Visalia, Ca.
August 7, 2015
By Paul Vetter
Returning to racing action following a nearly one month hiatus, Keller Auto Raceway at Plaza
Park augmented the regular four class offering with the second appearance of the USAC HPD Midgets.
Feature winners included Tucker Worth (Super 600), T.J. Smith (Non Winged 600), Brooklyn Holland
(Restricted 600), Garth Kasiner (Junior Sprints) and Wally Pankratz (USAC).
All 30 laps of the Super 600 feature were led by Worth who completed the flag to flag run in the
top spot despite 3 yellows and a pair of red flag incidents. Worth was chased the entire event by Austin
Stone who then came up light at the scales resulting in a disqualification.
Both Griffin Jones and Vaughn Schott were unhurt in feature flips. Following the d.q. Giovanni
Scelzi officially finished second followed by Michael Faccinto and Dahne Lynn McKay. Sixteen of the
twenty three starters finished the event.
Non Winged 600’s ran their feature for thirty laps as well. The event was restarted following a
lap one flip by Cody Smothermon, now aboard the Randy Thompson machine. Smith, who is hard to
beat, jumped to an early lead over Ben Worth and the rest of the snarling nineteen car field.
Both Dean Alexander and Danny Valdez pitted before Mike Hageman lost a wheel for a yellow.
Smith continued his mastery of the field and ran on to the win ahead of Worth, Kaleb Montgomery and
Dan Mognaga. Sixteen drivers finished the race.
Twenty one youngsters started the Restricted 600 feature. Brooklyn Holland started on the
coveted pole starting spot and was never headed as she led the entire 25 lap event for the win. Fast
timer Cole Danell came from tenth to run in the second spot followed by Kevin MacIntosh and Joey
Ancona.
Despite a trio of yellow flags for spun out cars, the final ten laps went nonstop as Holland was
joined in victory circle by her happy crew. With Conner Danell and Deven Pearson the only dropouts an
amazing 19 cars finished with 17 on the lead lap.
Junior Sprint action pretty much remains the domain of Garth Kasiner. An up front starting spot
never hurts as the youngster jumped out to an immediate lead and was scored as leader for all 20 laps.
Despite Caeden Steele tipping over on lap five, Kasiner was up to the challenge of Drake Carter on the
restart.
Kasiner paced all 20 laps for the win ahead of Carter, an improving Eli Bookout and Brandt
Twitty with Drew Mowry the final car on the lead lap. Rookie Colton Key rounded out the field.
The USAC HPD Midgets presented a lucky thirteen cars for their second showing of the year at
Plaza. After Washington hotshoe visitor Tristin Thomas and Shawn Buckley won heat race events, the
group began their 20 lap trek.
Cody Jessop led the first half of the race that was punctuated by numerous yellows as some
drivers had troubles negotiating the slicked off track. Amazingly, the top three drivers of Jessop, Robert
Dalby and Ashley Hazelton tangled their way to the back of the pack on the restart.
Thomas, who had won the Wednesday night feature at Ventura then hopped a wheel exiting
turn four, climbed the frontstretch wall and performed a car destroying series of cartwheel flips ending
up in turn one. The plucky youngster emerged none the worse for wear but the same cannot be said for
his midget.
Veteran Pankratz put the Ron Hazelton car into the top spot with all the changes and led the
final eight laps for the victory. Buckley returned from an early spin to take second followed by Marvin
Mitchell and Dezel West.
The regular four classes of open wheel racers will return to the track again on August 21st for
point race number eight on the season.
END