Camron Mendes uses patience & finesse to take advantage of opening in traffic and score second victory of Petaluma Speedway season on Saturday June 12
By Gary Thomas
Petaluma, CA – June 24, 2010…Competing on a slick and treacherous surface at the Petaluma Speedway on Saturday Night June 12 Rohnert Park, California’s Camron Mendes was able to take full advantage of an opportunity in traffic to get by veteran Bobby McMahan and then hold him off to record his third career sprint car victory.
The win was Mendes’ second of the Petaluma Speedway season after also claiming victory on May 8 and also allowed him to close in on Sebastopol driver Bradley Terrell for the track point lead.
“The track was really dry tonight and you had to be really easy on the gas to try and not spin your tires and not risk spinning out,” said the 19-year-old Mendes. “When we won here at Petaluma back in May the track was pretty much the same and it kind of throws a curve ball at you because it’s usually so hooked up and fast here.”
The evening of competition on Saturday June 12 marked the fifth point race of the season for the All-Pro 360 sprint cars at the Sonoma-Marin County Fairgrounds track and a 22-car field checked in at the back gate for the night’s festivities.
Mendes proceeded to open the event by clocking a 13.062 in qualifying to place the JMS Motorsports, RPM Photo Art, Cartwright Builders No. 29x, third fastest overall behind quick-timer Ricky Wright Jr. and second quick Bobby McMahan.
The youngster then brought home a third place finish in his heat race to transfer into the main event and when the number zero pill was drawn for the inversion it put him on the outside front row in the 25-lapper alongside McMahan. At the unveiling of the green flag in the feature Mendes settled into second and remained patient early on as day-time winds had dried the surface out more and more as the night went on.
Waiting for any kind of an opportunity on the icy-slick 3/8 mile clay oval, that chance would come on lap-eight when McMahan was slowed up just enough by a spinning lapped car to allow Mendes to shoot to the bottom and slice his way into the lead. After this Mendes hit his marks out front and never faltered to drive off and cross under the checkered for his track leading second 360 win of the season.
“I was just trying to run my own race there early on because it was pretty hard to make things happen, but luckily I was able to go to the bottom when the car spun in front of Bobby and it proved to be the right choice to help get us the victory,” Mendes commented. “Even when I was leading though I had to be really careful not to give a guy like Bobby a chance to get back by, because all it would have took was one mistake and he would have been right there. I really have to thank my team, family and all our sponsors as well for continuing to support us.”
Next up for Mendes and JMS Motorsports will be return visit to the Petaluma Speedway on Saturday July 3, but this time it will be with the traveling California Sprint Car Civil War Series. “We’re excited for the Civil War race coming up," said the Rohnert Park driver. “We’ve been quick at Petaluma so far this year and hopefully we can continue that with the traveling guys coming to town.’
For any potential marketing partners that would like to get involved with Camron Mendes and JMS Motorsports please contact jms-motorsports@comcast.net
Rohnert Park's Camron Mendes drove to his third career sprint car victory and second of the season at the Petaluma Speedway on June 12. The 19-year-old will return to action on Saturday July 3 when the traveling Civil War 360 Series comes to town. Photo by John Meirhofer of http://www.johnsracingphotos.com
- Gary Thomas on Jun 24, 2010
- Article Date: 6/24/2010