Mini-stock division gets a shakeup down the stretch

Post-race car inspections continue to add drama to the points series at Marysville Raceway Park, turning wins into losses and shaking up the division leaderboards.

The mini-stock division was the latest to experience the tech jolt as points leader and defending champion Joel Giusti of Sutter had his victory last Saturday wiped after failing inspection.

James A.M. Foster, who came into the race just five point behind the leader, looked to benefit from the disqualification, but the Marysville driver suffered even a bigger hit when he was disqualified and slapped with a two-week suspension for making an obscene gesture.

Those two incidents vaulted Lisa Shelby of Yuba City into the points lead with five races remaining.

Shelby leads Giusti, 444-417, with Blaine Baker of Yuba City one point back in third (416) and Foster in fourth (402) but certain to slide out of contention.

Shelby said she and her team now have to take advantage of the break.

“I just need to stay consistent and finish in the top three or five the last five races,” Shelby said. “Hopefully that will get (the championship) for us.”

It would be the first track title for Shelby, who is in her fourth season of racing. Her best finish was last year when she ended up third.

Shelby figures Giusti is still very much in the hunt.

“And Blaine in that No. 40 car also should give us a run,” Shelby said. “I really have a hard time getting around Blaine.”

Baker is actually part of the Shelby racing team.

Shelby really would like to win the mini-stock title because she is looking to jump up to the street stock division next season and race her brother’s car. Phillip Shelby, meanwhile, is looking to move up to the wingless sprint car class.

Giusti, who appealed the disqualification only to have it upheld, said the penalty slows the team’s momentum.

“We had won three in a row before this,” he said, citing two races at Marysville and a Fourth of July race in Orland. “We finally got the car figured out.”

Now, Giusti said he has to go out and try and win every race left. He said he really doe not focus on the points race, and instead concentrates on winning. It’s only after each race that Giusti begins calculating the points race.

Still, he thinks he has time to get back to the top.

“Last year, with four races left, we were 36 points behind and we came back and won the track title by eight,” Giusti said.

Still, he believes teams need to have access to the testing equipment used during inspections so they know their own gear is comparable.

“Paul has been very, very good about it,” Giusti said. “He’s trying to make everything as fair as possible.”

Fair isn’t the word on Foster’s mind. He believes the suspension is too extreme.

“It’s not until the last race that we’re sitting there in the car, stressing out about the points race.”

Foster said he was rammed twice in Saturday’s race, breaking his steering. To make matters worse, the other car was not in the championship hunt. Foster was upset and made an obscene gesture.

“I’d pay the fine,” Foster said, “but I don’t understand the two-week suspension.”

The mini-stock division has the weekend off, returning to the track on Aug. 4.

Saturday is Dilly Bar Ice Cream Nite featuring the winged Pacific sprints, the wingless Speedway sprints, the street stocks and the visiting SORA 100 sprinters.

For a complete look at the top 10 drivers in each points division, turn to Page B2.