STOCKTON 99 SPEEDWAY
Results, Aug. 8
Pro Late Model: 1. Hans Beeler, 2. Mike Beeler, 3. Henk Gaalswyk, 4. Will Martyn, 5. Sammy Solari, 6. Glenn Cook, 7. Benjamin Johnson, 8. Mike Fickin.
Grand American Modified: 1. Scott Winters, 2. Aaron Coonfield, 3. Jordan Smith, 4. Carl Pearce, 5. Calvin Hegje, 6. Adam Coonfield.
NCMA Sprint Cars: 1. Tony Hunt, 2. David Goodwill, 3. Shauna Hogg, 4. John Sproule, 5. Tony Amador, 6. Jerry Kobza, 7. Dan Gonderman, 8. Scott Clough, 9. David Dias.
Pure Stock: 1. Brandon Jones, 2. Jerry Crawford, 3. Tony White, 4. Dilan Prigmore.
STOCKTON — Hans Beeler posed for picture after picture in victory lane Saturday night at Stockton 99 Speedway.
Pictures with family, with friends, with his first Late Model checkered flag.
It was filler time well spent as his dad, Mike Beeler, walked from the pits back to the track, where he and Hans enjoyed an emotional hug.
“I could not be more excited. What a special way to do it,” said Salida’s Hans Beeler, who has been racing in the Late Model division for about five years. “I got family here, I got friends here. First Late Model win. There’s been a lot of racing, a lot of circles that have come to this, a lot of effort to get here. It feels good to finally have it.”
The victory moved Hans Beeler into second in Pro Late Model points with 179, 28 behind Escalon’s Sammy Solari, who finished fifth.
Madera competitor Will Martyn took the lead on the second lap of the 50-lap main event and led until lap 29, when he was passed by Hans Beeler, Mike Beeler and Ripon’s Henk Gaalswyk on a restart. Shortly before, Solari’s racer began to shoot sparks out the back after making contact with Hans Beeler. Beeler began to weave coming out of turn 2 but held control.
It was all Beeler-Beeler for the remainder of the race in an entertaining father-son duel. Mike Beeler passed Hans on lap 39, and the son passed his dad on lap 41. Their cars also made contact in the turns.
With Gaalswyk running third and within range, Mike Beeler said he wasn’t running interference for his son.
“I don’t know, I was just trying to catch him and pass him,” Mike Beeler said. “I was trying my darndest to get a bumper on him; I just couldn’t get to him.”
“We both just wanted it,” a smiling Hans Beeler said as his dad looked on. “I just maybe went in a little further.”
Grand American Modified: Veteran Scott Winters of Tracy passed Aaron Coonfield of Riverbank for the lead on the seventh lap and drove to his third victory in three races this year at Stockton 99. Winters led the last 32 laps of the 40-lap grind and held off Coonfield on a restart to win by 1.933 seconds.
“The 25 (Coonfield), you saw on a couple restarts he could hang right there. He has a quick car,” said Winters, who turned the fastest lap of the night in the main event at 14.584 seconds. “So I wanted to save a little in case the yellow came up there, but the car was really good tonight.”
Aaron Coonfield was second and Jordan Smith was third. Coonfield also won the trophy dash, taking out his brother Adam in the process.
“He is probably not too happy with me right now,” he admitted.
NCMA Sprint Cars: Tony Hunt of Rocklin went around Shauna Hogg of Fair Oaks entering the front stretch on lap 9 and led the rest of the way to win the 30-lap main event by 2.112 seconds. David Goodwill of Napa passed Hogg for second on lap 24.
“It’s a cat-and-mouse game,” Hunt said. “The bottom’s the fastest way around so you have to figure out where the other car’s going and hope it’s going to work. I’ve been racing with (Hogg) for 30 years. She’s always a great competitor.”
Hunt clocked the quickest lap of the night across all divisions at 13.629 seconds in the main event.
“I’m not getting any younger. I might as well do it now,” Hunt said. “I love Stockton. Fond memories here, the good and the bad.”
Pure Stock: Lodi’s Brandon Jones celebrated his 35th birthday by lapping the four-car field in staying perfect this season, having won all five 20-lap main events. He blew by Dilan Prigmore early, lapped Tony White on lap 17 and Jerry Crawford of Stockton on lap 18.
Jones said lapping the field is a goal.
“When you work on these cars day in and day out and put as much time in this car as I do, you get results, and we’re tired of holding back trying to make the show look better,” said Jones, who also won the trophy dah. “I went to every single one of (the other drivers) and told them I’d help them and never, no phone calls. They know everything.”
Stockton 99 Speedway is back in action Saturday, Aug. 15, with racing in the Stockton Late Model, Grand American Modified, Legends of 99 and Fast Kar Solutions Mini Modified divisions. Ticket prices are $20 for ages 16-59 and $15 for juniors ages 11-15, seniors 60 and over and military with an ID. A family pass (two adults, two juniors) costs $55. A pit pass costs $50 for all ages. Kids 10 and under are admitted for free, and parking is free at Stockton 99. Gates open at 6 p.m. with racing at 7. Visit stockton99.com or call 209-466-9999.
