NIKKO PANELLA EARNS FIRST NON-WING VICTORY AT DELTA SPEEDWAY
STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA (May 1, 2022) – 2018 winged Super 600 Micro Sprint track champion Nikko Panella of Stockton made it happen without the lid on Saturday night, earning his first career Delta Speedway presented by Valley Strong Credit Union Non-Wing feature win. 94 Micro Sprints were in action across the four divisions at the 1/7th mile dirt oval at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds. Photo by Maxwell Patrick
Qualifying for the 32 Non-Wing entrants was led by Clovis’ Dominic Gorden with a 10.852 second lap. The four heat races were won by Robbie Lewis of Brentwood, James Edens of Petaluma, Clovis’ Jade Avedisian, and 2018 Non-Wing champion Tj Smith of Fresno. Oregon’s Austin Torgerson and points race two winner Jeffrey Pahule, Jr. of Brentwood split the B-Mains.
Panella started on the pole position for the 30-lap affair. A big flip on lap nine stopped the action when Dalton Hill of Fresno went over in turn two. A couple of multi-car get togethers in turn two slowed the action, including on lap 18 which ended the evenings for Adam Elbert, Tucker Lacaze, Carsen Perkins, and Izaak Sharp.
Panella led the final 12-laps for the $500 win while Smith had a crossover filled battle with Dan Mognaga of Valley Springs. Smith won the battle for second over Mognaga. Visalia’s Jett Barnes and Edens rounded out the top-five.
In Super 600 competition, Medford, Oregon’s Ashton Torgerson grabbed victory for his ninth Micro Sprint win of the 2022 season across the West Coast. Cole Schroeder led time trials for the 25-car field while heat races went to Stockton’s Alex Panella, Brentwood’s Isabel Barnes, and Fresno’s Cody Key. Sacramento’s Austin Wood won the B-Main.
Fresno’s Raio Salmon and Torgerson shared the front row for the 30-lap feature. The race was halted immediately on lap two for a flip in the third corner involving Wood and Devon Courtnier of Elk Grove.
Torgerson used the high line while Salmon was committed to her signature low line. Nikko Panella grabbed third over Izaak Sharp on lap 12. Nate Matherly stopped in turn two to set up a restart with just six laps to go. Torgerson scored the $500 triumph as he led Salmon, Panella, Jett Barnes, and Sharp as the top-five finishers.
Rancho Murieta’s Lucas Mauldin won his second Restricted main event of the year on Saturday night by taking the 25-lap contest. Opening night winner Andrew Smith of Castro Valley topped time trials. Smith then won his heat race with other wins going to TK O’Brien of Manteca and Tracy’s Kyle Fernandez.
Khloe Cotton of Bakersfield led the early laps with round two winner Mauldin in pursuit. Mauldin used the outside line to take over the lead on lap 11.
The caution flag flew on lap 19, but Mauldin never relinquished the top spot for the $300 win. Cotton finished second followed by Smith, Bakersfield’s Nathan Ward, and Kellan Harper of Pleasanton.
Braxon Vasconcellos won the $200, 20-lap feature for the youngest drivers at Delta Speedway in the Jr. Sprints. Heat races were won by two-time 2022 winner Briggs Davis, Maya Mauldin of Rancho Murieta, and Vasconcellos.
Maya Mauldin led the first 11 laps of the feature before going wide in turn two. Vasconcellos took over on lap 12 and brought Davis with him. Vasconcellos successfully held off Davis for the win. Jackson Tardiff advanced to third at the finish over Kyle Klagenberg and Oakdale’s Heston Stepps.
After back-to-back weekends of action, Delta Speedway takes a break until returning on May 21st!
Delta Speedway Stockton thanks Valley Strong Credit Union, Hoosier Tire, Scully’s Air, Kludt Oil and Propane, Interstate Truck Center, Papé Kenworth, Van De Pol Petroleum, Hostile Wheels, Genova Bakery, Winner’s Bingo, Stubborn Rods, Solari’s Backhoe Service, and PMP Chassis for their support of the 2022 racing season.
For more information on Delta Speedway presented by Valley Strong Credit Union, follow us online at http://www.deltaspeedwaystockton.com or on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Delta Speedway Results – April 30, 2022 Points Race #3
SUPER 600 (30 LAPS)
1. 02-Ashton Torgerson[2]; 2. 21-Raio Salmon[1]; 3. 73-Nikko Panella[5]; 4. 55-Jett Barnes[8]; 5. 24S-Izaak Sharp[3]; 6. 32A-Colton Huelsmann[7]; 7. 24-KJ Snow[12]; 8. 88-Austin Torgerson[6]; 9. 99-Cody Key[10]; 10. 44X-Jeffery Pahule[14]; 11. 26-Corbin Rueschenberg[18]; 12. 63-Colton Key[13]; 13. 30-Isabel Barnes[9]; 14. 34-Devon Courtnier[19]; 15. 2-Austin Wood[16]; 16. 19-Nate Matherly[4]; 17. 5-Mattix Salmon[15]; 18. 10-Dominic Gorden[20]; 19. 3-Cole Schroeder[17]; 20. 12-Alex Panella[11]
NON-WING (30 LAPS)
1. 73-Nikko Panella[1]; 2. 8G-TJ Smith[3]; 3. 22-Dan Mognaga[2]; 4. 55B-Jett Barnes[6]; 5. 1J-James Edens[4]; 6. 85-Robbie Lewis[10]; 7. 5-Mattix Salmon[5]; 8. 55-Brandon Carey[16]; 9. 14-Jade Avedisian[9]; 10. 88-Austin Torgerson[17]; 11. 44X-Jeffery Pahule[18]; 12. 10-Dominic Gorden[8]; 13. 83V-Tim Vaught[15]; 14. 02-Ashton Torgerson[20]; 15. 21-Danny Carroll[22]; 16. 26-Corbin Rueschenberg[21]; 17. 2-Austin Wood[14]; 18. 74-Adam Elbert[12]; 19. 19-Tucker LaCaze[11]; 20. 35-Carsen Perkins[13]; 21. 24S-Izaak Sharp[19]; 22. 20-Dalton Hill[7]
RESTRICTED (25 LAPS)
1. 55X-Lucas Mauldin[4]; 2. 4K-Khloe Cotton[1]; 3. 33-Andrew Smith[8]; 4. 95-Nathan Ward[7]; 5. 5-Kellan Harper[2]; 6. 76-TK OBrien[9]; 7. 7K-Kennzzie Brown[14]; 8. 9-Adrianna DeMartini[5]; 9. 77K-Kyle Fernandez[10]; 10. 25R-Brody Rubio[6]; 11. 09-AJ Neilson[11]; 12. 20-Otto Perreira[13]; 13. 58C-Clay Mibach[16]; 14. 98-Hayden Stepps[18]; 15. 69-Jordan Mast[12]; 16. 9J-Levi Osborne[15]; 17. 21-Mickelina Monico[17]; 18. 95A-Angie Cravotta[21]; 19. 10D-Dean Skrifvars[22]; 20. 75-Josiah Vega[3]; 21. 8-Alissa Lewis[20]; 22. (DNS) 54A-Aniyah Scott
JR SPRINTS (20 LAPS)
1. 13V-Braxon Vasconcellos[4]; 2. 96-Briggs Davis[3]; 3. 38J-Jackson Tardiff[6]; 4. 11K-Kyle Klagenberg[7]; 5. 98-Heston Stepps[2]; 6. 55X-Maya Mauldin[1]; 7. 14-Quentin Hagopian[12]; 8. 12-Haven Sherman[5]; 9. 25DD-Samantha Dozier[8]; 10. 16C-Colin Reynolds[10]; 11. 24N-Nathan Fernandez[11]; 12. 110-Cole Hart[15]; 13. 55-Jayden Carey[9]; 14. (DNS) 9-Charlie Haines; 15. (DNS) 26-Dylan Silva
