VISALIA, CA.
AUGUST 21, 2015
BY Paul Vetter
Point race number eight on the season at Keller Auto Raceway at Plaza Park came on a pleasant
weather Friday night for the regular four classes of micro sprint racing action. Feature event winners
included Giovanni Scelzi (Super 600), T.J. Smith (Non-Winged 600), Brooklyn Holland (Restricted 600),
and Garth Kasiner (Junior Sprint).
It did not take long for the fireworks to begin in the Super 600 thirty lap feature event with fast
timer and pole sitter Tucker Worth leading the first pair of circuits. Travis Coelho retired with a busted
up front end after spinning and then being clobbered by Tanner Gray, who continued.
The group, led by Worth and Dahne Lynn McKay made it another trio of laps before a multi car
tangle in turn four saw both Ben Worth and Jason Rogers out of the race after being upside down. Jake
Hagopian also retired during the red flag.
Drivers then settled down to some fast racing and only one other yellow flag for the duration.
Third row starting Scelzi took over the top spot from Worth at the two thirds mark in the race and led
the final ten laps for the win. With only five dropouts fans saw a fourteen car field finish the event with
the top four consisting of Scelzi, T. Worth, McKay and sixth row starting Cole Macedo.
The Non Winged 600 class found Mathew Moles pacing the field for the first two laps before
Dean Alexander stalled for a yellow and then on the restart Mike Hageman flipped in turn four. Greg
Christensen and Kaleb Montgomery also dropped out on the red.
The remaining ten drivers then put on a great display of racing for the balance of the thirty lap
main event as perennial winner T.J. Smith took over on the restart. Only a minor yellow for a spinning
Danny Valdez slowed the pack with Smith up to the final restart at the halfway mark.
Fast timer Dan Mognaga maneuvered his way into second place but had nothing for Smith who
took the double checkers ahead of Mognaga, Ben Worth and Austin Stone.
Bringing the largest car count to the speedway this night were the Restricted 600 class.
Following a trio of nonstop heat races, Bakersfield’s Garrett Twitty paced the snarling pack with Jake
Smith in tow. Brooklyn Holland muscled her way into second on lap three before a slide job gone bad
saw fast timer Cole Danell out with a busted up rear suspension and Smith continuing sans the nose
wing.
Twitty led through lap six before Holland took over the top spot. Jared Faria moved into second
with Kevin MacIntosh into third over Twitty at the halfway mark before Grant Champlin tangled himself
out of the event.
The top four of Holland, MacIntosh, Faria and Twitty led the eighteen finishers all of whom
finished on the lead lap.
Junior Sprint action for their 20 lap main event saw front row starter Garth Kasiner take an
immediate lead from the front row. In a move that caught everyone off guard, Gauge Garcia passed
Kasiner for the lead on lap three. Rookie Ryan Keck fell out on lap eight with Garcia and Kasiner the
leaders ahead of Brandt Twitty and Eli Bookout.
With a pair of laps left, Twitty ended up sideways exiting turn four causing a two lap dash to the
finish. The restart proved to be the undoing for leader Garcia as Kasiner took over the spot on the white
flag lap. Kasiner (#21G) took another class win over Garcia (#21) and Caeden Steele (#121) in a battle of
the twenty one cars.
Racing continues at Plaza Park this coming Friday night, August 28th for round #9 on the season.
Racing begins at 7pm.
END