Dominic Scelzi wins sprint car feature in Hanford

Dominic Scelzi won the 30-lap King of the West sprint car feature Saturday night in Hanford, less than two months after breaking bones in his back in a racing accident.

It was the young Fresno driver’s third career victory in California’s premier sprint car racing series. Scelzi was injured in an accident July 25 at Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway but returned to racing over the Labor Day weekend.

He led wire-to-wire on the three-eighths-mile Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds clay oval but it wasn’t easy, withstanding five initial restarts (the last two out of single-file formation) and six in-race restarts.

Shane Golobic finished second, Kyle Hirst (in the Fresno-based Roth Motorsports car) third, former NASCAR star Tyler Walker fourth and Carson Macedo of Lemoore (in the Easton-based Tarlton & Son car) fifth.

Other central San Joaquin Valley racers in the feature: DJ Netto of Hanford eighth, Cory Eliason of Fresno 10th, Mitchell Faccinto of Hanford 12th, Craig Stidham of Fresno 14th, Landon Hurst of Riverdale 17th and Bud Kaeding (in the Oakhurst-based Williams Motorsports car) 19th.

Other feature winners Saturday at Keller were Blake Robertson (Western RaceSaver 305 sprint cars) and Andrew Boydstun (Mini Stocks).

Friday night in Hanford, Hirst led Stidham and Eliason to the finish line in the 30-lap King of Kings 360 sprint car feature. Other Friday night winners were Cody Laney (IMCA Modifieds) and Gary Dutton (IMCA Sport Mods).

Madera Speedway

Tim Skoglund of Fresno led teammate DJ Hamilton to the finish to win the 30-lap Winged Sprints feature Saturday night, highlighting night two of the 44th annual Harvest Classic.

Other Saturday night winners were Lance Tatro (360 Modifieds), Cody Gerhardt (Bay Cities Racing Association midgets), Audra Sasselli (NCMA Sprints) and Robbie Knittel (Modifieds).

Friday night on the third-mile paved oval, Matt Erickson led Rick Thompson to the finish of the 30-lap Late Models race. Other winners were Tyler Herzog (MSTs), Tim Curtis (Toyota Sedans/4-Bangers) and Josh Whitfield (Hobby Stocks).

The U.S. Auto Club HPD Midgets classes raced both nights, with Dylan Nobile sweeping the features and Jesse Love III and Cody Jessop splitting the restricted race wins.

This story was originally published September 20, 2015 at 11:36 AM with the headline "Dominic Scelzi wins sprint car feature in Hanford."