While the evening was called “Night of Nostalgia,” it was the teenagers who claimed top honors Saturday at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Star Nursery Series Round 3 action at the fast 3/8-mile paved oval. Round 2 was rescheduled for Saturday, April 1, after the Feb. 26 rainout.
A great Nostalgia Street Rods car show and a musical performance by the “Little Bit Country” band preceded the on-track events Saturday before action got hot and heavy on the racing surface.
Coming off an impressive fifth place Friday night at Phoenix International Raceway in the ARCA Menards feature, Las Vegas’ Kyle Keller returned to victory lane in his fast EverReady Health No. 12 machine to capture the 25-lap Sigma Performance Service Pro Late Model main event.
Keller held off any challenges from veteran Jeff Peterson, the season opener race winner from Grand Terrace, CA, and Jaron Giannini of Henderson, NV, to record another feature win at the Bullring. Fourth and fifth went Aaron McMorran and Enzo Lalama, both of Las Vegas.
‘Wow, it’s been a wild last two days with the fifth at Phoenix and now the win at the Bullring,” said Keller, a multi-time 2022 Bullring winner. “I really want to thank my Battleborn Racing team and my sponsors led by EverReady Health. I’m a little tired now after the past two days of racing and travel but winning here at the Bullring is worth it.”
Joining Keller in the teenager contingent Saturday at Bullring was Jake Bollman of Huntington Beach, CA, in the 25-lap M&H Building Specialists/JBM Underground Legends Car finale and Caden Cordova of Bakersfield, CA in the 25-lap Junior Late Model feature.
Bollman, runner-up in the Bullring season opener last month in his No. 71 car, held off the challenges of February Bullring winner Cody Brown, last year’s Semi-Pro Legend Car national champion, and multi-time 2022 Bullring victor Jordan Holloway, the Pro Legend Car national champion, in another nose-to-tail shootout in which a blanket could been thrown over all three at checkered flag.
But at the end, it was Bollman this time around in victory lane and collecting the winner’s portion of the purse as he was able keep his competitors at bay. Legend Car Nationals race winner Branden Giannini was in the battle with the top three but had to settle for fourth Saturday night followed by Gavin Ray.
Cordova, a Bullring regular now traveling from California, was back in the winner’s circle with his No. 37 Junior Late Model stock car with 11-year-old Vito Cancillo taking the runner-up honors followed by Cameron Carraway, former Bandoleros champion Ashton Leonard and Brody Manning.
There was an added bonus for Cordova who won the main event on his birthday and the crowd sang “Happy birthday” to the teenager in victory lane.
The Nostalgia Street Rods Outlaw Factory Stocks enjoyed a doubleheader race evening and the action proved to be wild and wooly as usual for the division.
In the first 20-lap main, reigning Bullring track champion Michael Miller moved up quickly to take the point in his No. 21 stock car and held the advantage to the checkered flag with Matt Frady placing second and Rob Pfaffy round out the podium with third. Series sponsor Sheri Goldstrom brought her No. 14 home in fourth followed by veteran Pete Meyer in fifth.
The second Outlaw Factory Stock 20-lap finale proved to be a little more lively with Goldstrom and Frady battling for the top spot. But on the final lap, Sheri jumped to the lead but, unfortunately, was forced up the track in turn four and made hard contact with the outside wall. Miller went on for his second win of the night followed by Pfaffy and Meyer. Dylan Reinke and Nick Lautenbach completed the top five.
Sam Jacks took over the ride in the potent Al Budd No. 17 Super Stock Saturday night after no Modified racing in the evening. And Jacks took the checkered flag over his brother Kyle, Don Koll Jr.., Bill Paddock Jr. and Mike McKearn in the 20-lap Super Stock feature.
“I was planning to take the night off with the Modifieds taking a break,” said S. Jacks. “But Al Budd called on Wednesday, and, of course, I said ‘yes’ to racing a fast race car. It’s been a busy time for our family with a two-month-old at home right now.”
It was a very popular win in the always-wild Skid Plate main as last year’s Rookie of the Year, Berneice Hernandez, scored her first feature win in the No. 911 machine Saturday night. The Las Vegas policewoman just started her Skid Plate career last year with her No. 1? Car, and Saturday’s victory was the highlight of her brief racing run. Second went to Robert Leany followed by Don Leonard, Jeff Bargerhuff and Jeff Dailey.
“Wow, look at me, I just started here last year and now I won,” said a smiling Hernandez. “This is so fun out here, please come out and race with us.”
In the six-lap “Battle of the Badges” between the first responders – fire and police departments, it was Ed Shoemaker (police) this time around winning in the four-car Skid Plate battle over Timothy Brink, Troy Wayne and John Wright. It marked the second straight event the police have taken the checkered flag after Nevada Highway Patrolman Michael Abbate captured last month’s race.
“I guess we know who is the fastest first responder, the police,” said Shoemaker.
NEXT RACE: The 2023 Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway presented by Star Nursery race schedule continues on Saturday, March 25, with “Educational Spring Break Night” for the fourth round of the 10-race Star Nursery Series. Theme nights like Hometown Heroes Night, Military and Veterans Appreciation Night and the wildly popular Fourth of July celebration, the Night of Fire, add extra allure to the popular racetrack throughout the year. Adult general admission for the majority of the Star Nursery Series events is $8.00 with children 12 & under free at all Bullring events. For more information, please contact the LVMS ticket office at 800-644-4444 or online at LVMS.com. For stockyard passes, please call 800-644-4444, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. PST.
Bullring Season Opener, Round 3 for the Star Nursery Series
Saturday, March 11, 2023
Skid Plate Cars 12-lap feature
1.Berenice Hernandez (Las Vegas, NV); 2.Robert Leany (Springvale, UT); 3.Don Leonard (Henderson, NV); 4.Jeff Bargerhuff (Henderson, NV); 5.Jeff Dailey (Tujunja, CA); 6.Ken Coombs (Parwan, UT); 7.Austin Leonard (Las Vegas, NV); 8.Julian Brizzi (Las Vegas, NV).
NASCAR Nostalgia Street Rods Outlaw Factory Stocks 20-lap feature (Race 1)
1.Michael Miller (Las Vegas, NV); 2.Matt Frady Jr. (Las Vegas, NV); 3.Rob Pfaffy (Las Vegas, NV); 4.Sheri Goldstrom (Las Vegas, NV); 5. Pete Meyer (Las Vegas, NV); 6.Dylan Reinke (Las Vegas, NV); 7.Dallas Simonette (Las Vegas, NV); 8. Brad Thompson (Las Vegas, NV); 9.Nick Lautenbach (Las Vegas, NV); 10.Sabastian Lafia (Las Vegas, NV); 11. Derrick Utley (Las Vegas, NV); 12.Stephen Irvine (Washington, UT).
NASCAR Nostalgia Street Rods Outlaw Factory Stocks 20-lap feature (Race 2)
1.Michael Miller (Las Vegas, NV); 2.Rob Pfaffy (Las Vegas, NV); 3.Pete Meyer (Las Vegas, NV); 4.Dylan Reinke (Las Vegas, NV); 5.Nick Lautenbach (Las Vegas, NV); 6. Brad Thompson (Las Vegas, NV); 7.Sabastian Lafia (Las Vegas, NV); 8.Dallas Simonette (Las Vegas, NV); 9.Derrick Utley (Las Vegas, NV); 10.Sheri Goldstrom (Las Vegas, NV) 11.Matt Frady Jr. (Las Vegas, NV); 12.Stephen Irvine (Washington, UT).
NASCAR Super Stocks 20-lap feature
1.Sam Jacks (Las Vegas, NV); 2.Kyle Jacks (Las Vegas, NV); 3.Don Zoll Jr. (Phoenix, AZ); 4.Bill Paddock Jr. (Las Vegas, NV); 5.Mike McKearn (Las Vegas, NV); 6.Jacob Quantaro (Las Vegas, NV); 7.Don Geary (Maricopa, AZ); 8.Rich DeLong III (Santa Clarita, CA).
NASCAR Junior Late Model 25-lap feature
1.Caden Cordova (Bakersfield, VA); 2.Vito Cancilla (Martinez, CA); 3. Cameron Carraway (Castro Valley, CA); 4. Ashton Leonard (Hendersons, NV); 5.Brody Manning (Lincoln, CA).
NASCAR Sigma Performance Services Pro Late Models 25-lap feature
1.Kyle Keller (Las Vegas, NV); 2.Jeff Peterson (Grand Terrace, CA); 3.Jaron Giannini (Henderson, NV); 4.Aaron McMorran (Las Vegas, NV); 5. Enzo Lalama (Las Vegas, NV); 6.Brenden Ruzbarksy (Tracy, CA); 7.Ricky Gutierrez (Garden Grove, CA); 8. Cody Brown (Las Vegas, NV); 9. Scott Gafforini (Henderson, NV); 10. T.J. Roberts (Queen Creek, AZ); 11. Alex Eskandari (Las Vegas, NV); 12. Bryson Brown (Las Vegas, NV); 13.Kylie Ith (Salt Lake City, UT); 14. Chloe Lynch (Las Vegas, NV); 15. Amilleo Thomson (Las Vegas, NV); 16. Monty Tipton (Mill Valley, CA); 17.David Anderson (Las Vegas, NV).
USLCI M&H Building Specialists/JBM Underground Legends 25-lap feature
1.Jake Bollman (Huntington Beach, CA); 2.Cody Brown (Las Vegas, NV); 3.Jordan Holloway (Henderson, NV); 3. 4.Branden Gianinni (Henderson, NV); 5.Gavin Ray (Las Vegas, NV); 6.Parker Heffel (Las Vegas, NV); 7.Brendan Tracy (Las Vegas, NV); 8. Keller Meechudhone (Las Vegas, NV); 9.Bruce Silver (Las Vegas, NV); 10.Chase Eisenzimer (Kalispell, MT); 11.Alex Roe (Las Vegas, NV); 12.Tanner Ash (Las Vegas, NV); 13. Rick Chelberg (Las Vegas, NV); 14. Sarah Chelberg (Las Vegas, NV); 15.T.J. Roberts (Queen Creek, AZ); 16.Eric Sigwing (Pahrump, NV); 17.Zeke Anderson (Las Vegas, NV).
Battle of the Badges (Police vs. Fire) 6-lap feature
1.Ed Shoemaker (Las Vegas, NV); 2.Timothy Brink (Henderson, NV); 3.Troy Wayne (Las Vegas, NV); 4.John Wright (Las Vegas, NV).
