---

Redneck Stress Relief 5 by Allways Auto Group @ I-37 Speedway 3/23/24

Johnny Torres Factory and King of the Hill winner
Anthony Gordon Fireball winner
Justin Van Winkle Sport Compact race winner
James Baum and Eric Wilson Sport Compact team winners
Kurtis Opiela Mechanics race winner
Jacob Crow Trailer race winner

By JM Hallas
Pleasanton TX.,(March 23rd, 2024) And so it begins….points that is.

After Mother Nature intervened at the end of the 2023 season, Redneck Stress Relief 5 was postponed til the start of the 2024 season with some new ideas. Action on the 1/4 mile, semi-banked, dirt oval just outside Pleasanton consisted of the Factory Stocks Sport Compacts and Fireballs starting there points season. Plus the Sport Compacts in a 2-driver team race, mechanics race, trailer race and Factory Stock 'King of the Hill.'

What's a team race you ask?…..Each team consists of two cars wearing matching colored flags. Teams will be split in the heats, and lined up for the feature by heat finish. The winning team will be crowned by combined finish points. Conceivably it would be possible for one team car to, let's say, run blocker for the lead car of a rival team, but surely that wouldn't happen right on a full moon night, right?

Sport Compact Teams:
Josh Jones/Shaun Tracy—Flying Dutchman
Rod Tait/Sonny Kinnaman—Slow as Shell
Joshua Garcia/Michael Polacek—The Smoking Guns
Jennifer Kidd/Sam Walker—Cupcake Queen/Duchess of Dirt
James Baum/Eric Wilson—Melon Heads
Justin Sitterle/Ronnie Schoenfeldt—Team Texas
James Gottsch/Michelle Conlee—The Underdogs

The night was capped off by destroying a vehicle and a flaming RV.

Torres Topples Field
As the Factory Stock 20-lapper fired off it was Dakota Hurley first into turn 1. Wade Jones got a run off turn 2 on the top, but it was Hurley leading ahead of Jones, Johnny Torres, Brian Schneider and Robert Keylich. Craig Oakes got by R. Keylich, who would slow and pull off. Torres quickly got by Jones for second on lap 2, but wasn't finished as he powered by Hurley for the lead on lap 3.

Jones followed past Hurley a lap later while C. Oakes challenged Schneider for fourth, taking the spot on lap 5. The top four separated out with a gap to Schneider, Hunter Peterson, Nathan Oakes, and Michael Keylich scrapping it out for fifth. At the crossed flags it was Torres, increasing his margin, Jones, Hurley, C. Oakes and Schneider holding the top five spots.

N. Oakes was able to work past Schneider for fifth, with M. Keylich following to sixth before taking fifth from N. Oakes. With five to go, Torres had built nearly a full straightaway advantage over Jones, while C. Oakes grabbed third from Hurley who would give up fourth to M. Keylich a lap later.

Torres, a multi-time, multi-class track champion, continued to run away from the field to nearly a half track as the white waved. It was easy going to the checkers for Torres in his Scott Ball Racing, 8T1 Construction, All in Designs, Diffs by Dale, CRS Suspension, Sundowner Performance, 1st Class Towing, Hercules Foundation, Rush Gear by Austin Witt, Allen’s 24/7 Towing, Mission Auto Parts, Dirt Defender, Best Engines, Outlaw chassis.

All in Design Factory Stocks
66 Johnny Torres, 41 Wade Jones, 91 Craig Oakes, 44x Brandon Welker, 53 Nathan Oakes, 40 Dakota Hurley, 34h Hunter Peterson,56 Brian Schneider, 18 Kyle Kirkland, 44k Michael Keylich, 7 Johnny Walker Brown, 92r Robert Keylich, 18s Jarrett Payton---dns

Factory Stock heats
Heat 1; 44x Brandon Welker, 40 Dakota Hurley,34h Hunter Peterson, 92r Robert Keylich, 7 Johnny Walker Brown

Heat 2; 66 Johnny Torres, 53 Nathan Oakes, 56 Brian Schneider, 18 Kyle Kirkland

Heat 3; 41 Wade Jones, 91 Craig Oakes, 18s Jarrett Payton, 44k Michael Keylich

Factory Stock KotH
Johnny Torres defeats Michael Keylich

Gordon Grabs Gold
At the start of the 20-lap Fireball feature it was Howie Marcx and Anthony Gordon side by side through turns 1-2. Matthew Hodge got a run down the back stretch and split the two going three wide into turn 3 coming out with the lead. Marcx, Gordon, Mark Pivarnik and Joseph Montemayor sorted out behind Hodge.

Montemayor brought out an early caution losing a tire. On the restart, Gordon got by Marcx for second while Pivarnik and Shane Stonebraker were side by side for fourth. Those two battled door to door for five laps until Pivarnik finally secured the spot. By halfway the top three had gapped that battle.

Gordon began diving low off the corners and was able to get by Hodge for the lead on lap 12. This left Hodge side by side with Marcx for second for three laps. Hodge changed his line and ran Gordon back down, but in the final laps slipped up allowing Gordon in the old San Antonio Speedway Camaro of Tommy Casey to snag the win.

Winners Circle Transmissions Fireballs
99 Anthony Gordon, 13 Howie Marcx, 58 Matthew Hodge,14 Mark Pivarnik, h2s Shane Stonebraker, 64 Danny Dear, 18m Joseph Montemayor

Fireball heats
Heat 1; 58 Matthew Hodge, 13 Howie Marcx, 14 Mark Pivarnik, 64 Danny Dear

Heat 2; 99 Anthony Gordon, h2s Shane Stonebraker, 18m Joseph Montemayor

Factory Stock/Fireball mechanics race
Kurtis Opiela(Factory Stock)
Brad Hunt(Fireball)

Van Winkle Wins Again
The first attempt for the Sport Compact feature was waved off for a bad start. On the second try Rod Tait jumped out front trailed by Justin Van Winkle, Ronnie Schoenfeldt, Justin Sitterle and Abraham Mares. Van Winkle wasted little time ducking under Tait to get the top spot on lap 2. Josh Jones joined the party as Van Winkle began to ease ahead.

Sitterle brought out the caution on lap 6 with a spin in turn 4. On the restart, Van Winkle got away while Schoenfeldt and Tait battled for second. Schoenfeldt got crossed up in turn 3 and fell back through pack. In that pack, James Baum, Jennifer Kidd and Michelle Conlee were three wide with Conlee lightly kissing the front stretch wall without caution.

At halfway it was Van Winkle, increasing his lead, Tait, Jones, Mares and Eric Wilson cracking into the top five. By lap 13 Van Winkle was in traffic, but holding his margin over Tait at nearly a half track. Wilson was able to get past Mares for fourth with five to go.

With two to go Van Winkle again caught some slower traffic that was about the only thing to slow him down. Some contact was made, so Van Winkle eased off and still easily took the checkers with a big lead in his Darlas Bar & Grille, 2.2 Eco-tech, Pontiac Sunfire.

***With their combined finishes Wilson and Baum took home the extra money up for grabs in the team challenge.

Johnson Supply Sport Compacts Team Race
825 Justin Van Winkle, 70 Rod Tait, 11j Josh Jones, 18 Eric Wilson, 76y Abraham Mares, 3% Sam Walker, 007 James Baum, 83m Michelle Conlee, 98 Ronnie Schoenfeldt, 48 Michael Polasek, 43 Jennifer Kidd, 32 Joshua Garcia, 88 Justin Sitterle, 21t Shaun Tracy, 38 Sonny Kinnaman---dns, 8 James Gottsch---dns

Sport Compacts heats
Heat 1; 88 Justin Sitterle, 76y Abraham Mares, 007 James Baum, 8 James Gottsch, 21t Shaun Tracy

Heat 2; 825 Justin Van Winkle, 70 Rod Tait, 32 Joshua Garcia, 43 Jennifer Kidd, 83m Michelle Conlee, 48 Michael Polasek

Heat 3; 98 Ronnie Schoenfeldt, 11j Josh Jones, 18 Eric Wilson, 3% Sam Walker, 38 Sonny Kinnaman

Trailer Race
Jacob Crow outlasted Ray Doyon and copilot Preston Leet to take home the victory. Early leader and crowd favorite, Rod Tait and copilot James Gottsch(the nights rollover champion) were DQ'd after losing the jet ski and 95% of the trailer, with Phillip Crow third after knocking the radiator out.

***A few years back another race was actually won by a car with part of a trailer, but it was still attached to the car by the hitch, in this case it was only hanging on by a safety chain, sliding along to track and deemed a safety hazard.

Jacob Crow
Ray Doyon/Preston Leet
Phillip Crow
Rod Tait/James Gottsch

For his victory J. Crow was awarded the opportunity to destroy the flaming trailer. Well that, and his was only vehicle left in operable condition. The term “volunteered” comes to mind but he powered his 'Black and Green Wrecking Machine' Ford pick up with over 400K miles through the trailer.

***Several extra safety precautions were put in place, don't try this at home.

---

Article Media

Back to News