CADEN SARALE AND NATHAN WARD WIN CALIFORNIA SPEEDWEEK CHAMPIONSHIPS IN STOCKTON
STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA (July 5, 2023) – Eight-time Delta Speedway presented by Valley Strong Credit Union track champion Caden Sarale earned one of the most coveted accomplishments of his career on Tuesday night, Independence Day, earning both the Super 600 and Non-Wing championships in the Hoosier Tire California Speedweek finale in Stockton. Sarale became the first driver to win two division titles in the same year during the sixth running of the event. Bakersfield’s Nathan Ward, age 11, won the Restricted championship as well. Photo by Angela Ward
Sarale earned the larger championship wooden bears and $2000 for each of the championships. He would not prevail in either of his division’s 30-lap, $1000-to-win features however, during Tuesday’s action.
“It feels awesome. The week started off great. Didn’t really end really great. It happens but still came out on top,” Sarale said. “Jim and Don had the wing car on rails and my dad and Shane had the Non-Wing car always fast. Racing (at Delta) since I was 5 1/2 or 6 years old so it’s awesome standing here now!”
Sacramento’s Austin Wood won his third fast-time out of the last two days of competition when he won Hyper Racing time trials for Non-Wing. Ashton Torgerson led points following heat racing and drew a 0 invert to place himself on the pole for the feature.
Sarale started third and quickly challenged Torgerson. Sarale drove around the outside of him to lead lap three. Nikko Panella of Stockton and Wood battled back-and-forth behind them. Sarale accumulated a 2.5 second lead despite heavy lapped traffic. The caution flew on lap 17 for Mattix Salmon of Fresno stopped in turn one, erasing the advantage.
Sarale swung up the track on the restart at a slow pace, but the race went green. Torgerson and Sarale then collided in turn one. Sarale stopped in turn three with a flat left rear tire for a caution flag. Sarale restarted at the rear while Torgerson was docked positions for the collision.
Jeffrey Pahule, Jr. of Brentwood slammed the front stretch well, collected Torgerson and Taylor Mayhew of Bakersfield for a multi-car crash in turn one, with Pahule ending up on his side to bring out a red flag.
Austin Torgerson and Panella battled hard for the lead on the final lap. Panella tried to drive around the outside of Torgerson and then shut the door in turn three. They made contact and Torgerson outlasted him for the $1000 win. Panella finished second followed by Texas’ Brecken Reese for his third podium of Speedweek. Wood and tenth-starting Jett Barnes rounded out the top-five. Brandon Carey of Ripon gained 13 positions to win the Wilwood Hard Charger. Sarale drove back to finish ninth and win the championship.
2018 Super 600 champion Jake Hagopian of Fresno topped Hyper Racing Super qualifying on Tuesday night. Hagopian was also the high-point car and drew a two inversion for the main event.
A significant crash in turn two blocked the track and brought out a red flag on the initial Super 600 start. Nate Matherly of San Jose and Raio Salmon of Fresno collided in turn two. Salmon then made contact with Caden Stoll of Fresno, sending Salmon spinning. Over half a dozen cars slid into the crash and five were unable to continue.
When racing resumed, Hagopian drove around the outside of 13-year-old Jett Yantis of Bakersfield to lead lap one. Nikko Panella then battled past Yantis for second.
Hagopian spun from the lead on lap ten while navigating lapped traffic in turn two. Panella inherited the point. Yantis searched underneath Panella in turn four on the restart but didn’t complete a pass. Sarale flipped in turn four for a red flag on lap 15, but his championship was already clinched by that point.
Yantis tried to crossover Panella but Panella led lap 17. Yantis and Austin Wood then passed Panella with Yantis leading lap 18. The caution flew a lap later for Deegan Irey of San Diego in turn three.
Wood threw several big slide job attempts in the final two laps but the 13-year-old Yantis out foxed him for his first career bear trophy and $1000. Panella ultimately finished third. Brothers Ashton and Austin Torgerson rounded out the top-five. Texas’ Brecken Reese advanced 15 positions for the Topline Titanium Hard Charger.
Sarale preserved for the $2000 championship by a 54-point margin over Madera’s Jake Smith. Wood finished third in the standings.
Only three points separated Bakersfield drivers 11-year-old Nathan Ward and 10-year-old Blayden Graham entering the Restricted championship feature. Ward was the Hyper Racing fast-time qualifier but Friday winner Lucas Mauldin of Rancho Murieta earned high points. Mauldin then spun a three invert for the main event.
Ward paced Mauldin throughout the 25-lap contest while Graham contended with Delta Speedway regular Vito Celli of Stockton for third position.
Ward earned his second $1000 victory and race winning bear by a .467 second margin over Mauldin. Graham, Celli, and Brody Rubio of Manteca were the top-five main event finishers. TK O’Brien of Manteca drove from 14th to tenth to win the Wilwood Hard Charger. Ward scored the championship trophy and $1500 with an 18-point lead over Graham. Mauldin finished the series in third.
“This is the biggest win of my career. Five years of hard work putting in just for this moment makes it all worth it,” Ward said in victory lane after his championship.
The Hoosier Tire California Speedweek is presented by: Southern Pacific Farms, Elk Grove Ford, Dillon Risk Management, F&M Bank, and Keizer Wheels.
Contingency partners include Hyper Racing, Wilwood Brakes, CSI Shocks, Driven Performance, Topline Titanium, and Kaeding Performance. The Speedweek also thanks MyRacePass, Bullet Impressions, The Cushion, and Creative Vision Printing for their support.
All four nights will feature on site merchandise sales from Bullet Impressions. Hoosier Racing Tires and race fuel will be available each night as well.
HOOSIER TIRE CALIFORNIA SPEEDWEEK RESULTS – JULY 4, 2023 DELTA SPEEDWAY (STOCKTON, CALIF.)
Super 600 – 32 entries
A Feature 1 (30 Laps): 1. 4-Jett Yantis[1]; 2. 2A-Austin Wood[7]; 3. 73-Nikko Panella[3]; 4. 02-Ashton Torgerson[10]; 5. 88-Austin Torgerson[9]; 6. 20Q-Brecken Reese[21]; 7. 21B-Caden Stoll[6]; 8. 19-Nate Matherly[5]; 9. 27S-Brandon Carey[17]; 10. 2B-Garrett Benson[22]; 11. 28-Jake Smith[11]; 12. 24S-Izaak Sharp[18]; 13. 84-Deegan Irey[19]; 14. 24-Caden Sarale[12]; 15. 14-Jake Hagopian[2]; 16. 22E-Evan Dixon[14]; 17. 3-Cole Schroeder[20]; 18. 21-Raio Salmon[4]; 19. 51-Dalton Parreira[8]; 20. 12-Alex Panella[13]; 21. 44X-Jeffery Pahule[15]; 22. 7T-Logan Trevino[16]
Non-Wing – 42 entries
A Feature 1 (30 Laps): 1. 88-Austin Torgerson[5]; 2. 73-Nikko Panella[4]; 3. 20Q-Brecken Reese[6]; 4. 2A-Austin Wood[2]; 5. 55B-Jett Barnes[10]; 6. 99-Darren Brown[11]; 7. 55-Brandon Carey[20]; 8. 8S-Daniel Shaffer[15]; 9. 32-Caden Sarale[3]; 10. 3-Cole Schroeder[9]; 11. 4J-Jett Yantis[13]; 12. 69-Cameron Paul[12]; 13. 4X-Teagen Moles[17]; 14. 02-Ashton Torgerson[1]; 15. 44T-Austin Taborski[22]; 16. 4K-Khloe Cotton[19]; 17. 21-Cash Lovenburg[14]; 18. 11C-Colin Mackey[21]; 19. 44X-Jeffery Pahule[7]; 20. 2T-Taylor Mayhew[8]; 21. 5X-Mattix Salmon[16]; 22. 2-Caden Stoll[18]
Restricted – 21 entries
A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 95-Nathan Ward[1]; 2. 55X-Lucas Mauldin[3]; 3. 66B-Blayden Graham[2]; 4. 29V-Vito Celli `[4]; 5. 25R-Brody Rubio[6]; 6. 98-Hayden Stepps[5]; 7. 3C-Connor Jacobs[9]; 8. 77L-Landon Jones[7]; 9. 58C-Clay Mibach[8]; 10. 76-TK OBrien[14]; 11. 9J-Levi Osborne[12]; 12. 5-Jace Thurein[13]; 13. 21-Brayton Roberts[17]; 14. 67Z-Clayton Wilson[16]; 15. 38JT-Jackson Tardiff[19]; 16. 79-Dash Duinkerken[15]; 17. 29-Jaydon Barnes[18]; 18. 21G-Greyson Henry[20]; 19. 16S-Bryson Sozinho[21]; 20. (DNS) 10J-Aubri Huckleberry; 21. (DNS) 17B-Brycen Roush
