CHRISTSENSEN AND AGUIRRE PREVAIL IN RED HOT SUMMER SPEEDFEST ACTION AT MADERA
MADERA, CALIFORNIA (August 1, 2026) – Both the 51FIFTY Jr. Late Model Series and Mission Pro Late Model Series experienced drama on Saturday night at Madera Speedway, with incidents ahead of them for the lead paying dividends to place Lane Christensen and Jason Aguirre into the winner’s circle. For Georgia’s Lane Christensen, his win represented his fourth of the year in five rounds of Jr. Late Model action. Atwater, California’s Aguirre enjoyed his first-career RACER Network-televised triumph in the Mission Pro Late Model Series. Photo by Christian Rozell
Christensen topped qualifying for the Jr. Late Model Series before Illinois’ Keatin Lyons drew the pole for the 70-lap feature. Lyons darted away early while Jarrett Dickson, Alaskan driver Wyatt Flowers, and Christensen jockeyed for second behind Lyons.
Clovis, California’s Connor Penix and Hawaiian newcomer Kai Park collided in turn three for a caution on lap 22. Washington’s Mason Blodgett made hard contact with fellow Washington driver Hunter Gates trying to avoid, with Blodgett suffering race ending damage.
Dickson chose the outside line, lining up next to race leader Lyons for the restart. Dickson used the high side to edge into the lead on lap 23. Lyons battled back, retaking the position on the inside by lap 26. Christensen and Flowers had heavy contact for third, with Flowers limping into the lap 40 break with a flat right rear tire.
Lyons led Dickson, Christensen, Park, and Gates at the break for adjustments and TV interviews.
Dickson tried the outside groove again when racing resumed. The move proved successful, with the Legends and Outlaw Kart driver charging into the lead on lap 41. Lyons hounded the back bumper of Dickson over the next 12 laps. The duo collided in turn three on lap 52, sending Dickson spinning and relegating both drivers to the rear of the pack. Christensen avoided the incident to inherit the lead position.
Lyons and Dickson had an additional collision on lap 62, drawing a caution with eight laps remaining and erasing Christensen’s 2.5 second lead over the field as well. Wyatt Flowers tried the outside of Christensen but Christensen prevailed across two exciting restarts. Lane Christensen drove to his fourth win of the season followed by Flowers in a career-best second place. Dickson finished third over a resurgent Lyons with Hunter Gates in fifth.
“First of all I just want to thank everyone who got me here. It was such a great race. I feel that was probably the craziest race Ive ever been in. So much contact there,” Christensen said. “I felt that Charlie (Wilson) made the right call there at the break to make this thing fast.”
Jason Aguirre of Atwater, the 2025 Madera Late Model non-televised series champion, earned his first televised win in the Mission Pro Late Models on Saturday night. His teammate Shaun Reynolds notably scored twice this season, carrying a narrow single-digit points lead heading into the event.
Multi-time champion Matt Erickson of La Grange dominated the first 50-laps of the scheduled 100-lap feature while former Short Track Shootout champion Ethan Nascimento fended off double-duty driver Wyatt Flowers for second into the halfway break.
Erickson resumed his dominant place at the front of the field in the second half before Nascimento started to close in. By lap 75, Nascimento had closed to Erickson’s bumper. Erickson got loose into turn one on lap 78, allowing Nascimento to knife underneath to the lead. Erickson then nosed into Nascimento as they drove into turn three with both drivers eliminated from the race with damage.
Additional cautions led the event to conclude with a green-white-checkered finish between Aguirre and Reynolds. Aguirre earned the edge on Reynolds when the field raced to the white flag but Reynolds was undeterred. Reynolds drove hard on the outside of Aguirre into turns three and four, narrowly losing the race to the finish line by a nose. Jason Aguirre savored his first career RACER Network-televised victory over teammate Shaun Reynolds. Opening night winner Mike Hensley of Bass Lake finished third, placing all three drivers into a near dead heat for the championship with three races remaining in 2026.
Madera Speedway’s 2026 season continues with the 7th Annual Olga’s California Dream 100 for Pro Mini Stocks on August 15th. More details at www.racemadera.com
The 2026 season would not be possible without the support 51FIFTY LTM, Mission Foods, 805 Beer, Race 2B Drug Free, Competition Carburetion, Hoosier Tires, Franks Radio, and Sunoco Race Fuel.
Madera Racing on RACER Network airs Monday nights.
