Legends Night Set For Saturday Night At Merced Speedway

Merced, CA...After a two-week break, Merced Speedway roars back to life this Saturday night with another special event. It's Legends Night, and it pays tribute to nearly 70 years of racing tradition at the Merced County Fairgrounds racing facility. The Valley Sportsman division takes center stage this week along with the Hobby Stocks, California Sharp Mini Late Models and BCRA Midget Lites.

Merced Speedway has been around for weekly racing action since 1950. During that time, they've had some big events. This has included of visit by what became the NASCAR Cup Series, The World of Outlaw Sprint Cars and a $10,000 to win USAC Midget race. The fans have cheered on many great racers during that time.

This includes the man they called Mr. Dirt, Vern Wilhoite. Vern won his first championship back in the 1950s. He went on to win more Sportsman championships and in the 1990s had a race on the schedule in his honor. Vern raced wheel to wheel with four time Sportsman champion Dennis Moomjean back in those days. Vern has since passed away, but Dennis has been one of the regulars at Legends Night since it was started by then General Manager Doug Williams in 2013.

Several drivers who competed at the speedway in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s show up for Legends Night, and some of them get the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Valley Sportsman cars and make a few pace laps before stopping on the front straightaway to be interviewed. Back in 2014, legendary speedway announcer Johnny Sass even showed up to do the interviews. Sass announced at the speedway from about the time it opened until Chuck Griffin had his final year as promoter in 2009.

The Sportsman division was the featured class at Merced and many other venues from the mid 1960s until 1980. Chuck Griffin was one of the drivers on the roster back in its final days. When he had an opportunity to bring the class back in 1999, he didn't hesitate. Working with Pure Stock champion Luis Miranda, Griffin put a nice set of rules together and brought the class back to life. This is the 20th consecutive season of Sportsman racing at the speedway. They have crowned a champion in all but one of those seasons.

The #25m car Chris Birdsong was built by his father, 2016 champion Kenny Birdsong. The car was a replica of a car wheeled by Kenny's hero in the early 1970s, Rod Poor. Poor was notable in winning more Main Events than anybody else in the final decade of the division's initial run. Chris has won two Main Events in his own car this year and piloted the 2017 championship car of Jeff Bristow to his most recent win. Bristow has played car owner this year and has two other wins to show for it with IMCA Sport Modified racer Chris Falkenberg behind the wheel.

With all of those wins accounted for, it is Watsonville Speedway Hall of Fame driver Jerry Cecil leading the standings. Jerry had been retired for several years, but Jeanne Canepa, lured him back behind the wheel again. Saturday night is a point event, and Cecil leads Rick Elliott by eight tallies in the standings. Birdsong is still in the hunt, 32 points back.

The car count may even reach into double digits on Saturday, and there are at least 14 known cars in the area. One car will be driven by two-time division champion Mike Friesen. Friesen was there when the division was brought back in 1999 and also raced back in the 1970s. He is a lover of vintage race cars and also owns a Hardtop painted in tribute of past Merced Speedway great Sam Huff as well as a Super Modified.

These are unique race cars in that the cars feature various different body styles, compared to some of today's race cars that often times look the same other than the paint jobs. Some of the racers anticipated for Legends Night include Eric Sealy, Jeff West, Gary Hildebrand, past champion Mark Odgers and Watsonville Speedway Hall of Famer Ray Johnson.

The popular Hobby Stock division will be racing on Saturday night. After ten events, reigning champion Kodie Dean has picked up seven Main Event victories. With those kinds of numbers, you would anticipate him holding a huge point lead. However, the consistent Shannon Nelson, who has notched eight Top 5 finishes of her own, is just eight points back. The wife of two-time division champion Bubba Nelson is still looking for her first Main Event wins since 2015. Likewise, teammate Kristy Shearer is searching for her first win in three seasons. She trails Dean by 34 points as she remains in contention.

A rough start has slowed the pace of Austin Van Hoff, but he is still on track for another Top 5 season following his season-best second place finish last time out. Robbie Loquaci has one win this year and leads Michael Shearer by just 34 points in the race for fifth. Drivers will need to bring their A Game to beat the flying Dean, and some of the racers hoping they can pull off the win included John Hensley, Kalob Shelton, Race Shelton, Mike Stockton, Donnie Shearer and Mike Germait.

It's a two-car championship battle in the Mini Late Model class. With two wins to his credit, Tim Crews leads Carson Guthrie by 16 points. Guthrie is still looking for his first win. Third ranked Riley Jeppesen has one victory and leads the steady Ian Shearer by just seven points in the battle for third. A terrible start has left five-time winner Jesse James Burks way off the pace, but he is closing in on Shearer and trails by just 20 points.

The BCRA Midget Lites round out the program. These cars tour several different venues in California and were recently down south in Santa Maria for a shootout race with the local Lightning Sprint group. Some of the drivers to watch for include hard charger Danika Joe Parker, Bradley Dillard, Dakota Albright, Terry Bergstrom and the father-and-son duo of Scott and Hunter Kenney. Hunter is the current point leader.

Merced Speedway is proud of their heritage and their place within the community. This is the 69th continuous season of racing at the speedway. Long time fans of the track who may not have been around lately should mark this night on their calendar. It may be an opportunity to see somebody that you cheered on years ago.  For further information, go to www.racemerced.com