Dacono, CO - 05/01/2023
The 2023 racing season is off to a great start here at Colorado National Speedway, and our drivers certainly didn’t hold back for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Season Opener on Saturday, April 29th. Fans were given a glimpse of what’s ahead in 2023 with a night of thrilling races across all divisions. 2023 is going to be a great season – CNS is easily the most fun and affordable place to spend Saturday nights, and our season opener proves that there’s plenty more excitement to come. CNS is also pleased to welcome two brand new divisional sponsors for 2023 into our sponsor family, including Bella Flooring America for the Super Late Models as well as Take 5 Oil Change for the Figure 8s.
BELLA FLOORING AMERICA SUPER LATE MODELS
DASH – 10 LAPS
The No. 23G of Jim Gress, the No. 07 of Daniel Mares and the No. 12 of Bruce Yackey fought for all 10 laps of the SLM Fast Dash. After slight contact in Turn 3, the No. 12 of Yackey pulled away from the No. 07 of Mares for his first Dash win of the season.
FAST DASH – 10 LAPS
The No. 08 of Jace Hansen got out front in a hurry for the SLM Fast Dash, while a good battle for P2 shaped up between the No. 82 of Michael Scott, the No. 32 of Brett Yackey and the No. 89 of Zach Morris. They got things sorted out in Turn 2 after a lengthy battle, with the No. 32 of Yackey surging ahead. However, he couldn’t track down Hansen’s No. 08 machine on his way to the win.
FEATURE – 40 LAPS
The No. 3c of Cassidy Hinds took the green flag up front with the No. 82 of Michael Scott next to her. However, the No. 82 of Scott and the No. 3c of Hinds made contact shortly after the race began, sending Hinds’ No. 3c spinning in Turn 2, collecting the No. 27H of Mike Hathaway & No. 7 Adam Deines. When the race went green again, the No. 43 of Kody Vanderwal took control, while the No. 3c of Hinds challenged him for the top spot and the No. 08 of Hansen lurked behind them along with the No. 12 of Yackey. In lockstep, the No. 3c of Hinds and the No. 43 of Vanderwal fought for the lead while Hansen’s No. 08 waited for a chance to claim it.
With 30 laps left, Vanderwal’s No. 43 eked out front, while the No. 3c of Hinds fell into the clutches of Hansen’s No. 08 and Yackey’s No. 12 for a battle over P2. The No. 12 of Yackey contacted the No. 3c of Hinds, sending her spinning and suffering a flat tire himself as he spun on the front stretch. The caution flag waved, and the No. 43 of Vanderwal once again jumped into the lead, while the No. 3c of Hinds made a run at the third-place car of Brett Yackey’s No. 32. Meanwhile, Hansen’s No. 08 started to chip away at Vanderwal’s lead, and they raced side-by-side until Hansen finally completed the pass with 16 laps left. However, behind him, Brett Yackey’s No. 32 went for a spin as the No. 82 of Michael Scott piled into him, prompting a caution. Vanderwal’s No. 43 attempted to check out with the lead on the restart, but a multicar incident in Turn 3, including the No. 12 of Bruce Yackey, the No. 32 of Brett Yackey, the No. 07 of Daniel Mares and the No. 16 of Steve Mills.
When the race restarted, Hansen’s No. 08 beat Vanderwal’s No. 43, while Hinds gathered up the No. 3c and sent it after them. However, Hansen’s No. 08 could not be bested, and he was crowned the SLM feature winner.
Quick Time: No. 43 Kody Vanderwal 15.959
Fast Dash: No. 08 Jace Hansen
Dash: No. 12 Bruce Yackey
Feature: No. 08 Jace Hansen
SUNOCO RACE FUELS GRAND AMERICAN MODIFIEDS
DASH – 10 LAPS
The No. 52 machine of Jared Wall beat the No. 88 of Paul Himler at the drop of the green flag, and he checked out, despite an incident that slowed the field for a caution. Wall’s No. 52 scored the first GAM Dash win of 2023.
FAST DASH – 10 LAPS
The No. 8H of Larry Hunter fell victim to the No. 69 of Forest Smith in a hurry, while the field stacked up two-by-two behind them. However, the No. 48P of Preston Peltier emerged as a contender for the lead, but the No. 69 of Smith didn’t let him get away without putting up a fight. Peltier would go on to win the GAM Fast Dash while the No. 18 of Ed Vecchiarelli completed the pass for P2 on the final lap behind him.
FEATURE – 35 LAPS
The GAM field took off like rockets when the green fell, with the No. 6 of Scotty Scott nosing ahead as the field settled down. Five laps in, the No. 13S of Jordan Smith suffered a mechanical failure that forced his early retirement from the event. Scott’s No. 6 continued to show the way until the No. 8H of Larry Hunter slammed the wall, causing a lengthy red flag as track crews attended to spilled fluids on the racetrack in Turn 4.
On the restart, Scott’s No. 6 came under fire of Peltier’s No. 48P to the outside. Peltier threw the No. 48P in front of Scott’s No. 6, though a caution slowed the field for a spin just a few laps later. Meanwhile, the No. 51 of Kyle Clegg came into the picture, taking advantage of another caution due to Smith’s No. 69 stopping on the high side of Turn 2. The race restarted and Clegg’s No. 51 charged hard after Peltier’s No. 48, but his battle for the lead was short-lived as he also suffered a mechanical failure and exited the racing surface. Peltier would go on to put the No. 48P in Victory Lane for the GAM feature.
Quick Time: No. 48P Preston Peltier - 16.762
Fast Dash: No. 48P Preston Peltier
Dash: No. 52 Jared Wall
Feature: No. 48P Preston Peltier
PUEBLO BANK & TRUST SUPER STOCKS
DASH – 10 LAPS
The No. 5c of Kyle Carrasco and the No. 21 of Chris Nelson just about wore each other’s doors out as soon as they were turned loose under green. Neither driver let up, though Nelson’s No. 21 was able to edge past Carrasco’s No. 5c after a few laps of heavy contact. Carrasco’s No. 5c made a final attempt at the No. 21 of Nelson, but couldn’t seal the deal, and Nelson walked away with the SS Dash trophy.
FAST DASH – 10 LAPS
Jordan Abeyta threw his No. 23 machine ahead of the No. 9 of Brent Cave, picking up right where he left off last year as he led a clean race all the way to claim the checkered flag.
FEATURE – 25 LAPS
Right away, the No. 11W of Scott Long took control of the race, followed by the No. 99Jr of Ryan Raley Jr. The pack strung out two-wide behind them as they got away from the field, and three laps in, the No. 99Jr of Raley got to the point, passing the No. 11W of Long. Meanwhile, the No. 32 of Cody Milan and the No. 9 of Cave searched for an opening, ready to strike at the first opportunity. The No. 9 of Cave came to life, hauling the No. 32 of Milan and the No. 23 of Abeyta along with him past the No. 99Jr of Raley, who plummeted to fourth place. The No. 9 of Cave checked out as cars covered almost every section of the racetrack, single file.
However, Abeyta’s No. 23 suddenly became a lot larger in Cave’s rearview mirror. Lap by lap, Abetya’s No. 23 reeled in Cave’s No. 9 machine as the two drivers gave it everything they had. They touched several times but kept their race cars under them, beating doors off Turn 4 as they streaked toward the finish line – and Abeyta’s No. 23 barely cleared Cave’s No. 9 at the line, earning the hard-fought SS Feature victory.
Quick Time: No. 9 Brent Cave - 19.389
Fast Dash: No. 23 Jordan Abeyta
Dash: No. 21 Chris Nelson
Feature: No. 23 Jordan Abeyta
TAKE 5 OIL CHANGE FIGURE 8S
DASH – 10 LAPS
The F8 machines always deliver a thrilling race, even if it’s a short Dash, which was certainly the case on Saturday night. While the No. 17 of Harry Livermore Jr. got the lead early, he couldn’t get away from the No. 08 of Travis Sanders up front. Three-wide, they dashed around the turns, while the No. 15 of Jereme Wall threaded through the field to claim the top spot after throwing his race car through some dicey situations in The X. He wound up with the trophy for the F8 Dash.
FEATURE – 20 LAPS
The F8 field immediately began bouncing off one another as soon as they dove into Turn 4, with the No. 74 of Sam Faus out front. The No. 67 of Kaleigh Swenson suffered a mechanical issue and retired to the pits early in the race. The incident did not deter the No. 15 of Jereme Wall, who sliced through the pack to take over the lead, though he was challenged by the No. 08 of Sanders. Halfway through the race, true to form, the field got strung out, creating hazards in The X and forcing the leaders and lappers alike to navigate through the track’s crossroads. Wall’s No. 15 began to catch lapped traffic with seven laps left on the board, allowing the No. 57 of Nick Martinez to begin closing the gap. Wall’s No. 15 held the lead, though, capturing the F8 feature win – even as the No. 64 of Michael Kephart spun across the finish line behind him.
Dash: No. 15 Jereme Wall
Feature: No. 15 Jereme Wall
OFFICIAL RESULTS:
Super Late Model - 40 Laps
08 Jace Hansen - Evans
43 Kody Vanderwal - LaSalle
3C Cassidy Hinds - Arvada
32 Brett Yackey - Greeley
07 Daniel Mares - Aurora
12 Bruce Yackey - Greeley
58 Kyle Ray - Littleton
23G Jim Gress - Amarillo, TX
27H Mike Hathaway - Falcon
27 Roger Avants - Littleton
3 John Negri III - Byers
82 Michael Scott - Hillsdale, WY
89 Zach Morris - Greenwood Village
16 Steve Mills - Colorado Springs
7 Adam Deines - Longmont
Grand American Modified - 35 Laps
48P Preston Peltier - Johnstown
6 Scotty Scott - Arvada
49 Chris Cox (R) - Brighton
9 CJ Wilson - Penrose
89 Jacob Smith. - Littleton
41 Eric Vos - Wheat Ridge
52 Jared Wall - Commerce City
3 Jeremiah Hill (R) - Walsenburg
88 Paul Himler (R) - Erie
77 Bryan McKeever (R) - Penrose
55 Damian Lockhart (R) - Hudson
1G Dale Geist - Colorado Springs
51 Kyle Clegg - Westminster
69 Forest Smith - Bellvue
7 David Robinson - Johnstown
18 Eddie Vecchiarelli - Brighton
8H Larry Hunter - Englewood
13S Jordan Smith - Littleton DNS - 5 Scott Miller (R) - Hudson DNS - 09 Tylar Rick (R) - Princeton, MN
Super Stock - 25 Laps
23 Jordan Abeyta - Denver
9 Brent Cave - Brighton
32 Cody Milan - Fort Collins
86 Tim Coate - Highlands Ranch
97 Kyle Stidham - Brighton
99JR - Ryan Raley Jr - Bennett
11W - Scott Long - Lymon, NE
82 Ian Clark (R) - Wheatridge
90 Alex Rodriguez - Phoenix, AZ
5C Kyle Carrasco - Hudson
41G Christopher Galvin -
M60 Morris Christner - Elizabeth
21 Chris Nelson - Arvada
4 Chris Jordan - Mead
15R Trenton Rahmig - Gering, NE
3.2 Robert Davey - Roggen
32M Randy Milan - Fort Collins
67 Stephanie Brown - Brighton
96 Vanessa Raley - Bennett
11 Tim Bland - Pine Bluffs, WY
1 Doug Fornstrom - Pine Bluffs, WY
Figure 8 - 20 Laps
15 Jereme Wall - Commerce City
57 Nick Martinez - Aurora
08 Travis Sanders - Aurora
17 Harry Livermore Jr - Englewood
71 Isaac Martinez - Denver
8 Cassidy Creekmore - Colorado Springs
64 Michael Kephart - Commerce City
74 Sam Faus - Lakewood
67 Kaleigh Swenson - Strasburg DNS - 3 Michael Wolfe Jr - Thornton