PANELLA, WOOD, WARD, AND DAVIS WIN ROUND NINE AT DELTA

STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA (July 30, 2023) – The ninth points race of 2023 at Delta Speedway presented by Valley Strong Credit Union featured four drivers parking it in victory lane on the 1/7th mile dirt track, with Stockton’s Nikko Panella, Sacramento’s Austin Wood, Bakersfield’s Nathan Ward, and Manteca’s Briggs Davis winning in Micro Sprint action. Photo by Angela Ward

Winged Super 600 qualifying saw Brentwood’s Jeffrey Pahule on top with a 9.811 second sprint around the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds speedway. Female drivers dominated the heat races when Rylee Whitehouse of Pleasanton and Fresno’s Raio Salmon claimed wins.

2022 champion Nikko Panella led the field to green for a 30-lap, $500-to-win contest. He never relinquished the lead over the course of the race. Wood snatched second from outside pole sitter Isabel Barnes of Brentwood on lap one and their positions remained unchanged as well. Stockton’s Alex Panella and Salmon made up the balance of the top-five.

Wood had an outstanding performance in Non-Wing, topping time trials with a 10.962 zip around the speedway. Tucker LaCaze of Rocklin and Roseville’s Drew Laeber gave Placer County residents the wins in both heat races.

Wood paced the entire 30-lap feature for a $500 prize, winning from the pole in a non-stop event. Pahule managed to stay within arm’s length however and finished just .317 seconds behind in second. Nikko Panella, Fresno’s Mattix Salmon, and Austin Torgerson were the top-five at the checkered flag.

Nathan Ward of Bakersfield solidified his position as the championship leader in Restricted with the win in the 25-lap, $300-to-win main event. Aubri Huckleberry of Visalia opened up the action with a quick-time in qualifying. Josiah Vega and 2022 champion Lucas Mauldin grabbed the heat race wins.

Huckleberry led the way from the pole with Ward in close pursuit. Her race went up in smoke, unfortunately, to bring out a red flag on lap 18 in turn one.

Ward assumed the lead then charged ahead of Manteca’s Brody Rubio for a 1.9 second advantage at the checkered flag. Vega finished third followed by July 22 winner Clay Mibach of Placerville, with Vito Celli of Stockton in fifth.

Manteca’s Briggs Davis won his sixth Jr. Sprints race of the year in a bid to defend his 2022 title. The 20-lap win paid $200. Heat races were won by Maya Mauldin of Rancho Murieta, Davis, Nathan Fernandez of Tracy, and Connor Penix of Clovis.

Davis came from deepest in the field of Saturday night’s winners, starting fourth, and only led the final lap on the way to the triumph. Penix led the first seven laps before Heston Stepps took over on a restart. Penix and Fernandez got hooked together to bring out a caution flag.

The top-three of Stepps, Mauldin, and Davis ran nose-to-tail throughout the race. Coming to the white flag, Mauldin and Davis split Stepps down the front stretch in a three-wide battle. Davis ran underneath Mauldin and took the lead into turn three to nab the exciting win. Alex Ranuio of Stockton finished third followed by Haven Sherman of Citrus Heights and Penix. Stepps unfortunately slowed and finished seventh.

Delta Speedway hosts its tenth points race this Saturday night, August 19!

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 – July 29, 2023 Points Race No. 9

SUPER 600 (30 LAPS)

1. 73-Nikko Panella[1]; 2. 2-Austin Wood[3]; 3. 30-Isabel Barnes[2]; 4. 12-Alex Panella[5]; 5. 21-Raio Salmon[7]; 6. 19X-Tucker LaCaze[8]; 7. 24S-Izaak Sharp[9]; 8. 44X-Jeffery Pahule[4]; 9. 5-Mattix Salmon[10]; 10. 10R-Rylee Whitehouse[6]; 11. 15K-Kyle Cravotta[11]; 12. (DNS) 27-Ron Singh

NON-WING (30 LAPS)

1. 2-Austin Wood[1]; 2. 44X-Jeffery Pahule[2]; 3. 73-Nikko Panella[3]; 4. 5-Mattix Salmon[6]; 5. 88-Austin Torgerson[4]; 6. 88R-Reilee Phillips[5]; 7. 19-Tucker LaCaze[7]; 8. 20-Dalton Hill[10]; 9. 35-Carsen Perkins[9]; 10. 82-Brent Brooks[11]; 11. 13D-Drew Laeber[8]

RESTRICTED (25 LAPS)

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

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

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