ROSEVILLE, Calif. – Dylan Zampa swept both twin 50s during Saturday night’s JM Environmental Saturday Night Fever 100 at All American Speedway, grabbing more than $4,000 in the NASCAR Berco Redwood Late Model competition.
The wins included a thrilling conclusion to the second event, where he narrowly defeated defending track champion Cole Moore for the victory.
The first 50-lap affair started 16 cars on the one-third mile with points leader Thomas Martin and Irwindale points leader Dean Thompson sharing the front row. The ran side-by-side for the first six laps before Thompson clinched the lead. Martin slipped backwards to sixth before the first caution fell for Lance Halm stopped on the front stretch on lap 27. Thompson picked the inside on the following restart with teammate Trevor Huddleston advancing into second past Aidan Daniels.
Huddleston muscled past his teammate Thompson into turn one, taking the lead on lap 38. Zampa followed Huddleston into second. Zampa then took over the lead on lap 42 before a caution for Chris Scribner of Loomis stopped in turn two. Zampa held the lead on the restart followed by a red flag for Lakeport’s Scott Sabol slamming the turn one wall. Huddleston used the outside to lead laps 44 and 45 but Zampa made the inside work for the decisive pass for the win on lap 46. John and Cole Moore finished third and fourth with Thompson rounding out the top-five.
An eight-car inversion allowed Michael Mitchell to lead the start of the second 50-lap contest. Calamity ensued when Daniels and John Moore collided in turn one on lap five, causing damage for Huddleston, Cole Moore, and Halm in a multi-car skirmish that followed.
Thompson took the lead on the restart before a pair of cautions tightened the field. Cole Moore entered the picture, using the inside to take second on lap 14. Zampa took the second position from Moore a lap later. Zampa ran down Thompson, diving inside of him in turn one to take the lead on lap 24. Zampa then spun after contact from Thompson in turn three which brought out the caution.
As the race leader, Zampa was protected by track rules to maintain the lead while Thompson was relegated to restart at the rear. Halm spun in turn two into the right side of Thompson for a caution on lap 40. The incident set up a green-white-checkered finish due to race time remaining. Zampa and Cole Moore crossed each other over during the final laps before Moore bounced off Zampa’s door coming to the stripe. Zampa prevailed for his fourth win of the season as Moore spun into the infield. John Moore, Calin Hegje, Martin, and Thompson made up the top-five finishers.
In other action, Jason Philpot earned his first win of the year in the Jaws Gear & Axle Modified feature. Bella Thomsen won the Mini Cup/Bando feature while Matthew Fuhs topped the F4 feature. Josh Whitfield won his seventh Riebes Auto Parts Super Stock race of the year and Kenna Mitchell dominated the Jr. Late Model main event.
The Gunslinger Sprint Cars made their debut with a 20-lap exhibition race. They also attempted to break the sprint car track record with their winged machines aiming at the 12.180 mark set by Kody Swanson in 2009 in USAC wingless competition. Swanson’s record remains after Mark Pyle ran a 12.346 to lead Gunslinger qualifying. Austin Carter held off Pyle by a nose for the feature win.