YOUNG GUNS GOTTULA AND STRMISKA CAPTURE WINS IN HOTWOOD 750 DOUBLEHEADER AT MADERA SPEEDWAY

Madera Speedway closed out a busy month of August with another fantastic NASCAR Whelen All-American Racing Series program featuring the Western Late Models (WLM) doing battle in twin 75-lap features for round #5 of the HotWood 750 Series on Saturday, August 30th. Also racing were the American Limited Stock Cars, Toyota Sedans, Modified Super Toyotas, Hornets and Spectator Racing Series.

The warm weather, which produced temperatures exceeding 100 degrees at the start of the main events, created a slick track, exciting racing and some short fuses as tempers flared though out the night.

Kyle Gottula, age 21 of Modesto, quickly grabbed the early lead in the first Western Late Model feature by ducking under front row starters Rick Thompson and Trevor Schlundt, both of Clovis, on lap four.

On lap 28 Schlundt brought his smoking car to a stop on the front straight, crawled out the window and slumped face down to the asphalt with heat and smoke inhalation. The race was quickly red flagged as track and medical crews rushed to his assistance. Fortunately Schlundt was able to recover with the aid of some oxygen and would later return to the track for the second half of the Western doubleheader.

Following the restart, track points leader Joey Stearns, of Stockton, used a bump and run maneuver to get by Modesto’s Jeff Belletto, who started the night second in the standings trailing by only 12 points, but the tactic backfired when Ross Strmiska, age 22 of Stockton, swept past both of them in the process.

Strmiska challenged Gottula for the next 20 laps, drawing even with him on several occasions before losing control and spinning on lap 57.

On the restart, Belletto and Stearns resumed their battle for the second spot, going side by side for several laps. This time though it was Belletto who got the best of it as Stearns spun, handing over the third position to veteran Dave Byrd of San Jose. Stearns was able to recover from his miscue in time to salvage fourth just ahead of Thompson.

"This thing was over heating so it made it even hotter in there. I was burning up," said an exhausted Gottula of his seventh win of the season. "I saw all the action going on behind me so I was pretty happy to be able to stay out in front of it."

Belletto was less than pleased with Stearns’ passing tactics.

"I am not going to race him (Stearns) like that and I am disappointed that he feels he needs to do things like that," said a frustrated Belletto. "He could have cost me a race car doing what he did. It is uncalled for. I raced him clean and I don’t know why he can’t do the same."

After missing the first race due to an electrical problem veteran Harry Belletto, age 65 of Modesto, took off like a rocket to snare the early lead in the second Western Late Model race. Unfortunately, he would cut a tire on lap 36, causing his car to slide into the wall at the turn one exit and out of the race.

Jeff Belletto and Joey Stearns reprised their previous skirmish as the tangled once again on lap four, but this time both drivers got the worst of it as they headed to the pits to make repairs and rejoin the fray at the back of the field.

Kyle Gottula inherited the lead after Harry Belletto’s departure and Ross Strmiska quickly challenged him for it. The two "Young Guns" would exchange the top spot over several laps of wheel to wheel action before Strmiska would take command for good following a lap 57 restart.

Stearns and Jeff Belletto managed to creep back into contention despite all of their problems until Belletto lost a wheel and once again headed for the pits. Stearns would persevere on to finish fourth behind Byrd while Belletto was relegated to a disappointing ninth place finish. The resilient Trevor Schlundt returned from his earlier scare to place fifth.

"You know that if Gottula is here that you are going to have to go through him to have a chance to win. I knew I had to get him on the restarts and luckily I did. After all the bad luck we have had this feels good," said Strmiska. "I really want to thank my dad and my whole family for helping me so much."

It was the end of a very busy night for Dave Byrd, who earlier had finished fourth in the SRL Flashco race at Altamont. It was the first time in the distinguished veteran’s 30-year racing career that he has driven in three Late Model features in a single day.

"My crew did such a great job getting the car ready that I was able to jump right in the car and go fast without any practice. My hat is off to them," said Byrd.

Once again the American Limited Stock Car (ALSC) feature proved to be a wild and highly entertaining event with numerous incidents and lead changes throughout the entire 30-lap race distance.

Division points leader Howard Holden, of Clovis, was in contention for the win when he cut a tire on lap 25 and stopped on the track to bring out the yellow flag. That earned him the wrath of race officials who penalized him a lap for deliberately causing a caution. Holden’s plight worsened when he disobeyed the order to remain in the pits for a lap to serve out the penalty and was parked for the night.

With the top of the order continually churning, Lloyd Bamping of Clovis was finally able to emerge from the pack to take the lead late in the race. Bamping would ultimately go on to take the first victory of his career just ahead of the hard charging Nic Belletto and Dennis Saunders Jr., both of Modesto.

"I just kept running as hard as a could, keep my nose clean and slowly but surely cars kept dropping out in front of me," said Bamping, who also became the seventh different driver in seven consecutive races to post a victory in the ultra competitive class.

Despite his setback, Holden retains a comfortable 71-point lead over Saunders in the ALSC season standings.

The Toyota Sedan division has been dominated by Fresno drivers Stan Hankins and Jason Kerns all season long and Saturday’s race was no different.

The pair started near the back of the 11 car field, but quickly worked their way to the front setting up another shoot out between the two good friends. Unhappily, the fight came to a premature end when Hankins was forced to park his car for the night with a broken tailpipe.

With the threat from Hankins gone, Kerns easily drove off to his fifth victory of the season with Fresno’s Justin Dukes and Madera’s Candee McIntosh rounding out the podium.

"It was unfortunate Stan had to drop out because I was really looking forward to racing him tonight," said the always-classy Kerns. "I haven’t been running for points this year so I have been strictly coming out and trying to win."

Despite closing in to within 63 points of Hankins lead, Kerns plans to step out of his car for the last couple of races this season and turn the driving duties over to his father Larry Kerns.

"I have five wins and accomplished everything I wanted to do this year. It has been fun and now it is time for dad to take over so everybody watch out," explained Kerns.

For the second straight race the 20-lap Modified Super Toyota feature ended in controversy.

Chowchilla’s John Bowersox was leading the race with just three laps remaining when season points leader Randy Fleming Jr., of Madera, got into the back of him coming out of turn two. Bowersox spun, but was able to continue without bringing out the caution, allowing Fleming to zoom across the finish lime for what he thought was his seventh win of the season.

However, officials were not pleased with his actions and penalized Fleming a lap giving Fresno rookie Donnie Large Jr. the first win of his career. Chowchilla’s Jason Bowersox finished second and Madera’s CJ Dizney nabbed third while Fleming was relegated back to sixth spot just behind John Bowersox.

Both Fleming and Bowersox were adamant in their blame of the other for causing the incident.

"I definitely got a break tonight. I hated to see those guys spin like that, but I will take it. It is what it is," said Large, who lost a victory in the previous race after being involved in a similar late race occurrence with Fleming.

Miles Humphreys, the 68-year-old racing great grandpa out of Clovis, continued his season long domination of the Hornet class by picking up his ninth victory of the season in the 20-lap Hornet main through just 12 starts.

Humphreys’ win did not come easy though. He had to execute a daring three car wide pass on the inside groove in lap five to take the lead and then battle a very determined Justin Petz, of Fresno, for the remainder of the race to earn the checkers.

"Oh man, these keep getting tougher. I just concentrated on my on line and managed to get past them for the lead and then he (Petz) was right there on my tail the whole way after that," said Humphreys, the defending division champion.

Humphreys also won the Hornet heat race, but Petz upset him in the trophy dash to spoil Humphreys’ bid for an event sweep.

Mike Adaskaveg of Dick Berrgren's Speedway Illustrated magazine was the special guest of Madera Speedway on Saturday. Adaskaveg was busy all evening taking pictures and gathering information for a story that will run in the November or December issue of Speedway Illustrated.

"I have had a great time here," commented Adaskaveg at the end of the night’s activities. "It was a well run show, very smooth and on time. I really enjoyed all the side by side racing. There was a lot of great racing out here tonight."

After going dark for the county fair on the first weekend of September Madera Speedway will return to action with "Fan Appreciation Night" on Saturday, September 13th. The NASCAR Whelen All American Racing Series program that evening will feature twin 50-lappers for the Western Late Models and an open comp Grand American Modified 50-lap feature.

As a very special thanks to the speedway’s loyal fans track president Kenny Shepherd will open the grandstands for the "Fan Appreciation Night" program FREE of charge. That’s right FREE of charge to all fans of all ages! There will also be plenty of prizes given away and discounts on various items at the vending booths that evening.

The Madera Speedway is conveniently located at the Madera County Fairgrounds just off to the west side of Highway 99 at the Cleveland Avenue exit.

For more Madera Speedway information visit the track’s website at www.racemadera.com or call the Info/Race Line phone number at (559) 673-RACE and for information on the Madera Speedway Spectator Racing Series program go to www.spectatorracing.com on the web or call (209) 476-8123.

See Also .:

• Madera Speedway Track Page

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