American Valley Speedway hosts a wild night of racing.

QUINCY (June 20) – The American Valley Speedway was in action with a good field of IMCA Modifieds as well as Hobby Stocks. And the Dwarf Cars made their return to after a two-year absence.

After the dust settled on the IMCA feature winner Mitch Murphy, who at first battled with Jeff Olschowka, said. “He pushed up, did the same thing as I did and let me get underneath him again. That was the fastest line around the track so as long as I stayed on the bottom I figured I wasn’t going to lose it.”

Then he thanked his parents, wife Shaylee and their unborn baby.

When the green waved on the 13-car field Erica Buhr and Murphy led the charge into the first turn. When they reached the front straight Olschowka turned it into a three-wide fight as they headed into Turn 1.

 

On the very next lap a caution came out after Dustin Sell wound up sideways in Turn 1. That ended his night and he would head for the pits.

When racing resumed Murphy was on point with Olschowka right behind him and soon took the lead. Then Murphy returned the favor by retaking the lead a lap later.

By now the field had spread out but behind the leaders Chris Nieman, who started in the back, was disputing third place with Matt Murphy.

 

Eventually Nieman took third then got around Olschowka for second. After that he ran out of time to run down the leader and the delighted Murphy scored the victory.

 

At the victory celebration runner up Nieman said, “That was good, we came from the back, the car was just hooked up and we were going to the front. We just needed a yellow there to bunch it back up but that’s all right.”

Then he thanked his father and sponsor Dan Fisher, “I couldn’t do it without them.”

Asked about his third place finish, Olschowka laughed and said, “I thought I was going to get it but that water truck guy got me.”

The track had been watered just before the IMCA main.

One disappointment came after the expected Late Models didn’t show. However the two that did put on a lead swapping race for the fans until one of them broke and that ended the race.

 

When the Hobby Stock main began both heat race winners Joe Blackwell and Gared Morris were on the front row. Blackwell got the point while Morris soon fell into the clutches of Lance Bain.

The first of many cautions came on Lap 5 when Colby Russell spun in Turn 2 then had to pit for a flat. However a dead batter soon put an end to his night.

When the green waved again Blackwell took off but three laps later Morris spun out of contention bringing out the next caution. Now Steve Gordan was second but on the restarts just couldn’t get beside Blackwell.

The next caution came for debris on the front stretch three laps later, which was followed by another when Joe Wirtz stopped on Turn 4.

There was another caution with eight to go but that was followed by another caution with four to go. By now attrition had taken its toll and there were only four cars left.

 

But in the end Blackwell prevailed with Gordan and Bain taking the next two positions.

Later Blackwell said, “got lucky enough to get the pole and was able to stay out front. We just had too many yellows and it was getting kind of old. Every time I’d go by I was looking for a checkered flag and finally got one.”

Then he thanked his son-in-law Jeff Colschowka as they have formed the Olschowka Blackwell Racing Team. And he added his grandson Grasen Olschowka will probably racing in about two years.

“I’ve got a couple of sponsors like Napa Auto Parts here in Quincy, it’s Canyon Motors as well as Robert’s Truck and Tractor and Double T Logging. They make it so we can afford to come out and run these things,” he said.

It’s been two years ago since the Dwarf Cars raced at American Valley but on this night five of them made their return. Joe Frock was the class of the field and won both the heat and main event.

Even thought no one was close to him, and since cars don’t run with mirrors or radios even a driver in the lead can’t always tell if no one is behind him.

 

“It was tough to tell as I didn’t know who was back there. I think the key was getting a good start as I think it was really hard to pass out there,” Frock said. “It’s been two years since we’ve been here so it’s good to be back.

Definitely more cars next time, I think there are five cars that could have been here that weren’t.”

Then he thanked sponsors HRT Racing, Wild Island, Nature’s Bakery, Axcel Sports, Ignition Motorsport Design, Damart and DRI.

When the green waved to start the Mini Stock main Joe Wood took off with Kyle Belli in hot pursuit. Four laps later Belli spun out of contention.

 

Once the green waved again Wood took off with Larry Whitebird gave chase. Behind them Belli started his charge through the field.

In the closing laps Belli, who had taken second, has his sight set on the leader but a bobble dropped him back to fourth at the finish.

 

Up front Wood took the win followed by Whitebird and Jozay Hartman.

With the July 4th music festival coming to Quincy the track goes dark for most of July. The next event is a play day for all classes Sunday evening, July 12th.

• Lovelock Speedway was in action Friday, June 19, and Robert Miller won the IMCA Modified main ahead of Randy Artz. In Hobby Stocks it was Tony Taylor while Bob Cooney bested the 360 Sprint Car field.

• After being rained out June 13, the Fernley 95A Speedway had a double points night where Robert Miller scored his second IMCA win of the weekend when he beat Cory Sample and Jake Holland.

Rob Grace won the Pro Stock main while Dwight Bolton added another victory to his total in Street Stocks. Kenny Schmitt won the Super Stock 4 main while Rich Innis was the Pure Stock victor.

OTHER RACING NEWS:

• NASCAR’S XFINITY Series raced at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend. The Sprint Cup series was off as the teams prepare for this week’s race at Sonoma Speedway, formerally Sears Point.

Brendan Gaughan started fifth and ended up fourth. Sparks native, who now lives in North Carolina, T.J. Bell started 27th and finished 23rd.

If you enjoyed this article please “like,” and share it was widely as possible. And comments are always welcome.

RESULTS

• American Valley Speedway – June 20

+ IMCA Modifieds:

Heat 1: 1. Chase Nieman, 2. Matt Murphy, 3. Mitch Murphy, 4. James Hite, 5. Jim Smith

Heat 2: 1. Bill Pearson, 2. Chris Nieman, 3. Erica

Buhr, 4. Kevin Pendergrass, 5. Chris Lewis

Heat 3: 1. Jeff Olschowka, 2. Bobby Higgins, 3. Galen      Hainlane, 4. Dustin      Sell

Main (25-Laps): 1. Mitch Murphy, 2. Chris Nieman, 3. Jeff Olschowka, 4. Bill Pearson, 5. Matt Murphy, 6. Chase Nieman, 7. Erica Buhr, 8. Bobby Higgins, 9. Kevin Pendergrass, 10. Chris Lewis, 11. Galen Hainlane, 12. James Hite, 13. Dustin Sell

+ Dwarf Cars:

Heat: 1. Joe Frock

Main (15-Laps): 1. Joe Frock, 2. Dave Jenkins, 3. Drew Jenkins, 4. Garvin Ryle, 5. Roy Peterson

+ Hobby Stocks:

Heat 1: 1. Joe Blackwell, 2. Steve Gordan, 3. Skeeter Bethel, 4. Joe Wirtz, 5. Guido Armanino, 6. Colby Russell

Heat 2: 1. Gared Morris, 2. Lance Bain, 3. Shayna Nieman, 4. Brittney Nieman

Main (20-Laps): 1. Joe Blackwell, 2. Steve Gordan, 3. Lance Bain, 4. Skeeter Bethel, 5. Shayna Nieman, 6. Joe Wirtz, 7. Brittney Nieman, 8. Guido Armanino, 9. Gared Morris, 10. Colby Russell

+ Mini Stocks:

Heat: 1. Kyle Belli, 2. Larry Whitebird, 3. Jozay Hartman

Heat 2: 1. Joe Wood, 2. Billy Gibson

Main (19-Laps): 1. Joe Wood, 2. Larry White Bird, 3. Kyle Belli, 4.Jozay Hartman, 5. Billy Gibson

• Lovelock Speedway – June 19

+ IMCA Modifieds:

Heat #1: 1. Malen Gonzalez, 2. Zach Cail, 3. Don Childs, 4. Jeffrey Macedo, 5. Trevor Gurley

Heat #1: 1. Robert Miller, 2. J.D. Jurad, 3. Alec Childs, 4. Travis White*, 5. Randy Artz

Main (25-Laps):1. Robert Miller, 2. Randy Artz, 3. Zach Cail, 4. Alec Childs, 5. Don Childs, 6. J.R. Jurad, 7. Malen Gonzalez*, 8. Travis Shite**, 9. Trevor Gurley**, 10. Jeffery Macedo**

+ 360 Sprints:

Heat Race: 1. Loren Cooney, 2. Bob Cooney, 3. Robert Cooney, 4. Jeffrey Macedo, 5. Keith Mikaelsen

Main: (20-Laps) 1. Bob Cooney, 2. Robert Cooney, 3. Loren Cooney, 4. Jeffrey Macedo, 5. Keith Mikaelsen

+ Hobby Stocks:

Heat: 1. David Ausano, 2. Tim Russell, 3. Dennis Buehn, 4. Tony Taylor, 5. Shirley Reeves

Main (20-Laps) – 1. Tony Taylor, 2. David Ausano, 3. Dennis Buehn, 4. Shirley Reeves, 5. Tim Russell

*- Did Not Finish

** – Did Not Start

• Fernley 95A Speedway – June 20

+ IMCA:

Heat 1: 1. Cory Sample, 2. Travis White, 3. Keith Walsh, 4. Tom Purcell, 5. Steve Boucher, 6. Paris      Archie

Heat 2: 1. Royce Goetz, 2. Rocky Goetz, 3. Carl Barlow, 4. Alec Childs, 5. Jake Holland, 6. James Thibodeaux

Heat 3: 1. Walter Ball, 2. Robert Miller, 3. Russell Rosario, 4. Don Childs, 5. Mark Skender, 6. Malen Gonzalez

Main: 1. Robert Miller, 2. Cory Sample, 3. Jake Holland, 4. Royce Goetz, 5. Travis White, 6. Keith      Walsh, 7. Tom Purcell, 8. Steve Boucher, 9. Walter Ball, 10. Malen Gonzalez, 11. Carl Barlow, 12. Rocky Goetz, 13. Russell Rosario, 14. Don Childs, 15. Alec Childs, 16. Paris Archie, 17. James      Thibodeaux, 18. Mark Skender

+ Pro Stock:

Heat: 1. Rob Grace, 2. Gary Nevers, 3. Matt Ramthun, 4. Derrick Rauscher, 5. David Rauscher, 6. Gordon Russell

+ Street Stock:

Heat: 1. Jake Baker, 2. Dwight Bolton, 3. J.T. Stark, 4. Jesse Vankol, 5. Rick Miller

Main: 1. Dwight Bolton, 2. Jesse Vankol, 3. Rick Miller, 4. Jake Baker, 5. J.T. Stark

+ Super Stock 4:

Heat 1: 1. Kenny Martin, 2. Aaron McIlvain, 3. Stephen Crook, 4. Danielle Paine

Heat 2: 1. Justin Busch, 2. Kenny Schmitt, 3. Dennis Crook

Main: 1. Kenny Schmitt, 2. Aaron McIlvain, 3. Dennis Crook, 4. Danielle Paine, 5. Stephen Crook, 6. Kenny Martin, 7. Justin Busch – DNR

+ Pure Stock:

Heat: 1. Rich Innis, 2. Shawn Burton, 3. Jim Paulk, 4. Genevieve Diebler, 5. Trevor Quell

Main: 1. Rich Innis, 2. Shawn Burton, 3. Jim Paulk, 4. Trevor Quell, 5.Genevieve Diebler