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The DCRR Racing Media Books
Just A Kid From The Grandstands: My Time In Auto Racing
Stories of my time in auto racing from the beginning to 2003
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Available on Lulu in Paperback And Hard Cover
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Don's California Racing Recollections: Best Of The Blog And Beyond
Racing History, Stories, Statistics And Pictures
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Available via print on demand at Lulu in Hard Cover or Paperback
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The Adobe Cup PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Car race at Petaluma can be viewed HERE
The California Hardtop race at Orland Raceway can be viewed HERE
The Wingless Sprint Car race race at Orland Raceway can be viewed HERE
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Decker, Ryland, Myers Win Fall Brawl At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...October 7...Jeff Decker won the 30 lap DIRTcar Late Model Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. This was Decker's seventh win of the season and it wrapped up his third Antioch championship. The Fall Brawl started with eight lap heat races, which were won by David Newquist and Shawn DeForest. Decker had a front row start for the Main Event and sprinted out to lead at the drop of the green flag. DeForest's race ended on lap two. Richard Papenhausen came from the third row to take second from Newquist. However, Decker set a blistering pace and wrapped up his championship season with a win ahead of Papenhausen, Newquist, Paul Guglielmoni and Kimo Oreta.
Fred Ryland returned and won the $1,000 prize in the 30 lap All Star Series B Modified Main Event. Ryland is the 2015 champion, and he won this year's Merced Speedway championship. His last Antioch win was in the New Years Bash in January. 2016 champion Trevor Clymens set the early pace ahead of new champion K.C. Keller. A lap ten caution flag for Mark Garner had an impact on the race. On the restart, Andrew Peckham and Keller made it a three wide battle for the lead, and Keller made a Turn 4 pass on Clymens to gain the position. Peckham slipped underneath Clymens for second in Turn 4 on lap 12. Keller was setting a rapid pace and caught slower traffic by lap 22. Peckham made a Turn 4 pass for the lead. Ryland was challenging for second when contact with a slower car sent Keller spinning in Turn 3 on lap 23. Peckham had the lead on the restart. Ryland pressured him for the lead until making the pass in Turn 4 on lap 28. Ryland won ahead of Peckham, Clymens, Todd Gomez and Randy Brown.
The 23 B Modifieds ran four eight lap qualifying heat races, and Jimmy Ford, Clymens, Keller and Gomez scored the victories. Ryland won the six lap Trophy Dash. Anthony Giuliani won the 12 lap B Main ahead of Al Johnson and Peckham.
Melissa Myers collected the $850 first prize in the 30 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was the fourth win of the season for the two time division champion. New champion Cameron Swank set the early pace ahead of Myers. Myers found herself leading when Swank spun in Turn 3 for a lap nine caution flag. Myers led the restart and paced the remaining laps for the impressive victory. Swank charged back to third and battled fiercely with Chris Long for second. When Swank nearly spun in Turn 4 late in the race, Long pulled ahead to finish second. Swank settled for third ahead of Curran and Chris Bennett.
There were 23 Hobby Stocks for this race, and Myers, Swank, Frank Furtado and Chris Brown won the eight lap heat races. Myers continued a clean sweep performance by winning the four lap Trophy Dash. Joey Ridgeway led all 12 laps to win the B Main ahead of Jeremy Jennings and Bennett.
The November 18th Awards Banquet will honor all of the champions of the 2017 season. In addition to the three champions mentioned above, Art McCarthy (Winged 360 Sprint Cars), Bryan Grier (Wingless Spec Sprints), Bobby Motts Jr. (A Modifieds), Kimo Oreta (Limited Late Models) and Mike Corsaro (Dwarf Cars) are the other champions. Stay tuned for news on the upcoming 2018 season and other information at www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
DIRTcar Late Models
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-David Newquist, Shawn DeForest. Main Event (30 Laps)-Jeff Decker, Richard Papenhausen, David Newquist, Paul Guglielmoni, Kimo Oreta.
B Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Jimmy Ford, Trevor Clymens, Todd Gomez, K.C. Keller. Trophy Dash (4 Laps)-Fred Ryland. B Main (12 Laps)-Anthony Giuliani, Al Johnson, Andrew Peckham. Main Event (30 Laps)-Fred Ryland, Andrew Peckham, Trevor Clymens, Todd Gomez, Randy Brown.
Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Melissa Myers, Cameron Swank, Frank Furtado, Chris Brown. Trophy Dash (4 Laps)-Melissa Myers. B Main (12 Laps)-Joey Ridgeway, Jeremy Jennings, Chris Bennett. Main Event (30 Laps)-Melissa Myers, Chris Long, Cameron Swank, Brent Curran, Chris Bennett.
Mayea Wins Lucas Oil Open Show At Coos Bay Speedway
Coos Bay, Oregon...October 7...Rob Mayea scored the $3,000 win in the 50 lap Lucas Oil Open Show, presented by The Prather Family, Saturday night at Coos Bay Speedway. Among Mayea's accomplishments are his three straight Willamete Speedway Late Model championships from 2014-2016. He won his ten lap heat race and started eighth in the 17 car Late Model field. 2017 Willamete champion Collen Winebarger raced into the early lead ahead of Joey Tanner. Mayea slipped past August Tidal Wave 50 winner Trent Elliott for third on lap eight, and Mayea took second from Tanner on a lap ten restart. At the lap 25 mark, Winebarger was leading Mayea, Tanner, Jim Whistler and Elliott. Mayea raced past Winebarger for the lead on lap 30. A lap 41 caution flag slowed the place, and Winebarger's run in second ended as Whistler took up pursuit of Mayea. However, Mayea drove a great race down the stretch for the big victory. Whistler held off Tanner for second as Elliott settled for fourth. Rookie Brody Montgomery was the highest local finisher in fifth as Brian Cronk, Blaine Taylor, Jason Johnson, B.J. Donofrio and Doug Elkins completed the Top 10. Elliott held off Tanner to win his ten lap heat race. Mayea won his heat in front of Winebarger and Elkins won his heat race ahead of Daniel Deibele.
Road To The Iron Giant Street Stock champion Kyle Yaeck won the $500 prize in the 30 lap Street Stock Main Event. 2017 point runnerup Ken Fox set the early pace ahead of 2016 champion Daniel Land. Yaeck took second on a lap six restart, and he passed Fox for the lead a lap later. Kevin Roberts and Steve Dubisar dropped Fox back to fourth on a lap 11 restart. Yaeck had to contend with Roberts running closely behind him throughout the final 20 laps, but he made no mistakes and earned this win. Roberts settled for second. Donald Schott took third from Dubisar on lap 19, but Land took the position on lap 27. Land finished third, and Dubisar and Fox dropped Schott back to sixth on the last lap. Michael Hollingsworth, Brian Cronk, Andy Gardner and Troy Chamberlain made up the remainder of the Top 10. Land won a ten lap heat race ahead of Cronk, while Roberts held off Yaeck to win the other heat race.
Two time Sportsman Late Model champion Wayne Butler won the $500 prize in the 30 lap Main Event. Butler won the ten lap heat race ahead of Tom Yaeck. Butler led all the way to win the Main Event with Yaeck not too far behind him. Dyllan Siewell made a lap 13 pass on Max Augustine to earn the third place finish as Augustine and Deven Brown completed the finishing order. Josh Kralicek was a Main Event scratch.
Ken Fox won his third 30 lap Mini Outlaw Main Event of the year. Joe Maricle set the early pace ahead of Austin Henderson. Fox raced past Henderson for second on a lap three restart, and he put the moves on Maricle for the lead on lap seven. New champion Sam Talon took third from Henderson on lap 15, and he raced past Maricle for second on lap 23. Talon made his presence known in second. However, Fox stayed cool under pressure and won ahead of Talon, Maricle, Henderson, Matt Diller, Dan Daniels, Richard Thompson and Max Sanford. Rob Lauver was a Main Event scratch. Donald Briggs won a ten lap heat race ahead of Henderson, but he scracthed from the Main Event. Talon won the other heat race in front of Fox.
Braden Fugate scored the $300 victory in the 30 lap Hornets Main Event. This was his fourth win of the season. Jacob Farness raced into the early lead ahead of Donald Briggs and Austin Henderson. Farness and Briggs battled for the lead throughout the first half of the race until Briggs' race came to an end on a lap 16 caution flag. Farness led Hannah Robison and 13th starter Fugate on the restart. Farness saw his race end on a lap 22 caution flag. Robison led Fugate and Henderson on the restart. Fugate began pressuring Robison for the lead until making his winning pass on lap 28. New champion Ryan Siewell started 17th and made a last lap pass on Robison as Fugate won ahead of Siewell, Robison, Henderson, Matt Diller, Joe Maricle, Max Sanford, April Warmack, David Pellum and Taylor Sayre. Robison won her ten lap heat race ahead of Warmack. Farness won his heat over Matt Butler and Pellam won his heat in front of Maricle.
Laney, Reichenbach, Nelson Win
Tulare Thunberbowl Nationals
Tulare, CA...October 6-7...Cody Laney led all 30 laps to win the $2,000 prize in the IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Tulare Thunderbowl. After winning the ten lap Trophy Dash ahead of Brad Pounds, Laney had the pole for the big money feature. Laney jumped into the early lead ahead of Pounds and Robby Sawyer. Sawyer took second from Pounds on lap eight, and Last Chance Qualifier winner Troy Foulger moved the Bowers Racing Modified into third on lap nine. Foulger took second from Sawyer on lap 15, and Bobby Hogge IV gained third two laps later. The battle was close for a while, but Laney pulled away in the waning laps to win ahead of Foulger, Hogge, Ryan McDaniel, Sawyer, Pounds, Brian Cass, Clay Daly, Chet Reeves and Randy McDaniel. The drivers ran two eight lap heat races on Friday to earn spots in Saturday's Trophy Dash. Sawyer and Ryan McDaniel won their two heat races as Laney and Pounds won the other heats. Laney held off Pounds to win the ten lap Trophy Dash. The non dash qualifiers ran a 12 lap Last Chance Qualifier, and Foulger won that race with Saturday night arrival Hogge passing third place finisher D.J. Shannon on lap nine to finish second.
Clint Reichenbach won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. The 2017 Santa Maria champion led all 20 laps to score the $1,500 victory. Lee Jensen held of Reichenbach to win the ten lap Trophy Dash and earn the pole for the feature. However, Reichenbach charged into the lead at the start ahead of Jensen. Shane DeVolder took third on a lap six restart and passed Jensen for second on a lap seven restart. Nick Spainhoward took third from Jensen on a lap nine restart, and the 2014 IMCA State champion Spainhoward passed the new IMCA State champion DeVolder for second on lap 11. Spainhoward gave it a good run down the stretch, but Reichenbach held him off for the big win. DeVolder settled for third ahead of Chris McKeller, Garrett Jernagen, Watsonville champion Matt Hagio, Tina Pounds, Matt Mayo Sr., Austin Manzella and Kelly Wilkinson. Friday night heat races determined the six starters of Saturday's Trophy Dash based on points. Jack Aguiar was the only winner of two eight lap heats as Pounds, Jensen, Reichenbach and DeVolder were the other heat winners. Jensen won the dash ahead of Reichenbach. The non dash qualifiers ran a Last Chance Qualifier with McKeller winning the 12 lap race ahead of DeVolder and Jernagen.
Bruce "Bubba" Nelson won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. The two time Merced Speedway champion drives one of the FND Motorsports cars, and the win paid $1,000. Nelson won the ten lap Trophy Dash ahead of Matt Kile to earn a pole position start for the extra money race. Nelson raced into the lead at the start ahead of Kile. Nelson's teammate and 2016 Merced champion Michael Shearer took second from Kile on lap five. The teammates battled for the lead all the way, and Nelson scored the win just ahead of Shearer. Kile settled for third ahead of Gene Glover, longtime Street Stock racer Mike Calhoun, Katie Briggs, Dwayne Short, Garrett Corn and Michael Scruggs. Bob Ellis was a Main Event scratch. Dave Shuyler was a double eight lap heat race winner on Friday as Scruggs and Nelson each won a heat. However, Schulyer suffered mechanical issues in the ten lap dash to end his night. Nelson won that race ahead of Kile. Calhoun won the 12 lap Last Chance Qualifier ahead of Corn and Short.
"The Dirt Dawg" Andy Boydstun won the $600 prize in the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. The race was led early by Shawn Schwartzenberger with Kelly Campanile leading a few laps before Schwartzenberger raced by on lap seven. Boydstun took second from Campanile on lap ten. Schwartzenberger was shuffled back to fourth on a lap 11 restart. Boydstun looked good as he led the waning laps of the race for a much needed victory. Campanile settled for second ahead of Matt Herod, S. Schwartzenberger, Clinton Massey, Kit Murphy, Jason Cook, Roy Atchison Jr., Bryant Desaire and Joshua Dysart. Massey was the only double eight lap heat winner as Campanile, Herod, Boydstun and Craig Moody won the other heats. Campanile outran S. Schwartzenberger to win the ten lap Trophy Dash and earn the pole for the feature. Paul Schwartzenberger won the 12 lap Last Chance Qualifier by a wide margin ahead of Murphy and Kenneth Shurgarts.
Chad Johnson won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. Johnson is the 2017 Bakersfield Speedway champion, and the win paid $750. C. Johnson won the Trophy Dash to earn the pole for the feature, but Tyler Johnson raced into the lead at the start. IMCA State champion Troy Patee was an early third. C. Johnson slipped past T. Johnson for the lead on lap eight, and Steven Johnson took third from Patee on lap 12. However, he surrendered the spot back to Patee on lap 16 as C. Johnson and T. Johnson had a close battle for the lead. Steve Streeter took third from Patee on the last lap as C. Johnson won ahead of T. Johnson, Streeter, Patee, James Elliott, Renn Bane, S. Johnson, Jon Dias and Alan Mendes. Patee and C. Johnson won Friday night eight lap heat races, and C. Johnson won Saturday's ten lap Trophy Dash ahead of T. Johnson.
Forsberg, Simpson, Bell Win Adobe Cup Races
At Petaluma Speedway
Petaluma, CA...October 7...Andy Forsberg won the 30 lap Adobe Cup Main Event For the PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. The win paid Forsberg $5,200. The rapidly run Main Event had two restarts. The first occurred when Geoff Ensign got out of shape racing to the green flag and made contact with another car, resulting in Ensign stalling in Turn 1. The first restart attempt saw Colby Copeland run over the right front of Chase Johnson's car with Copeland getting his rear end in the air and Johnson stalling in Turn 1. Copeland raced into the early lead ahead of Forsberg and Kurt Nelson. The lead five cars ran close in the early stages of the race, and Forsberg made a low pass in Turn 2 of the 11th lap to take the lead from Copeland as Simpson also got by for second. The final caution flag flew on lap 14 for a Nicholas Ringo spin on the back stretch, and Foresberg continued to lead Simpson on the restart. Michael "Buddy" Kofoid settled into fourth behind Copeland and gained third on lap 16. Two laps later, Kofoid passed Simpson for second in Turn 4. Foreberg went on to the rich win with Kofoid in close pursuit for a $2,000 second. Copeland made a pass on Simpson at the line for a $1,000 third place finish. Simpson settled for fourth ahead of Nelson, Cory Eliason, Bradley Terrell, Sean Becker, Ryan Bernal and Jonathan Allard. Eliason came out 29th for qualifying and set the fast time of 12.263 to beat the 12.275 lap of Terrell. $100 eight lap heat races were won by Simpson, Forsberg, Chase Johnson and Nelson. Ensign won the six lap Trophy Dash to collect the $500 prize. Colby Johnson won the 12 lap B Main ahead of Nicholas Ringo and Peter Paulson.
Klint Simpson won the 20 lap PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event. The 2016 Petaluma champion earned $1,200 for the win. Three time Hunt Wingless Spec Sprint champion Terry Schank Jr. set the early pace in a close battle with Ensign and Simpson. Ensign raced by Schank for the lead on lap eight, but he surrendered the lead to Simpson as the race went past the halfway point. Schank quickly moved into second and kept it close, but Simpson made all the right moves for the big victory. Schank settled for a $700 second with rookie William Fatu a $500 third. Simpson settled for fourth ahead of Jimmy Christian, Nick Larsen, Sparky Howard, Marcus Smith, Troy DeGaton and Dan Gonderman. Simpson set fast time with a 14.059 lap, beating the 14.166 effort of Larsen. Simpson, Larsen and Ensign each won eight lap heat races.
Bakersfield star "Blazing" Brady Bell won the time limit shortened 26 lap Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stock Main Event. The win in the Bob McCoy Memorial race paid Bell $2,000. Chico Silver Dollar Speedway champion Phil Marino set the early pace ahead of Petaluma Speedway champion Matt While. Bell was up to third on lap two. The fourth caution flag flew on lap nine, and Marino led While and Mitch Machado on the restart. Marino was still leading While on lap 20 as Bell moved back into third. Bell raced past While on lap 22 with Marysville and Chico Sport Modified champion Phillip Shelby gaining third a lap later. A lap 25 caution flag flew with the time limit approaching, and Marino's race was over. Bell took the lead on the restart, and the race ended due to time at 26 laps. Bell won ahead of Shelby, Dan Smith, Steve Studebaker and Mike Learn Jr. There were 26 cars, and the two eight lap heat race wins went to Studebaker and Smith.
Golobic Wins King Of The West Sprint Car Race
At Ocean Speedway
Watsonville, CA...October 6...Shane Golobic won the 30 lap King Of The West/NARC 410 Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. This was his second win of the season. After finishing second in the six lap Trophy Dash to Michael "Buddy" Kofoid, D.J. Netto was looking for his second win of the season. Kofoid fell back a few positions as the race went on, and Golobic and Dominic Scelzi moved up to battle for second. The two exchanged the position before Golobic claimed it by lap 26. Golobic got a run on Netto as they entered Turn 1 working what would have been the 29th lap. There was contact, resulting in Netto flipping. Netto's car caught fire, but he was not injured. Golobic had the lead at that point and went on to score the $3,000 victory ahead of D. Scelzi, Justin Sanders, Kofoid, Chase Johnson, Mitchell Faccinto, Kurt Nelson, Kyle Hirst, Gio Scelzi and Tim Kaeding.
There were 24 Sprint Cars for the second to last King Of The West Series race of the season. Sanders set the fast time of 11.418, beating the 11.510 lap of Faccinto. T. Kaeding won the first ten lap heat race ahead of Sanders. Golobic beat Nelson to win the second heat, and Johnson won the third heat ahead of D. Scelzi. Kofoid gained the pole for the Main Event by holding off Netto to win the six lap Trophy Dash. Jarrett Soares won the 12 lap B Main ahead of Brent Kaeding and Brent Bjork.
Mark Hartman won his first 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Hartman had his hands full with Justin McPherson and point leader Matt Hagio in close pursuit, but he kept his cool and brought it home to a well earned victory. Duane Bieser settled for fourth ahead of Billy Robertson, Mike Kofnovec Sr. and Charlie Hunter. Igor Gradzuk was a Main Event scratch. Hartman won the eight lap heat race ahead of Hagio.
Two time champion Terry Campion won the 20 lap American Stock Main Event. Campion had a front row start and charged into the lead, leaving the battle for second. Point leader Rob Gallaher battled J.C. Elrod before gaining the position. By then, Campion had a huge lead, and he won by a half-lap lead ahead of Gallaher, Elrod, Chris McCabe, Mike Reist and Kyle Reeder. Elrod won the eight lap heat race ahead of Campion.
Point leader Cameron Diatte backed up last week's win with another impressive 20 lap SBDCA Dwarf Car Main Event victory. Diatte sprinted out to the lead at the start and won by over half a lap ahead of Gene "Punky" Pires. Ryan Amlen was close behind in third as Zach Price, Joe Barkett, Doug Penny, Bill Belfield, Brian Barnhill, Chris Dorto and Trafton Chandler rounded out the Top 10. Barkett won the first eight lap heat race ahead of Pires, and Diatte made a lap seven pass on Chandler and held him off to win the second heat race.
Jacobo, Clifford, Whitson Score Orland Raceway Feature Wins
Orland, CA...October 7...Multi time champion Josh Jacobo scored a $500 win in the 25 lap Wingless Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Orland Raceway. Jacobo and Jeremy Wilson led the pack to the green flag. Past champion Tony Richards settled into second behind Jacobo. Working lap three, Richards slid underneath Jacobo for the lead in Turn 1, but he pushed in Turn 2 as Jacobo reclaimed the position. Richards spun off the track in Turn 3 for a yellow flag. Jacobo led Wilson and Josh Tucker on the restart. Richards made a low pass in Turn 4 to take third from Tucker on lap six. Richards was racing Wilson hard for the second spot before making an inside pass in Turn 2 on lap 14. Lane Embrey spun in Turn 2 for a lap 17 caution flag. Jacobo led the restart with Richards searching high and low for a way by. Richards spun in Turn 3 and was clipped by Wilson, knocking the right rear wheel off of the Richards car for a lap 20 caution flag. Jacobo led Wilson and Tucker on the restart, and they finished in that order. Tanner Thomson and Ed Butterfield rounded out the Top 5.
Jason Clifford won he non stop 25 lap California Hardtop Main Event. J. Clifford led father Ken Clifford for a lap before Dennis Armstrong took second with a Turn 1 pass. J. Clifford had a straightaway lead by lap six as Dave Reed made a low pass in Turn 3 to take second. Ken Retzloff made a Turn 4 pass on Armstrong for third on lap eight. J. Clifford soon caught slower traffic, which allowed Reed and Retzloff to close in on him. Ron Ruiz settled into fourth on lap 11. J. Clifford set a good pace up front. He never managed to pull away from Reed, but J. Clifford made all the right moves in traffic as he won ahead of Reed, Retzloff and Ron Ruiz. Jason Armstrong was leading Roger MacShain in a close battle for fifth when his car slipped out of gear at the white flag. MacShain passed him for fifth, and J. Armstrong settled for sixth, followed by K Clifford, Tom Grady, Joe Shenefield and D. Armstrong.
B.J. Martin won the 25 lap Wingless 600 Micro Sprint Main Event. The 2002 Pure Stock champion took the lead on lap two and led the rest of the way for the win. Colby Greg ran second for most of the race before Cody Gray took the spot on lap 23. Greg settled for third, followed by Tony Alosi and Prather.
Justin Stretch finished last in the Wingless 600 Micro race, but he led flag to flag to win the 25 lap Winged race. Two time champion Jeromie Crismon was a straightaway behind when he gained second on lap nine, but he caught Stretch by the checkered flag to finish a close second. Martin chased down Alosi and passed him on lap 23 for a third place finish. Gray and Alosi made up the remainder of the Top 5.
Track champion Jackie Whitson Jr. won the 30 lap 250 Micro Sprint Main Event. Whitson Jr. started on the front row and led five laps before James Barnes surprised him by taking the lead on a lap six restart. A lap 12 restart opened the door for Whitson, and he took the lead back. Whitson Jr. led the rest of the way for the win. Barnes pitted from second on lap 20, handing the position to Jackie Whitson Sr. as Jess Garland, Jarrid Carter and Ronnie Heyer rounded out the Top 5.
This Saturday night's Battle Of The Axels is offering a $1,000 prize to the Pure Stock Main Event winner. New champion Jeremy Langenderfer won the point season finale two weeks ago ahead of his closest rival, Shannon Collins. These two lead what should be a big field of stars, including 2016 champion Steve Martin, 2015 champion Paul Stevens and Brad Ray.
The Mini Trucks and Mini Stocks will race for $500 to win. 2016 champion Dan Webster won the Mini Truck point finale two weeks ago, but he settled for second in points behind champion Keith Ross. These two and Olin Crain should be among the favorites to win the big race. Tom Davis wrapped up his Mini Stock championship season with a win two weeks ago, and he enters this race as the favorite to win. However, Sean Perry, 2016 champion John Kirkpatrick, Barbara Crain and Donovan Chilton are among the other stars hoping to win the big money.
The show will end with an exciting $1,000 to win Destruction Derby that is sure to have the crowd on the edges of their seats, Gates open at 5 PM with the first race starting at 7 PM. General Admission is $10.00 with Juniors (7-12) $5.00 and Children 6 and under free. For further information , go to www.orlandraceway.com.
The Editor's Viewpoint
I'd already written most of this before getting up and doing some jogging in place, but then my mind started opening up. This is actually the first Editor's Viewpoint article I've written in some time. I'm loving the nostalgia thing happening in racing. I don't see a lot on the Legend's Of Kearney Bowl Super Modified guys, but what I see I like. Lots of cars, serious community involvement and a desire to honor racing's past. I hear there is an offshoot of this group that wants to start racing, rather than exhibition racing. It's not a bad idea, but I've already heard a few things that raise concerns from people I respect. I'll just say that if certain people don't keep their egos in check, that effort will not make it very far. Legend's Of Kearney Bowl works because people are doing it for the right reasons.
The Vintage Classic is coming to Roseville at the end of the month with those old Supers, Midgets, Sprint Cars, Hardtops and all of that. This is an effort to honor West Capital Speedway greats. I will just say this, Bonnie Chisholm does more for this sport than people may realize. She has a passion for it, and I for one greatly appreciate what she does. Sadly, she reported that this event will be the last. I'm disappointed, but I totally understand. People are getting older and the interest is waning. Plus, Roseville has a new promoter with a different agenda. It is my hope that an event of this type will continue some place else, but without somebody like Bonnie leading the charge, I'm not counting on it.
The California Hardtops had 11 cars at Orland Raceway last week for a non stop Main Event, won by Jason Clifford. There were at least six Main Event winners, going from my memory, this season. The CHA seems to be going through some leadership changes which I think could help them. For the most part I like what I've heard from Jason Armstrong and Ken Clifford. I anticipate that there will be dates at Orland and Placerville next year. Now, here's the interesting part. I count 24 real Hardtops off the top of my head that have raced these past two years. That's not counting cars sitting right now or two cars that ran but really don't fit the rules. The only thing lacking is direction. Bakersfield averaged 10-12 cars this year in their championship season, showing that they are still going strong.
My birthday this year marked the 15th anniversary of when Mike McCann brought Hardtops down from Banks, Oregon for a two race weekend at Sacramento and Orland. That is what sparked the modern movement in California, but it was already thriving in Oregon and up north. Oregon still has OTRO and PRA. What I'm saying is Hardtops are alive and well. At Antioch, Dave Mackey made a commitment to support anything John M. Soares booked, knowing that Soares was the first promoter in the Bay Area to book regular dates. Oregon Promoter Chuck Prather gets credit for trying for a couple years after McCann's initial visit to establish the Hardtops at Roseville and Sacramento before he headed back up to promote Coos Bay Speedway. Soares liked the cars and booked the class about ten years ago.
I'm not getting into the politics of what went wrong. Blame can be placed on all sides, but the Hardtops abandoned Antioch. It was McCann who promoted a race in August of 2015 that boasted 14 cars. McCann did all the leg work, and he was considering taking over the group or starting a new one before he got the Medford track. That date showed what could be and saved Hardtops at Antioch. A year later, Mackey and Tommy Thomson brought back the Chet Thomson Memorial to another 14 car field. These two dates were still the biggest supported Hardtop races on the dirt over the past few years. Mackey spearheaded the creation of the Bay Area Hardtops as a group supporting Antioch, but there was a problem. Two cars were not ready, another one needed a motor, another one was going to miss the season due to health issues for Tommy Thomson. Thankfully, he's okay and will have his car ready next year. If Soares does book Hardtops, it will do better next year.
I've said this before, but I have hopes of big support for the Thomson race next year and the creation of a special CHA race at Placerville or Orland that gets similar support. Having both groups in existance will only help expand the roster as long as a sensible schedule is booked for all involved. The interest is clearly there, but it has lacked direction. Really, they need to keep an eye on the rules and not approve cars that go outside the boundaries of what this division is. I still say it might not be a bad thing to allow Sportsman cars to race with them as used to happen in the past.
I've heard calls for the Sportsman class at Antioch. On one level, yes, yes, yes. However, you have no cars and building a new division from scratch at this time is not a good idea. I'm only begrudgingly okay with bringing Four Bangers back, and I'm not wild about the idea. Merced has Sportsman cars in the area, but the racers have to decide how badly they want this division. It's time to bring those parked cars back. If the division is going to happen, the effort should be at Merced where it was brought back almost 20 years ago. If they get cars and the racers want to make special appearances, I'm all for it. These are some of the neatest looking machines out there.
An intriguing idea was proposed by Larry Adams. It's not a new concept. He got it from what Medford did almost 20 years ago. He suggests putting wings on Modifieds to give them a new look. I'd add bigger tires, which is something I've discussed with Don O'Keefe and others through the years. Back in 1990, Dave White put a Pinto body on his Modified and brought it to Antioch. Sportsman fans got the significance of that, but management had no clue about the history of the track. He was asked to put a "regular" body on his car. I can just imagine what would have happened had we started seeing Pinto's and Vega's and then allowed wings on them. I'll confess that the similarity to the Sportsman division was one of the biggest reasons I got behind Modifieds in the first place.
I would love a winged Modified class with bigger tires. It would be unique and something different. However, Antioch would be going it alone. Most of the tracks are buying into the IMCA line of BS and will frown on this. I'm not bashing the rules package of IMCA, but the sanctioning and what it offers leaves a lot to be desired, in my opinion. Going NASCAR might be better if sanctioning is a must. If Antioch were to try this, they might benefit from calling a meeting to discuss rules for just this idea and who might run it. I think a few of the teams with family ties to the Sportsman class might jump at the idea. Now, what might work is a trial run. Set up a few dates outside of the regular A Modified point race to see who is interested. On one had, this might fail miserably. On the other hand, what if it started a new trend that generated interest in the sport again? What do we have to lose at this point?
With this post, we've pretty much wrapped up our 2017 effort to cover as much racing as we could. The biggest reason I've done this much is probably to occupy my mind and bury the unpleasant thoughts. I wasn't planning to do all that I did this season beyond the blogs, but Antioch Speedway roped me in again. The track's Webmaster and Souvenir Program Publisher Mike Kord asked me for an article on Larry Damitz. Of course I sent it because it's Larry Damitz and I happen to like Mike. I wanted to help out the track even though I've been told I'm still not in good standing there. As I haven't spoken to management to hear their thoughts and haven't expressed my thoughts to them yet, I'll leave it at just this one sentence. I wanted to help out to the best of my ability from where I am, and I feel I have accomplished my goal.
If not for a group of people that helped me out with information during the season, this wouldn't have been possible. I had deadlines to get the coverage in at least ten newspapers that I know of. In my Antioch effort, Mike Kord provided me with information. My anonymous source, Chris Briggs, Larry Adams and Jim Thomson updated me during the races, which was very helpful. Paul Gould sent me winner's photos all season long, just because he wanted to help get the track coverage. He asked for nothing in return, which is a contrast to one photographer who asked for $25 per picture. I never asked for a dime for my efforts, which probably makes me stupid given my status of being just one step above homeless.
There were six tracks and ten newspapers that printed at least one of my articles. To my knowledge, Bill Choy at the Siskiyou Daily News was the only Sports Editor who saw to it that I got a byline. To be clear, getting these articles in the paper so that we could get new fans in the stands was my motivating factor. I've never made it about me, which maybe was a mistake when I look back on things. However, I'm proud of my effort. This effort was about getting coverage for tracks that had none, but two of those tracks weren't quick enough with results for articles and one of them closed.
We lost Chowchilla Speedway and Rocky Hill Speedway this year. Folks, running a race track is not easy. Keep that in mind when you put down a race rack because everything didn't go your way. Remember, it's not all about you. That being said, sometimes tracks have reasons for the criticism they receive. I'm covering tracks like Orland, Yreka and Hayfork that we are lucky to still have. We're at a point at many tracks where we have to evaluate what we are doing and make decisions for the future. These tracks are barely staying open, and because of that, the main goal is just opening the gates for a race. They don't have the resources to start on a plan for the future. Mark my words, though, we will start losing some of these tracks, and some of these losses will be painful to the racing community. This is a time for racing fans to be involved in the sport and to not have rigid demands that become deal breakers when things go wrong.
The DCRR Turns 30 next year. Who would have thought it would make it that far? I'm proud of what we've been able to do to help the sport, but I suppose I will always struggle over the question of whether or not I'd do it again. I applied for credentials to the RPM Workshop in Reno. I'm not sure I can even afford to attend, but I'd like to know if what we do at The DCRR is worthy of media credentials for such an important event. Promoters meet and make important decisions regarding the future of the sport. Now more than ever, they need to be up on the game, and they need to forge partnerships that benefit all involved. The more divided the sport becomes, the easier it is to bring it all down.
In the long run, I'm not sure where my future is. I know I need to make changes for my own peace of mind, but I also know that The DCRR will continue in 2018. I'm not sure how far I will push The DCRR Media thing as a way to go the extra mile helping other race tracks. While I don't ask for financial compensation, I've never been offered any from the race tracks I cover either. The Tip Jar has been empty all year, and there are things that would help me personally and my writing effort in general if I had the finances to afford them. I just do what I do otherwise. I will continue writing about racing in 2018, but that's all I can say. I will not knock myself out trying to meet deadlines for tracks that can't help me out in various ways. They can hire a publicity director to do these things. They aren't free, because what they do is work. I've never been about the money, but I'll put my record up against anybody in the game.
I do want to thank Promoter Mike McCann for being the one who not only offered me a gig at Southern Oregon Speedway, he gave me a place to stay. Though I'm not going to lie and say I'm a happy person right now, I know how lucky I am. We've had some memorable experiences trying to rebuild a racing program, and I've been challenged in ways I never expected. I'm proud of what I've been able to bring to the table in what has at times been a frustrating situation. We've worked hard for every accomplishment we've achieved, but we haven't been able to enjoy a lot of it. It's one of the most interesting experiences in racing I have ever been a part of. Now, if we can just get the racers to "buy into" what we are doing and recognize that we are not the people they've been upset with in recent years, the place might have a chance at some good years. It's up to the racers. While there are a few things we might be able to try, we've done a lot as it is. It goes along with my belief that racers sometimes take things for granted. Times have changed a lot too.
In the midst of the struggle, we successfully launched a Southern Oregon Racing Hall Of Fame, The R. Charles Snyder Salute and The Cascade Wingless 360 Sprint Car Challenge, which was the biggest Wingless Sprint race of the year in Oregon. Hall Of Fame Night is important to me, but my still as yet unachieved dream is to have a Hall Of Fame Night at Antioch Speedway. Love of that race track and the racers there is why The DCRR exists at all. I'm planning to slowly work on a book during the offseason, possibly the sequel to Just A Kid From The Grandstands and/or a Racing Yearbook. The content is largely complete for both books, though serious editing is required for the sequel. I'm taking advantage of the fact that I don't have demanding deadlines now in order to relax a bit and slowly work on things. I always get burned out at the end of the season, and I'm feeling it more this year in light of all the stress associated with this season's efforts.
This year has given the fans a lot to be proud of and things to look forward to. We're lucky we still have a few good promoters in the game doing good things for the sport. Like I always say, as long as the gates continue to open, there's a chance for good things to happen. Thank you all for reading and stay tuned for more.
That's All For Now. Thank you all for reading...
The Editor
Ocean Speedway Watsonville, CA Race Results October 7, 2017
King Of The West/NARC Sprint Cars
A Main
Shane Golobic
Dominic Scelzi
Justin Sanders
Michael Kofoid
Chase Johnson
Mitchell Faccinto
Kurt Nelson
Kyle Hirst
Giovanni Scelzi
Tim Kaeding
Bobby McMahan
Jason Statler
Bud Kaeding
Brent Kaeding
Sean Watts
Dustin Golobic
Jeremy Chisum
Nathan Rolfe
Jarrett Soares
D.J. Netto
Brent Bjork
Richard Fajardo
B Main
Jarrett Soares
Brent Kaeding
Brent Bjork
Nathan Rolfe
Jason Statler
Jeremy Chisum
Richard Fajardo
Jenna Frazier
Cory Eliason DNS
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Mark Hartman
Justin McPherson
Matthew Hagio
Duane Bieser
Billy Robertson
Mike Kofnovec Sr.
Charlie Hunter
Igor Gandzuk DNS
American Stocks
Terry Campion
Rob Gallaher
JC Elrod
Chris McCabe
Mark Reist
Kyle Reeder
SBDCA Dwarf Cars
Camron Diatte
Punky Pires
Ryan Amlen
Zach Price
Joe Barket
Doug Penny
Bill Belfield
Brian Barnhill
Chris Dorto
Trafton Chandler
Brady Beck
Madera Raceway Race Results October 7, 2017
MavTV Late Models RPM Mortgage Pro Late Model Open
A Main
Buddy Shepherd
Eric Holmes
Ross Strmiska
Austin Herzog
Trevor Huddleston
Ryan Phillpott
Glenn Cook
Kyle Gottula
Racin Vernon
Garland Tyler
Blaine Rocha
Ryan Hart
Jagger Jones
Kolby Berry
Matt Erickson
Kevin Thompson
Logan Zampa
Dillon Tucker
Hailie Deegan
Tyler Herzog
Jeremy Doss
Howard Holden
Mike David
Eric Nascimento
Lawless Alan
Rick Thompson
B Main
Geoff Morris
Henk Gaalswyk Jr.
Shelden Cooper
Robby Hornsby
Jarrett Gilmer
Dylan Garner
Loren Kutz
Ray Mayer
Trevor Schlundt
Lawless Alan
Racin Vernon
Ryan Hart
Kevin Thompson
Elliott Stjerne
Ben Lewis
William Martyn
Ryan Schartau
Del McIntosh
C Main
Robby Hornsby
Geoff Morris
Del McIntosh
Ray Mayer
Rodney Preacher
Quintin Harris
David Lewellen
Doyle Moen
Brett Wasson
Thomas Suarez
Kent Cam
Erik Woods
Lucy Carmona
Aaron Mullins
Lucas Oil Modifieds
Linny White
Taylor Miinch
Kyle Tellstrom
Wes Miller
Jim Mardis
Eric Hamilton
Shelby Stroebel
Michael Mitchell
Chris Cook
William Guevara
Mike Regelman
Mark Allison
Dave Arce
Dustin Tilbury
Cody Kay
Jeremy Kay
Eddie Secord
Michael Womack
Jason Irwin
Trevor Cristiani
Dylan Cappello
Scott Winters
Blake Rogers
P.J. Pedroncelli DNS
Jr. Late Models
Jesse Love
Kolby Berry
Austin Edwards
RJ Smotherman
Kabe McClenny
Jesse Burks
Lilly Mead
Adam Lemke
Tyler Reif
Kyle Keller
Eric Nascimento
Hailie Deegan
Anthony Guaimano
Tanner Reif
Mini Cups
Tyler Reif
Kale McClenny
Aaron Thomas
Avery Vivian
Aiden Phillips
Joseph Holiday
Kena Mitchell
Petaluma Speedway Race Results October 7, 2017
Adobe Cup
PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Winged Sprint Cars
A Main
Results are not official
1 #92 Andy Forsberg
2 #4s Michael Kofoid
3 #5v Colby Copeland
4 #101 Klint Simpson
5 #72w Kurt Nelson
6 #5h Cory Eliason
7 #43 Bradley Terrell
8 #88n Sean Becker
9 #56 Ryan Bernal
10 #11d Jonathan Allard
11 #7h Jake Haulot
12 #9x Peter Paulson
12 #38 Colby Johnson
13 #83t Tanner Carrick
14 #5c Trent Canales
15 #52 David Lindt II
16 #57 Billy Butler
17 #73c Cody Fendley
18 #01 Jodie Robinson
19 #49 Mike Monahan
20 #9n Nicholas Ringo
21 #63 Geoff Ensign
22 #68 Chase Johnson
B Main
Results are not official
1 #38 Colby Johnson
2 #9n Nicholas Ringo
3 #9x Peter Paulson
4 #12j John Clark
5 #56j Shawn Arriaga
6 #7n Zack Lynskey
7 #9 Bret Barney
8 #99t Tanner Boul
9 #3 Ricky Brophy
PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprints
Results are not official
1 #32 Klint Simpson
2 #1 Terry Schank
3 #42 William Fatu
4 #98 Geoff Ensign
5 #1c Jimmy Christian
6 #24n Nick Larsen
7 #6 Sparky Howard
8 #28 Marcus Smith
9 #39t Troy DeGaton
10 #87 Dan Gonderman
11 #77s Ryon Siverling
12 #83 Danny Potts
13 #36 Bob Newberry
14 #32b Eden McCormick
15 #73x Keith Calvino
16 #3r Bob Davis
17 #42 Adam Teves
18 #11 Matthew Haulot
Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks
Results are not official
1 #54 Brady Bell
2 #86 Phillip Shelby
3 #04 Dan Smith
4 #46 Steve Studebaker
5 #3r Mike Learn
6 #401k
7 #49 Woody Woodward
8 #22m Mitch Machado
9 #12 Ryan Cherezian
10 #4t Brent Lawrence
11 #9n Darien Balestrini
12 #28m Phil Marino
13 #7 Chris Warner
14 #3 Matt While
15 #73 Gary Newman
16 #2a Donnie Richardson
17 #8 Snazzy Duckworth
18 #60 Shawn McCoy
19 #25 Erick Veeniinga
20 #07 Manny Avila
21 #71 Ray Trimble
22 #17 Jim Hall
23 #12s Shane Brandon
Tulare Thuderbowl Raceway Race Results October 7, 2017
IMCA Modifieds
Results are not official
1 #5L Cody Laney
2 #49 Troy Foulger
3 #2 bobby hogge iv
4 #10R Ryan McDaniel
5 #198 Robby Sawyer
6 #1P Brad Pounds
7 #55X Brian Cass
8 #81 Clay Daly
9 #9xxx Chet Reeves
10 #29H Randy McDaniel
11 #5 David Spriggs
12 #C9 Chad Reichenbach
13 #71 Bill Wilker
14 #81X Paul Stevens
15 #32 DJ Shannon
16 #17N Steven Noland
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Results are not official
1 #7C Clint Reichenbach
2 #40 nick spainhourard
3 #44S Shane DeVolder
4 #18C Chris McKellar
5 #4 Garrett Jernagan
6 #14H Matthew Hagio
7 #32 TINA Pounds
8 #13M Matt Mayo
9 #04M austin manzella
10 #96 Kelly Wilkinson
11 #AR15 Jack Aguiar
12 #1ST Aaron Farrell
13 #88B Ryan Bledsaw
14 #20S Lee Jensen
15 #30 Donald Hampl
16 #M13 Matthew Mayo Jr.
17 #27T Tony Peffer
IMCA Stock Cars
Results are not official
1 #111 Chad Johnson
2 #76 Tyler Johnson
3 #1JX Steve Streeter
4 #45 Troy Patee
5 #2 James Elliott
6 #13 Renn Bane
7 #26 Steven Johnson
8 #99 Jon Dias
9 #1 Alan Mendes
Hobby Stocks
Results are not official
1 #4 Bubba Nelson
2 #29T Mike Shearer
3 #44M Matt Kile
4 #9 Gene Glover
5 #55 Mike Calhoun
6 #89 Katie Briggs
7 #66 Dwayne Short
8 #C29 Garrett Corn
9 #91 Michael Scruggs
Mini Stocks
Results are not official
1 #6 Andrew Boydstun
2 #2 Kelly Campanile
3 #77 Matt Herod
4 #15 Shawn Schwartzenberger
5 #777 Clinton Massey
6 #00 kit murphy
7 #32X Jason Cook
8 #24 Roy Atchinson Jr.
9 #91 Bryant Desaire
10 #4 Joshua Dysart
11 #313 Craig Moody
12 #27 Paul Schwartzenberger
13 #11 Kenneth Shurgarts
14 #5T Teddy Caraveo Sr.
15 #39 Steve Porter
16 #3T Blake Sousa
17 #3 Carson Scheenstra
18 #46 Steven Scott
Santa Maria Raceway Race Results October 7, 2017
USAC West Coast Sprint Cars
Tristan Guardino
Max Adams
Austin Liggett
Danny Faria Jr.
Grant Anderson
Kyle Smith
Brandon Wiley
Tom Hendricks
Steve Hix
Dalton Hill
Ryan Timmons
Gary Nelson
Garrett Long
Jordan Linson
James Herrera
Trent Carter
Jay Irvine
Jake Swanson
Steve Demontt
Ben Catron
Ryan Stolz
Jimmy Thompson DNS
USAC Micros
Bryce Eames
Dex Morris
Jimmy Leal
Jacob Diamond
Troy Morris Jr.
Carson Myrick
Ethan Evans
Hobby Stocks
Taelor Janes
Eddie Williams
Matt McEwan
Pat Fausel
Aaron Bruce zincic
Markus Frazier
Mack McGeary
Dave Condon
Corey Brough
Scotty Preast DNS
Chris Whitford DNS
American Stocks
Jimmy Satlawa
Gary Rayburn Jr.
Taylor King
Sheldon Bailey
Kristina McGeary
Gregg Teller
Ed Wyand
Justin Teller
Jennifer Oseguera
Lindsey Love
Aaron Bollman
Nicholas Verbryke
Jon Shank
Hailey Wyand
Jon Waterfiled DNS
Jimmy Teixeira DNS
Joel Chavez DNS
Gary Rayburn DNS
Dwarf Cars
Jonathan Henry
Joe Barkett
Cameron Diatte
Stephen Brunn
Lonnie Tekart
Mike Keebler
James Billings
Ira Henry
James Price
Jessica Clark
Angel Figueroa
Brian Barnhill
NMRA TQ Midgets
Chuck West
Scott Niven
Jason Arnolde
Ace Kale
Kevin Kale
West Evans
Paul Sanders
Taelor Janes
Dave Lambert
Wes Cummings
Don Mosely
Sr. Mini Dwarf Cars
Zach Chavez
Tailor Morrison
Joshua Chambers
Dylan Cherry
Stephen Bazen
Jr. Midgets
Zach Chavez
Christian Bazen
Wyatt Moody
Elexa Herrera
Ventura Raceway Unofficial Race Results October 7, 2017
VRA Dwarf Cars
1 69 Johnny Conley
2 93 Jason Horton
3 14 Tommy Velasquez III
4 22s Gage Cheek
5 8 Tim Conley
6 16 Tom Stephens Jr.
7 64 Trevor Fitzgibbon
8 41 Nick Velasquez
10 88 Jeff Brink
11 45 Korey Cowan
12 4 Tommy Velasquez
13 55 Mike Long
14 6 David Conley
California Lightning Sprints
A Main
1 21k Bobby Michnowicz
2 87 Charlie Caraccilo
3 31 Bruce Douglass
4 45 Cody Nigh
5 13pg Aiden Lange
6 35jr Dakota Albright
7 44 Brent Sexton
8 26 Steve Brown
9 03 Pat Kelly
10 29z Brad Dillard
11 37 Dominic Del Monte
12 83 Rob Pelmear
13 54 James Squire III
14 15 Jon Squire
15 17 Dale Garner
16 42 Jon Robertson
17 14 Jarret Kramer
18 29 A.J. Bender
19 1k Kevin Micnowicz
20 10 Dan Hellberg
21 72 Craig Dillard
22 25k Hunter Kinney
Semi
1 42 Jon Robertson
2 03 Pat Kelly
3 15 Jon Squire
4 83 Rob Pelmear
5 17f Dan Foster
6 17 Dale Garner
7 54 James Squire III
8 14e Emily Lindgren
9 2 Doug Nunes
10 11 Wayne Hanson
11 06 Gage Cheek
12 25 Scott Kinney DNS
13 7f Frank Ditmar DNS
14 4 Eric Greco DNS
Focus Midgets
1 33 Mike Leach
2 98 Kyle Bellman
3 59 Jet Davison
4 18k Zac Bogner
5 37 Jessica Valentine
Senior Sprints
1 15 Rick Hendrix
2 1k Danny Parrish
3 3g Greg Andrews
4 47 Ed Schwarz
5 53 Greg Foster
6 2 Wally Pankratz
7 66 Chris Meredith
8 4k Tyler Hatzikian
9 5k Eddie Williams
10 67 Russell Martin
11 Steve Brown DNS
