Dirt Modifieds Invade Calistoga This Weekend

Saturday and Sunday night, the Dirt Modifieds invade the historic Calistoga Speedway for only the second time ever. Calistoga Speedway is best known as a Sprint Car track, the home of the NARC Sprint Cars for many years, while also being visited by the World of Outlaws, CRA Sprint Cars, USAC and BCRA, opened its gates to Dirt Modifieds as a companion to the Golden State Challenge Series Sprint Cars. The opportunity to go where so many great Sprint Car racers have gone was too good to pass up, and several racers went to the half mile dirt track, causing a severe car count drop for the second leg of the Freedom Series at Antioch last year.

Anybody who has to ask why just doesn't get it. Legends such as LeRoy Van Conett, Johnny Anderson, Billy Anderson, Hank Butcher, Mike McCreary, Chuck Gurney and Brent Kaeding have all won there. Suddenly, Modified drivers would have their chance at history. Frankly, if they'd have opened it up to Street Stocks, Hobby Stocks or even Mini Stocks, they'd have been crashing down the gates to race too. Why? Because a win at Calistoga is as big an accomplishment as a track championship itself. Races at the famed facility that staged it's first event back in the 1930's don't happen every week.

Last year, Bobby Hogge IV and Jeff Olschowka collected the victories, and by virtue of being the winner of the last race, you might say Olschowka is the defending champion. He had to hold off Hogge to do that. This year, Hogge is off to Santa Maria to try and pull off a double win night with his Late Model and Dirt Modified, but this field will still be stacked with talent, including Randy McDaniel, Ryan McDaniel, Scott Busby, Joe Carr, Kenny Neu, Richard Papenhausen, Paul Stone and Olschowka.

The track put the limit at 50 cars for the $1,200 to win events, but the field was still full within a couple of weeks. The answer to the quest of whether drivers would be interested in running this race was a resounding yes. They are coming from all over to compete, causing several tracks to cancel the Dirt Modifieds or just go dark for the weekend. This event may not pay as well as others, but it's still big and full of talented racers.

Entry List 2010 Dirt Modified Race At Calistoga Speedway

1 Randy McDaniel - A champion at Marysville, Chico and Sacramento.
1jr Jerry Roy Jr. - Top runner in the past at tracks like Marysville and Petaluma
2c Duane Cleveland - Former Chico champion
3 Chad Chadwick - Former top five racer at Antioch and San Jose
3 Todd Hermosillo - Top runner at Ocean Speedway
4p Richard Papenhausen - Former champion at Chico
7k Kent Bickford - Former top ten driver at Antioch
7 Sean O. Wilson - Top ten driver at Antioch
7 Randy Larson - Former Petaluma champion
10 Ryan McDaniel - Former Chico champion

11 Mike Learn - Former top runner at Petaluma
12 Joe Carr - Two time champion at Petaluma and division original
14 Mark Haas - Former top ten runner at Petaluma
14p Ryan Porter - Point leader at Chowchilla, former champion at Merced
15 Bill Egelston - Top runner at Merced and Chowchilla
17 Nick DeCarlo - Second in points at Antioch
17f Joe Flower - Former champion at Chico
225 Bill Smith
25 dd Danny Dozier Jr. - Former feature winner at Antioch
27 Mark Abouzeid - Defending champion at Chico

28 John Dawson - Former top runner at Watsonville
28b Keith Brown Sr. - Former Chowchilla-Antioch series champion
32 Nick Caughman Jr. - Former Petaluma champion
33 Don Camili - Former champion at Petaluma
23 Oreste Gonella - Top five runner at Petaluma
25 Rick Karnes - Top five runner at Antioch
28 Chester Kniss - Former top ten runner at Antioch
31 Jeremy Prince - Former champion at Antioch
46 Joel Myers - Former top five runner at Petaluma
54 Brian Azevedo - Former top ten runner at Petaluma

59 Paul Anderson
62 Jeremy Newberry - Open comp runner and former NFL Lineman for 49ers and Raiders
66 Kevin Fitzgerald - Former champion at Antioch
66p Paul Stone - Former champion at Merced and Hanford
68 Norman Boeck - Top five runner at Antioch
73 Scott Busby - Four time champion at Antioch, former champ at Altamont
73 Steve Stone Sr. - Former champion at Chowchilla
74s Chris Sieweke - Top runner at Petaluma
80 Matt Petrell - Former top ten runner at Antioch
80 John Pierce - Open comp runner

u81 Bobby Motts Jr. - Former champion at Antioch
82 Sean O'Gara - Competitor at Antioch
83 Kellen Chadwick - Former Antioch champion
84 Robby Jeppesen - Former champion at Merced
90 Jeremy Petrell - Former top five runner at Antioch
96 Jeff Olschowka - Defending race champion, former champ at Marysville and Chico
99 Kenny Neu - Two time champion at Antioch
03 Jim Pettit II - Former Regional champ and 2 time Southwest Tour Champ
07 Jeff Thomas - Top five runner at Antioch
xx Johnny Eskew - Competiitor at Antioch

Note: Some of these championships were won in divisions other than the Dirt Modifieds.

Night 1 - 2009 Heat Race 1

2 Bobby Hogge IV
1 Randy McDaniel
27 Mark Abouzeid
07 Jeff Thomas
28 Chester Kniss
90 Jeremy Petrell
59a Paul Anderson
10c Charley Campbell
Heat 2

10 Ryan McDaniel
62 Matt Petrell
96 Jeff Olschowka
46 Joel Myers
23 Oreste Gonnella
XX Kenny Neu
1x Jerry Roy
73 Scott Busby

Heat 3

2h Bobby Hogge III
12 Joe Carr
6 Richard Papenhausen
68 Norman Boeck
33 Don Camilli
59 Robert Miller

Heat 4

u81 Bobby Motts
28b Keith Brown
3c Chad Chadwick
2L Mike Learn
25d Rick Karnes
25dd Daniel Dozier
83 Kellen Chadwick

B Main

90 Jeremy Petrell
28 Chester Kniss
15 Bill Egleston
23 Oreste Gonnella
1x Jerry Roy Jr.
33 Don Camilli
59a Paul Anderson
25dd Danny Dozier
25d Rick Karnes
59 Robert Miller

A Main

2 Bobby Hogge IV
2h Bobby Hogge III
12 Joe Carr
62 Matt Petrell
10 Ryan McDaniel
1 Randy McDaniel
28b Keith Brown
27 Mike Abouzeid
96 Jeff Olschowka
07 Jeff Thomas
90 Jeremy Petrell
28 Chester Kniss
2L Mike Learn
u81 Bobby Motts Jr.
68 Norm Boeck
23 Oreste Gonnella
3c Kellen Chadwick
46 Joel Myers
1x Kennt Roy
15 Bill Egleston

Night 2 -2009 Heat Race 1

10 Ryan McDaniel
62 Matt Petrell
46 Joel Myers
25dd Daniel Dozier
1x Jerry Roy
u81 Bobby Motts
23 Oreste Gonnella

Heat 2

83 Kellen Chadwick
1 Randy McDaniel
27 Mark Abouzeid
90 Jeremy Petrell
28 Chester Kniss
59a Paul Anderson
59 Robert Miller

Heat 3

32 Nick Caughman
2h Bobby Hogge III
96 Jeff Olschowka
07 Jeff Thomas
68 Norman Boeck
XX Kenny Neu

Heat 4

2 Bobby Hogge IV
2L Mike Learn
28b Keith Brown
33 Don Camilli
12 Joe Carr
15 Bill Egleston

B Main

28 Chester Kniss
12 Joe Carr
1x Jerry Roy Jr.
u81 Bobby Motts Jr.
XX Kenny Neu
15 Bill Egleston
68 Norm Boeck
59 Robert Miller
23 Oreste Gonnella
59a Paul Anderson
A Main

96 Jeff Olschowka
2 Bobby Hogge IV
90 Jeremy Petrell
62 Matt Petrell
1 Randy McDaniel
83 Kellen Chadwick
07 Jeff Thomas
12 Joe Carr
2L Mike Learn
u81 Bobby Motts Jr.
25dd Danny Dozier
1x Jerry Roy Jr.
33 Don Camilli
32 Nick Caughman Jr.
27 Mike Abouzeid
28 Chester Kniss
28b Keith Brown
10 Ryan McDaniel
XX Kenny Neu