AUSTIN WOOD IS A DELTA SWEEPER FOR SECOND TIME IN 2023

STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA (August 20, 2023) – Sacramento’s Austin Wood won both the Super 600 and Non-Wing Micro Sprint features on Saturday night at Delta Speedway presented by Valley Strong Credit Union for his second sweep of the 2023 season at the 1/7th mile dirt oval in Stockton. Hayden Stepps of Oakdale and Manteca’s Briggs Davis were the other winners during the tenth points race at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds. Photo by Maddie Hill

Wood paced the Super 600 time trials at 9.442 seconds while Stockton’s Alex Panella and Kerman’s Eric Botelho split the ten lap heat races.

A zero inversion allowed Wood to start shotgun for the 30-lap, $500-to-win event with Bakersfield’s Jett Yantis sharing the front row. The event was a non-stop affair with Wood and Yantis remaining within arm’s length for the entire distance. Wood won by a scant .107 seconds followed by Yantis, Brentwood’s Jeffrey Pahule, Panella, and Grass Valley’s Izaak Sharp.

Wood also led qualifying for the Non-Wing participants and won the first heat race for the division, while incoming points leader Dalton Hill of Madera Ranchos won the other heat race.

Wood again slotted into the pole position for the 30-lap feature for $500 to win and yet again set a torrid pace. His challenger was front row starter Pahule, but Wood was able to stretch out his advantage over the closing stages for the win. 2022 champion Nikko Panella finished third followed by Red Bluff’s Carsen Perkins and Hill.

Hayden Stepps of Oakdale won the $300 to win Restricted feature from the outside pole position. 2022 champion Lucas Mauldin of Rancho Murieta topped qualifying with a 10.258 second lap before female drivers Peyton Whitehouse of Pleasanton and Stepps took the heat race honors.

Aubri Huckleberry of Visalia and Stepps made up a fast-female front row for the 25-lap contest. Stepps overhauled Huckleberry at the start of the main event. Placerville’s Clay Mibach nabbed second on lap four.

Mibach, Huckleberry, and Mauldin ran closely together for the second position by lap 20. They tangled on the backstretch and Huckleberry climbed the backstretch wall for a red flag on lap 21.

Mauldin charged around the outside of Mibach to grab second on the restart before the caution flew again. Stepps fended off Mauldin for the win with Mibach finishing third. Levi Osborne of Tracy and points leader Nathan Ward of Bakersfield rounded out the top-five.

2022 Jr. Sprints champion Briggs Davis of Manteca won his seventh 20-lap feature on Saturday night, worth $200. The four heat races were evenly split by Maya Mauldin of Rancho Murieta and Davis.

Trouble struck for the pole sitter Nathan Fernandez of Tracy when he tangled with David Anderson of Clayton at the start of the feature. Davis was also mired in the incident. Fernandez was unable to continue while Anderson and Davis restarted at the back of the field.

Mauldin inherited the lead followed by Alex Ranuio of Stockton. Davis ran them down to set up a three-way battle with five to go. Davis grabbed second, then used a cross over to lead lap 19 past Mauldin. Davis led just the final two laps for the coveted win followed by Mauldin, Ranuio, Heston Stepps of Oakdale, and Anderson.

Delta Speedway returns on Labor Day weekend for the annual Dual at Delta. Complete points races will be held on both Saturday September 2 and Sunday September 3.

Delta Speedway Stockton thanks Valley Strong Credit Union, Interstate Truck Center, Pape Kenworth, Hoosier Tire, Scully’s Air, Rancho San Miguel Markets, Eagle Grit, Winner’s Bingo, Genova Bakery, Belkorp Ag, Van De Pol Petroleum, Baker Roofing, and RacingJunk for their support!

Delta Speedway Results – August 19, 2023 Points Race No. 10

SUPER 600 (30 LAPS)

1. 2-Austin Wood[1]; 2. 4-Jett Yantis[2]; 3. 44X-Jeffery Pahule[4]; 4. 12-Alex Panella[5]; 5. 24S-Izaak Sharp[7]; 6. 19X-Tucker LaCaze[3]; 7. 73-Nikko Panella[10]; 8. 2B-Eric Botelho[8]; 9. 5-Mattix Salmon[9]; 10. 30-Isabel Barnes[6]; 11. 21-Raio Salmon[11]; 12. 32A-Colton Huelsmann[12]; 13. 10R-Rylee Whitehouse[13]; 14. 15K-Kyle Cravotta[14]

NON-WING (30 LAPS)

1. 2-Austin Wood[1]; 2. 44X-Jeffery Pahule[2]; 3. 73-Nikko Panella[4]; 4. 35-Carsen Perkins[3]; 5. 20-Dalton Hill[6]; 6. 77-Sage Bordenave[5]; 7. 52-Joe Silva[11]; 8. 82-Brent Brooks[8]; 9. (DNF) 4-Jett Yantis[7]; 10. (DNF) 19-Tucker LaCaze[9]; 11. (DNF) 9-Adrianna DeMartini[12]; 12. (DNF) 27-Isabel Barnes[10]; 13. (DNS) 5-Mattix Salmon

RESTRICTED (25 LAPS)

1. 98-Hayden Stepps[2]; 2. 55X-Lucas Mauldin[9]; 3. 58C-Clay Mibach[3]; 4. 9J-Levi Osborne[4]; 5. 95-Nathan Ward[14]; 6. 76-TK OBrien[6]; 7. 10P-Peyton Whitehouse[5]; 8. 77K-Kyle Fernandez[11]; 9. 38J-Jackson Tardiff[13]; 10. 29V-Vito Celli `[8]; 11. 16S-Bryson Sozinho[12]; 12. (DNF) 10J-Aubri Huckleberry[1]; 13. (DNF) 25R-Brody Rubio[7]; 14. (DNF) 75-Josiah Vega[10]

JR SPRINTS (20 LAPS)
1. 96-Briggs Davis[3]; 2. 55X-Maya Mauldin[4]; 3. 117-Alex Ranuio[7]; 4. 99-Heston Stepps[5]; 5. 3D-David Anderson[2]; 6. 55J-Jayden Carey[8]; 7. 12-Haven Sherman[10]; 8. 25DD-Samantha Dozier[9]; 9. 11E-Easton Wright[6]; 10. (DNF) 24N-Nathan Fernandez[1]

2023 Delta Speedway Schedule (Subject to Change)

April 8 Opening Day

April 22 Race #2

May 6 Race #3

May 20 Race #4

June 23 & 24 Race #5 & 6

July 4 Speedweek**

July 8 Race #7

July 22 Race #8

July 29 Race #9

August 19 Race #10

September 2 & 3 Race #11 & 12

September 16 Race #13

October 7 Race #14

October 27 & 28 Turkey Bowl XXIV**

**Non-points races