Redwood Acres Raceway

Remembering The North State Modified Series

11/5/2023

2023 marked the final season for the North State Modified Series. After 10 seasons and 86 races, the series announced that this would be the final year for the Northern California modified touring series. The NSMS was the first touring series of its kind as prior to the...more

Barnwell A Champion Again

10/29/2023

After several years away from racing, Brandon Barnwell returned to racing at Redwood Acres Raceway in the late model division in 2022. The three-time sportsman division champion had a respectable season finishing fourth in the final standings but was not able to show his...more

Doss Wins INEX Legend Nationals

10/25/2023

2023 has been a season to remember for Upper Lake, California’s Jeremy Doss. He has had an amazing season driving late models winning numerous events this season and has had an even better year in his Legends car. Not only was he the winner of the inaugural season for the...more

Krupa Becomes A Legend And A Champ In 2023

10/22/2023

Tyler Krupa has proved that he is a talented driver. He won the 2021 bomber division championship at Redwood Acres Raceway and has several main event wins in that class to his credit. He has been a fast and consistent front-runner in the Legends division but while he had...more

2021 Redwood Acres Raceway Hall Of Fame Inductee Angelo Marcelli

11/9/2021

Redwood Acres Raceway

2021 Redwood Acres Raceway Hall Of Fame Inductee: Angelo Marcelli

Eureka, California native, Angelo Marcelli raced at Redwood Acres Raceway for nearly 40 consecutive years making his first start on the dirt in 1976. Through the late 70s and 80s, Angelo’s familiar #25 became a fixture at the Acres.

When Redwood Acres Raceway was paved over the winter of 1987 & 1988, Marcelli was one of the drivers who made the immediate transition from dirt to asphalt. Marcelli raced in the super stock division between 1988 through 1990. He also participated in the three NASCAR Southwest Tour Series races at the track those seasons.

When the super stock class transitioned to the sportsman division in 1991, Marcelli also made the move to the new class. At the same time, he participated in several open competition events at Redwood Acres as well as at other tracks including Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, OR and Shasta Speedway in Anderson, CA. In 1994, Marcelli had his best year ever in racing winning three times and finishing third in the sportsman division standings while also placing 16th in the NASCAR Sunbelt Regional standings.

Marcelli remained a constant front-runner and race-winning threat through the decade but could never quite reach the ultimate goal of winning a track championship. That finally changed in 2000 when Marcelli claimed his first-ever championship in the sportsman division. Marcelli repeated the feat in 2002 and 2004.

For the next several seasons, Marcelli would continue to win main events but fall just short of winning another championship. That changed in 2013 when Marcelli won his fourth and final sportsman title. Besides being his final track championship, it was Angelo’s final year behind the wheel of a race car. Marcelli also holds the special distinction of being the final driver to win a sportsman division championship as the division transitioned to the current late model class.

Throughout his entire career, Marcelli was beloved. His big personality in and out of the car made him a fan favorite at Redwood Acres Raceway. He was a driver who was easy to root for both as a person and as a race car driver. He left a lasting legacy on and off the track and is a most deserving hall of fame honoree.

Thank you to Mike Marcelli for providing many of the photos for this article.

Submitted By: Matthew Sullivan