Thursday, March 29, 2018

Antioch Speedway and Merced Speedway Previews, Siskiyou Speedway, More

First of all...

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
Available on Lulu in Paperback And Hard Cover

And

Don's California Racing Recollections:  Best Of The Blog And Beyond
Racing History, Stories, Statistics And Pictures
Available via print on demand at Lulu in Hard Cover or Paperback


If You Like Reading Our Articles
Support Us Via The Go Fund Me The Tip Jar HERE

Also...

DCRR Racing Media And PR Consulting  HERE


The DCRR Racing Radio Show



Late Models, Sprint Cars Headline Antioch Speedway Opener

Antioch, CA...The bad news is last week's scheduled season opener was canceled due to the rain storms that left parts of the pits and the race track under puddles of water. The good news is that Antioch Speedway kicks off their 58th season of racing this Saturday night with an exciting five division program on John Soares' 3/8 mile clay oval.

The Speedway is bringing out the big guns this weekend with the DIRTcar Late Models and Winged 360 Sprint Cars. Also on the program will be the A Modifieds, B Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. It will also be the second round of the nine round B Modified Sharpshooter Tournament. The Sharpshooter Tournament takes the top finishers of the heat races and runs them in a special dash in which they accumulate points to crown a tournament champion.

If you want to watch full Late Models anywhere in Northern California, Antioch Speedway is the place to be. The two names who have been at the head of the pack for the past four seasons are two time reigning champion Jeff Decker and two time  champion Richard Papenhausen. These two superstars seem to carve up most of the Main Event victories amongst themselves. They both have won numerous championships throughout their careers. They come for the love of Late Model racing and put on a great show for the fans.

David Newquist is coming off of his best season yet in second after a very close battle with Late Model veteran Shawn DeForest last season. Other drivers hoping to write their names on to the winner's list include Dennis Souza, Mike Hynes, last season's top rookie Kimo Oreta, Chester Kiss and Rob Norris.

Likewise, the popular Winged 360 Sprint Car division is in their fifth consecutive season of championship racing at the speedway, and Art McCarthy is the reigning two time champion. McCarthy has competed at many different venues throughout his career, including the old San Jose Speedway and Petaluma Speedway, where he won two Sprint Car championships. Hoping to make things difficult on him this year will be second generation racer Burt Foland Jr., Marissa Polizzi and last year's top rookie Jacob Tuttle.

All eyes will be on Scott Busby when the 29th consecutive season of A Modified racing begins this Saturday. Currently, Busby is tied atop the track's all time win list with the legendary J.D. Willis. Both drivers have racked up 72 career feature wins at Antioch Speedway alone. Busby is poised to take sole possession of the record, and he is only two wins ahead of Bobby Hogge IV. Also on the talent filled roster anticipated for this Saturday night is reigning champion Bobby Motts Jr., Mike Salazar, Sean O'Gara, Eric Berendsen and the father and son team of Chester Kniss and young gun Buddy Kniss.

Last season, the biggest car counts at the speedway were provided on most race nights by the Hobby Stocks. That trend is expected to continue this year as Cameron Swank is set to defend his championship. With last year's top rookie Brent Curran moving up to the B Modified class and Chris Long turning the wheel over to his daughter and Angela Brown, tough competition is anticipated from such hard chargers as 2010 champion Chris Sorensen, Chris Bennett, Billy Garner, Frank Furtado, Michael Cooper, Jordan Swank and past champion Melissa Myers.

When Curran gets to the track, he can expect to be greeted by the speedway's two biggest B Modified stars of the past two seasons, reigning champion K.C. Keller and 2016 champion Trevor Clymens. Both drivers are at the top of the list of likely champions. However, an impressive field of B Modifieds includes such stars as Nick Caughman Jr. , Kenny Neu,  Chuck Golden, Todd Gomez, Guy Ahlwardt and the Brown brothers, Ron, Kevin and Randy.

The forecast is calling for good weather for the coming five division program, and it's a chance for spectators to enjoy some of the best outdoor entertainment you'll find anywhere in Contra Costa County. For further information, check out www.antiochspeedway.com.



Easter Egg Hunt And Sprint Car Racing Come To 
Merced Speedway This Saturday

Merced,  CA...No promoter ever wants to cancel a race. However, a major storm hit California last week, forcing the postponement of the season opening Bill Egleston Memorial race. This was an event scheduled to pay $3,000 to the IMCA Modified winner, while the IMCA Sport Modifieds will win $1,800 and the Hobby Stocks will earn $1,200.

Promoter Ed Parker had every intention of doing what he could to make the show happen despite the heavy rain forecast. This included plans to park the race cars in the parking lot while the pits got flooded. As long as the race track could be saved, the races could still go on. However, it became evident as the week wore on that this could not happen.

"As much as we wanted to honor a great man, we had to take into account everyone's safety and weather conditions for those who would have been traveling, " Parker explained. "We have reviewed other track's schedules and have picked a date (April 14th) that we think will work for everyone from different tracks."

Parker pointed out that the Hobby Stock division wasn't originally scheduled for April 14th, but he wanted to keep them as part of the Bill Egleston race. The three divisions will be joined by the Mini Stocks and the South Bay Dwarf Cars, who are the host group for the big Western States Dwarf Car National event at Merced on June 15th and 16th. Last season, that event pulled in over 60 competitors from throughout California, Oregon and Nevada.

As for this Saturday night, the forecast looks much more cooperative, meaning the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars will make an appearance, joined by the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Mini Late Models and the Sportsman division.

Since it is Easter weekend, Merced Speedway will have an Easter Egg Hunt in the infield during intermission. It will be split between children 5 and under and children 6-12 years old to ensure that all the kids get a treat. Also, there will be a bike giveaway for some lucky winners. These are the types of touches that Parker and his crew add to the program to make a night at Merced Speedway a fun night for the family.

Last season, the RaceSaver Sprints, which are a more economical form of injected Sprint Car racing, held two events in Merced. They were won by Blake Robertson and Tanner Boul. The record also shows that George Tristao and Grant Duinkerken tied for the championship last year, while Chris Ennis finished third. A field of 16-20 cars is anticipated for what will be their first race of the season.

It is also interesting to note that a date is being planned for wingless injected and carbureted Sprint Cars on April 21st. Ricky Brophy has been working to drum up support for this event, and several competitors have declared intent to come race, including 2015 Antioch Sprint Car champion Shawn Arriaga, longtime Merced supporter Roy Greer, Cody Fendley and Adam Teves. Brophy is hoping for a good showing and the possibility of more dates for Wingless Sprint Cars at Merced in the future.

The IMCA Sport Modifieds return to Merced this Saturday night with a youth movement helping grow the car count. Brothers Chase and Tanner Thomas learned from the best. Their father, Darren Thomas, is a three time Street Stock champion and one of the best ever at Merced Speedway. The brothers are both coming off of a Top 5 season last year. Another young gun to keep an eye on is Cody Parker, who enjoyed a Top 10 season last year.

While the Hobby Stocks are expecting a solid turnout, there is interest in seeing what the Mini Late Model class can bring in their second season. Car dealer Michael Scherer has sold more cars during the offseason, and hopes are that there could be as many as eight or ten cars this week. Young competitors have been a part of this class, including Ian Shearer, Riley Jeppesen, Tim Vaught and Timmy Crews. Vaught won several races last season.

The Vintage Sportsman division is in its 20th season. The popular winged stock car class headlined the show at Merced Speedway back in the 1960s and 1970s before being dropped from the program. It was promoter Chuck Griffin who brought them back in 1999. It appears as if we could see a few cars that we didn't see last season when the Sportsmans return.

With the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Mini Late Models, the Sportsman division and an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids, this is going to be an exciting night of racing at Merced Speedway. For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.


Race Cars On Display At Sportsman's Expo In Yreka

Yreka, California...March 24-25...There's an excitement in the air in Yreka. Racing season is just about to begin at Siskiyou Motor Speedway. On April 14th, the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, McDonald's Mini, Outlaw Pro Stock Association and Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars open a brand new season of racing. This past weekend, several competitors had their cars on display at the Sportsman's Expo.

It was an opportunity for the Siskiyou County Motorsports Association to hand out schedules for both the big track and the Outlaw Kart track and answer any questions people might have had about the coming season. There's plenty of excitement in the air. In addition to getting a chance to meet some of the competitors, people also got to enjoy a spaghetti meal and cast their votes for the Best Appearing big car and Outlaw Kart.

The Mini Stock division was represented by two time reigning champion Marylin Yawnick, who also had several of her trophies on display as she continues to look for sponsorship for the coming season. 2014 champion Mike Whitaker was also there along with Mike Frost and the former Devin Weiser car.

Two intriguing cars on display were those belonging to the Jefferson State Jalopy Association. This new group has actually been working on these unique race cars for the past five years. They are a cross between the old Hardtop division and the IMCA Modifieds, or a bigger version of a Dwarf Car. Karl Bernstein and J.J. Smith have been working on these cars and had two of the three that they have so far completed on display. They began production on a fourth car recently. As of yet, no dates have been set for this class.

Eight of The Outlaw Karts were on display, which included Cale Cunial, Drew Berry and Shailene Horn. All three are following in the footsteps of their fathers, who once raced at the big track. Missing the Best Appearing Car contest but not wanting to miss out on the opportunity to show off his race car, Top 5 ranked Outlaw Pro Stock competitor James Flowers brought his car on Sunday. The Pro Stock division will be competing eight times in Yreka this season, including the annual Billy Geyer Memorial race on May 5th. The association is very much looking forward to supporting Yreka.

The rainy and snowy weather is about ready to give way to sunshine and racing, and the competitors and racing fans can hardly wait. The first contest was already held on Saturday. Who would win the Best Appearing Car awards? In the big car division, Marilyn Yawnick brought home the award for her Mini Stock, while Shailene Horn was the winner of the Kart division. Weather permitting, there will be a practice on April 7th, followed by the season opener on April 14th. For further information, go to www.siskiyoumotorspeedway.com.


Sanders Out-duels Thorson To Win Civil War 
Sprint Car Opener At Marysville

Marysville, CA...March 24...Justin Sanders kicked off the 2018 Sprint Car Civil War season with a thrilling victory over Tanner Thorson in the 30 lap Main Event Saturday night at Marysville Raceway. The event was slowed by 3 yellow flags and a red flag in the first 12 laps. Sanders beat Thorson back to the checkered flag in a near photo finish. Reigning 10 time Civil War Series champion Andy Forsberg won a close battle with Cole Macedo to finish third, while Kalib Henry rounded out the Top 5. Michael Ing was a solid sixth, followed by Billy Wallace, Mason Moore, John Clark and Kyle Standley. In qualifying, Thorson bested the 21 car field with a quick lap of 12.770, edging the 12.808 lap of Wallace. Jake Haulot won the first heat ahead of Thorson, while Justin Freitas outran Michael "Buddy" Kofoid to win the second heat race. Macedo captured the third heat victory ahead of Justyn Cox. Thorson outran Henry to win the six lap Trophy Dash.

Howard Law won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. The 2015 champion lost a close battle with 2016 State champion Brian Cooper in their eight lap heat race, but he got the last laugh in the Main Event. Law held off Cooper to score the first win of the season. Andrew Peckham started his night off right with an impressive victory over Placerville Limited Late model champion Matt Micheli in their heat race. Peckham then drove to a strong third place finish in the Main Event, followed by Damian Merritt, Jake Van Tol, Jason Ferguson, Mike Merritt, Alan Furuta, Jim Waller and 2016 Yreka champion Jimmy Lipke. The race had two yellow flags in the first seven laps, but the final 13 laps went all green.

The crew deserves an A+ for their tireless efforts over the previous three days to get the race track and pits in shape for this race, while every other track in Northern California rained out. Racing continues this week with the Winged 360 Sprint Cars competing along with the Crate Sprints, Winged Super Stocks and NorCal Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.marysvilleraceway.com.



Elam Wins Chili Cook Off 200 At Douglas County Speedway

Roseburg, Oregon...March 24...Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg was the first outdoor oval track to hold a racing event in the state in 2018. The occasion was the Chili Cook-off 200 lap Enduro race. After a chili cook-off prior to the races, 13 competitors took to the paved oval for 200 laps of racing. When the checkered flag flew, it was Tom Elam scoring the victory.

Elam led most of the way and held a three lap advantage over Andy Nelson at the halfway point. The battle was between Nelsen and the #31 car, driven by Nick (last name unavailable). The two exchanged the position multiple times during the final 100 laps with Nelson reclaiming the spot for good on lap 178. Elam won by six laps ahead of Nelson. Nick in the #31 car finished third ahead of 2017 Hornet champion Bob Vancil, 14 laps down, and Harlan Cox, 20 laps back. 2013 Late Model champion Riley Watson was 21 laps back in sixth.

After scheduled playdays on April 21st and April 28th, the track will have its season opener on May 5th, featuring PRA Modifieds, Hardtops, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, Hornets and Bangers. For further information, go to www.douglascountyspeedway.com.


Marysville Raceway Race Results March 24, 2018
Civil War 360 Sprints

Justin Sanders
Tanner Thorson
Andy Forsberg
Cole Macedo
Kalib Henry
Michael Ing
Billy Wallace
Mason Moore
John Clark 
Kyle Standley
William Fielding
Brent Bjork
Burt Foland Jr.
Tim Sherman Jr.
Jarrett Soares
Pat Harvey Jr.
Dustin Freitas
Justyn Cox
Sean Becker
Michael Kofoid

IMCA Sport Mods
Howard Law 
Brian Cooper
Andrew Peckham
Damian Merritt
Jake Van Tol
Jason Ferguson 
Mike Merritt 
Alan Furuta 
Jim Waller 
Jim Lipke 
Matt Micheli
Mike Helwig

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Merced Speedway And Antioch Speedway Weekend Previews And More



First of all...

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
Available on Lulu in Paperback And Hard Cover

And

Don's California Racing Recollections:  Best Of The Blog And Beyond
Racing History, Stories, Statistics And Pictures
Available via print on demand at Lulu in Hard Cover or Paperback


If You Like Reading Our Articles
Support Us Via The Go Fund Me The Tip Jar HERE

Also...

DCRR Racing Media And PR Consulting  HERE


The DCRR Racing Radio Show



Merced Speedway To Honor Bill Egleston 
At Season Opener This Saturday Night

Merced, CA...The beginning of spring signals the start of the 2018 racing season at Merced Speedway. This is the 69th consecutive season of operation for the Merced County Fairgrounds based oval track, and it begins on a somber note. In January, 2012 Merced Speedway IMCA Modified champion Bill Egleston was killed in a crash at Perris Auto Speedway.

Bill has been a regular at Merced Speedway for the past several seasons and was well respected by his fellow competitors. An outpouring of affection amongst his peers has led to an increase in the IMCA Modified winner's purse for Saturday's show. It will now pay $3,000 to win. The generosity of the sponsors doesn't end there. IMCA Sport Modifieds will pay $1,300 to win, while the Hobby Stock feature winner will receive $1,200.

It's not just about the extra money, it's about remembering somebody who was loved within the racing community. Merced has been rocked by bad news during the past year as we have lost longtime promoter Chuck Griffin, Rene Krumm and Sportsman legend Duane Noe within the past year. Saturday night will not only be a night to celebrate the beginning of the season, but also a night to remember a fellow racer.

The increased money is certain to bring some top notch competitors to an already competitive show that will feature the three above listed divisions as well as the Mini Stock class. In the IMCA Modifieds, Randy Brown has reigned supreme as the champion for the past two seasons. Though he has not dominated the winner's circle, he is seldom seen outside the Top 3 at the finish, and he would certainly have to be considered a threat to win the big race.

Multi time champion Paul Stone is a threat to win any time he shows up at the speedway and was a winner last season. Another driver who could come to town for the big race is Troy Foulger in the Bill Bowers Modified. The IMCA Modifieds are coming off of a solid 2017 season, and some of the stars to watch for this week include Mike Villanueva, D.J. Shannon, Bruce "Bubba" Nelson, Ryan Porter, Jarod Fast, Troy Stone, Ricky Thatcher and multi time champion Ramie Stone. Car count should reach into the twenties for this event, and that's just the IMCA Modified division.

The IMCA Sport Modifieds will reportedly see an increase in car count this season with a few new drivers joining the ranks. Last season, Fred Ryland came to town and used his consistency to win the championship in impressive fashion. A late season surge propelled Jeremy Hoff into second place in the standings. Hoff would have to be considered a threat to win the championship this season, but some will say the road to the championship goes through two time champion Rick Diaz. Diaz racked up seven wins last season despite bowing out of the point race.

When it comes to the future stars of Merced Speedway, they don't get much better than the Thomas brothers, Chase and Tanner. The sons of multi time Street Stock Champion Darren Thomas both ranked inside the Top 5 in the standings last season. They were kept out of the winner's circle, but both plan to change that this season.

Among the many other stars of the class are past Dwarf Car champion Mike Drake, second generation leadfoot Cody Parker, Jack Aguiar, 2015 champion Josh Hensley, Chris Falkenberg and the returning Danny Roe. Car count in this class should easily move into the twenties this week as well, and you can expect some stars from outside the area to come compete for the extra money.

As if the two talent filled Modified classes aren't enough, the track's highly competitive Hobby Stock division is also on the card. A very competitive championship battle last season went down to the wire with Kodie Dean holding off third generation star Garrett Corn to win the championship. Dean was among a group of around 40 competitors at practice two weeks ago.

The Shearer family should be well represented again this year as 2016 champion Michael Shearer and wife Kristie Shearer both have cars. Kristie finished a solid third in last year's point race. Teammate Shannon Nelson was also Top 10 ranked last season, and occasionally you'll see multi time division champion Bubba Nelson, Shannon's husband, behind the wheel of one of the team's cars.

Though the Shearer team is usually in contention every week, there are some racers looking to keep them out of the winner's circle. Austin Van Hoff had another strong effort last season in fourth, and he's ready to make a run at the increased purse this week. Word is it that his younger sister has a car in the works to debut soon. Robbie Loqauaci also had a strong season last year, though misfortune in the finale dropped him from third to fifth in the final rundown. Others to keep an eye on this week include 2015 champion Kevin Joaquin, James Stockton, Mike Stockton, Donnie Shearer and Tony Peffer.

One of the strongest represented classes at the playday two weeks ago was the Mini Stocks. It seems that Dale Falkenberg and Corder Racing are doing their best to get as many cars to the track as possible. Chris Corder is the three time reigning champion, having won the closest battle at the track last year ahead of his sister Jennifer Corder. Both are anticipated this week.

Lucy Falkenberg had multiple second place finishes last season, and she's hungry to get her first career victory. Likewise, Destiny Carter is hoping to put her car in the winner's circle. She had a career best third last season. Last season's top rookie, Shawn DePriest, is anticipated this week along with Jason Womack, Devan Belton and newcomer Joe Terry. Rumor has it that 2016 Watsonville champion D.J. Keldsen and brother Cody Keldsen could be there this week, and D.J. could even be doing double duty in a Hobby Stock as well.

Bill Egleston would be proud to see such a big event happening in his honor as the gates open for the 2018 Merced Speedway season. For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.


2018 Racing Season Set To Begin At Antioch Speedway

Antioch, CA...The 58th consecutive season of racing at Antioch Speedway is set to begin this Saturday night. Now in their 21st season as promoters, John and Donna Soares are presenting an exciting lineup of All Star Series racing on the 3/8th Mile clay oval. The Wingless Spec Sprint division kicks off their 20th season at the Contra Costa County based racing facility, headlining the five division show along with A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars.

The Wingless Spec Sprint division featured one of the closest battles at the speedway last year, won by Bryan Grier. The underdog in the battle was division original Rick Panfili, who has been competing in this class every season since it began. Panfili crashed in final race after contact, leaving his car severely damaged. Thanks to some good sponsorship and a little help from others, Panfili was at the practice two weeks ago and is ready for the opener.

Past champion Bob Newberry was at times unstoppable last season, but a late start kept him out of championship contention and forced him to settle for a still very close third. Newberry may very well be the man to beat if he has his sights set on the championship this year. Another driver to watch will be the steady Shannon Newton, who finished fourth last year with a season high second place finish. Much like Panfili, Newton is hoping to get his first victory. Others to watch for include Allen Miranda, Roy Fisher, Brandon Burd, James East and last year's top rookie, Abigail Gonderman.

For whatever reason, second generation racer Bobby Motts Jr seems to be slipping in under the radar. Considering he won the A Modified championship last year and won over 20 Main Events as a past Street Stock champion at the track, this just shouldn't be. Motts won his Modified title last year by a solid margin ahead of another second generation racer with Vallejo Speedway ties, Sean O'Gara.

Eric Berendsen might seem an unlikely Top 3 driver. Though he was underfunded, Eric continued to make every race last year despite the bad luck he had, and he was the top rookie in this class. Eric will be hoping for better things this year, including his first Main Event win. Another driver to watch will be fellow Top 5 ranked competitor Mike Salazar. If a hard luck driver award were handed out last season, Mike might have been the winner. Whatever happens, he always brings a positive attitude to the speedway.

All eyes will be on division mainstay Scott Busby. Nobody has won more Main Events in this division than the five time champion. At the moment, Busby is tied atop the all time winner's list in Antioch Speedway history with the legendary J.D. Willis. Both drivers have 72 wins. While Busby did the lion's Share of his winning in Modifieds, Willis won his Main Events in multiple eras driving Stock Cars, Sportsmans and Modifieds.

The B Modified division should see two of its biggest stars of the past two seasons, reigning champion K.C. Keller and 2016 champion Trevor Clymens. Promoter John Soares has already decreed that this division will compete for $500 to win when 18 cars show up to race, and there are several cars being prepared this season.

Chuck Golden is hungry for his first win after finishing as high as second last season in what ended up being a third place point effort. Another driver to watch for who had multiple second place finishes last season is second generation competitor Nick Caughman Jr. Like Kenny Neu, Caughman was fast last year, but bad luck served to derail his efforts to get a win. Other drivers to watch for this week include Kevin Brown, Randy Brown, Tim Hammett, Guy Ahlwardt and last year's top rookie, Todd Gomez.

The Hobby Stock division was the most active class on the roster last season, and they've been scheduled 26 times in what will be a marathon season this year. Brent Curran won top rookie honors last year, and he's moving up to the B Modified class. Reigning champion Cameron Swank is anticipated this season. He was seen driving the Travis Tabucchi Chevelle on New Years, but we haven't heard what car he'll run this season. It certainly would be interesting to see somebody making a run for the division championship in a non Camaro.

After his car was demolished in a crash at Watsonville, 2010 champion Chris Sorensen has a new car from the shops of Baker Motorsports. Last year's third ranked competitor, Chris Bennett, has landed some new sponsorship as he sets his sights on his first career Main Event victory in the Bob Hanson Tribute car. The one driver who could make things very interesting in the championship race is multi time champion Melissa Meyers, who won four times in her limited starts last season.

The Hobby Stock class boasts a roster well into the 30s, though it will be challenging for the drivers to make the entire season with such a busy schedule. Billy Garner has the old Jim Freethy car as he is aiming for his first win. A two time winner last season, Michael Cooper will be another driver to keep an eye on, as will his teammate, Jordan Swank. Frank Furtado, Ken Rhoades, Angela Brown, Lindsay Buirch, Anthony Vigna and Joey Ridgeway are other drivers to watch for.

The Dwarf Car division begins its 21st campaign with a wide open race anticipated for the championship. Mike Corsaro was always exciting to watch last season in winning his first championship. Though he took a nasty tumble one week that kept him out of the Main Event, he usually finished in the Top 3 and had several wins. Corsaro could be the driver to beat, but the father-son duo of David Rosa and David Michael Rosa hope to have something to say about that. The elder Rosa racked up more Street Stock Main Event wins than anybody in that division's history at over 40, while his son is looking for his first win. David Michael finished second three times last year.

Another driver to watch in the quest for victory is last year's second ranked driver and top rookie in the field, Devan Kammermann. Devan adapted well in his move up from the Quarter Midgets, and he seemed to get better as the season progressed last year. Longtime Dwarf Car competitor Charlie Correia, Chris Becker, Brian Gray, 2016 champion Kevin Miraglio and Chuck Conover are among the other drivers to watch for this week.

The drivers are excited about getting their cars back on the track in racing conditions, and Saturday is shaping up to be a great night from start to finish. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.


Pit Stops

As of Wednesday morning, the weather looks very iffy for the coming weekend as the Bay Area tracks in California are all prepared to open. While Antioch Speedway has their five division All-Star Series racing program set for Saturday and Merced Speedway is also kicking things off with the Bill Egleston Memorial, Petaluma Speedway has a four division offering.

PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars and Wingless Spec Sprints headline a show that also includes the Redwood Empire Dwarf Cars and Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros. The playday last week was rained out. This season, the speedway will also feature the Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks, McLea's Tires IMCA Modifieds and Lumberjack Restaurant Super Stocks. In fact, Super Stocks and Mini Stocks will join the Dwarf Cars and C&H Hunt Wingless Spec Sprint Series on March 31st.

Last season, the track's Dwarf Car division formed the Redwood Empire Dwarf Car Association. Petaluma Dwarf Cars have conformed to the Western States Dwarf Car Association rules as it was, meaning the track has had Regional events every year for the past several seasons and a shootout race with the neighboring South Bay Dwarf Car Association, which is based in Watsonville. The record shows that Dave Mosier again won the Dwarf Car championship last season ahead of previous champion, Chad Matthias, who beat Scooter Gomes by just 11 points for third.

Geoff Ensign had an impressive season as he was the Winged 360 Sprint Car champion at both Petaluma and Watsonville. At Petaluma, he beat Klint Simpson by just 12 points to win the title. David Lindt II won a battle of second generation racers with Jake Haulot to finish third. It's interesting to note that most of Petaluma's Winged 360 shows this year fall on nights in which Antioch Speedway is not running the class, meaning fewer conflicts between the tracks. Meanwhile, Ryon Siverling was the surprising champion in the Wingless Spec Sprint class, beating past champion Sparky Howard by just one point. Young William Fatu notched third of the standings by just four points over past champion Klint Simpson.

The Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micro class continues to give the fans a solid show. Nick Robfogel won last season's championship ahead of George Nielsen and Jim Beck. Petaluma Speedway historians will note that the Super Stock division's lineage stretches back all the way to the mid 1970s with continuous racing. Matt While backed up his 2017 championship by holding off Steve Studebaker by just two points. Jim "Woody" Woodward finished third, seven points ahead of another past champion, Shawn McCoy. Super Stocks will return on March 31st, as will the Mini Stocks.

Historians will also note that Petaluma has continued the lineage of Mini Stock racing that was started back in the 1970s at Baylands Raceway. The division has had a championship season every year since then at Baylands prior to 1989 and Petaluma ever since. The division is also noted for graduating drivers into other divisions. For instance, Wlliam Fatu and Bob Davis are both Top 5 ranked Spec Sprint racers who started in Mini Stocks. Last season, Austin Ohlinger won the championship ahead of David Spindell and Sean Hale.

It's worth noting that Petaluma will have several big shows sprinkled throughout the season, including visits by the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour, presented by Abreu Vineyards, the King Of The West/NARC Sprint Cars, USAC Western States Midgets, USAC-CRA Sprint Cars, the Johnny Soares Classic for the Hunt Wingless Spec Sprints and the Adobe Cup. For further information, check out www.petaluma-speedway.com.

Friday night is scheduled to be an appearance by the World Of Outlaw Sprint Cars at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville. If the weather cooperates, IMCA Sport Modifieds and South Bay Dwarf Cars are also on the card. Ocean Speedway will continue to offer up their other divisions during the season, including the IMCA Modifieds, the popular American Stocks, Mini Stocks and Police In Pursuit cars. Not to be forgotten are the headliners of the speedway, the Taco Bravo Winged Sprint Cars.

Promoter John Prentice will offer up several big events during the season, including the Pombo-Sargent Classic and Johnny Key Classic for Sprint Cars, the Mike Cecil Memorial for American Stocks and the IMCA Modified classes and the big Pat Pettit Memorial Shoot Out for the IMCA Modified classes and the American Stocks. That's just a taste of the great things to come. Coming into the season, Matt Hagio is the reigning Sport Modified champion. Hagio wrapped up his second championship in three seasons by holding off Mark Hartman. Meanwhile, Cameron Diate was the Dwarf Car champion. For further information on Ocean Speedway, check out www.racepmg.com.

Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico has a regular show booked for Friday night. It features the Winged 360 Sprint Cars, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Wingless Spec Sprints and Hobby Stocks. Last season's final Winged 410 Sprint Car champion was Andy Forsberg. It will be interesting to see who writes their name in the books as the first Winged 360 Sprint Car champion. Phillip Shelby won the IMCA Sport Modified championship ahead of Tyler Rodgers and State champion Shane DeVolder. Kyle Allen won the Hobby Stock championship ahead of the tied Nick Vidovich and Shannon Collins. Tony Richards won the Wingless Spec Sprint title ahead of Craig Swim and Casey McClain. For further information, check out www.silverdollarspeedway.com.

Marysville Raceway will attempt to get the season opener for the Civil War Series into the books this Saturday night. Joining them will be the IMCA 305 RaceSaver Sprints and the IMCA Modifieds. The record shows that Andy Forsberg is the ten time reigning champion for the Civil War Series, having won the title by a wide margin ahead of Jeff Ensign last season. Philip Shelby won the championship for the Sport Modifieds last year, while the RaceSaver Sprint division is having their first season. Marysville will continue to offer up a Winged Street Stock division along with Hobby Stocks, Crate Sprints and the regular Winged 360 Sprint division. For further information, go to www.marysvilleraceway.com.

Continuing our trek up through the Jefferson region, Placerville Speedway offers their season opener, which features the Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Limited Late Models and Pure Stocks. The NorCal Dwarf Car Series joins this show. The record will show that Steven Tiner was the Sprint Car champion last year ahead of Greg DeCaires and Jimmy Truli. The Limited Late Model championship was won by Matt Micheli ahead of Mike Lightfoot and Tyler Lightfoot, who were separated by just six points. The Pure Stock championship was won by Jason Palmer ahead of 2017 titleist Nick Baldwin and past champion Scott Grunert. Danny Wagner won the NorCal Dwarf Car title last season. For further information, go to www.placervillespeedway.com.

The season opener at All American Speedway might be delayed by a couple of weeks, but word is that the track will have a race season. Bill McAnally is still in negotiations on the final details of his contract. It is hoped to have the shorter season this year and get more race dates next year. McAnally has promoted the NASCAR K&N West Series at Roseville and other venues for the past several seasons. One change in the schedule this year will be the lack of a Vintage Classic event in October. Whether that event returns in 2019 is up in the air. What we are hearing is there will be a season, and you can go to www.allamericanspeedway.com to look for future announcements or check out their Facebook page.

Orland Raceway and Diamond Mountain Speedway in Susanville are still a few weeks away from putting cars on the track, but Siskiyou Motor Speedway racers will be able to put their cars on display at the Sportsman's Expo in Yreka this weekend. It's been a rocky off season for the race track as we have waited to see if they could save the speedway. Suffice it to say, there were some things happening via the SCMA treasurer that the rest of the SCMA board and association knew nothing about.

The good news in all of this is that the season has been saved, although we haven't heard all the details. Rumor has it that the Outlaw Pro Stock Association, based largely in Klamath Falls, Oregon, came through with some funds to help, although we are shaky on the details. It was also mentioned last season that the SCMA allowed the Outlaw Kart group to break free of them in an effort to save the Kart program should something happen to the big track. According to the Siskiyou County Fairgrounds board minutes, the contract for both tracks will belong to the SCMA again this year. It was also pointed out that failure to do so will result in the termination of the SCMA's contract at both tracks.

What this really means for racing fans is Siskiyou Motor Speedway will continue to feature IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks. The Modified division will run some IMCA sanctioned and some non sanctioned events this year, while the Outlaw Pro Stock division will continue to call Siskiyou Motor Speedway their home track. There will also be a couple of visits by the Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars and special IMCA Modified Speedweek and Winged 360 Sprint Car Speedweek events. The trademark Arnberg/Hitson/Caveye Memorial Race takes place on Memorial Day Weekend with the Rod Restad event in late September closing things out. You can go to www.siskiyoumotorspeedway.com for further information.

Southern Oregon Speedway just had their Outlaw Kart awards banquet and informed the competitors of an exciting 11 race season, which kicks off with a two-day show on May 18th and 19th. The bigger track has so many things happening this year that it will be nonstop action from the moment the season opens on April 28th to the closure on September 22nd. IMCA will again sanction Modified and Sport Modified racing, while the big track continues to feature Mini Stocks, Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites, JOAT Labs Hornets, Late Models, Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars, OTRO Hardtops and Outlaw Pro Stocks.

Big things, such as the R Charles Snyder Salute, Hall Of Fame night, the Dwarf Car Nationals and the Herz Precision Part Cascade Wingless Sprint Car ($3,500 to win) Challenge Race are on the schedule. The more immediate interest will be the Road To The Iron Giant $1,000 to win 50 lap Street Stock race on May 19th, the Open Wheel Showcase, featuring Northwest Focus Midgets and Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars on May 26th and the Rodger Haudenshild Tribute Race, featuring IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Outlaw Pro Stocks and Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars on June 2nd. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Coos Bay Speedway just had their car show at the local mall last week. NASCAR racing will again be the thing when the oval track opens on April 14th. The Super Late Model champion stands to make as much as $6,000 this year for the championship. The Sportsman Late Model champion could walk away with $1,000 or more. These two divisions kick off the season along with the NASCAR Street Stocks, Mini Outlaws and Hornets. The Winged Sprint Cars and Humboldt Motorsports Side By Sides will make this a complete program from start to finish. You can go to www.coosbayspeedway.us for more information.

They've already been very active in Roseburg as they get ready for their new season. Last week was the annual Roy Harvey Bowling Tournament, which also acts as a fundraiser. Saturday night, they're having a chili cook off, which will be followed by a 200 lap Enduro race. The season kicks off on May 5th with PRA Modifieds, Hardtops, Streets Stocks, Mini Stocks, Hornets and Bangers. Noteworthy in the early goings of the season will be the NSRA Sprint Car show on May 19th and the NASCAR K&N West Show on June 30th. For further information, go to www.douglascountyspeedway.com.

The forecast calls for rainy and gloomy weather for the next few days, meaning there may not be much racing at all this weekend. However, California and eventually Oregon will be roaring with the sound of motors soon enough as spring has just begun and summer is just around the corner.


Silver Dollar Speedway
Race Results March 9, 2018
360 Sprints

Andy Forsberg
Colby Copeland
Jake Haulot
Michael Ing
D.J. Freitas
John Clark
Jodie Robinson
Lucas Ashe
R.C. Smith
Chelsea Blevins
Justin Sanders
Kalib Henry
Dustin Freitas
Justyn Cox
Mason Moore
Tony Gualda

Dwarf Cars
A Main

Ryan Winter
Jeremy Blackshere
Anthony Pope
Mike Reeder
Mike Grenert
Kevin Bender
Buddy Olschowka
Chuck Conover
Scott Dahlgren
Jeff Fitch
Ryan Plexico
Shawn Whitney
Bryan Bender
Wade Ehrlich
Austin Quilty
Justin Winter
Josh Wiesz
Daniel Weger
Danny Wagner
Zach Price
Devan Kammermann 
Vince Guerrero

B Main
Daniel Weger
Justin Winter
Wade Ehrlich
Devan Kammermann
Austin Quilty
Vince Guerrero
Ben Wiesz
Brian Quilty
Ron Jones
Sam Wren
Kevin Miragilo

Wingless Spec Sprints
Shawn Jones
Troy DeGaton
Angelique Bell
Nick Larson
Terry Schank Jr.


Chico Silver Dollar Speedway
Race Results March 10, 2018
360 Sprints

Andy Forsberg
Michael Kofoid
Willie Croft
Justin Sanders
Tony Gualda
Tanner Thorson
Cody Lamar
Michael Ing
John Carney
Colby Copeland
Lucas Ashe
Chelsea Blevins
Dustin Freitas
Billy Wallace
Tanner Boul
Brent Bjork
John Clark
Ryan Souza
Kalib Henry
Jake Haulot
D.J. Freitas
Justyn Cox 
Jodie Robinson

Dwarf Cars
Anthony Pope
Danny Wagner
Buddy Olschowka
Mike Reeder
Scott Dahlgren
Kevin Bender
Jeff Fitch
Ryan Plexico
Mike Grenert
Zach Price
Wade Ehrlich
Toby Brown
Bryan Bender
Ron Jones
Justin Winter
Daniel Weger
Ryan Winter
Devan Kammermann
Tim Fitzpatrick
Sam Wren

Wingless Spec Sprints
Sparky Howard
Shawn Jones
Max Adams
Brent Steck
Angelique Bell
Troy DeGaton 

Friday, March 9, 2018

Antioch Speedway And Merced Speedway Prepare For Playdays, Butch Althar And More



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Playdays Signal Start Of 2018 season 
At Antioch Speedway And Merced Speedway

If the weather holds, cars will take to the track at both Antioch Speedway and Merced Speedway on Saturday afternoon. This will be the first of two opportunities for the drivers to get practice laps on their respective home tracks before the season starts at both places. Antioch Speedway had scheduled an additional playday for March 3rd, which unfortunately was claimed by rainy weather.

For Merced Speedway, there is an added incentive for the racers to make those practice laps. On March 24th, the track will be honoring the memory of past champion Bill Egleston, who lost his life in a crash at Perris Auto Speedway earlier this year. As of this moment, the IMCA Modified Main Event that night will pay $3,000 to the winner. IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks make up the four division program at the Merced Speedway season opener.

The 2018 schedule for Merced Speedway features all of the big events that you would expect. Promoter Ed Parker has booked the Ted Stofle Classic, the Timmy Post Memorial, Legends Night, the John Fore Jr. Memorial and the Matt And Glass Cancer Fundraiser, among other big events. In fact, each of the four main divisions will race slightly more than they did last season, and the Valley Sportsman and California Sharp Mini Late Models will also have championship seasons. In addition to the five cars from last season, the auhorized dealer, Michael Shearer, has three new cars ready to go in the Mini Late Model class.

Meanwhile, back in Antioch, promoter John M Soares is doubling down with more of the same in his 21st season has promoter. The track will continue to feature the Winged 360 Sprint Car class, but there's news there. John endeavored to book races on nights in which neighboring Petaluma Speedway did not have the class, leaving just two conflicts on the schedule for this division. The first one doesn't even happen until July. Wingless Spec Sprints return for their 20th season at Antioch, while the DIRTcar Late Models, A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars are all on the schedule as well.

The Bay Are Hardtops return for four visits, including the Chet Thomson Memorial, but the revival of the Four Banger division has yet to materialize. Dave Mackey reports that his #1 Hardtop will be ready for the first Antioch race. Tommy Thomson returns this year in a completely redone green #39 car, thanks to long time crew chief Gary Faw and his son, and both Doug Braudrick and Ken Retzloff are among those anticipated for the first Anitoch Hardtop race.

Antioch will have its first big Dwarf Car event on April 7th when the Western States Dwarf Car Association holds a King Of California race. Also back on the schedule will be the Jerry Hetrick Memorial, the Larry Damitz Memorial, the John Soares Sr. Top Dog Race and the Fall Brawl, among other big events. The heaviest scheduled divisions continue to be the Hobby Stocks and B Modifieds, which both will compete at Antioch over 20 times again this season. The A Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Dwarf Cars have also seen a noticeable increase in the number of dates scheduled.

It's an exciting time to return to the race track. You still see the green grass growing in places after the rain during the offseason. The cars in many cases feature brand new bodies, just waiting for the first dent. It's a good bet that it won't take long either. After the two playday events, Antioch Speedway's season will open on March 24th with an event that will feature Wingless Spec Sprints, A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars.

The beautiful thing about a playday is that drivers can test new set ups, make sure the parts are working right and in some cases even get their very first laps behind the wheel of their new cars before the season opener. The rumor mill has been slow to produce much news, but two interesting news items circulated in the last couple of weeks regarding A Modifieds for third generation racer Mark Garner and Miranda Chappa. Chappa got a car from Nick DeCarlo, though we haven't heard what her plans are for this season. She won last season's finale for Dwarf Cars and at last report still has a Wingless Spec Sprint.

Garner clarified that his plans are to try to win The Limited Late Model championship for his father, the late Jerry "The Maverick" Garner. Mark came very close last season before settling for third, while finishing second in B Modified points. The 17 race schedule for the Limited Late Models will offer plenty of opportunity to get some wins, and Garner knows that consistency will be the key. Mark further reports that son Billy Garner will have the Hobby Stock formerly owned by Jim Freethy, which has won multiple Main Events at Antioch Speedway in the past.

Garner's chief rival in Limited Late Models may be reigning champion Kimo Oreta, though Jim Freethy and Mike Gustafson will be others to keep an eye on. Late word is that Chris Long now has the John Keith Limited Late Model for this season, while Angela Brown and Long's daughter may be seeing driving duties in the #99 Hobby Stock. Brown, the daughter of long time racer Bob Brown, has raced a Hobby Stock in the past. Getting back to Oreta, there was footage not too long ago in Marysville of Kimo driving the #03 Late Model at that track's playday.

We haven't heard a lot regarding who is returning or joining the various divisions, but there are sure to be a few surprises at the playdays. In Antioch's Hobby Stock division, Chris Bennett has announced some new sponsors as he gets ready for his sophomore season. After sending his old car to the wreckers, 2010 champion Chris Sorensen has a new car being prepared. 2017 runner up Brent Curran is preparing for his move up to the B Modified division after winning top rookie honors in Hobby Stocks last season. Reigning champion Cameron Swank was seen at the New Year's race driving a Chevelle. And this is just a sample of the Hobby Stock news. It was the best supported division last season.

After making a late season appearance in his Winged 360 Sprint Car last season, the news wasn't so good for 2nd generation racer Dan Gonderman, who will be sidelined due to a work related injury. Daughter Abigail Gonderman drove to a Top 10 season and top rookie honors last season in the Wingless Spec Sprint division. We've gotten word that Robert Floyd and Adam Teves are ready to go, while Alan Miranda has begun working on his Spec Sprint. Things are also coming together for Rick Panfili as he rebuilds his car from last season's hard crash and has sponsoorship from Archie's BBQ, VFW and Twin Tigers Karate.

It was announced last season that Buddy Kniss will be joining his father Chester Kniss in the A Modified division this season at Antioch. 2016 B Modified champion Trevor Clymens and reigning champion K.C. Keller are ready to go, and we've also seen progress on both the Tim Hammett and Robby Senn cars. Senn is up from Hobby Stocks and is a rookie in B Modifieds.

News has been slow to circulate out of Merced, but we know there are several cars being prepared for the Mini Stock division. This should include a new truck owned by past little truck champion Kevin Lockerby. Resident Mini Stock boosters Chris Corder and sister Jennifer Corder are anticipated along with Destiny Carter and Lucy Falkenberg. Joe Terry will be living his dream as he makes his division  debut, and announcer Dale Falkenberg continues to do things to help build this class. Chris Corder surprised some people when he bought a Sportsman last year. If he really gets the itch to get behind this division, it would be just the shot in the arm the Sportsman division really needs. There has also been a sighting of both the Sportsman and Sport Modified of Tim Prothro.






Antioch area racer Ricky Brophy has been working social media to gauge interest in a Wingless 360 Sprint Car race on April 21st at Merced.  Promoter Ed Parker is trying many things to give the fans a variety of entertaining open wheel shows, including RaceSaver 305 Sprints, BCRA Midgets, BCRA Midge Lites and WSDCA Dwarf Cars, and he's interested in giving this exciting style of open wheel racing a try if he can get some support.  Brophy, Shawn Arriaga, Jeremy Ellertson, James Smith and Adam Teves are among those who have expressed interest. NWWT President and reigning champion Rob Lindsey commented that he would have been interested in supporting the show had his group not had a race booked at Cottage Grove, Oregon Speedway that night.


Drivers are itching to get their race cars on to the track, and playday this Saturday at Antioch Speedway and Merced Speedway is just the opportunity to do so. We'll be keeping an eye on both tracks. For further information, you can go to the official Merced site at www.racemerced.com or the official Antioch site at www.antiochspeedway.com.


In Memory Of Butch Althar

I just read that Butch Althar died. I'm sorry to hear the news. I've heard a few good announcers in my time in the sport. There are a few people who have announced who are very important to me and influenced me. One of them is Butch. He may be the best announcer I ever heard at Antioch Speedway.

I shamelessly borrow the line that he used to use at the end of his shows. "May you live as long as you want to and want to as long as you live." I do that in part as a tribute to him. One of the biggest regrets I have in my time as an announcer at Antioch Speedway was the night I didn't invite Butch up to the booth. He was interested in announcing with me. It really didn't stick with me that night the way it does now. He wanted to know if he could do it again, if he had that ability. I know he did. That's the thing.

I knew that he had been through some health issues, but that wasn't the reason. It wasn't even about having to share the microphone with somebody. I would have LOVED to work with him. Me being so anal about having everything set up perfect, I didn't have all of my sponsor sheets laid out. My writing kind of sucks. I wanted to set everything up on cards neatly printed. So I said, "Let me get everything set up and we'll do this." I should have said, "Come right up and announce with me." We don't get do-overs in life. I know that all too well, and this was a moment I'd like to have back.

Butch raced and announced at Vallejo Speedway and earned the love of respect of the racers there. He announced at other places as well before coming to Antioch. I remember him being a breath of fresh air. An announcer who actually shows up before the races to get information and talk to the drivers. A novel concept. I know that announcers in that era sometimes just read from the rosters, which meant they were messing up names all night. We had a few of those at Antioch.

It's one of the things I learned from Butch. Take the time to talk to the racers and know what you're talking about. Sponsorship is very important, so make sure you have everything up to date. And don't just write those sponsors down on a list, actually announce them. I've seen drivers lose sponsors because the announcer didn't do his job properly. Not Butch. He knew what the hell he was doing.

I also remember when he lost the gig in Antioch. This never should have happened. I know that he was one of the best in the game and probably came at a higher salary than the guys who read names from sheets and told a few jokes on race night. People loved what he did, and it was just another stupid management decision, in my opinion, to not hire him. When I look back and think I was a little bit rough on management back in those days, these are the things that remind me that, no, maybe I wasn't.

What was interesting is during that time when he was negotiating, Butch happened to be in the area. He drove his big RV into our little mobile home park to come talk to me about what was going on. I was not pleased that he wouldn't be announcing at Antioch, but it made me smile to know that he had some really good offers waiting for him. Of course, we ended up with an announcer who is admittedly very well known in the Antioch racing community and had catch phrases he loved to say, but I still remember who the best announcer was there. We didn't have him nearly as long as we should have.

I know Butch was called upon to do various awards banquets through the years.  He had charm, wit and a great sense of humor. An award's banquet MC'ed by him was an enjoyable event. Back at the end of 1988, Mike Johnson wanted to present the NCMA in the best light possible for their awards banquet.  So, he paid Ron Albright to cover it an Butch to MC it. Butch was his usual entertaining self and did an awesome job.

Butch was very professional about everything and didn't really make a big deal out of not being invited back to Antioch. He knew that was the nature of the business. I loved his sense of humor. I recall one night when Corky Patrick had painted his Street Stock pink and had the fire suit to match. Butch decided he would call him Pinky Patrick that night on the PA. Corky wasn't amused. He told me so, and I went to tell Butch. He already had a hunch before I said anything. Butch had the biggest smile on his face when he said, "He didn't like it, did he?"

I know Butch was honored with awards at Vallejo Speedway. It always brings a smile to my face to know that people like him are shown appreciation like that. I have been thinking about him. I always go back to the time when I could have had him up there announcing with me and blew it. As I announced again, this time at Merced and Chowchilla, I kept thinking that I would pull him up to the booth with me if I saw him.

The DCRR Magazine was just getting started when Butch was announcing at Antioch. I would take the time to write down sponsors for him and help where I could. We get a chance to touch people's lives when we are involved in this wonderful sport, and Butch touched a lot of people's lives. I'm better for having known him.

I'm working at track now that had a beloved figure, R Charles Snyder, announcing for many years. I'm proud to have had a hand in helping put together the race that honors the man now. I don't know if Butch will ever get such an honor, but as long as I'm still here, I will honor him by doing the best that I can. I learned from one of the best.


The Editor's Viewpoint

I saw an interesting topic come up on Facebook regarding letters after the car numbers. The person was wondering why the Watsonville cars had the circles around the numbers and what happened to all of that. Of course, this happened back in the days when you had Bob Barkhimer promoting all of these tracks. This continued for a while after he sold to Ken Clapp.

It could get a bit confusing when we had special nights and there were 40 or 50 cars in the pits in one division. This happened more often back in those days. We also used to only need two divisions back then. So depending on where you were from, you ran the circle or the letter after your number.

You knew you were in for some tough competition in the 1980s when the circle cars came to town. Those were the Watsonville guys, and they were fast. Those were the guys that usually competed for the NASCAR Regional Championship. I don't know why they didn't have a w after their numbers. So, if you weren't really paying attention or the car was lettered a certain way, you didn't really even notice the circle sometimes. The San Jose drivers didn't have to run a letter after their numbers. Why no s there? Interestingly enough, for several years the Late Models didn't even get Regional points. The Super Modifieds, who weren't really even running for the NASCAR Regional Championship, would get those points.

This makes for an interesting discussion at Merced. After San Jose moved on from Super Modifieds to Sprint Cars, Merced Speedway added the California Modified class. This was the old style, reminiscent of Super Modifieds, but a little bit more affordable. For two years, Merced gave that class Regional points and nearly brought the championship home both times. The driver, Gordon Rogers, who never finished lower than third and only did that on one night a week of racing. That put him at a disadvantage to all of the big players who had two nights of racing and therefore more bad nights they could throw away.

Merced Speedway had the m after their car numbers. I used to look forward to seeing those drivers come to Antioch, because this didn't happen all the time. Merced and Antioch both ran on Saturday nights. Merced Speedway was the home track of Doug Williams. Doug was the only Merced local to win a NASCAR Regional Championship, which was considered an upset back in those days. Some people might underestimate those racers in Merced, but they could be very tough to beat.

I speak of the 1980s with the lettering, but it goes back before that too. In the 1960s and 70s, Petaluma Speedway was part of the NASCAR family. What's interesting is you had John Soares Sr. promoting Petaluma and Antioch for Barkhimer, and you had Bert Moreland promoting Watsonville and Merced. Barky could be found in San Jose with the very competitive Super Modified program he had cultivated at the Old Tully Road pavement track.

You had two different circuits going on that were part of the NASCAR State championship. You had Antioch and Petaluma working together and Merced and Watsonville working together. There were opportunities for the drivers to go from one circuit to the other, and when you had that happen, you had bigger races than you were already getting. And these were big racing programs to begin with. Petaluma competitors ran an n after their numbers. Not sure where the n came from. Why not a p? Stockton, which wasn't part of either circuit, ran the j after their numbers.

Some might say the end of the Barkhimer Legacy tracks came in the mid 1970s. This is when he sold his interest to Ken Clapp. Clapp ran that all the way to the bitter end as the tracks slipped one by one from his grasp. I know he's seen as sort of the "elder statesman" on the west coast. When NASCAR wants an opinion on the west coast, you'll sometimes hear a sound bite from him on a TV broadcast. However, he was no Bob Barkhimer. To me, it's a shame that people don't remember Bob. He's really the guy who built up so much of the racing that we still enjoy in California at some places.

Racing promoting is something that sometimes feels like a lost art. I've had this discussion with Mike McCann sometimes. Mike, I know, is an admirer of the work that Bob Barkhimer did as a promoter. And Bob had his detractors. They declared WAR on him by forming the WAR Association at a few tracks that Barkhimer didn't control. It always comes down to people thinking that they can do it better than you, even when it comes to a guy of Barkhimer's stature.

But when you look at it, promoters back in those days had a certain flair to what they were doing. It used to be a big deal in the 1960s and early into the next decade when you had a Powder Puff Race, for instance. It's kind of condescending to women now, but it was a big deal then. We're going to let our wives and girlfriends drive our cars. Uh oh! But, those events were actually very entertaining, and I discovered through my research at Antioch Speedway just how much the newspapers hyped those events up. They were a selling point. What was going to happen to the cars, and which woman was going to win?

This was pretty much something that happened at many of the tracks for years, but gradually women broke through the gender barrier. Some tracks were a little bit slower to progress than others. At Antioch, we saw our first lady drivers in the mid 1970s, Lesley Green and Gloria Johnson. Newspaper articles chronicled John's misgivings about the whole idea, but he knew this was something that had to happen. There was a time when women weren't even allowed in the pits. Yeah, that's the era Jonn  came from. But men like him and Bert Moreland were the ones who opened the gates and allowed women not just to be in the pits, but to compete as well.

Moreland went even further. He introduced Figure 8 racing to Watsonville. To the untrained eye, it could be a chaotic race that had crashing in the X. To a fan and enthusiast of that style of racing, it's so much more. The skilled racers could have the fans on their feet waiting for that moment in the X that never happened. They knew how to time it, and they were racing hard for a win at the same time. Figure 8 racing was legendary at Watsonville, and Moreland was the guy who made it happen.

I've grown to realize that these man had different circumstances to work with back in those days. You didn't have so many things competing for a fan's dollars, so when you had a grandstand seating capacity of 3000 people, most of these racing venues throughout the state packed the grandstands. Also, they did it with two, sometimes one division. Where we might see 60 cars showing up for a six division show in 2018, we would see 60 cars show up for one division in those early days. What time period would you rather spectate? As a racer, what sounds more appealing to you?

You had thrill shows and other sorts of things going on. You might even see Evel Knievel put on a show jumping buses in the infield. Orval The Daredevil Clown, Kansas Ed Beckley, Destruction Derbies. A promoter would throw in all sorts of fun stuff to get fans to come check out those races, and he didn't always jack up the ticket price when he did that. It was the land of milk and honey in racing. That's what the days of the circle, a and m numbers mean to me.

But, can you imagine social media and our way of thinking being the norm back in those days? They'd crucify those guys. Who the hell does Barkhimer think he is? Does he think he's God? Well, the racers have shown him. This means WAR!

I hold these promoters in high regards because they made it happen. They built the circuit that we enjoy today. Mike has shown me so many places back east that have closed down. I'm talking state of the art facilities in some cases. Brand new stuff, but they couldn't draw a fly. Now, these places just sit, perhaps never to hear the roar of the engines again. I know for me personally, the desire to relocate is mainly to go back to the Bay Area again, which I will do eventually. However, there have been a few race tracks that he's shown me that would be tempting to relocate to if somebody were making a go of it again.

Indiana, for instance, is seen as some sort of racing "Promise Land." And, it is impressive. They have some of the best open wheel racing you'll find anywhere in the country. I'm amazed at how many racing venues sit dormant there. We hear how low on the totem pole California is in racing. And believe me, California has its issues. Despite that, there are an awful lot of race tracks still going in California.

When I think of these great promoters, I know they have been there and done that. In many cases, they've been honored by being inducted into multiple Hall Of Fames for their accomplishments. They've proven their point. They paved the way, and others have followed them. I often wonder though, how would those great promoters do if they were running a race track now? There's only a few of them left who competed back in those days. I work with Mike up here, and John Soares Jr. in Antioch is about the only other one I can think of.

I can just see social media driving these people up the walls. They dealt with the newspapers pretty heavily back then. Billboard signs in town, posters in the windows of local stores and sometimes the television and radio. You might even see races broadcast sometimes. I know Indoor Midget Racing used to be on TV. The lack of a social media shielded them from the bombardment of negativity the modern day promoter deals with now.

Facebook back in those days was pretty simple. You had a bad night and you sat in the pits with other racers or your crew and family and complained about what happened that night. A few beers later, you might even say you were done with the place. But when you left, it would be, "See you next week." And if it really got heated, you didn't hit any dislike button or respond to that person's comment with a negative comment. Oh no. It might end in a fight in the pits or at the pizza parlor afterwards.

I wouldn't say that Bert, Bob, John or any of the great promoters couldn't do it. These men knew how to think outside the box. These man could throw a race track together in a short time and begin promoting. They were the doers of the racing community. And the racers generally respected them, because they knew how hard they were working. I'm just saying it's a different time now. I don't know that I would want to be a promoter if I had the money to invest in the sport today.

First of all, I don't like what we present as a racing program to the fans. It's no wonder attendance is down at so many venues. You're going to tell me that an 8 or 10 car division is acceptable? We had a word for 10 cars back in the day. Heat race. Now we convince ourselves that we have something with eight cars. That's okay, we can get two heat races, a Trophy Dash and a Main Event with that. Pathetic.

I was just commenting on social media when somebody was reminiscing about Baylands Raceway Park. What a place that was. It wasn't that it was a special facility. The place was kind of run down actually. But the racing on that track was exciting, and they had lots of different types of divisions to choose from. The end of that track sparked the first case of what I call Divisionitis. That is to say, too many divisions at one race track in one night.

John Soares Sr., or Pops as many of us called him, was an opportunist. This wasn't the first time he benefited from a race track's closure. Actually, after the Vallejo Speedway Super Stock and Street Stock program ran their final season in 1979, Pops invited the racers to Petaluma in 1980. He even gained a new Director Of Competition.

Baylands was a different sort of animal. There were a lot of misplaced divisions. Sprint Cars were there for the taking. Mini Stocks had been a part of Fremont racing going back to the 1970s and still continue at Petaluma to this day along with the Sprint Cars. There were other classes for the taking. Two of the groups decided to form their own clubs and race elsewhere. Petaluma had about 150 cars packing the pits, and it was non stop racing. They usually got the entire program in without cutting laps too.

What it was was you had David Vodden looking hard to find a new venue to replace Baylands. At one time, he was looking at Vacaville, where the drag strip used to be. It's a shame the city fought against that idea. It would have been a perfect location. Vodden came to Soares with this crazy proposal to add so much more to what was already a good program.

However, there were some kinks in the armor at Petaluma. The Super Stock division that had been the mainstay at that track for a decade was suddenly the POSSE Super Stock Tour. Late Models had taken over, but they didn't have the car count of their predecessor. The American Stock division had just begun, but it to wasn't that big. The Dirt Modified division was the first of its kind in California, but they too were building. Cars were needed, and Vodden was offering the perfect solution. The rest, is history.

I seem to recall people criticizing the move, but if you're a racing fan, you got a lot of racing. The Sprint Cars, American Stocks and Street Stocks had huge car counts, and the Mini Stocks and Late Models weren't doing too bad either. I still feel the show the track had in the early 1980s was second to none, but this wasn't too bad either. Pops did a good thing for the racers who needed a track, but he also made a ton of money. Critics might have balked at what he was doing, but they wouldn't have passed up this opportunity either.

This signaled the end of two division racing at most of the tracks. Three divisions was the norm for a few years, and then it became four divisions. The problem with that is you're giving racers too many options. It seemed like a good idea at the time. You're getting more cars in the pits, but eventually car count takes a hit. When John Soares Jr. took over Antioch, he made a few moves that grew the car count bigger than it had ever been in the track's history. As the announcer and Publicity Director in 1999 and 2000, I can say that we were putting on one hell of a show.

But, the precedent had been set. Too many divisions. You don't need two entry level divisions, which we had with Mini Trucks being added along with the Hobby Stocks. We still had a real Street Stock division and Limited Late Models were added. The Dirt Modifieds were there and we added the successful Wingless Specs Sprints. Let's not forget the Dwarf Cars. There were nights when we had four divisions that had B Mains with 120-130 cars packing the pits. Eventually, car count falls. The divisions still had enough cars to justify their existence, but the show became a shadow of its former self.

I do not mean to signal out Antioch Speedway when I say this. It's just that I'm more acquainted with Antioch. However, this has happened at other places as well. As a promoter, you're still targeting that magic number of at least 60 cars in the pits. It used to be that you were getting that with two divisions, but that's not the time we live in now. So you take your divisions and rotate them around so that people get nights off. Racers aren't the racers they once were. You can't book them 26 times in a season and expect that they'll make every race. It doesn't happen anymore. At about 14 race dates, they start missing shows. Heck, they do that on a 10 race schedule.

This is an instance where having too many divisions can actually become a promoter's friend in 2018. You might still make that magic number with five or six divisions while the other divisions get weeks off and come back next week. It's still not the show it once was, and I have to think that even casual fans come out and don't see the magic. Jim Robbins used to remark how he always saw so many new faces up in the stands when I was out there at Antioch in 2015. On one level, that's great. However, it would be better if you saw them new fans while still keeping the old fans. We might be able to draw 1100 fans in the stands some 18 or 19 years ago, but 500 or 600 fans seems to be the norm these days. Some nights we do better than others.

Everybody has a solution on how to fix this. We all know. But it's not as easy as that. I'd like to think if we had a better show on the track, that would translate. Fans would be more willing to spend their hard earned dollars on a show that was more entertaining and competitive. I've seen the same kind of thing up here. We're mimicking the model I see at Antioch in some ways. I still believe that a better show equates to more fans coming out.

How do you get the fans to come out? We all have our answers. I know you have to hype it up. This is what I do. But, where do you put it out at? I still go for newspapers, because they still exist. I'm a relic. I will go down with that ship. However, I don't just focus on newspapers. Everybody is online these days, and people do check out the online news sites. If they're willing to run my article, they get it. But, even that's not enough.

Both John and Mike have spoken of the value of radio ads, but even they would say it's not doing what it once was. For starters, which radio stations do you listen to as a fan? If we're advertising on a country station and our fans are into rock and roll, what is it going to gain us? Do you put it on a sports news station? I've heard that those people only care about ball games. So, you could be a few hundred to $1,000 in the hole that week trying to advertise and not gain that money back in ticket sales.

I've heard people up here say that we don't advertise at all, but we do advertise. And I know this is the same everywhere. In some cases, you've got the magic formula. You put out the money to spread your word, and your word is getting where it needs to go. The fans hear it, and they show up. This is the struggle that we work on every week. We take it one week at a time, and we don't take it for granted. If you have a good week, you can't even brag about it too much. You've got to go back and do it again next week. And you may not be able to do it the same way and be successful.

What I'm saying is we need to be grateful as racing fans that promoters, whomever they are, are risking their own money to open the gates. They don't owe us anything. To those people who say, you need to do this, that and the other thing before I'll ever come out there, may you not lose your race track while you're waiting for Utopia Speedway. Chances are, you will. You're never going to find a track that is 100% to your liking. But, if you find one that is 80%, isn't that enough? Most of us won't find a job that is 100% to our liking, but if we can get 80%, and we can take home a paycheck, is that good enough?

It's not a fun time to try to maintain a race track. It's one of the reasons I'm looking for the door. It's very frustrating to see the sport as it is now and remember what it once was. The romantic in me sees it and sees what it could be, but I remind myself that I'm probably fooling myself. The same things that mean so much to me when it comes to sport mean something different to different people. I can go right on doing what I do, and it may never be enough. I know it's not enough for me personally in what I need in my life, but it saddens me to realize it may not be enough to help the sport either.

That leaves me being grateful for the times that I've had, grateful for the opportunity I have now, appreciative of the promoters who are out there making it happen and also respectful of each and every racer who does their best to show up every week and entertain the fans. It's not easy for a racer either. They have more demands, just as the average person does. That 20 race schedule may be impossible for them, but they'll give it their best to make a 14 race schedule as much as they can.

Funny all this started with me remembering the letters after the numbers. Those were the days. Really, it's what hooked me on this sport. The beginning days of my beloved Street Stock division and my all time favorite Sportsman division. Watching drivers come from the back of the pack in full fields to score victories. It hooked me. I can only say that had I seen the sport I see now when I first started back then, you wouldn't be reading these words right now. I just go out there and hope for the best. Here's to a good 2018 season, wherever you race!

That's all for now...  The Editor


Marysville Raceway Race Results February 24
Sherm And Loree Toller Memorial

360 Sprints
A Main

Justin Sanders
Andy Forsberg
Billy Wallace
Sean Becker
Shane Golobic
Jeremy Hawes
Cody Hodgson
Lucas Ashe
Michael Ing
Mike Monahan
Justin Henry
Pat Harvey Jr.
Kyle Hirst
Korey Lovell
Dustin Freitas
Zane Blanchard
William Fielding
Michael Kofoid
Colby Copeland
Tanner Carrick
Steven Tiner
Kurt Nelson

B Main
Steven Tiner
Michael Ing
Lucas Ashe
Korey Lovell
Mike Monahan
Pat Harvey Jr.
Brent Bjork
Heath Hall

Hunt Wingless Spec Sprints
Kaleb Henry
Angelique Bell
Shawn Jones
Sparky Howard
Troy DeGaton
Scott Hall
Jake Morgan
Terry Schank Jr.
Max Adams
Adam Christian
Ryon Siverling
Kaimi Moniz-Costa
Jesse Love
Mike Ballantine
Robert Floyd
Marcus Smith
Greg DeCaires

305 Sprints
Monthy Ferriera
Tim Sherman Jr.
Jacob Pacheco