West Coast Shootout: Daly wins 32nd "M. Maselli & Sons Classic" at Petaluma
Track report
PETALUMA, Cal. - Sept. 17. In a race loaded with veteran drivers - many of them with racing resumes' reaching back to long before Clay Daly's birth - the 22-year-old Watsonville driver combined a good car, talent, and a bit of luck Saturday at Petaluma Speedway with a dazzling wire-to-wire victory in the 32nd annual "M. Maselli & Sons Late Model Classic".
"We always try to come here with a great car and tonight we seem to have hit the set-up right from the start. We didn't make any changes all night. I have the best car owner there is," said a smiling Daly, after collecting the $2000 winner’s share, and giving credit to car owner Pete Van Iderstine.
Drivers belonging to the West Coast Shootout Late Model Series joined with Petaluma Speedway regulars to bolster the 29 car turn-out for the premier event, which is the longest running late model race on the West Coast.
The only bit of luck Daly needed all night came during the pill draw for the trophy dash when Daly joined heat winners John Silva, Steve Drake, and Nick Bartels along with second-place finishers Bobby Hogge IV, Bill Bartles, and Robert Sanders. Daly drew the pole slot for the dash and from that point on he led every lap.
After winning the dash, Daly earned the pole position in the 20 car, 35-lap feature in which West Coast Shootout points leader Drake was a late scratch. Hogge, Silva, and Nick Bartles kept pace with Daly until the he reached lapped traffic after 12 laps. Bartles and Hogge tangled on lap 15, which sent Bartels to the rear on the restart.
A three-car crash on lap 17 then eliminated five-time Maselli winner Silva, who, in qualifying, broke Daly’s one-year-old track-record. Two laps later, second-running Hogge drifted high in turn two, allowing Petaluma track champion Jeff Decker and Santa Rosa’s Anthony Restad to move up. Decker closed in the leader in the closing laps but the masterful Daly rebuked the challenge and notched the victory.
“If we’d have stayed in lapped traffic, I could've got him,” said Decker, who picked up $1000 for finishing second over Restad, Hogge, and Kirby.
| ||||||||||
Strong ALMS Showings Move Feger Closer to Top 25 - The A-Team Has Been Updated 05-21-12
Scott James battles #13 Barry Doss in heat race action at Florence (Ky.) Speedway, but in the $2,000-to-win feature, the only thing anyone saw was the tail end of James' #81 car. (Roy Walker)
After plenty of trash-talking via the electronic media between Jeff Matthews and Ivedent Lloyd last week, it was #21 Lloyd who got the final word as he reeled in #33 Matthews to win Friday's LM feature at Oclala, Fla.'s Bubba Raceway Park. (R.E. Wing)
Fans at Markleysburg, Pa.'s Roaring Knob Motorsports Comlex were treated to dual LM features Saturday - one a makeup from a May 5th rainout. (Above) Tim Senic challenges eventual regular feature winner Chuck Harper, while Jared Hawkins (below) claimed the makeup race. (Tommy Micheals)
Henley, Missouri's Jason Russell leads the way to Victory Lane in the ULMS Late Model feature at Lucas Oil Speedway Saturday. (Chris Bork)
Some fierce racing action at Lucas Oil speedway. (Chris Bork)
Dalton, Ga.'s Craig Reece returned to Dixie Speedway Saturday and led all the way to win the Crate LM victory. (Steve Hixson)
Ray Guss Jr. races last week's Quad City Speedway winner, Mike Murphy, Jr. This time, it was advantage Guss. (Chris Damitz)
With a strong motor back into his mount, Veteran Lamar Scoggins claimed last Friday's Crate LM victory at Boyd's Speedway. (Steve Hixson)
Veteran racer Lance Matthees navigates Spring Lake, Minnesota's Deer Creek Speedway before taking Saturday's WISSOTA Late Model checkers. (Jason Durst)
Racing hard at mid-pack, it's the dueling 55s of Cory Mahder (inside) and Greg Nippoldt at Deer Creek. (Jason Durst)
Ryan King (above and below) swept both the Ltd. Late Model and Crate Late Model features Saturday at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tenn. (Chad Wells)
Still riding his wave in Iowa, Mike Murphy, Jr. in early action before taking the main event win at Davenport last Friday. (Chris Damitz)
Jason Jameson ran a gauntlet to finally capture another win Friday night at Moler
Raceway Park (see main page). (Roy
Walker)
After holding back a charge from Alex Ferree, Chub Frank drove home with a Friday night win at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. (John Stivason)
Bobby Pierce, Brett Sievert, and Mike Glynn race in a tight pack in Kankakee (Ill.) Speedway's "Crosstown Cup", but (below) it was ultimately Shawn Toczek (42) here racing the high side of Mike Provenzano, who sailed to the win. (Dan Simpson)
A-Team Leaders from 1997-2011 (Click on link for complete rundown)
| Primary Tours / Events Regional Tours / Events Crate Late Models Opinion Other |
