2/3/2022
Redwood Acres Raceway
2021 Late Model Season In Review
2021 may not have been David Henderson’s best season statistics-wise in his many years of racing at Redwood Acres Raceway. Henderson only scored one main event victory for the year and seemed to struggle with getting his car’s handling to his liking throughout the year. What Henderson did show was his ability to get the best possible result in every race he started which resulted in his second late model championship.
Over the years, Henderson has been a master of being patient and smart behind the wheel. It’s part of the reason why he was a three-time championship in the Thunder Roadster division and has won the late model title in two of the past three seasons. Henderson always starts each race with the intentions of winning but it is a rare occasion to see him make a foolish move on the track that would result in putting his car in a compromising position. This is why he is always a threat to win, even when he’s not the fastest and it’s also why he’s a multi-time champion in two divisions.
Eugene Palmer finished a very respectable second in the standings and continues to improve and gain confidence behind the wheel of a late model. Palmer notched three top five finishes in 2021 and was runner-up in spite of missing a start. Scott Baker was third in the standings and the veteran had what was perhaps his best season racing late models. Baker had four top 10s for the season.
Dustin Walters was the defending championship for the late models going into 2021. Walters didn’t lack speed and was a regular front-runner. What Walters needed for the year was better luck. Several strong runs by Walters were thwarted by mechanical issues that forced him out of races. Still, Walters won twice and placed fourth in points.
Fifth place in the standings belonged to late model veteran, David Miller. The Oregon driver had the most main event wins in 2021 with three. Miller debuted a sleek new chassis mid-season which he piloted to a dominant victory in the Fall Spectacular. There’s no doubt that Miller will be a threat to win when he’s on the track in 2022.
Nick Ford made his debut in the late model division around the middle part of 2021 and had several respectable runs. Ford took rookie of the year honors and should improve as he gains more experience with the faster and quicker handling cars. Luke Hall was the only other driver to win a main event in 2021 as he took a win in the first race of the season on May 1.
Submitted By: Matthew Sullivan