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Forsberg Wins ASCS National Sprint Car Race
At Petaluma Speedway
At Petaluma Speedway
Petaluma,
CA...March 7...Andy Forsberg scored one of the biggest wins of his
career in the 30 lap ASCS National Sprint Car Main Event Sunday night at
Petaluma Speedway. Forsberg is a ten-time Civil War Sprint Car Series
champion and won his second-straight title at Placerville Speedway last
season.
Forsberg had a front row
start next to four-time reigning series champion Sam Hafertepe Jr, but
he fell back early as Hafertepe set the pace. Working the 16th lap,
Forsberg took the lead. Everything seemed to be smooth sailing from
there until Forsberg hit a rut and ended up falling back two positions
on the 25th lap. Fortunately, a yellow flag waved at the same moment,
restoring Forsberg into the lead. Forsberg went on to score the victory.
Shane Golobic would finish second ahead of five-time reigning Chico
champion Sean Becker. Hafertepe salvaged a fourth place finish, followed
by Justyn Cox, Scott Bogucki, Carson Macedo, Blake Carrick, Tanner
Carrick and Chase Johnson.
There
were 42 competitors on hand for the show. The eight lap heat race wins
went to Jordan Mallett, Johnson, Chelsea Blevins, Willie Croft and
Hafertepe. The eight lap qualifier races were won by Dylan Westbrook,
Becker and Forsberg. The remaining positions for the Main Event were
filled by the top finishers from the two 12 lap B Mains. Tony Gualda Jr
won the first one ahead of Johnson and Mallett. Croft outran Harli White
and Shane Hopkins to win the second B Main.
Danny
Wagner won the 20 lap General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Car Main Event.
Wagner is a past NorCal and Antioch Speedway champion, and it was
another NorCal champion, Ryan Winter, who set the pace early on. Wagner
gained the lead on the eighth circuit, but it was still a nip-and-tuck
battle between Wagner and Winter from there. However, Wagner would
prevail at the checkered flag, followed by Winter, Michael "Spanky"
Grenert, Mark Hanson and reigning champion Chad Matthias. Kevin Miraglio
was docked two positions on a jump-start infraction, dropping him from
fourth to sixth, followed by Joey Lingron, Darren Fridolfs, Carroll
Mendenhall and Jack Haverty.
There
were 42 Dwarf Cars in action with the eight lap heat race wins earned
by Miraglio, Hanson, Grenert, Winter and Wagner. Haverty won the 12 lap B
Main.
Sweet Claims The Glory At Merced Speedway
Merced,
CA...March 6...Merced Speedway kicked off the 2020 season with a
special Friday night race last week. This was the inaugural visit for
the ASCS National Sprint Car Tour, and a large crowd witnessed 51 of the
best Winged 360 Sprint Car competitors doing battle on the fast
quarter-mile clay oval. When the checkered flag waved on the 30 lap
feature race, it was 2019 World of Outlaws Sprint Car champion Brad
Sweet grabbing the glory.
Sweet
shared the front row with ten-time Civil War Sprint Car Series champion
Andy Forsberg. However, Forsberg wasn't a match for Sweet as he fell
back a few positions. Sweet managed to outrun Shane Golobic for the
impressive win. 2019 ASCS championship runner-up Blake Hahn crossed the
line third, followed by Carson Macedo, Forsberg, Ryan Bernal, Roger
Crockett, Blake Carrick, Dom Scelzi and Alex Hill.
The
festivities started with six eight lap heat races, and wins were
collected by Michael Faccinto, Sweet, Justyn Cox, Tanner Carrick, Thomas
Kennedy and Forsberg. Preliminary points were further calculated after
four special qualifier races. These eight lap races were won by Hahn,
Golobic, Justin Sanders and Dom Scelzi. The top point earners made it
directly into the feature, while two 15 lap B Mains filled up the
remainder of the 24 car finale. It was Chase Johnson winning the first B
Main ahead of Tanner Carrick and Robby Price. Cox outran Mitchell
Faccinto and Harli White to claim the second B Main.
In
the IMCA Sport.Modified race, Speedway star Michael Johnson picked up
the win in their 30 lap feature. Third row starter Johnson held off
reigning champion and fourth-row starter Fred Ryland to get the win.
2019 Santa Maria champion Kevin Johnson ended up third, while 2018 title
winner Jeremy Hoff charged from 13th to finish fourth. Rounding out the
Top 10 finishers were Chris Falkenberg, Timothy Allerdings, Paul
Espino, Tanner Thomas, Kaylin Lopez and Patti Ryland. Eight lap heat
race wins went to Michael Johnson, Fred Ryland and Kevin Johnson.
The
California Sharp Mini Late Models saw a division record nine drivers
come to compete. This included a few new names from the Outlaw Kart
ranks. After starting back in the last row, it was Garrett Corn picking
up the win in their 20 lap race. Kennzzie Brown had her best finish yet
as she held off Riley Jeppesen to finish second. Fourth went to Brayden
Morton ahead of Emali Van Hoff, Tyler Tucker and Jay Brooks. Mechanical
issues sidelined Carson Guthrie and Kaylin Lopez prior to the Main
Event. Corn and Brooks won their respective six lap heat races.
Racing
returns this Saturday night with IMCA Modifieds in action along with
the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks and South Bay Dwarf Cars. For
further information, go to www.mercedspeedway.net.
IMCA Modifieds Back In Action
At Merced Speedway Saturday Night
At Merced Speedway Saturday Night
Merced,
CA...The IMCA Modifieds kick off their 2020 season at Merced Speedway
this Saturday night. The IMCA Sport Modifieds return after supporting
last week's highly successful ASCS National Sprint Car event. Also in
action will be the Mini Stocks and the South Bay Dwarf Cars. The winners
of the two Modified classes and Mini Stocks will also be competing for
increased winner's prize money.
Merced
Speedway had one of the most exciting IMCA Modified programs in the
state last season. It was Troy Foulger turning in a rather dominant
performance by wheeling the Bowers Motorsports Modified to six wins in
his 13 starts. He won the championship by a wide margin over the
consistent Ryan Porter. Last season saw Porter shut out of the win
column with seven Top 5 finishes, and the talented fourth-generation
competitor will be out to change that this weekend. Some of the stars of
the field include past champions Ramie Stone, Bob Williamson, Paul
Stone and Randy Brown. Others anticipated include last season's top
rookie Jesse Burks, DJ Shannon, Ricky Thatcher, Jeff Streeter and more.
There
were 18 competitors for the IMCA Sport Modified event last week, and
two-time Merced champion Fred Ryland was forced to settle for second
behind Bakersfield star Michael Johnson. Though Ryland had a pair of
wins last season, he led the division with eight Top 5 finishes in his
12 starts. If he's not winning, he's usually right up there among the
leaders. Some of the drivers to watch for this week include 2018
champion Jeremy Hoff, Chris Falkenberg, Tanner Thomas, Paul Espino,
Dwayne Short, Chuck Weir, Tony Peffer and division newcomers Kaylin
Lopez and Richard Ragsdale.
The
Mini Stock division serves as one of the gateways for new drivers into
the wonderful world of racing at Merced Speedway. In 13 events last
year, they had eight different winners, but it was the consistent Lee
Ragsdale rebounding from losing a close championship in 2018 by holding
off everybody for the glory last year. There will be some new drivers on
the roster this season, and some of the veteran competitors to watch
for include 2019 championship runner-up Lucy Falkenberg, Tyler Post,
Shawn DePriest, Jerry Tubbs, Austin Sprague and three-time Merced
champion Chris Corder.
The South
Bay Dwarf Cars will round out an exciting program. This is an excellent
tune-up for the group, which will host the 4th Annual Merced Speedway
Western States Dwarf Car Nationals on April 3rd and 4th. Many of the
South Bay Dwarf Car events happen at Ocean Speedway, and multi time
winner Mark Biscardi managed to dethrone Gene "Punky" Pires to win the
championship last season. These two stars of the group are anticipated
on Saturday night along with such notables as Marty Weisler, Ryan Amlen,
Jimmy Damron, Barry Waddell, Eddie Claesson and Trafton Chandler.
Saturday's
lineup will offer plenty of speed and excitement for the fans to enjoy
as the season is just getting started. For further information, go to www.mercedspeedway.net.
This
will be the 60th championship season for the speedway, which opened for
weekly racing in 1961. Drivers hoping to make valuable practice laps
before the season officially opens will take advantage of the March 14th
and March 21st playdays. For further information on scheduling and
other things, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Antioch Speedway Opens Gates
For First Of Three Scheduled Playdays
For First Of Three Scheduled Playdays
Antioch,
CA...Since Chad Chadwick took over Antioch Speedway, much work has been
done to improve the facility, and work is ongoing. On Saturday
afternoon, the track was scheduled to open for its first of three
playdays. Several drivers were even lined up at the gate when sprinkles
turned into rain. Chadwick monitored the situation closely and decided
that it was best to postpone the practice session. However, he quickly
devised a new plan.
The practice
was postponed until Sunday afternoon, and over 30 drivers across
various divisions still made it. The fact that Chadwick and his crew
have worked long hours reshaping the racing surface and making changes
that have been requested by the racers made this practice opportunity
enticing. The speedway has been widened and as a result has gotten that
much faster.
On Wednesday night,
Chadwick opened the gates for an important test session among a few
select racers. The idea was to see how drivers who have traveled to
various venues in recent weeks liked the new configuration. These
drivers, which included Nick DeCarlo, Troy Foulger, Bobby Hogge IV and
Kellen Chadwick, approved. Hogge was turning laps in the low 15s.
DeCarlo and Foulger enjoyed one particular practice session that evening
where they were running side-by-side and making slide job passes in
each of the turns.
Everybody was
chomping at the bit to get a look at this race track, and Sunday's
practice was well received among the racers who attended. Again, there
was plenty of side-by-side racing as drivers wanted to test the high
side and the low side. It wasn't even a race day, but it was still an
enjoyable sight. If this is any indication, the race track is going to
be exceptional when the season opens on March 28th to a lineup of IMCA
Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Delta Dwarf Cars.
There will still be playdays on March 14th and 21st.
With
the word that Antioch Speedway is now an IMCA sanctioned race track,
several drivers couldn't resist bringing their Modifieds and Sport
Modifieds to make some practice laps and get a feel for the track. Past
Chico and IMCA All Star Series champion Ryan McDaniel made the trip, and
Kellen Chadwick was back as well. Reigning track champion Buddy Kniss
and his father Chester Kniss were there among others. Last season's top
rookie, Frank Furtado, managed to get the bugs worked out of his motor
enough to make some laps.
The
IMCA Sport Modified division figures to get much more competitive this
season. Reigning IMCA State championship Guy Ahlwardt, who is from the
area, announced his plans recently to return regularly to Antioch
Speedway. Though Ahlwardt wasn't at practice, reigning track champion
Tommy Fraser was there along with 2015 Antioch and State champion Fred
Ryland and his wife Patti. Last season's runner-up, Kevin Brown, Tommy
Clymens Jr and several others were there putting their cars through
their shakedown runs.
As with
the IMCA Modifieds and Sport Modifieds, the Hobby Stocks will be at the
season opener. There were several drivers making valuable practice laps.
Last season's championship runner-up Breanna Troen and her team
finished their race car just in time to make laps. Troen is hoping to
step up her game a little bit this year, but she knows there will be
plenty of competition. After winning one of the late-season Main Events
last year, past division championship runner-up Jason Robles was there
along with Judy Allison-Arth, Anthony Silva, teen racer Jacob Mallet Jr
and others. There's quite a bit of buzz in the Hobby Stock division as
we prepare for the new season.
Open
wheel competitors were well represented with Winged 360 Sprint Car,
Wingless Spec Sprint and Dwarf Car drivers making laps. Notable among
them was last season's Winged 360 Sprint Car champion Jacob Tuttle.
Tuttle has enjoyed competing at Antioch Speedway for the past three
seasons and is hoping that the division can maintain a presence here in
the years ahead. Jeff Lee, a feature winner in this class in the past,
put his Wingless Spec Sprint through its paces as well.
Work
is ongoing at the speedway as Chad Chadwick and his crew have many
things to complete before the March 28th opener. The competitors noticed
the cleaner environment, and some of those people actually helped by
participating in the multiple work parties the speedway had prior to
this practice day. Work is ongoing on the pit bathrooms as they get a
major overhaul. They should be ready for the season opener. There are
lots of other surprises in store as speedway management assesses the
situation and moves forward with a plan to improve all aspects of the
facility and racing program itself.
Ocean Speedway 2020 Season Kicks Off Friday Night
Watsonville,
CA...Once again, Promoter John Prentice has an exciting season planned
for Ocean Speedway. The track will continue to feature some big Sprint
Car and Modified shows throughout the season, which will conclude at the
end of September. This Friday night gets things kicked into gear with
the Taco Bravo Sprint Cars back in action along with the IMCA Modifieds,
IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Four Bangers.
The
Sprint Car division featured an exciting battle last season that went
to the finale. Bud Kaeding had been impressive all season long, but a
mishap on the final night led to the championship being won by the
consistent James Ringo.
The Taco
Bravo Sprint Cars offer the fans some of the most exciting open wheel
action they'll find anywhere in the state on any given Friday night.
These are the fastest cars you'll see at Ocean Speedway, and a top-notch
list of talented competitors includes such hard chargers as Justin
Sanders, Koen Shaw, Jeremy Chisum, Jason Chisum, Jake Andreotti, Kurt
Nelson, Jayson Bright and multi-time champion Brad Furr.
The
Sprint Cars will have some big events during the season. This will
include three visits from the NARC/King of the West Sprint Cars. They
have the Pombo/Sargent Classic on June 12th, the 10th Annual Howard
Kaeding Classic on July 18th and a final appearance on August 28th. The
Sprint Car Challenge Tour makes an appearance on August 22nd as part of
the 60th running of the Johnny Key Classic. There will be plenty of
opportunity to check out some great Sprint Car racing all season long,
including this Friday night.
Last
season, the IMCA Modifieds had one of the closest championship battles
at the track, won by Austin Burke, just ahead of brother Cody Burke and
Jim Pettit II. All three of these drivers have won at least one
championship in this class and had some classic battles at the front of
the pack last season. After being inducted into the Antioch Speedway
Hall of Fame last October, Jim Pettit II will be inducted into the West
Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame this June in celebration of his impressive
racing career on both pavement and dirt. Cody Burke had won the previous
two championships, and these three drivers could be the ones to beat.
The
only thing likely to prevent six-time champion Bobby Hogge IV from
winning a seventh title is the fact that he'll probably run a limited
schedule. As it was, he won five of the eight times he competed last
year. Ocean Speedway has some very talented IMCA Modified competitors,
including past champions Robert Marsh, Nick DeCarlo and Brian Cass as
well as decorated Late Model champion Jeff Decker, Raymond Keldsen,
Anthony Giuliani and more.
As
with the Sprint Cars, the IMCA Modifieds will have some big events with
the Sport Modifieds and Hobby Stocks also on the bill for those events.
It will start with the Third Annual Bill Egleston Memorial race on May
17th. The 23rd Annual Mike Cecil Memorial race happens on August 1st and
the 10th Annual Pat and Jim Pettit Memorial Dirt Track Shootout happens
on September 25th and 26th. The Cecil race and the second night at the
Pettit Shootout are both All Star IMCA Modified Series events as well.
Last
season saw the IMCA Sport Modifieds have a very strong season as car
count was up significantly. Atwater's Jarrod Mounce decided to compete
at Watsonville all season long and won a good battle with Adriane Frost
to claim the championship. State championship contenders Guy Ahlwardt
and Kevin Johnson were both Top 5 ranked, and Ahlwardt ultimately won
the State to championship. All four of those drivers won multiple Main
Events, and drivers like Justin McPherson, Charlie Hunter, Kelly
Campanile, Steven Allee, Max Baggett and Randy Miller are expected to be
among those looking to make it into the winner's circle this season.
Rob
Gallaher outdualed his father Joe Gallaher to lay claim to his third
Hobby Stock championship last year. This team is impressive week in and
week out. Rob led the division with seven feature triumphs last year
with his dad winning twice. While these two drivers figure to be tough
to beat, some impressive racers will be out to claim some of the glory
for themselves. This will include past champion Wally Kennedy, Jerry
Skelton, DJ Keldsen, Nick Triolo, Bobby Huckaby, Ryan Muller and ageless
veteran Tony Oliveira.
The
closest championship race at the speedway last season happened in the
Four Bangers, and it was the consistent Kate Beardsley and Nicole
Beardsley tied atop the point list when the season wrapped up. Both
drivers had 11 Top 5 finishes, but they were not among the seven
different drivers in the 13 events held to win a Main Event. These two
along with past champion Bill Beardsley will be hoping to change that
this year, but drivers like John Grill, Ryan McClelland, Dakota Keldsen,
Tony Gullo Roly Iler and Ray Bunn will be out to get some of the glory
this year.
The fans and racers
have been waiting patiently for spring to arrive and racing season to
get underway. This Friday night offers an exciting five-division lineup
that is sure to leave you on the edge of your seat. This begins non-stop
action all season long at the speedway. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.
King Of The West Sprint Cars,
CVMS Mini Stocks Head To Kern Raceway
CVMS Mini Stocks Head To Kern Raceway
Bakersfield,
CA...This Saturday night, the NARC/King of the West Fujitsu Winged 410
Sprint Car Series kicks off a brand new season at the Kern Raceway Dirt
Track. Joining them will be the House of JuJu Central Valley Mini Stock
Series and the Kern County Hardtops.
The
King of the West Sprint Car Series will be competing at 10 different
venues this year in a season that will go all the way until November
7th. Last season saw a close championship battle decided by just 11
points among the Top 3 competitors. In the end, it was DJ Netto claiming
the honors in the Netto Ag Motorsports entry by just eight points over
Bud Kaeding. Kaeding was piloting the Williams Motorsports Sprinter,
while Dom Scelzi was only 11 points out of the lead in the Roth
Motorsports entry. It's interesting to note that Scelzi led the field
with five feature victories, while Kaeding had two wins. Netto used
consistency to claim the honors with a pair of seconds and three third
place finishes among his best efforts. Netto also won the King of
Thunder Sprint Car championship at Tulare and Hanford.
With
the return and merger of the NARC brand with King of the West, the
premier Winged 410 Sprint Car effort in California is now 60 years old.
It remains the pinnacle of Winged Sprint Car racing in California and on
the West Coast. Getting a win on this tour isn't so easy with the
competition level being as tough as it is, but last year saw 10 drivers
claim the honors in the 19 race season. It's also notable that Sean
Watts scored a popular first career win and ended up eighth in the
standings last season.
Watts is
one of the other drivers anticipated this weekend along with such
notables as Willie Croft, Geoff Ensign, Ryan Bernal, Nathan Rolfe, Kenny
Allen and Chase Johnson. The King of the West Sprint Car Series usually
checks in with a field of around 20 or so cars, and that should again
be the case this Saturday night.
Once
again this season, House of JuJu in Clovis and Morro Bay is sponsoring
an impressive $5,000 championship point fund for the Central Valley Mini
Stocks. This money will be distributed among the Top 10 point
competitors in the 10 race series. Last season, it was Dan Myrick
claiming the honors, and he's in the running once again this year. A few
weeks ago in Hanford, Myrick found himself in a heated battle with
reigning Kern Raceway champion Clinton Massey. Massey encountered a spun
car in his path and crashed, ending his run. Myrick went on to pick up
the win.
2018 CVMS champion Greg
Baronian managed to finish second in the Hanford race ahead of Jeff
Durant, Scott Glenn and Jason Cook. There were 21 competitors for the
season kickoff event. For the Kern Raceway show, a purse of $2,500 has
been put up with $500 going to the winner. It's anticipated that this
will draw another huge field of Mini Stock racers as this division
doesn't usually get purses this big. Some of the stars to watch for
include 2018 Kern and Hanford champion Andy Boydstun, Gene Glover,
Stephen Cook, Paul Schwartzenberger, Steven Porter and Haily Marvin.
For
over a decade, the Kern County Hardtops have been bringing their
exciting brand of vintage racing to several venues on the southern side
of California. Unlike some of the Hardtop groups, these drivers actually
race, and sometimes it gets very exciting at the front of the pack.
Drivers are excited to return to Kern Raceway once again, and front
runners such as James Bradburn, Rich Souza, Kenny Mason, Brandon
Stanphill and more are anticipated.
Saturday
night should be an exciting program at Kern Raceway as there will be
racing on both the pavement track and the dirt track that day. For
further information, go to www.kernraceway.com.
Thornton, Jernagan And Johnson
Open Bakersfield Speedway Season With Victories
Open Bakersfield Speedway Season With Victories
Bakersfield,
CA...March 7...Dylan Thornton opened the season with an impressive
victory in the 30 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at
Bakersfield Speedway. Thornton drew the pole position for the race and
proceeded to lead all 30 laps in victory. The battle was for second with
front-row starter Steve Noland holding the position for eight laps. On
the ninth lap, Alex Stanford and Brad Pounds charged into second and
third. Pounds pressured Stanford until gaining the position on the 21st
circuit. However, Pounds was no match for Thornton, who brought it home
to the satisfying win. Cody Laney moved into third on the 25th lap and
would finish there, followed by Stanford, Kollin Hibdon, Austin Kiefer,
Kyle Heckman, Logan Drake, Rob Sanders and Noland. The 24 competitors
were divided into four eight lap heat races with wins going to Thornton,
Hibdon, Ryan Davies and Stanford.
Garrett
Jernagan scored the win in the 25 lap IMCA Sport Modified feature race.
Jernagan charged by 2018 State champion Austin Manzella on the second
lap and proceeded to pull away to about a half straightaway victory from
there. Manzella held second until Santa Maria champion Kevin Johnson
motored by on the seventh lap. Past State champion Nick Spainhoward
gained second briefly on the 10th lap before surrendering the position
back to Johnson a lap later. It was a battle of the Johnson's on the
17th lap as Michael Johnson passed Kevin Johnson for second. However,
Kevin Johnson came roaring back on the 20th lap. The battle was fierce
in the waning laps with Michael Johnson passing Kevin Johnson on the
final tour to claim second behind Jernagan. Jason Nation finished
fourth, followed by Manzella, Spainhoward, Matt Mayo, Billy Simkins,
Daniel West and Brock Crawford. The eight lap heat race wins went to
David Pearson, Mayo, Manzella and Brylon Holder.
Chad
Johnson won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. Jayden Schweitzer led
the opening lap before past Hanford champion Loren DeArmond went
charging by. DeArmond held the lead until problems on the eighth lap
dropped him deep in the pack. At that point, Chad Johnson held the lead.
Nicholas Johnson swept past Schweitzer for second on the 14th lap, but
he wasn't quite able to make the move as Chad Johnson won ahead of
Nicholas Johnson, past Hanford champion Troy Patee, DeArmond, Chris
Broucaret Schweitzer, Tyler Johnson, Brock Hamilton, Cody Johnson and
Ethan Dotson. The eight lap heat race wins went to Nicholas Johnson and
Ethan Dotson.
Racing resumes next
Saturday night with the Western Pro Stocks opening their season, joined
by the Hobby Stocks, American Stocks and California Lightning Sprints.
For further information, go to www.bakersfieldspeedway.com.
Bakersfield Speedway Unofficial Race Results March 7, 2020
IMCA Modifieds
Dylan Thorton
Brad Pounds
Cody Laney
Alex Stanford
Kollin Hibdo
Austin Kiefe
Kyle Heckman
Logan Drake
Rob Sande
Steve Nolan
Roger Holder
Gavyn Manning
Michael Scruggs
Darrell Hughes II
Jerry Flippo
Bryan Clar
Ryan Dave
Kolby Hann
Blake Thornell
Ethan Dotson
Randy Thornell
Robby Sawyer
Bobby Hogge IV
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Garrett Jernaga
Michael Johnson
Kevin Johnson
Jason Nation
Austin Manzella
Nick Spainhoward
Matt Mayo
Billy Simkin
Daniel West
Brock Crawfor
David Pearson
Justin Gonzalez
Markus Frazier
Brandon Jennings
robby claborn
Tyler Blankenship
Brian Baker
Brylon Holder
Mike Wells
Matthew Mayo
IMCA Stock Cars
Chad Johnson
Nicholas Johnson
Troy Patee
Loren DeArmond
Kris Broucaret
Jayden Schweitzer
Tyler Johnson
Brock Hamilton
Cody Johnson
Ethan Dotson
Wayne Dotson
American Stocks
Steve Johnson
Tyler Irwin
Steven Amick
Brian Childress
Josh Yadon
Miranda Scott
Nick Coffman
Clay Water
Daryl Mealer
Cobly War
Craig Houk
Mason Conwa
Andrew Johnston
Mark McCaslin
Unofficial Ventura Raceway Race Results March 7, 2020
VRA Sprint Cars
Rick Hendrix
Trent Williams
Brandon Wiley
Tyler Hatzikian
Will Perkins
VRA Pro Dwarf Cars
Jason Horton
Shane Linenburger
Kobe Kerns
Kevin Powell
Brian Powell
April Banuelos
Jeff Brink
Cameron Russell
Gage Cheek
Evan Jonker
Mike Keebler
Mike Long
Jack Chavez
Jeff Hinz
Tim Morse
VRA Senior Sprints
Chris Meredith
Nate Robinson
Will Perkins
Tom Stephens Sr
Danny Parrish
Wally Pankratz
Russell Martin
Rob Kershaw
Mike Coo
IMCA Modifieds
Trevor Fitzgibbon
Austin Grabowski
Danny Laue
Jack Parker
Andrew Greiman
Dennis Eckert
Dave Phipps
Bailey Jones
Tim Labrake
Sam Garvin
Terry Hershberger
Brandon Hoekstra
Donald Houghton
Todd Barnes
VRA Hobby Stocks
Joel Chavez
Ryan Changus
Jeff Houghton
Ken Redman
Dalton Houghton
Unofficial Merced Speedway Race Results March 6, 2020
ASCS National Sprint Cars
Main Event
Brad Sweet
Shane Golobic
Blake Hahn
Carson Macedo
Andy Forsberg
Ryan Bernal
Roger Crockett
Blake Carrick
Dominic Scelzi
Alex Hill
Dylan Westbrook
D.J. Netto
Jordon Mallett
Mitchell Faccinto
Justyn Cox
Thomas Kennedy
Robbie Price
Harli White
Grant Dunkerkin
Justin Sanders
Tanner Carrick
Chase Johnson
Matt Covington
Scott Bogucki
B Main 1
Chase Johnson
Tanner Carrick
Robbie Price
Matt Covington
John Carney II
Scott Bogucki
John Clark
Shane Hopkins
Billy Butler
Chase Randall
Chris Martin
Tony Gualda Jr
Stephen Ingraham
Chelsea Blevins
Jeremy McCun
Travis Reber
Kaleb Montgomery
Devon Borden
B Main 2
Justyn Cox
Mitchell Faccint
Harli White
Joey Ancona
Greg Hamilton
Danny Sams III
Colby Johnson
Sean Becker
Ryan Bickett
Mitchel Moles
Willie Croft
Garet Williamson
Mindy McCune
Bradley Terrel
Michael Faccinto
Sam Hafertepe Jr
J.J. Hickle
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Michael Johnson
Fred Ryland
Kevin Johnson
Jeremy Hoff
Chris Falkenberg
Timothy Allerdings
Paul Espino
Tanner Thomas
Kaylin Lopez
Patti Ryland
Richard Ragsdal
Jason Ferguson
Dwayne Shor
Tony Peffer
Chuck Weir
Sean Vega
Kodie Dean
Nick Tucker
Andrew Peckham
California Sharp Mini Late Models
Garrett Corn
Kennzzie Brown
Riley Jeppesen
Brayden Morton
Emali VanHoff
Tyler Tucker
Jay Brooks
Carson Guthrie
Kaylin Lopez
Unofficial Petaluma Speedway Race Results March 8, 2020
ASCS National Sprint Cars
Main Event
Andy Forsberg
Shane Golobic
Sean Becker
Sam Hafertepe Jr
Justyn Cox
Scott Bogucki
Carson Macedo
Blake Carrick
Tanner Carrick
Chase Johnson
Chris Martin
Tony Gualda Jr
Dylan Westbrook
Devon Borden
Robbie Price
Geoff Ensign
Blake Hahn
Harli White
Jordon Mallett
J.J. Hickle
Shane Hopkins
Alex Hill
Chelsea Blevin
Willie Croft
Roger Crockett
B Main 1
Tony Gualda Jr
Chase Johnson
Jordon Mallett
Chase Randal
Colby Johnson
Jake Haulot
Jesse Love
Garet Williamson
John Carney II
Ryan Bickett
Mindy McCune
Jeremy McCune
Blake Hahn
B Main 2
Willie Croft
Harli White
Shane Hopkin
J.J. Hickle
Bradley Terrell
Roger Crockett
Danny Sams III
John Clark
Greg Hamilton
Matt Covington
Billy Butler
Travis Reber
Thomas Kennedy
General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars
Main Event
Danny Wagner
Full results not posted, see article above for more information
Bakersfield Speedway Unofficial Race Results March 7, 2020
IMCA Modifieds
Dylan Thorton
Brad Pounds
Cody Laney
Alex Stanford
Kollin Hibdo
Austin Kiefe
Kyle Heckman
Logan Drake
Rob Sande
Steve Nolan
Roger Holder
Gavyn Manning
Michael Scruggs
Darrell Hughes II
Jerry Flippo
Bryan Clar
Ryan Dave
Kolby Hann
Blake Thornell
Ethan Dotson
Randy Thornell
Robby Sawyer
Bobby Hogge IV
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Garrett Jernaga
Michael Johnson
Kevin Johnson
Jason Nation
Austin Manzella
Nick Spainhoward
Matt Mayo
Billy Simkin
Daniel West
Brock Crawfor
David Pearson
Justin Gonzalez
Markus Frazier
Brandon Jennings
robby claborn
Tyler Blankenship
Brian Baker
Brylon Holder
Mike Wells
Matthew Mayo
IMCA Stock Cars
Chad Johnson
Nicholas Johnson
Troy Patee
Loren DeArmond
Kris Broucaret
Jayden Schweitzer
Tyler Johnson
Brock Hamilton
Cody Johnson
Ethan Dotson
Wayne Dotson
American Stocks
Steve Johnson
Tyler Irwin
Steven Amick
Brian Childress
Josh Yadon
Miranda Scott
Nick Coffman
Clay Water
Daryl Mealer
Cobly War
Craig Houk
Mason Conwa
Andrew Johnston
Mark McCaslin
Unofficial Ventura Raceway Race Results March 7, 2020
VRA Sprint Cars
Rick Hendrix
Trent Williams
Brandon Wiley
Tyler Hatzikian
Will Perkins
VRA Pro Dwarf Cars
Jason Horton
Shane Linenburger
Kobe Kerns
Kevin Powell
Brian Powell
April Banuelos
Jeff Brink
Cameron Russell
Gage Cheek
Evan Jonker
Mike Keebler
Mike Long
Jack Chavez
Jeff Hinz
Tim Morse
VRA Senior Sprints
Chris Meredith
Nate Robinson
Will Perkins
Tom Stephens Sr
Danny Parrish
Wally Pankratz
Russell Martin
Rob Kershaw
Mike Coo
IMCA Modifieds
Trevor Fitzgibbon
Austin Grabowski
Danny Laue
Jack Parker
Andrew Greiman
Dennis Eckert
Dave Phipps
Bailey Jones
Tim Labrake
Sam Garvin
Terry Hershberger
Brandon Hoekstra
Donald Houghton
Todd Barnes
VRA Hobby Stocks
Joel Chavez
Ryan Changus
Jeff Houghton
Ken Redman
Dalton Houghton
Unofficial Merced Speedway Race Results March 6, 2020
ASCS National Sprint Cars
Main Event
Brad Sweet
Shane Golobic
Blake Hahn
Carson Macedo
Andy Forsberg
Ryan Bernal
Roger Crockett
Blake Carrick
Dominic Scelzi
Alex Hill
Dylan Westbrook
D.J. Netto
Jordon Mallett
Mitchell Faccinto
Justyn Cox
Thomas Kennedy
Robbie Price
Harli White
Grant Dunkerkin
Justin Sanders
Tanner Carrick
Chase Johnson
Matt Covington
Scott Bogucki
B Main 1
Chase Johnson
Tanner Carrick
Robbie Price
Matt Covington
John Carney II
Scott Bogucki
John Clark
Shane Hopkins
Billy Butler
Chase Randall
Chris Martin
Tony Gualda Jr
Stephen Ingraham
Chelsea Blevins
Jeremy McCun
Travis Reber
Kaleb Montgomery
Devon Borden
B Main 2
Justyn Cox
Mitchell Faccint
Harli White
Joey Ancona
Greg Hamilton
Danny Sams III
Colby Johnson
Sean Becker
Ryan Bickett
Mitchel Moles
Willie Croft
Garet Williamson
Mindy McCune
Bradley Terrel
Michael Faccinto
Sam Hafertepe Jr
J.J. Hickle
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Michael Johnson
Fred Ryland
Kevin Johnson
Jeremy Hoff
Chris Falkenberg
Timothy Allerdings
Paul Espino
Tanner Thomas
Kaylin Lopez
Patti Ryland
Richard Ragsdal
Jason Ferguson
Dwayne Shor
Tony Peffer
Chuck Weir
Sean Vega
Kodie Dean
Nick Tucker
Andrew Peckham
California Sharp Mini Late Models
Garrett Corn
Kennzzie Brown
Riley Jeppesen
Brayden Morton
Emali VanHoff
Tyler Tucker
Jay Brooks
Carson Guthrie
Kaylin Lopez
Unofficial Petaluma Speedway Race Results March 8, 2020
ASCS National Sprint Cars
Main Event
Andy Forsberg
Shane Golobic
Sean Becker
Sam Hafertepe Jr
Justyn Cox
Scott Bogucki
Carson Macedo
Blake Carrick
Tanner Carrick
Chase Johnson
Chris Martin
Tony Gualda Jr
Dylan Westbrook
Devon Borden
Robbie Price
Geoff Ensign
Blake Hahn
Harli White
Jordon Mallett
J.J. Hickle
Shane Hopkins
Alex Hill
Chelsea Blevin
Willie Croft
Roger Crockett
B Main 1
Tony Gualda Jr
Chase Johnson
Jordon Mallett
Chase Randal
Colby Johnson
Jake Haulot
Jesse Love
Garet Williamson
John Carney II
Ryan Bickett
Mindy McCune
Jeremy McCune
Blake Hahn
B Main 2
Willie Croft
Harli White
Shane Hopkin
J.J. Hickle
Bradley Terrell
Roger Crockett
Danny Sams III
John Clark
Greg Hamilton
Matt Covington
Billy Butler
Travis Reber
Thomas Kennedy
General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars
Main Event
Danny Wagner
Full results not posted, see article above for more information
The Editor's Viewpoint
I'm
close to making an official announcement. This will happen by the end
of the month. It's something that I've been thinking about and not
necessarily wanting to address, but I feel the time may be right for me
to make this move. It certainly has not been easy, but before I say
anything, I want to make sure that I have all of the facts at my
disposal. No, it's not an announcement that I'm going away or pulling
this blog. I will be active this season. I just need to do what's right
for me. I'll probably be the bad guy if I end up doing what it looks
like I might have to do, but so be it. Being the doormat hasn't really
worked for me either.
It's kind
of funny that we went through February with lots of sunny skies and dry
weather. There were tracks even in Oregon that could have held practice
sessions had work been done on the racing surface. Then, as we hit the
first weekend of March, it decided to rain. This did away with the
planned practice in Yreka and the big ASCS National Sprint Car race
planned for Placerville. Antioch Speedway had a practice that they
really tried to make happen that Saturday, but rain had other ideas.
The
cool thing is that Promoter Chad Chadwick decided to think outside the
box and make a snap decision. The moment he knew that practice wasn't
going to happen on Saturday due to the wet weather, he decided to switch
to a Sunday practice. Pretty much everybody who was going to be there
on Saturday showed up on Sunday, and much was learned about the racing
surface. Some of the top traveling teams had taken a sneak peek at the
surface with a session of their own during the week, but this was an
opportunity for everybody to make their first laps on the quarter-mile
clay oval.
Reshaping the track
was high on the list of things that Chadwick wanted to do. Drivers have
been voicing their desire to see the speedway widened out just a little
bit more, and Chadwick wanted to make that happen at the West Coast
Nationals last year. Now that he is the one at the helm of the speedway,
he can put his own plans in motion. The biggest reason for the sneak
practice during the week was to get the opinion of some racers who have
been traveling a lot in recent years and know a thing or two about
different racing surfaces. Once things looked good there, the weekend
practice would provide an opportunity for everybody to make a run.
It
was interesting watching the Wednesday practice video footage that was
put out there for all to see. I enjoyed watching Nick DeCarlo and Troy
Foulger slice and dice and do slide job passes in each turn. Antioch
Speedway has had a nice outside groove for years. What we witnessed in
this case was two good grooves. In fact, there was lots of side-by-side
practicing on Sunday as well. If you didn't know any better, you might
have thought they were holding a race. It seems to be a general
consensus that the racers are pleased with the quarter-mile clay oval.
Obviously,
the first temptation a new promoter will have when stepping into a
racing facility for the first time is changing as much as they can. This
holds true with successful programs being taken over by new promoters
the same as those taking over programs that are in decline. You want to
put your stamp on it. In Chadwick's case, I think you can understand
that he looked at declining numbers in the pits and in the stands and
figured that some big changes were needed to reverse that trend. I might
wonder if certain things needed to happen or not, but some things
certainly did need to happen.
What
you have to be worried about is that when numbers go down to a certain
point and remain there, it becomes more challenging to reverse the
trend. We are several years away from what I would describe as the
"Glory Days" of racing, and it's just a different time. Therefore, if
you let the low numbers be the norm, you're going to have more of a
challenge trying to get those numbers back up. If you sit there and do
nothing, what exactly is going to change for the better? So, I won't
nitpick the decisions that have been made, because you have to allow the
new promoter to put his vision out there and be given an opportunity to
take hold.
We are watching
promoters risk their money every week to keep the gates open. This is
happening at a time when technology both in our own personal lives and
within the automobile industry are presenting certain challenges. What
new divisions can you try versus what older divisions can you hold onto?
What divisions are working and what divisions can be salvaged by
tweaking the rules just a little bit? There is much to work with at
Antioch Speedway when it comes to the different divisions and the
potential car count. Though I'm not going to tell you that suddenly
there will be 100 cars in the pits every week, the car count average on
any particular week should increase.
Everything
seems to be working so far, but the big test happens when the
grandstands open on race day. How many fans will be coming out to watch?
The obvious goal that you have, especially considering this is a Bay
Area track, is that you want 1,000 fans per week or more. The fans are
there to be enticed, but I can assure you it's not a guarantee that
you're going to hit those numbers consistently. This won't happen
without proper marketing, proper presentation and giving people a reason
to spend their hard-earned money coming through the gates. Tickets and
food at the speedway aren't cheap, and if you're asking a fan to come
out there four times a month, you're talking about a family spending a
couple hundred dollars or more out of their budget every month to be
there. The task you have is making them want to be there.
So
far, so good. There's a lot of things that need to be done at that
speedway, and a lot of work is being done. The pit area certainly needed
to be cleaned with certain things being removed. This is happening. The
pit bathrooms have been problematic for years, and they are being
completely redone. It was either that or remove them entirely. I don't
believe that the bathrooms in the pits have been maintained properly for
the past several years, and quite honestly they were disgusting. You
almost could have had porta potties out there and it would have been a
step up from the actual bathrooms with running water. It isn't just the
fact that the speedway hadn't been maintaining them properly, but some
of the people using the facilities weren't properly respecting them
either. Hopefully, when things are cleaned up, the people in the pits
will keep in mind that the way they treat the facilities will have an
impact on how clean or unclean they end up being. How would you treat
your own bathroom at home?
One of
the things that will help Chad out with his turnaround effort is the
endorsement of some of the big-name drivers who aren't necessarily
racing there every week. I've seen people getting on social media and
talking about the new attitude at the speedway and why they will be
supporting. They want other people to come out and support this thing as
well, so seeing people like Guy Ahlwardt, Fred Ryland and Kellen
Chadwick talking so positively about the track is certainly going to
help. This is especially true for the grandstands where fans who want to
see certain names out there on the track will be more likely to come
watch when they know they are there.
I
should also point out that I received confirmation that John Soares has
indeed sold Oval Motorsports to Chad Chadwick. My sources have told me
that the deal is completely finalized now and Soares is not officially
affiliated with the speedway. This marks the second time he's run a
racing program and ended up selling his operations to somebody else. The
first time was when he saved Merced Speedway from the ash heap, did a
major overhaul to the race track and righted the ship. In Antioch's
case, John promoted this race track for 22 years.
I
think ultimately history will note that John did right by Antioch
Speedway. Everything was by no means perfect and there were definitely
some lows. There were highs as well. Anybody who was there during John's
first three seasons knows some of the highs, there were big Modified
$5,000 to win races through the years, big Late Model specials, big
Sprint Car events, and oh yes, the first ever appearances by the World
of Outlaw Sprint Cars. John did all of that. I think there is quite a
bit to be proud of.
To me, it's
the nuts and bolts of the thing. What you do week in and week out. It
isn't the specials, it's the fact that he gave the regular locals a
place to run. John added new divisions and gave the racers opportunities
to try out things they may never have otherwise. To me, a major calling
card for him is the fact that the races went on as scheduled for 22
years, unless it was weather or something Fairgrounds related that was
beyond his control. He kept things going from the era of West Coast
Speedways and has successfully made the handoff to Chad Chadwick.
There
will be speculation about what John might be doing next. I've heard
rumors. He has several different race cars at his disposal, so seeing
him at Antioch Speedway or another venue is certainly a possibility.
Could he aim even higher? Could John return to promote another race
track or even help put a race track on the map that isn't currently
active? I guess you never know. On the other hand, considering his body
of work in promoting, racing, car building and all of that, his legacy
is well secured. He's earned the right to walk off into the sunset. Like
I said, I am proud to still call him my friend and will always be
grateful for the opportunities he gave me way back when.
This
weekend will see several other race tracks open, and I've been trying
to get more in the mode of writing again. I did talk myself out of doing
the extra media effort this past weekend. One of the race tracks I
would have covered didn't give me all the information I needed, and I
admit I decided that I wasn't going to stress out trying to find the
information. After all, it's voluntary and I'm not getting paid to do
what I do. I'm still unsure about how much of that I'm going to do
beyond what I present on my blogs, but I do know there are several other
tracks opening their gates this weekend, including Kern Raceway, Silver
Dollar Speedway and Ocean Speedway.
Merced
Speedway will run one of their regular programs, and I just learned
that General Manager Doug Lockwood has increased the winner's prize in
IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks. I think this is
Doug's reminder in light of the highly successful ASCS National Sprint
Car show they just had that the local divisions are very important. I
like that Doug is a Sprint Car person who respects Stock Car racing and
realizes that it's going to take all of that to keep this thing going.
You'd be amazed at some of the race tracks that lose sight of that
fact.
The ASCS National Sprint
Car show was to come through Merced, Placerville and Petaluma last
weekend, but rain wiped out Placerville. Merced had a rather sizable fan
attendance to witness 51 Sprint Cars competing among the other
divisions that were on the card. Petaluma was an even split of 42 Sprint
Cars and 42 Dwarf Cars and a packed house. I think it was a smart move
for these promoters to go ahead and book this Sprint Car series, and
what was learned was that you can have huge fields for these events,
they don't cost as much as a World of Outlaw program and the fans will
respond by buying tickets. Ultimately, this is what you're in the
business for as a promoter.
I was
hoping to get some details on the Orland Raceway practice. I know it
happened and saw a few pictures, but that's about the extent of the
information that I received. Not too far up north of Orland, the
Siskiyou Golden Speedway practice did get rained out. In fact, the
practice scheduled for this Saturday looked so gloomy that Kevin Barba
made a snap decision on Wednesday morning to move the practice to
Friday. There could be snow on Saturday, and this was the only way to
have any opportunity to practice.
This
brings up the debate about a promoter putting himself at risk to be the
hero versus making a move that may ultimately be better for business.
We just witnessed Antioch Speedway making such a move, and it paid off.
We're only talking about practice here, and it's not like a snap
decision is being made to move a race. In Yreka's case, I don't think
it's going to affect things too much. Drivers who were planning on being
there on Saturday who live in Yreka will probably be there, but people
traveling from too far of a distance out of town may have those plans
altered due to work.
They're
going to have the Sportsman Expo in Yreka this month. This is an
opportunity for the racers in Yreka to put their cars on display and
meet with some of the people at this event. Usually there's at least a
few racers in the various classes who participate, and somebody ends up
being awarded for the Best Appearing Car. We're coming up on the Pony
Village Mall show in Coos Bay, which is when several racers from the
speedway display their cars indoors. Again, when you can get this kind
of exposure leading into a season, you jump at the chance.
Southern
Oregon Speedway used to be represented prior to the season at a car
show at the Rogue Valley Mall. By the time Mike McCann and I got here,
that was ended, although the speedway is still represented at the Pear
Blossom Parade in April. Tony Incerty of the safety crew of the speedway
does an exemplary job of organizing things. For the Pony Village Mall
show, once McCann had the door opened to make it happen on March 28th
and 29th, he put speedway announcer Cory Penfold and Moxie Media on the
task of signing and sealing the deal. This is going to be a great
opportunity for exposure for Southern Oregon Speedway.
One
of the areas that Cory and his crew excel at is this type of promotion.
Prior to coming to Southern Oregon Speedway, Cory helped organize the
mall show for Willamette Speedway. The cars will be displayed
prominently indoors with the drivers meeting and greeting the people.
Cory will also be going live with his radio show, West Coast Wide Open.
If you don't follow Moxie Media And Promotions on Facebook, you should
do so. This is the way to find out when they're going live and other
news that Cory may break.
Oregon
is slowly coming to life. The weather being what it is in the state, we
get off to a later start than California. However, the weather has been
so crazy that if track prep had been handled in February, they probably
could have had practice up here as well. Cottage Grove Speedway did a
clean up party last weekend and would hope to get a practice in this
week. However, it looks like rain ahead, and I'm not holding out hope
for the March 21st opener either. The weather teased Oregonians.
Everything looked nice in February, but we're reminded what state we
live in with the rain that will probably go on and off through March and
into April.
I'm entering my
fifth season at Southern Oregon Speedway, and one of the strangest
thoughts in my mind is that I've actually officially been a part of this
staff longer than I have at any other race track. Technically, I was
only an official member of the staff at Antioch Speedway for three
seasons, and was retained as a writer in 2003. I was officially involved
at Merced Speedway for three seasons, though two of those were only
part time. I never would have figured that the race track I would be
affiliated with officially for the longest period of time would be
Southern Oregon Speedway. People will say, "but you were at Antioch for
years," and that's true. However, I wasn't an official member of the
staff most of the time. Though I did handle magazine publicity for the
speedway, I was more or less there as a representative of DCRR Racing
News.
My heart has never really
left Antioch when it comes to racing, and I don't think the time will
ever come when I completely let go of that dream, even when I walk away
from the sport. However, I feel like I have an emotional stake in
Southern Oregon Speedway and its success. I set about a task to help
make things better, and I've done everything I can think of to help Mike
bring that into reality. The results are speaking for themselves, but I
remain very nervous entering the fifth season. I'm always aware of the
possibility that things can go terribly wrong or there won't be
something that I can do to fix any problem that might come my way.
I've
made some good friends up here and been involved in some really special
moments in the four years here so far. It became more of a concern in
my mind last year, given some of the chaos behind the scenes, that we
don't mess up and have something fall apart. My attitude is, "not on my
watch." The ultimate goal is that when I walk away from this race track,
I can hand off the duties that I handled to somebody knowing that it's
better off than it was before I got here. I don't think there's much
else that you can do but give it your best and hope it makes a
difference.
Regardless, the
speedway won't have any racing until the first weekend of May with a
practice the weekend before if the weather allows. I don't think Jim
will start taking a cut on the race track until the beginning of April.
This has been tradition. I hear some people say we should get started
earlier or this or that, but the season won't start any earlier than
it's planned. The weather is still going to impact stuff, so what do you
really get accomplished if you start cutting the race track two months
earlier versus doing it a few weeks ahead of time? From my perspective,
Jim Rodgers has had the track in good shape when the racing season has
started for the past four seasons.
Where
I can hear people's complaints and understand them well enough is when
it comes to the pits. They get wet and there are times when we cancel
our program with a track that could still be raced on. The pits get soft
too easily, and you'll hear lots of solutions about how we can put some
other sort of surface in the pits to prevent that or figure out a way
to improve the drainage system. We're talking thousands of dollars of
expenses to make this move, and sure you can make a racing program
happen sometimes when it might otherwise be canceled. I certainly
understand the racer's concern. If it's at all humanly possible to go
racing, they want to do it.
What
I've learned now that maybe I wasn't quite understanding when Brynda
Bockover was trying to teach me that lesson at Antioch Speedway some 30
years ago is pretty simple. If you've got gloomy skies and it's raining
in the area, it doesn't really matter if you could hold the race at the
speedway. You're guaranteed to lose a good portion of your fans. If you
have a low crowd for your show, it's almost certain that all the work
you're putting in will lose money. Like it or not, a promoter might do
this for the good racing, but it's still a business. It's not good
business to lose money too often or you're not running the race track
anymore.
Mike has a plan that he
sticks to pretty rigidly. If the weather says the chances of raining are
low enough, he's racing. It might have rained the day before and will
rain tomorrow. If the grounds can hold the cars in the pits and the
track is ready, he's rolling the dice. The problem is that if it's still
gloomy skies, you suffer. This was what happened for the season-opener a
few years ago when it was cloudy and gloomy and you could have almost
counted the attendance in the stands by hand. You don't want to open
your season with a low number, because you really shouldn't. You want to
establish momentum immediately.
I
always talk about some of the joys of a new season. You have new race
cars, new bodies on those cars with nice looking wraps. You have lots of
green in the area from the rains. It's definitely something that's
pleasing to the eyes. In Oregon, we have a little bit of what I'd call
rainy weather depression. It'll get you down how much it rains up here.
So, the minute people can go outdoors again, they are ready. If going
outdoors means they're facing cloudy, cold and potentially wet weather,
even with the desire to get outdoors, they're going to stay home. What
I'm saying is I do hope that there's sunny skies when the season opens
at Southern Oregon Speedway in May. You always want to start out strong.
At
the moment, there's not a lot on my mind that needs to be expressed in
this column. I am just trying to keep my mind focused for what I'm
inclined to believe will be my final season being involved on a regular
basis in the sport. Unless something I'm not seeing comes my way next
year or this year for that matter, I feel like it might be time to
pursue things differently. I'm not getting any younger, I'm not getting
any happier and my outlook for the future isn't getting any brighter.
What
has made things easier for me when it comes to motorsports is that I
can get my mind engaged in what is happening in the sport. When I'm
involved in racing at a specific venue, I believe I have proven through
the years how much I can contribute to the overall positivity of the
track. I'm also starting to realize that as I've entered my 50s, maybe
it's time for me to get out of the way and let others have a crack at
things. It's a new era with new ways to look at things, and though I can
adapt and roll with some of it, maybe the era of the written word and
somebody wanting to document things every week is passing by. It's all
just bits on a computer now that sometimes gets deleted when the
season's over to make room for the next season. Have I overstayed my
welcome?
.
I'll continue to stand up
and fight for what it is I believe in. I believe in everybody involved
in the sport and those in the past who made it special. I believe in the
history and I believe in honoring the legends, and even if no race
tracks give a damn about any of that, as long as I draw breath, I will.
Whether that matters to any particular race track, I'm beginning to have
my doubts. I'm left to believe that for the most part, my services
aren't needed or wanted by the powers-that-be. While I will never
completely go away and will write things on this blog when I feel the
need, I'm prepared to step back into the shadows.
Before
that happens, however, I have a season to cover. I'm looking to have
fun and take it one week at a time. I value the friendships and some of
the precious memories that have been made through the years. As I said, I
do have an announcement forthcoming, but I'm going to wait until all
the facts are presented and say something by the end of the month. Until
then, I'm going to end this column for now...
