CHRISTENSEN, YANTIS, MAULDIN, AND DAVIS OPEN DELTA SPEEDWAY WITH VICTORIES

STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA (April 9, 2023) – Stockton’s Delta Speedway, presented by Valley Strong Credit Union, opened its 37th season of Micro Sprint racing on Saturday night with four drivers parking it in victory lane. Cody Christensen and Jett Yantis scored $500 wins in Super 600 and Non-Wing respectively, while 2022 champions Lucas Mauldin and Briggs Davis claimed the Restricted and Jr. Sprints wins. The four winners highlighted a fast-paced evening on the 1/7th mile dirt track located at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds. Photo by Angela Ward

Fresno’s Christensen led time trials for the winged warriors in Super 600 before heat races were split by Kingsburg’s KJ Snow and Bakersfield’s Yantis. Christensen and Grass Valley’s Izaak “Speed” Sharp shared the front for the 30-lap contest.

Christensen motored ahead while Snow and Sharp dueled back and forth for the second position in their No. 24 machines. The red flag flew for Nate Matherly and Alex Panella tangling in the fourth turn on lap 22. A caution for Isabel Barnes of Brentwood spinning on lap 29 set up a one lap run to the finish. Snow slid past Sharp to nab second in a narrow battle at the checkered flag.

Christensen topped Snow, Sharp, Sacramento’s Austin Wood, and 2022 champion Nikko Panella of Stockton, who started 12th.

Panella was the fast-time qualifier in the Non-Wing division, which attracted a 27-car turnout for opening night. The large field required three heat races with wins going to Broedy Graham of Bakersfield, Mattix Salmon of Fresno, and Drew Laeber of Roseville. A 12-lap B-Main was required to narrow the field to 22 starters for the feature. Robbie Lewis of Brentwood claimed top honors.

Panella started on the pole position alongside Yantis for the 30-lap affair. They raced side-by-side over the opening lap with Panella driving into the lead. Yantis stayed up stairs and swooped past Panella on the front stretch to lead lap two. Panella made a big maneuver to dive underneath in turn three and rode up on two wheels but kept going. A lap later he had an incident with Carsen Perkins for second position in the same corner and flipped, ending his evening.

Yantis led Snow, Carsen Perkins of Red Bluff, Brentwood’s Jeffrey Pahule, and 11th starting Salmon at the finish for the $500 win.

Bakersfield’s Nathan Ward was the quick qualifier in the Restricted division with a rapid 10.388 second lap on the dirt. Josiah Vega of Antioch and former Jr. Sprints champion Brody Rubio of Manteca were the heat race victors.

Lucas Mauldin of Rancho Murieta is the defending series champion after an outstanding seven victories in 2022. He continued that pace on Saturday night, leading all 25-laps for the $300 win. Rubio finished second followed by Ward, Vega, and Tracy’s Kyle Fernandez.

The opening round for the Jr. Sprints featured four qualifying heat races, with 2022 champion Briggs Davis winning both of his heat races. Young lady drivers Haven Sherman and Maya Mauldin were the other heat race winners.

Davis lined up on the front row with Sherman and they led the entire 20-lap event at the front of the field. Heston Stepps of Oakdale, Mauldin, and Kyle Klagenberg from Arboga were the top-five finishers.

Delta Speedway resumes its 2023 season with racing action on Saturday night April 22.

Delta Speedway Stockton thanks Valley Strong Credit Union, Interstate Truck Center, Pape Kenworth, Hoosier Tire, Scully’s Air, Eagle Grit, Winner’s Bingo, Genova Bakery, Belkorp Ag, Van De Pol Petroleum, Baker Roofing, and RacingJunk for their support!

Delta Speedway Results – April 8, 2023 Points Race No.1

SUPER 600 (30 LAPS)

1. 14X-Cody Christensen[1]; 2. 24-KJ Snow[3]; 3. 24S-Izaak Sharp[2]; 4. 2-Austin Wood[5]; 5. 73-Nikko Panella[12]; 6. 4-Jett Yantis[6]; 7. 21-Raio Salmon[11]; 8. 5-Mattix Salmon[4]; 9. 19X-Tucker LaCaze[8]; 10. 32A-Colton Huelsmann[14]; 11. 2B-Eric Botelho[16]; 12. 30-Isabel Barnes[13]; 13. 91C-Colby Greig[17]; 14. 10R-Rylee Whitehouse[18]; 15. 27-Ron Singh[15]; 16. (DNF) 44X-Jeffery Pahule[7]; 17. (DNF) 12-Alex Panella[9]; 18. (DNF) 19-Nate Matherly[10]

NON-WING (30 LAPS)

1. 4-Jett Yantis[2]; 2. 24-KJ Snow[4]; 3. 35-Carsen Perkins[3]; 4. 44X-Jeffery Pahule[8]; 5. 5-Mattix Salmon[11]; 6. 2-Austin Wood[14]; 7. 66X-Broedy Graham[10]; 8. 7J-Lucas Johnson[13]; 9. 81T-Tyler Chamorro[15]; 10. 52-Joe Silva[17]; 11. 24S-Izaak Sharp[18]; 12. 13D-Drew Laeber[6]; 13. 27-Isabel Barnes[20]; 14. 81X-Jayden Bartlett[21]; 15. 2B-Eric Botelho[12]; 16. 37H-Ryan Holden[22]; 17. 44B-Steve Bettanini[19]; 18. (DNF) 34-Devon Courtnier[5]; 19. (DNF) 19-Tucker LaCaze[7]; 20. (DNF) 85-Robbie Lewis[16]; 21. (DNF) 20-Dalton Hill[9]; 22. (DNF) 73-Nikko Panella[1]

RESTRICTED (25 LAPS)

1. 55X-Lucas Mauldin[1]; 2. 25R-Brody Rubio[3]; 3. 95-Nathan Ward[9]; 4. 75-Josiah Vega[5]; 5. 77K-Kyle Fernandez[4]; 6. 76-TK OBrien[6]; 7. 66B-Blayden Graham[2]; 8. 9J-Levi Osborne[7]; 9. 58C-Clay Mibach[8]; 10. 5-Kellan Harper[10]; 11. 20-Otto Perreira[11]; 12. 11X-Dustin Snow[12]; 13. 98-Hayden Stepps[13]; 14. 38J-Jackson Tardiff[15]; 15. 10-Brodie Copeland[14]

JR SPRINTS (20 LAPS)
1. 96-Briggs Davis[1]; 2. 12-Haven Sherman[2]; 3. 98-Heston Stepps[4]; 4. 55X-Maya Mauldin[3]; 5. 11K-Kyle Klagenberg[6]; 6. 25DD-Samantha Dozier[7]; 7. 3D-David Anderson[10]; 8. 24N-Nathan Fernandez[5]; 9. 117-Alex Ranuio[9]; 10. 55JR-Jayden Carey[8]; 11. 11E-Easton Wright[11]

2023 Delta Speedway Schedule (Subject to Change)

April 8 Opening Day

April 22 Race #2

May 6 Race #3

May 20 Race #4

June 23 & 24 Race #5 & 6

July 4 Speedweek**

July 8 Race #7

July 22 Race #8

July 29 Race #9

August 19 Race #10

September 2 & 3 Race #11 & 12

September 16 Race #13

October 7 Race #14

October 27 & 28 Turkey Bowl XXIV**

**Non-points races

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.