Thought I'd dig up some stats from the recent archives on Pearsonville Speedway. For many years, Pearsonville, California was the site of a Turkey Classic event for Stock Cars. I believe it ran for 24 years. Somewhere around here I have a video from one of these events in the 90's that Gary Jacob gave me. Just for the record, I have the final five season's (that I know of) of point standings there (1996-2000) and snippets from Gary Jacob's Turkey Classic stories there in1999 and 2000.
A snippet from a Gary Jacob article of what was the final (?) Turkey Classic race there.
November 26, 2000
Pulling off a clean sweep with his wins in the heat race, qualifying main event and 35 lap feature, Bakersfield's Keith Heaslet pocketed $1,250 for his Turkey Classic performance in the open comp street stock class at Pearsonville Speedway. The qualifying feature win put Heaslet on the pole for the 35 lapper and he paced every lap to add the $250 clean sweep bonus to his $1,000 winner's share. Perris Auto Speedway regular Jeff Dunham fought off the challenges of outside groove runner Chris Smith to finish second. Dunham won $500 and Smith $300 as Victorville ace Mike Morris ran fourth over Danny Queener.
Double division racer Queener won the hobby stock feature that was checkered after 23 of the scheduled 35 laps when the one hour time limit ran out. Queener's hobby stock win paid $350 with Bakersfield Speedway regulars Curtis Dietzsch and Troy Morris Jr in the 2-3 slots.
Even the Road Hawg division had a strong turnout as the track that had been closed since April reopened for it's 24th Annual Turkey Classic. After the duo of Chris Smith and Melody Smith broke a transmission leading with five laps to run, the visiting duo of James Altman and Mike Companion scored the $250 win over the duo of Frank Hawkins and Dave Tompkins.
Having repaired his Larry Shaw late model after his recent Bakersfield crash, local favorite Robbie Witwer finished off a strong Turkey Classic weekend with an easy win in the 25 lap main event for the dirt late models Sunday afternoon at Pearsonville Speedway. Witwer also won his heat race and ran a strong third in the qualifying main event. Runnerup Ron Bartels was a half-lap behind after the all green 25 lapper with third place Chad Reichenbach 3/4 of a lap back. Witwer's effort is sponsored by Brady's Mobil and Paul Cowan Race Car Preparation.
Mark Nustad led all 25 laps to win the mini stock feature after earlier winning both his heat race and the qualifying main event. By sweeping action, Nustad added a $250 bonus to his $250 winner's check. Behind Nustad's potent Pinto came Paul Bender and long tows Ron German, Cris Hatherly and Ike Reed.
A Snippet From A Gary Jacob article from the 1999 Turkey Classic
November 28, 2999
Taking the lead when Santa Maria Speedway track champion Devin Crockett slipped high on a lap 20 restart, Robbie Witwer collected $1,000 for win in the 35 lap dirt late model feature during the 23rd Annual Turkey Classic Sunday afternoon at Pearsonville Speedway. The 9 division show paid a $16,000 purse. Witwer had a strong finish to his 1999 season after he began crewing on the Paul Cowan car. He was a $600 second to the $1,200 win of Scott Pounds in the no rules season finale at Bakersfield and ran strong in his first visit to Tonopah, NV. The late models had not been scheduled to be part of the show, but Harley Davidson magnet Bill Bartels was disappointed that he had no place to race on Thanksgiving weekend and he asked Cowan to try to get them on the card. Cowan raised $1,500 in donations from local businesses and the teams ran for their entry fees and this money with Witwer's win worth $1,000, Crockett's 2nd $600 and the third place finish of Scott Kuster in the Cowan Rayburn Chassis worth $400.
Former NASCAR Pacific Coast Regional champion Robert Miller, now living in Gardnerville, NV, spent most of the 1999 season on the pavement, but he returned to his dirt roots for a pair of late season specials. Sunday afternoon, he completed a clean sweep of the open comp modified portion of the 23rd Annual Turkey Classic in his first look at Pearsonville Speedway. Because Miller won his heat, the dash and the 35 lap main, he was able to add a $250 bonus onto his $550 winner's check. In October, Miller collected a $1,500 win at Reno-Fernley Raceway in his first visit there. Miller wheels an Outlaw Chassis with sponsorship from Transmissions by Hal. He thanked Randy Gratzer and his family for their help on the weekend and really enjoyed having young son Mitchell in the pits with him all weekend. After breaking a transmission on Saturday, Kenny Miller took the necessary pieces off the car that Rod Brown flipped and was able to start last in the 17 car modified grid. He battled his way to a $350 second with Bill Waltman's third worth $250.
Former track champion Jack Freeland also collected the $250 bonus in the mini stock action as he won the 35 lap main after earlier winning his heat and the Turkey Dash in his potent Ford Pinto. The victory paid $350 plus the $250 bonus and Victorville star Robbie Cockrell was a $200 second.
In the Road Hawg action, the team of Kenny Miller and Nick Pokol took the lead on lap 2 and easily won the 20 lapper ahead of Phillip Krabbe-Mike Pryor team.
Final 1996 Points Standings
SUPER STREET STOCK
01 Dale Cromwell 2750
61X Robbie Witwer 2685
17 Daryl McGee 2540
55 Owen Hartley 2165
89 Tony Green 2080
60 Chris Smith 1665
3 Kim Kittner 1380
25 Charles Burnett 1165
111 Brad Bennett 1020
1 Pam Miller 685
18 Dwight Carleton 365
05 Bill Dooty 420
88 Rusty Green 220
HOBBY STOCK
32 Al Wearner 2734
57 Kenny Miller 2435
73 Rod Brown 1735
27 Brett Marsh 1730
75 Sands Sprague 1600
29 Mike Cornell 1368
39 Danny Segelke 1360
16X Danny Quinn 1355
44 Dennis Berry 1240
19X Teague Williams 830
68 Ray Power 665
3B Joe Blackmore, Jr. 590
13 Tres Fleming 360
29 Warren Hagemen 295
LADIES
50 Patty Dunkle 2445
02 Melodie Smith 2375
55 Lisa Hartley 2370
3 Kim Kittner 2195
43 Carolyn Reise 1765
1 Pam Miller 1135
MINI STOCK
20 Jack Freeland 2510
16 James Hageman 395
FACTORY STOCK
93 Jane Maurice 2620
11 Nate Waldren 1610
91 Nascar Ralph 1090
13 Tres Fleming 895
IMCA LATE MODEL
18 Bill Meyer 205
32C Scott Kuster 183
01 John Rogers 151
6 Blake 150
21 Kevin Hocking 146
42 Cary Cecil 134
51 Bob Cram 130
21X Devin Crockett 129
98 Tom Cunningham 121
1 Rick Becker 119
49 Bill Pomfret 104
89 Chad Riechenbach 84
25 Larry Blake 47
22 DePaolo 39
30A Bob Foster, Jr. 13
IMCA MODIFIED
9 Paul Moore 179
16X Steve Smothermon 176
12B Ron Bartels 173
00 Jerry Walton 143
77 Todd Howard 142
77B Bill Bartels 125
88 Phil Chendennin 122
96 Bob Forester, Jr. 122
1 Scott Pounds 114
16H Jerry Heusher 108
17 Greg Voigt 72
44 Mike Corning 71
112 John Rogers 70
4 George Scott 61
23 James Weston 45
88A Jim Perkins 38
4X Alan Updyke 36
82 Brad Hopper 35
11 Dennis Hayes 34
9X Jim Deines 34
10 Lin Deines 32
22 Jason Pike 30
2C Donald Carleton 5
1997 Final Points Standings
SUPER STREET STOCK
01 Dale Cromwell 2275
32 Al Wearner 1960
3 Cory Bales 1820
55 Owen Hartley 1330
11X Gene Placencia 790
25 Charles Burnett 555
19 Ron Sanders 110
60 Kenny Miller 100
HOBBY STOCK
57 Kenny Miller 2095
73 Rod Brown 1885
27 Brett Marsh 1745
22 Deborah Paull 1625
12 Rob Cromwell 1445
75 Sands Sprague 1175
LADIES
12 Pam Miller 2255
55 Lisa Hartley 1580
22 Deborah Paull 1340
11X Sandy Sisk 1145
57 Patty Dunkle 705
MINI STOCK
20 Jack Freeland 2160
23 Amy Berry 1670
3 Dan Farage 810
11 Brad Cox 730
3X/11 Brian Norton 370
48 Kenny Miller 335
ROAD HAWG
3 Dave Tomkins / David Brigdon 2140
73 Rod Brown / Betty Jo Walker 1925
J9 Terry Lister / Warren Curtis 1510
101 Rob Cromwell / Debbie Cromwell 1340
141 Jamey Pryor / Jeff Litterer 395
IMCA MODIFIED
30A Bob Forster 189
12 Ron Bartels 178
57 Kenny Miller 176
42 Scott Bartels 174
23 James Weston 153
9 Paul Moore 107
2C Don Carleton 72
77H Todd Howard 35
9 Jim Deines 35
17 Greg Voigt 34
8 Bill Gates 34
8 George Scott 33
10 Lin Deines 32
99 Bill Waltman 31
83G Steve Reynolds 10
1998 Final Points Standings
HOBBY STOCK
73 Rod Brown 2260
70 Freddie Soules 2060
81 Ron Oakley 1950
F2 John Boyer 1790
75 Sands Sprague 1670
16X Danny Quinn 875
20 Stanley Byrd 665
88 Karl Nicholson 305
14 Ed Gashi 255
MINI STOCK
20 Jack Freeland 2180
99, 66 Russ Franklin 2040
3 Michael Kinkennon 1715
5 William Schrader 1210
4 Shawn Haines 1065
14 Ed Gashi 1005
29 Sharon Booth 730
48 Ronald Smith 655
48 Brian Norton 585
68 Ben Gossett 205
ROAD HAWG
J9 Terry Lister/ Gary Smith 2130
73 Ric Brown/ Betty Jo Walker 2095
4U Stacy Cooper/ Shelly Lewis 1850
101 Bill Schrader/ Karen Schrader 1520
86d Kim Kinslow/ Janet Kircher 1515
141 Nick Pokol/ Jamie Pryor 595
77X Garrett Beck/ Mike Palmer 20
SUPER STREET STOCK
32 Al Wearner 2235
43 Melodie Smith 2000
13 Tres Fleming 1675
12 Pam Miller 1660
16X Danny Quinn 400
11X Rod Brown 20
Pearsonville Speedway 1999 Points Standings as of 10/18/99
MINI-FACTORY STOCK
84 Terry O'Connor 2055
2 Randy Smith 1990
14 Ed Gashi 1865
30 Mike Kinkennon 1825
20 Jack Freeland 1820
48 Ron Smith 1770
99 Russ Franklin 1590
8 Robert Collins 1450
5 Wayne Johnson 885
4 Shawn Haines 0
6 Nick Pokol 0
13 Larry Lewis 0
86d Richard Wilder 0
98X Brian Norton 0
HOBBY/FACTORY STOCK
16X Danny Quinn 2045
73 Rod Brown 2005
F2 John Boyer 1730
87 Pat Arisman 1295
88 Joe Azevedo 830
81 Ron Oakley 480
01 Mark Anderson 0
5 John Cereoli 0
07 Jeff Murphy 0
57 Kenny Miller 0
82 James Rose, III 0
SUPER STREET STOCK
79M Mike Holmes 2220
32 Al Wearner 1835
70 Freddie Soules 1790
81 Ron Oakley 1685
11 Andres Rizo 1525
43 Melodie Smith 1445
6 Larry Blake 870
01 Chris Smith 360
60 Rod Brown 75
4 Rick Cross 0
12 Pam Miller 0
39 Danny Segelke 0
44 Mike Allen 0
73 Kenny Miller 0
ROAD HAWG
3 Dave Brigdon / Dave Tomkins 2235
55 Frank Hopkins / Chris Smith 1785
49 John Krabbe / Philip Krabbe 1695
83 Betty Jo Brown / Mike Walters 1610
73 Francine Amerson / Jo Lynn Tomkins 1560
141 Jamey Pryor / Mike Pryor 1560
05 Bill Schrader / Karen Schrader 1270
4U Stacy Flemming / Tres Flemming 910
101 Rick Bogoger / Robert Getchey 780
09 Cliff Newton / Steve Newton 0
69 Ron Brown / Roberta Collison 0
86d Pat Arisman / Pete Morris 0
129 Curtis Boutte / Rusti Caraker 0
Pearsonville Speedway Points Standings as of 4/8/00
MINI-FACTORY STOCK
1 Paul Bender 385
14 Sands Sprague 345
84 Terry O'Connor 330
20 Jack Freeland 325
48 Ron Smith 290
11 Tim McReynolds 270
148 Russ Franklin 255
10 Marco Layva 250
2 Randy Smith 185
29 Sharon Lewallen 75
HOBBY/FACTORY STOCK
3 Brigdon / Tomkins 370
87 Pat Arisman 370
73 Rod Brown 330
57 Sam Miller 240
57 Kenny Miller 130
05 William Schrader 5
SUPER STREET STOCK
6 Larry Blake 395
32 Al Wearner 375
70 Freddie Soules 345
43 Melodie Smith 320
01 Chris Smith 265
23 Russ Silvia 180
55 Lisa Hartley 100
ROAD HAWG
8 395
K-9 345
24 295
7 295
2 290
05 290
84 260
4U 100
41 10
