Racing returns to Lahontan Valley

Octane Fest and NHRA drag racing return to the valley this weekend.

Rattlesnake Raceway is hosting another two-day Octane Fest at its dirt track off Highway 50, while a series of drag racing events will take over the Top Gun Dragstrip.

On Friday, Rattlesnake Raceway will feature circle track races, timed tough trucks, trailer races and car soccer. Saturday’s lineup includes circle track races, contact tough trucks, demolition derby and kids power wheels demolition derby.

Racing begins at 7 p.m. on Friday with the gates opening at 4 p.m. followed by racing starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday with the gates opening at 3 p.m. The pit gates open at 2 p.m. both days.

Admission fees are $10 for fans ages 11 and older, $8 for military with ID, and $5 for seniors 55 and older and children ages 6-10. Children under 5 are free. Tailgating for car and driver only is $25. Pit passes for those ages 13 and older are $25 while those 3-12 are $10. Children under 2 are free with a paid adult.

The NHRA Pacific National Open, JDRL Championship Series and ET Summit races highlight the three-day weekend at Top Gun.

The NHRA Open will feature races in Top Comp, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street and Stock/Super Stock Combo. The Summit Series includes Sportsman, Pro, Super Pro and ET Motorcycle. Junior dragsters will also compete.

Racing runs from Friday through Sunday at the quarter-mile strip south of Fallon on U.S. 95. Test and Tune starts on Friday at 10 a.m. and concludes at 6 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, racing starts at 8:30 a.m. Weekend racing will include junior dragsters, NHRA classes and ET cars.

Spectator fees are $50 for three-day and four-day, which includes Thursday, wristbands and $40 for a two-day wristband. For Sunday-only racing, wristbands are $20. Seniors are $10 per day, children ages 6-12 are $5 per day, and active duty military with ID are free.

Dirt Track standings

So far, the Lahontan Auto Racing Association standings are tight in the seven divisions.

Lovelock’s Kent Knisley leads the Mini Stock division with 196 points, holding a lead over Fallon’s Cooper Lee (187) and Colton Blankenship (185). Knisely has won all but one race in four tries with Fallon’s Travis Showe capturing a victory.

Dayton’s Royce Goetz and Fallon’s Jesse Gonzalez are tied at 179 points in the Street Stock division, while Dayton’s Randy Boyd has a two-point edge over Fallon’s Mikki Beuchat (168-166) for third. Goez, Gonzalez and Boyd each have won one race.

Reno’s Joe Frock has a 12-point lead (150-138) over Fallon’s William Christiano in the Dwarf division, and Yerington’s Glenn Sciarani is in third with 135 points. Frock has won all three races this year.

In the Bootlegger division, Fallon’s Ray Blankenship has won two of the four races and sits in first with 194 points. Carson’s Shari Hollis is second with 187 points followed by Fallon’s Sam Miller with 186, Joseph Keough with 172 and Ryan Harrison with 171. Hollis and Miller each have won a race.

Fallon’s Zach Cail leads the IMCA Modified division, 150-141, over Reno’s Katelynn Robertson and Wade Lumsden. Hawthorne’s Robert Mull is in fourth with 139 points and Oroville, California’s Chris Lewis rounds out the top-five with 112 points. Cail and Robertson each have one win.

Eighteen points separate first from fifth in the IMCA Stock Car division with Reno’s Jacob Dias leading with 154 points. Fallon’s Rusty McMillan is in second with 150 points followed by Winnemucca’s Marie Curtis (142), Cail (139) and Winnemucca’s Alyssa Jones (136). Dias has won three of the four races with McMillan capturing one race.

The IMCA Northern Sportmod division belongs to a Southern Nevada driver with Pahrump’s Joe Wabsis in the lead with 106 points. Fernley’s Jason Jovanelly is in second with 100 points followed by Reno’s Mark Hain with 98 and Fernley’s Ray Ballard with 97. Wabsis has won two of the four races, while Jovanelly has one victory.

Drag racing standings

The following are the top standings through two races (May 14-15).

In the Junior Dragster division, Gardnerville’s Crue Casteel leads Sparks’ Abigail West, 119-108, while Minden’s Jayce Schmid sits in third with 97 points.

In the Motorcycle division, Dayton’s Mike Downs and Carson’s Zach Clarke are tied with 107 points followed by Rudy Ramirez in third with 74.

Truckee’s Mike Holland and Washoe Valley’s John Shallow are also tied in the Sportsman division with each totaling 106 points followed by Fallon’s Jim Setterberg with 95.

Minden’s Daniel Glush leads Sparks’ Kevin Morris, 137-126, in the Pro division while Fallon’s Jimmie Grace is third with 115 points followed by Fernley’s Alvin Clarke with 104. Big Pine, California’s Tom Bayer and Spanish Springs’ John Krinner are tied in fifth with 93 points.

Fallon’s Lonnie Grace and Dayton’s Glen Schierholt are tied for first with 127 points in the Super Pro division. Carson’s Tom Christian is in third with 116 points followed by Minden’s Steve Schmid with 105. Carson’s Troy Moyle and Winnemucca’s Laurie Pickett are tied for fifth with 83 points.