MADERA, Calif. – Defending North State Modified Series champion Kyle Tellstrom charged from 18th starting position to win Saturday’s Mission Modified 60-lap feature at Madera Speedway.
The victory was worth $2,000, including a $1,000 bonus from Economy Heating and Air after Tellstrom elected to start at the rear of the field.
“(It took a) little bit of patience. Man I’ve just had a lot luck here and a lot of success. This place has been so good to me. Fits my driving. Did what we had to do and stayed disciplined,” Tellstrom said. “Early there it was kind of rough. Once I got clear of a couple of cars, I got the right restart, got to the outside and it just opened up for me.”
A caution waved immediately at the start when Rich Cobb spun with contact from Jim Coffey while Chris Lyon also spun. When action resumed, Coffey went around the outside to lead lap one. Dustin DeRosier worked to the inside and took the lead on lap four. Cobb and Jeff Longman spun in turn one for a caution on lap six.
DeRosier battled side-by-side with Ian Elliott for the lead but held the position. Scott Winters passed Eddie Secord for third. Tellstrom advanced to sixth by the 17th lap. He then went two-for-one on the inside of Secord and 2020 Roseville and Ukiah champion Jason Philpot of Sacramento to grab fourth.
The top-four went two-by-two with Elliott sweeping around DeRosier for the lead on lap 24. Tellstrom went upstairs to follow him into second as well. A caution flew on lap 27 for Mike Nielson spinning in turn one. Elliott chose the inside for the restart and Tellstrom immediately took over the lead. The caution fell once more for Longman spinning on the front stretch on lap 29.
Winters advanced to the second position but couldn’t capitalize on a late restart to challenge for the victory. Tellstrom won by 1.791 seconds over Winters, Elliott, DeRosier, and Philpot. Philpot won a $750 bonus as the top finishing GM 602 Crate Engine, persevering over a long battle with Keith Bloom Jr. Secord won $500 as the second highest finishing crate with Kern County Raceway champion Jim Coffey earning $250 for tenth place and the third place finisher among the crates.
Jason Aguirre won his third Madera Late Model feature of the season in a 40-lap affair. Kyle Keller led the opening 14 laps of the event while Aguirre searched for a racing line. Aguirre adjusted to the outside line and started to run down Keller. Keller went high as well, with Aguirre moving low into turn one to take the lead exiting turn two.
Aguirre led lap 15 before a caution flew on lap 16. On the restart, Erickson tried the inside line but was unable advance past Keller throughout the final 24 circuits. Aguirre topped Keller, Erickson, Aaron Mullins, and Richard Herzog as the top-five.
Lloyd Wren Jr. narrowly won his third Hobby Stock feature of the season in the 30-lap event. Jason Lawton led three laps of action before being passed by Donnie Large, Jr. on lap four. Wren steadily moved forward to become the leader on lap eight. Manny Gonzales Jr. spun on lap ten in an incident with Lawton in turn three.
Gonzales stormed through the pack to move quickly into third, then used a lap 26 restart to get second over Nick Rowe. Gonzales made a bid for the win off turn four coming to the checkered flag, with Wren surviving by a nose for victory. Large finished third over Lawton and Rowe.
Dan Myrick led all 20-laps for the Mini Stock victory. Several entries from the West Coast Sport Compacts joined the division for a competitive race. Greg Baronian used an outside maneuver to take over second on lap 17. Randy Brown, Damien Leininger of Bakersfield, and Jeff Durant rounded out the top-five finishers.
Ryan Reynolds topped his championship-winning brother Shaun for the Modified Super Toyota 30-lap feature. Tim Kammerer led the first five laps before finishing third. Nick Thompson and kart racer Bill Gorden rounded out the top-five.
Hailey Liles led fellow 14-year-old Rebecca Dubie for the 20-lap Jr. Late Model exhibition victory.