Fan Notes from Calistoga's Louie Vermeil Classic

Calistoga Speedway The 9th Annual Louie Vermeil Classic at Historic Calistoga Speedway... 
By Adam J. Ulrey 
www.nwsprintcarhistory.com 
 
One of the patriarchs of Sprint Car racing in California is Louie Vermeil the father of the Coach Dick Vermeil. When Automobile racing caught the public's interest, it was Vermeil who led it into respectability as professional entertainment. He had a life-long love for the speedway and sprint cars and a strong, unwavering sense of what was needed to succeed. In the late 1930's, a promoter was looking for someone to help organize racing to improve its appeal to the public. With Vermeil's help, they formed the American Racing Association to sanction events, including races at Calistoga Fairgrounds. He was also the charter member of the BCRA (Bay Cities Racing Association) which is still going strong today promoting some of the best midget racing in the country. But what put him in elite status was in the 60's he started the racing organization called the NARC (Northern Auto Racing Club), which today is now the King of the West series. The club has always been a traveling series held in California, but when it first started Calistoga Speedway was home to around 10 races a year to sold-out grandstands. 
 
So today they honor him with a two-day race over labor day featuring the USAC/CRA 410 non-wing sprint cars and USAC Western Midget series. This year by all accounts was the deepest and the best field and there was good money to be had. Both nights it was $10,000 to win for the Midgets and $7,500 to win for the 410 Sprints. Calistoga Speedway is an institution having been around since 1937 and when you sit in the grandstands you are completely surrounded by mountains...one of the most beautiful tracks I have ever been too. The racing was outstanding with some of the best showing up to race for the big money. Keith Kunz brought all 5 of his cars out and they were the team to beat on the famed ½ mile track. On the first night they did not disappoint with Tanner Thorson taking the win with his teammates right behind him Spencer Bayston and Carson Macedo. It was the other Kunz car of miss Holly Shelton that had the crowd on its feet as she came from 13th to 6th riding the rim and putting on a show. If not for a late caution she might have moved up more as she was the only one running high, but after the caution the other drivers figured that out and her momentum was stopped, but what a show. The speeds on this track are over 100 mph and it's just a rush to watch them. 
 
The sprint portion of the show had some of the best heat races I have seen all year with all four heats producing a ton of passing. Tanner Thorson doing double duty and not having much experience in a 410 non-wing sure didn't show it as he took the famed 3c of Clyde Lamar and won heat one over the Mad Man Robert Ballou. Ryan Bernal, Chase Johnson and the Wild Child Jac Haudenschild won the other heats. The main was just crazy with passes for the lead happening it seemed on every lap, but in the end Bernal became the first repeat winner this year on the USAC/CRA series after 9 different winners holding off the Demon Damion Gardner. The show again is always if someone can come from the back to the front and the Wild Child didn't disappoint. Starting 23rd Jac put a show on going to the high side and lap by lap picked of drivers until he got to 7th with a few laps to go. It would be where he ended up, but what a show. 
 
Sunday night was more of the same for the midgets with great racing all over the track. It looked like Keith Kunz racing would sweep the weekend as again Thorson was just dominating but a late caution bunched the field up with just three to go and on the restart Michael Faccinto would go low and get the lead and hold on for one of the biggest upsets in the Vermeil Classic history. The crowd went nuts as Faccinto is a California kid and just would not be denied. Both nights the Midgets would have 23 cars on hand to go after the $10,000 dollar prize. 
 
The Sprint Car portion was the only race all weekend didn't have the same drama, the track started going away and there were cars flipping and spinning it seemed on every few laps. Just was unfortunate as the field was stout, with some of the best USAC National drivers on hand, Thomas Meseraull, Brady Bacon, Kevin Thomas Jr. and Chad Boespflug to name a few. The slide jobs were coming fast a furious and on a number of occasions just didn't quit clear the car and boom a flip would incur. With a few laps to go Meseraull the eventual winner would put a nasty slide job on the leader Carson Macedo and Macedo didn't lift and he too found the wall and his night was over. With Curfew coming they threw the checkers with two laps to go and Meseraull would take his Sports Clip #42 into victory lane. To me this is a bucket list race that all must come to see at least once...with one of the most gorgeous settings anywhere in the country to watch a race, with wine tasting on one day and Beer tasting on the other it makes for a great weekend. The only downer of the weekend was on Night #1 Robert Ballou got up into the wall after bicycling going into turn one and breaking his neck, the good news is as of this writing he will not need surgery as they think it will heal on its own. So keep the Mad Man in your thoughts and prayers.

Ryan Bernal Saturday September 3, 2016  Calistoga Speedway, Calistoga, California 
Night #1 
 
55 Cars 

USAC/CRA Sprint Cars... 
 
Fast Time:  1x Robert Ballou  19.365 
 
Heat #1:  3c Tanner Thorson, 1x Robert Ballou, 42 Thomas Meseraull, 92 Jake Swanson, 88 Jace Vander Weerd, 44 Cody Williams, 1 Terry Schank, 30c John Clark

Heat #2:  56 Ryan Bernal, 4 Damion Gardner, 21az Stevie Sussex, 3f Geoff Ensign, 4s Mike Spencer, 5x Max Adams, 67 Britton Bock, 51 Brian Sperry 

Heat #3:  68 Chase Johnson, 42 Kevin Thomas Jr., 69 Chad Boespflug, 10 Richard Vander Weerd, 5 Logan Williams, 3t Joe Stornetta, 98 Jeremy Ellerston, 1v Sparky Howard 

Heat #4:  57 Jac Haudenschild, 91 Brady Roa, 2 Austin Williams, 83 Austin Liggett, 21x Carson  Macedo, 4g Chris Gansen, 42n Jeff Sibley 
 
B Main:  21x Macedo, 3t Stornetta, 44 C Williams, 5 L Williams, 4s Spencer, 88 J Vander Weerd, 5x Adams, 1 Schank, 1v Howard, 4g Gansen, 67 Bock, 30c lark, 51 Sperry, 42n Sibley, 98 Ellerston 
 
A Main:  56 Bernal, 4 Gardner, 21x Macedo, 10 R Vander Weerd, 3c Thorson, 42 Meseraull, 57 Haudenschild, 21az Sussex, 42 Thomas Jr., 3f Ensign, 91 Roa, 83 Liggett, 88 J Vander Weerd, 92 Swanson, 2 A Williams, 44 C Williams, 68 Johnson, 5x Adams, 1 Schank, 4s Spencer, 1x Ballou, 69 Boespflug, 5 L Williams, 3t Stornetta Jr.

Tanner Thorson USAC Western Midgets... 
 
Fast Time:  97 Spencer Bayston 19.774 NTR 
 
Heat #1:  67x Tanner Thorson, 97 Spencer Bayston, 26 Shane Golobic, 63 Frankie Guerrini, 11e Cory Elliott, 8 Randi Pankratz, 15 Ashley Hazelton, 71 Ryan Robinson 

Heat #2:  68 Ronnie Gardner, 73x Darren Hagen, 68w Jake Swanson, 71s Cody Swanson, 73 Ryan  Bernal, 62 Taylor Simas 

Heat #3:  71k Carson Macedo, 35 Michael Faccinto, 67k Holly Shelton, 4d Robert Dalby, 25 Courtney  Crone, 84 Chad Boat, 67 Britton Bock 
 
A Main:  67x Thorson, 97 Bayston, 71k Macedo, 68 Gardner, 26 Golobic, 67k Shelton, 35 Faccinto, 68w J Swanson, 71s C Swanson, 11e Elliott, 25 Crone, 4d Dalby, 63 Guerrini, 67 Bock, 57 Cofer, 15 Hazelton, 62 Simas, 8 Pankratz, 73 Hagen, 73 Bernal, 71 Robinson

Michael Faccinto Sunday September 4, 2016  Calistoga Speedway, Calistoga, California 
Night #2 
 
USAC/CRA Sprints.... 
 
Fast Time:  3c Tanner Thorson  19.508 
 
Heat #1:  73 Brady Bacon, 73x Danny Sheridan, 21x Carson Macedo, 42 Thomas Meseraull, 3c Tanner Thorson, 44 Cody Williams, 4g Chris Gassen, 30c John Clark

Heat #2:  56 Ryan Bernal, 92 Jake Swanson, 4s Mike Spencer, 10 Richard Vander Weerd, 88 Jace Vander Weerd, 5x Max Adams, 42 Jeff Sibley, 1v Sparky Howard

Heat #3:  4 Damon Gardner, 42 Kevin Thomas Jr., 69 Chad Boespflug, 91 Brody Roa, 68 Chase Johnson, 5 Logan Willaims, 67 Britton Bock, 98 Jeremy Ellerston 

Heat #4:  3t Joe Stornetta, 2 Austin Williams, 3f Geoff Ensign, 57 Jac Haudenschild, 83 Austin Liggett, 1 Terry Schank, 21az Stevie Sussex, 51 Brian Sperry 
 
B Main:  3c Thorson, 68 C Johnson, 83 Liggett, 5x Adams, 44 C Williams, 88 J Vander Weerd, 21az Sussex, 1 Schank, 1v Howard, 30c Clark, 4g Gansen, 51 Sperry, 98 Ellerston, 5 L Williams 
 
A Main:  42 Meseraull, 10 R Vander Weerd, 3f Ensign, 2 A Williams, 69 Boespflug, 5x Adams, 73x Sheridan, 42 Thomas Jr., 98 Ellerston, 57 Haudenschild, 4 Gardner, 1 Schank, 44 C Williams, 92 Swanson, 21x Macedo, 68 Johnson, 73 Bacon, 56 Bernal, 4s Spencer, 88 J Vander Weerd, 83 Liggett, 3c Thorson, 3t Stornetta, 91 Roa, 5 L Williams, 21az Sussex 
 
USAC Western Midgets.... 
 
Fast Time:  68w Jake Swanson  19.926 
 
Heat #1:  97 Spencer Bayston, 71k Carson Macedo, 71 Ryan Robinson, 68w Jake Swanson, 26 Shane Golobic, 25 Courtney Crone, 8 Randi Pankratz, 15 Ashley Hazelton 

Heat #2:  73 Brady Bacon, 35 Michael Faccinto, 67x Tanner Thorson, 67k Holly Shelton, 63 Frankie Guerrini, 57 Maria Cofer, 35w Nate Waite 

Heat #3:  84 Chad Boat, 68 Ronnie Gardner, 11e Cory Elliott, 4d Robert Dalby, 62 Taylor Simas, 71s Cody Swanson, 67 Britton Bock 
 
A Main:  35 Faccinto, 73 Bacon, 67x Thorson, 68 Gardner, 71k Macedo, 71 Robinson, 11e Elliott, 67k Shelton, 63 Guerrini, 4d Dalby, 25 Crone, 57 Cofer, 62 Simas, 35w Waite, 15 Hazelton, 8 Pankratz, 84 Boat, 68w J Swanson, 97 Bayston, 26 S Golobic