STOCKTON, Calif. — Four drivers sprinted to victory in Saturday’s second round of the Micro Sprint season at Delta Speedway presented by Valley Strong Credit Union on Saturday Night.
Jeffrey Pahule earned his second career Delta Super 600 triumph while Carsen Perkins did the same in Non-Wing. Nathan Ward of Bakersfield took his second career Delta Restricted victory and young Haven Sherman won her first Jr. Sprints win.
The action was part of a busy night on the one-seventh-mile dirt track at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds in Stockton.
Opening Night Non-Wing winner Jett Yantis shined bright with the wings on this weekend, earning fast-time in time trials with a 9.882 second lap. Heat races were then split by Austin Wood and 2022 champion Nikko Panella.
Pahule started on the pole position alongside Eric Botelho. Alex Panella drove up into second at the start. Raio Salmon used the bottom to drive past him for second on lap three. Action slowed on lap four with two cars hooked together in turns three and four. Tucker Lacaze lost a wheel for another caution on lap nine.
Both fourth-starting Yantis and Panella were able to drive around Salmon. Pahule took the $500 win with Yantis’ engine expiring spectacularly as he crossed the finish line. Panella was third ahead of Salmon and Wood.
Perkins and Nikko Panella shared the front row for the 30-lap, $500-to-win affair. Don McLeister crashed in turn three to require a red flag on lap three. Perkins led a lead pack that stayed glued to the top of the speedway during the feature. A caution on lap 25 brought the field back together for a shootout to the finish. Perkins held station, topping Panella, Pahule, Mattix Salmon and Wood.
Restricted competition was highlighted by lots of fresh faces enjoying success on Saturday night. Kyle Fernandez was quickest in time trials while 2022 champion Lucas Mauldin and Josiah Vega split the heat races.
T.K. O’Brien and Dash Duinkerken shared the front row for the 25-lap race which paid $300 to the winner. O’Brien charged into a comfortable lead at the start. Vega drove into second and Ward quickly advanced from seventh to third. Ward took over second then worked to reel in O’Brien. O’Brien’s straightaway advantage evaporated in lapped traffic and the lead duo ran nose-to-tail with seven to go.
Some wheel banging excitement in turn four allowed Ward to take the lead on lap 19. Ward led the rest of the way for the win over O’Brien, Vega, Clay Mibach, and Duinkerken.
The youngest drivers in the Jr. Sprints participated in four heat races and a 20-lap feature. 2022 champion Briggs Davis, Samantha Dozier, Haven Sherman and David Anderson were the heat race victors this weekend.
Sherman and Davis made up a strong front row, racing in search of a $200 prize at the end of the road. Sherman would not be denied, leading all 20-laps with poise to grab her first Delta triumph.
Davis finished second ahead of eighth-starting Maya Mauldin, one of the hard chargers so far this season. Anderson and Heston Stepps completed the top-five.