WINTERS CLAIMS $2000 IN NORTH STATE MODIFIED OPENER
June 3, 2023…. Eureka, CA…. After a 10 lap side by battle for the lead with Eric Price of Meridian, 2022 North State Modified Series champion Scott Winters of Tracy pulled ahead on lap 50 of the 60 lap feature, and drove to a $2000 victory in the NSMS “Dave McMurry Sr. Memorial” race at Redwood Acres Raceway Saturday night. Presenting the memorial trophy and congratulations to Winters was McMurray’s widow, Kate McMurray.
Brandon White of Eureka set fast time for the night with a 16.435 second lap followed by #37 at 16.473, Winters at 16.628, Kylei Keown also from Ukiah at 16.750 and Lakeport driver Ian Elliott at 16.819.
The eight-car inverted field saw Sammy Nuno of Windsor, driving the only 602 engine car in the race, forge ahead of Sal Martinez of Kelseyville at the drop of the Johnny Miskill green flag. Nuno pulled away leaving the battle for second to Martinez and Price. Price tagged Martinez in the rear on lap seven, and two rounds later Martinez pushed high and Price was able to fill the hole and advance to second place. 
By this time Nuno had put a healthy distance between his car and the rest of the field. As Price was playing catch-up, third on back ran nose-to-tail until lap 13 when #37 went to the outside in an attempt to pass Kylei Keown. Her efforts were stopped by the lapped car of John Baker, and #37 lost two spots to White and Winters. White picked off Keown on lap 16 for fourth, and Winters followed his line and settled into fifth.
#37 went to the outside again on 18 and passed Keown. Lap 22 saw both White and Winters dive under third place runner Martinez as Price was narrowing the gap between his car and Nunos. Price caught Nuno on lap 25, but Nuno kept him in his rear-view mirror and maintained first place.
The race was slowed on lap 36 for a spin on the backstretch by Orion Mosher. The double-file restart saw Price take control, and as Nuno went high, Winters and White took over second and third. Two rounds later #37 made the pass on Nuno for fourth.
The yellow flag dropped again on lap 40 when Nuno’s car broke loose in turn four collecting Ian Elliott and Martinez. Elliott parked his car, but Nuno pitted to change a flat tire and returned to action. The next 10 rounds saw the side-by-side battle between Price and Winters, and with 10 laps to go Winters finally took the lead. Both White and #37 drove under Price in the closing laps, and at the Sunoco checkered flag it was Winters, White, #37, Price and Keown. 
Rounding out the top ten were Martinez, Mosher, Baker, Nuno and Elliott.
Winter won both the O’Rielly’s Dash for Cash and the Hard Charger Award. The Scribner jugs went to Winters and White. Nuno won the 10 lap heat race followed by Martinez and Price.
The next stop for the North State Modifieds will be June 24 at Shasta Speedway in Anderson, CA.
The North State Modified Series would not be possible without the support of Hoosier Tire West, Sunoco Race Fuels, Anderson Logging, Naake Suspension, Racer Bling, Mark & Sharon Baldwin, Doyce Eaton, Scribner Plastics, McMurray & Sons Roofing, Frank’s Radios and O’Reilly’s Auto Parts.
Photo: Scott Winters was the $2000 winner of the Dave McMurray Sr. Memorial event. Presenting the trophy was Kate McMurray.
