FERNLEY - Race fans at Reno-Fernley Raceway got a bonus Saturday night. Not only did they see some great racing, they also got a free light show and free showers as a storm cell delayed the action for about an hour.
The Pure Stock Mini division kicked off the action with a field of 18 cars taking the green flag. A multi-car tangle in turn four early on scrambled the order, with several of the front-runners involved. When racing resumed, Jerry Roseland came flying up through the field to take the lead and drive away into the sunset. There was some spirited racing behind him for the top five positions, with Jesse James holding on for second place at the checker. Joshua Long made a late-race charge to capture third-place, ahead of Brandon Martin and D.J. Singley. Roseland won the first heat with Long taking the honors in heat two.
The Hobby Stock main was only five laps old when the rains came. The cars were halted briefly on the track under a red flag, but were sent to the pits when it became obvious that the track surface was too wet to continue. After the storm passed, the Pro Stocks and IMCA Modifieds "mudded-in" the racing surface, and about an hour after the Hobby Stock race resumed. Steve Rauscher led the pack most of the way, with Rich Italiano, Gary Bayne, Matt Potts, Chris O'Neill, Larry Shearin and others vying for position at the front.
Joe Specchio III, who had run well in the first segment, found the new surface not to his liking and faded back, while Dean Clark picked his way toward the front on what was pretty much a one-groove racetrack. A late yellow set up a one-lap dash to the finish, and Italiano crossed the stripe first for the victory, followed by Bayne, Potts, and Clark, who nipped David Ausano for fourth. O'Neill and Clark split the heat race wins between them.
Ken Knight pretty much dominated the Modified Mini field in his mini-pickup, taking a wire-to-wire win in the main. Nate Creiglow came from mid-field early to run with Knight, but was never able to mount a serious challenge. Behind the lead duo, there was a free-for-all for position, with Brian Coclich keeping Kevin Knight, Dan Andreason, Brent Falin and the rest of the field at bay most of the way.
Late in the race, Kevin Knight managed to get by Coclich for position, and the finishing order was Ken Knight, Creiglow, Kevin Knight, Coclich, and Dan Andreason in positions one through five. Stephen Crook won the first heat, but was never a factor in the main, while Kevin Knight took heat two.
More thunder arrived with the start of the Pro Stock race, but it was the rumble of big V8 engines, not Mother Nature's version. The race was a pitched battle at the front, with David Ellsworth, Travis Peterson, Jason Chapman, Randy Reid, Glen Costa and others mixing it up for the lead.
Usual contender John Hood lost a lap early with a spin, and Malen Gonzalez' very fast car was black-flagged for an oil leak. It soon became apparent that Ellsworth and Peterson would probably go down to the wire, although David Rauscher showed some strength, taking the lead briefly on a restart. Peterson and Ellsworth battled to the checker, with Peterson getting the nod. Shawn Natenstedt came up from the back of the pack to grab third when Reid spun coming out of the last corner. Chapman finished fourth and Jim Smith rounded out the top five. Hood, Gonzalez, and Natenstedt each took a heat race victory.
Michael Saxon and Joe Frock hooked up and drove away from the field at the start of the IMCA Modified main, with the rest of the pack bottled up behind Galen Reese on the one-groove racing surface. A mid-race yellow bunched the field, and Frock nipped Saxon on the restart, never to look back as he opened up a serious lead.
Saxon put some distance on the rest of the field and Steve McGee broke the dam by getting underneath Reese to take over second. Several other cars followed him through, but there was too much distance to make up.
"I could have run with those guys if I hadn't lost so much time behind Galen," said an elated McGee after the race.
At the checker it was Frock, Saxon, McGee, Conrad Wilson and Bill Smith III first through fifth respectively. Scotty Slater won the first heat, with Frock winning heat two.
This coming Saturday will feature the 318 Open Wheel Modifieds, BCRA Midgets, Vintage Midgets, and Midget Lights as well as the Dwarf Cars. Spectator gates open at 3 p.m. and racing starts at 6.
Contact Roger Diez at Racytalker@aol.com
