NIKKO PANELLA SCORES SALMON MEMORIAL TUNEUP WITH NON WING MICRO WIN AT DELTA SPEEDWAY
STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA (May 16, 2026) – 2025 Non-Wing Micro Sprint champion Nikko Panella topped a 28-car turnout on Saturday night at Delta Speedway in a 30-lap feature, serving as the prelude to the upcoming Mattix Salmon Memorial which will pay $10,000 to win on May 29-30. Panella was one of five winners at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds 1/7th mile dirt track in Stockton. Photo by Bob Messer
Stockton 99 Speedway Late Model star Ty Carlson started on the pole alongside Panella. Panella won a crossover filled duel at the start of the feature to take the top spot. Panella then fended off numerous challenges from Eric Botelho over the final ten circuits to claim the victory. Incoming points leader Colton Key finished third followed by Carlson and Brody Rubio. TK O’Brien led qualifying before Ceil Howe, Jarrett Heimlich, and Keith Bloom, Jr. won the heat races. Joe Silva won the B-Feature.
“I figured when I saw the dirt building up on the wheel that Botelho would be coming because that’s his style. He raced me clean. Honestly I got lucky and was just hanging on,” Panella said. “We’re getting better and better so hopefully we show up decent for the Mattix Salmon Memorial race.”
Panella’s older brother Alex topped the 25-lap Super 600 winged feature. Panella led wire-to-wire in a non-stop affair. Incoming points leader Raio Salmon was second followed by Nikko Panella, Logan Trevino of Madera, and Kelvin Lewis of Rocklin. Lewis was also the fast-time qualifier while Alex Panella and Andrew Smith split the heat races.
A-Class continued to attract outstanding fields with 20 stock entries in action. Kyle Fernandez of Tracy drove from fourth on the grid to victory in a 25-lap contest. A multi-car crash in turn four halted the action at the start but all drivers involved were uninjured. Cole Frerichs of Wheatland flipped out of the lead on lap nine in lapped traffic heading into turn three. Frerichs was eliminated from competition but uninjured.
Fernandez inherited the lead and never relinquished it. Levi Osborne of Tracy was second followed by Brodie Copeland, Colin Kirby, and Kaiden Gowen. Frerichs was the fastest qualifier. Jason Maples and Kirby won the heat races.
Bryson Sozinho prevailed in the 25-lap Restricted feature from the outside pole position. Briggs Davis piloted the No. 25D normally driven by Samantha Dozier. Davis led the way from the pole for the first 14 laps before having to dart to the infield on the frontstretch in lapped traffic to avoid a collision. Sozinho capitalized to take the lead and drive to victory. Davis settled for second followed by Haven Sherman and Galt drivers Maycie Brooks, and Cash Brooks. Davis was the fastest qualifier then won the first heat races. Sozinho and Sherman won the other heat races.
Santino Gonella of Petaluma won his first career Jr. Sprints race after 15-laps of action. Lucas Fenn and Wyatt Holden rounded out the podium finishers. Gonella and Fenn were the heat race winners.
Delta Speedway hosts the inaugural Mattix Salmon Memorial on May 29 and 30 with the Non-Wing Micro Sprints racing for $10,000 to win.
Delta Speedway Stockton thanks: Valley Strong Credit Union, Cal-Waste Recovery Systems, Interstate Truck Center, Clean Brothers Site Services, Hoosier Tire, J Milano Company, Chase Chevrolet, Baker Roofing, East Bay Tire, WillScot, Genova Bakery, A&M Livestock, Van De Pol Petroleum, Belkorp Ag, Dentoni’s (Welding Works, Valley Truck Accessories and Pickup Outfitters), and Stockton Ports for their support in 2026!
Delta Speedway Results – Points Race No. 3 May 16, 2026
SUPER 600 Feature (25 Laps): 1. 12-Alex Panella[1]; 2. 21-Raio Salmon[3]; 3. 73-Nikko Panella[5]; 4. 7T-Logan Trevino[2]; 5. 87-Kelvin Lewis[4]; 6. 30-Isabel Barnes[6]; 7. 33-Andrew Smith[7]; 8. 88J-Jeffrey Rosas[9]; 9. 15K-Michaela Cravotta[10]; 10. 4A-Tony Alosi[8]; 11. (DNS) 01-Jeremy Blackshere
NON-WING Feature (30 Laps): 1. 73-Nikko Panella[2]; 2. 99X-Eric Botelho[3]; 3. 63-Colton Key[5]; 4. 7-Ty Carlson[1]; 5. 25R-Brody Rubio[4]; 6. 12-Alex Panella[6]; 7. 27-Keith Bloom Jr[11]; 8. 5-TK OBrien[20]; 9. 96-Briggs Davis[13]; 10. 36-Jarrett Heimlich[10]; 11. 87X-Kelvin Lewis[15]; 12. 52-Joe Silva[16]; 13. 73K-Katey Syra[14]; 14. 27C-Cam Carraway[17]; 15. 29V-Vito Celli `[18]; 16. 30-Isabel Barnes[7]; 17. 75-Ceil Howe[9]; 18. 22-Zack Williams[8]; 19. 75R-Reilee Phillips[19]; 20. 00-Cody Jessop[12]
A CLASS Feature (25 Laps): 1. 77K-Kyle Fernandez[4]; 2. 9J-Levi Osborne[2]; 3. 10-Brodie Copeland[6]; 4. 83K-Colin Kirby[7]; 5. 59K-Kaiden Gowen[10]; 6. 27J-Jason Maples[5]; 7. 24T-Trenten Helie[11]; 8. 73J-Jackson Kohler[15]; 9. 31-Payton Gentry[19]; 10. 38J-Jackson Tardiff[13]; 11. (DNF) 99J-Jaxon Fragoso[20]; 12. (DNF) 10D-Dean Skrifvars[12]; 13. (DNF) 11-Keaton Martella[8]; 14. (DNF) 75-Cole Frerichs[1]; 15. (DNF) 47-Alex Sapp[17]; 16. (DNF) 76-TK OBrien[3]; 17. (DNF) 27C-Cam Carraway[9]; 18. (DNF) 16S-Bryson Sozinho[14]; 19. (DNF) 54A-Aniyah Scott[16]; 20. (DNF) 32A-Bree Arnold[18]
RESTRICTED Feature (25 Laps): 1. 16S-Bryson Sozinho[2]; 2. 25D-Briggs Davis[1]; 3. 12-Haven Sherman[8]; 4. 3M-Maycie Brooks[3]; 5. 2C-Cash Brooks[4]; 6. 12K-Kevin Tikkanen[9]; 7. 12M-Charlotte Martella[5]; 8. 3D-David Anderson[7]; 9. 11E-Easton Wright[6]; 10. 24N-Nathan Fernandez[15]; 11. 7B-Benji Smith[12]; 12. 13K-Tatum Kriegel[13]; 13. 01-Camryn Blackshere[14]; 14. 3G-Travis German[11]; 15. 30J-Jaxson O’Brien[16]; 16. 24T-Tatum Talcott[18]; 17. 47-Lucas Bonham[17]; 18. 49S-Santino Guadamuz[10]
JR SPRINTS Feature (15 Laps): 1. 23-Santino Gonella[1]; 2. 7L-Lucas Fenn[2]; 3. 39H-Wyatt Holden[4]; 4. 12-Dylan Smith[3]
2026 Delta Speedway Schedule (Subject to Change)
April 4 Opening Day
April 18 Race #2
May 16 Race #3
May 29 & 30 Mattix Salmon Memorial**
June 19 & 20 Race #4 & #5 (Sizzler)
July 25 Race #6
August 15 Race #7
Sept 5 & 6 Race #8 & #9 (Dual)
October 3 Race #10
October 23 & 24 Turkey Bowl XXVII**
**Non-points races
