STOCKTON, Calif. — Delta Speedway, presented by Valley Strong Credit Union, opened its 37th season of Micro Sprint racing on Saturday night with four drivers parking it in victory lane.
Cody Christensen and Jett Yantis scored $500 wins in Super 600 and Non-Wing respectively, while 2022 champions Lucas Mauldin and Briggs Davis claimed the Restricted and Jr. Sprints wins. The four winners highlighted a fast-paced evening on the one-seventh-mile dirt track located at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds.
Fresno’s Christensen led time trials for the winged warriors in Super 600 before heat races were split by K.J. Snow and Yantis. Christensen and Izaak “Speed” Sharp shared the front for the 30-lap contest.
Christensen motored ahead while Snow and Sharp dueled back and forth for the second position in their No. 24 machines. The red flag flew for Nate Matherly and Alex Panella tangling in the fourth turn on lap 22. A caution for Isabel Barnes spinning on lap 29 set up a one lap run to the finish. Snow slid past Sharp to nab second in a narrow battle at the checkered flag.
Christensen topped Snow, Sharp, Austin Wood and 2022 champion Nikko Panella, who started 12th.
Panella was the fast-time qualifier in the Non-Wing division, which attracted a 27-car turnout for opening night. The large field required three heat races with wins going to Broedy Graham, Mattix Salmon and Drew Laeber. A 12-lap B-Main was required to narrow the field to 22 starters for the feature. Robbie Lewis claimed top honors.
Panella started on the pole position alongside Yantis for the 30-lap affair. They raced side-by-side over the opening lap with Panella driving into the lead. Yantis stayed up stairs and swooped past Panella on the front stretch to lead lap two. Panella made a big maneuver to dive underneath in turn three and rode up on two wheels but kept going. A lap later he had an incident with Carsen Perkins for second position in the same corner and flipped, ending his evening.
Yantis led Snow, Carsen Perkins, Jeffrey Pahule, and 11th starting Salmon at the finish for the $500 win.
Nathan Ward was the quick qualifier in the Restricted division with a rapid 10.388 second lap on the dirt. Josiah Vega of Antioch and former Jr. Sprints champion Brody Rubio of Manteca were the heat race victors.
Lucas Mauldin is the defending series champion after an outstanding seven victories in 2022. He continued that pace on Saturday night, leading all 25-laps for the $300 win. Rubio finished second followed by Ward, Vega and Kyle Fernandez.
The opening round for the Jr. Sprints featured four qualifying heat races, with 2022 champion Briggs Davis winning both of his heat races. Young lady drivers Haven Sherman and Maya Mauldin were the other heat race winners.
Davis lined up on the front row with Sherman and they led the entire 20-lap event at the front of the field. Heston Stepps, Mauldin and Kyle Klagenberg were the top-five finishers.