Albuquerque, NM (5/15/21) – Sandia Speedway was home to race number five of the 2021 season on Saturday for the Lucas Oil POWRi NMMRA Sprint Car Series. The ‘Spring Fling’ welcomed a diverse group of non-wing specialists, including Farmington’s Josh Grady, who had been undefeated in the previous two races at Sandia Speedway.
With 14 cars checked in for racing action, the feature lineup would be determined by two qualifying heat races, each consisting of 8 laps, with the top four finishers eligible for a random redraw to start within positions 1-8 in the A-Main.
Heat 1 kicked the night off with a ferocious battle between pole sitter Michael Fanelli and Caleb Saiz. Saiz would nip the blue deuce driven by Fanelli at the line, with Spencer Hill rallying up to 3rd from the 6th position. Heat 2 carried just as much excitement as the rookie Caleb Stelzig took his third heat race win of the season as he worked the high line to perfection from the 6th starting spot. Don Grable and Travis Oldfield would round out the top-three.
SEH Motorsports led the field to the green flag in the A-Main for 25 circuits around Sandia Speedway with Hill and Oldfield controlling the front row.
Oldfield broke away early on the initial start as Stelzig moved around Hill and Saiz as the two made slight contact in the first turn. Caution number one flew on lap number two which created an opportunity to bunch the field together once again early. On the restart, Oldfield would slip up on the bottom and give way to Stelzig to capture the lead out of turn 2. Unfortunately for the rookie, another pair of caution flags would fly back-to-back and make it difficult to secure a healthy lead until a green flag run finally emerged. Stelzig began to pull away from the field in dominating fashion, but lap traffic would begin to play a role around the half-way point. In traffic, the gap would get smaller and smaller until eventually Caleb Saiz passed Stelzig for the lead in turn four.
Strangely, Stelzig’s car began to visibly slow after relinquishing the lead and in a heartbreaking turn of events, the No. 21 was out of fuel with just three laps left.
For the first time with the Lucas Oil POWRi NMMRA Sprint Car Series this year, Albuquerque, New Mexico’s Caleb Saiz was victorious with his beautiful Hal Burns Racing No. 1HA Twister tribute car, recognizing the late Hank Arnold. Oldfield would pass the night’s hard charger Josh Grady late to secure 2nd, while Grable and Fanelli rounded out the top-five.
“It really means a lot to finally put this special car in victory lane,” said Saiz. “It took a little longer than I wanted but it sure does feel nice to get a win for the team and David Burns’ family. Especially with all the hard work that went into this car. I can’t thank David and his family enough for putting me in this car, and of course, I can’t thank Hal Burns Truck & Equipment, Napa Belts and Hoses, Weise Auto Supply, SMI, JMS Telephone Company, Schaeffer’s Engine Oil, Performance Plus, FK Rod Ends, J&J Auto Racing, Hoosier Racing Tire, and Simpson Race Products enough for all of their support. It wouldn’t be possible without them.”
With the conclusion of the Spring Fling, the Lucas Oil POWRi NMMRA Sprint Cars will have two weeks off before returning on June 5th for ‘Roaring Thunder Presented by Mosher Enterprises’ back at Sandia Speedway.
Results:
# Name Hometown +/-
- 1HA Caleb Saiz Albuquerque, NM +3
- 11w Travis Oldfield Albuquerque, NM -
- 12J Josh Grady Farmington, NM +5
- 45x Don Grable El Paso, TX +3
- 2 Michael Fanelli Rio Rancho, NM -
- 24 Robert Marfia Rio Rancho, NM +3
- 92 Dillon Tanner Rio Rancho, NM +4
- 41 Devon Amos Rio Rancho, NM +2
DNF 21 Caleb Stelzig Albuquerque, NM -3
DNF 0 JR Bonesteel Albuquerque, NM -7
DNF 50x Jerry Higginbotham Rio Rancho, NM +2
DNF 7D7 Spencer Hill Albuquerque, NM -11
DNF 23 Craig Stringfellow Albuquerque, NM -1
DNF 4 Theo McCarty Hillsboro, OR -
Heat 1 (Results): 1-Saiz.C 2-Fanelli.M 3-Hill.S 4-Grady.J 5-Marfia.R 6-Tanner.D 7-Higginbotham.J
Heat 2 (Results): 1-Stelzig.C 2-Grable.D 3-Oldfield.T 4-Bonesteel.J 5-Amos.D 6-Stringfellow.C 7-McCarty.T