GOLD FEVER TAXI CAB OPEN AT MARYSVILLE RACEWAY
MARYSVILLE, CALIFONIA (October 22, 2016) – Marysville Raceway Park put a cap on its 2016 stock car portion of the season with a varied and exciting Gold Fever Taxi Cab Open. More than 60 drivers from four different tracks competed across the five divisions of stock car racing.
After a series of entertaining heat races that included Ryan McDaniel charging from eighth to win the Limited Late Model heat race, it was time for the five 20 lap features.
Six-time 2016 main event winner and 2016 Silver Dollar Speedway champion Brian Compton won the Hobby Stock feature. He chased down Shannon Collins and took the lead on lap 12 to go on for the win. He also won his heat race and won his Pure Stock heat race using the same car. The ensuing Pure Stock race was led to green by Compton from the inside line, with outside polesitter Orville Owens charging past for the lead. Russ Murphy suffered mechanical problems to drop him from second position. The best battle was between Compton and 2016 Placerville champion Nick Baldwin for third. Baldwin took over third before a late race caution set up a Green White Checkered shootout. Owens was able to pull away from second running Jason Palmer and Baldwin for the wire-to-wire victory.
Phil Marino led all 20 laps of the Street Stock main event but it was by no means any easy win. The race was red flagged on lap three when Dennis Ahart suffered a fire. Mitch Machado battled Brent Lawrence for many laps for second place and finally overhauled him within the final five laps. Multiple different incidents, including a multi-car spin in turn four set up a three lap run to the finish. Marino held off Machado to take a narrow Street Stock win.
Super Stocks may have been the wildest race of the evening. The intense heat race battling proved an omen to the feature action. Phillp Shelby led the opening four laps before a caution for Petaluma regular Steve Studebaker suffering a flat tire. Shelby’s car stalled after taking the green on the following restart which forced him to the rear of the field. Shelby’s misfortune gave James Castleberry the lead. Shelby banged doors with Studebaker causing a flat tire that ended Shelby’s night on lap six. Jerry Bartlett seized the opportunity on the lap six restart to run side-by-side with Castleberry for many laps, finally nabbing the lead on lap 18 to lead the final three circuits for the victory.
McDaniel followed up his thrilling heat race win with the Limited Late Model main event win as well. Wayne and Ray Trimble were the front row starters and had contact at the start of the main that moved Wayne into the lead. Placerville champion Eddie Gardner got bounced to seventh in the initial start jostling as well. A caution on lap five for Gardner spinning in turn one placed McDaniel all over Wayne Trimble. Trimble managed to drive away from McDaniel’s challenges a couple of times before McDaniel cleared him for good on lap seven. McDaniel drove away for a comfortable Limited Late Model win.
