FRIDAY FEATURE: FENSLER GOES THREE-WIDE TO TAME ROSEVILLE
NORTH HIGHLANDS, Calif. (May 1, 2020) – ShortTrackLive.com is using this pandemic as a chance to look back on some of our favorite moments in California grassroots motorsports. Today we go back to 2011 with one of the wildest NASCAR West Series finishes at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif. Photos by Kristin Lanzarone
Wilton’s Jason Fensler pulled off a remarkable run from the 15th starting position to win the TOYOTA/NAPA AutoCare 150 on April 16, 2011. Driving for the part-time, underfunded Team Cass Racing, the victory was among the most surprising in series history.
Fensler previously impressed many when he made a rare West Series start at Altamont in September of 2008, piloting a Ford owned by Darryl Wong to the checkered flag. His victory at Roseville occurred nearly two and a half years later.
He came into Roseville with limited experience on the one-third mile oval. Fensler had a narrow loss in the NASCAR Late Model Open Showdown in 2009 to future three-time track champion Matt Scott. Fensler’s main exploits came in the SRL Southwest Tour, where he was a champion in 2005 during a dominating season with seven victories in 12 events. He hasn’t visited SRL victory lane since, however.
West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame inductee Greg Pursley led the first 133 laps of round two of the 2011 series, after winning the opener at Phoenix. Fensler was methodical coming through the field as he did not crack the top-five until after lap 100. He put himself in a position to capitalize on the late-race restarts that have been a mainstay in West races in Roseville.
On a lap 125 restart for a Michael Self spin, Pursley maintained the lead over Eric Holmes while Fensler tried to battle his way into fourth. Holmes ran down Pursley in green flag conditions, muscling his way to the inside to lead lap 134. Holmes slid up in front of Pursley in turn two, setting up a three-wide maneuver that handed the lead to Arizona’s Moses Smith.
Fensler dove underneath Holmes on the following lap into turn one, with contact sending Holmes spinning to bring out a caution flag. Underneath a full moon, the top-two drivers of Smith and Luis Martinez, Jr. were each looking for their first series win. Smith went up the hill into turn two which allowed Fensler to scoot underneath for a three-wide move of his own into turn three. Fensler took the lead on the decisive pass, never looking back for the popular victory in front of the large crowd in attendance.
“Roger Bracken, Jim and Terri Cass, the team; that’s what won this race. We didn’t qualify very well and I was pretty nervous coming in. I knew we had a good car. It wasn’t real good but as long as you can mix it up at the end,” Fensler told SPEED Channel in victory lane.
He later told series sponsor K&N Filters, “Once we got all bundled up there toward the end, I just knew on the last restart to get the best run I could off of two and it worked out for us.”
Pursley tried to remain positive after the outcome, as he realized the importance of a third-place finish at the unpredictable Roseville bullring towards his championship aspirations. Holmes went on to avenge the loss by winning the October 2011 event at Roseville, while Pursley finished second in that race to win the 2011 NASCAR K&N Pro Series, West title.
Fensler only made seven more starts in the series, with a finish of third at Vegas in 2011 and fifth at Stockton in 2012 as the highlights. Although racing opportunities may be rare these days for Jason Fensler, his fairy tale victory at Roseville will not soon be forgotten.
