McDaniel Wins All Star Series Race At Merced Speedway,
Weir Beats Big Sport Mod Field For Impressive First Win

Merced, CA...April 15...Reigning All Star Series IMCA Modified champion Ryan McDaniel impressed by leading most of the way in victory Saturday night at Merced Speedway. McDaniel grabbed the lead early from Duane Cleveland with reigning track champion Randy Brown settling into second. Ethan Dotson joined the battle up front and took second from Brown on lap ten. By then, four time Antioch champion Troy Foulger and reigning Watsonville champion Bobby Hogge IV were both running in the Top 5, and Foulger made a move past Brown for third on lap 15. Foulger had problems and faded on lap 18 as Brown was back in third ahead of Hogge. Kellen Chadwick and Robby Sawyer had a spirited duel for fifth in the final laps, but the win went to the impressive McDaniel ahead of Dotson, Brown, Hogge, Sawyer, Chadwick, Paul Stone, Cleveland, Mike Villaneuva and Chris Crompe.

With 48 IMCA Modifieds signed in, they ran two 12 lap B Mains, and Hogge had to win the first one ahead of Sawyer and Brian Cass to get into the feature. The second B Main win went to 2016 Wild West Speedweek champion Chadwick ahead of Stone and recent Chico All Star Series winner Cody Burke. Brown won the first heat ahead of Tim Cecil. The second heat win went to M. Villaneueva ahead of Clay Daly. McDaniel claimed the third heat ahead of Foulger, while reigning Antioch champion Carl Berendsen II was the fourth heat winner ahead of Jeff Decker. Crompe won his eight lapper ahead of Dotson, and Cleveland won the final heat ahead of Austin Burke.

Chuck Weir surprised the crowd with an impressive drive to his first career IMCA Sport Modified Main Event victory as part of Shannon Pump of Merced Night At The Races. Weir had a front row start and led all the way through only two yellow flags in the fast paced event. Anthony Giuliani had second until surrendering the spot to Chase Thomas on lap six. Rookie Guy Ahlwardt grabbed second on lap eight, but he was shuffled out of the Top 5 on lap ten as past Antioch champion Jeremy Hoff gained second. The last ten laps went caution free, and Hoff cut a two second lead to finish right behind Weir at the checkered flag. 2015 State champion Fred Ryland was a solid third ahead of T.J. Etchison, Giuliani, Ahlwardt, Jordan Hagar, reigning champion Rick Diaz, C. Thomas and Phillip Shelby.

There were 30 Sport Modifieds in action, and Marysville star Shelby earned his feature start by winning the B Main ahead of Shane DeVolder and Tim Elias. Hoff won a heat race ahead of Etchison, Giuliani held off Todd Cooper to win the second heat, Ryland charged to victory over Weir in the third nine lapper, Diaz claimed the honors over Paul Espino in the fourth heat and the final heat race victory went to Ahlwardt ahead of C. Thomas.

Kodie Dean picked up his first 20 lap Hobby Stock feature win in nearly two years. A week earlier in Chowchilla, Dean led most of the way before being passed in the final turn and settling for second. This time, he was not going to be denied. Dean set the early pace ahead of Watsonville star Nick Triolo and Shannon Nelson. Reigning champion Michael Shearer settled into third on lap six, but past Watsonvlle champion Billy Nelson shuffled him back to fourth on lap 16. B. Nelson moved by Triolo for second, but he couldn't catch the flying Dean. Triolo settled for third ahead of M. Shearer, another past Watsonville champion William Kennedy, Robbie Loquaci, James Stockton, S. Nelson, Dave Bettencourt and K. Shearer. Dean's heat win came ahead of B. Nelson, and Austin Van Hoff won his heat ahead of Anthony Vigna. Triolo won a photo finish with 2015 champion Kevin Joaquin for his heat win.

D.J. Keldsen returned and won the Mini Stock Main Event. The reigning Watsonville champion won the season opener a couple weeks ago. Keldsen won the heat race, and he followed that up with a feature victory. 2016 point runnerup Paul Lauretti finished second ahead of recent Chowchilla Speedway winner Jennifer Corder. Lucy Falkenberg and reigning champion Chris Corder rounded out the Top 5 finishers.

Racing resumes next week with a special appearance from the BCRA Midgets. The IMCA Sport Modifieds will be back along with the Hobby Stocks and Valley Sportsman divisions. For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.

Merced Speedway Race Results April 15, 2017
All Star Series IMCA Modifieds
A Main
1      #10RM Ryan McDaniel            
2      #174 Ethan Dotson
3      #16B Randy Brown
4      #2 Bobby Hogge IV
5      #198 Robby Sawyer
6      #83 Kellen Chadwick      
7      #66P Paul Stone      
8      #2C Duane Cleveland
9      #69M Mike Villaneuva
10      #97 Justin Villaneuva            
10      #7 Chris Crompe      
11      #81 Clay Daly
12      #25 Austin Burke
13      #1B Tim Balding
14      #55 Brian Cass
15      #20 Cody Burke
16      #49 Troy Foulger
17      #88P Carl Berendsen II      
18      #14P Ryan Porter
19      #28P John Piker
20      #32S Chris Shannon
21      #1C Tim Cecil      
22      #84 Jeff Decker      

B Main # 1
1      #2 Bobby Hogge IV            
2      #198 Robby Sawyer
3      #55 Brian Cass
4      #1B Tim Balding
5      #28P John Piker
6      #22 Robert Marsh      
7      #1J Jeff Streeter
8      #47M Ryan Larimer
9      #11D Danny Wagner
10      #78 Jarod Fast
11      #89 Freddie Plourde
12      #86U John DiGiovanni
13      #61 Ricky Thatcher
14      #03 Jim Pettit II
15      #96 Cody Laney            
16      #4 Troy Stone            
17      #81W Terry Decarlo

B Main # 2
1      #83 Kellen Chadwick      
2      #66P Paul Stone      
3      #20 Cody Burke      
4      #32S Chris Shannon
5      #14P Ryan Porter      
6      #17 Nick Decarlo
7      #4B Bubba Nelson
8      #766 Joe Antonetti
9      #15 Bill Egleston
10      #91 Anthony Copeland
11      #23R Raymond Lindeman
12      #68M John MacDougall      
13      #97 Justin Villaneuva            
14      #141 Trent Wentworth                  
15      #5N Derek Nance                  
16      #32 D.J. Shannon
17      #06 Ramie Stone


IMCA Sport Modified
A Main
1      #51 Chuck Weir            
2      #5 Jeremy Hoff
3      #7J Fred Ryland      
4      #28E T.J. Etchinson      
5      #15G Anthony Giuliani      
6      #10 Guy Ahlwardt      
7      #9J Jordan Hagar
8      #714 Rick Diaz
9      #21T Chase Thomas
10      #86P Phillip Shelby      
11      #2C Trevor Clymens
12      #3CF Chris Falkenberg  
13      #33P Paul Espino
14      #128 Keith Brown      
15      #00 Jeerry Bartlett      
16      #44 Tim Elias
17      #38A Todd Gomez
18      #17C Brian Cooper
19      #44S Shane DeVolder      
20      #27c   Todd Cooper

B Main
1      #86P Phillip Shelby            
2      #44S Shane DeVolder
3      #44 Tim Elias
4      #00 Jerry Bartlett
5      #128 Keith Brown      
6      #63 Matt Sotomayor
7      #22T Tanner Thomas
8      #63S Mike Smith      
9      #57 Doff Cooksey
10      #7 Patti Ryland            
11      #28 Cody Parker
12      #9B Igor Gandzuki
13      #79 Evan Scroggins
14      #6J Justin Foux      

Hobby Stock
A Feature 1
1      #7 Kodie Dean                  
2      #11 Billy Nelson
3      #31 Nick Triolo      
4      #67J Michael Shearer
5      #9 William Kennedy
6      #70L Robbie Loquaci
7      #99 James Stockton      
8      #4B Shannon Nelson      
9      #20 David Bettencourt
10      #73J Kristie Shearer
11      #38 Ryan Hart      
12      #28J Jerry Tubbs                  
13      #86JR Darren Miguel
14      #37 Mike Germait            
15      #6 Chris Bennett
16      #97 Kevin Joaquin                  
17      #27 Tony Peffer            
18      #54 Vigna Anthony      
19      #58 Justin Donathan      
20      #14B Nick Lawrence            
21      #44 Austin VanHoff

Mini Stocks
Main Event
1 0 DJ Keldsen
2 13C Jennifer Corder
3 13 Paul Laoretti
4 18LF Lucy Falkenberg
5 68 Chris Corder
6 82C Destiny Carter
7 15 Jason Womack