, who ran the quickest lap in qualifying, finished in the number one spot, besting the nine Spectator Racing Series cars that entered the 15 lap event.
The Madera Spectator Racing Series program is brand new for 2008. The program gives fans without any racing experience the opportunity to drive a racecar at the Madera Speedway and even compete in an actual event as part of a Saturday night program. The Madera Speedway provides all the equipment including helmet, fire suit, neck brace and of course the car!
The cost for hitting the track in one of the special Sunday afternoon sessions is only $49.95 and full participation in a Saturday night event - including practice, qualifying and a 15-lap race ' is only $299.95.
Modesto's Kyle Gottula put on an impressive display in the NASCAR Whelen Weekly Racing Series Western Late Model race, leading most of the 50 laps of the event. Gottula, who qualified ninth out of 15 cars, benefited from a 10 car inversion at the start of the race.
Stockton's Ross Strmiska tried as hard as he good to reel in the #71 of Gottula but eventually had to settle for a second place finish. Following Strmiska past the stripe was the familiar #74 of Modesto's Harry Belletto.
Trevor Schlundt of Clovis and Salida's Jeff Belletto rounded out the top five.
Harry Belletto ran the quickest time in the qualifying session and Strmiska took the checkers the Western Late Model dash earlier in the after noon.
2007 ALSC champion, Donnie Darter, made his Western Late Model debut, piloting a slick looking black and blue #99. Darter finished on the lead lap in the ninth position.
Missing from the field on Saturday night was 2007 Western Late Model Champ and winner of last week's Late Model race, Mark Holeman, of Los Altos.
After starting mid-pack due to an 11 car inversion, Super Modified driver and fastest qualifier, Troy Regier wasted no time getting to the front of the field, passing Ernie Coppo of Clovis to take the lead on lap 9 of the 50 lap event.
Regier of Dinuba took the checkers followed by Jeff Russell of Boise, Idaho and Bobby Dalton of San Martin. Regier has over 70 Super Modified wins to his credit and has a 2008 goal of winning all events he enters.
Regier's qualifying time was a blistering fast 12.252 seconds, almost three seconds quicker than the fastest Western Late Model.
Rounding out the top five of the combined 360 and 410 Super Modified event were Clovis's Ernie Coppo and Martin McKeefery of Milpitas.
The race was briefly red-flagged after the Super Modifieds of Kenny White, Donnie Large and David Gassett got together down the back stretch on lap 19. Miraculously, all three modifieds were able to continue the race after the red flag caution period.
David Tuey, who ran the fastest qualifying time of the 360's, did not enter the main event after hitting the wall in Turn 1 during the Trophy Dash.
BCRA Midget racers Shane Hmiel and Dallen McKenny put on quite a show for the fans in the 30 lap midget race. Hmiel, of Huntsville, NC, was all over the bumper Clovis�s McKenny for the better half of the race until McKenny's car slowed on lap 22.
Hmiel, an ex-NASCAR Nationwide driver and son of former NASCAR crew chief Steve Hmiel, checked out after the lap 22 restart.
Bobby Grewohl of San Jose finished in the second position followed by Ripon's Kevin Morris who rounded out the top three positions of the 13 BCRA Midget cars that started the race.
In Legends of the Pacific action, Micah Parmer of Anderson overtook Modesto's Kelly Martin on lap 7 and held the position for the win in the 30 lap race. Parmer ran the second fastest qualifying time and finished in the number one spot in his respective heat race.
Parmer was followed closely throughout the race by Pine Grove's Matt Scott who ran the quickest qualifying lap earlier in the afternoon. Parmer had to out gun Scott late in the race as a caution on lap 25 set up a five lap shootout to the checkers where Parmer finished half a car length in front of Scott.
Capping off a full night of racing was Madera Speedway's American Limited Stock Cars in a 30 lap event.
The #41 of Clovis's Howard Holden checked out early leaving an interesting battle between Stockton's Dennis Saunders Jr and Lodi's Steve Fraser Sr. Saunders eventually won the battle taking the second position in the race followed by Fraser, Aaron Coonfield and Tony Schmitz.
A wreck on the back stretch and time limits imposed by a 10:30pm curfew shortened the race to 27 laps.
Next Saturday, April 12th is an open practice with free grandstand admission for all race fans.
Weekly racing action resumes April 19th with Infineon Raceway-Mad Housewife's night where all ladies are admitted free of charge! Western Late Models will highlight the evening with additional racing action from Grand American Modifieds, ALSC, Hornets, Toyota Sedans, Mini Cup and Baby Grands and Round One of the estruction Derby Series.
The Madera Speedway is located at the Madera County Fairgrounds just off to the west side of Highway 99 at the Cleveland Avenue exit.
Fast Time � Harry Belletto (Modesto) �15.090 seconds
Dash � 1) Ross Strimska (Stockton), 2) Trevor Schlundt (Clovis), 3) Harry Belletto (Modesto), 4) Jeff Belletto (Salida)
Kyle Gottula (Modesto)
Ross Strmiska (Stockton)
Harry Belletto (Modesto)
Trevor Schlundt (Clovis)
Jeff Belletto (Salida)
Doug Rocha (Oakdale)
Matt Erickson (Coulterville)
Joey Stearns (Stockton)
Donnie Darter (Manteca)
Rick Thompson (Clovis)
Todd Corral (Modesto)
Vito Ranuio (Stockton)
Del McIntosh (Madera)
Chris Hinkle ()
Brock Monroe (Lodi)
American Limited Stock Car (ALSC)
Fast Time � Brian Vosburg (Stockton) � 16.325 seconds
Dash � 1) Dennis Saunders Jr. (Stockton), 2) Brian Vosburg (Stockton), 3) Howard Holden (Clovis), 4) Steve Fraser Sr. (Lodi)
Howard Holden (Clovis)
Dennis Saunders Jr. (Stockton)
Steven Fraser Sr, (Lodi)
Aaron Coonfield (Modesto)
Tony Schmitz (Oakdale)
Lloyd Bamping ()
Thomas Vosburg (Stockton)
Adam Coonfield (Modesto)
Dustin Pickett (Madera)
Jerry Selsor (Fresno)
Donald Selsor (Fresno)
Brandon Dean (Fresno)
Larry Pasquale (Fresno)
Roger Selsor (Fresno)
Jason Aguirre (Atwater)
Brian Vosburg
(Stockton)
Fast Time � Troy Reiger (Dinuba) �12.252 seconds
360 Dash � 1) Lance Tatro (Madera), 2) Lance Jackson (Kingsburg), 3) Kenny White (Fresno), 4) David Tuey (Bakersfield)
410 Dash � 1) Bobby Dalton (San Martin), 2) Troy Regier (Dinuba), 3) Ernie Coppo (Clovis), 4) Martin McKeefery (Milpitas)
Ernie Coppo (Clovis)
Martin McKeefery (Milpitas)
Lance Jackson (Kingsburg)
Mike McCann (Eugene, OR)
Mike Johnson (Lompoc)
Troy Reiger (Dinuba)
Justin Belfiore (Ipswich, MA)
Bobby Dalton (San Martin)
Donnie Large (Fresno)
Kenny White (Fresno)
David Gassett (Clovis)
Jeff Russell (Boise, ID)
Dale Lamborn (Carson City, NV)
Kenny Kinchen (Madera)
Whitey Janssen (Dayton, NV)
Lance Tatro (Madera)
Troy Reiger (Dinuba)
Jeff Russell (Boise, ID)
Bobby Dalton (San Martin)
Ernie Coppo (Clovis)
Martin McKeefery (Milpitas)
Kenny White (Fresno)
Lance Tatro (Madera)
Kenny Kinchen (Madera)
Lance Jackson (Kingsburg)
David Gassett (Clovis)
Donnie Large (Fresno)
Justin Belfiore (Ipswich, MA)
Mike Johnson (Lompoc)
Whitey Janssen (Dayton, NV)
Mike McCann (Eugene, OR)
Dale Lamborn (Carson
City, NV)
Fast Time � Michael Faccinto (Hanford) �14.094 seconds
Dash � 1) Dallen McKenny (Clovis), 2) Shane Hmiel (Huntsville, NC), 3) Michael Faccinto (Hanford), 4) Chad Nichols (Colma)
Scott Nail (Visiala)
Kevin Morris (Ripon)
Kyle Dickerson (Manteca)
Nick Foster, Jr (San Carlos)
Floyd Alvis (San Carlos)
Ralph Cortez (Sacramento)
Mike Donaldson (Pleasant Hill)
Shane Hmiel (Huntsville, NC)
Bobby Grewohl (San Jose)
Chad Nichols (Colma)
Dallen McKenney (Clovis)
Bobby Grewohl (San Jose)
Michael Faccinto (Hanford)
Shane Hmiel (Huntsville, NC)
Bobby Grewohl (San Jose)
Kevin Morris (Ripon)
Chad Nichols (Colma)
Scott Nail (Visiala)
Floyd Alvis (San Carlos)
Dallen McKenney (Clovis)
Nick Foster, Jr (San Carlos)
Nick Chivelo (Manteca)
Kyle Dickerson (Manteca)
Mike Donaldson (Pleasant Hill)
Michael Faccinto (Hanford)
Ralph Cortez (Sacramento)
Fast Time � Matt Scott (Pine Grove) �16.820 seconds
Dash � 1) Micah Parmer (Anderson), 2) Matt Scott (Pine Grove), 3) Dylan Albiani (Modesto), 4) Jessica Walker (San Ramon)
Steve Fensler (Stockton)
Kelly Martin (Modesto)
Fred Clement (Stockton)
David Ball (Stockton)
Keith Clement (Stockton)
Bob Kuebler ()
Mike Firebaugh ()
Joe Le Duc ()
Micah Parmer (Anderson)
Jessica Walker (San Ramon)
Cody Berger (Tracy)
Dylan Albiani (Modesto)
Matt Scott (Pine Grove)
Cole Cabrerra ()
Robby Czub ()
Fast Time � David Aita() �18.709 seconds
David Aita
Gary Scelzi
Brian Miller
Bob Gains
Greg Stottler
Alan Terrel
Bob Henson
Maniac Mike
Josh Green