2010 Champions Crowned: McIntire, Pittman, Abella, and Zampa

The North State Racing Association held the final 2010 championship race at the Ukiah Speedway last Saturday. Featured were the I.N.E.X. Legends Cars, Rental Solutions Modifieds, Street Stocks, Bud Bombers, and Bandoleros.

Track conditions were wildly variable caused by a combination of hot sun and a strong and cool wind from a passing weather system. Drivers reported that the outside groove seemed tighter and the inside treacherous, sometimes causing you to break loose when you least expected it.

I.N.E.X. Legends Cars

Luis Tyrrell set the Legends Cars fast time of 14.335s, only one thousandth ahead of Jeremy Wood.

Keith Clement and Greg Baxter led the 14 car field to the main event start. Baxter took the initial outside lead but Clement rallied leading lap three by a nose. Kistenmacher fell back on the inside pushing Donny Darter, David Winchel, Wood, Bob Kuebler, and Jimmie Walker behind him.

Scott Sabol was outside Tony Mangini fighting for second ahead of Stanislav Osterlund who was outside Tyrrell. Kistenmacher spun on the frontstretch for the first caution and had to retire to the pits. Another immediate yellow flag followed when Jack Wulff Humphrey spun over the turn three berm.

Clement and Baxter led the restart and Baxter fell back on the outside pushing Mangini, Tyrrell, Wood, and Walker behind him. Sabol swung outside Clement to fight for the lead with Osterlund close behind. Baxter and Mangini settled back inside in front of Winchel and Jeremy Doss.

Sabol and Osterlund passed outside Clement for first and second. In lap eight, Tyrrell had advanced outside Baxter and was about to do the same to Clement when they tangled and spun in turn two for another caution. The field dodged high and low, but Wood had a scary moment when he found himself trapped in the middle heading straight for them. He slammed on the brakes and barely managed to slow and make his way around in time.

The restart was led by Sabol and Osterlund. Osterlund took the lead and Wood swung outside Sabol to take second. Baxter fell back on the outside but Winchel dove inside in front of Mangini just in time into fourth. In lap 15, Tyrrell and Clement spun again in turn four for another caution. There was a second caution when Doss and Kuebler touched and spun in turn four.

Osterlund and Wood now led the restart. Osterlund had the lead but Wood swung high through turn three gaining momentum and sliced low under Osterlund through turn four to take the lead in lap 18. Osterlund chased Wood while Winchel, Sabol, and Mangini passed Baxter for third through fifth. In lap 21, second-place Osterlund suddenly lost power into turn three and the car died in turn four bringing out the last yellow flag of the race. Osterlund was forced to retire.

Wood and Winchel got them going again. Wood took off while Tyrrell and Sabol fought for third. Tyrrell had the advantage outside Sabol when he drifted loose in turn four and fell back to follow Sabol past the inside of Winchel. Wood claimed the checkers followed by Sabol, Tyrrell, Winchel, and Mangini.

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Bill Kistenmacher Clinches The Legends Cars Championship

The North State Racing Association presented the next to last regular season championship race at the Ukiah Speedway last Saturday. Featured were the Pro-4 Modifieds, Rental Solutions Modifieds, Bud Bombers, Legends Cars, and Bandoleros.

This was the final championship points race for the Ukiah Legends Cars and it was a real nail-biter with only nine points separating leader Bill Kistenmacher and Jimmy Sturges. The #88 of Sturges was still under repair but that was not going to stop him. He borrowed the #9 and set out to win that trophy.

Kistenmacher finished second in the time trials three positions ahead of Sturges netting him six more points, and three positions ahead in the heat race adding another three for a total of 18. However, disaster struck when the Legends Cars were warming up for the main event. Kistenmacher's car suddenly pulled over on the front stretch with problems.

At first, it was though he'd broken a weld in the front suspension. Something this serious would take him both out of the race and championship contention. A quick inspection found that it was only a bolt that had worked itself loose so he was sent to the pits to tighten it up.

If this had not been noticed before the green flag fell to start the race, Kistenmacher would never have had enough time to fix the problem before his yellow-flag courtesy laps ran out. But since the race had not yet started, he was given the same courtesy given to any contender allowing them to fix their car so the fans can see them race.

Kistenmacher did not dominate the field and finished third (see the Legends Cars entry below), but he did finish two positions ahead of Sturges adding another 10 points and clinching his championship win by 28 points.

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Simi Tour and Dustin DeRosier Claim First Season Wins

The next North State Racing Association championship event was held last Saturday at the Ukiah Speedway. Featured were the Airport Auto Brokers Late Models, Rental Solutions Modifieds, Street Stocks, and Bud Bombers.

The fans were treated to a special event. Famed racing veteran Bob Strauss took a few lucky fans for a ride in his custom-build two-seater Modified. Not for a couple of parade laps, this was a full firesuit and helmet set of laps at full racing speed. The excited fans reported that the ride was thrilling, the acceleration awesome, and that they felt the wall was a whole lot closer than they imagined.

Crews worked hard throughout the week to clean up and make the track ready after the events during the Redwood Empire Fair. The track was reportedly nice and tight, and the afternoon breeze made for perfect racing conditions.

Airport Auto Brokers
Late Models

Mike Lovell from Willits set the Late Model fast time of 12.329s, 9.1 hundredths faster than Kevin Ostern.

Jimmy Stillman and Dallas Shane led the 14 car field to the 75-lap main event start and stayed there for a little more than half the race while the mid-pack shuffled positions. Gradually, Corey James, Mike Doss, and Mike Lovell made their way up to the leaders.

The three shuffled Shane back to fifth in lap 44. James took the lead in lap 55 when Stillman suddenly developed problems and had to retire to the pits.

James, from Laytonville, claimed the checkers followed by Doss, Lovell, Shane, and Kevin Ostern. For more details on this race and the current championship points, browse to the Airport Auto Brokers Late Models website at “http://www.AABLM.com”.

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Knight, Mavrakis Claim Fourth Season Victories

Taking the lead away from cousin Eric Johnson on the 12th lap, Darrin Knight of Kelseyville drove his Modified to his fourth season victory at the Ukiah Speedway Saturday night. Street Stock ace George Mavrakis of Cloverdale also chalked up his fourth feature win, leading all but four rounds of that 30 lapper.

After a late-race incident that took out leaders Logan Zampa and James Bickford, young James Stillman of Upper Lake out-paced Frankie Pickrell on the restart and drove the remaining distance for his first 2010 Bandolero win. Ron Duke, Sr. of Redwood Valley, driving for Anthony McCoy, captured the 30 lap Bomber main event, and fast qualifier Luis Tyrrell made it two-in-a-row in the Legends Cars division.

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