Roth drivers score top-10 weekend with Outlaws in Stockton
Fresno-based Roth Motorsports sprint car drivers Kyle Hirst of Elk Grove and Joey Saldana of Brownsburg, Ind., were third and fourth Saturday night in the World Of Outlaws feature at the Stockton Dirt Track.
It was the best collective night the team has had this season. Saldana was fastest qualifier in Roth’s national touring car and led the first 25 laps of the 30-lap race before sliding back. Hirst, who is Roth’s No. 1 driver in the California-based King of the West series, had one of the better passing nights, moving up from eighth starting position.
“I can’t thank my team enough,” Hirst told the Outlaws after improving on his 10th-place finish from Friday. “Dennis and Teresa Roth gave me a great car and the crew work their butts off.”
Saldana also had a fifth-place finish in Friday’s Stockton main event, and is second in Outlaws points. The tour stays in California for another month.
Seven-time Outlaws champion (including the past two seasons) Donny Schatz rebounded from not making the main event March 12 in Tulare to sweeping feature victories Friday and Saturday in Stockton.
Dominic Scelzi of Fresno was eighth Friday, moving up 10 spots from 18th starting for his best career Outlaws finish. He had another big move Saturday, from 16th to ninth, before car trouble cost him speed and he wound up 15th.
Results for other central San Joaquin Valley teams: Bud Kaeding of Campbell, driving the Oakhurst-based Williams Motorsports car, was 19th Friday and 11th Saturday; Cory Eliason of Kingsburg was 20th and 16th; and DJ Netto of Hanford was 14th Saturday.
Madera Speedway
Jacob Gomes of Manteca started on the pole and led all but four of 75 laps to win the PCS Super Late Model feature Saturday night during the Smokey Hanoian Classic.
Jeremy Doss of Upper Lake was second and Jeff Bischofberger of Long Beach third.
In other divisions: Eric Humphries of Chowchilla beat Cody Gerhardt of Madera in the Winged Sprints 30-lap feature, which saw fast-qualifier (and Indy Lights racer) DJ Hamilton crash on the first lap; Michael Mitchell credited adjustments made at the mid-race break for his win in the 60-lap Twisted Tea Open Modifieds; Luis Tyrrell turned a late-race bump of Doss into a pass for the lead and the win in the 35-lap Legends race; and Hamilton won the six-car, 30-lap U.S. Auto Club HPD Midgets feature.
The track has racing Saturday night, March 26, with seven divisions featuring Late Models plus a children’s Easter egg hunt.
USAC West Coast Sprinters
Jace Vander Weerd of Visalia was fast qualifier and finished second to Troy Rutherford on Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway. Danny Faria Jr. of Tipton was 14th, Richard Vander Weerd of Visalia 15th and Geoffrey Strole of Fresno 16th.
This story was originally published March 21, 2016 at 11:25 AM with the headline "Roth drivers score top-10 weekend with Outlaws in Stockton."