Championship night at Reno-Fernley Raceway

Three racing divisions wrapped up their 2006 season at Reno-Fernley Raceway on Saturday night, with new champions crowned in each.

There was also a break in the racing action after popular Carson City Pro Stock driver Gary Nevers crashed heavily in turn three during a heat race when his throttle stuck wide open. Nevers was briefly knocked unconscious and was complaining of neck and back pain, so Care Flight transported him to Washoe Med in Reno for evaluation. Nevers waved at the crowd and thanked them for their cheers as he was carried to the Care Flight helicopter.

The Pure Stock division kicked off the action in its final points race of the season. Brandon Martin of Reno, with a 15 point advantage over Fallon's Tori Edgington coming into the evening, was a virtual lock for the title. But the race belonged to Fallon's Jerry Roseland, who took command at the green flag and never relinquished the lead. While Roseland drove into the distance, Edgington moved to second and held off a charging Martin for several laps. Martin took advantage of lapped traffic to pass Edgington for second, and began whittling down Roseland's lead. But Martin ran out of race and Roseland hung on for the victory. Martin finished second, Edgington third, with John Schilling of Stagecoach in fourth and newlywed Tracy Moore of Fernley rounding out the top five. Martin and Edgington won their respective heat races, and Martin's final championship margin was 16 points.

The Hobby Stock division also finished its season Saturday night, with a three-point gap between points leader Carl Barlow of Silver Springs and Carson City driver Shane Ramthun.

Mike Kinkel Jr. of Carson City grabbed the lead from the pole and led all the way. Behind him Billy Anderson of Round Mountain and defending champion Dean Clark of Silver Springs (with a mathematical chance to win the championship) battled for second. Barlow mounted an early charge through the pack, quickly advancing to fourth, then third. Ramthun, meanwhile, was mired in traffic back in eighth spot, unable to find passing room.

Clark closed up on Kinkel and spent the last half of the race looking for a way by and not finding it. The race ran green all the way, and at the checker it was Kinkel with the win, Clark a close second, Barlow third, Anderson fourth, and Reno's Jerry Marrow a distant fifth.

Barlow's finish was good enough to take the championship over Ramthun, who ended up in seventh place, and Barlow entertained the crowd with celebratory "donuts" as he took a victory lap. Ramthun and Barlow won a heat race apiece earlier in the evening.

The Legends cars were added to the program, but the eight-car field was reduced to six early in the going. Wayne Estes of Fallon shot into the lead at the green with Reno's Todd Thompson in hot pursuit. Terry Madjeski of Incline Village moved into third around Jim Klopp of Reno, and Sparks driver Fred Handley rounded out the top five in the early going.

Coming off turn four Jason Anderline of Reno lost it and spun right in front of Reno driver Lester Mitchell as the pair battled for sixth. Mitchell, with no place to go, nailed the spinning Anderline, putting both cars out of the race. On the restart, Klopp got a terrific jump, vaulting him into second place. Estes pulled out a lead while Klopp held off three pursuers.

When the checkered flag waved it was Estes with a wire-to-wire victory. Klopp hung on to second ahead of Madjeski, Thompson, and Handley. Heat race wins went to Thompson and Madjeski.

With a 20 point lead, all Carson City's Brian Coclich had to do was take the green to clinch the Pro 4 division championship. But Coclich won the title with a win, a fitting finish to a fine season. It wasn't easy, though, as Coclich dodged a multi-car pileup in turn two on the first lap that ended the night for second-place points runner Kenny Martin.

When the green flag flew on the restart, Coclich shot from last place to second in one lap, then reeled in leader Skip Wise of Bishop, Calif. Danyale Urban of Sparks and Fernley's Missy Natenstedt went to the pits with damage sustained in the first lap incident, and soon there were only five cars running. Coclich lapped all but Wise in his run to his final checkered flag of the season.

When the race ended, Coclich had half a lap lead over second place Wise. Jason Goade of Sun Valley was third, a lap down, with Reno's Ross Triplett II fourth and Steve Young of Reno fifth. Natenstedt and Coclich each took a heat race victory.

The championship race in the Pro Stock division was a nail-biter that came down to the final lap of the race and the season. Coming into the evening Joe Specchio, Jr. of Fernley had an eight-point lead over Loyalton, Calif., driver Jim Smith. Smith won his heat race and Specchio was second in his heat, narrowing the gap to seven points for the start of the main.

A four-car incident in turn two on the first lap necessitated a complete restart, and Dennis Ashley of Loyalton took the lead from the pole. He was soon passed by Scott Doich of Reno, who had the fastest car on the racetrack. Yerington's Roy Peterson and Jake Holland of Calpine, Calif. also passed Ashley when he slid wide in turns three and four.

Smith moved up to fourth, and Specchio was bottled up in traffic running 10th. A yellow flag bunched the field after a spin in turn two, and Holland grabbed second on the restart. Another yellow flag flew almost immediately for a multi-car pileup in turn two, and on the next restart Smith surged into second. Neither Smith nor anybody else had anything for the flying Doich, but with Specchio back in 10th Smith looked like he had the championship sewed up.

But when Specchio saw the white flag, it triggered a banzai charge that carried him past two cars on the last lap, advancing to eighth at the checker and taking the championship by a single point. Doich took the race win with Smith second, Holland third, Mike McMordie of Reno fourth, and Peterson fifth. Heat race victories went to Pat Couch of Oregon House, Calif., Brett Youngman of Grass Valley, Calif., and Smith.

Next Saturday night Reno-Fernley Raceway hosts the NCMA sprint cars along with IMCA Modifieds, 318 Modifieds, and Dwarf cars on the program. Spectator gates open at 3 p.m., with racing action starting at 6. For more information, call (775) 575-7217 or go to www.renofernleyraceway.com on the Web.