Dotson wins twice at Hanford, Ryland also tames California Speedweek foes

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Ethan Dotson was a double winner Sunday night at Keller Auto Speedway, topping California Speedweek features for both the IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. (Photo by Top Dawg Racing Photos)

By Stephanie Deatherage 

HANFORD, Calif. (May 2) – Ethan Dotson had himself quite a night Sunday at Keller Auto Speedway.

Dotson topped both the $1,000 to win California Speedweek presented by Hoppes Motorsports IMCA Mod­ified feature and the evening’s IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event, while Fred Ryland won the Karl Kus­toms Northern SportMod main.

Forty-one Modifieds, 35 Northern SportMods and 11 Stock Cars saw action on the night. 

Dotson and Kellen Chadwick battled for the front spot on the opening circuit of the Modified feature. Dotson got the edge before the field went on an extremely long green flag run.  

As the run extended, so did Dotson’s gap over second place. Lapped traffic did come into play but Dotson cruised through the pack for his career-first Speedweek checkers and seventh victory of 2021.

Already a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational candidate, Dotson won ahead of Cody Laney, Troy Foulger, Bricen James and Chadwick.

Dotson led start to finish in the caution-free Stock Car 20-lapper for his fifth win of the season in The Class Too Tough To Tame. Nicholas Johnson, Jeff Streeter, Steve Johnson and Troy Patee were scored second through fifth, respectively. 

The Northern SportMods got off to a great start with Guy Ahlwardt leading before defending series cham­pion Garrett Jernagan beat him to the wire on lap four. 

Action came to a halt on lap seven and bunched the field back up for the first time since the start of the main event. Tyler Bannister got past Jernagan on the ninth circuit and the ensuing tussle between the front pair allowed Ryland to pass both on lap 11.  

Ryland pulled away following restarts on laps 13 and 18, winning in front of Kc Keller, who charged from the back of the field. Ahlwardt, Jason Bannister and Chris Falkenberg were next across the stripe. 

Fred Ryland collected the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod checkers in the Sunday night California Speed­week show at Hanford. (Photo by Tom Macht, www.photofinishphotos.com) 

The fourth round of California IMCA Speedweek will be at Merced Speedway on Monday, May 3.  

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