Fernley 95A Speedway Race Results for September 15, 2012

It was the final points race of the season, a night that would see champions crowned in six racing divisions at Fernley 95A Speedway. Over 70 cars were on hand, and there were lots of spectators in the stands rooting for their favorite driver.

The Pro Stock division started off the evening, and Carson City’s Gary Nevers came into the race with the points lead. However, he had to finish within six places of Fallon’s Rob Grace to take the title. Reno’s Jim Klopp took the lead at the green flag and began pulling away. Behind him Fernley’s Chris Coclich charged to second from his fifth-place starting spot. After a caution to remove Dwight Bolton’s disabled car from the track, Klopp took off on the restart with Coclich on his bumper. Behind them, Josh Ogg of Sparks and Reno racers Jack Randall and Scott Deutsch battled over third place. Then Coclich spun, bringing out the second caution, and on the restart Klopp again drove away while Grace advanced to second place. Nevers was running mid-pack, five spots behind Grace and still in the championship lead. Grace was unable to catch Klopp before the checkered flag flew, and the finishing order was Klopp, Grace, Deutsch, Ogg, and Reno’s Derrick Rauscher in the top five. Nevers finished sixth, securing the championship by a mere two points over Grace. Heat race wins went to Coclich and Grace.

The Hobby Stocks were up next. Royce Goetz of Dayton came into the race with a healthy 22-point lead over Reno’s Rick Miller for the championship. Carl Barlow started at the back was looking for his sixth win in row, but was out of the championship hunt due to missing a race. After an aborted start the green flag flew, and Rob Carey of Fallon led the early going. A multi-car pileup on the front straight brought out the red flag, but fortunately there were no injuries. On the restart, Barlow charged into the lead, and Goetz advanced to third. Another yellow flag flew when Carson City’s Derek Ramthun lost a wheel on the back straight. Goetz took over second place on the subsequent restart, but was unable to catch the flying Barlow. At the checker it was Barlow, Goetz, Verdi’s Tom Haxall, Dean Clark of Silver Springs and Miller. Haxall was subsequently disqualified for failing to stop at the tech pad after the race. Thise moved Clark to third, Miller to fourth, and David Woods of Vinton, California to fifth. Goetz and Barlow split the heat race wins, and Goetz took a lap of honor as the division champion while Barlow entertained the crowd with a bow and a drum roll on his car’s roof.

The Pure Stock Mini division was the third race of the evening, and 16 year old Travis Barr of Reno only had to take the green flag to win the championship. Fernley’s Shawn Burton led at the green flag, but was soon passed by Kevin Reuter of Oak Harbor, Washington who was driving Al Bishop’s old car. Bishop, in a new car, was running third ahead of Fernley’s Bracee Langevin and Barr. Barr spun in turn four, bringing out the caution and sending him to the back of the pack. Reuter took off on the restart, building a huge lead over Bishop while Barr weaved his way through the field on the way to the front. The final finishing order was Reuter, Bishop, Barr, Langevin, and Dayton’s Loghan Cologna. Barr was confirmed as 2012 champion, and Barr and Reuter each won a heat race.

Next came the Mod Minis, with Sparks’ Justin McIlvain holding an 11-point lead over Steve Singley of Fernley in the championship standings. Fernley’s Will Ritchey took the lead at the green, but Carson City’s Larry Miller soon passed him with Singley moving to third and the Crook brothers, Dennis and Stephen, moving up rapidly. Before long Dennis Crook had taken over the point with Stephen in tow, Miller a ways back, and McIlvain swapping positions with Reno’s Kenny Martin for fourth and fifth. Unfortunately for Dennis, he had yet another mechanical failure, and Stephen took the lead and held it to the checker. At the flag it was Stephen Crook, Miller, McIlvain, Martin, and Ritchey, with McIlvain the newly crowned division champion. The Crook boys took a heat race win apiece.

All that Carson City’s Shane Ramthun had to do was take the green flag to win the Dwarf car championship. The action was fast and furious from the green flag, as Reno’s Joe Frock and Robert Miller of Gardnerville took off and motored away from the field. Frock then opened a lead on Miller, who had a similar gap back to the third place battle between two California drivers; Quincy’s Chase Nieman and Jesse Vankol of Portola. Ramthun ran fifth for a while, then passed Vankol for fourth. A caution for debris on the back straight bunched the field, and Ramthun pitted during the yellow. Nieman briefly got by Miller for second on the restart while Frock said adios to the field. Miller retook second but could not catch the flying Frock. When the checker flew, the order was Frock, Miller, Nieman, Carson City’s Derek Rosse, and Vankol. Ramthun was able to return to the track to take his lap of honor as the 2012 Dwarf champion. Frock and Miller were the heat race winners.

The final race of the evening was the IMCA Modified division, and Fernley’s Shawn Natenstedt had the championship clinched with a 23-point lead over Jake Holland of Calpine, California. Fernley’s Mark Skender took the lead at the green with Melissa Natenstedt of Fernley and and Truckee’s Russell Rosario right behind until Rosario spun. This brought out the caution, and Skender let briefly on the restart before Holland and Gardnerville’s Russ Cazier got by him. Holland immediately opened a big lead and kept extending it. Shawn Natenstedt advanced to third with Robert Miller in tow, and Skender faded to fifth. By the halfway point, Holland had built his lead to half a lap over Natenstedt, who was now in second place. The gap shortened as Holland was held up by a driver who apparently never saw a move-over flag before. But Holland had enough in hand that he took the checker well ahead of Natenstedt. Miller held on for third, Cazier was fourth, and Carson City’s Tom Purcell came home fifth. Natenstedt celebrated his championship with a victory lap. Purcell won the first heat race and Miller took the second.

The final event of 2012 will be a two day shootout on September 29-30. As many as 200 cars are expected from all over the west. Racing will start at 2 pm on Saturday and noon on Sunday. Spectator gates will be open two hours prior to the scheduled start times. Go to www.fernley95aspeedway.com for further information.