Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Antioch Speedway, Merced Speedway, Petaluma Speedway, Ocean Speedway, Orland Raceway, Dixon 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

Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion Can Be Heard HERE

Antioch Speedway Racing Discussion Can Be Heard HERE


The DCRR Racing Radio Show
Backup Link HERE


Modifieds, Late Models Headline Antioch Speedway Show

Antioch, CA...We're in the stretch run of the All Star Racing Series season at Antioch Speedway with just five point events remaining. August will be wrapping up this Saturday night with an exciting five division program on the 3/8 mile clay oval. A Modifieds are back along with the DIRTcar Late Models. Also competing will be the Wingless Spec Sprints, B Modifieds and the Dwarf Cars.

The A Modified championship battle seems to be going the way Buddy Kniss would hope, but the third-generation racer knows he can't get too comfortable. His division is booked in four of the last five races, and that means there are plenty of point earning opportunities for his rival, Danny Wagner, to gain some ground. At the moment, Kniss leads Wagner by 36 points. It's been a back and forth battle between the two as Kniss has won three Main Events and Wagner has two wins in the 14 races held so far. Both have a second place finish, and Wagner has four third place finishes to three for Kniss. However, Kniss has been better at getting Top 5 finishes overall with 12 of them.

There have now been eight different feature winners this season as Brian Pearce was the most recent winner last time out. After a strong start, reigning champion Nick DeCarlo has been missing in recent weeks, and yet he leads Sean O'Gara by 60 points in the race for third. O'Gara has three Top 3 efforts in the last four races, which also puts him 30 points ahead of past champion Bobby Motts Jr in the battle for fourth. There is still plenty of opportunity to make some moves up the point ladder for some of the other competitors.

Others to watch for this week include Gary Hetrick, Raymond Linderman and Trevor Clymens. With neighboring Petaluma Speedway not racing until Monday, it's possible that some of their Modified competitors may show up to take advantage of a potential two-race weekend.

Kimo Oreta has recently started running a Modified and could show up with that car this week. However, we do expect him to compete in the DIRTcar Late Model race. Oreta has emerged as a challenger to the dominant Richard Papenhausen. Two races ago, he led 12 laps of the Main Event before mechanical issues sidelined him. The Sun Drop Racing Team got everything situated, and Oreta responded by scoring his first win in this class last time out. It also meant that Oreta snapped a five-race win streak for point leader Papenhausen, who was running in second when front end suspension damage sent him to the pits. Papenhausen holds a 40 point lead over the consistent Rod Oliver. Oliver is the only driver other than Papenhausen to have six Top 5 finishes, and this includes a season high second and one third.

Oliver isn't comfortably in the second position as Oreta trails by just four points. Not to be forgotten in the battle for second is Mike Hynes. Hynes is only 18 points out of second on the strength of two season high third place finishes. Though this has been a difficult season at times for past Modified champion Rob Norris, he rebounded last time with a career best second place finish. Another driver making his presence known lately is past Santa Maria Speedway champion, Rick Coffey. Coffey has a second and third place finish in his last two starts. Other drivers to watch for this week include Dennis Souza and John Soares.

The apparent march to the Wingless Spec Sprint championship for Shannon Newton hit an unexpected hurdle last week. Newton was making a charge towards the front in a quest for his eighth feature win when he contacted a tire entering Turn 3 and cartwheeled into the infield. It looked like a rather violet flip, but Newton emerged from the wreckage unscathed. How much damage the car sustained, we haven't heard, but the Richard Basden team will be hard at work making repairs for the coming race.

As it stands, Newton holds a comfortable lead of 94 points ahead of division mainstay Rick Panfili. After a pair of not so good finishes, Panfili rebounded a bit last time out with a fourth place finish. This also gave him a 20 point lead over Mackenzie Newton. She was coming off of a pair of third place finishes and is still very much a threat to Panfili for the second position. Much like Newton and two-time champion Dan Gonderman, top rookie Jeff Scotto was out of the Main Event early and now only has a 22 point lead over Keith Calvino. Calvino followed up his second place finish from the previous race with a fifth place finish last time out as he continues to climb the point ladder.

Past division runner-up Marcus Smith was a welcome sight in the pits for the first time this year. In fact, the trio leading the pack last week were not drivers that have been seen regularly at the speedway. Alan Miranda, a feature winner in past seasons, collected the win in front of Smith and 2015 champion Kyle Bakkie. You never really know who could show up from week to week, but other drivers to watch for this week include Dustin Maibes, Cameron Martin and Troy Ferry.

The B Modified division saw another new winner added to the list last week. We had gotten word that rookie Cameron Swank was looking to sell his B Modified and searching for a Camaro for a return to the Hobby Stock division. Swank has done an admirable job in the B Modified class so far, but he saved his best for last week in turning in a rather impressive performance in scoring his first career feature win. The win also moved him to within 14 points of Kevin Brown for second in the standings. Brown has been very consistent with seven-straight Top 5 finishes. The streak also included his first career victory three races ago.

Barring any unforeseen issues, Tommy Fraser appears to be headed for the division championship. Fraser has six wins to his credit and was forced to start back in 10th last week as the previous winner. He managed to climb to third as two-time reigning champion Trevor Clymens managed to overcome steering issues to earn a respectable second place finish. Clymens is leading his brother Tom Clymens Jr by just four points in the race for the fourth position. Other drivers to watch for this week including Jason Womack, Nick Caughman Jr and Ty Bickford.

The Dwarf Cars round out what should be a very exciting program. Scott Dahlgren, who has been one of the top competitors in the NorCal Dwarf Car group in recent years, continues his march toward the championship. He scored his fifth feature win last time, keeping his lead at 50 points in front of teammate Devan Kammermann. Kammermann has scored four second place finishes and one third in his last five races as he's practically pounding on the door to his first career feature win. The pressure is on Kammermann with Troy Stevenson Jr just 28 point behind him in third. Stevenson had a streak of five Top 5 finishes going into the most recent race, but bad luck put an end to that.

Last time out, two-time reigning champion Mike Corsaro looked about as good as we've seen him all year as he earned his third season high third place finish. Corsaro could be another threat to win the coming race. Two-time winner Travis Dutra and one- time winner David Michael Rosa will also have their sites set on victory this week. Some of the other racers to watch for include Mario Marques, Chris Becker, Travis Day and Timmy Ryan.

This Saturday's program will offer a nice variety of fast and competitive divisions for the fans to enjoy. With the battles we have going in the various championship races and the fact that we've been seeing some new faces in the winner's circle in various divisions recently, this should be a show you won't want to miss. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.


Swank, Miranda Win Antioch Speedway Races

Antioch, CA...August 24...Cameron Swank won the 20 lap All Star Racing Series B Modified Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. Swank is the top rookie in the division so far this season, and this was his first win in the class. Swank charged into the lead at the start, followed by Kevin Brown and Nick Caughman Jr. Throughout the first half of the race, Swank built a comfortable lead as Caughman and Brown battled fiercely for the second position. On lap 15, Caughman spun in Turn 4, collecting Tommy Fraser and Mark Garner in the process. On the restart, Trevor Clymens charged into second behind Swank. Even with the two-time champion running behind him, Swank kept his cool and led the remaining laps for the impressive victory. Trevor Clymens settled for second, and Fraser beat Tommy Clymens Jr back to the checkered flag for third in a near photo finish. Ty Bickford finished fifth.

Alan Miranda won the 15 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event. This was his first win of the season. After a flip in preliminaries, rookie Jeff Scotto was a Main Event scratch. Before one lap could be completed, there was a wild crash entering Turn 3. Dan Gonderman slowed down on the back straightaway as Rick Panfili was looking to the inside. With a bunch of momentum, incoming point leader Shannon Newton took evasive action into the infield, clipped a tractor tire and did a double cartwheel. He emerged from the wreckage unscathed, but his car suffered heavy damage. After Keith Calvino spun in Turn 2, Miranda charged into the lead ahead of 2015 champion Kyle Bakkie. Marcus Smith made a big move exiting Turn 2 of the third lap to get past both Mackenzie Newton and Panfili for the third position. A high pass in Turn 2 of the fifth lap put Smith into second, and he caught Miranda by the 10th lap. A fierce battle for the lead ensued. Smith bumped the rear wheel of Miranda entering Turn 1 as he attempted to get by on the 14th lap. Miranda managed to hold off Smith at the checkered flag as Bakkie, Panfili and Calvino completed the Top 5.
.
Josh Leach won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was the fifth win of the season for Leach as he remains in championship contention. Dalton Jewell set the early pace ahead of Lori Brown and Tyler Henrickson. Leach quickly moved up to make it a four-car battle and made a Turn 1 pass on lap six to gain third. A slower car veered into the path of Brown as it headed towards the Turn 1 exit on lap seven, slowing her pace as Leach moved by for second. Following a yellow flag on lap nine, Jewell and Leach began a battle for the lead. Jewell was doing well until he left the door open exiting Turn 4 of the 16th lap. Leach went by on the inside to gain the lead and went on to score the victory with Jewell still a career best second. Championship contender Breanna Troen was a solid third ahead of Ken Johns and Will Buirch.

Jimmy Robbins won the 15 lap Limited Late Model Main Event. After winning his heat race, Robbins had the pole for the Main Event and led early ahead of John Evans. Robbins pulled away from Evans as point leader Kimo Oreta looked for a way around Evans. A low pass in Turn 4 of the fifth lap gained Oreta second, but Robbins held comfortable lead at that point. Oreta set a rapid pace and closed in on Robbins by lap 11. Oreta took a look to the inside of Robbins as they worked lap 12 and pulled even with him on the back straightaway as they worked the 14th lap. However, Robbins kept his poise and picked up the win ahead of Oreta, Evans and Michael Burch.

Racing resumes with an exciting five division lineup this Saturday night. The DIRTcar Late Models and A Modifieds will be back along with the Wingless Spec Sprints, B Modifieds and Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

All Star Series Antioch Speedway
Unofficial Race Results
B Modifieds
Heat Winners (6 laps)-Nick Caughman Jr, Tommy Fraser. Main Event (20 laps)-Cameron Swank, Trevor Clymens, Tommy Fraser, Tommy Clymens Jr, Ty Bickford, Kevin Brown, Chuck Golden, Adam Coonfield, James Graeselle, Nick Caughman Jr.

Wingless Spec Sprints
Heat Winners (6 laps)-Marcus Smith, Shannon Newton. Main Event (20 laps)-Alan Miranda, Marcus Smith, Kyle Bakkie, Rick Panfili, Keith Calvino, Mackenzie Newton, Jeff Scotto, Shannon Newton, Dan Gonderman.

Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (6 laps)-Ken Johns, Chris Sorensen. Main Event (20 laps)-Josh Leach, Dalton Jewell, Breanna Troen, Ken Jones, Will Buirch, Tyler Henrickson, Judy Arth, Lori Brown, Jacob Mallet Jr, Dustin Himes.

Limited Late Models
Heat Winner (6 laps)-Jimmy Robbins. Main Event (20 laps)-Jimmy Robbins, Kimo Oreta, John Evans, Michael Burch, Chad Hammer DNS.


USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Invade 
Petaluma Speedway This Monday

Petaluma, CA...Petaluma Speedway has a special Labor Day event on Monday. It's the third round of the five-race USAC/CRA Sprint Car Speedweek Series, which is an annual occurrence at the 3/8 mile adobe oval. Joining the Sprint Cars in support will be the McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modifieds and the Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks.

This will be the 14th race of the series for the USAC/CRA Wingless Sprint Car group. They are the premiere Wingless Sprint Car Series on the West Coast, and they always deliver an exciting show. After 11 races, there have been seven different winners so far this season. With a pair of wins each, Damion Gardner and Brody Roa are battling fiercely for the championship. Gardner holds a 20 point advantage. A solid third, and only 37 points out of second, is Austin Williams.

Meanwhile, the most recent winner at Paris Auto Speedway was Jake Swanson. Swanson has a pretty good hold on fourth with Tommy Malcolm back in fifth. The balance of the Top 10 is currently being rounded out by Chris Gansen, RJ Johnson, Matt McCarthy, Cody Williams and two-time winner Richard Vanderweerd. A turnout of 20 or so competitors is anticipated for Monday's show.

The McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modifieds get their sixth opportunity to go racing, and multi time champion Michael Paul Jr is riding a two-race win streak into the night. Paul grabbed the $1,500 prize a few weeks ago in the Top Dog Nationals. His most recent win ahead of reigning champion Oreste Gonella has Paul trailing him by two points in this year's battle. Season opener winner Mitch Machado is still within striking distance, 10 points back. Only seven points behind Machado is Justin Yeager as these four drivers seem to be the ones in the championship battle at this point. The other feature wins this year have gone to two-time champion Nick DeCarlo and current Merced point leader Troy Foulger. Among the hard chargers to watch for this week include Gary Zwicker, Jay Learn, Trevor Brady, Tim Yeager and Michelle Paul.

The dominant force in the Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks right now is reigning champion Mitch Machado. Machado has teamed up with Baker Motorsports to win all eight features so far, leaving the question. Can he win every Main Event held this year? Though it's possible, this is not something that happens very often in racing. Steve Studebaker is the closest challenger to Machado in the standings, 57 points back. Studebaker has seven Top 5 finishes, including four second place finishes. He leads fellow two-time champion Matt While by 18 points. While has one second and three third place finishes. Manny Avila picked up a season best second place finish last time out, giving him an eight point lead over Gary Adams in the race for fourth. Adams has three third place finishes. Others to watch for this week include past champion Shawn McCoy, Tim O'Hara, Austin Ohlinger and Sid Hess.

Petaluma fans get to see quite a bit of Sprint Car racing, but this is the only time of the season to watch Wingless 410 Sprint Car racing. With Modifieds and Super Stocks running in support, this will be a good show. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.


Becker, Paul Win Petaluma Speedway Main Events

Petaluma, CA...August 24...Sean Becker won the 25 lap PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. Having recently wrapped up his sixth Silver Dollar Speedway championship, Becker was making his first appearance of the season. Becker and Shane Hopkins shared the front row of the Main Event with Colby Johnson starting in the second row. Becker battled Hopkins early on. Johnson was looking for his third win of the season, and he would take the second position from Hopkins. However, Becker won the hard fought battle ahead of Johnson and Hopkins. With one point race left to go for the division, John Clark used a fourth place finish to wrap up the championship. Bret Barney finished fifth, followed by Jason Toft, Wayne Katen, Nathan Schank, Joel Myers Jr and Joshua Bates.

Becker set the fast time 14.066, beating the 14.087 of Hopkins. Johnson outran Becker to win the first eight lap heat race, and Barney picked up the second heat win ahead of Clark.

Michael Paul Jr won the 20 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. This was the second-straight win for Paul, who is a multi time champion. Pole sitter Jeff Thomas was eliminated after one lap along with Justin Yeager and Gary Zwicker. Paul and reigning champion Oreste Gonella wasted little time moving to the front of the pack. Paul would go on to win by about half a straightaway ahead of Gonella. Joel Myers was a solid third, followed by Mitch Machado, Tim Yeager, Jay Learn, Trevor Brady, Jeffrey Faulkner, Michelle Paul and Thomas. Michael Paul Jr and Thomas were the eight lap heat race winners.

Mark Hanson won the 20 lap General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Car Main Event. This was the second win of the season for Hanson. Championship contenders Hanson, Marcus Hardina and Chad Matthias started in the first two rows of the feature race. Hardina had four second place finishes going into the night and was making a serious bid for his first win of the season. The battle was close down the stretch, but Hanson managed to hold off Hardina for the win. Matthias was a solid third, followed by 14th starter Scooter Gomes, Matt Hagermann, Carroll Mendenhall, Michael Alfonso, Tom Van Tuyl, Garrett Brady and Vernon Hubbard.

There were 28 Dwarf Cars in the pits, and Hagermann outran Danny Marsh to win the 12 lap B Main. Sam Borland finished third. Eight lap heat race wins went to Matthias, Hanson, Hardina and Kevin Miraglio.

Jeremy Tjensvold won the 20 lap Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stock Main Event. This was the fifth win of the season for the current point leader. Tjensvold wasted little time getting around Roy Dearing and Darien Balestrini to get the lead. Once in front, Tjensvold set by a rapid pace in winning by half a lap ahead of Dearing. Balestrini settled for third, followed by Tom Brown, Randy Miramontez, Sophie Shelley, Cody Bolles, Antonio Miramontez, Casey Monahan and Ben Baxmen. Eight lap heat race wins went to Tjensvold and Austin Ohlinger.

Racing returns with a special Memorial Day event on September 2nd. The USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will be competing along with the McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modifieds and Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.


Sport Modifieds Get Big Race Saturday At Merced Speedway

Merced, CA...August 24...The IMCA Sport Modifieds have a big event coming this Saturday night at Merced Speedway and several of the tracks in the area aren't running the division this weekend. A few drivers who might otherwise have to make a long trip up north to go racing now have Merced as an option for a big money race. General Manager Doug Lockwood booked a $1,500 in a win race for the division. Joining them for an exciting night of racing will be the Mini Stocks, Valley Sportsman division and the California Sharp Mini Late Models.

In recent years, Merced and other area tracks have avoided running on Labor Day weekend. However, Lockwood decided to take a gamble that if he had a big IMCA Sport Modified race there would be cars coming from out of town for the extra money. Two weeks ago, it was announced that there would be an increased purse for this event, including $1,500 to win. That money is expected to draw top containers from Bakersfield, Watsonville and elsewhere.

It will also be a regular point event for the local competitors, which also makes it more challenging as they will most certainly have to earn their way into the Main Event with the increased car count that is anticipated. After eight of the 10 championship point events held so far, 2016 champion Fred Ryland is leading Kelly Wilkinson by 21 points. Ryland has been very consistent with seven Top 5 finishes, including one win. Wilkinson has two victories to his credit, but those are the only two Top 5  finishes he's had. Only three points behind Wilkinson is State point leader Guy Ahlwardt, who won the most recent Main Event. Though Wilkinson and Ahlwardt are certainly in the title hunt, Ryland will have to stumble in these last two races. An increased car count certainly makes that more possible.

Patti Ryland, who is the wife of the point leader, has earned back-to-back B Main wins, but she's hoping for better Main Event luck this week. She has a six point lead over Nick Tucker in the race for the fourth position. While Tucker has earned more Top 5 finishes, his absence from one race has him holding down the fifth position. Some of the other regulars to watch for this week include Chuck Weir, KC Keller, Chris Falkenberg, Bruce Nelson, rookie Kodie Dean and reigning champion Jeremy Hoff.

The increased prize money is almost certain to draw some of the top drivers from elsewhere. Three top Bakersfield area racers to watch for are point leader Jason Nation, Michael Johnson and Kevin Johnson. Michael Johnson has two Merced wins to his credit and should be viewed as a threat to win again this week. Another potential threat for the big prize is 2014 State champion Nick Spainhoward. You never know who will be there to make a run for the big money, but over 30 competitors are anticipated for this show.

Meanwhile, the Mini Stock battle is still being led by Lee Ragsdale. Ragsdale has been the model of consistency with all Top 5 finishes in his eight starts, including one win. He's trying to make up for the heartbreaking season finale that saw him lose the point lead to the champion, Allen Neal, last season. Ragsdale leads one-time winner Lucy Falkenberg by 19 points as the battle seems to be between these two drivers. Falkenberg has picked up six Top 5 finishes. One-time winner Jennifer Rodgers ranks third, 26 points ahead of rookie Tyler Post. Some of the drivers to watch for this week include three-time winner Shawn DePriest, three-time champion Chris Corder, Jerry Tubbs, Shayla Gould and Austin Sprague.

This season, Lockwood took a gamble and booked the Valley Sportsman division more often. The car count has been slightly better than last season, and there's been some competitive racing for the victories. Point leader Rick Elliott scored his second win last time out as he holds a commanding lead over reigning champion Jerry Cecil. Cecil and Dwayne Short are also two-time winners this year. Two-time champion Mike Friesen is currently third of the standings, but he leads Jeff West by just eight points in that battle. Those two hard chargers could be there this week, and others to watch for include Chris Corder, Gary Hildebrand and Eric Sealy.

Rounding out the lineup will be the California Sharp Mini Late Models. Reigning champion Timmy Crews is showing no signs of slowing down in his quest to maintain his #1 status. Crews has a 39 point lead over Logan Clay on the strength of five wins in his eight starts. Following his second win of the season, Riley Jeppesen has moved to within nine points of Clay in a closer battle for second. These three drivers are anticipated this week, and others to watch for include Carson Guthrie, Kaylin Lopez and Jeremiah Enriquez.

Saturday night will be the IMCA Sport Modified division's night to shine as they headline the exciting program. You'll be seeing some of the best drivers in the state competing for a bigger purse. For further information, go to www.mercedspeedway.net.


Sanders Wins Again At Ocean Speedway

Watsonville, CA...August 23...Justin Sanders won the 30 lap Taco Bravo Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. Sanders took advantage of his front row starting position to lead all the way for his fifth win of the season. After finishing fifth in the Main Event, James Ringo moved to within one point of Bud Kaeding in the standings as Kaeding was winning a King of the West Series race at Stockton.

Sanders set himself up in a good position in the Main Event by out running Brent Kaeding to win the six lap Trophy Dash.  Sanders set the pace from the drop of the green flag with Kaeding in pursuit. Sanders led Kaeding through lap six and seven yellow flags, but Landon Hurst slipped past Kaeding for the second position on lap 10. Sanders was beginning to build a good lead when a lap 18 yellow flag bunched up the field. He continued to lead Hurst and Kaeding on the restart. Sanders maintained his fast pace and stretched his advantage over Hurst to a straightaway by the time the checkered flag flew. Kaeding settled for third, followed by Grant Duinkerken, Ringo, Koen Shaw, Jayson Bright, Tucker Worth, Keith Day Jr and Jason Chisum.

There were 19 Sprint Cars, and Day managed to set the quick time of 11.747 on the quarter-mile clay oval. Sanders was second quick with an 11 778 lap. The eight lap heat race wins went to Duinkerken, Bright and Kaeding, but Kaeding was outran by Sanders in the six lap Trophy Dash.

DeCarlo Makes Late Move For IMCA Modified Win

Nick DeCarlo won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event.  This was the second win of the season for DeCarlo, who is the reigning champion at Antioch Speedway. Jerry Movrich led a lap before being passed by Robert Marsh. Jeff Decker settled into second on a lap four restart, and DeCarlo was third on lap seven. Following a lap nine yellow flag, Decker maneuvered into the lead and began a duel with DeCarlo. DeCarlo took the lead on lap 15, but Decker regained the advantage a lap later as they ran side-by-side. DeCarlo again nudged ahead on lap 17, and a lap 18 yellow flag slowed the pace. Decker was able to regain the lead on the restart and held the point until DeCarlo again passed him on lap 22. Austin Burke was able to get by for second. DeCarlo won the hard fought battle ahead of Austin Burke, Decker, Bobby Hogge IV, Jim Pettit II, Cody Burke, Trevor Fitzgibbon, Anthony Copeland, Marsh and Raymond Keldsen Jr. Marsh and DeCarlo won the eight lap heat races.

Johnson Prevails In IMCA Sport Modifieds

Kevin Johnson won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. This was the third win of the season for Johnson, who currently ranks second in the State point race. Championship hopeful Adriane Frost led State point leader Guy Ahlwardt early on. Justin McPherson gained second on a lap five restart with Johnson following closely into third. Johnson was second on lap eight, and a yellow flag waved on lap nine. Frost continued to lead the restart, but Johnson was persistent. Johnson made his winning pass on lap 12. Point leader Jarrod Mounce gained second on a lap 15 restart, but all he could do was chase the flying Johnson across the finish line for a second place finish. McPherson finished third, followed by Randy Miller, Frost, Kelly Campanile, Haley Gomez, Matt Hagio, Charlie Hunter and Fred Ryland. Gomez and frost won the eight lap heat races.

Biscardi Claims Fourth Dwarf Car Victory

Mark Biscardi won the 20 lap South Bay Dwarf Car Main Event. This was the fourth win for Biscardi as he is in serious contention for the championship. Biscardi had the pole for the Main Event and led previous winter Ryan Amlen from the start. Only one yellow flag flew on lap three, but Biscardi would lead every lap in victory. Amlen finished second, followed by reigning champion Gene "Punky" Pires, Trafton Chandler, Eric Weisler, Barry Waddell, Jimmy Damron, Mack Aceves, Eddy Claessen and Keith Costas. Biscardi and Amlen won the eight lap heat races.

Grilli Gets Fourth Mini Stock Win

John Grilli won the 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event. This was the fourth win of the season for the rookie as he led the race from the drop of the green flag. Ryan McClelland and Roy Iler battled for the second position for a few laps before McClelland gained the spot. McClelland moved in to challenge Grilli briefly. However, Grilli began to stretch his advantage in the final five laps to a straightaway in victory. McClelland settled for second, followed by Iler, Chuck Kissinger, Nicole Beardsley, Bill Beardsley, Kate Beardsley and Jeff Finsand. Grilli was the eight lap heat race winner.

Racing will return to Ocean Speedway on September 20th. This will be Lady Police Night and the ladies will be competing in the Police N Pursuit cars. IMCA Modifieds will be back along with the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and the Ocean Midgets. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.


Sprint Car Divisions Headline Orland Raceway Program Saturday Night

Orland, CA...It's been an exciting season at Orland Raceway so far. As August comes to a close, Promoter Rich Hood has some exciting Sprint Car racing to offer the fans this Saturday. The Crate Sprints will be making their second and final appearance of the season, joined by the track's Wingless Spec Sprint division. Also competing in the five division program will be the Mini Trucks, Mini Stocks and 250 Micro division.

Prior to this season, it had been a few years since there had been Winged Sprint Cars on the 1/5 mile dirt oval. Several of the Winged Crate Sprint competitors have been trying to get dates at the speedway, and Hood finally booked them for a pair of races this year. Earlier this season, it was Mike Sayre winning the race. He is expected to be back to make another run at victory this Saturday night.

The Crate Sprint division is seen as a more economical way for competitors to get into Sprint Car racing. They've been racing mainly at Marysville this season, and Brett Youngman currently leads the championship race ahead of Kiely Ricardo and Cameron Haney Jr. Some of the drivers anticipated the this week include Jeff Macedo, Jerry Douglas and Chad Thompson, Sayre and Haney.

The Wingless Spec Sprint division has held 10 races so far. The lion's share of the glory has gone to Tony Richards, who had to go back home and get his back up car in order to start last in the most recent feature race. Richards ended up collecting his seventh win of the season, but the consistent Denny McNary finished third. Though McNary is still searching for his first win of the season, he has a 40 point advantage over Richards in the standings. McNary has scored 10 Top 5 finishes in his 10 starts, and at this rate, he may still be able to win the championship without winning a race.

RJ Baker has turned in a solid effort of his own this year and has a 33 point lead over Cort Marchuk in the race for third in the standings. Baker lost a very close battle with Tanner Thomson last season in the championship chase. The top rookie in the field continues to be Jeremy Langenderfer, and following his recent Top 5 finish, Langenderfer has a good hold on fifth in the standings. There were a dozen cars last race, and some of the stars to watch for this week include Ryan Owens, Cassie Amore, two-time winner Josh Tucker and Jerry Douglas.

Sometimes it gets a little bit wild in the Mini Truck division, but the drivers always put on a good show for the fans. The consistent Kalvin Kvalvik is leading the championship chase by 42 points over William Fogle. Kvalvik scored his second win of the season last time and has seven Top 5 finishes in his 10 races.

Fogle was absent one week as he went to Hayfork and scored the victory there. That absence may have cost him a shot at the championship. Fogle has a closer battle for the second position as he leads Dan Libbee by 13 points and Dan Webster by 24. 2016 champion Webster has racked up five feature wins in his eight starts, and he would probably be leading the standings if he had been at every race. Some of the stars to watch for this week include James Wooddell, Anthony Esquaville, Zack Webster and Beau Chandler.

Tom Davis is well on his way to a third-straight Mini Stock championship. Davis holds a lead of over 100 points over past champion John Kirkpatrick. He has also won an impressive seven Main Events in nine starts as only Kevin Pendergrass and Pure Stock champion Paul Stephens have managed to beat him. Davis has also picked up four wins in Susanville and one big money race in Hayfork as he's become one of the top Mini Stock racers in the state. Kirkpatrick, meanwhile, holds just a 19 point lead over Jason Libbee in the race for second. Other drivers to watch for this week include Barbara Crain and Jeremy Langenderfer.

The Wingless 250 Micro class rounds out the program. Despite failing to start the most recent race, four-time winner Mike McCarthy still holds a 24 point advantage over Ronnie Heyer in the championship chase. Lester Elsey is only five five points behind Heyer in a good race for second. These three are anticipated this week, and others to watch for include three-time winner Kaylee Porath and Jess Garland.

Fans wanting to see some exciting Sprint Car racing at Orland should take note. This Saturday show offers two Sprint Car divisions. With the four cylinder classes and the 250 Micros as part of the program, it should be an exciting show. For further information, go to the Orland Raceway Facebook page.


Kaeding Wins King Of The West Race 
At The Stockton Dirt Track

Stockton, CA...August 23...Bud Kaeding won the 30 lap NARC/King of the West Fujitsu Sprint Car Series Main Event Friday night at the Stockton Dirt Track. This was the second win of the season for Kaeding aboard the Maury Williams owned Sprinter, and it moved him even closer to DJ Netto in a championship battle that has just 20 points separating the Top 5 competitors following this race.

Bud Kaeding set the tempo for things to come by outrunning Willie Croft to win the six lap Trophy Dash. This put the duo on the front row, and Kaeding charged into the lead at the waving of the green flag. A lap seven yellow flag bunched the field, but Bud Kaeding continued to lead Croft and Tim Kaeding on the restart. Tim Kaeding slipped past Croft for second on lap 15, but Croft regained the position two laps later. Croft briefly closed in on Bud Kaeding on lap 20, but Kaeding began to pull away in the waning laps. Bud Kaeding was the happy winner ahead of Croft, Tim Kaeding, Netto, Kyle Larson, Shane Golobic, Rico Abreu, Geoff Ensign, Mitchell Faccinto and Dominic Scelzi.

There were 20 competitors, and Larson set the fast time standard of 13.624, beating the 13.703 of Netto The first of three 10 lap heat race wins went to Bud Kaeding by a straightway ahead of Nathan Rolfe. Croft outran Netto to win the second heat, and it was Golobic beating Scelzi by a straightaway in the final heat. Bud Kaeding had the pole for the six lap Trophy Dash and outran Croft for the victory.

Matt Stewart won the 25 lap Hunt Wingless Spec Sprint Series Main Event. Hawaii native Boy Moniz charged into the lead at the start ahead of Stewart and Jake Morgan. Morgan stood to gain big in the championship battle as incoming point leader Shawn Jones had mechanical issues and scratched from the feature. Morgan took second from Stewart on lap eight, but Stewart came charging past him for the spot on lap 13. The lead three cars ran closely, but Stewart finally put the moves on Moniz for the lead on lap 16. Morgan quickly followed into second, and Scott Chapeta settled into third on a lap 23 restart. Stewart ran smooth, and despite the pressure of Morgan, he scored an impressive victory. Morgan settled for second ahead of Trevor Schmid, Cody Spencer, Jarrett Soares, Terry Schank Jr, Moniz, Tim Sherman Jr, Cameron Martin and Chapeta.

Schmid set the quick time of 17.168, beating the 17.227 of Stewart. The 18 competitors were divided into three eight lap heat races, and Spencer outran Jones to win the first one. The second heat race saw a close battle between the lead three cars with Chapeta winning ahead of Stewart and Soares. Moniz held off the pressure of Morgan to win the final heat.

The King of the West and Hunt Series groups were scheduled to compete on Saturday at the Stockton Dirt Track as well. For information on the Hunt Series, go to www.huntwingless.com. and for information on the King of the West series, go to www.narc410.com.. Information on the Stockton track can be found at www.stocktondirttrack.com.


Baxter, Shaw, Torgerson Win At Dixon Speedway

Dixon, CA...August 24...Blaine Baxter won the 25 lap Super 600 Micro Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Dixon Speedway.  Baxter had the pole for the race, but it was Brad Hannum racing into the lead. Hannum ran out front for the first 11 laps before bringing out a yellow flag. Baxter had the lead on the restart and led until lap 16 when ninth starter Ricky Sanders took over. Sanders' time out front was short lived as he brought out a yellow flag on lap 18. This put Baxter back in the lead once again, and he led the rest of the way for the victory, followed by John Bordenave, Hannum, Ethan Lesser, point leader Kyle Mentch, Colton Huelsmann, Devon Courtnier, Colby Greig, Sanders and Darrell Busby.

Baxter was the quickest of 20 qualifiers with a lap of 10.528 on the 1/5 mile dirt oval, beating the 10.569 of Lesser. Hannum and Bordenave won their 10 lap heat races, and Baxter outran Hannum to win the six lap Trophy Dash.

Brandon Shaw won the 25 lap Wingless 600 Micro Sprint Main Event.  Shaw won the 10 lap Trophy Dash and then proceeded to lead all 25 laps for the Main Event victory.   The battle was for second as Danny Carroll held the position for the first six laps before being passed by Robbie Lewis. Lewis held second until Timothy Vaught raced by on lap 13. Vaught kept it close down the stretch, but Shaw still scored the victory. Randy Sims finished third, followed by Lewis, Carroll, Nate Wait, Tucker LaCaze, Chris Parmley, Norman Harley Rose and Mikie Clark.

The Wingless Micros brought another strong field of 31 cars, and Vaught set the quickest time of 11.397. Lewis was second quick at 11.477. The 10 lap heat race wins were earned by Rose, Carroll, Wait and Shaw. Shaw also outran Carroll to win the Trophy Dash. When leader Ryan Holden had problems on lap 11, Kyle Grissom ended up winning the 12 lap B Main ahead of Taylor DeCarlo and Tyler Chamorro.

Ashton Torgerson won the 20 lap Restricted Micro Main Event. Torgerson raced into the lead at the start and led the entire distance. Matthew Tatoole held second until being passed on the final circuit by Brandon Riveira. Tatoole settled for third, followed by Jeffrey Pahule, Hailey Wood, Isabella Barnes, Sage Bordenave, Thomas Vo, Bryant Bell and Austin Taborski. Tatoole set  the fastest time of 11.185, and Torgerson and Pahule won the 10 lap heat races. Tatoole won the six lap Trophy Dash.

Lucas Mauldin won the 20 lap Junior Sprint Main Event. Mauldin led from the drop of the green flag with point later McKayla Tatoole in close pursuit. On lap 16, Tatoole took the lead, and she held the position until Mauldin regained command on lap 19. Maldin went on to win with Tatoole settling for second ahead of Hayden Stepps, Peyton Whitehouse, Brody Rubio and Cynric Vo. Mauldin set the fast time of 13.073, won the four lap Trophy Dash and 10 lap heat race to make it a clean sweep for him.

Micro Sprint Car action will resume at Dixon Speedway on Saturday September 7th. For further information, go to www.dixonspeedway.net.


Stockton Dirt Track Unofficial Results August 24, 2019
King Of The West/NARC Fujitsu Winged Sprint Cars
Tim Kaeding
Shane Golobic
D.J. Netto
Kyle Larson
Dominic Scelzi
Rico Abreu
Mitchell Faccinto
Bud Kaeding
Willie Croft
Colby Copeland
Geoff Ensign
Ryan Bernal
Kyle Offill
Sean Watts
Nathan Rolfe
Tim Estenson
Michael Sellers
Jace Vander Weerd
Cole Macedo
Chase Johnson
Jason Statler
Kenny Allen
Jonathan Allard
Jenna Frazier

Hunt Wingless Spec Sprints
Jake Morgan
Matt Stewart
Terry Schank Jr
Boy Moniz
Jarrett Soares
Shawn Jones
Josh Young
Tim Sherman Jr
Scott Chapeta
Cameron Martin
Ryon Siverling
Tony Bernard
Cody Spencer


Dixon Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 24, 2019
Super 600s
Blaine Baxter
John Bordenave
Brad Hannum
Ethan Lesser
Kyle Mentch
Colton Huelsmann
Devon Courtnier
Colby Greig
Ricky Sanders
Darrell Busby
Todd Job
Anthony Lewis
Cody Gray
Hayden Saich
Jason Chapman
Travis Henry
Steve Kaiser
Christian Harris
Blake Bower DNS
Jessica McManus DNS

Wingless 600s
Brandon Shaw
Tiimothy Vaught
Randy Sims
Robbie Lewis
Danny Carroll
Nate Wait
Tucker LaCaze
Chris Parmley
Norman Harley Rose
Mikie Clark
Jeremy Chapman
Bret Irvine
Isak Johnson
Derrick Patterson
Taylor DeCarlo
Blake Parmley
Matt Santana
Michael Wasina
Justin Adiego
Kyle Grissom
Tyler Chamorro
Harlee Aguilera

B Main
Kyle Grissom
Taylor DeCarlo
Tyler Chamorro
Mikie Clark
Chuck Patterson
Ryan Holden
Todd Kaiser
Louie Laspina
Nick Banatta
Buddy Chappell DNS
Fabian Fernandez DNS
Austin Stone DNS
Clayton Harris DNS

Restricted Micros
Ashton Torgerson
Brandon Riveira
Matthew Tatoole
Jeffrey Pahule
Hailey Wood
Isabel Barnes
Sage Bordenave
Thomas Vo
Bryant Bell
Austin Taborski
Colin Kirby
Rylee Whitehouse
Jackson Kohler
Austin Wood DNS

Jr Sprint Cars
Lucas Mauldin
Makayla Tatoole
Hayden Stepps
Peyton Whitehouse
Brody Rubio
Cynric Vo


Madera Raceway Unofficial Race Results August 24, 2019
Nut Up Pro Late Models
Buddy Shepherd
Carlos Vieira
Jason Aguirre
Dylan Zampa
Blaine Rocha
Jeremy Doss
Jacob Gomes
Kolby Berry
Austin Herzog
Ryan Hart
Racin Vernon
Toni Breidinger
Glen Cook
Rick Thompson
Tim Skoglund
Joey Brasil
Tyler Herzog
Greg Lowhorn
Joey Iest
Logan Zampa
Eric Nascimento
Matt Erickson
Jason Gilbert

5150 Jr Late Models
Joey Iest
Jadan Walbridge
Seth Wise
Bradley Erickson
Kabe McClenny
Austin Edwards
Jake Bollman
Kercie Jung
Kyler Berry
Lilly Mead
Jay Juleson
Kale McClenny
Robbie Kennealy
Brody Armtrout
Kasey Kleyn

Legends
Nick Halen
Chad Nascimento
Sheldon Crouse
Eddie Garone
Dylan Washburn
Peter Soto
Keith Clement
Christian Bazen
Ethan Nascimento
Kevin Travels

Mini Cups/Bandoleros
Riley Massey
Kenna Mitchell
Nathaniel Edwards
Ethan Nascimento
Aiden Phillips
Trenton Eurto
Dylan Baptista
Jeffrey Erickson
Joey Kennealy


Bakersfield Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 24, 2019
Mike Mosier Classic
IMCA Modifieds
A Main
Brad Pounds
Ethan Dotson
Alex Stanford
Jerry Flippo
Roger Holder
Danny Lauer
Austin Kiefer
Kyle Heckman
Shane Devolder
Bryan Clark
Austin Burke
Clint Reichenbach
Steve Noland
Ryan Daves
Jacob Dewsbury
Robby Sawyer
Blake Thornell
Chett Reeves
Randy Thornell
Kollin Hibdon
Cody Burke
Logan Drake

B Main
Austin Kiefer
Robby Sawyer
Logan Drake
Clint Reichenbach
Alex Stanford
Jerry Flippo
Chett Reeves
Austin Burke
Jacob Dewsbury
Kyle Heckman
Robert Sanders
Troy Morris III
Carl Berendsen II
Dylan Thornton
Ryan Porter
Anthony Slaney
Troy Morris Jr

IMCA Sport Modifieds
Michael Johnson
Ricky Childress Jr
Kevin Johnson
Nick Spainhoward
Jason Nation
Guy Ahlwardt
Kyle Wood
Brian Baker
Matthew Mayo
Brylon Holder
Tina Pounds
Brandon Jennings
Jack Aguiar
Austin Ruskauff
Tyler Blankenship
Todd Carlock
Daniel West
Gavyn Manning
Robby Claborn
Cale Kanke
Adam Baker
Jared Schweitzer

Hobby Stocks
Raymond Noland Jr
Don Mead
Kenny White
Dylan Wilson
Trevor Baker
Austin Manzella
Tyler Bannister
Aaron Stewart
Matt Sweeney
Kevin Irwin
David Schuyler
Johnny Wood
Eric Cimental
James Cecil
Nicholas Johnson
Jerry Flippo
Justin Gonzalez
Rick Henderson
Stephen Johnson
Austin Vanhoff DNS

American Stocks
Dakota Brown
Steve Johnson
Daryl Mealer
Miranda Scott
James Coots
Kody Sly
Jr Garcia
Robert Guess
Clay Waters
Brandon Ratcliff
Tara Childress
Steven Amick
Ryan Little
Brock Crawford
Troy Thomas Jr
Matt Crawford
Josh Yadon
JD Mealer
Seth Poncetta
Brian Childress DNS
Kylie Conway DNS


Ventura Raceway Unofficial Race Results August24, 2019
USAC/VRA Battle At The Beach Sprint Cars
Jake Swanson
J. J. Ringo
T.J. Smith
Tristan Guardino
Ryan Timmons
Slater Helt
Steve Hix
Brent Owens
Tanner Boul
Tom Hendricks
Rick Hendrix
Koen Shaw
Hannah Mayhew
Dylan Ito
Tyler Most
Jonas Reynolds
Ricky Lewis
Austin Ervine
Troy Rutherford
Gage Rucker

IMCA Modifieds
Trevor Fitzgibbon
Kevin Hocking
Dave Phipps
Andrew Greiman
Terry Hershberger
Jack Parker
Scott Olsen
Brad Prows
Sam Garvin

POWRi California Lightning Sprints
Cody Nigh
A. J. Bender
Bruce Douglass
Gage Cheek
Robb Pelmear
Jarrett Kramer
Grant Sexton
Doug Nunes
Eric Greco
Dominic Del Monte
James Turnbull
Aiden Lange
Pat Kelly
Wink Schweitzer
Jason Arnolde
Jon Robertson
Jeff Dyer
Dalton Sexton

NMRA TQ Midgets
Chris Thomas
West Evans
Bruce Hiroshima
Scott Niven
Paul Sanders
Mike Griffiths
Kevin Kale
Ace Kale
Scott Dobson

Hobby Stocks
Mike Stanford
Ricky Lewis
Tom Stephens Jr
Gary Garvin


Santa Maria Raceway Unofficial Race Results
IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars
Blake Robertson
Mike Schott
Michael Pombo
Grant Champlin
Brendan Warmerdar
Rob Solomon
Ryan Delisle
Lance Jackson
Phil Heynen
Mauro Simone
Brandon Emmett

Western Pro Stocks
Clay Daly
Justin Crockett
Jerry Stewart
Dave King Jr
Paul Miller
Billy Simkins
Tim Randolph
Chris Clinton
Ryan Smith
Frank Nyback

Dwarf Cars
Tommy Velasquez
Nick Velasquez
Jessica Swanson
Jeff Brink
Brian Barnhill
Thomas Velasquez
Tony Pellegrino
Mitch Caldwell
Kobe Kerns
Tony Margott
Bradon Wylie

Mini Stocks
Levi Burgett
David Kavanagh
Bill Barnhill
Zach Chavez
Megan Burgett
Arturo Carmona
Justin Gangolff
Ally Thornton

American Stocks
Justin Jackson
Jimmy Satlawa
Ed Wyand
Kevin Pritchard
Ron Tansom
Rich Denman
Nicholas Verbryke
Steven Cardoza DNS


Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 24, 2019
PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Sean Becker
Colby Johnson
Shane Hopkins
John Clark
Bret Barney
Jason Toft
Wayne Katen
Nathan Schank
Joel Myers Jr
Joshua Bates

McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modifieds
Michael Paul Jr
Oreste Gonella
Joel Myers
Mitch Machado
Tim Yaeger
Jay Learn
Trevor Brady
Jeff Faulkner
Michelle Paul
Jeff Thomas
Justin Yaeger
Gary Zwicker

General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars
Mark Hanson
Marcus Hardina
Chad Matthias
John Gomes
Matt Hagemann
Carroll Mendenhall
Michael Affonso
Tom VanTuyl
Garrett Brady
Vernon Hubbard
Sam Borland
Adam Freitas
Mike Dahle
Shawn McCoy
Travis Day
Michael Curry
Jordan Souza
Kevin Miraglio
Robert Johnson
Jamie Faulkner
Danny Marsh
John Peters DQ

B Main
Matt Hagemann
Danny Marsh
Sam Borland
Vernon Hubbard
Adam Freitas
Travis Day
Kylee Johnson
dave rossini
tim steger
Savannah Brown
Sean Catucci DNS

Jake's Performance Hobbies Stocks
Jermy Tjensvold
Roy Dearing
Darien Balestrini
Tom Brown
Randy Miramontez
Sophie Shelley
Cody Bolles
Antonio Miramontez
casey monahan
ben baxmen
Austin Ohlinger


Ocean Speedway Unofficial race Results August 23, 2019
Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
Justin Sanders
Landon Hurst
Brent Kaeding
Grant Duinkerken
James Ringo
Koen Shaw
Jayson Bright
Tucker Worth
Keith Day Jr
Jason Chisum
Richard Fajardo
William Camara
Jake Andreotti
Ryon Nelson
Jeremy Chisum
Eric Humphries
Chris Nelson

IMCA Modifieds
Nick DeCarlo
Austin Burke
Jeff Decker
Bobby Hogge IV
Jim Pettit II
Cody Burke
Trevor Fitzgibbon
Anthony Copeland
Robert Marsh
Raymond Keldsen Jr
Stephen Streeter
Gary Marsh
Jerry Movrich
Jeff Streeter DNS

IMCA Sport Modifieds
Kevin Johnson
Jarrod Mounce
Justin McPherson
Randy Miller
Adriane Frost
Kelly Campanile
Haley Gomez
Matthew Hagio
Charlie Hunter
Fred Ryland
Guy Ahlwardt

South Bay Dwarf Cars
Mark Biscardi
Ryan Amlen
Punky Pires
Trafton Chandler
Eric Weisler
Barry Waddell
Jimmy Damron
Mack Aceves
Eddy Claessen
Keith Costas


Stockton Dirt Track Unofficial Race Results August 23, 2019
NARC/King Of The West Fujitsu Winged 360 Sprint Car Series
Bud Kaeding
Willie Croft
Tim Kaeding
D.J. Netto
Kyle Larson
Shane Golobic
Rico Abreu
Geoff Ensign
Mitchell Faccinto
Dominic Scelzi
Colby Copeland
Ryan Bernal
Chase Johnson
Jason Statler
Nathan Rolfe
Tim Estenson
Jenna Frazier
Cole Macedo
Sean Watts
Kenny Allen

Hunt Wingless Spec Sprints
Matt Stewart
Jake Morgan
Trevor Schmid
Cody Spencer
Jarrett Soares
Terry Schank Jr
Boy Moniz
Tim Sherman Jr
Cameron Martin
Scott Chapeta
Josh Young
Scott Clough
Kevin Box
John Mccann
Shawn Jones DNS


The Editor's Viewpoint

We're just about at the end of the string of big events booked at Southern Oregon Speedway. We just did a big Late Model show. It was the $4,000 to win Cottonwood Classic race, and we attracted some of the top drivers from the Willamette area as well as a few of the California stars. 24 competitors isn't bad for a Late Model show these days, but it could have been better. The reason the number didn't hit the 30s was because the local contingent wasn't as supportive as they could have been.

While I don't want to take those racers to task for not showing up, I can't help but be disappointed. A few of them were the ones that were pushing us to have a big race in the first place, and for them to not show up is certainly disappointing to me. Was it the fact that there were stars coming in from out of town that might have an advantage that scared them away? Did everybody just have something else to do on the biggest weekend of the year for their class? That I don't know. It was still a good show, but stronger local support would have made it better and helped justify the risk the track took in booking such a big purse.

I've noticed this a little bit, and it kind of upsets me. We are becoming more of an entitlement society. People point at the youth of today and say they are all screwed up, but it's more than that. Even those of us who are old enough to know better have that attitude. A race track puts out a big purse, from top to bottom. Some of the best money you're going to race for. You start seeing comments and nit picking. Why aren't you running this format or why aren't you doing that? A simple, thank you for running this race and we are going to be there will suffice.

Last year, we had people help sponsor a big show, but rather than doing it for the good of supporting the program, they wanted to try to dictate a change in the format. If you know Mike, you're not going to tell him how to run his race track or run his show, so it went nowhere. I got wind of it first as I was about ready to release the flier. This happened to be on the occasion of our Second Annual R Charles Snyder Salute. I knew what Mike's answer was going to be, but out of respect to the person wanting to propose the change, I withheld the flier for another week so that they could communicate with Mike directly as he was on vacation.

I admit I'm not happy about the attitude that somehow you're ruining a race that is offering such a big purse. You're not giving them the exact format they want or starting enough cars or whatever it is. Somehow, you ruin the race that you created. And it's not just what's going on up here, I've seen it at other tracks as well. When you see a race track, especially your local race track, making an effort to go above and beyond with a big purse, do one thing. Support the damn race. The promoter is taking a risk, and if that race bombs, the promoter will be paying the money out of their own pocket. Promoter's at race tracks do not exist simply for the convenience of the racers. They run a business. I'm not suggesting promoters need to get rich, but I am suggesting that if promoters don't get a return on investment over time, they don't last. If a promoter feels they are not going to get support for big races, they're simply not going to give the racers that big race.

This is just my observation as somebody who has certainly seen racing from all different sides. I'm not hearing the complaints from Mike. In fact, everything seems to have gone well so far with one big race left to go. Of course, there are nerves going into a week and like this. You've already committed to a purse in excess of $20,000, which means you could be on the hook for quite a bit of money if for some reason that race bombs. This is the reality that promoters across the country face.

I look just across the border to Yreka, where Kevin Barba ran the rescheduled John Arnberg Memorial this past weekend. There were racers complaining because of the timing of the date, and I certainly understand. Mecca, or Cottage Grove Speedway as it's called, had a big two-day event paying $2,600 to win. So, many of the top stars were going to be there for that one, and this also included a few racers from Southern Oregon who might have been in Yreka had they not had to choose. Kevin did the best he could with that particular date.

We're talking about a first year promoter, and I didn't hear any word on what sort of sponsorship this race might have had. Therefore, the purse may have come at the risk of the promoter himself. He bumped the purse up just a little bit compared to what it had been the previous years. I know that it was $1,038 to win, and somebody sponsored another $200 on top of that. It was $500 for second, and I know that each starter received $100 minimum, which wasn't the case at this race last year. Eight competitors came to run the race, which, given the circumstances of this division in Yreka, wasn't bad.

If I might jump off subject for just a moment, I saw where Coos Bay Speedway had 30 Iron Giant Street Stocks for their big show last weekend. That's quite a remarkable jump from the five cars they had in Yreka the week before, and I find that curious. I don't think attrition at Grays Harbor was the only reason why there was such low car count at Yreka, but I'm not prepared to speculate on what other reasons there may have been. In either case, the show went from five in Yreka to 30 at Coos Bay. Personally, I was disappointed as I thought there would be more support shown for Yreka. A thought does occur to me, however. Perhaps Yreka might look at scheduling when it comes to the tracks closest to it, such as Orland, Chico and Susanville, and try to run a special Hobby Stock show.

Another big show in the works is the Donna Soares Memorial race at Antioch Speedway. It was announced recently that the night Memorializing Donna would be moved from October 5th to the October 11th and 12th weekend. The Antioch show on the first weekend of October will now be Hall of Fame night. The big question is what is the purse for the two-day show the following weekend? Generally speaking, this is information that should get out quickly. Tracks want the racers to know what's going on so they can make their weekend plans.

What makes this particular weekend tricky is the fact that there's a 30 plus year tradition known as the Budweiser Nationals that happens at Bakersfield Speedway every year, and they're running that weekend. IMCA Modifieds are one of the featured classes. The show at Antioch was initially advertised at $12,000 to win for the A Modified class, but there have been rumblings about when the purse is going to be announced and what the purse will actually be. As a promoter, you have to pencil this in. It hasn't been the best of seasons for the track this year, first of all. Secondly, as a promoter you have to be prepared to pay the purse as advertised. If you fail to get the numbers you need, you make up the difference out of your own pocket. Therefore, there is still planning to be done.

There was another thing that happened at the race at Medford in what had been a successful night with the Late Models and even a good show from the Sprint Cars. The Hornet division had a bit of ugliness that began in the heat race. I really wasn't expecting that as we didn't have much of a turn out. I figured the heat race would roll by quickly and we'd get into the next race, but there was a lot of crashing going on. In one instance one of the racers was put into the front wall. The whole situation  degenerated into a fight in the pits.

I have certain opinions that I think I'll keep to myself at this time, but I will say I'm greatly disappointed in what happened. When Mike and I came to this race track in 2016, the Hornet division was an after thought. I see it was listed on the 2013 schedule, but I haven't found any proof that any races were actually held. The next two years, the division might bring a few cars, and at best there were six. So, Mike decided to pay them a little bit of money and offer them championship trophies. I made it a point to hype this division up as well as any other division on the roster, and my goal was to see it grow. It was already seeing progress in the first year, and that was nothing.

Car count actually doubled the next year as Miles Deubert got on board with JOAT Labs at the series sponsor. He built some of the cages for the cars that competed as he wanted to see this class grow and bring new drivers into the field. It seemed to be going well, but the bottom fell out of the division about halfway through the season. Up until that point, we thought we might get to a day where there were 20 of these cars, which should have been the case. But, it's hovered at around 8 to 12 cars, and lately it's been on the lower side of that. It's also developed into a battle between two different factions.

It's hard for me to see this happen as there are certain people I appreciate for their support who have believed in what we were doing from the start and decided to build more cars to get things going. I have to bite my tongue here and not say more, because I don't want to be seen as picking sides. Mike ultimately made the decision to drop the division from the remainder of the schedule, dis-invite them from the banquet this year and remove them from any consideration of the 2020 schedule.

Was this the right decision? I have gone over in my mind if there was another way, but suspending the parties involved might leave us three or four cars for the final race. Also, because of what was going on in the pits, Mike wished to send a message that we won't tolerate this. He was also looking out for the best interest of the division sponsor as he felt that Miles deserved better than what he was getting. While I might have thought about the other option of just suspending the parties involved, I can't say I disagree with the decision. There is a lot of momentum at the speedway right now in terms of more racers coming to the track as well as fans, and you want to keep a positive atmosphere going.

My disappointment comes from the fact that this was a division that was near and dear to me. I wanted to see it grow and blossom into something that could have attracted new racers to the fold. We've already been successful in getting drivers from this division into other classes, thereby showing that there was something here that was worthwhile. To admit some sort of failure and drop the class from the roster hurts, and this is something that will stick with me for a while. It's more of the unpleasant side of the sport that makes me not want to be involved. Other than that, I choose to keep my opinion to myself, and I will move on.

There's a rumor that's been out there for a year or so regarding a potential building of a new track in East Contra Costa County. I don't want to get into the specifics, but the land is there, and the important part is that it is not surrounded by houses. It would be the perfect location, and my sources tell me that the parties involved would be interested in building a complex there for other sporting events. I've come to the conclusion that this is something that needs to happen, and if the right people would step up with the right funding, it could happen. Then again, this is something that has been tossed around in this location for probably 20 years or more.

I completely and wholeheartedly endorse Antioch Speedway and would make it a point if my racing effort were to continue from this point forward to help Antioch Speedway in any way I can. And yet, I wonder how much longer things can go on there. It's not getting any cheaper to run a racing program in that location, they are surrounded by houses and the property has high value. Even though the speedway is currently not being threatened, it does come up from time to time at City Council meetings and from neighbors complaining about the noise or dust. You wonder how much longer the location can live that charmed life it gets by on when places like Petaluma Speedway and Ocean Speedway in Watsonville are currently being threatened and seem to be on borrowed time.

Being in the Medford area, I definitely understand the idea of being prepared for the closure of the race track. When Dennis Huth ran Medford Raceway, he knew that the location at the Posse Grounds was on borrowed time. He wanted to build a race track on a property not far from the Jackson County Park, but local politicians prevented that from ever happening. Sure enough, Dennis was right. The speedway ceased operations in July of 1989, and it took seven years before Southern Oregon Speedway came to light. In this case, there was always good property around to build a race track. They needed the people with the resources to come in and do it. In the case of Antioch Speedway, what happens to Contra Costa County racing in the event that the track closes?

Here's the thing to consider, Contra Costa County racing has been a consistent thing since the late 1940s at Contra Costa Stadium in Pacheco all the way to the Antioch location. We're talking over 70 years of giving fans racing in this county, and I'd like to see it continue that way. A new location with an open surrounding insures that you have the potential to keep racing going for years to come before houses inevitably encroach on that location too. Therefore, I'd like to see something started. I would love to see ground broken at that location, and were I located nearby, I would love to be a part of helping build something there through my media efforts and in any other way that I can help.

I'm not saying Antioch Speedway is under threat. I am saying there are conditions that make running that track more of a challenge these days, compared to 20 or 30 years ago. I understand that it could end without much warning, weather it has a few years to go, 20 more years or whenever. I want racing to continue there and in the area to provide the next generation of fans a place to enjoy their Saturday nights. In the event that a new location were built, I would love to see it done in a way where both locations could exist and work together, but I do think that people need to take a look at the future.

I love Antioch Speedway, but I need to be honest. Being in Medford has shown me one thing. Compared to the Southern Oregon Speedway, Antioch Speedway is, let's just say, not the most attractive facility these days. I don't put that all at the feet of the promoter, because the fairgrounds should be investing in the fan side of things. The grandstands should be completely renovated, the areas around in the grandstand should be paved and the concession stand buildings could probably be renovated or maybe even be completely rebuilt. Heck, this location has been around for over 60 years, so what do you expect? What I worry about is that people going after the track to close it down may eventually look at it as an eyesore that needs to be torn down. Believe me, people who are against you will come up with any way they can to take you down.
.
Obviously, there are things that can be done in the cleanup effort to make the place more attractive too, and some of that does fall on the management side of things, but the place needs more than just that. And, I don't believe the promoter of the track themselves should be the only ones footing the bill. The fairgrounds needs to assume some responsibility for something that, let's face it, generates them a great deal of revenue every year. Whether it's the number one money maker or not, it is a money maker, and with a little TLC it could be generating more money. If it ever gets to the point where they feel the cost of doing that is more than just getting rid of the place, where do we go from there?

Therefore, I endorse the idea of building a brand new race track in the location I've been hearing about. I can't really get into specifics at the moment, but it's been something that, like I say, has been discussed for years. But, the property still sits there undeveloped. I think for those of us who love racing, maybe having a brand new and fresh location to help fill our need for speed would be a good thing. Who knows? The chat on this topic builds up and dies, and it may just go away again. Then again, you may just hear about them breaking ground on the next new speedway in Contra Costa County and the state of California in general. Would that be a bad thing?

I had a bit more written, but it evidently got lost in the program. Maybe it was a message for me to shut my mouth? I will say that plans are in the works for me to be in Antioch personally in September. Within a few days after the final race up here in Medford, I will be on a train and I will be in Antioch for the next month. The occasion is for Hall of Fame night and overseeing that as well as visiting friends and helping the track in any way that I am able to. I'm looking forward to the trip very much.

People are going to speculate about what the trip means, and I really don't know beyond this. I'm taking it as a month long visit to enjoy myself in an area that I deeply miss. While there, I'm just going to do my best to help make things better where I can and also help myself as I am in need of a change of pace. Looking for my smile again, I guess you can say. Seeing some old friendly faces will help do the trick. After that, what will be will be. I've learned not to assume or take anything for granted, so I'll just take things as they come.

On that note, I'll end this column. There's lots of editing to do. Until I next time...

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Antioch Speedway, Petaluma Speedway, Ocean Speedway, Merced Speedway, Orland Raceway, 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

Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion Can Be Heard HERE

Antioch Speedway Racing Discussion Can Be Heard HERE


The DCRR Racing Radio Show
Backup Link HERE


Spec Sprints, Limited Late Models Back In Action 
At Antioch Speedway

Antioch, CA...There's been plenty of excitement happening at Antioch Speedway throughout the month of August. We're heading down the stretch run of the championship season, and there are still some things left to be decided. This Saturday night, the Wingless Spec Sprints return along with the Limited Late Models, B Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. It should be another good show on the 3/8 mile clay oval.

Following his division leading seventh feature victory in the Richard Basden owned car, Shannon Newton has stretched his lead to nearly 100 points over Rick Panfili. He appears to be headed for the Wingless Spec Sprint championship. An interesting battle has developed for second as second year racer Mackenzie Newton has gotten on a little bit of a roll lately. She has picked up back-to-back career best third place finishes and was a heat race winner last time out. She now trails division original Panfili by just 14 points. Panfili had a stretch of four-straight Top 5 finishes, but his last two starts haven't gone as well.

Keith Calvino had a season best second place finish last time out. This helped move him to within 28 points of rookie Jeff Scotto for the fourth position in the standings. Scotto has certainly had an eventful season, but he continues to give it has best each week. One-time winner Dustin Maibes, also a rookie in the field this season, is 33 points behind Scotto. Other drivers to watch for include two-time champion Dan Gonderman, who has a feature win and two seconds to his credit this year, Cameron Martin and Troy Ferry.

It has been a nip and tuck battle for the Limited Late Model championship all season long. Following his division leading fifth win in the Sun Drop Racing #15 car last time out, 2017 champion Kimo Oreta took a six point lead over 2013 champion Jim Freethy. Amazingly, Freethy has two wins and seven second place finishes, which includes six in a row. Because he won the most recent race, Oreta has the honor of starting at the back of the pack this week.

Even with two hard chargers like Oreta and Freethy in the pack, others have broken through to get victories. Two drivers who have won features in the last four events are Chris Long and Chad Hammer. Unfortunately for Long, he is also dealing with motor issues in the John Keith owned car. Hammer got the win two weeks ago and he has managed to take over third in the standings by 32 points over Michael Burch. Burch enjoyed his best finish of the season last time out with his second third place effort. Others to watch for this week include the steady John Evans, two-time division champion Mike Gustafson and Jeff Kendrick.

The B Modified division is being led by Tommy Fraser. Tommy has been very consistent this season, and he served notice to the competition at the season opener when he earned his first of six feature wins. He won the most recent race last week to go along with four second place finishes. Fraser now leads Kevin Brown by 62 points. Brown, meanwhile, has been on a bit of the roll lately. He has racked up six-straight Top 5 finishes and eight in his last nine starts, which also includes his first career victory two races ago. Brown has pulled 26 points ahead of rookie Cameron Swank in the race for second.

At the moment, Swank isn't in immediate danger of losing either his top rookie status or third in the standings. He has had one second place finish so far this year, but he is still looking for his first win. Fourth ranked Brent Curran racked up six feature wins before stepping out of the action. He has since sold his car and has a new one on the way. Curran is only two points ahead of rookie Tommy Clymens Jr and four ahead of two-time reigning champion Trevor Clymens in the fourth place battle. Trevor has a pair of victories this year, while his brother Tommy is looking for his first win. Tommy has finished as high as second this year. 

Chris Sorensen suffered a rare DNF last week. In this case, it happened when officials saw a crash in Turn 2 and deemed Sorensen responsible, giving him a black flag. The point leader and two-time reigning champion leads the division with six feature wins and six second place finishes. With Sorensen off the track, second ranked Breanna Troen scored her third runner-up finish of the season to move to within 32 points of the lead. There is still a bit of work to be done for Troen, but the battle isn't over just yet. Troen also leads Josh Leach by 34 points in the race for second.

Leach had been in a bit of a slump prior to last week. For four-straight weeks, he watched the finish of the Main Event from the sidelines, and he needed something to go his way. Last week, Leach started on the pole and led all the way for his fourth win of the season.  Meanwhile, it's getting a bit closer in the rookie battle and for fourth in the standings as Will Buirch holds a slim 12 point advantage over Ken Johns. Johns has a bit of momentum going his way with five straight Top 5 finishes, including a second and two thirds. Buirch has been running strong, but his Main Event luck hasn't been holding up so well. He'll be hoping to turn things around this week. Others to watch for include Jacob Mallet Jr, Jeff Bentancourt, Dalton Jewell and Philip Oreta.

With the open wheel excitement of the Wingless Spec Sprints and the close battle going on in the Limited Late Models, not to mention the always thrilling B Modifieds and Hobby Stocks, Saturday should offer another entertaining show. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.


DeMartini, Pearce, Fraser Win At Antioch Speedway

Antioch, CA...August 17...Matt DeMartini won the 20 lap All Star Racing Series Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. This was the first win of the season for the reigning track champion. DeMartini had a front row start for the Main Event and charged into the lead ahead of two-time champion Art McCarthy. McCarthy held second until an inside pass in Turn 2 of the seventh lap gained Peter Paulson the position. The race had a red flag on lap 12 as previous winner Danny Wagner flipped his car in Turn 3. He was not injured, but he was out of the event. DeMartini maintained command on the restart and brought it home to victory ahead of Paulson, McCarthy, Jacob Tuttle and Justin Bradway.

Brian Pearce won the 20 lap A Modified Main Event. This was his first win of the season, and he became the eighth different winner. Kimo Oreta and Sean O'Gara shared the front row of the Main Event, and Oreta charged into the lead at the waving of the green flag. A low pass in Turn 4 of the third lap gained Pearce second from O'Gara. Oreta was doing a great job of leading the way until he bobbled in Turn 4 on lap 10. This allowed Pearce and Raymond Lindeman to race underneath him for the first and second positions. Wagner made an inside pass on Oreta in Turn 2 a lap later, and Oreta spun in Turn 1 for a 14 yellow flag. Wagner charged into second behind Pearce on the restart and a battle begin. When Pearce bobbled in Turn 4 of the 16th lap, Wagner made contact. This resulted in Buddy Kniss making contact with Wagner as Wagner stalled on the front straightaway for a yellow flag. Both Wagner and Kniss had too much damage to continue. Pearce led the restart and held off Lindeman for the victory. O'Gara settled for third ahead of Oreta and Kniss.

Tommy Fraser won the 20 lap B Modified Main Event. This was the sixth win of the season for the current point leader. Fraser had the outside front row starting position and charged into the lead at the start ahead of Jimmy Ford. Scott Savell gained the second position just before a lap three yellow flag waved for Mark Garner in Turn 2. Fraser continued to lead Savell on the restart, and Phillip Shelby gained fourth on the eighth lap. Shelby made an inside pass on the front stretch on lap 10 to take third from Cameron Swank before another yellow flag waved. Shelby would charge past Savell for second on the restart as Trevor Clymens also got past Savell for third. A yellow flag for Kevin Brown on lap 14 set the stage for Clymens to make a move around Shelby for second on the restart. The lead three competitors ran close at the front of the pack, but Clymens slipped off the groove in Turn 4 on lap 16 to hand second back to Shelby. Fraser held off a serious challenge from Shelby for the hard earned victory. Savell made a late pass around Clymens for third as Brown finished fifth.

Josh Leach won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was his fourth win of the season. Leach had the pole for the Main Event and charged into the lead at the start ahead of Madison Motts. An inside pass in Turn 3 of the fifth lap gained Jacob Mallett Jr the second position. Leach had a comfortable lead when a yellow flag flew after nine laps as Will Buirch and Ricky Foster tangled in Turn 2. Track officials assigned Chris Sorensen the blame for the incident and black flagged him from the event. Leach continued to lead Mallet on the restart, but Breanna Troen made an inside pass in Turn 4 a lap later to take over second. Troen closed in immediately on Leach and begin to pressure him for the lead. However, Troen nearly spun in Turn 2 on lap 16. Leach had a decent lead again and led the rest of the way for the win. Troen settled for second ahead of Mallet, Johns and Motts.

Scott Dahlgren won the 20 lap Dwarf Car Main Event. This was the fifth win of the season for the current point leader. The race was restarted after a tangle in Turn 2 that involved the drivers who started in the first two rows. Suddenly, Dahlgren found himself on the pole for the complete restart, and he charged into the lead ahead of teammate Devan Kammermann. After a yellow flag on lap two, the rest of the race went non-stop. Dahlgren again led Kammermann and two-time reigning champion Mike Corsaro on the next restart. As Dahlgren ran strong at the front, Corsaro managed to challenge Kammermann a few times during the race. However, Dahlgren would score the victory. Kammermann took the checkered flag just ahead of the trio of Corsaro, Travis Dutra and David Michael Rosa.

Racing continues next Saturday night with the Wingless Spec Sprints and Limited Late Models back in action along with the B Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Unofficial Race Results
All Star Series Antioch Speedway
Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Heat Winner (6 laps)-Jacob Tuttle. Main Event (20 laps)-Matt DeMartini, Peter Paulson, Art McCarthy, Jacob Tuttle, Justin Bradway, Danny Wagner, Tim Burcher.

A Modifieds
Heat Winner (6 laps)-Sean O'Gara. Main Event (20 laps)-Brian Pearce, Raymond Lindeman, Sean O'Gara, Kimo Oreta, Buddy Kniss, Danny Wagner, Bobby Motts Jr.

B Modifieds
Heat Winners (6 laps)-Jimmy Ford, Tommy Fraser. Main Event (20 laps)-Tommy Fraser, Philip Shelby, Scott Savell, Trevor Clymens, Kevin Brown, Cameron Swank, Jason Womack, Tommy Clymens Jr., Ty Bickford, Jimmy Ford.

Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (6 laps)-Breanna Troen, Will Buirch. Main Event (20 laps)-Josh Leach, Breanna Troen, Jacob Mallet Jr, Ken Johns, Madison Motts, Philip Oreta, Will Buirch, Jeff Bentancourt, Judy Arth, Ricky Foster.

Dwarf Cars
Heat Winners (6 laps)-Mike Corsaro, David Michael Rosa. Main Event (20 laps)-Scott Dahlgren, Devan Kammermann, Mike Corsaro, Travis Dutra, David Michael Rosa, Dennis Gilcrease, Troy Stevenson Jr., Mario Marques, Chris Becker, Roberto Monroy.


Sprint Cars, Modifieds Headline 
Petaluma Speedway Show Saturday Night

Petaluma, CA...After last week's big Johnny Soares Classic for the PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprints, it's the PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Car division's time to shine this Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway as they return for their ninth event of the season. Also back in action will be the IMCA Modifieds, General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars and Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks.

Consistency has been the key for John Clark. Clark has six Top 10 finishes in eight starts, including four Top 5 efforts. He has a 72 point lead over one-time winner Brent Bjork. Though Bjork tops the list with five Top 5 efforts, he's also missed three races. His lead over Joel Myers Jr is just 10 tallies with Shawn Arriaga 11 points back in what is a closer battle for second. Even two-time winner Colby Johnson is in that chase, just 17 points out of second. Arriaga is piloting the Lathrop Racing Sprint Car, but he started deep in the hole after he had a second place finish taken front him at the season opener in post race tech.

Arriaga, who is a past champion at the speedway, seems to be coming on strong lately with a pair of seconds and one third in his last three starts. The last three races also included a pair of victories for Colby Johnson, which put him back into the point battle. Other stars to watch for this week include reigning champion Jake Haulot, Nathan Schank, Brett Rollag, Angelo Cornett and Brett Barney

The last time the IMCA Modifieds were in action, it was multi time champion Michael Paul Jr pocketing $1500 for his impressive win in The Top Dog Nationals. We haven't seen an updated point list, but Paul should make a move into second in the standings behind new leader and reigning champion Oreste Gonella. Gonella had second for much of the race before being overtaken on the last lap by reigning State champion Shane DeVolder. Mitch Machado had gotten off to a good start this season, but bad luck in the latest race caught him.

Terry Kaiser also looked good in the latest race as he finished fourth ahead of Trevor Brady. This was the first Top 5 finish of the year for Brady and the third for Kaiser, but because Kaiser missed one race, he's not in the championship hunt. It's a pretty competitive field of racers, and you never know who might win from week to week. Some of the stars to watch for this week include Justin Yeager, Gary Zwicker, Jay Learn, Tim Yeager and Ray Trimble.

In the Mini Stock division, the battle continues between Jeremy Tjensvold and reigning champion Tom Brown. Tjensvold kicked the season off with three-straight wins before Brown got on a roll with three wins of his own. However, teammate Tjensvold finished second in each event and came back strong last week with his fourth win of the season. Only a few points separate these two in favor of Tjensvold as Brown attempts to become the first driver in this division to become a two-time champion in over a decade. Some of the other stars to watch for this week include Sophie Shelly, Antonio Miramontez, Darien Balestrini, Jason Grover, Roy Dearing and Danny Manzoni.

There were an impressive 24 competitors on hand for the most recent Dwarf Car show last week, and 2016 Antioch Speedway champion Kevin Miraglio became the first two-time winner of the season.  Marcus Hardina again had to settle for second at the most recent race. He now has four runnerup finishes in his six starts, but when he hasn't been finishing strong, he's had a pair of really bad nights which has him battling just to make it into the Top 5 in the standings.

Chad Matthias started the season off with a feature win and has been the leader ever since. He likely maintained that status with his fifth place finish last week, but third place finisher Mark Hanson is keeping it close. Hanson also has a feature win this season. There are some good racers in the group, and some of the stars to watch for this week include reigning champion Scooter Gomes, Matt Hagermann, John Peters, Mike Affonso, Sam Borland and Brandon Gentry.

Saturday's program has lots of speed and excitement lined up for the fans to enjoy. The season is heading down the stretch run, and there are some close championship battles to be decided. This should be a another good show. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.


Fendley Wins Johnny Soares Classic At Petaluma Speedway

Petaluma, CA...August 17...Cody Fendley scored the victory in the 50 lap Johnny Soares Classic for the Hunt and PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprint divisions Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. The big event pays tribute to the Hall of Fame promoter who ran Petaluma Speedway for four decades. This was the second win of the season for Fendley.

Hunt Series championship contender Jake Morgan shared the front row with Jimmy Christian and bolted into the lead at the waving of the green flag. Unfortunately, Morgan's run at the front came to an abrupt end on the 14th lap as reigning Hunt Series champion Shawn Jones was eliminated as well. Trevor Schmid inherited the lead at that point with Fendley running in second. Fendley made his big move into the lead on lap 20 as eighth starter Adam Christian settled into third. Fendley set a good pace during the second half of the race and led by nearly a straightaway over Schmid by the time the checkered flag fell. Adam Christian finished third, followed by Boy Moniz, Josh Young, Dennis Furia Jr, Matt Stewart, Tim Sherman Jr, Jimmy Christian and Sparky Howard.

There was a strong turnout of 28 competitors for the biggest Spec Sprint race of the year, and Jarrett Soares was the only driver to crack into the 14 second bracket with a lap of 14.999, beating the 15.333 of Fendley for quick time. They ran four eight lap heat races, and the wins went to Moniz, Jones, Jimmy Christian and Morgan. The final starting spots in the Main Event were determined by the eight lap B Main, and Soares found himself in this race after a bad heat race. Soares took the lead at the start and won ahead of Tony Bernard, Josh Young and Keith Calvino.

Kevin Miraglio won the 20 lap General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Car Main Event. Miraglio had the pole for the race, but John Peters led a pair of laps before Miraglio gained the lead on lap three. Championship hopeful Mark Hanson came from the fourth row to take the lead from Miraglio on lap six. This battle continued with Miraglio making the pass to briefly regain the lead on lap eight, but Hanson was back in front on lap nine. Hanson led the way until the final lap when Miraglio and Marcus Hardina were both able to get by for the first and second positions. Hanson settled for third, follow by Garrett Brady, Chad Matthias, John Peters, Mike Affonso, Danny Marsh, Trevor Mendenhall and Shawn McCoy.

The Dwarf Cars had a strong 24 car turn out for this race, and the four six lap heat race wins were earned by Matthias, Hanson, Brandon Gentry and Hardina.

Jeremy Tjensvold impressed with the 20 lap Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stock Main Event win. This was the fourth victory of the season for the current point leader aboard his fast Ford Pinto. Roy Dearing led a pair of laps before being overtaken by past champion Austin Ohlinger. Ohlinger's lead was short lived as Tjensvold gained the lead on lap four. Tjensvold would go on to victory with championship contender Tom Brown finishing second ahead of Ohlinger, Dearing, Darien Balestrini, Cody Bolles, Sophie Shelly, Aiden Avila, Ben Baxmen and Randy Miramontez. The six lap heat race wins went to Tjensvold and Brown.

Nick Robfogel won the 20 lap Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micro Main Event. This was the fourth win of the season for Robfogel, who is chasing Justin Adiego in a close championship battle. Looking for his second win of the season, Kyle Grissom paced two laps before Robfogel went charging by. Robfogel stretched his advantage over Grissom to nearly half a lap by the time the race finished. Adiego continued his consistent season with a third place finish, follow by Anton Gianini, George Nielson, Sam Borland, Victor Guerra, Jeromie Charon, Amber Fields and Carroll Mendenhall. The six lap heat race wins went to Robfogel and Adiego.

Racing continues this Saturday night with the PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars back in action along with McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modifieds, General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars and Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.



Sprint Cars, Modified Classes Part Of Five Division Show 
At Ocean Speedway

Watsonville, CA...Following last weekend's big Johnny Key Classic Sprint Car race, Ocean Speedway roars to life again this Friday night with a special five division lineup. the Ocean Sprint Cars, presented by Taco Bravo, are back. Joining them will be the IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sport Modifieds along with the Four Bangers and the South Bay Dwarf Cars. This will be the last opportunity to check out a race at the quarter-mile clay oval for about a month, as the speedway will go dark until September 20th.

As 2015 champion Justin Sanders was making his fourth win of the season the big Johnny Key Classic last weekend, Bud Kaeding had his first non Top 5 finish of the season in sixth. Kaediing has racked up mostly first and second place finishes and has a commanding 145 point lead in the championship chase. As he appears to be headed for the championship aboard his father Brent Kaeding's #69 Sprinter, the battle continues to be for second. The surprising James Ringo has used his four Top 5 finishes to hold a 26 point advantage over Koen Shaw. Shaw didn't seem to be in the hunt, but he has creeped up the point ladder and is only 26 points behind Ringo in the battle for second. He moved past Jake Andreotti for third, but there is still plenty of opportunity for drivers to make a move.

Only 21 points separate third place Shaw from sixth place Kurt Nelson, who is the only driver beside Kaeding in the Top 6 with a feature win. Andreotti is just 17 points behind Shaw and two ahead of Jeremy Chisum, who holds fifth in the standings after last week's disappointing effort that saw him miss the Main Event. Some of the other stars to watch for this week include Jayson Bright, three-time reigning champion Brad Furr, Richard Fajardo and Jerry Bonnema.

We are 11 races into the season, and the Burke brothers are battling fiercely for the IMCA Modified championship. Reigning champion Cody Burke has a pair of victories, but he and his brother Austin are tied for the lead. Austin is still looking for his first win, but he has six Top 5 finishes and leads the division with 11 Top 10 efforts. Also in the championship hunt is Jim Pettit II, who trails by just 10 points in third. Pettit is also a feature winner this year. Jeff Decker, meanwhile, is a solid fourth and after five Top 5 finishes is looking for his first win of the season. Perhaps that could happen this week? Other stars of the competitive Watsonville field include Robert Marsh, rookie Anthony Giuliani, Anthony Copeland and Raymond Keldsen Jr.

Second-generation racer Jarrod Mounce has put a little bit of distance between himself and Adriane Frost in the IMCA Sport Modified championship battle, but his 25 point advantage is still not too comfortable to relax. Both drivers have picked up a pair of victories, but the consistent Mounce leads everybody in the division with 12 Top 5 finishes in his 12 starts. 22 points behind Frost is Justin McPherson, who is still looking for his first win of the season and is the only driver in the Top 5 without a win. Bakersfield's Kevin Johnson is a two-time winner, while three-time winner Guy Ahlwardt is the State point leader and rounds out the Top 5. Because there were two occasions when Ahlwardt had to choose between Watsonville and Merced, he has fallen out of the championship chase. Ahlwardt is in the title hunt at the other track, but his Friday night is open this week should he choose to come to Watsonville. The numbers are up in this division this season, and other stars to watch for include Charlie Hunter, Max Baggett, rookie Kelly Campanile, Stephen Allee and Randy Miller.

The Beardsley family continues to occupy the podium in the Four Banger division. Reigning champion and point leader Kate Beardsley leads the charge with 10 Top 5 finishes and a four point advantage over Nicole Beardsley, who has nine Top 5 finishes so far. 2017 champion Bill Beardsley is 46 points out of the lead, but all three family members are still searching for their first win. Holding down fourth with three victories to his credit is rookie John Grilli. He is within 27 points of Bill Beardsley for third in the standings and holds a 20 point advantage over one-time winner Ryan McClelland. These five racers are anticipated this week, and others to watch for include two-time winner Dakota Keldsen in the Lloyd Keldsen Jr Special, Tony Gullo, Roy Iler and Jeff Finsand.

The points haven't been made available for the South Bay Dwarf Car division as the association keeps their own tabulations and hasn't released them to the public. It's likely that three-time winner Mark Biscardi is leading the charge. Biscardi got on quite a roll to start things off before past champion Shawn Jones interrupted a three-race winning streak with three wins of his own. The most recent win was earned by Ryan Amlen, who should also be ranking well in the standings. Reigning champion Gene "Punky" Pires should also be doing well as he has been somewhat consistent, and other stars of the group to watch for this week include past champion Terry Rothweiler, Eric Weisler, Eddy Claessen and Trafton Chandler.

For fans wanting to get one more dose of exciting racing action in Watsonville, this will be your last opportunity for another month. With the Sprint Cars and the two Modified classes competing, there should be plenty of excitement. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.


Sanders Wins 59th Annual Johnny Key Classic 
At Ocean Speedway

Watsonville, CA...August 17...Justin Sanders scored an impressive victory in the 50 lap Johnny Key Classic for the Civil War Series Winged 360 Sprint Cars Saturday Night at Ocean Speedway. This was also the fourth win of the season for Sanders. It was also his second Key Classic win, and it earned him $5,000

The stage was set for a big night for Sanders as he earned a front row start in the feature by finishing second to Ryan Bernal in the six lap Trophy Dash. Sanders motored ahead at the start of the race with Shane Golobic settling into an early second. Five-time Chico champion Sean Becker moved up to battle Golobic for the second position. Becker was finally able to settle the matter for second on lap 15 as 12th starter Colby Copeland and 13th starter Rico Abreu found their way into the Top 5. Copeland took over the third position on lap 23, and at the halfway break, Sanders was leading Becker, Copeland, Abreu and Golobic.

Sanders maintained command as the second half of the race began, but an intense duel ensued between Copeland, Abreu and Becker for the second position. Copeland was able to gain the position for good with Abreu following into third. However, Sanders set a rapid pace at the head of the pack and was not to be denied the impressive victory. Copeland was second ahead of Abreu, Golobic, Becker, track point leader Bud Kaeding, Chase Johnson, Ryan Bernal, DJ Netto and Mitchell Faccinto.

28 of the best Sprint Car racers in the state qualified on the Tom Sagmiller prepared quarter-mile clay oval. Faccinto's 11.490 was just a bit quicker than the 11.499 of Golobic to set the fast time standard. Eight lap heat race wins went to Johnson, Kaeding, Becker and Bernal. A 12 lap B Main was run to set the final starting positions in the 22 car feature race. Chelsea Blevins won that race ahead of Jason Chisum, Bradley Dillard and Jerry Bonnema.

Andy Obertello won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. This was the First win of the season for Obertello, who has run a limited schedule this season. Obertello had the pole position for the rapidly run race and charged into the lead. Past track champion Nick DeCarlo quickly assumed the second position and was the main driver providing Obertello a challenge for most of the race. Obertello stayed cool under pressure and took the checkered flag just ahead DeCarlo. Austin Burke was a solid third ahead of point leader Cody Burke, Jeff Decker, Jim Pettit II, Todd Hermosillo, Jerry Movrich, Jeff McCoun and Steven Streeter. Decker and Anthony Giuliani were the eight lap heat race winners, but Giuliani retired from the Main Event after one lap.

Dennis Simunovich won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. This was his second win of the season. He started back in the fourth row and quickly worked his way up to battle Justin McPherson for the lead. Simunovich gained the lead and pulled away just a little bit from McPherson. McPherson held off a determined Andrew Peckham for the second place finish. Kevin Johnson finished fourth, followed by point leader Jarrod Mounce, Randy Miller, Adriane Frost, Markus Frazier, Charlie Hunter and Kelly Campanile. Johnson and Mounce won their respective eight lap heat races.

The racing will continue on Friday night as the Taco Bravo Sprint Cars return. The action packed lineup will also include the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Four Bangers and South Bay Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.


Foulger, Ahlwardt Win At Merced Speedway

Merced, CA...August 17...Troy Foulger charged to victory in the 30 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Merced Speedway. This was the division leading fifth win of the season for Foulger aboard the Bowers Racing Modified as he closes in on the championship. The early stages of the race saw Robby Jeppesen and Billy Wilker battling for the lead before Alex Stanford got by. Foulger made a charge from the fifth row to battle Stanford before taking over the lead. Foulger went on to the impressive win with Stanford a strong second, followed by Wilker, Jeppesen, State point leader Trevor Fitzgibbon, Robert Marsh, Jesse James Burks, Ray Mayer, Monty Tomlinson and Justin Villanueva. The eight lap heat race wins were earned by Stanford, Wilker and Fitzgibbon.

Guy Ahlwardt won the 25 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. This was the first Merced win for Ahlwardt, who has a big lead in the State point race. Ahlwardt and point later Fred Ryland have high point averages, which put them back in the fifth and sixth rows, respectively, for the start. They made a mad dash to the front of the pack, where they battled Bruce "Bubba" Nelson and Nick Tucker. Both drivers got by, and Ahlwardt held off the challenges of Ryland for the impressive victory. Ryland maintained his point lead with a second place finished, follow by Nelson, Tucker, KC Keller, Chase Thomas, Kelly Wilkinson, Patti Ryland, Chuck Weir and Kodie Dean. The eight lap heat race wins were earned by Tucker, Ahlwardt and Weir. Patti Ryland won her second straight 12 lap B Main ahead of Wilkinson, Dean and Doff Cooksey.

Rick Elliot won the 20 lap Valley Sportsman Main Event. This was the second win of the season for Elliott as he holds a commanding lead in the championship battle. Elliott and heat race winner Gary Hildebrand started in the third row of the feature race. They both managed to get around Dwayne Short, who was going for his third-straight win. Elliott took the checkered flag ahead of Hildebrand, Short, two-time champion Mike Friesen, reigning champion Jerry Cecil and Jeff West.

Riley Jeppesen won the 12 lap California Sharp Mini Late Model Main Event. This was the second win of the season for Jeppesen, and it came after he held off point leader Timmy Crews for the victory. Logan Clay finished third, follow by Carson Guthrie and Ian Shearer. Jeppesen also won the eight lap heat race.

After a week off to allow the local competitors to compete in the Highway 99 Series race down at Bakersfield, racing resumes on August 31st. Management just announced the $1,500 to win race for the IMCA Sport Modifieds that night. Also competing will be the Mini Stocks, Valley Sportsman division and California Sharp Mini Late Models. For further information, go to www.mercedspeedway.net.


Richards, Smock, Kvalvik Win On Kids Bike Night 
At Orland Raceway

Orland, CA... August 17...Tony Richards won the 20 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Orland Raceway. This was Kids Bike Night at the races, and the track gave away 44 bikes to some lucky kids. Richards has won a majority of the Spec Sprint Main Events, but because he failed to start the season opening race, he has been playing catch up with point leader Denny McNary for the entire season. Richards came into the night trailing McNary by 39 points, and that margin threatened to get worse after more mechanical issues sidelined him from his heat race. The team went back and got his backup car for the Main Event.

Richards then made a charge from the back to the front of the pack and scored yet another impressive feature victory. His win came ahead of Gary Paulson, who was making his first start of the season. Paulson and McNary won their respective heat races, and McNary kept the point damage to a minimum as he scored another good finish in third. Rookie Jeremy Langenderfer finished fourth, followed by Tyler Rockwell, Josh Tucker, James Taylor, Ryan Owens, Cassie Amore and Ed Butterfield.

After missing the previous race, Wes Smock returned to action and recorded his fifth 20 lap Pure Stock Main Event win of the season. His win came ahead of fellow heat race winner Kevin Pendergrass, who finished second in the feature race. Reigning Marysville champion Shannon Collins scored a solid third place finish ahead of championship contender Phil Spencer, 2017 champion Jeremy Langenderfer, John Camper, James Taylor, point leader Keith Ross, reigning champion Paul Stephens and Steve Martin. Ross carried a 14 point lead over Spencer going into the night. The other eight lap heat race wins went to Langenderfer and Stephens.

Kalvin Kvalvik won the 20 lap Mini Truck Main Event. This was the second win of the season for the current point leader. Kvalvik scored the win ahead of his closest championship contender, William Fogle. Anthony Esquavelle was a solid third, followed by Cindy Wagner, Rick Etchison, James Woodell, Tony Quinones, Dan Libbee and Dan Webster. Etchison and Webster won their respective heat races, but Webster was out of the Main Event early.

Tom Davis continued his march towards a third-straight Mini Stock championship by winning the 20 lap Main Event. Davis has won most of the Main Events this season and is showing no signs of slowing down. During the off week, Davis went to Susanville and scored his fourth win there. Shasta Speedway racer Dusty Hills made his first visit of the year and matched Davis with a heat race victory. However, Hills proved to be no match for Davis as he would settle for second behind the Orland point leader. John Kirkpatrick finished third, followed by Randy Black, Jason Libbee and Tommy Whicker.

Kylee Porath won the 20 lap Wingless 250 Micro Main Event. This was the third win of the season for Porath. Incoming point leader Mike McCarthy suffered mechanical issues early on and scratched from the Main Event. This allowed Ronnie Heyer and Lester Elsey to close the gap in the championship point battle. However, Porath would win the Main Event ahead of Heyer, James Barnes and Elsey. Porath and Elsey were eight lap heat race winners.

Racing will continue on August 31st as the Winged Crate Sprint Car division will make their second appearance at the speedway. Also competing will be the Wingless Spec Sprints, Mini Trucks, Mini Stocks and the Wingless 250 Micro division. For further information, go to the Orland Raceway Facebook page.


Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 17, 2019
Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
California Sprint Car Civil War Series
Main Event
Justin Sanders
Colby Copeland
Rico Abreu
Shane Golobic
Sean Becker
Bud Kaeding
Chase Johnson
Ryan Bernal
D.J. Netto
Mitchell Faccinto
Jake Andreotti
Brad Furr
Jayson Bright
Koen Shaw
James Ringo
Cole Macedo
Zane Blanchard
Jason Chisum
Colby Johnson
Kaleb Montgomery
Chelsea Blevins
Kurt Nelson

B Main
Chelsea Blevins
Jason Chisum
Bradley Dillard
Jerry Bonnema
Joey Ancona
Jeremy Chisum
Ryon Nelson
Richard Fajardo

IMCA Modifieds
Andy Obertello
Nick DeCarlo
Austin Burke
Cody Burke
Jeff Decker
Jim Pettit II
Todd Hermosillo
Jerry Movrich
Jeff McCoun
Stephen Streeter
Raymond Keldsen Jr
Jeremy Crebs
Anthony Copeland
Anthony Giuliani

IMCA Sport Modifieds
Dennis Simunovich
Justin McPherson
Andrew Peckham
Kevin Johnson
Jarrod Mounce
Randy Miller
Adriane Frost
Markus Frazier
Charlie Hunter
Kelly Campanile
John Ferro
Max Baggett
Chuck Golden


Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 17, 2019
IMCA Modifieds
Troy Foulger
Alex Stanford
Billy Wilker
Robby Jeppesen
Trevor Fitzgibbon
Robert Marsh
Jesse Burks
Ray Mayer
Monty Tomlinson
Justin Villaneuva
Bob Williamson
John Osgood III
Bill Vieselmeyer
Darrell Hughes II
Jake Pike
Gary Marsh
Bryant Desaire
Ryan Porter
Ramie Stone

IMCA Sport Modifieds
Guy Ahlwardt
Fred Ryland
Bruce Nelson
Nick Tucker
KC Keller
Chase Thomas
Kelly Wilkinson
Patti Ryland
Chuck Weir
Kodie Dean
Richard Ragsdale
Chris Falkenberg
Tony Peffer
Tanner Thomas
Tyler Thomas
Jeremy Hoff
Doff Cooksey
Frank Cefaliello Jr

B Main
Patti Ryland
Kelly Wilkinson
Kodie Dean
Doff Cooksey
Richard Ragsdale
Tanner Thomas
Adam Coonfield
Tony Hornyack
Tim Ragsdale DNS

Valley Sportsman
Rick Elliott
Gary Hildebrand
Dwayne Short
Mike Freisen
Jerry Cecil
Jeff West

Mini Late Models
Riley Jeppesen
Timmy Crews
Logan Clay
Carson Guthrie
Ian Shearer


Fernley 95 Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 17, 2019
IMCA Modifieds
Cory Sample
Chris Olexiewicz
Jeff Olschowka
Malen Gonzalez
Robert Robles
James Thibodeaux
Jim Turner
Mark Skender
Steve McQueen
Barry Stone
Robert Miller

Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series
BILL PEARSON
MIKE LEARN
SCOTT FLOWERS
SCOTT LENZ
DAVE KING JR
SCOTT ROGERS
DONNY RICHARDSON
JESSE GONZALEZ
RYAN SMITH
DALE TATUM
CHRIS SMITH DNS
BLANE HILL DNS
ROBERT MILLER DNS
JAY SEARS DNS
MIKE MCMORDIE DNS
BRENT LAWRENCE DNS

IMCA Sport Modifieds
Jimmy Ray Huffmon
Craig Nieman
Rusty McMillan
JEFF TUTTLE
Andy Welch
BILL PEARSON
Kieth Mikaelson

Hobby Stocks
RANDY BOYD
Royce Goetz
Tom Haxal
Rocky Goetz
Rick Miller
David Paine
Shayna Nieman
Robert Crane
Dan Dias
Richard Italiano


Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 17, 2019
Eighth Annual Johnny Soares Classic
Hunt Series/PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprints
Cody Fendley
Trevor Schmid
Adam Christian
Boy Moniz
Josh Young
Dennis Furia Jr
Matt Stewart
Tim Sherman Jr
Jimmy Christian
Sparky Howard
Cameron Martin
Tony Bernard
Scott Chapeta
Angelique Bell
Jarrett Soares
Cody Spencer
Keith Calvino
Ryon Siverling
Terry Schank Jr
Bruno Bianchi
Jake Morgan
Shawn Jones 

B Main
Jarrett Soares
Tony Bernard
Josh Young
Keith Calvino
Cameron Martin
Sparky Howard
Scott Clough
Bob Davis
Zack Albers
George Nielson
Chet Wilson

General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars
Kevin Miraglio
Marcus Hardina
Mark Hanson
Garrett Brady
Chad Matthias
John Peters
Mike Affonso
Danny Marsh
Trevor Mendenhall
Shawn McCoy
Jordan Souza
Mike Dahle
Matt Hagemann
Scooter Gomes
Kylee Johnson
Adam Freitas
Tim Steger
Sam Borland
Vic Vaz
Carroll Mendenhall
Brandon Gentry
Adam Johnson
Savannah Brown
Tom VanTuyl

Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks
Jeremy Tjensvold
Tom Brown
Austin Ohlinger
Roy Dearing
Darien Balestrini
Cody Bolles
Sophie Shelley
Aiden Avila
Ben Baxmen
Randy Miramontez
Antonio Miramontez

Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros
Nick Robfogel
Kyle Grissom
Justin Adiego
Anton Gianini
George Nielson
Sam Borland
Victor Guerra
Jeromie Charon
Amber Fields
Carroll Mendenhall
Trevor Mendenhall
Jack Clark
Rob Brown


Stockton 99 Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 17, 2019
Late Models
Guy Guibor
Larry Tankersley
Justin Philpott
Gary Shafer
Ty Carlson
Arron Shankle
Dennis Byers
Kimberly Rouse
Roberto Magania
Anthony Welborn
Garland Powell
David Blair
Justin Scantlin 

Legends
Cody Winchell
Jeremy Doss
Sheldon Crouse
Dylan Wasburn
Keith Clement
Rob Nascimento
Pete Soto
Jim Mrozinski
Rob Lathrop
Richard Strmiska
Carlee Austin
Scott Sabol
Kevin Travels
Wayne Olhiser
JK Kenny

Basically 4 Cylinder
Josh Cross
Dave Kong
Joe Flowers
Andy Rumsey
Kenny Burton
Matt Richardson
Ray Molina
Vic Theberge
Mark Hunt
Billy Rodrigues
Bryon Bishop
Danny Helm
Frank Brown
Tim Wlliams
Rodney Previtali
Joshua Brown
Cathy Bishop
Dave Locke
Dave Keller
Andrea Rumsey


The Editor's Viewpoint

Hopefully, I can be somewhat brief this week. I'm running late after the two race weekend, and I have to admit I was running around before and during the race nights so much that I wore myself out. I was kind of hoping that I'd be able to make the trip to the track today. The big R Charles Snyder Salute is coming on Labor Day weekend, and I wanted to catch up with the son of the man this race honors. I was just too far behind schedule to do it. I'm so happy to have had a hand in helping get this race on the schedule at Southern Oregon Speedway.

People were telling me that I did a good job last weekend. I hope so. I have to admit that I'm a bit tired, sometimes I say burnt out, and at times I'm on automatic pilot. I think I can run on instinct because I've been doing this long enough and I know how to do what I do. I suppose it's no different than a carpenter knowing on instinct what to do in any situation when they're building a house. Everything didn't easily fall into place, and from the word go on Friday, I was behind schedule trying to get enough done to be okay.

I suppose the thing I haven't been wanting to admit is I'm just getting older, but I also think the conditions that I am working in affect things a little bit. I had the speech prepared for the ceremony the morning of the Hall of Fame, and a glitch in the program wiped the whole damn thing out. I was literally finishing it up at the track on race day as cars were coming into the pits. This is not the way I wanted to be prepared.

Even for the Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame that's coming up in October 5th, I went to have my ideas on what to say before the day comes. We're talking about a situation where I am much more familiar with the history of the track. I grew up out there. Frankly, my time at that track as a kid is what made me think that this was what I wanted to do with my life.

Now, I've tried to learn the history of Medford area racing, and I know a little bit of it. I would say I know a snapshot of it. A glance of different times through the years, if you will. But, it's not always something I can just call upon by memory. So, I wanted to be prepared for this so that I could do it justice. The racers deserve that.

I mentioned in the speech that there might be people wondering why I would be coming up here in the last few years and creating this Hall of Fame with Mike McCann and the committee when this isn't my history. Why? Because, this history means something to the people who lived through it. It's something they hold dear, and it's something that has been neglected through the years. I wanted this night to be a night where we celebrate the heritage that is Southern Oregon racing and honor people who made it special. I'd like to think I did okay, and there were a few people telling me so. I was so busy all weekend, I really didn't get a chance to enjoy the moment the way I would have liked. I did the best I could.

What I did notice this year compared to the previous two years was there seemed to be much more enthusiasm behind this occasion. One driver, Dave Shinn, brought some of his clippings and pictures to display to the fans. Mark Wauge even let him drive his Late Model for hot laps. Dave was all smiles before the races and admitted that he hadn't been behind the wheel of a race car for some 30 years. I think it's pretty awesome of Mark to do what he did. It seems to me that Brett James was walking around very happy all day, seeing that his legendary father, Markey James, was being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Cory Penfold mentioned to me beforehand that I'd probably get choked up at some point, and I didn't think that would happen. But, I started to after Brett started thanking me earlier in the evening. His dad deserved the honors, and quite frankly, this should have happened years ago. Actually, Brett has built up a reputation, from what I have seen, of being a guy who is good at race car set up. Family tradition. His family is five generations strong in racing in the Medford area.

It was pretty cool when Jimmy Walker Sr's grandson came up and asked me how old you had to be to race. I think he might actually be old enough now, and he mentioned that he was looking to get started in a Mini Stock. See, that right there there is something I wanted to see happen. I want the old families feel like Southern Oregon Speedway is a continuation of this long Medford racing tradition and that the next generation of these families can go racing here.

Frankly, I'm not so sure that this vibe has really been created through the years. I'm not saying they aren't welcome, just that it seems like Southern Oregon Speedway may be like some other land compared to the old Medford Raceway. I know people held that old track in high regards, but there wasn't much of an effort to tie the old in with the new. I think it needed to happen and needs to happen. It's all part of the turnaround process of this track.

It was my hope after researching the history and coming up with a win list that is probably 95% complete for Southern Oregon Speedway that I could tackle the Medford Raceway next. Because I'm not really there on the scene, it's not easy for me to go to the Medford public library and go through micro film of the old newspaper there. Those newspapers, I know, are a treasure trove of Main Event winners and champions. This all fell by the wayside through the years, as it often does at different race tracks across the country. It didn't need to. Some of the old guard put together a really nice Facebook page called the Medford Raceway Posse Grounds. It has lots of history there. It's worth checking out.

I am a few days removed from the Hall of Fame weekend at the big track and Championship Night at the little track, and I feel we did well. In the middle of it all, it's just been hard to enjoy the moment. I feel like there are too many things that need to be done to help guide the evening through. I am doing different things to help Promoter Mike McCann keep the show going. There are some things I never thought I could do, and overall I am so proud of the effort. Though it feels like it's gotten harder to do the things we do as we've gone on each year, a remarkable thing seems to be happening. More fans are coming to the show and more racers are competing. I've started to come to the conclusion in my own mind that I'll be damned if I'm going to let anything fall apart on my watch. I want to do all that I can do to help leave things better than when I got here.

I go year to year, so I can't tell you with any degree of certainty where I'm going to be next year. The ultimate goal is to move away from racing again, but that has to be something that I will be able to do. It's sort of the complicated situation. I can't tell you for certain that I will be moving on next year, and in fact, I expect I will be involved in racing. I do know that the media effort will change, because unless I'm seeing a little bit of compensation for some of the things I'm doing, I'm only going to be doing what I do for the blog as probably 80% of that effort next year. I will do it on my terms. Am I saying I am moving on from this race track? Nope. I'm not saying anything about 2020 other than the fact that I don't know what I will be doing for sure.

Here is something I can say. It has been an honor to be involved with this race track, which some may have thought was on its last legs in 2015. I've gotten to know some good people here, both competitors and various people behind the scenes. I've worked with people I enjoy working with. I've been challenged in ways I never thought I would be challenged, and I've learned more than I thought I would learn. I've always realized that I don't know everything. There's always something to learn. I've always tried to be respectful of the heritage here, and above all else, I've tried to give these race car drivers the recognition I believe they all deserve, from the highest to the lowest divisions and everywhere in between. It's always been the way I've approached my media effort in auto racing, and if I ever deviate from that attitude, I don't belong here anymore.

Well, I seem to be going longer than I want, but I will make a few other observations. I'm very happy that Petaluma Speedway continues to honor it's long time promoter with the Eighth Annual Johnny Soares Classic. It's pretty cool to think that a division that I helped create in a pizza parlor with my friend Don O'Keefe in my old hometown of Bay Point in 1999 was once again headlining that show. Wingless Spec Sprints delivered 28 cars for the 50 lap race. By all accounts, it was a good show. Furthermore, the Dwarf Cars delivered another 24 competitors, meaning you had two divisions with 52 total cars, not counting the other 20 some odd competitors in the two support classes. So yeah, over 70 cars and another solid show for Petaluma Speedway. Rick Faeth is having one of the best seasons of any of the promoters that I've been keeping track of this year, and I think this is because he's one of those guys who genuinely cares about what he's doing.

I still like the idea of a Founders Cup race. This doesn't necessarily even mean you have to put a huge purse on the line, but make special trophies, cup trophies, for your winners. The race would honor the men who helped make the sport what it is today, and I'm talking about the legendary promoters like Bob Barkhimer, Bert Moreland, John P Soares, Jerry Piper and you could even talk about people who weren't part of the NASCAR thing in those days, like John Padjen, Doug Fort and so on. It would be a way to talk about the promoters and the people who helped create the circuit. They built many of the tracks we still enjoy today and many tracks that were taken away from us due to progress. I still envision Antioch Speedway being a place that could host a show like that, but I don't know. What is it that John wants?

One thing that I hear he is looking to do is move his wife Donna's race from October 5th to October 11th and 12th. He mentioned that to me when we spoke on the phone a couple weeks ago, and I got word through another source that this was a done deal. I know John was looking at potential national media coverage, and let's face it, this big show is going to be paying $12,000 to the winner. I also caught a glimpse of the rough draft of his purse, and it's quite attractive. It's bigger purse money than the Modified division will receive anywhere on the West Coast, and it should get some good support. It's also a race fitting of honoring the wife of the promoter. Donna was a wonderful woman who was the glue that had kept Oval Motorsports together from the time they began promoting that track in 1998. She was always one of my favorite people, and I miss her.
.
This also means that the October 5th race will be Hall of Fame night. Well, we already knew that, but as Donna will have her race the next weekend, Hall of Fame night becomes it's own entity. Truthfully, I'm not sure the October weekend was the time I really wanted to see this happen. However, I am sure this was the only time I would have been able to make it down there. I looked at the possibility of doing something like this in July or August, the dog days of summer. Something to get some interest going when people's attention starts going in other directions. But, October 5th will do once again for this year. We'll be honoring 15 people. I'm hoping to make sure either the honorees or their families will be there to receive the awards. I am excited about going back to Antioch, not just to MC this event, but to see old friends. As I have said before, I have no expectations. Whatever happens beyond that will be what it is.

Hall of Fame night is one of the easiest ways to market your race track and its heritage. If you've had a track that has been around for 20 years or more, you have enough history to begin to induct people into a Hall of Fame, even if you just do one or two people at a time. All you are really looking at is the awards to present and the night to do it. Putting clippings together to put on display for the fans to see is a snap, inviting old legends to come out as guests of the speedway and maybe even one of the old cars that used to race at that track is still in existence. Another cool idea for a Hall of Fame night or just a Legends Night in general would be having a Legends Race. This might be done in your Hobby Stock or Street Stock division, giving the old timers a shot at a little bit of glory. You can have a lot of fun with a race like that, in my opinion.

Scheduling will bite you in the rear end. As a promoter, you can study everybody else's schedules and map something out, thinking you've got it covered, but something will always get you. It's just the way it is. I see Doug Lockwood at Merced Speedway has made the decision to pay $1,500 to win his IMCA Sport Modified division on Labor Day weekend. At first I kind of looked over at that deal in disappointment with Doug, but I understand. I think Ed Parker and John Soares before him chose to keep the track dark on that weekend, but Doug had already booked something. Also, the Sport Modified division was the only class of the four scheduled that night that really had a chance to bring a car count. Some of the Merced racers wanted to go to Southern Oregon Speedway to be a part of the big $2,000 to win R Charles Snyder Salute. So, part of me kind of took it personally at first, but I got over that real quick. I get it. Of course, if some of the people not tied down to points at Merced want to come play in Medford, they are welcome to do just that. As I hear Mike say all the time, this is America.
.
Yreka Promoter Kevin Barba made the decision to make up his big John Arnberg Memorial race this weekend. I think he had a better opportunity to do that in July, from what I saw, but the August 24th date was chosen. The bad part about that is Cottage Grove, or Mecca as I jokingly refer to it, has booked a big two-day show that weekend. It's the annual Mark Howard race, and it pays $2,600 for the IMCA Modifieds. So, some of the top Medford racers will head there rather than to Yreka for the $1,238 prize being offered there. At least we know that the drivers will be able to make their entry fee money back as Kevin has mentioned they get $100 for starting. That is a step up from last year.

I'm going to try not to mention the idea that Yreka still has an IMCA Modified division to cultivate, and hasn't done much in that area. I know there are parked cars there, and Medford gets a couple of racers who might be supporting Yreka instead if that were an option. I've mentioned that the association before Kevin, and now Kevin, might do well to do some sort of outreach within the community and, while looking at what Medford may schedule in 2020, could attempt to bring this division back more next year. I still see potential there, but I'm sure what happens this weekend will go a long way towards what happens in the future. I'm just not so sure how many cars are going to come. I hope they can at least get double digit Modified car count.

The iron Giant Street Stock thing was a bit of a joke this year. We have had them at Medford for the past two years, and their car count doubled into the twenties in the second year. Series leadership wanted the Memorial Day weekend so that they could piggyback our race with a visit to Yreka. This wasn't initially where Mike wanted to put them, but he went along with it. When he had to call the race due to rain, leadership didn't hesitate to move that race to Yreka, as Kevin still thought he had a chance to beat the rain. Had the weather cooperated, Yreka would have had our Medford race and then their regularly scheduled race the next day, and Mike would not have been called at all by Iron Giant leadership to inform him of what was going on. His phone calls to them that Saturday morning went unanswered.

Seeing that they pulled in 15 or so cars before the rain came, I know Kevin couldn't wait to try to reschedule that race, and August 17th was the night in question. What he didn't count on was a brutal race at Gray's Harbor the weekend before. Cars got torn up, and the result was only five Street Stocks for the show. I had such high hopes for this event, and I'm sure Kevin did as well. To see five drivers show up had to be heart breaking as this was the opportunity for a statement to be made about the possibility of Street Stocks making some sort of come back in Yreka in 2020.

I'm not just talking iron Giant race next year, but the track starting a class. Of the five drivers, two of them were racers that you might have seen in a regular Yreka show. What Kevin might be thinking after last weekend, I couldn't say. But I am disappointed for him as the night didn't meet expectations for the Street Stocks. The Sport Modifieds, however, delivered an entertaining show.

As a promoter, you do the best you can with what you've got. I hope things have been penciling in well for Kevin this year and that there can be a next year to plan on. I'm certain there will be a next year in Yreka as there are people with a desire to keep the racing scene going, but I also know that Kevin has shown quite a bit of hustle. A promoter is going in there knowing, or should know, that it won't be huge at first. The first year will be the establishing year. You take a look at what you had that year, try to learn the lessons and apply them towards making the second year better. The second year, if done right, will be marginally better, and so on. It's a process.

I know that it's been a process at Southern Oregon Speedway, and the increase in car count and crowd did not happen overnight. It's been earned, and I'm always nervous about what will happen next week. I know that you're only as good as your last race, but if you work hard, you can get there. I see the same type of thing happening at Orland, where I feel like Rich Hood has made quite a bit of progress in his fourth year.

The only thing is, you have to have some love for the sport you're involved in, because it will wear you down and it will break your heart. Sometimes, the negative you hear will far outweigh the positive, and if you don't have a love for what you're doing, you won't last long. Even if you do love it, it can age you and make you ready to walk away. That's the way it seems to me.

I didn't succeed in running a short column here, but at least I can end it now. Until next time...