Marysville, CA — (April 20, 2013) — 3 time Marysville Raceway Park champion, Brent Dothage sailed around the high side and was victorious in the MRP Winged Sprint Car feature Saturday night at Marysville Raceway Park. Cort Dozier gained a hard fought victory in the MRP Super Stock main event as Misty Castleberry and Jeremy Hammons won the MRP Mini Stock and Hobby Stock main events respectively.
The MRP Winged Sprint Car main event looked as if it would be a Brent Dothage benefit for the first few circuits as Kelseyville’s Dothage pulled out to a big lead. But, when 6th starting Billy Wallace and point leader Jeremy Burt finally muscled through to the front, the entire complexion of the race changed.
By half way Grass Valley’s Wallace was all over Dothage and wrestled the lead away from him. But, it seemed that the leaders were always in lapped traffic and Dothage forged his way back into the lead with a daring high side pass on Wallace using lapped traffic as a pick. Grass Valley’s Burt, meanwhile, was all over the lead duo during this rush through lapped cars.
While all this was going on, 7th starting Mike Monahan picked off cars until he was solidly in 4th. The white banner flew with Dothage just inches ahead of Wallace with Burt and Monahan in tow. Through turns 1 and 2 it remained the same. Then as the screaming fast quartet reached turn 3 they encountered another lapped car. Dothage had a split second to decide where to go. He went high and Wallace and Burt went low. Monahan chose high as well.
Dothage fired his car into the cushion and stood on the gas getting around the lapped car in a tremendous move. Wallace had to check up as the lapped car went low. Wallace was tagged by Burt ever so slightly and Wallace started to spin. Burt gassed it up, got by Wallace, but could not catch the fleet Dothage. Wallace executed a slow roll over onto his wing during the frantic turn 3 jumble as Monahan flew by into 3rd.
Yuba City’s Korey Lovell took 4th with Woodland’s Peter Paulson crossing the line in 4th. Grass Valley’s Wallace did not cross the finish line and was scored in 11th.
Lady racer Raquel Jennings and Heath Hall won the heat races and Wallace claimed the $100 bonus offered by Legal Shield’s Rod Engberson for quick time during Legal Shield Sprint Car Qualifying. Dothage also received the Contingency Connection Sprint Car Bonus Award. All Marysville Raceway Park sprint car events carry Contingency Connection bonuses and Legal Shield/sprintcarfan.com, will post a $100 fast qualifier bonus at every MRP Winged Sprint Car event this year.
The MRP Super Stock feature included a hearty battle between point leader James Castleberry and veteran racer Cort Dozier. Castleberry jumped into the lead right away from his pole position, but 5th starting Dozier was through the pack and on his way to challenge Castleberry by lap 3. 2011 champion Corey Hall got to 3rd quickly and that trio put on an outstanding show racing for the top spot.
An incidental yellow flag with 9 laps to go allowed Dozier to close up. On the new green Dozier had a great restart and raced side by side with Castleberry. Dozier was just a little better through 1 and 2 and nosed his way by into a lead he would never give up. Hall also slipped by Castleberry and that’s the way they finished. Brad Magenheimer got another 4th place finish as Ray Trimble secured 5th. Hall and Dozier won the heat races.
The MRP Mini Stock feature was another flag to flag romp for defending champ, Misty Castleberry. In her first MRP Mini Stock appearance this season, she led wire to wire from the front row. Last week’s winner Shaun Merritt tried to make it interesting, but Castleberry was gone. Merritt stayed 2nd with Howard Law, Erik Davey and Jason Clayton rounding out the top five. Castleberry and Travis Carter won the heat races.
In the MRP Hobby Stock finale, defending champion Jeremy Hammons distanced himself from the field and rolled into victory lane ahead of Garrett Agnew and Brian Compton.
Next week the MRP Wingless Sprint Cars will headline the program. The MRP Mini Stocks and Hobby Stocks will bring their fender bending style of racing back to MRP’s spectacular clay surface. The Nor Cal Dwarf Cars will make their 2013 debut along with another visit by the Pro 4 Sprint Cars.
Pit Gates open at 3. Grandstands open at 5. Races start at 6:30.