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JoJo Helberg
HELBERG GETS RMR VICTORY #1 Monday, 13 August 2007 Salt Lake City, Utah.......JoJo Helberg of Rohnert Park, Calif. won Sunday night's 40-lap Young Automotive USAC/SLVRA Rocky Mountain Sprint Car feature at Rocky Mountain Raceways, leading the final 23 laps after passing Paul Marconi on lap 18. Rick Pardee finished second ahead of series point leader and fast qualifier Ryan Burdett, Marconi and Mel Andrus. Helberg piloted the ADTS/Barndts Welding Hansen/Chevy to the win. July 13, 2006 Hunt Still Dealing Hot Hand in CASA/USAC “Best in the West” By Glenn Hopper 7-8-06 – Stockton, CA Maybe the hottest driver in the west Tony Hunt, fresh from his honeymoon in Canada and winning the second annual Mike McCreary Memorial on the Fourth of July, continued his domination over everything pavement on a hot evening at Stockton 99 Speedway. Hunt completed the clean sweep over the field yet again posting fast time, winning his heat race and taking the CASA/USAC “Best in the West Series” feature event as well. The final sprint car race in the 60-year history of the venerable banked quarter-mile began with Hunt hustling his Kaiser Construction number 4 to fast time over a field of sixteen. Hunt toured the speedway at 13.102 seconds to post the fastest qualification lap. Heat race action again saw Hunt demonstrate his mastery in a come from behind win from the last starting position. Teammate Jim Kaiser took a well-earned second over Shauna Hogg; two-time CASA Champ Nick Rescino, Jr., Glenn Hopper, Joe Helberg, Mike Murgoitio and Allen Harney returning to action after a long lay-off. Ryan Baumgartner captured an exciting heat race number two, winning his first sprint car event over Scott Clough and Greg Anderson, when the top four cars all spun out with two laps remaining. 2003 CASA Champ Tony Iacobitti was fourth, defending USAC Champ Kody Swanson fifth, Bradley Galedrige sixth, Brian McClish seventh and Marvin Mitchell was credited with eighth. An eight-car inversion placed 2005 Ford Focus Champion Galedrige on the pole with veteran Shauna Hogg along side to pace the field to green. Hogg grabbed the early lead as the field roared to the starting line and the field began to shuffle and jockey for position in the early stages. Past Stockton 99 winner Brian McClish slipped past Hogg to take the lead on lap four and he continued to lead until a caution slowed the field on lap 13 for debris on the track. During the caution period Anderson retired from the race, as did defending USAC champ Swanson with a suspension problem. On the restart Hogg slipped past McClish to retake the lead but her advantage was now under attack from Hunt who, on lap 21 prevailed in his attempt to take command. While Hunt commanded the point, the action behind him continued furiously. Hogg, McClish, Murgoitio, and CASA champ Rescino were heavily engaged in a top five battle that ended for Rescino against the turn one crash wall. None too pleased by the turn of events, Rescino gave a vigorous fist shake in the direction of Murgoitio with whom he had been intensely battling for position. With Rescino’s mount cleared, Hunt picked up the restart and continued to expand his lead while Hogg, McClish and Murgoitio vied closely for the remaining podium spots. Young rookie Joe (Jo-Jo) Helberg fresh from his first podium finish in the McCreary Memorial on Tuesday was giving chase to the front runners but like all others on the tight confines of a quarter-mile track, had to defend his position as well. Everyone in the top- ten except Hunt was engaged with another competitor and had been so since the drop of the green flag. However, Jim Kaiser’s fine run ended when he slowed to a stop on the 42nd circuit for the final caution. Hunt’s comfortable lead was all but erased however he was not to be denied over the remaining eight laps. Hogg held a tenuous second over Murgoitio and McClish who were soon joined by 11th starting Glenn Hopper who had slipped past Helberg for fifth. As Hunt powered to the checkers the top five jockeyed to the end but remained in their order. Helberg held on for sixth and Iacobitti, after a very challenging evening dealing with a balky engine that his diligent crew finally cured, advanced nine positions to take seventh and the “hard charger honors.” Galedrige finished eighth over heat winner Baumgartner and Kaiser was credited with tenth. Allen Harney, Scott Clough, Nick Rescino Jr., Greg Anderson, Kody Swanson, and Marvin Mitchell rounded out the field. July 11, 2006 Hunt Continues CASA Hot Streak Winning McCreary Memorial By Glenn Hopper 7-4-06 – Madera, CA Current California Asphalt Sprintcar Association point leader Tony Hunt continued his current early summer hot streak with a clean sweep of the second annual Mike McCreary Memorial at Madera Speedway. Hunt stated it was “an honor” to know his name would be etched on the perpetual trophy presented by McCreary’s late wife Carla in victory lane. “Mike was a great fabricator, driver and a good friend to many” Hunt told Carla while accepting the large wood and glass trophy. Hunt began the afternoon by out qualifying the 13-car field turning a fast lap of 13.596 at 88.260 MPH. The twilight schedule, created to maximize the firework show after dark, saw no heat races on the docket, but Hunt drew the pole position for the 4 lap four car trophy dash and held off inaugural McCreary Memorial winner Jeff Gardner, 2004 and 2005 CASA champ Nick Rescino, Jr. and Greg Anderson for the dash win and the traditional $100 bill given to the victor commemorating McCreary’s last victory in what turned out to be his last ever race, the $100 dash-for- cash at Carson City, his original hometown track. The feature event rolled out as sundown approached and Ryan Baumgartner took the pole on the 8-car inversion driving the car McCreary drove to his last win, along side rookie of the year front runner Joe Helberg. As the field thundered to the green flag to begin the special 71- lap feature, Helberg seized the advantage from his outside starting position to lead down the back stretch and complete lap one. However, local star Anthony Simone snatched the lead from Helberg to lead lap two much to the crowds delight. Always a fan favorite at Madera, Simone, led through lap five when a determined Helberg reasserted himself and command of lap six. With the top two racers swapping the lead, 2005 CASA Rookie of the Year Nick Green pressed his way into the fray with Anderson, Rescino, and Hunt in tow. Lap seven saw Simone again take the point from young Helberg only to have it wrested away again on lap nine. Helberg held fast to the lead until contact between Simone and Anderson resulted in a stall by Anderson and a yellow flag. Helberg led from the restart but eventually gave way to the pressuring Green on lap 15. Green ran well up front but was soon joined by the swift Hunt who had worked his way through to the runner up spot. Hunt, not content with a runner up position dispatched Green from the front of the field and took command of the race on lap 19. Green kept digging from second but also had to contend with Helberg who ran strongly from the third position. Rescino and Gardner battled for fourth and fifth with Simone making his case for a top five finish. The middle portion of the race found the laps clicking off quickly and Hunt collecting the lion’s share of the lead-lap money. A late race solo spin by 2004 CASA Champ Tony Iacobitti aboard the familiar OCR number 71, the last car constructed my McCreary, bunched up the field for the final segment. On the restart, Green who had chased Hunt gallantly through lapped traffic continued his quest for the front spot but Hunt’s maroon Kaiser Construction number 4 was just too strong and with only a few laps remaining, Hunt began to extend his lead. As the white flag flew on lap 70 Hunt was in total command and he flashed under the double-checkered flags to complete the 71st and final lap of the Second Annual Mike McCreary Memorial in impressive fashion. Green was a solid second in the All-Weld machine followed by an impressive Helberg posting his first podium finish in third. Rescino ran fourth and Gardner who suffered an inconsistent engine problem still ran well for fifth. Simone finished sixth and Jim Kaiser aboard the second Kaiser Construction car ran a best ever seventh over Baumgartner in eighth and Iacobitti who came back to ninth. Glenn Hopper finished tenth subbing for CASA president Scott Clough who was unable to attend due to work commitments on the Fourth of July (fire captains apparently can’t take off the fourth). Richard Walsh was credited with 11th driving Alan Harney’s “X-car” which had just been completed earlier in the day. Greg Anderson suffered motor woes and retired after ten laps to be credited with 12th place. |
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