STOCKTON, Calif. — Raio Salmon made her first win of the last several Micro Sprint seasons a big one, scoring the $2,000 Turkey Bowl XXIV presented by East Bay Tire Super 600 victory on Saturday night at Delta Speedway.
Salmon used her signature low line move to snare the coveted win in Stockton’s annual year-end event.
“I knew they were going to be on the top and I don’t typically like to run on the top so I stayed on the bottom. Right place at the right time really. I knew when I caught lapped traffic I wasn’t going to go to the top. Getting the yellow flag really helped me,” Salmon said. “It’s been a really long season this year and last year. Just really exciting!”
Mattix Salmon won the Pole Shuffle then led the opening lap of the 40-lap feature. Jayden Huppert spun in turn two for the first caution of the race. On the restart, Salmon was chased closely by multi-time champion and Friday winner Caden Sarale. Salmon spun into the infield, yielding the lead to Sarale on lap five.
Sarale and Izaak Sharp ran on the top of the one-seventh-mile speedway while Raio Salmon was committed to the bottom. Lapped traffic on lap 15 allowed Salmon to edge closer. She took over second then grabbed the lead exiting turn four on lap 17. Sharp and Sarale then tangled for second, leaving Sarale on his side in turn four for a red flag the following lap. Andi Jones and Brayson Gillio of Hanford collided in turn two with Austin Torgerson suffering contact as well. Gillio was unable to continue.
Salmon paced the final six laps for the win followed by Torgerson, 2022 champion Nikko Panella, Jeffrey Pahule and Deegan Irey.
This year’s Non-Wing and Super 600 champion Austin Wood overcame motor issues on Friday night to prevail in Saturday’s 40-lap Non-Wing feature worth $2,000 to win.
Delta Speedway Restricted track champion Nathan Ward won his second consecutive Turkey Bowl, leading all 30 laps for the $1,000 win. The win was his sixth Delta Speedway checkered flag of the year and 19th of the season.
Heston Stepps successfully held off track champion Briggs Davis for the Jr. Sprints Turkey Bowl win worth $1,000.
Feature Finish (40 Laps)
1. 21-Raio Salmon[5]; 2. 88-Austin Torgerson[7]; 3. 73-Nikko Panella[6]; 4. 44X-Jeffery Pahule[12]; 5. 84-Deegan Irey[13]; 6. 4-Jett Yantis[10]; 7. 19-Nate Matherly[19]; 8. 32A-Colton Huelsmann[15]; 9. 24S-Izaak Sharp[8]; 10. 19X-Tucker LaCaze[17]; 11. 10R-Rylee Whitehouse[4]; 12. 7A-Andi Jones[16]; 13. 33-Andrew Smith[18]; 14. (DNF) 11M-Keaton Mantella[14]; 15. (DNF) 21B-Brayson Gillio[3]; 16. (DNF) 24-Caden Sarale[2]; 17. (DNF) 5-Mattix Salmon[1]; 18. (DNF) 55J-Jayden Huppert[11]; 19. (DNF) 77-Ceil Howe[20]; 20. (DNF) 12-Alex Panella[9]