Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty won over Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas in the 2009 GRAND-AM Rolex Series race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.MONTEREY, Calif. – Alex Gurney looks forward to returning to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for Saturday’s Continental Tire Sports Car Festival Presented by Mazda, the lone California stop on the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16.
The last time the Rolex Series raced at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Gurney watched co-driver Jon Fogarty take the checkered flag, one of four 2009 victories in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance “Red Dragon” that carried them to their second Daytona Prototype championship.
“I was so happy to learn that we are going back to Laguna Seca,” Gurney said. “As one of the premier road races with so much history, it seems only natural that GRAND-AM should be racing there.”
One of the Irvine, Calif., driver’s earliest racing memories came at the circuit, when American motorsports icon Dan Gurney showed his young son what he once did for a living.
“When I was about eight years old, my dad drove me around Laguna in a Cobra at speed,” Gurney recalled. “I remember it being incredibly loud and scary, and at one point I was sure that we were upside down. I’m guessing that was the Corkscrew!”
Gurney made an excellent first impression when he first drove the red No. 99 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, back in 2005.
“Coming away with the quickest time in practice back in 2005 was a big thrill,” Gurney said. “It came on the GAINSCO team’s debut day in the series.”
Fogarty started the No. 99 on the inside of row two for the 2009 event, directly behind pole sitter Memo Rojas. He ran near the front throughout his shift, then pitted to turn the car over to Gurney. Following the stop, GRAND-AM ruled that Fogarty pitted a few seconds too early to satisfy the 30 minutes needed to score points. While Gurney drove to the lead, the team decided to put Fogarty back in the car for the final stint so that both drivers could score points – and ultimately share the championship.
Fogarty held the lead following the pit stop before being passed by Scott Pruett. Fogarty held his ground, following Pruett for a few laps before making a daring pass for the lead in the Corkscrew. He went on to lead the final 22 laps, beating Pruett to the checkered flag by seven seconds for their second of four victories that season.
“I think watching Jon’s pass on Pruett for the lead in the ’09 race was the most sketchy moment, that was awesome!” Gurney said. “That was very big day for us. We had always run well at Laguna but a win was always elusive, so to finally come through was very important.”
Of his 13 Rolex Series victories – all co-driving with Fogarty – that was the only time he was not driving at the checkered flag.
While the “Corkscrew” is the signature turn on the 17-turn circuit, it’s not the most important one for Gurney.
“I love Turn 6, that turn is an enigma,” Gurney said. “Every once in awhile you think you have it figured out but it is incredibly hard to duplicate a very quick run through there. When to let off, how much to brake, how much curb to use, how to come off the throttle, when to downshift, when to get back to the throttle, how much throttle to use? these are all the questions I’m asking as I approach this corner.”
Saturday, July 9th, Stockton 99 Speedway presents USAC Open Wheel Night featuring USAC Western Classic Racing Series Sprint Cars, USAC Western Midgets, Ford Focus Midgets and Jr Focus. This is a great opportunity to see local legend, 6-time USAC Champion, Tony Hunt from Lincoln, who is the points leader in the USAC Western Classic Series. This is the inaugural year of the series featuring 8 races on pavement and 8 on dirt. Tony usually dominates on pavement after winning the 2010 USAC Western States Championship last year, which is an all pavement series. Tony Hunt's Car on display at the Sacramento Autorama.
In second place in the series, 65 points back, is Shauna Hogg from Citrus Heights. She is one point ahead of Geoff Ensign from Sebastopol.
For all the open-wheel lovers and all those who are addicted to high-powered speed, this is one you won’t want to miss because these four-wheel rockets haul the mail, circling the tricky quarter-mile oval in the 12 second range. Don’t blink!
Pit Gates open and registration begins at noon with practice commencing at 2:00 PM. The Grandstands open at 4:00 PM with qualifying set for 4:00 PM and green flag racing slated for 6:00 PM. Ticket prices for the evening will be as follows:
General Admission (16+) $15
Juniors (11-15) $10
Kids 10 & Under FREE
Seniors (60+) $10
Military (W/ Military ID) $10
Family $40
(2 General + 2 Junior’s)
FRIDAY PRACTICE: All Open Wheel Divisions welcome on July 8th for Friday Night Oval Testing. In an effort to keep costs down for the fans and drivers with the rising costs of operations, it has become necessary to keep the grandstands closed on practice day.
Pit Gates Open 2pm
2:30pm Pre-Tech
3pm – 7pm Practice
Open Testing Day
The New Stockton 99 Speedway is located at 4105 N. Wilson Way, ¼-mile west of Highway 99. For more information on tickets and times, please contact the Speedway Office at (209)466-9999 or visit their Website at www.stockton99.com.
The New Stockton 99 Speedway is sponsored by Jackson Rancheria Casino Hotel, California Welding Supply, Budweiser, Alamo Alarm and Stockton Hampton Inn and Suites and Lodi Holiday Express.
PLACERVILLE, CA (7-2-11) – Throughout the 2011 Hoosier Racing Tires Civil War Sprint Car Series campaign, Visalia’s Steven Tiner has been a factor in nearly feature event as well as in the championship point standings. Saturday night, the latest driver from the Northern California family that is rich in the history of open wheel racing advanced from the status of factor to winner. Steven Tiner from Visalia wins the Civil War Sprint Car Series race in Placerville. Photo by Donna Peter.
“We’ve been so close so many times this year,” said Tiner. “Tonight was our night. This dry slick track was great for us. It’s really great to finally get a win in the series. The points don’t really matter to me right now as much as winning races do.”
Tiner captured his victory before as standing room only crowd at Placerville Speedway. The event brought the competitive Civil War Sprint Car Series together with the annual Independence Day weekend celebration and Family Blast Fireworks Party at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds. Not only was the crowd impressive in the grandstands but in the pit area as well as 46 cars signed in for the division.
The event was round seven of the 14 race Civil War Series campaign. In preliminary action, Tiner did not appear to be a dominant force over the competition. He qualified 18th on the roster and finished fourth in his respective heat race to lock a position in the 30-lap feature event. It was there where a premium starting position and a perfectly set up race car made Tiner the driver to beat for the remainder of the night.
With a ten car inversion for the feature event line up, Tiner started Saturday’s money race in the second positions. Grass Valley’s Jeremy Burt was the pole sitter for the race while Billy Strange of Elk Grove and Johnny Herrera of Albuquerque, New Mexico started in the fourth position. Herrera made the rare local appearance in an effort to test for the upcoming Bullring Nationals at Placerville Speedway that will feature the best drivers in the nation July 29th and 30th with the ASCS Lucas Oil Sprints on Dirt series.
The heavy hitters weren’t limited to the first two rows Saturday night. Addititional starters that were a threat to Tiner included two time series champion Sean Becker of Roseville who started in row three with Fresno’s Shawn Wright. Veteran Greg DeCaires of Elk Grove and Dennis Harvey of Orangevale formed the fourth row and the fifth row was one of the most powerful with three time Placerville winner Kyle Hirst of Sacramento on the inside and Grass Valley native Brad Sweet starting in 10th. Sweet, who now races professionally in the NASCAR Camping Work Truck Series, was aboard a Rod Tiner owned #83 sprint car.
At the waving of the green flag, Herrera muscled his way out of the second row to power into the initial lead. Tiner was quick to rally back to the front, pulling aside Herrera and muscling the King Products #94 into the lead as early as the second lap. Once he was in front, however, the race was far from a cakewalk for Tiner as several drivers challenged him for the lead.
With five laps complete, Becker overtook Herrera for second place. Shortly thereafter Herrera would go to the pit area for repairs. It was then that the battle heated up between Tiner and Sweet who worked his way into the top three with six laps complete. Three laps later Sweet overtook Becker for the bridesmaid position to set his sights on Tiner for the lead and a crowd razing dogfight developed between the two drivers producing fireworks long before the lights even went out.
At the 18 lap mark Hirst advanced into the top three and was searching for a line to catch the two front runners that sliced and diced their way through traffic and raced side by side on several occasions to battle for the lead. When the checkered flag waved, the Tiner name returned to the victory column for the first time in several years at Placerville Speedway. Sweet would cap his hometown visit off with a second place finish while Hirst was the third driver on the podium followed by Becker and DeCaires.
“Brad Sweet and I have been friends for years and this was really a pleasure to race with him again tonight,” said Tiner. “I wanted this win but he was in a sprint car built by my uncle Rodney and I knew he was fast. This is really special here tonight for my family with the win and Brad in second place in that car. Like I said the points aren’t’ really a concern for us right now. Hopefully we can take this win into next weekend with us and do well at Ocean and Petaluma.”
As Sweet climbed from his car on the front stretch he removed his helmet and walked over to Tiner during the victory lane interview to congratulate his longtime friend on the win. Upon doing so the driver who began his racing career at Placerville Speedway and won his very first race here received a boisterous response from the capacity crowd.
“I love coming back to this place, its always going to be home to me,” said Sweet. “I’ve like to thank Rodney Tiner for giving me a great car tonight. It’s always special to race at this place on the July Fourth race and I couldn’t have asked for a better night to be able to do it.”
For Hirst, the third place finish meant another good points night for the Smitty Brothers #14s team. The second generation driver also enjoyed the huge crowd at Placerville Saturday night and continued to speak of the upcoming ASCS Nationals race coming to Placerville Speedway.
“I hope all of these fans really liked this race tonight,” said Hirst. “If they did like it they need to get their tickets for that ASCS race that is coming here later this month because it will be even wilder than anything they have ever seen here.”
Next Friday night the Civil War Sprint Car Series heads to Ocean Speedway in Watsonville for round 8 of the series. From their there the tour will trek to Petaluma Speedway on Saturday night for the ninth leg of the tour. Ryan McDaniel from Olivehurst wins the Dirt Modified race in Placerville. Photo by Donna Peter.
Joining the sprint cars on Saturday were the Dirt Modifieds of Mini Modified Madness. Only eight cars were in competition in the event but the action was still great door to door racing. In his first race at Placerville Speedway, veteran champion Ryan McDaniel of Olivehirst drove his way to the victory. McDaniel started third in the race and was trailed across the line by Kenny Neu, Randy McDaniel, Steve McGee and Kevin Pendergrass.
Placerville Speedway will go dark next Saturday and return to action on July 16th for the Mark Forni Classic that will pay $5,000 to the sprint car winner. The Limited Late Model winner will take home $1000 on this special night as well as the Pure Stock division. For further information visit www.placervillespeedway.com where you can also learn about advanced resevered ticket sales for the upcoming ASCS Bullring Nationals July 29th, 30th. Additional information can also be obtained by calling the track business office at (916) 783-DIRT.
