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Redding's Alex Schutte Earns Hard Fought Win at Chico

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Photo by Steven Cox [sprintcarphotos.com][/caption]CHICO, CA (5-13-11) - Alex Schutte won the 2010 USAC Western States Midget Championship but tonight he was the star of non-wing sprint car racing. Schutte won the 25-lap Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Sprint Shootout Series main event Friday night at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. Schutte is originally from Redding but currently attends Sonoma State University. The 21-year-old is a well rounder driver for his age having success in midget and non-wing sprint car racing. In 2007, Schutte signed on with Cory Kruseman as a developmental driver. The relationship last through 2009. In 2010 Shutte raced for Jerome Rodela in the Toyota Racing Development sponsored midget and went on to win the championship. Tonight he drove the Dave Johnson #32 to the win. Chasing him to the checkered flag was veteran driver Jimmy Sills. The "professor" caught Schutte on the final lap but was not able to pass him coming to the checkered flag.

There might be a star in the making after tonight. Stephanie Tuttle made her first start in a non-wing sprint car at Chico a success. Tuttle, originally from Indiana, now lives in Marysville and dominated the first half of the main event. She started on the front row and led the first 13 laps until Shutte passed her. Tuttle then fell to the third spot on lap 16 when Sills got by her. She was able to hang in there amongst the boys and finished in the third spot. She did an amazing job considering her lack of laps at the speedway. On top of her third place finish she won heat race number one. The crowd really seemed to appreciate her racing and I feel she needs a full-time sprint car ride.

Brian Southers battled all race long with his best friend Taylor Simas. Brain was able to bring his car home for fourth. He has had a wonderful start to the year at Chico. He won the main event a few weeks ago and comes out of here tonight with a top five. Simas rounded out the top five in the main event. One of these nights the famed #7t will end up at victory lane. Johnny Reeves is also fast and smooth at Chico. Tonight he ran in the sixth spot. Seventh place went to Scott Hall. It was a Hercules like effort for him and his crew tonight. In group qualifying Hall crashed into a stopped race car in turn four. His front end was damaged and he was not able to continue. He fought hard to get the car back together and went on to win the third heat race. He started deep in the main event and charged his way into a seventh place finish.

Terry Schank Jr. won the second heat race tonight. He struggled a bit in the main event and eventually finished in the eighth spot. We are so used to seeing Terry up front and contending for the win. BJ Martin finished in the ninth spot. Martin and his team should be commended for their effort also. Martin rode up and over a wheel in the first heat race. He flipped in turn one and the crew had to repair the damaged car before the main event. Cody Myers rounded out the top team. It was a tough night for his brother Mason. Mason came into the night as the point leader. Mason was unable to finish his heat race and then went on to flip in the main event. Mason tried to continue on in the main and was ultimately black flag for a safety reason. He was officially scored in the 14th position.

In all, 18 drivers competed in the Joe Hunt Series at Chico.

Results
Heat 1: Stephanie Tuttle, Brian Southers, Nathan Johnson, Klint Simpson, BJ Martin

Heat 2: Terry Schank Jr., Jimmy Sills, Cody Myers, Ron LaPlant, Angelique Bell

Heat 3: Scott Hall, Alex Schutte, Johnny Reeves, Taylor Simas, Janna Spear

A Main: Schutte, Sills, Tuttle, Southers, Simas, Reeves, Hall, Schank Jr., Martin, C. Myers, Johnson, Spear, Bell, Mason Myers, LaPlant

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