Forum: Northern California Sprint Car (go)
Moderators: StuDeedooo

PETALUMA, CA, April 12— A filled grandstand and pit area established the tone on opening night for the launching of the 54^th season at Petaluma Speedway on Saturday Night.  Doing double-duty in both sprint car classes, Zack Lynskey set fast time in the 18-car Pit Stop USA Winged 360 class with a 13.162.  Heat races on the newly configured, wider track saw Colby Copeland in the familiar Van Lare #5v, Chris Magoon in his own #77, and Geoff Ensign in the Lay Family #24b pick up 8-lap victories in swift fashion.  The 25-lap feature started with Lynskey’s #9n Lathrop Special pacing the field.  By the end of the first lap Ensign had nabbed the lead away and Lynskey had done a half spin on the second lap.  Sadly Lynskey’s Night ended on lap 4 with a stall.  Fifth starting Alissa Geving made a nice inside move on Chase Johnson for 2^nd on lap five.  Ivan Worden drew a caution on lap 7 and on the corresponding restart Copeland displaced Johnson for third.  With two grooves top and bottom to choose from Ensign and Geving swapped the lead briefly on lap 9 in exciting fashion.  Lap 10 saw a red for Worden and visiting Lance Tomlinson with both overturning.  Tomlinson completed the rare exacta by duplicating the effort and overturning again on lap 12.  Meanwhile through several cautions and the two red flags Herman Klein was figuring things out and joined the back of the pack with 13 to go. The final 13 laps were run without interruption and saw great top-side dicing between Geving, Copeland, and Johnson.  The man on the move was Klein however as he blasted through the pack to enter the top six in just two circuits, finally getting by Johnson and Copeland in the last half dozen laps.  At the 25-lap twin checkers it was Ensign over Geving, Klein, Copeland, and Johnson. 
            The Pit Stop USA Spec Sprints saw 17 wingless wonders time in with Napa’s Joe Stornetta besting the field with a 14.720.  The three preliminary heat races were picked off by Trevor Schmid, Adam Christian, and Sparky Howard.  Pole-sitter and defending track champion Scotty Dupont scampered away cleanly at the start of the feature however entering turn three Shayna Sylvia pirouetted like a top through the damp Sonoma County air several times necessitating a red flag.  Back to racing action saw four cars tangle in turn four on lap two including Schmid and Adam Jones.  Meanwhile the new pilot of the potent Dave Johnson #32, Rowdy McClennon had forged to the lead, over Christian, and Stornetta.  Lap five saw a caution for Lynskey, lap six for Jones, lap seven for John Clark.  Stornetta was able to eclipse Christian for second on lap eight and had taken the lead away from McClennon briefly only to have additional caution flags negate the passes.  Second cautions for Jones and Clark finally necessitated an abbreviated event with McClennon picking up his first Petaluma Speedway victory over Stornetta, Christian, Howard, and Jonathon Henry.
            Petaluma Speedway returns to action this Saturday Night, April 19^th with the Pit Stop USA Winged 360’s and Spec Sprints, Carr Racing Chassis IMCA Modifieds, Lumberjack Restaurant Super Stocks, and Mini Stock Divisions. For more information please go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.