Cody Lamar Earns His First Career Sprint Car Win
(Marysville, CA) May 16, 2015…It was a career defining moment for sprint car driver Rio Linda’s Cody Lamar at Marysville Raceway on Saturday night. Lamar had led the feature event from the drop of the green flag; however, with seven laps to go a yellow voided a big lead he had amassed over the nation’s number one winged 360 sprint car driver Justin Sanders of Watsonville. “I knew he was there but I was just trying to block it out,” said Sanders in his post race interview. Sanders had accumulated six wins already this season, including three in a row leading up the nights feature race. Lamar was able to keep the anxiety of the situation at bay and on the restart hit his marks and not make a mistake the final seven laps. Lamar held off Sanders and earned his first career sprint car win. “It feels good to finally get that monkey off my back,” said Lamar. “It has taken longer than I hoped to get that first win but now I hope they just keep coming because this feels so good.” Sanders should still be commended for his charge through the field once again here tonight. Last week he started 14th and won. Tonight he started eighth and finished second. Chico’s Brad Bumgarner is finding a new home. Coming off last week’s fourth place finish, tonight he ran even better and grabbed the third spot at the finish line. Jeremy Burt once again battled tough all night and finished fourth. Billy Butler was a great addition to the racing action tonight and finished fifth.
Butler held off Lamar to win the first eight lap heat race. Colby Wiesz showed the fast line around the track in heat two and picked up the popular win. Lamar was able to start the night off by turning the fastest lap in qualifying at 13.103. A total of 16 sprint cars entered point race #5.
The Sport Mods put on a lengthy 20-lap race but the event did produce numerous lead changes and entertainment for the crowd. Kyle Cheney led the first five laps of the race. Coming to complete lap number six is when Cheney drifted high and allowed Jeremy Hoff to take the lead. Hoff led until lap 13 when Howard Law was able to lead one lap. The ensuing lap saw Fred Ryland take the lead for good. Ryland was able to lead those final seven laps in style. The real battle was behind him. Law battled eighth place starting Jorddon Braaten for second. On lap 18, Braaten secured the second spot. Bratten lives in Central Point, OR and was a nice addition to the division. Law held onto third. Paul Mulder started 11th and did a great job to finish fourth. Hoff rebounded to finish fifth. Law and Ryland each picked up a win during heat race action.
While only six cars started the Street Stock main event it provided a non-stop race with quite possibly the nights best main event. Chris Warner won the 15-lap race but the side-by-side clean racing was welcomed and all drivers should be commended. Auburn’s Brent Lawrence led the first four circuits until Steve Hammett grabbed the top spot. Hammett led until lap 10. Warner was able to driver by Hammett on lap 11 and hold on to win the action packed race. Hammett won the lone heat race of the night.
Mark Hill drove the Howard Law owned #00 to a mini stock main event win Saturday night. Hill was able to hold off Shaun Merritt for the first 10 laps. James Foster moved into the second spot on lap 11 and tried but was never able to get by Hill. The top three at the checkered flag were Hill, Foster and Merritt. Jimmy Ford won the only heat race of the night.
Only two Hobby Stocks attended the nights racing action, yet, the two cars out on a fun match style race. In the end it was Cherokee’s Kyle Allen winning the 10-lap feature and the 6-lap heat race. Shannon Collins was the other competitor.
Auto racing at Marysville Raceway returns this Saturday night for the 16th Annual Mel Hall Memorial and Dwarf Cars. More information can be found at www.marysvilleraceway.com
Full results for point race #5 can be found online at www.mylaps.com/en/events/1139147
