Sargent Wins WSDCA Dwarf Car Nationals,
Dean Wins Hobby Stocks At Merced Speedway

Merced, CA...June 17...Matt Sargent won the 30 lap Pro Dwarf Car Main Event Saturday night at Merced Speedway.  This was Night #2 of the WSDCA Dwarf Car Nationals, which attracted over 60 Dwarf Cars in the format that ran three different classifications. The Pro group had well over 30 competitors, and the Top 10 finishers from Friday night's feature were locked into the 10 lap Fast Dash on Saturday.  Sargent finished second in that race behind Cameron Diatte to earn the outside front row starting spot for the feature.  Unfortunately for Diatte, his race ended at 15 laps.  Like Diatte, Sargent is a past SBDCA Dwarf Car champion, but he is a member of the Sin City Dwarf Car group in Las Vegas, Nevada.  

Sargent followed up on his fourth place finish on Friday night with an impressive winning perforance on Saturday.  NCDCA's Danny Wagner had a second on Friday and repeated that on Saturday, just ahead of Oregon's Jake Van Ortwick.  NCDCA'a Ryan "Ice Chip" Winter and Oregon's James Bringster were Top 5 finishers as Darren Brown, John Isabella, Dustin Loughton, Michael "Spanky" Grenert and Rich Abbott rounded out the Top 10.  The drivers who didn't qualify for the Fast Dash ran ten lap heat races with wins going to Josh King, Michael Tobiason and Ryan Martinez.  Zack Albers won the 15 lap B Main ahead of Eric Muse and Martinez.

Kevin Bender had an impressive night with wins in the Veteran Dwarf Car division Fast Dash and 20 lap Main Event.  Bender beat fellow NCDCA competitors Buddy Olshowka and Antioch point leader Kevin Miraglio to win the Fast Dash.  Olschowka fell back a few spots by the time the Main Event ended, and Bender prevailed ahead of fellow NCDCA member Mike Reeder and Miraglio.  NCDCA competitor Scott Dahlgren beat Olshowka back to the line for fourth as Bob Freheit, Eric Weisler, Angel Figuera, Jack Haverty and Charlie Correia made up the remainder of the Top 10.  Weisler won the lone ten lap heat race for the drivers who hadn't qualified for the Fast Dash.

Oregon's Jake Tupper won the 15 lap Sportsman Dwarf Car Main Event.  Tupper got behind the wheel of the car John Staudacher won with on Friday and got the same results by winning the 10 lap Fast Dash ahead of Antioch rookie Devan Kammermann.  Tupper earned his Main Event win by holding off NCDCA racer Josh Wiesz as Kammermann was a close third.  Mike Clark, Brian Barnhill, Robert Johnson, Sam Wren, Bill Belfield and David Corsaro completed the finishing order.

Point leader Kodie Dean won his fourth 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event.  After joining Garrett Corn and Dexter Long as the three eight lap heat winners, Dean started back in the fourth row for the Main Event.  By the lap five caution flag, Dean was already up to third, and he shot into the lead on a restart a few laps later.  After that, Dean had to keep reigning champion Michael Shearer and Corn behind him, but he accomplished that goal as the those three competitors finished in order.  2015 champion Kevin Joaquin finished fourth ahead of Robby Loquaci, Austin Van Hoff, Kristie Shearer, Shannon Nelson, Chris Bennett and Wally Kennedy.

Jeff Bristow won his second 12 lap Valley Sportsman Main Event.  He also won the eight lap heat race ahead of Shannon Fry.  Bristow scored his Main Event win ahead of the legendary Johnny Brazil, who was driving Kenny Birdsong's Rod Poor Tribute Car.  The field also included Watsonville Speedway Legend Jerry Cecil, who finished fourth behind Shannon Fry.  Eric Seely was a Main Event scratch.

After an AMA Motorcyle event next Saturday night, the Stock Car program returns on July 1st with the annual Timmy Post Memorial.  IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Hobby Stocks will be competing.  For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.





Jones Unstopable In Dwarf Car Nationals Win At Merced Speedway

Merced, CA...June 16...Shawn Jones scored the 20 lap WSDCA Pro Dwarf Car Main Event victory in night #1 of the Dwarf Car Nationals at Merced Speedway.  There were 63 Dwarf Cars in the combined three categories, and 36 of them ran the Pro classification.  Eight lap heat race wins went to Cameron Diatte, Ryan "Ice Chip" Winter, Danny Wagner and Martin Whittingham.  Ryan Martinez earned a starting berth in the feature by winning the 15 lap B Main ahead of Petaluma champion Dave Mosier and Kyle Dodd.  NCDCA reguars led all of the Main Event laps, and Wagner set the early pace ahead of Winter and Sin City's Matt Sargent.  Winter raced past Wagner for the lead on lap 3, and a lap five yellow flag slowed the pace.  Jones, who competes regularly with both SBDCA and NCDCA, followed Sargent past Wagner on a lap seven restart and promply passed both Winter and Sargent for the lead on lap eight.  A final yellow flew on lap nine.  Jones continued to lead Winter and Sargent on the restart.  Wagner struck back to third on lap 13 and put the moves on Winter for second on lap 19.  However, there was no stopping Jones from scoring the impressive win.  Wagner was a strong second ahead of Winter, sargent, Jake Vanortwick, Michael "Spanky" Grenert, C. Diatte, John Isabella, Camden Robustelli and James Bringster.

Oregon's Guy Tow Sr. won the 20 lap Veteran Dwarf Car Main Event.  There were 18 veterans in action, and eight lap heat race wins went to Mark Biscardi, Ryan Diatte and Buddy "The Budster" Olschowka.  Diatte raced into the Main Event lead at the start ahead of Biscardi.  Scott Dahlgren took second from Biscardi on a lap three restart.  Olschowka was running third ahead of Tow, and an lap eight red flag stopped the race.  Forunately, there were no injuries.  Tow made a charge into the lead on the restart ahead of Olschowka.  However, Diatte took second from Olschowka on the final lap.  Tow was the happy winner ahead of Diatte, Olschowka, Biscardi, Mike Corsaro, Mike Reeder, Dahlgren, Jack Haverty, Kevin Miraglio and ageless veteran Charlie "The Hammer" Corrreia.

Oregon competitor John Staudacher won the 20 lap Sportsman Dwarf Car Main Event.  Only nine drivers competed in this division, and Staudacher and Bill Belfield were eight lap heat race winners.   The very actve Main Event had several yellow flags, but Staudacher  led the entire distance.  Belfield ran second until losing the spot to Josh Wiesz on a lap ten restart.  Staudacher scored the impressive victory ahead of Wiesz, Mike Clark, Belfield, Robert Johnson, Brian Barnhill, David Corsaro, Devan Kammermann and Sam Wren.

Four time Antioch A Modified champion Troy Foulger won the 20 lap California Sharp Mini Late Model Main Event.  Foulger was driving one of Michael Shearer's two new cars.  There were six cars competing in this race, and Foulger also won the six lap heat race.  Riley Jeppesen set the early Main Event pace in a bid for his second win.  Foulger raced by both Tim Vaught and Tim Crews for second on lap 2 and shadowed the leader for two laps before making a pass in Turns 1 and 2 for the lead on lap five.  Jeppesen spun in Turn 4 and broght out a caution flag as his car had mechanical issues that would end his race.  Foulger led the restart and paced the remaining laps for the victory.  Vaught settled for second ahead of Crews, long time Merced competitor Tommy Bostic, Ian Shearer and Jeppesen.