VITO CELLI AND IZAAK SHARP GRAB BREAKTHROUGH WINS IN THIRD DELTA POINTS RACE

STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA (May 7, 2023) – Stockton’s Vito Celli and Grass Valley’s Izaak Sharp saw their labors bear fruit, as each driver experienced a breakthrough victory during Saturday’s Micro Sprint action at Delta Speedway presented by Valley Strong Credit Union. Celli earned his first Restricted win while Sharp earned his first Delta Super 600 victory. They were joined in victory lane by wins for 2022 Jr. Sprints champion Briggs Davis and Stockton’s Caden Sarale in Non-Wing competition. Photo by Steven Blakesley

The 1/7th mile dirt track at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds welcomed 78 competitors on a lightning fast race track after rain throughout Friday night into Saturday morning.

Incoming Restricted points leader Nathan Ward of Bakersfield led time trials. Celli and Tracy’s Kyle Fernandez won the heat races. The 25-lap main event for $300 to win rolled off with 18 starters. The race was halted immediately at the start when half a dozen cars tangled in turn two, including Aubri Huckleberry flipping. All drivers involved were uninjured.

A red flag flew with nine laps to go for Bryson Sozinho on his side in a tangle with Otto Perreira. Celli drove ahead for the victory followed by 2021 Jr. Sprints champion Brody Rubio of Manteca, Ward, 2022 Restricted champion Lucas Mauldin of Rancho Murieta, and Pleasanton’s Kellan Harper.

“(The hard work) definitely pays off for how long I’ve been driving for,” Celli said. “I would like to thank my parents, the sponsors, my dad, A.J., and John Sarale.”

20 of the potent Super 600 Micro Sprints were in attendance for Saturday’s action with Bakersfield’s Jett Yantis topping qualifying at 9.617 seconds. Brentwood’s Isabel Barnes and Sharp were the heat race victors.

Sharp drove around the outside Colby Greig to lead the first lap. The race had multiple incidents and it started with Alex Panella of Stockton spinning in turn one for a caution on lap three.

On the restart Barnes spun battling with Yantis for the second position. Barnes was relegated to restarting at the back of the field. Yantis dove inside of Sharp and took over the lead on lap six. The field approached lapped traffic and Sharp took the lead back on lap 13. Grieg and Sarale tangled for a crash on lap 14 in turn four. Yet another melee stopped the action on lap 15 with Sacramento’s Austin Wood and Fresno’s Raio and Mattix Salmon tangled on the backstretch.

Sharp paced Yantis over a fast-paced second half of the feature. Sharp scored the $500 victory over Yantis, 2022 champion Nikko Panella of Stockton, Fresno’s Cody Key, and Rocklin’s Tucker Lacaze.

“I’ve been running Super for two years and I’ve been wanting to get a win here,” Sharp said. “That was fun. At first I saw they did track prep so I went to the top. I was holding it but (Jett) got under me. I was fortunate to get to lapped traffic and get past him. And then I knew to stay on the bottom.”

Non-Wing led the Delta Speedway pit area with 28 competitors. Brentwood’s Jeffrey Pahule was the fastest in qualifying. Sharp, Mattix Salmon, and Wood were the three heat race winners. A B-Main was required, won by Lacaze. Preston McLeister suffered a hard crash in the 12-lap race, and Delta Speedway extends best wishes to the McLeister family for Preston’s speedy recovery.

Salmon and Sarale shared the front row for the 30-lap, $500-to-win race. Salmon anchored the field with the initial lead. Colin Kirby and Brent Brooks tangled for a caution on lap five. Tracy’s Brandon Riveira flipped in turn three for a red flag on lap eight.

Sarale dove inside of Salmon on the backstretch to take over the lead on lap 17. One additional caution stopped the action on lap 22. Sarale was undeterred, leading the final eight laps for victory on an emotional night where his grandma was celebrated with a missing man formation before the green flag. Salmon finished second while Madera Ranchos’ Dalton Hill drove into third place over Yantis and Pahule.

Jr. Sprints presented a 12-car field with four heat races. Wins went to Briggs Davis in both of his heat races plus Samantha Dozier and Nathan Fernandez.

Davis started the 20-lap feature in fourth but marched through the field in the non-stop affair. Davis passed Oakdale’s Heston Stepps for second on lap 13 and then immediately passed Maya Mauldin of Rancho Murieta for the lead on lap 14 in turn one. Davis, Mauldin, and Stepps finished nearly nose-to-tail across the finish line with Davis grabbing the $200 win. Alex Ranuio, who won a 170 Open Class off road race early in the day, finished fourth followed by David Anderson.

Delta Speedway presented by Valley Strong Credit Union continues its season on May 20 with points race no. 4

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

Delta Speedway Results – May 6, 2023 Points Race No. 3

SUPER 600 (30 LAPS)

1. 24S-Izaak Sharp[2]; 2. 4-Jett Yantis[6]; 3. 73-Nikko Panella[5]; 4. 56-Cody Key[3]; 5. 19X-Tucker LaCaze[11]; 6. 19-Nate Matherly[13]; 7. 3-Cole Schroeder[18]; 8. 27-Dan Mognaga[15]; 9. 9-Adrianna DeMartini[20]; 10. 32A-Colton Huelsmann[16]; 11. 10R-Rylee Whitehouse[17]; 12. 15K-Kyle Carvotta[19]; 13. (DNF) 2-Austin Wood[10]; 14. (DNF) 44X-Jeffery Pahule[7]; 15. (DNF) 21-Raio Salmon[14]; 16. (DNF) 5-Mattix Salmon[8]; 17. (DNF) 30-Isabel Barnes[4]; 18. (DNF) 24-Caden Sarale[9]; 19. (DNF) 12-Alex Panella[12]; 20. (DNF) 91C-Colby Greig[1]

NON-WING (30 LAPS)

1. 24-Caden Sarale[2]; 2. 5-Mattix Salmon[1]; 3. 20-Dalton Hill[4]; 4. 4-Jett Yantis[3]; 5. 44X-Jeffery Pahule[8]; 6. 35-Carsen Perkins[7]; 7. 73-Nikko Panella[6]; 8. 83V-Tim Vaught[10]; 9. 24S-Izaak Sharp[5]; 10. 2-Austin Wood[9]; 11. 88R-Reilee Phillips[11]; 12. 34-Devon Courtnier[15]; 13. 19-Tucker LaCaze[16]; 14. 7J-Lucas Johnson[18]; 15. 13D-Shawn Laeber[14]; 16. 33-Isak Johnson[19]; 17. (DNF) 81T-Tyler Chamorro[17]; 18. (DNF) 82-Brent Brooks[20]; 19. (DNF) 05R-Brandon Riveira[12]; 20. (DNF) 83K-Colin Kirby[13]

RESTRICTED (25 LAPS)

1. 29V-Vito Celli `[1]; 2. 25R-Brody Rubio[2]; 3. 95-Nathan Ward[4]; 4. 55X-Lucas Mauldin[3]; 5. 5-Kellan Harper[6]; 6. 10P-Peyton Whitehouse[8]; 7. 75-Josiah Vega[14]; 8. 77K-Kyle Fernandez[7]; 9. 9J-Levi Osborne[18]; 10. 11X-Dustin Snow[13]; 11. 98-Hayden Stepps[11]; 12. 58C-Clay Mibach[9]; 13. 76-TK OBrien[12]; 14. 20-Otto Perreira[15]; 15. 11A-Austin Lee[16]; 16. (DNF) 16S-Bryson Sozinho[17]; 17. (DNF) 120-Niko Simoes[5]; 18. (DNF) 10J-Aubri Huckleberry[10]

JR SPRINTS (20 LAPS)
1. 96-Briggs Davis[4]; 2. 55X-Maya Mauldin[1]; 3. 99-Heston Stepps[5]; 4. 117-Alex Ranuio[7]; 5. 3D-David Anderson[8]; 6. 25DD-Samantha Dozier[6]; 7. 24N-Nathan Fernandez[2]; 8. 55J-Jayden Carey[9]; 9. 92J-Jeremiah Brulez[11]; 10. 11E-Easton Wright[10]; 11. 12-Haven Sherman[3]; 12. (DNS) 26-Dylan Silva

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