Ford Continues To Impress!

Howard Ford was the first to the checkered flag as the North State Challenge Series, presented by Scottfeild Executive Hotels, made its first 2008 stop at Redwood Acres Raceway. The 2007 NSCS champion’s incredible streak continued as he posted his sixth win in his last twelve starts!

Junior Roddy returned to action with a good, clean, runner-up finish in the 100-lap feature. RAR 2007 Late Model Sportsman champ, Brandon Barnwell, notched an impressive third place finish in his crate-powered Monte Carlo. Brad Wasmund scored his second consecutive fourth place finish and moved into third in the point standings. Riley Watson, who had been running second until lap 72 contact sent him to the back of the pack, rallied to round out the top five.

Dundee Oregon’s Willy Thom took the dash over C.J. Bawden, local hero Jimmy Walker and fast-timer Dane Nissen. Randy Houston was conspicuously absent, from the 17-car field, after suffering an engine failure in practice.

After an eight-car inversion, Winchester Oregon’s Kyle Pope sat on the pole with Howard Ford to his outside. Ford cleared Pope on the third circuit. As Ford stretched his lead, Thom, Roddy, and Bawden got by Pope on lap 28. Walker, who’d been running the upper groove, hit the turn 3 wall and retired on lap 30. Eight laps later, the quick cars of Bawden and Thom made contact, spun, and went to the back of the pack.

Mike Sackett and Andrew Snider made contact, a lap later, and Sackett spun, ending his night. Midway in the race, Ford led Watson, Roddy, Pope and Nissen. Nissen’s night went south when his left rear tire went flat on lap 52. A hard charging Bawden got by Roddy ten laps later and started to reel in Watson and Ford. On lap 72, Bawden and Watson contacted and spun. Watson made a nice save to keep his car off the wall and both were able to continue.

The most serious incident of the night occurred on the ensuing restart when Thom made an inside pass of Snider on the front stretch only to get turned into the outside wall. Thom was OK, but his car was done.

Roseburg’s Rod Scevers fell out of the fifth spot with a flat tire with twenty laps to go, ending his nice run. Bawden’s night ended with a dead battery, with nine laps to go, after his third charge through the pack. Barnwell did his best to get by Roddy but settled for third. “I thought I might be able to get by him,” Barnwell said, “but I just didn’t have the power. I’d catch him in the corners, but he’d drive away on the straights. I’m real happy with how we ran. I had a lot of fun!”

“I knew I had to save my car for the end,” Ford said. “There were some fast cars here, but every time they got up to me they started wrecking! My car felt good. I was happy with it, tonight. I can’t believe we won another one!”

The next event for the North State Challenge Series, presented by Scottfeild Executive Hotels, is on May 17th at Ukiah Speedway.

Fast Time – Dane Nissen – 15.740

Dash – Willy Thom, C.J. Bawden, Jimmy Walker, Dane Nissen

Main – Howard Ford, Junior Roddy, Brandon Barnwell, Brad Wasmund, Riley Watson, Andrew Snider, Dane Nissen, CJ Bawden, Rod Scevers, Willy Thom, Kyle Pope, Lissa Uselton, Joe McDonald, Mike Sackett, Jimmy Walker, Keith Nelson, Rick Fox

Random Notes:

Congratulations to the Wasmund racing team on their second straight 4th place finish. When I said I’d never seen them so fast, Brad said with a big smile, “We’ve never been this fast!” Orville and Virginia have done a lot for this series and we’re happy to see them doing well!

Three RAR Sportsman drivers stepped up to run with the NSCS. Lissa Uselton and Rick Fox both made their NSCS debuts. Fox parked it after spinning on the seventh lap while Uselton retired on the 58th circuit. Brandon Barnwell put on quite a show with his 3rd place finish! Thanks for running with us!

Rookie candidate, Ukiah’s Keith Nelson, had an engine expire in practice. Sportsman driver Romeo Venza kindly offered to let him use his #72 in the NSCS race. Nelson was able to move up a spot to 8th in the points. Thanks, Romeo!

It was great to see the blue #48 at the track, though he didn’t fare as well as the crowd had hoped. As Walker hit the wall on lap 33, there was a mass exodus from the grandstand. We hope to see you later in the year, Jimmy!

Both Riley Watson and C.J. Bawden looked like they might have had something for Howard Ford, until they tangled and went to the back of the pack.

Dane Nissen was the Rookie of the Race while Brandon Barnwell won the Hard Charger five-point bonus.

Rod Scevers had a top five run going until a scrape with Watson left him with a flat tire, then he lost a gear.

It was good to see Mike Sackett back at the track, as a teammate to Dane Nissen, driving for Bruce Latta’s Bay Cities Motorsports.

We missed having Randy Houston in the mix. Randy’s a great driver but his mechanical luck has been bad. We hope to see you soon Randy!

Joe McDonald was quick in practice but his car was never the same after a lap 43 spin.

I’ll see you at the races!