From Bob Burbach
Marysville, CA – Grass Valley’s Jeremy Burt is on a roll. The 2007 MRP Winged Sprint Car champion chalked up another wire to wire win at Paul and Kathy Hawes’ Marysville Raceway Park Saturday. Anderson’s Rowdy McClenon won the MRP Wingless Sprint Car portion of the show. Marysville’s Shaun Merritt won the MRP Mini Stock feature and Misty Castleberry repeated as the winner in the Pro 4 main.
Burt is on a terrific roll lately as he has parlayed two consecutive front row starts into two run away victories. Only lapped traffic near half way stood in the point leader’s way Saturday. Even at that, the yellows pretty much fell Burt’s way.
A terrific dice got everybody’s attention late in the race as Yuba City’s Korey Lovell and Grass Valley’s Billy Wallace hooked up in a heart stopping battle for 3rd. The 6th starting Wallace did just about everything he could to get around the 5-time champ, but nothing worked.
As the laps wound down Wallace’s efforts became more desperate but Lovell continued to simply repel the challenges. As the pair raced in lap 19 Wallace got up beside Lovell on the inside. They touched and both cars went spinning in turn 1. Wallace stayed in the gas and motored on out of the situation but Lovell chugged to a stop.
The yellow flag bunched the field for a green-white-checkered finish. Nobody challenged Burt, but Wallace got 2nd from Woodland’s Peter Paulson at the checkers. Sparks Nevada’s Mike Monahan was 4th and Brandon Dozier was 5th. Jimmy Steward and Cort Dozier were the heat race winners.
In Legal Shield Winged Sprint Car qualifying Wallace scooped up the fast time C-note from Legal Shield rep Rod Engberson. Monahan got $100 from sprintcarfan.com for 2nd quick time and Oroville’s Heath Hall picked up an additional $100 for 3rd quick time from Marysville Raceway Park. These were bonuses in addition to the MRP cash purse and weekly Contingency Connection offerings.
McClenon was just as quick off the mark as Burt as he jumped pole sitter Jeremy Hawes when the green was displayed in the MRP Wingless Sprint Car feature. McClenon pulled out to a big lead and seemed headed to an easy victory. But, lapped traffic slowed the leader to such a degree that Hawes made up nearly a straightaway in distance.
Then it got hairy as Hawes was all over McClenon. The pair had everybody in the house on the edge of their seats and they ripped through lapped cars. Then McClenon started to get through lapped traffic a little better than Hawes and, with but a handful of laps remaining, Hawes couldn’t do anything about it. Hawes stayed 2nd. Sacramento’s Tim Sherman Jr. came in 3rd. Hawes and McClenon won the heats.
Merritt’s second visit to victory lane was much like his first. He had ‘em covered. Merritt enjoyed leads of nearly a half lap at times before Marysville’s Howard Law broke through traffic and raced into 2nd. But Law was no match for the Merritt #77. James Foster had a fine run picking up 3rd. Law and Travis Carter were heat race winners.
Misty Castleberry seemed sluggish as the green flag waved for the Pro 4 finale. But after a couple of circuits she found the zone and crushed the competition and won; going away. A brief battle with Matt Beardslee spiced the early laps, but Castleberry was flying and would not be challenged thereafter. Castleberry and Dan Morgan won the heat races.
Next Saturday, the mighty MRP Winged Sprint Cars return and will headline the program. The MRP Wingless Warriors will be back in town and the MRP Mini Stocks will be back. The Pro 4 Sprinters will also be on the card.
Pit Gates open at 3. Grandstands open at 5. Legal Shield qualifying is at 6 PM with races starting at 6:30.