2009 OPEN PRO
DIRT TRACK CHAMPION
JARED MEES
It was a great weekend for Rod Lake's 3rd Annual
San Jose Indoor Motorcycle Races. There were grandstands filled with spectators surrounding the entire track.
We saw many national number plate racers and some really great racing. Congrats to Jared Mees for winning both the Dash for Cash and the fastest race of the night...Open Pro!!!

Congrats to Steven Sandman of Knuckle Head Racing for winning the Vintage Class at Rod Lake's 3rd Annual San Jose Indoor Motorcycle Races! Jason Craven chased Sandman down putting him in the 2nd position...after a wobble on the last lap, Jason ended up with a 5th place plate. Congrats to you both!

Barn Burner Videos

The picture videos to music are posted on youtube. Following are the links. Enjoy!

3-19-09 Melvin Bell Update

Melvin had a 5 1/2 hour surgery today. The doctors spent the time removing "dead tissue" from his face, arm, hand and leg. The good news is that Melvin went through surgery well. The bad news is that he has an infection that caused them to take more skin and muscle from his leg and hand. The possibility of him keeping his leg below his knee is still very critical. The doctors are hopeful that they were able to get the tissue out that is causing the infection. Also, the doctors removed the tube in his mouth (going down his throat) and put in a tracheotomy. This will be more comfortable for Melvin. The doctors are planning on another surgery on the 24th (Tuesday). They may have intentions of grafting; however, they need to wait and see if the infection has gone down...they may have to clean more.

Melvin's parents are in need of an RV to use. The hospital has allowed them to have one in the parking lot. I know that's a big thing to ask, but If it were one of my sons in that hospital, I would not want to leave him either.

I can't thank you enough! The community of Chowchilla and the Chowchilla Barn Burner racers and fans have really come through for Melvin and his family. Melvin and his mom, Teresa, moved to Chowchilla less than five years ago and she would have never dreamed that a small community and race track would do so much for them in a time of crisis such as this. I've always been genuinely proud to be from Chowchilla and also be a part of the Chowchilla Barn Burner race track. It's times like this that everyone shows just how supportive they are to a family in need. So many of you don't even know who Melvin is and have given so freely. God bless to you all and thank you for your continued prayers.

Thank you for letting me keep you updated. I will be delivering the pre-ordered cinnamon rolls to C.U.H.S. tomorrow (Friday). I will continue to take orders for these cinnamon rolls for as long as anyone wants to buy them. If you have any questions, please feel free to call my cell (559) 975-9800 or email me at Kim@ChowchillaAwards.com. I will also try and keep the Chowchilla Barn Burner website updated.

Kim Hickman
Chowchilla Awards
Chowchilla Barn Burner

Melvin Bell Fundraiser

Michael Moats, owner of The Harvest Central of Fresno, has donated a 2006 CRF 50cc Motorcycle to raffle at the Barn Burner on Saturday night! The CRF raffle tickets will be sold for only $20 each and we will draw the winning ticket in between the motorcycle heats and mains the same night.(March 14th).

The Chowchilla Barn Burner sponsors have gotten together twelve $50 gift certificates and a pair of riding boots! These raffle tickets will be sold for $1 each!!!

We at the barn would like to thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers for Melvin's recovery. His family is overwhelmed with gratitude and we are so proud of our fellow racers for stepping up and being there for a racer in need.

Students from Chowchilla Union High School are invited to the Barn Burner. All they need to do is purchase two $1 raffle tickets and they get in the races FREE.

Update...Melvin had a 7 1/2 hour surgery on March 12th to place a rod in his left femur and had many, many skin grafts on his left leg. He pulled through surgery well and is hanging in there. The doctors will keep him in an induced coma for a while during his recovery. The doctors are happy with the surgery results from yesterday and say this is one of many surgeries. Melvin will be back on his quad again!!!

17 Year old Melvin Bell was critically injured in a vehicle accident on Tuesday, March 10th. Bell sustained 4th degree burns to 50% of his body along with a broken femur and some bleeding on his brain. He has already undergone emergency surgery to remove his spleen and repair his liver. Melvin's doctors say he will be in the hospital for at least six months and will endure many more surgeries. We are very sad to report that Melvin's two friends that he was in the vehicle with...didn't make it. Our prayers go out to the families of David Montez and Jeff Seymour
Chowchilla Barn Burner will be selling 1 dozen frozen Cinnamon Rolls for $10 at this Saturdays Championship Events. All donations will be deposited into the "Melvin Bell Fundraiser" account at CitiBank in Chowchilla, CA. We will post the account number soon. Please keep Melvin and his family in your prayers as they endure these trying times. God bless.

Thank You from the Reitz Family.

Thank you to eveyone at the Barn. Molly Jane got her first, first place last Saturday. It has been close the last few races but this time she pulled it out. The support from everyone watching from the rails, from the infield and after the races in the pits was amazing. Here is the link to the video of her winning the race http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yLfYVOIiYE That is why we love racing at the barn.

The Reitz Family