By Bob Burbach
Marysville CA –The MRP Winged Sprint Cars will return to Marysville Raceway Park Saturday night. The premiere division at MRP is back and the championship point standings are tied at the top. Grass Valley’s Jeremy Burt and Kelseyville’s Brent Dothage are deadlocked. Dothage is a 3-time champion of the division and Burt is the 2007 title holder. Burt was also the runner up in last year’s chase to the championship won by Grass Valley’s Billy Wallace. Dothage and Burt are both feature event winners this year Wallace has yet to find victory lane in his bid to become a 3-time champion in the division.
Should Wallace be successful in his bid for number three, it will be three-in-a-row for the fleet veteran. Colby Wiesz, the “Colfax Comet” won three consecutive titles starting with the 1999 season. Wiesz has won 51 feature events at MRP and he picked up #51 three weeks ago after a sizzling duel with Wallace. Wiesz will be in the field Saturday night.
Spark’s Nevada’s Mike “The Madman” Monahan sits just 7 point behind the lead duo with 5-time titlist Korey Lovell, of Yuba City camped in 4th. Lovell is 14 points behind. Monahan is the 2004 MRP champion.
Wallace, who has had a somewhat rocky season so far flipped on the last lap two weeks ago while running with the leaders and is in 5th place,18 points off the pace. But with 50 points available at each event, no one is out of the hunt for the 2013 crown. All of the racers in the top 5 in points are former champions at MRP. Monahan also has the distinction of being a 3-time Montana state champion. Monahan, Burt and Lovell are rebounding successfully from serious injuries suffered in 2012.
A full program of qualifying, heat races and a Main Event will be on tap. Legal Shield representative Rod Engberson will offer an additional $100 to the fastest qualifier in addition to the purse offered by the raceway.
The MRP Super Stocks will also return Saturday night and, on the face of it, it looks like Browns Valley’s James Castleberry has things well in hand. But, there is a trio of stars that are deadlocked 9 points behind Castleberry. The trio includes Auburn’s Ray Trimble, Yuba City’s Brad Magenheimer and the versatile sprint car and stock car veteran Cortney Dozier from Marysville.
All, but Magenheimer have tasted victory at MRP in the past. But, Magenheimer has been the picture of consistency thus far this year. The mighty Supers will present their fender banging event #4 of the 2013 season Saturday. Dozier also is 7th in the point standings in the MRP Winged Sprint Car Division this season.
Marysville’s Shaun Merritt still leads the title chase in the MRP Mini Stock division despite his early retirement last Saturday night. Marysville’s Howard Law grabbed the victory and took a big chunk out of Merritt’s lead. Law is now just 3 points behind Merritt. Yuba City’s Jason Clayton is just 4 points out of the lead. A competitive field of Minis will be offered on Saturday.
The traveling BCRA Midget Lites will also be on the program as an extra added attraction. For more on that class go to bcraracing.com.
The pit gate opens at 3PM. Grandstands open at 5PM. Hot Laps are at 5:30 with qualifying scheduled for 6. Racing begins at 6:30.