We come to the first road course race of the 2021 season. This year we are up to five road races, easily the most since the Extravaganza inception in the early 50's. It's more important than ever to be a road-course ringer, giving even more advantage to the Tim McDonnell's of Extravaganza.

Race Results

Points Standings

Schedule

Odds-on favorites Tim McDonnell and Tony Pizzaro start in the back, though Johnny Reed Foley and John Battista were mistake-free in qualifying as the duo led the first 20 laps of the event. Just after the first caution flag flew, Battista's engine failed after amassing a 10-second advantage. He would finish 41st and drop from 3rd to 5th in the standings.

Tim McDonnell and Randy Dobbins attempted to split Steven Spears through the esses, but to no avail. The three tangled and flew into the tire barriers without much time for brakes. Spears and Dobbins would finish outside of the top-25, though McDonnell rallied profusely to a 13th place finish in a mangled car, three spots ahead of points leader Tony Pizzaro. He would finish the day just 6 points behind in the Championship.

Shake N' Bake Racing earned it's road course testing dues early on, running 1st and 3rd during the second green flag stint. Alan Nesfeder, John Tharp and Jimmie Stevens also ran strong, and looked poised for their first victories of the season.

Johnny Reed Foley endured a horrifying pit stop, leaving Michael Henson out as the first car with fresh tires and full fuel. The other leaders came one lap later, leaving Craig Lee to lead out the run after pitting earlier in the go. Bill Werkheiser attempted to fly past lapped traffic and catch the #101, but to no avail.

Several incidents came off the first set of esses. Cristian Torres, Rick Jackson, Tony Pizzaro and Kevin Corbat all flew across the dry Sonoma dust and into the turn 4A traffic. Cinderella story Michael Henson wrecked hard attempting to avoid the Pizzaro accident, finishing 36th after leading 6 laps. He remains without a top-10 on the season.

Adam Crapser inhereted the lead after Craig Lee came in for his pit stop. It took less than a lap for Henson and Zach Michael to fly by the #4. Henson would lead his 6 laps before pitting during the next flag. From there, Zach Michael took the reigns. 

Zach led three laps after battling had with Jonathan Scrabacz on the restart. He came down to pit during the next caution, assuming the rest of the field would do the same during the course of the event. Up front, Scrabacz failed to maintain the lead pace, as the wiley veterans John Tharp and Scott Jackson took over the show.

A horrible pit-wall crash with just 5 laps to go sent Cristian Torres to the hospital. He and Kevin Corbat made contact entering turn 11. Torres's car catapaulted through the tire barriers passenger-side first and came to a complete stop on impact. Word is still out on whether he can race at Chicagoland.

It was a final two-lap shootout to the finish. Scott Jackson got the jump he needed on the restart and flew through the gears entering turn 1. He and Tharp were side-by-side through the first two corners before Jackson cleared Tharp into the uphill. It was a multiple car-length distance from there.

A drought of nearly 100 races couldn't shatter the confidence of Scott Jackson. Since his crew chief change just five races ago, nobody has amassed more points than the #38 Ateup crew in shades of his golden days. Jackson would cross the finish line first in his unprecedented second victory in the past four races. Congrats to Scott, crew chief Linwood Smalls, and the entire W.A.S.P. Motorsports team for an excellent victory!

2021 Toyota Save-Mart 350 Video