NIKKO PANELLA GRABS THE BROOM AND COMPLETES DELTA SPEEDWAY CHAMPIONSHIP SWEEP

STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA (October 2, 2022) – Stockton’s Nikko Panella completed a sweep of the 2022 Super 600 and Non-Wing championships during Saturday’s finale at Delta Speedway presented by Valley Strong Credit Union. The sweeps also complete a “cycle” of championships for Panella, winning each of the four division titles during his career on the 1/7th mile dirt oval in Stockton. Photo by Maxwell Patrick Imagery

Panella kicked off the effort by earning quick-time in time trials for the winged Super 600 division at 9.343 seconds. Raio and Mattix Salmon split the ten-lap heat races. A four-car inversion placed Brentwood’s Isabel Barnes and Stockton’s Alex Panella on the front row for the 30-lap, $500-to-win affair.

Alex Panella led the first 24-laps of competition. Nikko Panella ran down a straightaway gap in lapped traffic to dive underneath Alex on multiple occasions. Nikko Panella cleared Alex in traffic on lap 25. Mattix Salmon passed Alex Panella for second on lap 29 as well. Nate Matherly and Barnes rounded out the top-five.

Cody Gray enjoyed a banner night of Non-Wing racing with the Auburn driver winning the $500-to-win, 30-lap feature and also taking time trials. Austin Wood of Sacramento and Koen Shaw of Fresno won the heat race competition.

Gray started on the pole and led wire-to-wire for the triumph. Nikko Panella started second, fell to third, then drove past Tracy’s Brandon Riveira for the second position on lap 27 to seal the championship. Riveira settled for third followed by Medford’s Ashton Torgerson, and Carsen Perkins.

Lucas Mauldin wrapped up the championship in the Restricted division on Saturday night but would be denied another trip to victory lane. He led qualifying while TK O’Brien of Manteca and Adrianna DeMartini of Brentwood were the heat race victors.

O’Brien started shotgun on the field for 25-laps of competition with a $300 prize awaiting the winner. O’Brien seized the opportunity for his first Restricted win at Delta Speedway. Castro Valley’s Andrew Smith finished second followed by Kellan Harper of Pleasanton, Peyton Whitehouse of Pleasanton, and DeMartini.

Briggs Davis of Manteca added his fourth Jr. Sprints win of the year to wrap up the 2022 championship. Maya Mauldin of Rancho Murieta and Alex Ranuio of Stockton won the eight-lap qualifying heat races.

Davis started third and took over the lead from Jackson Tardiff of Manteca on lap 11. Heston Stepps of Oakdale finished third followed by Maya Mauldin and Ranuio.

Delta Speedway closes its campaign on October 28 and 29 with Turkey Bowl XXIII.

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 – October 1, 2022 Championship Night

SUPER 600 (30 LAPS)

1. 73-Nikko Panella[4]; 2. 5-Mattix Salmon[6]; 3. 12-Alex Panella[2]; 4. 19-Nate Matherly[3]; 5. 30-Isabel Barnes[1]; 6. 21-Raio Salmon[5]; 7. 02-Ashton Torgerson[7]; 8. 2-Austin Wood[13]; 9. 19X-Tucker LaCaze[8]; 10. 32A-Colton Huelsmann[12]; 11. 10R-Rylee Whitehouse[10]; 12. (DNF) 44X-Jeffery Pahule[9]; 13. (DNF) 27-Ron Singh[11]; 14. (DNF) 88-Austin Torgerson[14]; 15. (DNS) F4-Koen Shaw

NON-WING (30 LAPS)

1. 04-Cody Gray[1]; 2. 73-Nikko Panella[2]; 3. 05R-Brandon Riveira[3]; 4. 02-Ashton Torgerson[8]; 5. 35-Carsen Perkins[4]; 6. 2-Austin Wood[6]; 7. 13D-Drew Laeber[14]; 8. 88-Austin Torgerson[11]; 9. 74-Adam Elbert[13]; 10. 82-Brent Brooks[12]; 11. 27-Isabel Barnes[15]; 12. 88P-Koen Shaw[7]; 13. 35W-Nate Wait[17]; 14. 1J-James Edens[16]; 15. 44X-Jeffery Pahule[9]; 16. 44B-Steve Bettanini[19]; 17. 15K-Kyle Carvotta[20]; 18. (DNF) 4Q-Mike Graves[18]; 19. (DNF) 5-Mattix Salmon[10]; 20. (DNF) 22-Dan Mognaga[5]

RESTRICTED (25 LAPS)

1. 76-TK OBrien[1]; 2. 33-Andrew Smith[4]; 3. 5-Kellan Harper[5]; 4. 10P-Peyton Whitehouse[2]; 5. 9-Adrianna DeMartini[7]; 6. 55X-Lucas Mauldin[6]; 7. 9J-Levi Osborne[3]; 8. 29V-Vito Celli `[8]; 9. 4K-Khloe Cotton[12]; 10. 25R-Brody Rubio[10]; 11. 27C-Cameron Carraway[11]; 12. 77K-Kyle Fernandez[13]; 13. 98-Hayden Stepps[14]; 14. 58C-Clay Mibach[9]; 15. 09N-AJ Neilson[16]; 16. 10J-Aubri Huckleberry[15]

JR SPRINTS (20 LAPS)
1. 96-Briggs Davis[3]; 2. 38J-Jackson Tardiff[1]; 3. 98-Heston Stepps[2]; 4. 55X-Maya Mauldin[4]; 5. 117-Alex Ranuio[7]; 6. 12-Haven Sherman[9]; 7. 26-Dylan Silva[5]; 8. 55-Jayden Carey[6]; 9. (DNS) 24N-Nathan Fernandez

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About Steven Blakesley

Steven Blakesley is a motorsports announcer and public relations specialist with more than 15 years of experience. His biggest pet peeve is race fans who only enjoy one form of racing over all others.