By Bob Burbach
Marysville –The Mighty alcohol burning MRP Winged Sprint Cars will be back Saturday night to celebrate Buttes Insurance Agency’s Night at the Races. A rip-roaring 5-division show will pack the grandstands as the wicked-fast Super Stocks return after a 2-week hiatus. The MRP Super Mini Stocks will also return after their spectacular program on last week’s card. The Pro 4 Sprinters and the new kids on the block, the MRP Hobby Stocks will round out the program.
The grind toward the championship trophies renews with a vengeance in the MRP Winged Sprinters and the Super Stocks. With 2 races run an unlikely driver sits atop the sprint car standings. Billy Wallace aboard Mark Moore’s black beauty leads the field into Saturday’s show. Wallace has a 1st and a 3rd in the first 2 contests. MRP’s own “5-time” champion Korey Lovell is a whopping 18 points behind Wallace, but Wallace has not committed to a full season at MRP…yet. Wallace is a former winner of the Mel Hall Memorial Race here.
Lovell is, once again the odds-on favorite for an amazing 6th title this year. But, 3-time champ Brent Dothage may well have something to say about that. Dothage is back in his own house car and aside from an unfortunate mechanical failure, would be in the thick of the championship hunt. The return of the winged sprinters should fill MRP again as the first 3 races of the new campaign have drawn a welcome increase in fans and participants
Corey Hall brings a solid 12-point lead into Saturday’s Super Stock show ahead of Jeff Olschowka and a re-emerging James Castleberry. Castleberry’s swift run to the front of the Super Stock standings shows there’s another serious shoe looking for a title.
The Mighty Minis point leader Howard Law leads that division’s standings by a single point over Misty Castleberry and only 2 points over hard-charging veteran Shawn Merritt. This division is dripping with drama and the show should be a real humdinger come Saturday.
Pro 4 champ P. J. Petersen will try for 2 in a row Saturday as this class starts to attract more participants to the entry level 4 cylinder sprint cars. The MRP Hobby Stocks will bring some more fender ripping action to the MRP clay as this class runs it’s 3rd event of the year.
MRP Winged Sprint Car driver Mark Michelet contacted this observer last week and is coming along better than one might have expected after suffering serious burns during the April 2nd opener. As reported earlier Michelet has undergone skin graft surgery on his legs. Mark is maintaining a remarkably positive attitude considering his injuries.
Also recovering from 2nd degree burns after an incident on the track last week, Mike Dehoogh reports he’ll be down a couple of weeks, at least. Dehoogh’s Camaro Hobby Stock lost a water hose and forced boiling water into the cockpit. The painful injury will require some down time for the upbeat Dehoogh. He’s already making a plan to be back in his car in 3 weeks time, injuries permitting.
Both drivers get a tip of the straw hat for displaying remarkable courage and positive attitudes in the face of debilitating burn injuries.
This Saturday night the gates will open at 5pm with the first race presented at 6.30pm.
IMPORTANT: 2011 minor releases must be signed by parents for all minors entering the pits. Concessions will be available. All classes of racecar are invited to participate.