Keller Auto Speedway, Petaluma Speedway, Merced Speedway, Antioch Speedway, Tri State Pro Stocks, More

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Sprint Cars Open Merced Speedway Season, 
More Open Wheel Racing On 2020 Schedule

Merced, CA...After holding two successful practice days, Merced Speedway will open their season this Friday night with a special Sprint Car program. The Lucas Oil ASCS National Sprint Car Tour is making a visit to California, and they will be joined by the local IMCA Sport Modified and California Sharp Mini Late Model classes on the quarter-mile clay oval this Friday night.

In his second season as General Manager of the speedway, which is celebrating its 70th Anniversary season, Doug Lockwood has booked several special Sprint Car and Midget events, while still continuing to feature the popular IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, Valley Sportsman and Mini Late Model divisions on various nights throughout the season.

When the ASCS National Tour decided to make a visit to California, Lockwood jumped at the opportunity to add them to the schedule for this Friday night. Furthermore, the popular World of Outlaws Sprint Car Tour will come to town on April 10th, joined by the USAC Western Midgets. The Western Midgets are part of a special Easter racing event the following night and return on May 30th. There will also be a visit by the Sprint Car Challenge Tour on August 1st and two visits from the Hunt Wingless Spec Sprint Series on May 16th and September 12th. Merced Speedway also gets a USAC/CRA Sprint Week event on September 4th.

The track will also crown an IMCA Western RaceSaver Sprint Car Series champion as the division has five visits throughout the season, including March 28th, April 18th, May 9th, June 27th and August 22nd. IMCA officially acknowledges a track championship at four races minimum, meaning Merced will also crown an IMCA Stock Car champion as that class gets four visits this year. 

Top drivers from several different states support the ASCS National Sprint Car Tour, but they don't get much faster than Sam Hafertepe Jr. He won an impressive ten Main Events last year and held off five-time winner Blake Hahn by 98 points to win the championship. Hafertepe has won the last four series championships and leads the series in wins during that time period with 40 victories. Roger Crockett, who has been a force in Sprint Car racing in California and Oregon through the years, was a two-time winner and finished third in the standings last season ahead of Matt Covington and Scott Bagucki. Some of the top Winged 360 Sprint Car drivers from California are expected to compete in this event as well.

Last season, the IMCA Sport Modifieds had one of the most competitive championship battles, won eventually by Fred Ryland ahead of Kelly Wilkinson. Only 10 points separated the two as reigning State champion Guy Ahlwardt was 13 points out of the lead in the end. 

The IMCA Sport Modifieds produced solid car counts throughout the 2019 season, and that's expected to be the case again this year as stars such as Nick Tucker, Bruce "Bubba" Nelson, Watsonville champion Jarrod Mounce, Chuck Weir, Dwayne Short and Chris Falkenberg are anticipated for Friday night. There should be some top drivers from throughout the state for this event as well.

For the past two years, Timmy Crews has been the champion of the California Sharp Mini Late Model class. This division was introduced prior to the 2017 season as a way to get some of the rising young stars from the Atwater and Chowchilla Kart tracks involved at Merced Speedway. Crews won last season's title ahead of Logan Clay and Carson Guthrie. Several drivers in this class took advantage of the practice sessions held within the last two weeks, including Riley Jeppesen. Newcomers Tyler Tucker and Emali Van Hoff, younger sister of Hobby Stock star Austin Van Hoff, have joined this division.

The Friday night ASCS Sprint Car special should be an entertaining event, and we kick into gear on Saturday night, March 14th with an event featuring IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks and South Bay Dwarf Cars. For further information on the happenings at the track, check out the Merced Speedway Facebook page or go to www.mercedspeedway.net.

ASCS National Sprint Car Tour Opens 
Petaluma Speedway Season

Petaluma, CA...The sound of racing engines will be heard this Sunday night at Petaluma Speedway as the Lucas Oil ASCS National Sprint Car Series invades the 3/8 mile adobe oval, joined by the General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars. When Promoter Rick Faeth got word that the ASCS National Series was coming to California, he jumped at the opportunity to book this event. 

Faeth and his crew has worked hard getting the track ready and making improvements to the facility and the racing program. Open wheel racing series will be featured prominently throughout the 27 race schedule. This will include visits by the NARC/King of the West Fujitsu Winged 410 Sprint Cars on May 30th, July 11th and August 30th, the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour president by Abreu Vineyards on April 25th, June 20th and October 24th, the Hunt Wingless Spec Sprint Series on March 28th and August 22nd, the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars on May 16th and August 8th, the USAC Western Midgets on June 6th and July 18th and the annual appearance of the CRA/USAC Sprint Cars during Sprint Week on September 7th.

Petaluma Speedway will continue to have championship racing for the PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars and Wingless Spec Sprints, the McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modifieds, Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks, Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks, Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros and General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars. In addition to that, the speedway will hold a separate championship for the Winged 360s that will encompass not just the regular races but the USAC Wingless 360 and Sprint Car Challenge Tour Winged 360 Sprint Car shows and the September 26th Adobe Cup as well. More sponsorship has been secured for that special point race.

The ASCS Winged Sprint Cars visits tracks in several states across the country for a national touring series schedule that encompasses well over 30 events. They've been making annual treks to the Pacific Northwest and were able to book a California visit thanks to Petaluma, Placerville and Merced all booking events for this coming weekend. 

Sam Hafertepe Jr has been head and shoulders above the competition with four consecutive championships and 40 Main Event wins during that time period. Last season, Hafertepe was a ten-time winner and held off five-time winner Blake Hahn by nearly 100 points. Roger Crockett has won numerous championships in California and Oregon prior to moving to Oklahoma in recent years, and he ranked third last season with two wins to his credit.

In addition to several top drivers from throughout the country visiting Petaluma, it's anticipated that some of the best drivers California has to offer will be in town to try to claim the victory. It's sure to be one of the most exciting races of the year at Petaluma, and the season will just be getting started.

Joining the ASCS Sprint Cars this week will be the Redwood Dwarf Cars. Last season, Chad Matthias used consistency to secure his second championship within the group. The Dwarf Cars consistently produce some of the biggest car counts seen at the speedway, and that figures to be the case again this weekend. Stars such as Matt Hagermann, Kevin Miraglio, Mark Hanson, Scooter Gomes, Michael Affonso, John Peters, Adam Teves, Sam Borland and Adam Freitas are anticipated. There could even be some top drivers from out of the area for this race.

The speedway is just getting warmed up with a great lineup of events to come. Following this weekend, the track will host a couple of practice sessions before opening for racing season on March 28th. The Hunt Wingless Spec Sprints will be making a visit, joined by the Redwood Dwarf Cars and the Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros. For further information, go to the Petaluma Speedway Facebook page or www.petaluma-speedway.com.

Day, Laney, Myrick, Hamilton Win At Keller Auto Speedway

Hanford, CA...16 year old Keith Day Jr scored an impressive victory in the 30 lap King of Thunder Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Keller Auto Speedway. A week ago, he lost a potential win to a late race pass by Mitchell Faccinto. History nearly repeated itself as Day was being challenged by Kalib Henry in the waning laps. However, Day would prevail in the end. 

Day had a front row start, and the race was restarted for a tangle in Turn 2 that saw Steven Kent flip. Day led Kaleb Montgomery and Zane Blanchard on the restart. Day began to build what would end up being a straightaway advantage over Montgomery. Henry was making a charge to the front of the pack. Henry settled into fifth on lap 10 and grabbed fourth from Jace Vanderweerd on lap 12. Henry slipped past Blanchard for third on lap 13, but he was a straightaway behind second place Montgomery at that point. The yellow flag Henry was looking for waived on lap 19 for a spin. 

Day led Montgomery and Henry on the restart. Henry made an outside pass on the backstretch of the 25th lap to take second from Montgomery. Day caught slower traffic, and Henry ran close behind him on lap 28. However, Day made a good move in traffic to take his lead to the checkered flag. Contact sent Henry off the back straightaway as Duinkerken raced by for second.  Henry recovered in third, followed by Montgomery, Craig Stidham, Vanderweerd, Blanchard, Ben Worth, Landon Hurst and Brooklyn Holland.

Montgomery bested the 19 car field in qualifying with a lap of 14.263. Henry was second quick at 14.456. Eight lap heat race wins were earned by Blanchard, Henry and Tucker Worth. Day earned his pole position start for the Main Event with a six lap Trophy Dash win ahead of Henry.

Cody Laney won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. Laney saw the outside move that Ethan Dotson had attempted to make just past the halfway point of the race and decided to try his luck on the outside as well. This resulted in Laney making a lap 20 outside pass on race long leader Kyle Heckman for the lead and eventual victory. 

Heckman made an inside pass on Michael Scruggs in Turn 2 of the second lap to gain the lead. Logan Drake moved in to battle Heckman for the lead at that point. Laney made a front stretch pass on lap seven to take third from Robby Sawyer, and a yellow flag waved on lap nine. Heckman continued to lead Drake and Laney on the restart. Laney gained second on a lap 12 restart with Brad Pounds quickly moving into third. By lap 17, Dotson had figured out that the outside groove was very effective, and he made a big move into what would have been second on 18. Unfortunately, JC Elrod spun for a yellow flag that would negate Dotson's pass. Seeing what Dotson had done, Laney began working the outside line on the restart, and he finally went by Heckman on lap 20 to gain the lead. Dotson continued to work the outside and would take second from Heckman on lap 22. However, Laney would set sail for the checkered flag at that point with Dotson settling for second. Pounds ended up third, followed by Sawyer, Heckman, Drake, Bobby Hogge IV, DJ Shannon, Gavyn Manning and Mike Villanueva. Eight lap heat race wins went to Drake, Pounds and Laney.

Dan Myrick won the 20 lap House of JuJu Central Valley Mini Stock Main Event. Myrick is both the CVMS and Hanford champion. Myrick and Clinton Massey shared the front row, and Massey bolted into the early lead. 2018 CVMS champion Greg Baronian made an inside pass on Ryan Doglione to take third on lap three. As they were trying to work the fourth lap, Myrick made a strong inside move on Massey to take the lead in Turn 1. Exiting Turn 4, Massey saw the outside line blocked by a spun Helder Santos, and he slammed into him for a red flag. Fortunately, nobody was injured, but both drivers were eliminated. Myrick continued to lead Greg Baronian and Doglione on the restart. Running in third, Doglione saw his night come to an end as his car caught fire for a lap nine red flag. Myrick continued to lead Greg Baronian on the restart. It wasn't long before he caught slower traffic, but Myrick made all the right moves to keep some distance between himself and Baronian by the time the checkered flag flew. Rod Baronian pitted from third late, and Jeff Durant finished there, followed by Scott Glenn, Jason Cook, Gene Glover, Andy Boydstun, Steven Porter, Michael Hutchinson and Justin Griffioen. Six lap race wins went to Greg Baronian, Rod Baronian and Myrick.

Eric Hamilton won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. Hamilton started on the inside second row and followed Chris Broucaret for just a lap before making his move into the lead. Wayne Dotson made an inside pass on the front stretch to take second from Renn Bane on lap three and quickly closed in on Hamilton. Chad Johnson spun from third for a lap six yellow flag, and Hamilton continued to lead Dotson and Renn Bane on the restart. A low pass in Turn 4 of the ninth lap gained Rod Bane third, and Tanner Lorenzo spun in Turn 2 for a lap 10 yellow flag. Hamilton continued to lead the restart with a slightly smoking Dotson still running not too far behind in second. There was a close battle for third with Chad Johnson making a low pass in Turn 2 of the 13th lap to grab the position from Rod Bane. Wayne Dotson made a last turn pass attempt on Eric Hamilton, but Hamilton held him off to the checkered flag. Chad Johnson brought it home third, followed closely by Chris Broucaret. Rod Bane settled for fifth, followed by Brock Hamilton, Renn Bane, Troy Patee, Joshua Nichols and Miranda Dotson. Eight lap heat race wins went to Wayne Johnson and Cody Johnson.

Racing returns on Saturday, March 14th. USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars are back In action along with the IMCA Stock Cars and Central Valley Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.racekingsspeedway.com.

Tri State Pro Stock Series Taking West Coast By Storm In 2020

Stockton, CA...Something big is happening in Pro Stock racing this year. It's the Tri State Series, and it's having a positive impact on a style of racing that's near and dear to many people's hearts. Some call the division Pro Stocks, others Limited Late Models and still others Super Stocks, but there's been an issue that has negatively impacted the division. Rules seem to be set in such a way that drivers can't travel and be legal at other places.

This is where Roy Bain and Gordon Russell Jr came into the picture. Bain has been a supporter of the Outlaw Pro Stock Association in Klamath Falls in recent years, while Russell has been a leader in trying to promote Pro Stock racing in Nevada. Russell raced with his father for several years at the old Cedarville Speedway and decided it was time to put on a special race in Gordon Russell Sr's memory there in 2017. 

It was at that time when the Outlaw Pro Stock Association and the Nevada Pro Stock Association agreed to work together on two big nights. The Oregon group would support the Cedarville race, while the Nevada group would be encouraged to support they Billy Geyer Memorial in Yreka. The genesis of the Tri State Series began then, but it didn't start to come into fruition until discussions began in late 2018. This was assisted by past Marysville and Orland Stock Car champion Jerry Bartlett, who wanted to see something big happen.

With the Billy Geyer race in Yreka and the Gordon Russell Sr Memorial in Cedarville, two important race dates were set for 2019. Tony Noceti at Stockton was the first promoter to get on board in a big way by booking the class twice. The race in September would be the Al Miller Memorial race, paying tribute to the father of Late Model and IMCA Modified star Robert Miller. With a race at Fernley 95 Speedway, this was now a five-race series. Each race would pay no less than $1,000 to win, drivers were given a one-race throwaway rule to encourage people to support the championship series, and the results were impressive.

Two-time Outlaw Pro Stock Association champion Dr Scott Lenz bolted into action with big wins in the Geyer and Russell Memorial races to start the series. The throwaway rule allowed Lenz to miss the first Stockton race, but he returned at Fernley. If not for a tangle while battling for the lead, Lenz may have won that night as well. However, he withdrew from the point battle after that, leaving what was still quite an impressive battle between Santa Maria area competitor Dave King Jr and Northern California star Mike Learn. 

King picked up a victory at the first Stockton race and also won the Al Miller Memorial race at Stockton. He never finished worse than fifth in any of the events. If not for the fact that there was a one-race throwaway rule, King probably would have emerged as the champion. It turned out to be a good thing for Learn, who flipped his car in the finale at Stockton. However, Learn scored three second place finishes and one third, and this gave him a four point championship margin over King in the end. Third place went to Bill Pearson, who won the race at Fernley. He only beat the steady Brent Lawrence by seven points in the end with Bakersfield area racer Ryan Smith 10 points behind Lawrence in fifth. The balance of the Top 10 in the standings was made up of Donny Richardson, Lenz, Outlaw Pro Stock Association champion Scott Flowers, Bartlett and Bill Hall III.

Buoyed by the success of the first Pro Stock Series, Bain went to work making the 2020 season happen. Stockton Promoter Tony Nocetii took the group under his wing and gave them five dates while also working with them to land sponsorship. Russell elected to step aside from his duties with the series to focus on the race honoring his father in Cedarville, but Learn stepped in to take his place. Bartlett remains a positive influence in trying to help promote this group further.

Obviously, one of the main goals has been to unite the rules more consistently between the various groups, and headway was made recently with the announcement of a new set of Super Stock rules at Antioch Speedway, a track that could end up on the series schedule in 2021. As it is, the Tri State Series will be very busy with 12 races on their schedule from the opener that occurred in Stockton on New Year's Day all the way to the finale in Stockton on November 14th. There's plenty of time for the drivers to keep their cars repaired and ready for the next event.

The 12 race schedule includes five events at Stockton. The first was on New Year's Day, the second happened on February 22nd. Their next race will be March 28th, and November 6th and 14th will also be at the Stockton Dirt Track. This effectively has become the home track, and Noceti is planning to crown a track champion as well. The group will also visit several other venues throughout the season. It is a true Tri State Series with drivers being represented from Oregon, Nevada and California and races occurring in all three states as well.

There nearly was a July race in Medford last year, but communications between Promoter Mike McCann and Bain were about two days too late. However, Southern Oregon Speedway will host the Rocky Nash Memorial race on July 11th this year. The Billy Geyer Memorial race will happen in Yreka on May 2nd. Coos Bay Speedway gets a date on April 18th. The fourth running of the Gordon Russell Sr Memorial happens in Cedarville on June 27th. All of the races that are scheduled will pay at least $1,000 to win. This will include a visit to Diamond Mountain Speedway in Susanville on August 15th, and visits to Fallon, Nevada on May 23rd and September 19th.

Drivers have been coming from everywhere to support the first two races that have occurred in Stockton, but the glory on both occasions went to Jesse Gonzalez. The Gonzalez name is well known in the Nevada area as the family helped keep the Late Model effort going there for several years before moving over to the Pro Stock class. Other family members who have raced include the late Esubio Gonzalez and Malen Gonzalez. In fact, Bill Pearson was also a frequent competitor with the Nevada Late Models back in the 1990's who now competes with the Pro Stocks.

The record shows that Jesse Gonzalez won on New Year's Day in Stockton ahead of Bay Area racer Ryan Cherezian, Bakersfield area racer Wayne Coffman, Nevada racer Donny Richardson and multi-time Chico champion Phil Marino. That win was worth $1,000, and Gonzalez followed that up with a $1,500 victory recently in Stockton ahead of Bakersfield area racer Justin Crockett, Susanville Promoter Jeff Olschowka, reigning series champion Learn and Cherezian. An impressive 23 car field competed in that event after opening the season with a strong 18 car field. A good set of rules makes it possible for drivers from several areas to give the shows big car counts.

People are talking about the Tri State Series and its importance to this style of racing. In California. The full Late Model class has all but faded away in California and Nevada, meaning that the Pro Stocks are now the division taking up the mantle for that style of exciting fendered Stock Car racing. Drivers want in, and a good field is anticipated for Stockton on March 28th.

Bain remains busy organizing this effort. though he does have a car, he's been willing to keep it parked so that he can do the things behind the scenes that are needed on race day to help keep the show moving smoothly. There's been much concern about the future of this style of racing, and the Tri State Pro Stock Series is just the thing needed to help keep it going strong. Anytime the series comes to town is an opportunity to see some of the best Pro Stock racing you'll see anywhere on the West Coast. For further information on the happenings with the group, check out the Tri State Pro Stock Series Facebook page.

All Star Series Rebounds With Busiest Schedule In Three Years

Watsonville, CA...There's plenty of excitement in the air as the All.Star IMCA Modified Series enters its fifth championship season. The group will be competing seven times this year, as this is the busiest schedule they've had since their 12 Race season in 2017. There are some returning tracks on the schedule for the coming season. The seven races will be contested at six different race tracks.

Things get started at Marysville Raceway on March 28th before heading to Placerville Speedway on April 25th. They will be taking part in the Ed Parker Memorial race at Merced Speedway on June 20th. On August 1st, the group will be at Watsonville for the 23rd Annual Mike Cecil Memorial. Another special race will happen on August 29th at Bakersfield. It is the Mike Moshier Classic. They get to make their annual track to Calistoga Speedway in support of a World of Outlaws event on September 19th, and the season wraps up on September 26th at the 10th Annual Pat and Jim Pettit Memorial Shootout race in Watsonville.

Last season, it was Tim Balding winning the championship by just 11 points ahead of Anthony Slaney and 18 in front of Kellen Chadwick. They ran four races with wins going to Ryan McDaniel, Duane Cleveland, Bobby Hogge IV and Troy Foulger. A year earlier, they also held a four race season. That year's IMCA State champion Shane DeVolder bested Ryan McDaniel by just 16 points to claim the honors. Foulger bested Robby Sawyer by just five points for third, but Sawyer led the group with two feature triumphs as Hogge and Nick DeCarlo each had one win.

2017 was a busy 12 race season for the group, and Ryan McDaniel claimed that championship by just 19 markers ahead of Foulger. Five points behind Foulger was Sawyer, and 15 points behind Foulger was Cody Burke. Seven drivers claimed wins during the season, led by Sawyer with his four victories. Foulger had three wins, and McDaniel, Cody Burke, Hogge, Kellen Chadwick and Ethan Dotson each had one victory.

2016 was the inaugural season for the group, and Hogge turned in a rather dominant performance, using his five victories to win the championship by 50 points ahead of Alex Stanford. Cody Burke was a close third, 13 points behind Stanford. The other feature wins went to Chadwick, Foulger and Ramie Stone.

The idea behind the All Star IMCA Modified Series is a good one. Promoter John Prentice is trying to bring together some of the best drivers in the state for bigger and more competitive races. Though admittedly the schedule hasn't been strong in the past two years, this year's schedule should ensure some really exciting races at the six different venues booked. For further news on the series, go to www.racepmg.com.

Antioch Speedway Returns To IMCA 
For Modifieds And Sport Modifieds In 2020

Antioch, CA...Antioch Speedway is under new management for the 2020 season as Chad Chadwick has stepped in as the promoter of the quarter-mile clay oval. In celebration of the 30th Anniversary season for the Modified division, Chadwick has brought back IMCA sanctioning for both the Modifieds and the Sport Modifieds. The move is expected to increase the car counts in both divisions, and some special events have been sprinkled throughout the season that should entice top competitors for visits for increased prize money.

Back in 1990, when Antioch was still running under the NASCAR banner, the Dirt Modified division was introduced. Local racers were finding it increasingly more difficult to move up from the Street Stock class into Late Models, so this division offered them an opportunity to go faster for a more manageable budget. Antioch Speedway Hall of Famers Bruce Curl Sr and Rich Johnson were both on the initial roster, and Johnson won a close battle with Curl for the championship. Curl built several of the cars the first season.

Later in the season, Scott Busby returned with a fast Harris Modified and won multiple Main Events. Busby became the dealer of the Harris chassis, and within a few years, the field was dominated by them. Busby won the next three championships and began his climb to what is now the division's all-time Main Event win leader. He does not have a comfortable lead as three-time Antioch champion Bobby Hogge IV is a close second on that list. Those two drivers and Tim Stratmeyer counted themselves among the NASCAR champions before sanctioning was dropped with new Promoter John M Soares in 1998.

Throughout the first decade of the 2000s, car count continued to thrive and the speedway hosted some of its biggest events ever. Drivers like Don Shelton, Bert Elworthy, Bart Reid, Brian Curran, Aaron Crowell, JD Willis, Kellen Chadwick, Rob Norris and Kenny Neu counted themselves as division champions. Antioch drivers also had a knack for making trips to other tracks and scoring Main Event victories. The division had emerged as the headline class for most Stock Car oriented tracks, but people started voicing concerns that maybe a new division was needed to help ensure the future for Modified racing.

As Troy Foulger and Bowers Motorsports teamed up for four-consecutive championships from 2010 through 2013, the Sport Modified division was just getting started. Antioch finally threw its hat in the ring with this division in 2012 as Enduro star Phil Indihar won the inaugural championship with Jeremy Hoff winning it a year later. The edition of the Sport Modified class proved to be the gateway to help get drivers like Megan Ponciano, Jimmy Ford, Keith Brown Jr and Fred Ryland up to the next level.

The speedway flirted with IMCA for two seasons and did quite well. Sport Modified championships in 2014 and 2015 went to Rob Gallaher and Fred Ryland, respectively. In fact, Ryland was the State champion in 2015. It was Carl Berendsen II and Scott Busby winning IMCA Modified championships in 2014 and 2015. However, management went a different direction with sanctioning in 2016. Though car count didn't initially suffer too much, last season produced some of the lowest counts for both classes on some occasions.

The Sport Modified division, however, was still doing its job of bringing new drivers up from the Hobby Stock ranks. KC Keller became a champion, joining two-time title winner Trevor Clymens and reigning champion Tommy Fraser on the title winner's list. Clymens has become the division's all-time win leader so far. Meanwhile, over in the Modified ranks, Berensdsen, Bobby Motts Jr, Nick DeCarlo and Buddy Kniss have added their names to the champions list in the last four seasons.

As General Manager of the speedway last season, Chadwick began working on a way to bring Antioch back under the IMCA banner. Some say that the $7,500 to win West Coast Nationals event last October was an audition as IMCA officials were there to witness the show, including Western Regional Director Paul Vetter. The crowd witnessed a thrilling last-lap pass by Kellen Chadwick on Hogge to score the lucrative victory, while Kenny Shrader broke through to become the winner of the big money Sport Modified show.

Chad Chadwick wasted little time ending the speculation. In January, he revealed that Antioch Speedway would indeed return to IMCA sanctioning. Both divisions will be competing at the speedway over 15 times each throughout the season, including some big events along the way. The IMCA Modifieds will have the Jerry Hetrick Memorial event on June 20th. Chadwick is also bringing back the George Steitz Memorial Freedom Series for events on May 23rd, July 5th and September 5th. The three races each will pay $1,000 to the winner in the Modifieds and $600 to the winner in the Sport Modifieds. The West Coast Nationals returns for the first weekend of October.

News of the sanctioning has some big-name drivers in both the Modifieds and Sport Modifieds, who have been taking their cars down the road, talking about a return to their home track. Buddy Kniss and father Chester Kniss should both be in the Modified field this season along with such top competitors as Nick DeCarlo, Kellen Chadwick, Bobby Motts Jr, Sean O'Gara, Frank Furtado, Raymond Lindeman, Gary Hetrick and Sean Wilson. The competition level in the Modifieds is expected to be the highest it's been in years, meaning Antioch Speedway will be the place to be when this division is on the bill.

Not to be forgotten, the Sport Modifieds have had a talented group of drivers entertaining the fans. Tommy Fraser will be a marked man this year as drivers such as Trevor Clymens, Tommy Clymens Jr, Kevin Brown, Cameron Swank, Kenny Schrader, Mark Garner, Todd Gomes, Brent Curran and Haley Gomez are anticipated for the coming season. As with the Modifieds, there will be some new names on the list as well as some returning stars.

IMCA carries some impressive clout with them. They are the oldest auto racing sanctioning body in the United States. Virtually every track that schedules Modifieds and Sport Modifieds in California does so with IMCA sanctioning. In addition to earning track championship points, IMCA members also compete for State, Regional and National points and the prize money and contingency awards being offered at season's end. This will help make Antioch Speedway that much more exciting for the 2020 season. After consecutive playdays on March 7th, 14th and 21st, the IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sport Modifieds will be part of the March 28th season opener along with Hobby Stocks and Delta Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Delta Dwarf Cars Scheduled For Several Dates 
At Antioch Speedway in 2020

Antioch, CA...The 2020 schedule is out for Antioch Speedway, and new Promoter Chad Chadwick has booked an exciting lineup. the Dwarf Cars are once again featured prominently, but there's change in the air. The drivers have banded together to form the new Delta Dwarf Car Association, which is a member association of the bigger Western States Dwarf Car Association. 

Dwarf Car racing proved to be very popular in Arizona as it got established in the 1980s. They use a classic style of body reminiscent of the old Hardtops, but on a smaller scale with motorcycle engines. This was done as a way to get more people involved in the sport without breaking their pocketbooks. This proved to be very effective.

The division began making appearances at places like Petaluma and Delta Speedways in the early 1990s. Two of the first racing association's founded at that point were the Pacific Coast Dwarf Car Association and the NorCal Dwarf Car Association. The Pacific Coast group called Antioch, Watsonville and San Jose their home tracks, and stars like Billy Wright, Jim Saitone, Jim Diffenderfer, Ray Etherton, Jim Barton, Martin Whittingham and Rick Rogers made for some exciting shows. 

In 1994, the NorCal Association invaded Antioch and usually got the better of the Pacific Coast group during that time. One of their stars was multi-time CRA Sprint Car champion Damion Gardner, who won a Main Event in Antioch that year. Pacific Coast champions included Billy Wright, Mark Chaves and Rick Rogers.

With several members of the Pacific Coast Dwarf Car Association agreeing to come in under the Antioch Speedway banner in 1998, then Promoter John M Soares began keeping championship points for the class that year. The Dwarf Cars were seen as a vital part of the overall program as they always delivered a solid car count with some great racing. Early stars like Bill Baughman, Jim Barton, David Barton, Mark Chaves, Mark Tillinger, David Hays Jr, Scott Merrill, John Anderson, Ray Etherton and Jim Soares helped keep things going strong. Anderson was the first champion in 1998 and Jim Barton was a multi-time champion.

However, it was Ricardo Rivera who came in and rewrote the record books. Rivera racked up five division championships in a six year span. With nearly 60 feature wins in this division, he is the all-time winner by a wide margin and in the Top 5 in the track's all-time category as well. Drivers such as Ed Johnson, Nick Squatritto, Nick Davis, Jerry Doty, David Teves, Danny Wagner, Mike Corsaro and Scott Dahlgren followed Ricardo Rivera as champions. Wagner and Corsaro are both two-time title winners.

It was the NorCal Dwarf Car Association and past champion Frank Munroe who began forming alliances with other Dwarf Car clubs throughout the West Coast. The goal was to bring together the best drivers in one place for huge car counts and blowout races. The Dwarf Car Nationals were born in Marysville some 25 years ago and continue to happen in late September every year. Under the Western Dwarf Car Association banner, several National and Regional events happen every year at various venues.

Antioch competitors have been pushing to be included in the Western States Association, and Promoter Chad Chadwick green lit the move. Danny Wagner and others organized the Delta Dwarf Car Association, and they've been given a Western States Regionals event on July 18th with the potential of a Nationals show coming to town in 2021. In fact, Chadwick has booked Dwarf Car Mania to end the season on October 15th and 16th. This show will also include Winged 360 Sprint Cars and Late Models.

Consistently, the Dwarf Car class has been providing some of the biggest car counts at the speedway on any given week, and there's a talented lineup of racers in the field. In addition to Dahlgren, Corsaro and Wagner, rising young star Devan Kammermann, Troy Stevenson Jr, past Petaluma champion Travis Dutra, Thomas Lieby, Giovanni Bertoli, Roberto Monroy and the father-son duo of David Rosa and David Michael Rosa are providing the fans plenty of thrills and excitement whenever the Dwarf Cars are in town.

After three consecutive playdays on March 7th, 14th and 21st, the Dwarf Cars will be a part of the March 28th season opener along with IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. It promises to be an exciting season opener for the 60th consecutive championship season at the quarter-mile clay oval. For further information on this and other happenings at the speedway, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Wingless Spec Sprints Begin Their 22nd Season 
At Antioch Speedway

Antioch, CA...The Wingless Spec Sprints will begin their 22nd consecutive championship season at Antioch Speedway this year. Antioch Speedway is the place where this division began in 1999, and new Promoter Chad Chadwick has initiated some rules adjustments that he hopes will help stimulate the car count for the coming season.

Carbureted, cast-iron 360 motor Sprint Car racing wasn't new in 1999. First using the DIRT Modified style body and eventually bodies reminiscent of the old Super Modifieds, the NCMA was established in 1988. Antioch Speedway held at least one race for this division from then through the 1998 season and crowned four track champions, including Mike Johnson and Stan Cargo and Scott Holloway twice.

When Promoter John M Soares was looking for some scheduling stability and desiring to bring all of the divisions in under his own All Pro Series banner, it was decided to begin a new division. Soares brought in Don O'Keefe Jr to draft the rules and oversee the division through its first season in 1999. It was decided to keep many of the principles established by the NCMA, but the look would return to a Sprint Car body in part to spare racers the cost of getting a different body for their cars.

There were never less than 12 competitors at Antioch in 1999 from a total roster of 31 cars. The handwriting was on the wall. The more affordable Spec Sprint was here to stay. Spec Sprint racing enabled older Sprint Car drivers to come back to wind down their careers and gave young Outlaw Kart and Micro Sprint racers a place to go to get some Sprint Car experience. It also gave an opportunity to many Stock Car racers to finally live the dream of racing Sprint Cars. Within one year, Antioch Speedway began having B Mains for the class, and this trend continued for the next seven years.

With Antioch Speedway having so much success with this division, other promoters couldn't help but get involved with the class. At one time, there were a half-dozen different tracks running a regular Spec Sprint division. Though some of those tracks have moved on from the division, Spec Sprints continue to be a featured player on the Antioch Speedway roster. Several times during the 2020 season, this division will be the headliner for the night.

The inaugural champion for the Spec Sprints was second-generation competitor Dan Gonderman in 1999. He assumed the lead that year with the retirement of NCMA legend Darryl Shirk. Sadly, Shirk lost his battle with Cancer and passed away that year. The speedway held a memorial race in Darryl's honor for five years. Gonderman counts himself as a two-time champion at the speedway along with Sprint Car veteran Darell Hanestad, Super Modified star Jim Perry Jr, Billy Macedo and Bob Newberry. Nobody has won more races in this class at Antioch than Perry Jr with Hanestad in second. Some of the early stars of the class included Keith Shipherd, Travis Berryhill, Eric Mentch, Rick Brophy, Scott Merrill, John Hendrickson, Joey Santos, Don O'Keefe Jr and Rick Panfili.

Soares attempted to keep the division stable with a more basic set of rules while other tracks expanded their rules. When Chadwick stepped in, it was decided to follow the lead of Petaluma Speedway. As Petaluma has the biggest Spec Sprint car count currently in the state, Antioch Speedway will go to their rules for the 2020 season.

Last season, Shannon Newton put on a rather dominant performance in winning the championship ahead of division original Rick Panfili. Shannon's daughter, Mackenzie Newton, had her best effort in third. The speedway has some very competitive racers among its roster, including Alan Miranda, Marcus Smith, Jeff Scotto, Keith Calvino, Dustin Maibes, Kevin Box and longtime division competitor Roy Fisher.

The adjustment in rules is likely to generate some visitors from Petaluma and elsewhere during the season. The Spec Sprints will be able to participate in the three playdays scheduled for March 7th, 14th and 21st. They will open their season on April 4th as part of a program that will also include the Winged 360 Sprint Cars, IMCA Sport Modifieds and the Four Bangers. For further or further information on this and other topics, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

The Editor's Viewpoint

It was about 20 years ago when I set foot on Chowchilla Speedway for the first time. I thought it was the craziest thing that this track came to be. Like some little miracle at a time when we just lost San Jose Speedway. Then I see this guy named Tom Sagmiller running around the pits, hat on backwards, telling people there's a $25 fine if you're not having fun. Who the hell is this guy? I remember trying to talk to him at San Jose at one of George Steitz's big races, but he was a little busy at the time. I was kept up-to-date by others behind the scenes about what he had been doing to try to give the racers an option in the valley. He wanted to make a difference.

To be honest, I was looking to have a little bit more fun at the race track myself and expand my media effort. I kind of took a little bit of flack for doing that, but I couldn't help myself. Chowchilla Speedway was a fun race track to be at. I saw how it could be done and how it took a man like Tom thinking outside the box to ever give it a fighting chance. I saw a man who shaved his head bald to get point fund money for his racers. I saw a man who reversed the decision one night when it appeared to be a rain out and got the drivers back out there to pack the track and race again. It happened at Chowchilla Speedway.

Chowchilla Speedway introduced me more to the racers down in the area. I'd make a trip or two every year to Merced Speedway, but at one time I ended up announcing at both Chowchilla Speedway and Merced Speedway. If you understand the climate back in those days, there weren't too many of us who were able to do that. I was the fool who not only did that but believed, naively, that we could get beyond the controversy that saw Chowchilla Speedway come into existence and create unity between the two places. But, that's a side subject.

Tom made a good go of it. People will say what they will, but it never would have happened had he and the investors not stepped up. Charlie Ruth was a man who had unwavering support for Tom and this race track. Big things happened at that Speedway under Tom's watch, and it never was the same after he was removed. He should be very proud of what was accomplished. He and I disagreed on some things, but I have the utmost respect for him and what he did. I am proud to call him my friend.

It breaks my heart that the last guy to run the place ran it directly into the ground, despite the fact that you had Tom there pointing out the things that could be done to actually make it work. I got to announce there multiple times when John Soares ran the track and put the final track champions into the record books in 2015. It certainly wouldn't have been easy to keep that dream alive, but I think John hit on the idea that could have worked. A combination of that and Tom's big ideas like the Freedom Series, keeping George's big race going at the end of the year, Buddy's Hobby Stock 500 and that stuff would have been the ticket. What could have been...

I still get this crazy idea, even knowing that the track has been leveled. Looking at what they do at Alameda during the County Fair and in Salinas as well. Rodeo Arena Mini Stock Figure 8/Oval Racing. I say oval racing, because the Farmers 500 in Salinas is pretty cool. Then again, I had this wacky idea of creating a Mini Stock County Fair Rodeo Arena circuit. When you see how the crowd reacts in Alameda, you know there's potential. But, it probably wouldn't happen. Chowchilla Speedway did happen, and it's because of Tom that it ever had a fighting chance

It would probably be cool to have a Chowchilla Speedway reunion sometime, but that takes a bit of organizational effort. I know there's a lot of people who have fond memories of those early years especially. 

This isn't just the 20th anniversary of Chowchilla Speedway opening the gates, it's also the 20th anniversary of me meeting my friend Joe Martinez. This also occurred in Chowchilla. I happened to be walking across the track to give a magazine to Jim Sanders and say hi to him when I bumped into Joe. I gave him a copy of my magazine, and probably a week or so later he called me up and pitched the idea for California Racing Online. We can put the word out about all of these race tracks and do audio stuff, video staff, photos, stories and the whole nine yards. Joe was really into it, so much so that I don't think it took him long to create a web page.

I think our undoing was twofold. First of all, Joe introduced the simulated racing aspect, which eliminated our weekly chats. To this day, California Racing Online is a simulated racing site, but it could have been more. Second thing is we never really got the backing we needed for the work put into it. That's just the way it is when it comes to spreading the hype. It makes me sad that with the improvements in tech on the internet, nothing has come close to what we had with California Racing Online in 2000 and 2001. You'd think that would be different.

As we got to the end of the 2000 season, we were having some pretty amazing weekly chats. Tom would be there, representatives from Watsonville and other tracks. We were talking about the state of auto racing and how we could make things better. We all had our ideas, but having people in there who could make a difference helped. It's also cool to know that people like Geoff Briggs and Doug Lockwood, who were part of those days, ended up getting involved and having a presence in making things better for the sport years later.

Joe and I both had ideas that we pitched to Tom, and Tom took them both. What shows the character of Mr Sagmiller is that he didn't say these races were his ideas. He could have done that. He was quick to credit Joe and I for putting those ideas out there. Joe hit on the idea of a $500 to win Hobby Stock race as the division's only big races were on the pavement in Lakeport at the time. In 2001, we had over 40 cars converge on Chowchilla for a Hobby Stock blowout. It was one of the biggest races of the season, and eventually that race was named after Buddy Cox. Buddy was so important in those early days of helping Tom get things going.

Me being a co-creator of the Wingless Spec Sprint division with Don O'Keefe Jr and John Soares, I wanted to see a big race for the class. They were two years in with B Mains happening regularly at Antioch, the NCMA was still around, Orland Raceway had a class and Sacramento Raceway was just getting started with their Spec Sprint division. I felt certain we could get 30 or more cars. Tom liked the idea, and the Open Wheel Roundup was created. That year, between the Spec Sprints, Dwarf Cars, Mini Sprints and Midgets, we had over 110 cars. There were a then record 32 Spec Sprints for that show. Damn shame that we booked on top of the Trophy Cup in Hanford, but from a car count perspective, it was a hit. Tom continued to feature that race throughout his run as promoter.

As I look back at the Spec Sprint division and how it sort of grew and expanded to several tracks, I credit what happened at Chowchilla Speedway as sort of a coming out party for the class. Yes, Antioch Speedway was where it started and was working well. When promoters saw that this could happen at Chowchilla Speedway too, they wanted in. It got to a point where Chico Silver Dollar Speedway had a big show with over 70 of these cars, which is still a record for a Spec Sprint event. My only regret was that we didn't start a Spec Sprint class in house at Chowchilla in 2002. I might have been just a bit grumpy with Tom over that subject. All water under the bridge now.

Tom is still involved in the sport these days doing a great job of track preparation and selling parts. Joe and Lynn are out there taking their amazing photos. Me, I'm still out here pretending I'm a writer. The world just keeps on turning. Can't believe it's been 20 years. Where does the time go?

Antioch Speedway just had a very successful work party. All of the fence around the race track had been torn down so that it could be fixed properly. Much like a couple of weeks ago, there were about 50 people volunteering their efforts to put up the fence and do other cleanup work at the track. Work seems to be coming along quite nicely for Promoter Chad Chadwick, and it certainly helps that the racing community appears to be 110% behind him and willing to do their part. This isn't really something unfamiliar in the sport. Sometimes, when change happens at a race track, people will jump in. If it happens to be a guy they know, as is the case with Chadwick, they further support the cause.

For the most part, I like the things I'm hearing. Chadwick certainly believed that sweeping changes were needed once he took over the track, and he's been planning quite a bit since serving as General Manager last year. I get it. You want to send a message that things are different. I do have some concern about adjusting rules too much so close to the beginning of the March 28th opener. It's not that it can't work, but it can also have a negative impact. I'm hopeful that the Spec Sprint, Hobby Stock and Super Stocks classes will respond well to these adjustments. 

The biggest move he could make with the rules and the scheduling was the addition of IMCA sanctioning. This will cause several drivers who towed down the road every week to give it a second thought before doing so. There are plenty of Sport Modified and Modified races on the schedule. Antioch racers wanting to run for the State championship can do so, but now they can run close to home more often as well. I believe this will help increase these two car counts, though I'm not going to put a number prediction on that. 

The bottom line is the vibe around Antioch Speedway is so positive these days that a car count increase should happen. By extension, there should be an increase in attendance. I caution people who think that this change alone is going to be the magic bullet solution to the declining numbers in recent years. While it may help, work will be ongoing in the effort to increase and sustain bigger numbers. The honeymoon eventually ends, and racers will ultimately get grumpy. How you respond to that two years down the line will dictate what it's going to be. As far as attendance, you've got to spread the word and keep the people interested and engaged in this race track at a time when they take their entertainment dollars elsewhere. The consistent 1000 plus attended races we had back in the day aren't as easy to attain these days. It can happen, but work needs to be done.

I'm hopeful as the 60th championship season is set to begin at Antioch Speedway. I anticipate good turnouts for the three playdays that are upcoming, and that helps set a tone for things ahead. Chadwick is resurfacing the race track and racers will see a change. Practice will be important for the drivers to not only test their equipment, but also it's a good indicator of how well the new configuration will go. If adjustments need to be made, they can be made ahead of the March 28th opener. It's also a golden opportunity for a new promoter to get some financial resources gathered ahead of the season. You might make money at the playdays, but racing season will take that money right back out of your pocket for various needs. Therefore, I'm hoping that all three practice days happen.

I'm reminded of how things went when John Soares took over the track in 1998. So many people were up against us. Just having the last name he has made John the bad guy automatically. Media outlets attacked him before knowing what the game plan was. Had they come out to the track, they would have seen that John was already spending thousands of dollars improving the concessions, building a pit concession, putting up new lighting and fencing, reshaping the pit area, putting clay on the track and on and on. The man invested quite a bit of money.

What happened next was something you can't predict. The weather was an absolute nightmare. Not only did we not get the practice days because of the rain outs, we lost a couple of races and really did not have ideal conditions when John opened the gates for the first official race. The track was not in prime shape, and we ended up having the ugliest night of racing that the speedway has had in many years. The people who were against John were gleeful over that disaster. "He's going to fail. Good. This will teach him for taking away our precious NASCAR." I remember that we all just put our heads down and got to work.

I know people are happy for the change, and there are people who will never acknowledge the good that John brought. I am happy that they've withheld their venom on social media in recent weeks and have focused on the positive of what's coming next. The fact remains, during the first few years of Soares, attendance rose and car count rose as well. In fact, Antioch Speedway has never had the kind of car count it had in 1999 and 2000. Good car counts and good racing as well. It's a treasured memory of mine that I was doing so many duties to help John grow this program and see the track do as well as it did.

I guess the reason I am comparing what happened a little over 20 years ago to now is because there is sort of a similar situation. Much like John back in the day, Chad is spending quite a bit of money to create his vision of Antioch Speedway and what things will be in the years ahead. John did his duty. He kept those gates open for 22 seasons, and nothing was canceled for any other reason than weather. In other words, the show always went on, and now Chadwick is the man who has to make that happen. Obviously, you want to bolt out of the gate, and that's the goal. Though John stumbled out of the gate, he gathered momentum and had even the harshest naysayers wanting to be a part of things within a year or two.

I don't say this to be negative, but Antioch Speedway won't have that kind of car count. It was a different time and the conditions were right for what was achieved. However, the fairer comparison is what the numbers were over the previous five or six years compared to what's about to happen. It won't be a surprise to see the numbers go up, giving the fans a higher average in car count. The easier goal to achieve is making things better than they have been in recent years. As I said, it's not as easy as just saying you're going to do it, it's work every week to make it reality. It's going to be interesting to watch how things unfold, but I anticipate things going well for Chadwick and his new team.

I think it's interesting that the ASCS  National Sprint Car Tour is making a visit to California. Everybody talks about the World of Outlaws, and they are the pinnacle of Winged Sprint Car racing. However, this ASCS Series is no joke. They've got a good caliber of racers that follow their tour. As the World of Outlaws price themselves out of range for some tracks, the ASCS coming to California serves as a reminder that there are other National groups to be looked at as well. The Pacific Northwest has been getting visits from this series in recent years, and I won't be surprised to see a California swing happening regularly in the future as well. This weekend starts things out with Merced, Placerville and Petaluma, and all three tracks will do well.

As most of us expected when Doug Lockwood was named the General Manager of Merced Speedway, there's been more of a Sprint Car flavor. What I appreciate in the way Doug has done this is he's not showing any of the regular divisions the door. Quite the contrary, the IMCA Modified classes, Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks are still very busy on the schedule, and the Sportsman and Mini Late Models haven't gone away either. What Doug has done is found places to put other things. This means not only do you have the ASCS National Sprint Cars, the World of Outlaws, USAC/CRA Sprint Cars, Sprint Car Challenge Tour, USAC West Coast Sprint Cars and even the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars will be racing there. I will be grumpy over a few of the traditional races no longer on the schedule and plead for Legends Night to be put back on the schedule, but I will also acknowledge that Lockwood is doing great things at Merced Speedway.

I'm not going to deny the fact that when the Crate Sprint division was introduced six years or so ago at Silver Dollar Speedway, I thought it was one of the dumbest ideas I'd heard. It's just something that's too close to the Winged 360 Sprint Car class. If the Limited Sprint idea was ever going to work in California, it would have taken hold in the early 1990s when Merced and Hanford were doing their thing. However, the Hanford effort evolved into the King of Thunder Sprint Car Series we have these days. By the end of the 1990s, Merced Speedway had given up on its class and brought back the old Sportsman division.

What made me grumpier was the fact that John Padjen had already introduced Wingless Spec Sprints to Chico. It wasn't like this division was a failure either. They got good car counts and even held some of the biggest blowout races in this division's history in California. By the time Dennis Gage stepped into the picture, Spec Sprints were not dead. They were still giving double-digit car counts. I said at the time that all the Crate Sprint division would do is divide car count between the new class and Spec Sprints and ensured that getting 10 cars in either class would be a challenge.

Gage doubled down on the winged idea. I get it. Even when we were talking Spec Sprints at Antioch Speedway in 1999, there were a group of people from the Marysville area that insisted we had it wrong. We needed push starts, wings and other things. We told them this was the way it was going to be, but some of those people never stopped talking. Finally, they got the Crate Sprints, and I'm just wondering where the cars are. Anybody know? Are there six invisible cars on any given race tonight? Just asking, because I want to know why the Crate Sprint division hasn't exploded in popularity yet.

Marysville puts themselves in a more challenging position, because they throw Spec Sprints on the schedule here and there and expect a car count when they abandoned the class. At the Sherm Toller Memorial race, there were eight Spec Sprints and five Crate Sprints. Basically, Gage has murkied the waters on this class and needs to face the reality that the Crate Sprint division as an in-house class is just not cutting it. This is not to say that a Crate Sprint Tour couldn't be created where Marysville booked some dates, but the Spec Sprints are a better fit as a in-house division at Marysville than the Crate Sprints are, in my opinion. Numbers speak for themselves.

What I would suggest is the drivers who staunchly support Crate Sprints form the Northern California Crate Sprint Association or something like that. Get your dates at Marysville and Chico. There are dates at Orland, and if you desire more, look north to places like Yreka, Susanville and Hayfork. Then, it's up to the club to build its ranks. It's up to the club to put rules together that make people want to support the class. I would even go so far as to say a properly promoted association could grow this division better than the track has. Otherwise, the Crate Sprint division is a failure and I don't think it will ever work unless people change their way of thinking.

The Spec Sprint division maybe isn't having the success it did a decade ago, but there are things to consider. Petaluma, Antioch and Orland still have championship earning divisions, and the Hunt Spec Sprint Tour is still going strong 10 years later. Furthermore, I've noticed that Placerville Speedway seems to be taking more of an interest in the Spec Sprints. Could something of a championship division be added to their rotation in 2021? That will be interesting to see. I think Spec Sprints would be a better bet for Marysville Raceway. They are different enough from the Winged 360 Sprints, and drivers in the Spec Sprint class desiring more can just move up. It's not like they don't have drivers like Jimmy Steward and Jeremy Hawes who have done so already.

About the only concern I have is the persistent rumor that the Hunt Spec Sprints will be turned into an injected Wingless 360 class. I can't adequately state how against that idea I am. I think forcing the change will destroy the class. However, I think Northern California has turned a blind eye on something that is already there for the taking. They could create a Northern California Wingless 360 Sprint Car Tour. You wouldn't have to book something heavy. Anywhere from 6 to 10 races would be fine. You'd have drivers who would fully commit to it and some Winged Sprint Car drivers would test the waters. It would work.

As I've watched the tracks in Placerville, Watsonville and Petaluma dabble in injected Wingless 360 racing, I've noticed the potential. Currently, the West Coast 360 Sprint Cars have come in with the USAC banner, which isn't surprising. USAC basically swept into Northern California while BCRA wasn't looking and grabbed all of the prime dirt races except for the one in Antioch.  Apparently, BCRA brass was only interested in securing their pavement dates, but they will get to tag along with most of the USAC Northern California stuff. I'd love to nitpick BCRA a little bit here, but maybe another time.

It's really a no-brainer for USAC to come up and get the dates at Petaluma, Merced and wherever else in Northern California. They have a base of cars already, and it makes sense. However, an enterprising track promoter or a racer who is able to organize things could easily put something together. You don't have to aim for the sky with race dates. Less might be better to get it started anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if you could get dates at Petaluma, Placerville, Merced, Antioch and who knows where else. As I said, 6 to 10 dates to start.

I am continually impressed with the Central Valley Mini Stocks and what they continue to do. Again, House of JuJu in Clovis and Morro Bay is putting up $5,000 in championship point fund money, $1,000 of which goes to the champion. It's the most well promoted Mini Stock effort on the West Coast. Setting aside the bit of devil's advocate that I played in my previous column, I wholeheartedly support what it is Dan Myrick is trying to accomplish here. We occasionally speak of ideas and possible things to happen with this effort in the future, and I'm confident that this man is still thinking two or three steps ahead.

One of the things we talked about was the possibility of a Sport Compact class. When he said that to me, I kind of dismissed it at first as something IMCA does. However, he was talking about a different Sport Compact four cylinder class. This class runs bigger money races, and the cars have a cleaner, sleeker look to them. When I was watching the show this last week, I noticed the cars of Clinton Massey and Ryan Doglione. They didn't look like your typical Hornet Mini Stock cars. They were legal, but they had a different look to them.

Dan and I have discussed the whole idea of a Mini Stock class that's a step above the class they have now. I don't necessarily think that's something tracks will entertain. I don't think that's something the CVMS is currently looking at either. This was more of an idea if the CVMS is promoting a track itself, such as they were at Lemoore. The biggest problem they had at Lemoore in trying to establish a Mini Stock program was not having any support. They could get Dwarf Car clubs to send a few drivers to the track, but there wasn't much else out there. The local Sportsman Micro class balked at the opportunity to get more exposure at a CVMS show, and the Super 4 class from Porterville didn't seem to be interested either.

One of the biggest struggles the CVMS had from the very beginning at Lemoore was that they were promoting the track themselves. They rented it, and they didn't come in under the black most of the time. This means they lost money. Myrick basically rolled the dice to do this because he believed so strongly in this class. However, other than family members, it can be a challenge getting people to come out just to watch the Mini Stocks at Lemoore or any other track. Other divisions are needed. Optimally, a two or three division show would be perfect.

It's a moot point now as the CVMS has a nice schedule as a part of established shows at five different race tracks. However, I could totally see this Sport Compact idea hapening if the day came where the CVMS was promoting more races of their own at Lemoore or someplace else. I like the look of the cars of drivers like Dan Myrick, Rod Baronian, Jeff Durant and so on. Keep the basic Hornet car the way it is. Simple paint job, no body wraps. We had a situation in Medford where drivers started going to body wraps and covering back windows, but management put a stop to that and the possibility that it could create people pouring more money into your basic Hornet car.

No, you keep the Hornets basic, and this particular type of Sport Compact class would be the one with the body wraps or nice paint jobs. Though these would be the cars where you allow a little bit more in the tires and motors or what have you. Not a bunch, but clearly something that's going to make these cars get around the track a little bit quicker without breaking your pocketbook. Now, you would have a Sport Compact and Hornet class. If you could get other support, you have a third division. As I said, this idea is at best on the drawing board for 2021 or beyond and at worst has been shelved completely. I think what spurned my thought process just now was watching the rather nice-looking cars of Massey and Doglione in Hanford.

I hasten to point out that I'm advocating new divisions when I say that as that goes against my belief system. However, if you're talking about a little track like Lemoore doing a Mini Stock program, it makes perfect sense to me. It also makes perfect sense to me to have a thriving Pro Stock division going here on the West Coast. I realized last week that I hadn't done all of my previews, and there were two Pro Stock groups I hadn't finished yet. The one that is trying to unite the cause is the Tri State Pro Stock Series.

One of the bigger frustrations I have is watching the Late Model division fade away in California. Nevada already waved goodbye, and the division seems like it has a few good years left in Oregon. What serves to give us anything close to Late Models is Pro Stocks, Super Stocks or Limited Late Models. However, the rules are scattered all over the place at the moment. Roy Bain is the one trying to unite the classes and getting promoters to look at what his Tri State Pro Stock group is doing.

I'm definitely encouraged by the fact that Antioch Speedway has taken a step in that direction. I don't believe Petaluma is that far off. I'm not sure where the rules stand at Chico, although one of its top drivers, Phil Marino, was in Stockton a couple of weeks ago. I know the guys down in Santa Maria and Bakersfield have a good class going, and we're talking Late Model country down there. You've actually got Late Model names involved there, just as you do with the Nevada contingent. For now, if you want anything that has a resemblance to Late Model racing in California, Pro Stocks are the ticket.

What Roy has done with the support of promoters such as Tony Noceti is give these drivers an attractive purse that will pay at least $1,000 to win. That goes a long way towards getting cars. When I think about the Car Quest Late Model Tour that Sandy Bainton successfully promoted for years, I think it was $1,200 to win back then. What will happen is you can see Late Model drivers who have been forced to park putting together Pro Stock legal cars and coming back. We could ultimately see a Tri State Challenge Series that could get into the 30 car per race range. I'm not making that prediction now, but I could see it rapidly growing to that.

Since we aren't going to get the next big thing in racing and the Modifieds will continue to be recycled, plus Sprint Cars are going to thrive, this is the area that we need to work on. There isn't a national sanctioning body that's going to come in and save Pro Stock racing, so it falls on the racers and the promoters to make it happen. As I said, I like what I'm hearing from Roy and the Tri State Series. They're off to a good start this year. I'm equally happy that the Outlaw Pro Stock Association in Oregon has managed to get enough dates for what should be another good year. They could be even more competitive this year with certain front-runners moving up in classes. About the only thing that makes me grumpy right now is there aren't enough Medford races. Lord knows I tried to be an advocate for them.

Getting back to the Modified division, it amazes me that California hasn't attempted to run a Speedweek Series yet. I think between tracks like Bakersfield, Merced, Watsonville, Hanford, Antioch and Petaluma, this would be a home run. Considering the realignment happening in the Pacific Northwest, now seems to be the time to do it. I think an IMCA Modified/Sport Modified Speedweek would produce some incredible car counts and some great racing. Who knows if anybody will take the bull by the horns and make that happen. Jim Allen is still trying to make a NARC Speedweek Series happen. He's getting closer, but not quite there yet.

I will give a shout out to John Prentice and his seven-race schedule for the IMCA Modified All Star Series. They had eight races, but scheduling with a graduation in Calistoga forced a June appearance to be canceled. As it is, it's six races at seven tracks. Considering the last two seasons have only had four races each, I consider this a step forward.  There is much potential for this to grow again, and perhaps Prentice will have renewed focus as every other series he had under the Prentice Motorsports banner is gone now. It's just the All Star Series and Ocean Speedway now.

It's kind of interesting to see how much influence Prentice once had on various race track's schedules. At one time, Prentice Motorsports was not just handling Watsonville's track, they had the King of the West, Civil War, Hunt and All Star Series as well. What it basically means is you can have one track running this and another track running that, and you can also influence those tracks to an extent when it comes to what divisions they don't book. Eventually, everything got sold off as it became a bit too much to oversee, and the Civil War Series was retired prior to what could have been its 30th season. I'm still saddened by that.

Anyway, I'm moving ahead and doing my thing for now.  I've been a bit slow to motivate, but I think I can get in gear by late March. If this is the final year of my involvement in the sport, I aim to have fun. I don't have any other announcements to make just yet, so I think I'll close this column. Until next time...