Hensely unveiling a new car Saturday night at Merced Speedway

Rookie Josh Hensley of Ballico leads the International Motor Contest Association SportMod division at Merced Speedway, but he’s not happy with his commanding 73-point lead over Jeremy Hoff of Copperopolis.

Hensley doesn’t have a win yet.

“I’ve been there and done well every race,” he explained. “Third is my best finish. I need to win – that’s what racing is about. My goal is to be a winning driver.”

This weekend, Hensley will debut a new car when the IMCA SportMod class races in Merced on Saturday night and at Chowchilla Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

“I bought this older SportMod – the one I’ve driven so far – to gain experience,” Hensley said. “The previous owner told me it wasn’t a winning car.”

So Hensley gained “seat time” while he purchased a newer chassis and began building a second car. That car will be ready to race Saturday night.

“I’ll try to shake the new car down,” he said.

Hensley, who operates a Main Street auto repair shop in Merced, feels the new SportMod will eventually put him in the winner’s circle. He had two years of success in the Hobby Stock division before moving up to SportMod this year.

SportMod competition will be tough this weekend, as IMCA national points leader Fred Ryland will be in town for both races. Ryland, of Brentwood, is eyeing the national championship. He was scheduled to race in Hanford on Friday night.

“All three tracks require different gear ratios,” Ryland said. “I’ll be in my hotel parking lot changing gears for the next race.”

With Bakersfield Speedway dormant this weekend, a big field of SportMod cars is expected at Merced and Chowchilla.

“I traveled to Antioch Speedway last Saturday and got beat by Ryland and his wife, Patti,” said Hensley, who finished eighth. “I’m not worried about racing a new car Saturday night. I have a good lead at Merced Speedway. It’s the right time to try to make improvements in order to win my first feature.”

Both local speedways in action this weekend

Merced Golden Lions Youth Baseball Night is Saturday at Merced Speedway. Rescheduled after last week’s rainout, the speedway will admit one player for every adult ticket sold. Players should wear their jerseys.

The Lions will hold a 50-50 raffle to raise funds for the league.

Merced Speedway will feature the IMCA SportMod, Valley Sportsman, Hobby Stock and Mini Stock divisions. The Speedway is located inside the Merced County Fairgrounds, 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Merced. Racing begins at 7 p.m. The grandstand opens at 5.

Chowchilla Speedway’s program includes the IMCA Modified, IMCA SportMod, Hobby Stock and Mini Stock classes Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. The speedway is on the Chowchilla Fairgrounds, with entry on Fifth Street.

Admission for each track is $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and $8 for children 6-12. A family four-pack of tickets admits two children and two adults for $32. Racing begins at 7 p.m. The grandstand opens at 5.

This story was originally published May 1, 2015 at 11:07 PM with the headline "Hensely unveiling a new car Saturday night at Merced Speedway."