HAGOPIAN, LAUGHTON, AND BLOOMFIELD STAR IN NIGHT ONE OF SPEEDWEEK

DIXON, CALIFORNIA (June 27, 2018) – The fourth annual California Speedweek kicked off Tuesday at Dixon Speedway with Jake Hagopian, Chad Laughton, and Dylan Bloomfield taking the $1000 victories.  A total of 108 Micro Sprints competed in the first of four nights of competition across the state of California for the coveted bear trophies.

Visalia’s Austin Stone had a brilliant start to his night in the Non Wing division by taking Oak Farm Vineyard qualifying and his heat race, before charging from the outside front row to lead lap one of the feature.  Coalinga’s Ben Worth tried to peek inside Chad Laughton of Denair for second but couldn’t complete the pass, allowing Tyler “TJ” Smith of Fresno to challenge him for third on lap five.

Mitchel Moles of Fresno started on the 11th row but quickly moved forward up into the top 15 before getting hooked up with Koen Shaw of Fresno in four-wide battling.  Lapped traffic became a factor on lap ten.  The three-wide battling continued right in front of your leaders with virtually of the cars outside the top-ten engaged in some kinds of side-by-side action.

Stone lapped Moles and Shaw on lap 14 as he continued to set a furious pace just one lap shy of halfway.  Laughton jumped inside Stone down the backstretch to take the lead by a nose on lap 18.  The caution flew the next set of corners when double Delta champion Brandon Carey spun in turn two.

Laughton restarted from the lead and the racing line moved higher and higher upstairs.  Smith slide Stone in turn two on lap 20 and Stone tried to answer back in turn three before Dalton Hill spun in turn two.  The caution nullified Smith’s move meanwhile the multitude of cautions gave Moles a chance to crack the top-ten at the tail end of the lead lap.

Laughton motored away with the victory while Smith managed a last lap move to nab second from Stone at the stripe.  James Ringo and Worth rounded out the top-five.  Jimmy Leal’s run from 20th to 9th was enough to earn the Hoosier Tire Hard Charger.

Michael Faccinto started from the pole position and led the opening lap of Super 600 with a three-wide battle for second seeing Keith Day, Jr. hold the spot for the first two laps.  Cody Christensen went up stairs and took the position on lap three.

Day tried to nose inside of Christensen while also facing a challenge from Bakersfield Karting Experience fast-timer Jake Andreotti of Castro Valley on the outside.  Two lines were developing as drivers had success both high and low.  The battling between them went three wide again before Andreotti flipped seriously down the backstretch and came to almost an immediate stop for a red flag.  He was uninjured.

Jake Hagopian jumped to the high side on the restart and grabbed second from Christensen on lap nine.  Christensen and Day battled while the top-two held court.  Hagopian looked both high and low on Faccinto for the lead on lap 13.  He went back up high and led lap 15 at the stripe before he cleared Faccinto in turn two on the 16th lap.

One lap later they encountered lapped traffic and it resulted in a three-wide battle for third with Ancona and Day trying to get around Christensen.  They both did, dropping Christensen to fifth.  Ancona was the fastest car on the track when he tried to work his way past Faccinto as laps were winding down.

Dillon Horsley of Riverbank spun in turn one for the second incident of the race on lap 25.  The restart saw Sarale and Day make contact heading into turn one with Day spinning.  Day went all the way to the rear of the field.  Sarale and Ancona had a wild moment into turn three on the following restart dropping both of them out of the top-five.

Sarale then spun coming to the white flag forcing a green white checkered finish.   Hagopian would not be denied as he took the $1000 victory ahead of Faccinto, Christensen, Ancona, and Washington’s Chance Crum.  Australian Liam Williams won the Hoosier Tire Hard Charger Award driving from 19th to ninth.

Washington’s Colby Thornhill set Hoosier Tires fast time and won the pole after the redraw for Restricted.  He led the opening lap over the 22 car field while third starting Corey Day took over second from Washington’s Lane Taylor.  Taylor ended up getting overhauled by Discovery Bay’s Dylan Bloomfield as well before also being passed by Visalia’s Brian Gilbert.

A caution on lap five slowed the action when Mattix Salmon and Napa’s Brody Petrie tangled in turn four.  Bloomfield used the restart to nab second from Day while Fresno’s Caden Stoll moved up to fourth bringing Gilbert with him.

Oklahoma’s Preston Scheulen and Brentwood’s Jeffrey Pahule, Jr. had a tangle in turn two for a caution on lap eight.  Scheulen previously came from eighth in his heat race to third to use passing points to make the main.

Thornhill retired to the infield in a heartbreaking moment on lap 10, giving Bloomfield the lead.  Fresno’s Caeden Steele started 15th and was up to fourth by lap 14 passing Gilbert.  Day and Stoll staged a great battle for second place but Bloomfield took advantage to build his lead to a straightaway advantage.  Steele caught the duo in a tremendous run through the pack.  Lapped traffic tried to unhinge Bloomfield’s lead with five laps to go.

Bloomfield remained calm and took the $1000 victory ahead of Day, Stoll, Steele, and Gilbert.  Steele won the CSI Shocks Hard Charger as well.

The California Speedweek rolls on to Delta Speedway tomorrow night with pit gates at noon, drivers meeting at 3:30 p.m. and racing to follow.

Race fans who can not attend the California Speedweek in person can view the action through streaming partner Fast Four Media.  The remaining three nights will be offered for $20 per night or $55 for the week long package. Bullet Impressions will have event merchandise available all week as well.

California Speedweek information is available on CASpeedweek.com Facebook and Twitter

The 2018 California Speedweek is presented by: Elk Grove Ford, Van De Pol Petroleum, Driven Performance, Bullet Impressions, Engler Machine, 26 Promotions, Bakersfield Karting Experience, Hoosier Tires, Oak Farm Vineyards, Schoenfeld Headers, CSI Shocks, Keizer Wheels, Wilwood Brakes, Security Race Products, Salmon Motorsports, MyChron Tom, Dirt Co. Media House, Motivated Racewear, and Fast Four Media.

Super 600 (36 cars)
Bakersfield Karting Experience Qualifying: #7P Jake Andreotti
CSI Shocks Heat 1: #22JR Keith Day, Jr.
Keizer Wheels Heat 2: #44 Ben Worth
Hoosier Tires Heat 3: #19 Michael Faccinto
Bakersfield Karting Experience Heat 4: #24 Caden Sarale

Feature (30 laps): 1. 14-Jake Hagopian, [6]; 2. 19-Michael Faccinto, [1]; 3. 12-Cody Christensen, [2]; 4. 88A-Joey Ancona, [10]; 5. 83C-Chance Crum, [12]; 6. 44-Ben Worth, [5]; 7. 21-Raio Salmon, [8]; 8. 22JR-Keith Day Sr., [4]; 9. 1AU-Liam Williams, [19]; 10. 34-KJ Snow, [11]; 11. 41-Colton Hardy, [17]; 12. 18-Grant Champlin, [15]; 13. 9-Chase Randall, [21]; 14. 01-Mitchel Moles, [14]; 15. 63-Ryan Delisle, [9]; 16. 55-Brandon Carey, [20]; 17. 15H-Dayna Hill, [22]; 18. 24-Caden Sarale, [7]; 19. 17-Dillon Horsley, [16]; 20. 79-Heath Duinkerken, [13]; 21. 7P-Jake Andreotti, [3]; 22. 25-Vince Fernandes, [18]

Non Wing (35 cars)
Oak Farm Vineyards Qualifying: #29 Austin Stone
Keizer Wheels Heat 1: #29 Austin Stone
CSI Shocks Heat 2: #44 Ben Worth
Wilwood Brakes Heat 3: #14 TJ Smith
Hoosier Tires Heat 4: #26 Chad Laughton

Feature (30 laps): 1. 26-Chad Laughton, 13:30.124[4]; 2. 14-Tyler Smith, 13:30.565[1]; 3. 29-Austin Stone, 13:30.680[2]; 4. 37T-James Ringo, 13:31.315[7]; 5. 10J-Ben Worth, 13:33.187[5]; 6. 68-Jayson Bright, 13:33.701[11]; 7. 41-Colton Hardy, 13:34.534[13]; 8. 75-Dan Mognaga, 13:35.331[16]; 9. 3L-Jimmy Leal, 13:35.701[20]; 10. 01-Mitchel Moles, 13:35.719[21]; 11. 8H-Justyne Hamblin, 13:36.170[19]; 12. 37J-Dustin Cormany, 13:38.580[8]; 13. 25F-Ryan Fernandes, 13:39.313[12]; 14. 16-Randy Sims, 13:40.088[9]; 15. 28K-Kevin Carter, 13:40.348[22]; 16. 51-Brody Fuson, 13:41.117[14]; 17. 20-Dalton Hill, 13:41.627[18]; 18. 35-Harlee Aguilera, 13:41.949[15]; 19. 55-Brandon Carey, 13:42.191[17]; 20. 1-Koen Shaw, 13:42.357[10]; 21. 1C-Danny Carroll, 04:06.354[3]; 22. 32-Caden Sarale, 02:51.482[6]

Restricted (37 cars)
Wilwood Brakes Heat 1:#02 Tyler Martin
CSI Shocks Heat 2: #41 Corey Day
Schoenfeld Headers Heat 3: #33 Dylan Bloomfield
SRP Heat 4: #88R Ryder Laplante

Feature (25 laps): 1. 33-Dylan Bloomfield, 09:46.361[4]; 2. 41-Corey Day, 09:49.715[3]; 3. 2C-Caden Stoll, 09:49.973[6]; 4. 121-Caeden Steele, 09:50.670[15]; 5. 4G-Brian Gilbert, 09:51.644[7]; 6. 4L-Lane Taylor, 09:53.255[2]; 7. 28-Jake Smith, 09:53.824[10]; 8. 55-Chase Brown, 09:55.757[14]; 9. 73-Katey Syra, 09:55.889[11]; 10. 02-Tyler Martin, 09:56.753[5]; 11. 88R-Ryder Laplante, 09:57.065[8]; 12. 5T-Ryan Timms, 09:57.912[9]; 13. 72-Carson Borden, 09:58.333[12]; 14. 24-Jordi Meese, 09:58.483[18]; 15. 5-Mattix Salmon, 09:58.768[19]; 16. 19B-Brody Armtrout, 09:58.927[21]; 17. 77-Sage Bordenave, 09:46.604[22]; 18. 00-Preston Scheulen, 09:47.266[13]; 19. 2-Brody Petrie, 09:48.245[20]; 20. 21X-Scotty Milan, 09:49.036[16]; 21. 44X-Jeffery Pahule, 08:16.676[17]; 22. 19-Colby Thornhill, 06:22.582[1]

NON-WING: Hoosier Tire Hard Charger – Jimmy Leal, Bakersfield Karting Experience Hard Luck – Cody Key
RESTRICTED: CSI Shocks Hard Charger – Caeden Steele, Keizer Wheels Hard Luck – Jade Avedisian
SUPER 600: Hoosier Tire Hard Charger – Liam Williams, CSI Shocks Hard Luck – Ryley Mayer

About Steven Blakesley

Steven Blakesley is a motorsports announcer and public relations specialist with more than 15 years of experience. His biggest pet peeve is race fans who only enjoy one form of racing over all others.

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