Recreation
LAKEPORT, Calif. – It was a cold windy night that welcomed race fans and drivers this last weekend at Ukiah Speedway, and fans were treated to an exciting night of racing action on the track that was the kickoff of the 2013 Lakeport Ukiah Challenge Series.
The racing action kicked off in the Extreme Asphalt Outlaw division with Kyle Tellstrom setting the new track record in the division at 13.543.
Tellstrom went on to battle in the main event with Shelby Helm for many laps of side by side racing until Helm was pressured to slip up going into turn number four. That allowed Tellstrom to make the pass for the lead to move onto to take his first victory of the 2013 racing season.
That was just the start of the racing night, with the action in the Mini Stock division seeing James Stillman setting a fast time with a 15.124.
At the drop of the green flag Eddie Barnett jumped out to the early lead with Stillman right on his tail. The two battled back and forth for many laps until Stillman had a mechanical problem with his car that cost him some spots.
After Stillman gathered his car back together he made his way back up to second but did not have enough time to make another challenge for the lead. At the checkers it was Barnett, Stillman and Peterson.
In the legend cars the front row was made up of Mark Miller on the pole with Robert Gilliland starting on the outside pole.
After an early race caution sent Miller to the back, the restart saw Gilliland jump out to the lead to be passed a few laps later by Robert Lozano.
Lozano led until a late race caution forced a restart with Lozano on the pole and Gilliland on the outside. Gilliland jumped out to the lead to go on and take the win followed by Frazer and Lozano.
The Jammer division saw many new faces behind the wheel for the opening night of racing, but it saw a few familiar faces in victory lane.
At the drop of the green it was Dylan Washburn who jumped out to the lead of the whole group of cars and he continued to lead his Jr. Jammer division to go on and take his first victory for the 2013 racing season.
In the pro division it was Wayne Young of Kelseyville making a pass early on in the race to take the lead in the pro division, taking the lead of the whole race from Washburn with only two laps remaining.
There were 28 bombers that showed up to the speedway with 16 of them being locked in by time for the A main event with the remaining 12 cars having to battle it out in a 20 lap B main event.
Brian White worked his way up from the back of the B Main to take the win followed, at the checkers by Kollenborn, Verde and Leslie Marrufo.
At the drop of the checkers it saw eventual winner Scott Sabol have to work his way up from the back of the field, with the two cars of David Land and Jesse Frey starting on the front row. The two battled side by side for many laps until Frey jumped out to the early lead.
There was an early race caution for a single car spin and at the restart it saw young Tim Buzzard Jr. jump out to a commanding lead.
Buzzard battled in the lead until another caution flew and put Buzzard up against Sabol on a restart. At the drop of the green Sabol jumped out to the lead going into turn one, not looking back to take the win although he had to hold off a couple restarts with Mike Collins. At the checkers it was Sabol, Collins and Buzzard.
The racing action continues this weekend with opening night at Lakeport Speedway.
Racing on Saturday at Lakeport Speedway will be the Gravitate Modifieds, The Taco Bell Bombers, the Volvo Rents Mini Stocks, the Bandoleros and the Legend Cars.
Front gates open at 3:30 p.m., with racing action starting at 5 p.m.
For complete event details and schedule visit www.lakeportspeedway.com and make sure to like the speedway on Facebook.
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U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell announced a series of meetings in Colorado, Utah and California that will focus on the development of a ski area water rights clause impacting ski facility operations on national forests.
“Skiing is an important recreational activity on our nation’s forests and greatly contributes to the economy of resort communities,” said Tidwell. “The water used by ski areas for snowmaking and other activities is essential to sustain the long-term future of the communities. The Forest Service welcomes input from the ski areas, the communities and the public as to how water rights should be managed in order to ensure long-term benefits.”
Currently, the Forest Service policy keeps water with the land and allows ski resorts to use water from nearby streams and lakes for snow-making during times when snowfall fails to provide enough cover for ski runs.
The agency has maintained that by keeping the water with the land, the ski industry will remain vibrant while mountain communities will have abundant water supplies into the future.
The announced meetings are open to the public and will seek input regarding how to best meet the needs of surrounding communities and ski areas.
The open forums are scheduled in Denver on April 16, Salt Lake City on April 17, and Lake Tahoe, Calif., on April 18.
Forest Service leaders and technical experts from Washington, D.C., as well as from local and regional offices will be on-hand to take public comments and provide additional information on the water rights issue.
The Forest Service has long enjoyed a beneficial relationship with the ski industry, which boosts state and local economies and provides healthy playgrounds for people.
In Colorado, for example, roughly $1.5 billion flow into the local and state economy from downhill skiers and snowboarders. Nearly half the downhill skiing capacity in the U.S. is on national forests with about 27 million people visiting those areas annually.
The announced public meetings are predicated on the agency’s need to update a clause on the ski area special use permits, which it did in 2011 and 2012.
The clauses were challenged in federal court, and a U.S. District Court judge determined the clauses were a legislative rather than an interpretive rule, which means that the agency is required to provide public notice and comment before issuing a final clause. The judge did not comment on the substance of the clause as written.
There will be an additional opportunity to comment later on a proposed clause.
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