This one was a bit of a challenge to do at times, but I did what I could. Note that information here is unofficial.
Five divisions competed at Antioch Speedway Saturday night as warm weather welcomed racing back to the three-eighth mile clay oval after a two week break. Grabbing the lead within ten laps after starting in the back, point leader Tommy Laliberte captured his fourth straight Wingless Spec Sprint feature victory. Point leader Mitch Machado patiently worked his way from the fourth row to win the Super Stock Main Event. Losing and then regaining the lead in traffic, Jack Jonker won his first Hobby Stock Main Event of the season. 2009 champion Gene Haney went flag to flag in capturing the Mini Truck feature victory, and Jim Coriwn won his first Four Banger feature of the season.
Tyler Henriquez charged into the lead at the start of the first Wingless Spec Sprint heat race with Dan Gonderman settling into second. With Gonderman pressuring hard the whole way, Henriquez kept his cool and picked up his first heat race victory. Gary Nelson finished third ahead of David Press. The second heat race saw Chuck Bradshaw race into the lead ahead of Rick Sharp and Tommy Laliberte. Sharp spun on the back stretch for a lap two caution flag. Laliberte took the lead from Bradshaw with an outside pass in Turn 2 on the restart lap as Jeff Kindt moved in to challenge Bradshaw for second. Kindt made the pass for second a lap later, but it was Laliberte collecting the victory in front of Kindt, Bradshaw and Sharp.
After the polesitter spun on the first start attempt and the next start wasn't satisfactory, Jeff Kindt and Dan Gonderman led the Wingless Spec Sprints to the green flag for their Main Event. Gonderman raced into the early lead ahead of Kindt and Gary Nelson. Kindt and Nelson got together in Turn 2 with Kindt spinning for a caution flag after one lap. The restart lap saw Nelson race underneath Gonderman exiting Turn 4 to gain the lead as they completed the lap. David Press had settled into third ahead of the hard charging Tommy Laliberte. A high move in Turn 4 of the third lap gained Laliberte third from Press. Laliberte again used his ability to work the high side to make the pass in Turn 4 of the seventh lap, dropping Gonderman to third. Gonderman pitted on lap nine to hand third to Press, and a low pass in Turn 4 of the ninth lap gained Laliberte the lead from Nelson. A pair of spins forced a caution flag after nine laps, and Nelson pitted from second. Laliberte led Press and Tyler Henrique on the restart. Chuck Bradshaw made contact with the Turn 4 fence, knocking part of it down as he continued. Laliberte continued to hold command on the restart with his closest point rival Press running second. Jeff Lee crashed coming out of Turn 4 for a lap 17 caution flag. Nick Larsen grabbed third from Henriquez on lap 20. There was no stopping Laliberte as he cruised to victory ahead of D. Press, Larsen, Bradshaw, Trevor Press, Henriquez and Lee.
Mitch Machado charged into the lead at the start of the Super Stock first heat race with Mike Gustafson in close pursuit. Making his season debut, former Street Stock champion Todd Gomez settled into third. Gustafson shadowed Machado's every move, but it was Machado scoring the well earned victory. Gomez was a solid third as Lloyd Cline and Jon Haney completed the top five at the checkered flag. The second heat race saw Eric Berendsen charge into the lead at the start, leaving the battle for second between Lori Brown and Larry Damitz. Damitz made an inside pass to take second on lap four, but Berendsen held a commanding lead that he would take to the checkered flag. The results were shuffled after the post race disqualifications of Berendsen and Damitz handed the win to Brown ahead of Fred Ryland and Natalie Perry.
Mike Gustafson rode the outside into the lead at the start of the Super Stock Trophy Dash ahead of Fred Ryland and Mitch Machado. The lead trio ran in close formation until Ryland had a problem coming out of Turn 2 and stalled on the back stretch as Gustafson won ahead of Machado and Lori Brown.
Jon Haney and Lloyd Cline shared the front row of the ten car Super Stock feature with Fred Ryland starting third, Mitch Machado eighth and Larry Damitz and Eric Berendsen in the last row after their heat race disqualifications. Cline led the opening lap ahead of Todd Gomez. Ryland settled into third on lap two as Gomez pressured Cline for the lead. A low move in Turn 4 of the third lap gained Gomez the lead with Ryland making an inside pass on Cline for second a lap later. Mike Gustafson and Machado quickly gained third and fourth with Cline pitting soon after. A low move in Turns 3 and 4 of the fifth lap put Gustafson into second. A caution flag flew on lap six as Berendsen had mechanical problems on the back stretch. Gomez surprisingly chose the inside on the restart, and Gustafson raced by on the outside in Turn 1. Moments later, Gomez slowed with a flat tire on the back stretch, and another caution flag waved. Gustafson chose the outside on the restart, but Machado powered by on the inside to grab the lead as Damitz was now third. Damitz made an inside move in Turn 4 to take second before the lap was completed. An inside move in Turn 4 of the 11th lap moved Ryland into third. Gomez raced past Gustafson for fourth on lap 15 as Machado had a straightaway lead over Damitz. Gsstafson pitted as Machado was putting a lap on Natalie Perry. Machado cruised to victory ahead of Damitz, Ryland, Gomez, Haney and Lori Brown, all on the lead lap. Perry took the checkered flag in seventh.
Mike Rydman and Melissa Hansen brought the first Hobby Stock heat race to the green flag, and Hansen raced into the lead. Hansen would lead the whole race to collect the victory ahead of Rydman, Richard Metzler, Kelly Dauksch and Jack Jonker. The second heat race saw Dan McCown lead the way through one caution flag interruption. McCown maintained his lead on the restart and collected the victory ahead of Wes Bentley, Joe Cancilla and Chris Sorensen.
The ten car Hobby Stock feature was a well run affair the required just one yellow flag. Jack Jonker charged out to an early lead over Chris Sorensen and Kelly Dauksch. Last starter Melissa Hansen enjoyed a good battle with Richard Metzler and Dan McCown for fourth. On lap five, Dauksch retired from third, puting Metzler into third ahead of Hansen, McCown and Wes Bentley in that hotly contested battle. Jonker still had his hands full trying to hold off Sorensen. Hansen made an inside pass on the back stretch to gain third on lap nine, but McCown gained the position a lap later. Jonker caught the back of the pack by lap 11 as he and Sorensen had build a half lap lead on third place. Trouble lapping a slower car on the back stretch on lap 13 cost Jonker the lead to Sorensen. However, Sorensen had his troubles with slower traffic in Turn 4 a lap later, resulting in him spinning from the lead. That caution flag negated a Hansen pass on McCown. Jonker chose the high side on the restart, and Hansen rode the high line into second ahead of McCown. Hansen stayed with Jonker the rest of the way, but Jonker brought it home to a well earned victory. McCown finished third ahead of Sorensen, Joe Cancilla, Metzler and Mike Rydman.
Dean Cline led the eight Mini Trucks to the green flag for their heat race, but previous feature winner Dan Wagner had the lead by the end of the lap ahead of Cline and Travis Dutra. Dutra gained second a lap later. An outside move through Turns 1 and 2 of the third lap gained Dutra the lead from Wagner. Dutra went on to victory ahead of Wagner, Cline, Ron Mayberry and Ray Bunn.
Gene Haney had the pole for the eight truck Mini Truck feature and raced into the lead at the start. Ray Bunn and Dean Cline setled into second and third. A low move in Turn 4 of the second lap gained Dan Wagner third, and Jerry Carpanello pitted his smoking truck. An inside pass on the back stretch of the sixth lap gained Travis Dutra third from Wagner. With Haney holding a good lead, Bunn and Dutra batled fiercely for second down the stretch. At the checkered flag, it was Haney collecting the win ahead of Bunn, Dutra, Wagner, Cline and Ron Mayberry.
Eight Four Bangers started their heat race, and Ken Radabaugh charged into the lead as Justin Silveira faded very quickly from his front row start. Dayna Andersen and Dominiqe Myers battled side by side at the line as they completed the first lap. That side by side battle entering Turn 1 saw Myers run out of room and slam the Turn 1 wall at speed. The raced was called at that point as the safety crew tended to Myers.
Ken Radabaugh and Jim Corwin brought the Four Banger feature to the green flag. As he had in the heat race, Justin Silveira slowed exiting Turn 2 on the opening lap as Patty Ryland settled into third. Silveira retired on lap two as Radabaugh and Ryland battled fiercely for second. By lap six, Corwin held command by a straightaway, and Dayna Andersen ran close behind the second place battle. A low move in Turn 4 of the 13th lap gained Ryland second from Radabaugh. As Corwin took the checkered flag a half lap ahead of Ryland, slower traffic played a part in Andersen taking the third position from Radabaugh, who was the final lead lap finisher in fourth. Jeff Browne and Devon DeOdosso completed the top six.
Next up for Antioch Speedway is the big Dirt Modified even, which is boasting a $5,000 first prize from a purse of $20,000. Over 40 drivers had pre entered this event as of Friday.
