Despite the chilly weather conditions, there were plenty of drivers who reached their boiling point as Escalon’s “Slammin” Sam Solari captured the Stockton Late Model feature in the 99 Speedway’s 76th season opening program on Saturday night.
Stockton’s Gary Shafer Jr., the 2021 track champion, earned the pole and began the race next to Stockton’s JoJo Stearns, while Solari sat in the third row of the 15-car field for the start of the 50-lap main on March 29.
A notable absence in the field was Stockton’s Larry Tankersley. After earning his second consecutive track championship last October, the veteran driver decided it was the right time to hang up his helmet, sell his car, and take a break from racing … at least for now.
Shafer immediately jumped into the lead, while Solari patiently worked his way through the pack, taking over second place from Stearns just before the race reached the halfway point. Solari sat on Shafer’s tail looking for a way to get around him when things suddenly went completely south following a minor caution on lap 25.
With the pair now stationed door-to-door in the front row, Shafer and Solari played a cat-and-mouse game as they each tried to gain the advantage when the race resumed, causing multiple aborted restarts. On one occasion Shafer appeared to run Solari up into the front straight wall as they circled slowly under the yellow flag.
After the race was briefly red flagged during which track officials admonished both drivers, the race finally went back to green, but it didn’t last long. Shafer edged ahead of Solari at the line, but Solari quickly countered by diving under Shafer going into Turn 1 and muscled his way to the lead. Shafer retaliated by banging hard into Solari’s bumper as the pair entered Turn 3, causing Solari to spin out.
The race was again red-flagged as an irate Solari jumped out of his car to voice his displeasure at Shafer. Track officials black-flagged Shafer, who in turn expressed his anger for several minutes before finally leaving the track.
However, things did not end there. Just as the race was set to resume, Shafer and several of his crew members returned to the middle of the track to continue the debate. CHP officer Ruben Jones, who was guesting as the pace car driver for the main event, was finally able to persuade the group to exit the track and return to the pits, where the sheriff’s department was called in to make sure things did not get further out of hand.
After almost an hour delay, the race, now shortened to 35 laps, finally concluded with the banged-up Solari taking the checkered flag ahead of Stockton’s Ty Carlson and Danny Devore without any further incidents.
“It was a great night. We were out there just having a little fun tonight. I can’t wait to come out here and go it again,” Solari wryly remarked before adding solemnly, “It was frustrating how this turned out because I want to have a great year with these guys, race hard, and not have all this fender bumping and other stuff. I am really disappointed with how this turned out.”
There were plenty of fireworks in the 25-lap Pure Stock main, as well, where defending division champion Brandon Jones of Tracy and Stockton’s Jeremy Tucker resumed their rivalry.
Starting behind his father, Brian Jones, Brandon bewilderingly got into the back of his dad in the early going, putting them both to the back of the field and handing Tucker the lead. Tucker was cruising to the win when he was clipped by Brandon Jones on the front straight as he attempted to lap him. Afterward, the two exchanged a variety of pleasantries as they slowly circled the track alongside of each other during the ensuing caution.
Staying out of the fray, Stockton’s Donnie Darter quietly inherited the lead and rolled to the victory well ahead of Morada’s Mason Beghtel and a frustrated Tucker. Adding insult to injury, on the cool-down lap while exiting to the pits, Tucker was punted by the elder Jones, causing track officials to DQ both Brandon and Brian Jones along with Tucker.
Officials will determine later this week if additional fines and penalties are warranted in the Late Model or Pure Stock altercations.
On a more kumbaya note, Manteca’s Joe Flowers could only muster enough speed to qualify fifth in the 10-car field for the Mini Stocks, but he had a rocket ship in the 25-lap main.
Starting from outside of the front row, Flowers immediately charged to the front and never looked back to earn a wire-to-wire win over Stockton’s Ethan Rumsey and Linden’s Leilani Sprenkel.
“Oh man, those guys had faster cars than us today, but I told everyone that it just doesn’t matter because we are going to come back and win this race,” exclaimed Flowers. “It always feels good to win the opener.”
Over 40 cars packed the pits in the popular Legends division, causing officials to split the class into two separate mains, with the younger, less experienced drivers making up one group and the veterans comprising the second group.
Yucaipa’s Chase Burgeson moved around pole sitter Kai Lovell of Willits on a late race caution restart to take top honors in the 30-lap Young Lions/Semi Pro grouping, while Ukiah’s Cole Brown led all 35 laps of the Pro Legends, just edging out Sebastopol’s Cody Winchell and defending class champion Brenden Ruzbarsky of Tracy, at the finish.
Patrick Geiger of Clovis sailed to a stress-free six-second victory over Merced’s Shay Gouldy in the caution-free 20-lap Fast Kar Solutions Mini Modified main.
Participants will have four weeks to cool off before the 99 Speedway returns to action on Saturday, April 26 with the Pro Late Models, Grand American Modifieds, Nor Cal Mini Stocks, Legends, and NCMA Sprint Cars.
