Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Stockton Dirt Track, Merced Speedway, Antioch Speedway, Bakersfield Speedway, Tulare Thunderbowl, More

First of all...


The DCRR Racing Media Books


Just A Kid From The Grandstands:  My Time In Auto Racing

Stories of my time in auto racing from the beginning to 2003 Available on Lulu in Paperback And Hard Cover



And



Don's California Racing Recollections:  Best Of The Blog And Beyond

Racing History, Stories, Statistics And Pictures
Available via print on demand at Lulu in Hard Cover or Paperback

Disclaimer 

For years we've made a commitment to cover motorsports on the West Coast, and we're very proud of our record. We always endeavor to give you the most accurate information possible, but sometimes some details aren't available to us when we go to press. Therefore, we want to remind you that any finishes listed in the articles and stats posted on this page are unofficial. As always, we refer you to each race track's webpage for official results and point standings. Our goal is to cover racing to the best of our ability, but we are an unofficial news source for the tracks covered in each post. Thank you for reading and thank you for your support.

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


Also...

DCRR Racing Media And PR Consulting  HERE

From the Grandstands By Ron Rodda HERE 

Blakesley Sports Media HERE

Short Track Live HERE

DRC (Daren Ricks Campbell) Motorsports Media HERE




The DCRR Racing Radio Show
Backup Link HERE
 
 

McDaniel, Smith Win At The Stockton Dirt Track 

Stockton, CA...March 27...Ryan McDaniel won the 25 lap Dirt Modified Main Event Saturday night at the Stockton Dirt Track. The win paid $1,500 to the likely point leader and made him the first repeat winner in the class in the four events held so far. McDaniel started out front and raced into the early lead ahead of Susanville racer Nevin Kennemore and Raymond Lindemann. Matt Hagio slipped past Lindemann for third on the fourth lap, and the yellow flag waved on Lap 7. McDaniel continued to lead Kennemore and Hagio on the restart, and a Lap 11 caution flag for Kennemore and Hagio slowed the pace again. On the restart, McDaniel continued to lead the way with Lindemann and Anthony Slaney falling in behind him. Slaney took the second position from Lindemann on Lap 13 before a caution flag waved. McDaniel continued to lead Slaney and Lindemann on the restart. As McDaniel pulled away, Slaney had his hands full from the challenges of Nevin Kennemore, who grabbed third on the 19th lap. Despite one last yellow flag on Lap 21, McDaniel would not be denied. He charged ahead on the next restart and brought it home to victory ahead of Slaney, Kennemore, Hagio, Travis Westervelt, Lindemann, Chris Lewis, Jimmy Ford and Danny Malfatti. They ran two sets of the heat races for the class, and McDaniel won both of those eight lap races.

Chris Smith won the 20 lap Pro Stock Main Event. They ran Tri State Challenge rules, though it wasn't an officially sanctioned event. However, most of the nine competitors on hand are regular supporters of the series. Richard Vander Ploeg scratched after hot laps, leaving seven Main Event starters. Chris Smith and Ryan Smith won the eight lap heat races, setting up a showdown between the two for the feature win. Ryan Smith set the early pace ahead of Jesse Gonzalez and Chris Smith. Chris Smith grabbed the second position on Lap 2, and Brent Lawrence settled into third on Lap 4. The Smiths pulled away from the pack as Lawrence and Gonzalez continued their third place battle. Gonzalez regained third on Lap 8. The battle intensified up front with Chris Smith finally taking the lead from Ryan Smith on the 18th lap. Chris Smith went on to the $1,000 victory ahead of Ryan Smith, Gonzalez, Ryan Cherezian, Lawrence, Donny Richardson and Dave King Jr. Jimmy Ford scratched after the heat races.

Andrew Pearce picked up his second 15 lap B Modified Main Event win. In the process, he pocketed $750 for his effort. The eight lap heat race wins went to Jeremy Hoff and Mark Squadrito. Pearce jumped into the lead at the start of the feature race ahead of Squadrito and Hoff. Squadrito brought out the only yellow flag on Lap 2. Pearce led Hoff and Clearance Holbrook III on the restart. The lead duo pulled away from the pack, but Pearce kept hitting his marks and picked up the victory ahead of Hoff, Squadrito and Holbrook. 

Nick Baldwin scored his second 20 lap Bomber Main Event win. The Placerville champion also won both eight lap heat races. Baldwin charged into the lead at the start ahead of Brandon Carpenter and Dakota Keldsen. Keldsen gained second on the fourth lap as the lone yellow flag of the race waved. Baldwin continued to lead Keldsen and Carpenter on the restart, but Carpenter slipped past Keldsen for second on Lap 8. Ashley Lewis gained third on Lap 12 as Keldsen fell out. Baldwin went on to win the race ahead of Carpenter, Lewis, Joe Ardnt and Keldsen.

Because the track was unable to attract enough interest in time, the Lone Star 200 lap Enduro race that was scheduled for April 10th has been canceled. Racing will resume on April 24th with the Dirt Modifieds B Modifieds and Bombers being joined by the Super Late Models. The track also hopes to have a fan race. For further information, go to www.stocktondirtrack.com.


Aguirre, Reynolds, Tyrell, Myrick Score 
Madera Speedway Victories 

Madera, CA...March 27...Jason Aguirre won the 40 lap Madera Late Model Main Event Saturday night at Madera Speedway. The race had to be restarted after rookie Kasey Kleyn spun in Turn 4. Erickson bolted into the lead at the start ahead of Aguirre and Shelden Cooper. The lead duo pulled away just a bit before a Lap 13 yellow flag for Ryan Roulette bunched the field. Erickson led just the restart lap before a high pass in Turn 4 on Lap 15 gained Aguirre the lead. Following a Lap 21 yellow flag, outside second row starter Kyle Keller moved ahead of Erickson for second as Aguirre continued to lead. Another yellow flag flew on Lap 23. As Aguirre continued to set the pace, Cooper made an outside pass on the backstretch to take second from Keller. Erickson saw his race up front come to an end as he stalled on the backstretch for the final yellow flag on Lap 27. Aguirre led Cooper and Keller on the restart, and they would take the checkered flag in that order. Mike Shapiro finished fourth, followed by Roulette, Erickson, Kleyn, Steve Schermerhorn and Willie Guthrie.

Erickson turned the 1/3 mile paved oval with a lap of 15.051 to set the fast time. Keller was second quick at 15.076. Aguirre and Keller won their respective eight lap heat races. Two Junior Late Model competitors showed up for the opportunity to make some laps in an exhibition event. Kasey Kleyn won both their heat race and the Main Event ahead of Rebecca Dubie. Dubie showed noticeable improvement over her previous performance as she managed to stay on the lead lap with Kleyn at the end.

Luis Tyrell won the 30 lap Legends of the Pacific Main Event. After producing a 24 car field, track officials elected to let the group run last on the grid. The wild event took just over an hour to complete as the checkered flag flew at curfew. 

Starting on the outside front row, Josh Gross raced into the early lead ahead of Tyrell and Johnny Morrissey. A Lap 7 yellow flag waved for Wyatt Sansom's crash as his race came to an end. Tyrell took the lead from Gross on the restart, but the duo pulled away from Morrissey, who was getting plenty of pressure from Josh Ayers and Dylan Washburn in a good battle for third. Another yellow flag waved on Lap 14. Tyrell continued to lead the way with Morrissey briefly grabbing the second position from Gross. Gross regained the spot on Lap 16 and began pressuring Tyrell again. A spin in Turn 4 brought out a Lap 18 yellow flag. Gross got a good start and bolted ahead of Tyrell for a lap, but Tyrell was back in front on Lap 20. Ayers had grabbed the third position, but he surrendered it back to Morrissey on Lap 21. The intense battle continued for the next few laps. A big crash brought out a Lap 25 yellow flag. The red flag waved to clean up the racing surface. Tyrell continued to lead the restart ahead of Ayers and 11th starter Foryst Souza. Tyrell went on to score the satisfying win ahead of Ayers, Souza, Washburn, Gross, Clayton Travels, Carlee Austin, Keith Clement, Tyler Krupa and Michael Stearns. Tyrell was the quickest of 24 qualifiers with a lap of 16.155, beating the 16.280 of Gross. The eight lap heat race wins went to Tyrell, Gross and Ayers.

Shaun Reynolds won the 30 lap MST Main Event. The reigning division champion was coming off of a second place finish in the season opener. 2020 Rookie of the Year Haley Bugg had a front row start for the race, which avoided a restart as Aaron Reeves took a wild ride into the infield but kept going. Bugg raced into the early lead ahead of Patrick Geiger and Tim Kammerer. Bugg was doing a good job of holding off the pressure of the persistent Geiger, but as they ran down the back stretch on the 10th lap, they tangled for a yellow flag. This put Kammerer into the lead, but Shaun Reynolds took over by the time they exited Turn 2 on the restart lap with a high pass. An outside move in Turn 3 of the 11th lap put Ryan Reynolds into second, and Chris Earls spun in Turn 4 for a yellow flag. Shaun Reynolds continued to lead Ryan Reynolds and Kammerer on the restart as Bugg moved back into fourth. The Reynolds brothers began to pull away from the pack, but a Nick Thompson spin in Turn 4 on Lap 24 bunched the field once more. As Shaun Reynolds continued to lead Ryan Reynolds on the restart, Reeves briefly gained the third position, only to surrender it to Bugg as he spun in Turn 2. Shaun Reynolds led brother Ryan through two late yellow flags to score the victory. Bugg settled for third ahead of Reeves, Thompson, Kammerer, Earls and Geiger. Mechanical issues kept Ryan Reynolds from qualifying as Shaun Reynolds set the fast time of 16.705, beating the 16.809 of Geiger. The eight lap heat race wins went to Shaun Reynolds and Geiger.

Danny Myrick won the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. The 2017 West Coast Sport Compact champion was piloting the #88 car normally driven by Scott Glenn, and he drove an impressive race for the victory. Madera is trying to build up their own class using the WCSC ruleset, and five of their regulars showed up to support the track. Danny Myrick charged into the lead at the start ahead of Jeff Durant and track regular Johnny Williams. Shawn DePriest settled into fourth and slipped past Williams for third on Lap 10. By then, Danny Myrick and Durant had pulled away in their battle for the lead. The lead duo came up on a slower car in Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 18, which momentarily impeded Durant's progress. However, he remained persistent in his pressure of Danny Myrick. Myrick was up to the challenge as he scored the hard fought victory ahead of Durant, DePriest, Williams, Destiny Joplin, Dan Myrick and Rick Lea. Danny Myrick set the fast time of 18.339, beating the 18.592 of his son Dan Myrick. The eight lap heat race wins went to Durant and Johnny Williams. 

Bakersfield racer Lloyd Wren won the 30 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Wren charged into the lead at the start ahead of previous winner Mike Nicks and reigning champion Manny Gonzales Jr. Donnie Large Jr retired from the race after two laps. As Wren and Nicks pulled away from the pack, Gonzales and Mike Rowe also had a good battle going for third. These two battles remained close for the final 25 laps of the race. Nicks looked high and low for a way to get around Wren, but Wren held him off for the well earned victory. Gonzales settled for third, followed by a Rowe, rookie Harley Kennealy, Drew Ries and Large. Wren set the fast time of 16.355, beating the 16.395 of Nicks. Wren and Nicks won the eight lap heat races.

Adam Coonfield won the 40 lap Modified Main Event. The track is working with multiple venues on establishing a new Modified series, and this was basically a test event. Drivers were running different car setups to test the compatibility of bringing drivers together from different groups. However, Madera Speedway will have a three race series of its own, sponsored by Mission Foods. Aaron Coonfield raced into the early lead ahead of Adam Coonfield and Kayli Barker. The brothers initially pulled away from Barker, but as their battle got intense and went side by side, she closed in behind them. A low pass on Lap 18 gained Adam Coonfield the lead. Adam Coonfield would hold off Aaron Coonfield for the victory. Barker settled for third ahead of Chris Lyons. Rick Avila scratched prior to qualifying. Aaron Coonfield set the fast time of 15.236, beating the 15.287 of Adam Coonfield. Adam Coonfield won the eight lap heat race.

Bobby Hutton won the 12 lap Legends of Kearny Bowl Super Modified exhibition race. Tony Pereira raced into the early lead ahead of Joe Kirk and Hutton. An outside pass on the backstretch on the second lap gained Hutton second. Hutton and Kirk engaged in a side-by-side battle for the next few laps before Hutton nudged ahead for good. Mechanical issues sent Pereira into the pits on the fifth lap, and Hutton suddenly found himself leading Kirk and Ken Reichert. Reichert got around Kirk for second on Lap 8 with Wayne Kalustian following into third. As Hutton took the checkered flag in first, Kalustian just managed to beat Reichert across the finish line for second. Kirk and Pereira rounded out the finishing order. Curtis Taylor and Kenny Christian scratched earlier in the afternoon.

Racing resumes next week with another MavTV taping. The Nut Up Pro Late Models are back in action along with the 51fifty Energy Drink Junior Late Models and the Bandolero/Mini Cup cars. The track will have an announcement on fan attendance at the www.racemadera.com website, but they will also continue to give away the free broadcast on their YouTube site thanks to the sponsorship of Nut Up Industries, Mission Foods and 51fifty Energy Drink.


Johnson Wins Western States Midgets Race 
At Bakersfield Speedway

Bakersfield, CA...March 27...Chase Johnson won the 30 lap USAC Western States Midgets Main Event Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway. The win paid Johnson $1,200 aboard the Six8 Motorsports Rockwell Security sponsored Stewart chassis.

Davey Ray had the pole for the race and charged into the early lead ahead of Austin Liggett and Ben Worth. The race was red flagged after four laps when Terry Nichols flipped in Turn 4. Ray continued to lead Liggett on the restart as Shannon McQueen briefly got around Worth for the third position. Johnson made it a three-car battle for third as Ray and Liggett pulled away from the pack. A low pass in Turn 3 of the 16th lap gained Johnson third from Worth, and the yellow flag waved moments later for Brody Fuson in Turn 2. Ray continued to lead Liggett and Johnson on the restart. Johnson kept attempting slide job passes for the next few laps, but Liggett came roaring back strong to maintain second. Liggett quickly reeled in Ray once again and made a couple of slide job attempts of his own. Liggett finally made a pass stick in Turn 4 on Lap 25 to take the lead. Johnson made a low pass in Turn 4 on Lap 27 to grab second, and a red flag flew for Fuson's flip in Turn 4. On the restart, Johnson, Ray and Liggett went three-wide exiting Turn 2, but Johnson maintained the lead on the outside by the time they completed the lap. As Johnson led the final lap, Ray made a slide job pass stick in Turn 2 to steel second from Liggett. Johnson went on to score the well-earned victory ahead of Ray, Liggett, Shannon McQueen, Max Adams, David Prickett, Troy Rutherford, Blake Bower, Troy Morris III and Ron Hazelton. 

There were 20 Midgets from both USAC and BCRA. Johnson had the quickest lap of 12.803, beating the 12.900 of McQueen. The 10 lap heat race wins went to Troy Rutherford, Fuson and Bower.

Ricky Childress Jr won the 25 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. He charged quickly from the fifth row to grab the lead within eight laps. Mark McCaslin set the early pace ahead of Jimmy Irwin. By the second lap, Childress was already in third, and he made a low pass in Turn 3 on Lap 4 to take second from Irwin. Nick Coffman gained third when the yellow flag waved on Lap 7 for Irwin. On the restart lap, Childress got a good run on the inside and took the lead from the McCaslin. By the 10th lap, Childress held a straightaway advantage over McCaslin, and McCaslin stalled in Turn 3 on Lap 12 with a right front flat tire. Childress continued to lead the restart as Steven Johnson settled into second. However, a low pass in Turn 2 on Lap 14 gained Kyle Wood second. Childress again pulled away to a huge lead that he would take the checkered flag. Wood finished second ahead of Stephen Johnson, last starter Teena Johnson, Travis Avila, Brooke Cimental, McCaslin, John Flipppen, Coffman and Irwin. Childress and McCaslin won the eight lap heat races.

Antony Sly won a wild and crash-shortened 15 lap American Stock Main Event. The race started 11 competitors, but only three took the checkered flag. The race was restarted after Mason Conway lost a wheel in Turn 2. Antony Sly led the restart ahead of Josh Yadon. However, Ryan Little and James Williams tangled to bring out a yellow flag. Sly continued to lead the restart as Andrew Johnston made an outside pass on the frontstretch as they completed the lap to take second from Yadon. The yellow flag waved on Lap 7 as Clay Waters got into the back wall. After the yellow flag waved, Steve Johnson and Johnston got together at the start-finish line. Sly continued to lead Johnston and Yadon on the restart, but a yellow flag waved a lap later after contact from Johnson sent Mark McCaslin spinning, collecting Kody Sly. Johnson was penalized at that point as his race ended with the other two drivers in the incident. At that point, officials cut the race from 20 laps to 15. Antony Sly continued to lead Yadon and Johnston. A low pass in Turn 2 on Lap 13 gained Yadon the lead, and Johnston went low in Turn 4 to take second from Sly before the lap was completed. A lap later, Stephen Lawler made a Turn 4 pass on Sly to gain third. After taking the white flag, things got crazy when Johnston hit the Turn 2 wall after a little bit of contact with Yadon. Yadon lost a wheel in Turn 3, collecting Lawler in the process. Brian Neufeld moved by to get the lead, but the yellow flag was out at that point. Only three cars were left, and Antony Sly was put back into the lead as he was in front of Neufeld before the yellow flag waved. Antony Sly would lead the final lap to win ahead of Neufeld and Andrew Johnston. The rest of the Top 10 didn't finish the race as Lawler was scored fourth, followed by Yadon, Williams, McCaslin, Kody Sly, Steve Johnson and Water. The eight lap heat race wins went to Colby Ward and Kody Sly.

Jason Denman won the 15 lap Kern County Hardtop Main Event. On the opening lap, Denman went on the outside of Travis Mason and Rich Souza to grab the lead, and he never looked back. Souza made a low pass exiting Turn 4 on the second lap to grab second. During the first half of the race, Souza was trailing Denman by about four car-lengths. When Souza got sideways exiting Turn 4 on Lap 8, Denman pulled away even further. Denman lapped Thomas Sommerfield on the 13th lap and went on to score the victory ahead of Souza, Mason and Sommerfield. Souza won the eight lap heat race. Tyler Weeks scratched prior to the heat race and Jason Stanphill was a Main Event scratch.

Racing resumes next Saturday night with the IMCA Modifieds back in action along with the IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, American Stocks and Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.bakersfieldspeedway.com. The USAC Western States Midgets will co-sanction another race with BCRA at Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford on April 10th. For further information, go to www.usacracing.com.
 

Scelzi, Gardner Win Big Money At Tulare Thunderbowl

Tulare, CA... March 27...Dominic Scelzi won the 30 lap King of Thunder Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Tulare Thunderbowl. The win netted him $3,000. Scelzi also won the $2,000 prize on Friday night, making it a $5,000 weekend for him.

Mitchell Faccinto won the six lap Trophy Dash ahead of Zane Blanchard and reigning series champion DJ Netto to put him on the pole for the big money feature race. Faccinto charged into the lead at the start ahead of Scelzi and Blanchard. However, Scelzi raced by Faccinto to take the lead on the third lap. Netto moved into third on Lap 4. The lead trio remained the same through Lap 5 and Lap 7 yellow flags. As Scelzi continued to lead the Lap 8 restart, Netto began looking for a way around Faccinto. Netto finally grabbed the second position on Lap 14, but Scelzi held a straightaway advantage by then. However, Scelzi caught slower traffic, and Netto had closed in on him by Lap 19. A Lap 20 yellow flag bunched the field, and Scelzi led Netto and Rico Abreu on the restart. Even a Lap 23 yellow flag wasn't going to stop Scelzi. He motored ahead on the ensuring restart and pulled away just a bit to the victory. Abreu raced around a Netto on Lap 26 and finished a $1,500 second. Netto settled for the $1,000 third, followed by Craig Stidham, Garen Linder, Bud Kaeding Faccinto, Blanchard, Tanner Holmes and Jake Andreotti.

27 competitors were on hand for this show, and Keith Day set the fast time of 14.338, beating the 14.423 of Corey Day. They ran three eight lap heat races with the wins going to Stephen Kent, Corey Day and Blanchard. Keith Day won the 12 lap B Main ahead of JJ Ringo, Jace Vander Weerd, Michael Pombo and Vaughn Schott.

Damian Gardner won the 30 lap Wingless 410 Sprint Car Main Event. Drivers were competing for $3,500 to win and a minimum of $450 to start. However, this was not USAC/CRA sanctioned, and only 14 drivers stuck around from Friday night to participate in this race. Gardner, a past CRA champion, finished second on Friday night.

Cody Williams set the early pace ahead of Chris Gansen and AJ Bender. Cody Williams began to pull away a little bit. Gansen had problems on the sixth lap as Bender moved into second ahead of Gardner. On the 18th lap, both Bender and Gardner had closed in on Cody Williams, and Gardner took second from Bender on Lap 20. Danny Faria Jr also moved by for third. On Lap 22, Gardner slipped by Cody Williams to take the lead. Over the remaining laps, Gardner pulled away just a little bit for the victory. Cody Williams settled for second, followed by Faria, Austin Williams, Bud Kaeding, Bender, Tommy Malcolm, Tanner Boul, Gansen and Ryan Timmons. Gardner set the fast time of 15.394, beating the 15.468 Austin Williams. The eight lap heat race wins went to Timmons and Malcolm.

Lane Taylor won the 25 lap IMCA Van De Pol Western RaceSaver 305 Sprint Car Main Event. This was the first win for Taylor, who has been running fast since the start of the season. Kyle Rasmussen set the early pace ahead of Ryan DeLisle and Friday night winner Brooklyn Holland. Following a Lap 5 yellow flag, DeLisle motored around Rasmussen to grab the lead. Holland slipped past Rasmussen for second on Lap 13 and quickly put the moves on DeLisle a lap later to assume the lead. DeLisle remained persistent and got around Holland to reclaim first on Lap 23. The complexion of the race was altered as DeLisle and Holland tangled for a Lap 24 yellow flag. Rasmussen had the lead, but Taylor charged by when racing resumed. Taylor brought it home a happy winner ahead of Rasmussen, Ryan Rocha, DeLisle, Holland, Brandon Stidham, Davey Pombo Jr, Chris Stevens, Sean Quinn and Kevin Barnes Sr. DeLisle was the quickest of 15 qualifiers with a lap of 16.059, beating the 16.351 of Rasmussen. The eight lap heat race wins went to DeLisle and Holland.

Brock Hamilton won 15 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. Cody Johnson raced into the early lead ahead of Hamilton and Renn Bane. Hamilton slipped past Johnson for the lead on the second lap. Larry Thompson and Steven Johnson shuffled Cody Johnson back to fourth on Lap 6. Hamilton ran smooth the rest of the way to pick up the victory with Steven Johnson managing to hold off Thompson for second at the checkered flag. Cody Johnson settled for fourth, followed by Bane and Brandon Whitten. Nick Johnson was a Main Event scratch. Steven Johnson won the six lap heat race.

Racing returns to Tulare on April 17th with the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars and USAC Western States Midgets in action along with the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars. For further information, go to www.thunderbowlraceway.com.


Paul, Sharp, Barnes, Stepps  
Open Dixon Speedway Season With Wins 

Dixon, CA...March 27... Cameron Paul won the 25 lap Wingless 600 Micro Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Dixon Speedway. This was the season opener, and Paul made his winning move in the last five laps to claim the victory.

Brandon Riveira set the early pace ahead of Cody Gray and Timothy Vaught. They ran that way through one yellow flag. Vaught saw his race come to an end on a Lap 8 yellow flag. Riveira continued to lead Gray and Kelvin Lewis on the restart. Paul was up to fourth by the time the Lap 13 yellow flag waved, and he settled into third behind Riveira and Gray on the restart. The battle at the front of the pack intensified with Paul and Gray both getting past Riveira on the 23rd lap. Paul went on to win ahead of Gray as Riveira settled for a disappointed third. Cody Bloom finished fourth, followed by Colin Kirby, Ryan Holden, Chris Parmley, Brandon Alvarado, Tyson Davis and Hayden Saich.

The Wingless Micros had a solid 29 car turnout with Paul setting the fast time on the 1/5 mile dirt oval at 11.885. Robbie Lewis was second quick at 11.906. The 10 lap heat race wins went to Austin Taborski, Gray and Vaught. Cole Patrick led all the way to win the 12 lap B Main ahead of Brett Irvine and Jarrett Heimlich. Vaught won the eight lap Trophy Dash ahead of Gray.

Izaak Sharp won the 25 lap Super 600 Main Event. Cameron Paul set the early pace ahead of Sharp. Tony Alosi took third from Caleb Debem on a Lap 2 restart. However, Paul and Sharp began to pull away from the pack. Sharp made what proved to be his winning pass on Paul for the lead on the 12th lap, but the second and final yellow flag waved on Lap 17. Sharp continued to lead Paul and Alosi on the restart. As Sharp pulled away to the impressive win, Alosi moved around Paul for second on Lap 23. Paul settled for third, followed by Travis Sullivan, Debem, Rylee Whitehouse, Brandon Alvarado and JJ Loss. Paul set the fast time of 10.790, beating the 10.812 of Sharp. Loss won the 10 lap heat race with the four lap Trophy Dash win going to Sharp.

Jett Barnes won the 20 lap Restricted 600 Micro Sprint Main Event. The division has welcomed several of the Jr Sprint competitors among its ranks this season. Barnes had a front row start and bolted into lead at the waving of the green flag. Colton Key settled into second ahead of Lucas Johnson. Reigning Jr Sprint champion Kyle Fernandez was an early fourth, and he took third from Johnson on Lap 10. A yellow flag waved moments later, and Fernandez briefly took second behind Key on the restart. However, Key went motoring past Fernandez to regain second a lap later. Barnes set a rapid pace with Key not too far behind him in second when the checkered flag flew. Fernandez made his division debut in third, followed by Kellen Harper, Johnson, AJ Nielsen, Savannah Brown, Kyle Cravotta, Adriana DeMartini and Caleb Gately. Barnes was the fast timer at 11.200, beating the 11.317 of Key. The 10 lap heat race wins went to Barnes and Key, and Barnes wrapped up a clean sweep with the six lap Trophy Dash win.

Hayden Stepps won the 20 lap Jr Sprint Main Event. Despite the fact that several drivers have moved up to the Restricted class, there were still 13 competitors for this race. Stepps started up front and raced into the lead in front of Vito Cancilla and Levi Osborne. The lead three cars remained the same throughout the race that would only have three yellow flag slowdowns. Stepps secured the victory ahead of Cancilla, Osborne, Bradley Anderson, Jackson Tardiff, Colton Hale, Aubrey Patterson, Colin Reynolds, Maya Mauldin and Heston Stepps. Hayden Stepps had the fast time of 13.263, beating the 13.388 of Cancilla. Osborne and Cancilla were the 10 lap heat race winners, and Hayden Stepps won the six lap Trophy Dash.

The Micro Sprint classes will be back in action on April 3rd. For further information, go to www.dixinspeedway.com.


Laney, Bannister, Ogden, Elliott Win Jerry Shannon Memorial
At Merced Speedway 

Merced, CA...March 27...Cody Laney won the 30 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Merced Speedway. This was the season opener at the speedway and a special occasion. It was the Jerry Shannon Memorial race, remembering the father of Co-Promoter Chris Shannon. Laney collected $2,500 for his charge from 11th starting to the victory.

Jim Pettit II had the pole position and charged into the early lead ahead of Paul Stone and Kellen Chadwick. Chadwick slipped past Stone for second on Lap 2 and set his sights on Pettit. Following a Lap 7 yellow flag, Chadwick motored around Pettit to grab the lead. Laney was third by then and took second from Pettit a lap later. Laney stalked Chadwick until making what proved to be his winning pass on Lap 14. Bobby Hogge IV worked his way up to the fourth position with Ethan Dotson in tow. 
Following a Lap 15 yellow flag, Dotson took third from Pettit. As Laney sped to the victory, Dotson made his pass on Chadwick for the $1,200 second on Lap 28. Chadwick settled for an $800 third, followed by Hogge, Robby Sawyer, reigning track champion Troy Foulger, Pettit, Friday night Watsonville winner Cody Burke, Michael Scruggs and Trevor Fitzgibbon. 

38 competitors timed in. Gavyn Manning had what appeared to be the fast time on the quarter-mile clay oval at 13.949, but he was later disqualified. This made Dotson the fast timer at 14.021, beating the 14.168 of Laney. They ran six eight lap qualifying heat races with the Top 2 drivers making the cut into the Main Event. Those wins went to Dotson, Laney, Clint Reichenbach, Stone, Austin Kiefer and Chadwick. Eight drivers made it out of the two B Mains into the big money feature race. DJ Shannon won the first 12 lap B Main ahead of Darrell Hughes II, Foulger and Fitzgibbon. Alex Stanford won the second race in front of Cody Burke, Rob Sanders and Paul Culp. 

Tyler Bannister won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. The win paid the Bakersfield competitor $1,000. Bannister shared the front row with reigning track champion Fred Ryland, but Ryland set the early pace ahead of Bannister and Billy Simkins. Trevor Clymens settled into third on a Lap 2 restart, and the second yellow flag flew on Lap 3. Ryland continued to lead Bannister and Clymens on the restart. Following a yellow flag on Lap 5, Bannister raced around Ryland for the lead on the restart. Tanner Thomas briefly got by Clymens for the third position on Lap 9, but Clymens regained the spot on Lap 12. Bannister built a comfortable lead over Ryland and brought it home to victory. Ryland settled for a $500 second ahead of Clymens, Tanner Thomas, 17th starter Jason Nation, Chuck Weir, Nick Spainhoward, John Piker, Brian Baker and Guy Ahlwardt. 

The 32 car field ran four eight lap qualifying heat races with the Top 4 transferring into the feature. The wins went to Clymens, Tanner Thomas, Bannister and Simkins. Nation won the 12 lap B Main ahead of Chase Thomas, Austin Pugh and final transfer Baker.

Garrett Ogden scored the $300 victory in the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Ogden and Allen Neal shared the front row for the race and ran in the 1-2 positions through three yellow flags. Race Shelton held third until being overtaken by Porterville veteran Karl Noland Jr on a lap four restart. Ogden brought it home to his first victory ahead of Neal, Noland, Kristie Shearer, Dexter Long, Syd Finn, Austin Van Hoff, Jeff Lacey, Gary Hanson and Chad Ragsdale. Ogden, Neal and Long won the eight lap heat races. 

Rick Elliott won the 15 lap Valley Sportsman Main Event. In the process, the reigning division champion collected $150 for his effort. The returning Marcus Lung led some of the early laps before being overtaken by Elliott. Elliott would go on to the victory ahead of Lung. 2018 champion Jerry Cecil finished third, followed by Jason Moss, Jeff West and Mike Friesen. Dwayne Short was a Main Event scratch, and Elliott won the eight lap heat race. 

To find out what's next on the schedule, go to www.mercedspeedway.net or check out the Merced Speedway Facebook page.


Carrick Kicks Off Sprint Car Challenge Tour Season 
With Placerville Win

Placerville, CA...March 27...Tanner Carrick won the 35 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night as Placerville Speedway held their first race the season. This was also the season opener for the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour, Presented by Abreu Vineyards. Carrick's win came aboard the CVC Concrete sponsored Sprinter.

Carrick earned the outside front row starting position for the Main Event following his second place finish to Sean Becker in the six lap Trophy Dash. He set the pace from the start with Becker in second and Justin Sanders third. A Lap 7 red flag waved after Michael Ing flipped. Justyn Cox and Sanders shuffled Becker out of the Top 3. Another red flag waved a lap later after Trent Canales and RJ Smith tangled. Carrick continued to lead Becker and Sanders on the restart. A Lap 14 yellow flag flew for Ryan Robinson. The raced failed to get restarted after another yellow flag flew for Sanders, who's race came to an end at that point. Carrick continued leading the restart, and Becker ended up in second as a lap 16 yellow flag waved for the end of the race for Cox. Carrick led Becker and Ryan Bernal on the next restart. Bernal briefly got around Becker for second, but he came to a stop in Turns 1and 2 on Lap 28 for a yellow flag. Carrick led Becker and Chase Majdic on this restart. However, a lap didn't get recorded before contact sent Andy Gregg flipping. Carrick led the final restart ahead of Becker and Majdic, and they finished in that order at the checkered flag. Willie Croft finished fourth, followed by Kalib Henry, Jodie Robinson, Cox, Greg DeCairies V, Tristan Guardino and Colby Copeland. 

There were 37 Sprint Car competitors for this event, and they qualified in their different heat race groups. Blake Carrick had the fast time among Group #3 at 10.641 with Tanner Carrick coming out in the fourth group and setting second quick time at 10.643 on the quarter-mile clay oval. 10 lap heat race wins went to Bernal, Andy Forsberg, Cox and Sanders.  Joel Myers Jr won the 15 lap B Main. Trent Canales led a lap before Myers and Jodie Robinson got by for the first two positions. Myers would go on to win ahead of Robinson. Guardino made a Lap 10 pass on Canales to finish third as Canales and Steven Ingraham completed the Top 5.

Eric Greco Jr won the BCRA Lightning Sprint Main Event. Greco started on the pole and raced into the early lead. Greg Dennett settled into second on Lap 5 with Craig Holsted following him into third. Holsted moved past Dennett for second on Lap 12, and Dakota Albright gained third on Lap 15. Holsted kept it reasonably close, but Greco prevailed at the checkered flag. Albright settled for third, followed by Dennett and Harlee Aguilera. The eight lap heat race wins were earned by Hunter Kinney and Albright.

The Hunt Wingless Sprint Series comes to town next Saturday along with the Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Pure Stocks and Mini Trucks. For further information, go to www.placervillespeedway.com. The next race for the Sprint Car Challenge Tour is set for Petaluma Speedway on April 24th. For further information on the group, go to www.sprintcarchallengetour.com.


Thomson, Ensign, Corder Grab Antioch Speedway Wins

Antioch, CA...March 27...Geoff Ensign won the 30 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. This division was not originally scheduled, but management added them on Monday in place of the Winged 360 Sprint Cars. This resulted in a respectable 15 car turnout. Past Watsonville and Petaluma 360 Sprint Car champion Ensign was piloting the Ted Finkenbinder owned Sprinter.

Ensign turned in an impressive performance, starting with the fast time of 13.959 on the quarter-mile clay oval. Two-time Antioch champion Bob Newberry was second quick at 14.193. Ensign won his eight lap heat race ahead of Jacob Tuttle. Braidon Moniz outran two-time Antioch champion Bob Newberry to win the second heat, and reigning Petaluma champion Daniel Whitley picked up the third heat race win over Dylan Bloomfield. Ensign and Braidon Moniz shared the front row for the Main Event. Ensign was rattling off laps a half a second quicker than his nearest competitor. By the time the checkered flag waved, he held a straightaway advantage over Braidon Moniz. Bloomfield charged from the third row to finish right behind Moniz for the third place finish. Whitley finished fourth, followed by Ryon Siverling, Sheldon Moniz, Jeff Scotto, Tony Bernard, James East and Josh Gillis.

James Thomson won the 25 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Thomson won the championship last season with several second place finishes, but he had no wins. This win was particularly satisfying to James and his team. Thomson started in the third row inside and worked his way to the front of the pack. Meanwhile, Gavin Griffiths started in the sixth row. While Thomson was getting the win, Griffiths was enjoying his best ever finish in second, followed by Jeff Bentancourt, Colton Haney, previous winner Larry McKinzie Jr, Aiden Ponciano, James Graessle, Michaela Taylor, Misty Wellborn and the returning Tom Leopold. Mckinzie, Ponciano and Jon Haney won their respective eight lap heat races as there were 24 drivers present. Sporting the paint job and #71a made famous by Debbie Clymens, Taylor won her first ever heat race.

Chris Corder won the 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event. Corder is a three-time Merced Speedway champion and one-time Chowchilla title winner. After missing the eight lap heat race due to mechanical issues, Corder came back to start in the third row for the feature race. Petaluma champion Tom Brown won the heat race and led the Main Event early as Corder quickly moved in to challenge. Corder overtook Brown and went on to victory with Brown settling for second ahead of Laina Bales, Trevor Jolley and Eddie Humphrey III. Dana Gardner was a Main Event scratch.

Jim Freethy won his second-straight 15 lap Super Stock Main Event. The division did a little better on this occasion with four starters, and Freethy was challenged by two-time division champion Kimo Oreta, who finished second to him in both the feature race and the eight lap heat. Joey Ridgeway settled for third in the Main Event as Jason Robles made his division debut in fourth. 

Next week, the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and IMCA Stock Cars are back in action along with the Delta Dwarf Cars. Tickets are still available. To find out more about that, go to the Antioch Speedway by PROmotions Facebook page or www.antiochspeedway.com. The race will be available on internet pay-per-view at www.antochspeedway.tv.
 


When: Saturday, April 3rd

Who: IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, Delta Dwarf Cars.

What: The IMCA sanctioned action returns, and the battles are just getting started. Kellen Chadwick prevented Jim Pettit II from winning his second-straight IMCA Modified race last time out. Pettit settled for second in the 21 car field. Likewise, Fred Ryland was prevented from two in a row by KC Keller in the IMCA Sport Modified race as he settled for second in a field of 27 cars. Garrett Corn looked impressive in holding off Travis Dutra and Kellen Chadwick to win the IMCA Stock Car race last time out as 14 drivers competed. Two-time Dwarf Car champion Danny Wagner had too good of a lead to be stopped as Kevin Miraglio settled for second last time out.

Why: Fans are being allowed in the stands. Check the track's website for more details as tickets may still be available, but they are going fast. Pettit leads Chadwick by two points and Bobby Hogge IV by five in the early IMCA Modified point battle. The IMCA Sport Modifieds are being led by Guy Ahlwardt by one point over Trevor Clymens and two over Todd Gomez. Reigning Watsonville Hobby Stock champion Joe Gallaher holds a one-point lead over Austin Van Hoff and a four point advantage over Renn Bane in the IMCA Stock Car battle. Miraglio leads Dennis Gilcrease by 16 points and Jack Haverty by 18 in Dwarf Car competition. A good turnout of cars is anticipated this Saturday.


Where: Ocean Speedway www.racepmg.com

When: Friday, April 2nd

Who: Taco Bravo Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks

What: The Ocean Sprint Cars, presented by Taco Bravo, were running against a big money show further south last week, and yet they still delivered 27 cars. All five divisions featured last week delivered double-digit car counts, and that's expected to be the case again this week. We are getting our first look of the season at the IMCA Sport Modifieds, which are coming off of a really good year in terms of driver support. Adriane Frost beat Gavin Espino for that division's championship, and we might see Adriane in both a Hobby Stock and Sport Modified this week. Frost finished second in last week's Hobby Stock race, but she was unable to overtake eventual winner Joe Gallaher.

Why: The track has been able to get coverage on www.floracing.com, but the announcement should be made very soon regarding fans in the stands. Keep an eye on the track's website. Justin Sanders dominated the Sprint Car show last week in winning ahead of Placerville winner Tanner Carrick and Justyn Cox. Sanders will have stiffer competition if he expects to get his second-straight victory. Cody Burke got his title defense off to a good start by out-running brother Austin to win the IMCA Modified feature last week. Several drivers are knocking on the door to Hobby Stock victory, and a few to keep an eye on include Norm Ayers, Jerry Skelton and Enduro star Ken Winland. Skeleton led several laps last week before mechanical issues sidelined him.


Where: Siskiyou Golden Speedway www.siskiyougoldenspeedway.com 

When: Saturday, April 3rd

Who: IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks, Jefferson State Jalopies

What: With the IMCA Modifieds not on the schedule this year, the IMCA Sport Modifieds have taken the mantle as the headline division at the track. Most of the races this year will include both the Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks in the lineup. The record shows that Mike Medel was crowned by IMCA as the Sport Modified champion last season ahead of the previous champion and local star Ethan Killingsworth. Over the last few years, Medford champion David Steele has dominated the Mini Stock ranks, and he won the division championship last year. The Jefferson State Jalopies are the brainchild of Karl Bernstein and JJ Smith, who have built all of the cars so far.

Why: It's a back to basics season for the Yreka track this year. The Sport Modifieds should see an increase in car count for the opener with visitors coming in from Medford and possibly from as far south as Marysville. The Mini Stocks are now the longest continuously running division in the lineup, and past champions Marilyn Yawnick and Mike Whitaker are at the forefront of the top local contingent. Yawnick also drives a Jalopy and was the champion in 2019. Smith won it last year. The Smiths/Bernstein team is close to premiering their fifth Jalopy creation. After last Saturday's successful playday, management just announced that they can have 20% capacity in the grandstands for the opener.


What: Madera Speedway www.racemadera.com, free live broadcast www.racemadera.com/shorttracktv.html

When: Saturday, April 3rd. 

Who: Nut Up Pro Late Model Series $2,000 to win, 51fifty Energy Drink Junior Late Model Series, Mini Cup/Bandolero Series

What: This is the second MavTV Series event, which is being recorded for a later televised broadcast. Carlos Vieira won a hard fought battle three weeks ago to get the Pro Late Model win. In the Junior Late Model ranks, there are several young guns jockeying for their first ever wins, and it was Kale McClenny getting his win last time out. For fans of pavement Late Model racing, it doesn't get much better than what Madera has to offer this week as these two divisions pack a potent 1-2 punch.

Why: Madera Speedway is fast becoming known as a place where future stars of NASCAR launch their careers. Since Vieira got his win in the first Pro Late Model race, the regular Madera Late Model wins have gone to Matt Erickson and Jason Aguirre, both of whom could be threats to win on Saturday night in what is sure to be a talent-filled lineup. Kercie Jung got taken out early in the Jr Late Model race last time, but the talented teen will be out for redemption when she returns this week, along with such other notables as Brody Moore, Ethan Nascimento, Brody Armtrout and Kasey Kleyn. The Mini Cup of recent Roseville winner Sam Wedehase was the fastest driver on the track last time, but the win went to the Bandolero of Logan Chambers. Caden Cordova was plenty fast last season, but can he get his first win in the class this week?


Where: Marysville Raceway www.marysvilleraceway.com

When: Saturday, April 3rd

What: Winged 360 Sprint Cars, NorCal Dwarf Cars, Limited Late Models.

What: The Sprint Cars have seen three different winners in the three races held so far. Blake Carrick picked up the big prize by holding off brother Tanner Carrick to win the Sherm and Loree Toler Memorial race. Andy Forsberg won the season opener, and the reigning division champion finished second in the next race behind Kaleb Montgomery. Marysville is always excited to open the gates to the NorCal Dwarf Cars. Reigning champion Michael "Spanky" Grenert and Ryan Winter are winners on the circuit this year, and Tommy Velasquez III grabbed the most recent Stockton win from Shawn Jones late in the race. Dan Brown Jr kicked off the Limited Late Model season with his win a few weeks ago.

Why: Last season saw several different Sprint Car feature winners, and it's looking like it could be a wide open battle for wins again this year. Forsberg may go in as the man to beat, but drivers like Caden Sarale, Shane Hopkins, Billy Wallace, Korey Lovell and Jodie Robinson are among the contenders for victory. The track is working with Placerville so that the Limited Late Model drivers don't have to choose on race night. Brown is fast, but he knows hard chargers like Rod Oliver, Jay Norton and Jimmy Ford will be out to beat him this week. The NorCal Dwarf Cars have some of the top drivers in the state, including such notables as rising star Ben Wiesz, Shawn Whitney and Brandon Shaw.


Where: Placerville Speedway www.placervillespeedway.com 

When: Saturday, April 3rd

Who: Thompson's Auto Group Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Hunt Wingless Spec Sprints, Pure Stocks, Mini Trucks.

What: This is the kickoff for the championship season. Last year, Ryan Robinson was listed as the 360 Sprint Car point leader by 30 markers over Chase Majdic. The six point races saw six different winners, but only the Carrick brothers, Tanner and Blake, made it into the Top 5 in the standings with wins. Nick Baldwin again topped the Pure Stock point list with Top 5 finishes in all six races, but he was unable to get a win in beating Clearance Holbrook III by 35 points. The Mini Truck point lead was held by Mike Miller with three wins in four races, but the consistent Kevin Tremblay was only three tallies arrears of him.

Why: Fans will again be allowed in the grandstands, and the Hunt Wingless Series is coming to town. They managed to get one Placerville appearance in last year's abbreviated season, won by Jake Morgan over Tim Sherman Jr and Bradley Terrell. Terrell won last season at Antioch and the Johnny Soares Classic at Petaluma, and Nick Robfogel was the other winner. A field of cars in the 20s is anticipated. A car count well into 20s is anticipated for the Winged 360 Sprints, making this a can't miss event for Sprint Car enthusiasts. Tanner Carrick beat an all-star cast to win the Sprint Car Challenge Tour race last week. Baldwin has won two Pure Stock races at Stockton this year, but he should see some good competition from hard chargers like Jason Palmer, Kevin Jinkerson, Les Friend and John Ewing this week. Add in the Mini Trucks, and this should be an entertaining show.


Where: Bakersfield Speedway www.bakersfieldspeedway.com

When: Saturday, April 3rd

Who: IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, American Stocks, Mini Stocks

What: IMCA sanctioned action returns this Saturday night as the IMCA Modifieds get ready for their second race of the year. Cody Laney won the season opener and picked up the victory in the Jerry Shannon Memorial at Merced Speedway last week. Likewise, track regular Tyler Bannister won the Sport Modified portion of the Jerry Shannon Memorial last week. Jason Nation was the Bakersfield season opening winner a few weeks ago. Ethan Dotson was the winner of the season opener for the IMCA Stock Cars. This will be the third event of the season for the American Stocks, and it's the second race for the Mini Stocks. Brandon Wolford won the season opener for the 4 cylinder class.

Why: Fans got to see some exciting racing last week, but the American Stocks were a bit on the crazy side. Antony Sly won that race and Steve Johnson won the first race this season, but Josh Yadon leads Sly by four points in the early battle. Reigning IMCA Modified champion Jerry Flippo will be hoping to continue the success he enjoyed at Bristol a couple of weeks ago, and a good field of Modifieds is anticipated. The IMCA Stock Cars had a good field at the opener, and hard chargers like Nick Johnson, Chad Johnson, Jeff Streeter and Wayne Dotson should make this an entertaining show. Bottom line is that Stock Car fans will enjoy what Bakersfield Speedway has planned this week.


Where: Diamond Mountain Speedway www.dmspeedway.com

When: Friday-Saturday, April 2nd-3rd

Who: IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, Northern Nevada Sprint Cars, Dwarf Cars.

What: Diamond Mountain Speedway actually succeeded in opening with fans for several races last season. They were the most successful fairgrounds track in California in that regard. Ryan McDaniel won the IMCA Modified championship by five points over past champion Riley Simmons. Craig Nieman won the IMCA Sport Modified title comfortably ahead of Colton Chew, who beat Dennis Crook by just two points for the runner-up position. Randy Boyd won the Hobby Stock crown ahead of Shayna Nieman and Robert Warf. Kate Robertson won the Mini Stock championship ahead of Anthony Hovland and past Sport Modified champion Jason Emmot.

Why: It's two nights of racing to kick off a new season. The IMCA Modifieds get $1,000 to win on both nights. Hobby Stocks get $650 to win each night and the IMCA Sport Modifieds get $400 to win. Riley Simmons (IMCA Modifieds) Philip Shelby (IMCA Sport Modifieds), Royce Goetz (Hobby Stocks) and Tom Davis (Mini Stocks) won the final races of last season. The Sprint Cars brought about 10 cars for a two-day show the week before with Trey Walters and Adam Walters scoring the victories. Dwarf Cars also got to compete on both occasions with Ben Wiesz doubling up on the wins. The track had a successful playday last weekend with several drivers representing all of the track's regular divisions.


Antioch Speedway Unofficial Race Results March 27, 2021
Hobby Stocks

James Thomson
Gavin Griffiths
Jeff Bentancourt
Colton Haney
Larry McKinzie Jr
Aiden Ponciano
James Graessle
Michaela Taylor
Misty Welborn
Tom Leopold
Jewell Crandall
Jon Haney
Anthony Vigna
Logan Fernandez
Kenneth Robles
Lori Brown
Gene Haney
Steve Torres
Angela Brown
Albert Ballinger
Adam Kujala
Jake Bentancourt DNS
Bryan LLoyd DNS
Jess Paladino DNS

Super Stock
Jim Freethy
Kimo Oreta
Joey Ridgway
Jason Robles

Wingless Spec Sprint
Geoff Ensign
Braidon Moniz
Dylan Bloomfield
Daniel Whitley
Ryon Siverling
Sheldon Moniz
Jeff Scotto
Tony Bernard
James East
Josh Gillis
Jacob Tuttle
Bob Newberry
Dylan Newberry
Jimmy Christian DNS
Roy Fisher DNS

Mini Stocks
Chris Corder
Tom Brown
Laina Bales
Trevor Jolley
Eddie Humphrey III
Dana Gardner DNS


Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results March 27, 2021
Jerry Shannon Memorial
IMCA Modifieds
A Main

Cody Laney
Ethan Dotson
Kellen Chadwick
Bobby Hogge IV
Robby Sawyer
Troy Foulger
Jim Pettit II
Cody Burke
Michael Scruggs
Trevor Fitz
Rick Diaz
Paul Culp
D.J. Shannon
Paul Stone
Clint Reichenbach
Alex Stanford
Billy Wilker
Rob Sanders
Darrell Hughes II
Austin Kiefer

B Main

D.J. Shannon
Darrell Hughes II
Troy Foulger
Trevor Fitz
Mike Shepherd
Austin Burke
Danny Roe
John Pierce
Bob Williamson
Jack Aguiar
Chris Shannon
Jeff Streeter
Harley Turner DNS

IMCA Modifieds
B Main 2
Alex Stanford
Cody Burke
Rob Sanders
Paul Culp
Raymond Keldsen Jr
Robby Jeppesen
Bryan Clark
Ricky Thatcher
Jake Mayden
Chase Aue DNS
Danny Lauer  DNS
Karl Rose DNS

IMCA Sport Modifieds

Tyler Bannister
Fred Ryland
Trevor Clymens
Tanner Thomas
Jason Nation
Chuck Weir
Nick Spainhoward
John Piker
Brian Baker
Guy Ahlwardt
Austin Manzella
Darren Thomas
Riley Jeppesen
Austin Pugh
Billy Simkins
Nathan Rolfe
Markus Frazier
Jason Bannister
Robby Claborn
Chase Thomas

IMCA Sport Modifieds
B Main

Jason Nation
Chase Thomas
Austin Pugh
Brian Baker
Tony Peffer
Dwayne Short
Richard Ragsdale
Jim Reed
Tony Hornyack
Frank Cefaliello Jr
Todd Carlock
Jason Pugh
Gavin Espino
Matt Pedroni DNS
Emali VanHoff DNS
Marshall Weaver DNS

Hobby Stocks

Derek Ogden
Allen Neal
Karl Noland
Kristie Shearer
Dexter Long
Syd Finn
Austin VanHoff
Jeff Lacy
Gary Hanson
Chad Ragsdale
Cody Brown
Xavier Baez
Race Shelton
Donald Hiser
Tim Elias
Kalob Shelton
Domossie Scoggins
Brandon Pickford DNS
T.J. Etchinson III DNS

Valley Sportsman

Rick Elliott
Marcus Lung
Jerry Cecil
Jason Moss
Jeff West
Mike Freisen
Dwayne Short DNS   


Madera Speedway Unofficial Race Results March 27, 2021
Late Models

Jason Aguirre
Shelden Cooper
Kyle Keller
Mike Shapiro
Ryan Roulette
Matt Erickson
Kasey Kleyn
Steve Schermerhorn
Willie Guthrie

MST

Shaun Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds
Haley Bugg
Aaron Reeves
Nick Thompson
Tim Kammerer
Chris Earls
Patrick Geiger

Legends Of The Pacific

Luis Tyrrell
Josh Ayers
Foryst Souza
Dylan Washburn
Josh Gross
Clayton Travels
Carlee Austin
Keith Clement
Tyler Krupa
Michael Stearns
Aaron DeJesus
Eddie Garone
Jayson Elf
Raymond Casey
Blake Borchers
Kayci Phillips
Aidan Phillips
Johnny Morrisey
Justin Lovelace
Mike Shapiro
Justin Yeager
Wyatt Sansom
Mikayla Stearns
Kevin Travels DNS

Hobby Stock

Lloyd Wren
Mike Nicks
Manny Gonzales Jr
Nick Rowe
Harley Kennealy
Drew Ries
Donny Large Jr

Mini Stocks
Danny Myrick
Jeff Durant
Shawn DePriest
Johnny Williams
Destiny Joplin
Dan Myrick
Rick Lea
57.299 miles/h

Modifieds
Adam Coonfield
Aaron Coonfield
Kayli Barker
Chris Lyons

Legends Of Kearney Bowl

Bobby Hutton
Waynne Kalustian
Ken Reichert
Joe Kirk
Tony Pereira
Curtis Taylor DNS
Kerry Christian DNS


Tulare Thunderbowl Unofficial Race Results March 27, 2021
Wingless 410 Sprints

Results are not official
1     #1 Damion Gardner
2     #44 Cody Williams
3     #17V Danny Faria Jr
4     #92 Austin Williams
5     #37 Bud Kaeding
6     #21B A.J. Bender
7     #5X Tommy Malcolm
8     #99T Tanner Boul
9     #4G Chris Gansen
10     #29T Ryan Timmons
11     #98 Verne Sweeney
12     #4 Jake Hodges
13     #21 Austin Ervine
14     #11O Ikeika OBrien

King Of Thunder Sprint Cars

Results are not official
1     #41S Dominic Scelzi
2     #57 Rico Abreu
3     #88N D.J. Netto
4     #36 Craig Stidham
5     #22L Garen Linder
6     #21 Bud Kaeding
7     #37 Mitchell Faccinto
8     #7Z Zane Blanchard
9     #18T Tanner Holmes
10     #7P Jake Andreotti
11     #2K JJ Ringo
12     #33T Tyler Driever
13     #88V Jace VanderWeerd
14     #14T Tim Estenson
15     #10F Jared Faria
16     #67 Vaughn Schott
17     #7 Steven Kent    
18     #22 Keith Day
19     #21P Robbie Price
20     #3 Kaleb Montgomery
21     #01 Mitchel Moles
22     #41 Corey Day    
23     #83 Michael Pombo    
24     #33 Tucker Worth

B Main

Results are not official
1     #22 Keith Day    
2     #2K JJ Ringo
3     #88V Jace VanderWeerd
4     #83 Michael Pombo
5     #67 Vaughn Schott
6     #14T Tim Estenso
7     #67G Grant Duinkerken
8     #6C Travis Coelho
9     #82J Steve Jaquith

IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car
Results are not official
1     #4L Lane Taylor
2     #38 Kyle Rasmussen
3     #5R Ryan Rocha
4     #15D Ryan Delisle
5     #2 Brooklyn Holland
6     #3 Brandon Stidham
7     #3P Davey Pombo Jr    
8     #69S Chris Stevens
9     #28Q Sean Quinn
10     #36B Kevin Barnes Sr
11     #5D Connor Danell
12     #36 Tyler Gray    
13     #53 Michael Pombo    
14     #31H Phil Heynen    
DNS    #1X Richard Weddle

IMCA Stock Car
Results are not official
1     #0 Brock Hamilton    
2     #26 Steven Johnson
3     #10T Larry Thompson
4     #67 Cody Johnson
5     #13 Renn Bane
6     #77X Brandon Whitten
DNS    #1N Nicholas Johnson    
                       

Stockton Dirt Track Unofficial Race Results March 27, 2021
Dirt Modifieds

Results are not official
1     #10RM Ryan McDaniel    
2     #4X Anthony Slaney
3     #23NK Nevin Kennemore
4     #30S Matthew Hagio
5     #17 Travis Westervelt
6     #23R Raymond Lindeman
7     #22L Chris Lewis
8     #81 Jimmy Ford
9     #55D Danny Malfatti    

Pro Stocks

Results are not official
1     #3D Chris Smith
2     #250 Ryan Smith
3     #2 Jesse Gonzalez
4     #12 Ryan Cherezian
5     #4T Brent Lawrence
6     #2A Donny Richardson    
7     #43K Dave King Jr

B Modifieds

Results are not official
1     #15P Andrew Pearce
2     #5 Jeremy Hoff
3     #31 Mark Squadrito
4     #2H Clarence Holbrook III

Bombers

Results are not official
1     #17 Nick Baldwin
2     #27C Brandon Carpenter
3     #22L Ashley Lewis
4     #61 Joe Ardnt
5     #03 Dakota Keldsen


Placerville Speedway Unofficial Race Results March 27, 2021   
Sprint Car Challenge Tour Winged 360 Sprint Cars
A Main

Tanner Carrick
Sean Becker
Chase Majdic
Willie Croft
Kalib Henry
Jodie Robinson
Justyn Cox
Greg Decaires V
Tristan Guardino
Colby Copeland
Michael Ing
Ryan Bernal
Andy Forsberg
Nick Larson
Kyle Hirst
Andy Gregg
Max Mittry
Ryan Robinson
Justin Sanders
Chris Masters
Blake Carrick
Joel Myers Jr
Trent Canales
R.C. Smith

B Main

Joel Myers Jr
Jodie Robinson
Tristan Guardino
Trent Canales
Stephen Ingraham
John Clark
Caden Sarale
Ashlyn Rodriguez
Isaiah Vasquez
Cody Fendley
Landon Brooks
Brian Boswell
Dustin Freitas
Jake Morgan

BCRA Lightning Sprints
Eric Greco Jr
Craig Holsted
Dakota Albright
Greg Dennett
Harlee Aguilera
Donald Trump
Cody Meyer
Kaleb Ferolito
Tyler Gerdes
Terry Bergstrom
Hunter Kinney
Jayden Meyer


Dixon Speedway Unofficial Race Results March 27, 2021
Wingless 600

Cameron Paul
Cody Gray
Brandon Riveira
Cody Bloom
Colin Kirby
Ryan Holden
Chris Parmley
Brandon Alvarado
Tyson Davis
Hayden Saich
Jarrett Heimlich
Tiimothy Vaught
Robbie Lewis
Blake Parmley
Randy Sims
Cole Patrick
Bret Irvine
Cody Jessop
Austin Taborski
Devin Osanna
Taylor DeCarlo
Aiden Bailey

B Main

Cole Patrick
Bret Irvine
Jarrett Heimlich
Aiden Bailey
Pete Piantanida
Caleb Ingle
Steve Alvarado
Derrick Patterson
Cody Parmley
Sage Bordenave
Randy Westbrook DNS

Super 600

Izaak Sharp
Tony Alosi
Cameron Paul
Travis Sullivan
Caleb Debem
Rylee Whitehouse
Brandon Alvarado
JJ Loss

Restricted

Jett Barnes
Colton Key
Kyle Fernandez
Kellen Harper
Lucas Johnson
AJ Neilson
Savannah Brown
Kyle Cravotta
Adrianna DeMartini
Caleb Gately
Peyton Whitehouse
Ryder Byrd
Clayton Valentine
Cierra Wullenwaber
Lucas Mauldin DNS

Jr Sprint

Hayden Stepps
Vito Cancilla
Levi Osborne
Bradley Anderson
Jackson Tardiff
Colton Hale
Aubry Patterson
Colin Reynolds
Maya Mauldin
Heston Stepps
Mickelina Monico
Reed Wait
Kyle Klagenberg


All American Speedway Unofficial Race Results March 27, 2021
Late Model
Main Event 1

John Moore
Aidan Daniels
Thomas Martin
Shannon Mansch
Lance Halm
Kylie Daniels
Matthew Wendt
Michael Mitchell
Rick Scribner
Kenna Mitchell
Calvin Hegje
Rich Innis

Main Event 2
Aidan Daniels
Matthew Wendt
Thomas Martin
John Moore
Lance Halm
Lane Anderson
Rich Innis
Kenna Mitchell
Michael Mitchell
Kylie Daniels
Shannon Mansch
Calvin Hegje
Rick Scribner

Modified
Eric Price Jr
Sammy Nuno
Rick Andersen
Tyler Wentworth
Luke Caper
Ralph Bailey
Jason Philpot
Jon Yourd
Cody Bailey
Mike Gorham
Josh Blackwood

Super Stock

Josh Whitfiled
Andrew Peeler
Roy Smith
Chris Paulson
Tim Walters
Garry Eisenhour
Blake Disomma
Jeremy Fritts
Andrew Kemp
Phil Wilkins
James Shelton
Brandon Diede

F4

Stephen Crook
Dennis Crook
Ray Molina
Richard Innis
Vic Theberge
Dan Cherry
Matthew Fuhs
Connor West
Stephanie Ziebell
Brandon Frantz
Nathan Cleaver DQ

Jr. Late Model
Kenna Mitchell
Lane Anderson
Trey Daniels

Minicup/Bancolero
Sam Wedahase
Colten Nelson
Bella Thomsen
Anthony Bean
Lucas Burton

BMRDA Saturday

Cole Moore
Jolynn "JoJo" Wilkinson
Brandon Varney
Gabe Sommers
Amber Balcaen

BMRDA Friday
Cole Moore
Gabe Sommers
Brandon Varney
Amber Balcaen
Jolynn "JoJo" Wilkinson


Bakersfield Speedway Unofficial Race Results March 27, 2021
USAC Western States Midgets

1. Chase Johnson
2. Davey Ray
3. Austin Liggett
4. Shannon McQueen
5. Max Adams
6. David Prickett
7. Troy Rutherford
8. Blake Bower
9. Troy Morris III
10. Ron Hazelton
11. Brody Fuson
12. Dylan Ito
13. Kyle Beilman
14. Ben Worth
15. C.J. Sarna
16. Colby Johnson
17. Terry Nichols
18. Jarrett Soares
19. Jake Vermeer
20. Maria Cofer

American Stocks

Antony Sly
Brian Neufeld
Andrew Johnston
Steven Lawler
Josh Yadon
James Williams
Mark McCaslin
Kody Sly
Steve Johnson
Clay Water
Ryan Little
Mason Conway
Colby Ward DNS

Hobby Stocks
Ricky Childress Jr
Kyle Wood
Stephen Johnson
Teena Johnson
Travis Avila
Brooke Cimental
Mark McCaslin
John Flippen
Nick Coffman
Jimmy Irwin
Dylan Wilson
shannon Duncan DNS

Hardtops
Jason Denman
Rich Souza
Travis Mason
Tom Sommerfeld
Jason Stanphill DNS
Tyler Weeks DNS 


The Editor's Viewpoint

There's a lot happening for me on a personal level lately, much of which I will keep to myself at the moment. It's not just that I don't want to draw this column out too long, but I'm also trying to figure out the all-important next move. I have a history of making decisions that have me looking back and wondering what if, and I'd really like to make it count this time. There could be some good opportunities ahead, and I just want to make the right choice for me. In the meantime, I will maintain that what we're doing here on the blog is a week to week thing. If I feel stressed, I may pull the plug on it at any time.

What's interesting is I am trying to make a few moves to establish what the DCRR Racing Media brand will be going forward. This means trying to figure out where to take the web presence and also what we should do with anything that we choose to put into print going forward. I need to finish editing the book so that it can finally be published, but there are also two or three book projects that could go into production in the not too distant future. I'm proud of the DCRR brand, because it's something I established over 30 years ago. Plus, I poured my heart into it.

For the past 11 years now, I've had the prospect of reviving Racing Wheels Newspaper presented to me on multiple occasions. I go back and forth on the topic. There's a part of me who romanticizes the idea of bringing back the newspaper that was the source for racing information for over 40 years, but I'm a realist. That same newspaper has been dormant for 15 years, and there is a significant challenge in attempting to reestablish it even at a fraction of its former glory. It wouldn't be easy, and it wouldn't be something I could do on my own.

The thing is I've had multiple conversations on the subject over the past month, and I'm receiving encouragement from the owner to pursue this. In our first conversation, I expressed an interest in possibly reviving the brand name online and with potential print on demand books that would look back on the past. There is an interest in nostalgia. Doing it this way means being able to do things at my own pace, and that's preferable to me. Doing a weekly or bi-weekly publication can get very stressful, and I don't know that I have a strong enough desire to jump back into it again. However, I do know that the owner wants to see this happen. There are reasons I'm still entertaining the idea that I won't get into here.

I decided a few years ago as I bounced this idea around in my head that the only way Racing Wheels works for me is as a newspaper, and that newspaper will find space in it to remember Gary Jacob and his significant contributions to it. Can a printed racing paper make it in 2021? There's no simple answer to that. I know everything is geared towards the internet these days, but people still want to read the stories and some even like the idea of getting something in the mail. The only point I'm making at this time is that there is an interest in reviving Racing Wheels Newspaper again, and apparently the powers that be want to put me in charge of it. The only thing I say about any opportunity in racing that I may have in the future is that I have certain needs that must be met, or it doesn't work for me.

The floodgates are opening on the 2021 season. Can you feel it? It looks like almost all of the tracks will get those gates open, and to one degree or another, they are going to have fans in the grandstands. You have to keep an eye on your track's web page, because in some cases tickets will only be available online. We're entering a time that is a bit concerning to me in which contact tracing and potential passports to do certain things could be pushed as the way forward. I don't have to tell you that I have problems with some of that, but I won't get into that here.

People have been wanting to restore some normalcy to their lives, and for some of us, a night at the races is normal. You don't have to look too far to see the talking heads of the world warning that more of this lockdown BS could be lurking around the corner. I've been hearing things here and there, which is why I put the warning out in this column. My hunch going into the year was that things would loosen up and open up more this year, and I don't see that changing. Who knows what's around the corner in 2022, but I'd say we should enjoy the spring and summer months and get back to living life. The percentages of fans in the grandstands at most places isn't much better than 25%, but it will get better.

We had a couple of big Sprint Car events happening this past weekend. The Sprint Car Challenge Tour finally got to have a point race for the first time in over a year, and they attracted 37 cars in Placerville. It's a bit under the numbers they were delivering when the series was first launched, but it's also to be expected. They were never going to maintain numbers over 50 cars at every race. I'd say getting 37 Winged Sprint Cars is still pretty damn good, especially as it seems like the rival group that was down in Tulare is stepping up their game.

If you're keeping tabs, the Sprint Car Challenge Tour had the 37 cars in Placerville, and the King of Thunder Sprint Cars delivered 28 to Tulare on Saturday. That particular race paid $3,000 to win and $350 just to take the green flag. Not surprisingly, most of the big names were there. The numbers were slightly bigger on Friday night, and what's interesting is that Tulare had Watsonville competing with them for Sprint Cars. Plus, Watsonville had 28 cars of their own. Also running both nights at Tulare were Wingless 410 Sprint Cars, and here's where it gets interesting.

The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Cars had a point race on Friday night. They had the standard $3,000 to win deal, and they brought 21 cars. Tulare booked Wingless 410 Sprint Cars on Saturday for $3,500 to win and $450 to start. I'm not sure why this wasn't negotiated as a CRA race, but it wasn't. Did the fact that the USAC Western States Midgets had a show at Bakersfield negatively impact the desire to sanction the Saturday Tulare show? It seems to me Tulare was all in, but USAC wasn't, and I find that disappointing. The end result was only 14 drivers stayed in Tulare for that kind of money for a Wingless 410 Sprint Car show.

We get into results elsewhere, but there were about 15 RaceSaver Sprints at Tulare for both nights. As I mentioned last week, it appears that some of their top drivers have moved on, but the class has some new competitors to keep an eye on. The IMCA Stock Cars hit a bit of a speed bump with only seven competitors, and I found that a bit surprising. I thought there'd be more cars coming from Bakersfield and Hanford. Occasionally, you hear the Stock Car crowd talk about wanting dates at Tulare, but a turnout like that won't put them high on the priority list with the promoter.

The Stockton Dirt Track was running their fourth of 11 stock car oriented events. Unfortunately for this race, they were going head-to-head with the season opening Jerry Shannon Memorial race at Merced Speedway. Initially, we weren't hearing that the Merced race was going to be bigger than your regular IMCA Modified/IMCA Sport Modified show, but it became a memorial race with extra money on the line. Jerry was the father of Co-Promoter Chris Shannon, and they had a special memorial lap before the races that featured just about everybody from the pits. I'm sure Jerry would have been proud.

With $2,500 on the line to the winner, the IMCA Modifieds had 38 drivers. The IMCA Sport Modifieds checked in with over 30 for their $1,000 to win race. Even the Hobby Stocks did pretty well with about 20 cars, and it was nice to see seven Sportsman competitors. I would really love to see General Manager Doug Lockwood throw in a couple of more races for the Sportsman class during the course of the season to give them an even half-dozen. The program ran right up to curfew with very few laps actually being trimmed. It was interesting to see that Lockwood got on social media on Sunday morning and apologized to the racers for the track conditions. He claimed that they weren't up to his standards and that they'd do better next time. I appreciate Doug and have a lot of respect for the way he has been doing things there. 

I am a little bit disappointed in the turnout at the Stockton Dirt Track. I had no illusions when it came to the fact that most of the top teams would be heading for Merced. However, I thought there were enough drivers between the Bay Area and the Sacramento area to give Stockton better numbers than this. I applaud Tony Noceti for offering the kind of purse money he has. He advertised $1,500 to win the Dirt Modifieds, $1,000 to win the Pro Stocks and $750 to win the B Modifieds among a nice payout, and he honored that. He ended up with nine Dirt Modifieds, nine Pro Stocks, five Bombers and four B Modifieds.

What Tony did was what good promoters do. You advertise what you're going to do and stick by that advertisement, even when the support you get is less than expected. I have been hearing how Tony is committed to establishing a stock car type of program at Stockton, which has been known more for the open wheel stuff since he opened the gates. This is the kind of thing you do when you want to be successful. One of the things I think hurts both the dirt track and the pavement track in Stockton is the media effort. I don't know who they have on media, but they can be doing more than they do to engage the racers and get people excited. I think Tony sort of hoped that some of his pavement Bomber guys would support the dirt, but that's not happening.

I'm sure he'll evaluate what he's doing and what he might want to attempt to make it better. Inevitably, it may come down to sanctioning. Most of the tracks that run the Modified classes are IMCA sanctioned, so you get left out if you don't go with that. Alternatively, there's always the NASCAR option. It might be a little more expensive to get into, but he could also put that banner over the dirt and pavement tracks. In being a NASCAR pavement track again, Stockton 99 Speedway could actually work with All American Speedway in Roseville. I hope Tony continues to do what he's doing on the dirt as I'm definitely in support of it. We'll keep monitoring the situation.

Dixon Speedway kicked off their season on Saturday night, and I don't know how it slipped under my radar. I didn't realize they were having a race until Saturday, but this is a track I have tried to keep my eye on. I'm just curious who the next crop of young drivers are. They had over 60 competitors across four divisions, and nearly half of those were from the Wingless 600 Micros. Some of these are the drivers you could see in Western Midgets or one of the Wingless Sprint Car classes in the future. The one thing that struck me on Saturday was that they didn't play around. That program was done well before 11:00 pm, which was nice to see.

I do wonder if Promoter Jeremy Prince could take a look at adding special attractions here or there. I know that when you're getting 60 or more cars on average from your regular show, you're not really thinking about messing with it too much. At one time, the track also had an Outlaw Kart program, but that fell by the wayside a few years ago. They were also booking occasional Dwarf Car and Mini Stock races, and that's something I'd like to see again. Those two classes can be entertaining on that one-fifth mile dirt oval.

There are some intriguing possibilities for special attractions, led by the Western Midget Racing group. For that matter, BCRA has been known to run on tracks this size. In addition to Dwarf Cars and Mini Stocks, there's also the California Sharp Mini Late Models. One could try to put together special events once a month with these classes, but it can be challenging to make something like this happen. Maybe you just have one or more of these divisions at your regular shows? Alternatively, a special year end race could be planned. I did like the fact that they used to kick the season off with a 100 lap Mini Stock Enduro. Maybe something like that could happen again?

The problem is, you need somebody to spearhead that. I don't know who the leader would be for the Mini Late Models, but they seem content at Merced. The Dwarf Car groups have what they have, and unless you have somebody coordinating a dozen or so guys to come to Dixon, it's difficult to make it happen. I have a hunch the Mini Stock numbers at other tracks will go up, which will make running them at Dixon more tempting. However, you kind of need to have somebody representing your track who is building cars to get people out there. Other than when the DeCarlo clan was pushing for Dwarf Cars and Mini Stocks a few years ago, I don't know that there's any push to make it happen again. I think this might ultimately be wishful thinking on my part, but I still think something different like this could work at least for special events if planned right.

Antioch Speedway had to make an adjustment last Monday to add the Wingless Spec Sprints as a replacement for the Winged 360 Sprints. This was the right call for a couple of reasons. They got a few more cars out of the deal than they would have otherwise with the other big shows happening in the state. Secondly, they didn't have to pay as big a purse as the Winged 360s would have needed. I think Chad Chadwick would rather be having Winged 360 Sprint Cars in front of fans. I also have a hunch that 2022 at Antioch Speedway will see at least one big traveling Winged Sprint Car series visit.

The Hobby Stocks were Hobby Stocks, and they delivered a couple dozen competitors. It's neat to see a new crop of frontrunners battling for the win out there as some of last year's drivers have moved on to other classes. There were six Mini Stocks, which is a little bit better than what they had at the start of last season. We'll call that progress. I know Chad feels that it's important to have this class as a gateway to get new drivers into the fold. 

I can't help but think he was disappointed with the four Super Stocks that turned out on Saturday. I don't know what the answer is here. My move would have been to contact Rick Faeth at Petaluma and work out some sort of series between Antioch and Petaluma for their Super Stock classes, but I don't know if that is ultimately the answer. It would help with car count on some occasions though. At some point, we may just see the end of this division. It's been 20 years now, and the IMCA Stock Cars appear to be in the process of taking their position on the roster.

Schedules will be in flux, and adjustments will be made at the last minute. That's just how it goes these days. The thing I'm noticing at Antioch is on those IMCA nights, car count isn't a concern. They pretty much know they're going to get Modifieds and Sport Modifieds. You almost want to have Dwarf Cars and Hobby Stocks anchoring the other nights and move the Spec Sprints around accordingly. The problem is, there are big Spec Sprint shows happening that I know Chad doesn't want to book over. It can be a real pain in the butt to be a promoter trying to schedule a season and not step on the toes of neighboring promoters. Even when you try not to, it still happens. What can you do?

What you see here is why some promoters cultivate as many divisions as they can under their own brand. The more divisions you have, the more you can shuffle things around and still make sure the fans get plenty of cars for the show. Antioch is fortunate enough to have five divisions that are most likely going to deliver double digit car counts. The nice thing is I think the IMCA Stock Cars and Mini Stocks will both get there rapidly as well, and then you can breathe a little bit easier in knowing that you're going to give the fans a decent car count no matter what you book. That's particularly challenging at Antioch Speedway, where you are required to book over 30 events per year. I think that's a little bit too much, but that's what the Fair Board requires.

Madera Speedway had sort of a buffet of different divisions last Saturday. Other than the Legends of the Pacific with two dozen competitors, the only thing that hit double digits was the Late Models. Even with about a half a dozen cars each in three of the divisions, this was an entertaining show. Promoter Kenny Shepherd has made good on his word that he will give these broadcasts away for free to the fans on the track's YouTube page, even as they are about ready to welcome fans back into the grandstands again. How cool is that? Business-wise, I am not so sure it's the smartest move, but it is cool. I figure if Kenny is going to give it away like that, I'm going to keep watching it and hyping up the show.

I thought there might be more of those 602 Modifieds when I read the schedule. I think Madera is another one of those places where the schedule will be adjusted on the fly. They did have about a half dozen of those cars, but this wasn't one of his newly announced Mission Foods Modified Triple Crown Series races. What it was was an opportunity for the drivers to try different rules packages to see how the cars competed with each other. Even with only four cars running the Main Event, it still managed to be entertaining to watch.

I'm pleased to see that the MST class and the Mini Stocks are running separately. Actually, the old Toyota Sedan class seems to have disappeared, and the Mini Stocks are running a rules package similar to that of the West Coast Sport Compacts. There were five WCSC drivers supporting the two locals, and the Mini Stock race managed to be very entertaining. I like seeing Dan Myrick and the group supporting this effort. He's been pushing for promoters to go under the rules that he's created, and he does try to make visits to various tracks on off nights for the WCSC when he can. They will have a series race there later this season.

I do like those 4 cylinder Modified Super Toyotas. They are pretty similar to the I-4 Modifieds that they ran at Lakeport starting in the late 1990s. When you get enough of these cars, you get an entertaining race. There were eight of them, but the Reynolds brothers found their way to the front of the pack quickly. I've got my eye on Haley Bugg. I won't be surprised to see her get a win. I was happy to see a half-dozen Hobby Stocks. I know that these drivers were also using different rules packages, but just having six cars on the track instead of a couple is an improvement.

The thing about the Madera program is you know that when they do the MavTV Series Nut Up Pro Late Models and 51fifty Energy Drink Junior Late Models, as they will be doing on Saturday, you're getting a car count. You're getting a heck of a show, which also gets televised later in the year. However, you want to see the track cultivating other divisions that have more than a few cars. 

What I like is that you can tell that Kenny Shepherd sees this too and is doing his best to shore up the support in the other classes. I appreciate Kenny, and it's nice to see a man who does care about the sport, bringing in the next generation and keeping his fans involved. As I said, I feel like I should be supporting the Madera effort if I'm going to be here at the desk and they are putting their broadcast out there for free. I also say, support companies like Mission Foods, Nut Up Industries and 51fifty Energy Drink for the support they give to this race track.

If I might segue to the vintage side of things, this is something that interests me. At some point, I'm moving on to my nostalgia books, and I'm thinking about creating some sort of nostalgia racing presence online. The Legends of Kearney Bowl were at Madera, while the Kern County Hardtops were at Bakersfield and the Valley Sportsman division made an appearance at Merced. There were seven Legends of Kearney Bowl Super Modifieds, but five made the call for their exhibition race. They are racing and do take a checkered flag, but it's exhibition racing. What you can't do is fire up these old guys about racing, because they don't want to hear about that. They go at their own pace and have fun, and these are still some beautiful race cars.

I think I heard Kenny make the remark as he announced about how cool it would be to see some of the current crop of racers behind the wheel of cars like these and actually racing. I agree with that sentiment. I would never want to force the Legends of Kearney Bowl to be anything they don't want to be, but it's a big racing world. If you could get a half a dozen or more guys that wanted to race respectfully, I'd be all for it. There have been movements in the past few years to do something. Unfortunately, the people leading those efforts are just not the people you want in charge. Those movements have stalled as a result.

I have been a little bit concerned about the future of the Kern County Hardtop group. To me, they are the most authentic of the Hardtops anywhere on the West Coast. These guys are not putting trick equipment into their race cars. They're not worried about going out there and setting speed records, but they do race each other. For a few years, they were keeping points and crowning champions. Unfortunately, the people who got that movement started over a decade ago have passed away or moved on. In recent years, Mark and Matt McCaslin have sold their cars, and James Bradburn has sold his car as well.

I couldn't tell you who the leader of the Kern County Hardtops is these days. Much like the Northern California Hardtop effort, you don't see much social media activity. There's not a lot of talk or promotion, which to me is very frustrating. There were six drivers who showed up for Bakersfield, which was two more than they had in their last race last year. I'll call that a push and keep an eye on the next race. I hope they get enough people involved in this effort to keep them going at Bakersfield Speedway and Kern Raceway for years to come, but we'll see what happens.

I was delighted to see seven Sportsman competitors show up at Merced. They were only booked four times this year, which disappoints me. This is the class I grew up with, and I love these race cars. I know of at least a dozen Sportsman cars that have competed in the last two years, and there are probably a half-dozen more cars sitting idle. You don't need to book the Sportsman division every week. In fact, that's not smart. The way I see it, giving these guys a race a month or about seven or eight races a year is plenty. Give them time to get their cars fixed and keep them going.

It should be pointed out that the Valley Sportsman division isn't just going around in circles for exhibition purposes. I don't know if they are keeping points for them this year, but they've kept points for the class at Merced in all but one season since 1999. That was 2015 when the promoter decided to pull the plug on the point standings mid season. They even got $150 to win as part of the Jerry Shannon Memorial. I want to see somebody down there in the valley pushing this thing and keeping it alive. These cars are just so unique, and to me cars like the Sportsmans, Hardtops and Super Modifieds blow everything else away in terms of the look of the cars.

I also like that the Sportsman division does its own thing and the Hardtops do theirs. I'm not really in favor of running the two divisions together on any sort of regular basis, although I know the Sportsman division is welcome at Antioch for all five races this year. I do like the idea of having a big blowout race at the end of the year where the drivers in the two groups can compete against each other. However, both divisions need to do their own thing to keep their ranks bigger and stronger.

In a couple of weeks, the California Hardtops will get going at Marysville Raceway. Supposedly, there's a Bay Area movement and a Northern California movement, but you don't hear a lot from the Bay Area contingent. It's not like they are putting their best foot forward and saying, "We are the Bay Area Hardtops." The Bay Area now has about a dozen Hardtops in various states of repair, and the California Hardtop group has even more. I think the roster actually is over 30 combined between the two groups. I'd just like to see a little bit better leadership in helping present and build on what is here. That's what got me thinking about what I might want to do with my internet effort in the future.

I would also like to see some sort of Vintage Classic re-established again. When Bill MacAnally took over Roseville, the Vintage Classic race was shown the gates. I don't know if it's Bill's fault or whose fault, and I really don't care at this point. The bottom line is there should be an event where the Vintage Super Modifieds, Hardtops, Sportsmans, Vintage Midgets and Vintage Sprint Cars can gather for a weekend and have fun. The Vintage Classic was originally established to celebrate the heritage of West Capitol Speedway. I'd like to see it brought back, and you can celebrate the heritage of other venues as well. If they can't do it at Roseville, why not Stockton or Ukiah or Madera?

Another honest question. Why does it have to be on a pavement track? I'd just love to see a weekend event dedicated to these classic race cars. Granted, some of the fans these days don't seem to care so much about these cars, but I think you could attract enough interest to make it work. What's interesting was there were people willing to invest money to save the Vintage Classic a few years ago, and I know these were people who could have made it happen. Unfortunately, it didn't come to pass. I'd hate to think that time has run out on this event and it can't be put back on the map again, but that may be the case.

The news is good at Siskiyou Golden Speedway. Promoter Kevin Barba just announced that they got approval for 20% fan capacity when they open the gates on April 3rd. I'm still a bit grumpy at the fact that the track couldn't schedule the minimum four races needed to have an officially acknowledged IMCA championship for the Modifieds. I'm not buying the excuses as to why that didn't, especially since they booked four Limited Sprint races. They don't even have their own Limited Sprint class, although it looks like they are hoping to siphon the class from Medford. Depending on where things go at Medford, that could end up happening, and it's a shame.

They can have fans in the stands in Yreka, but the fans aren't going to come in big numbers if you don't give them enough of a show on the track. That's the bottom line. Given the current disarray in Medford, Yreka managed to grab several Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars dates, which will help them. There will be quite a few nights when the Dwarf Cars or the Outlaw Pro Stocks will be there, taking some of the pressure off of the IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks. The Sport Modifieds now get headline status, but the track only has to pay them $300 to win, rather than $500. It's a matter of economics.

The pay scale was just released, and the idea of getting more than 12 cars netting the Sport Modifieds $500 to win appears to be out the window. They are at $300 to win no matter what unless they have a special race planned. The Limited Sprints could see $700 to win if they reach 10 cars and will get a minimum of $300 to win at five cars or less. In between that is $500 to win, but in any case they only get $50 to start. You're going to have a hard time convincing some of those Sprint Car drivers to come race for anything less than $100 to start. My other purse observation is they should pay the Mini Stocks all the way through the field, even if it's just $20 to start. Those guys are racing too. Currently, they only pay half the field.

I'm not convinced that the Jefferson State Jalopies are that great of a division when only two people are building the cars out of their shop. They should be debuting a fifth car, but without other people getting involved in building cars, this thing won't go anywhere. I get why the track would have them. I don't think they get paid a purse, and having four or five cars on the track still gives the fans something to look at. 

Since the track doesn't really have a big purse budget and they do need cars, I'm not sure why they couldn't tack on a Hornet division and Hobby Stock class and see if they can get any interest. At various times, the promoter has asked people if they were interested, but people aren't really going to jump on board until they see the promoter is serious about it. At any rate, I'm glad Yreka is opening this week with fans, and I'll try to include them in what I do here.

I've had some interesting conversations lately about opening a race track. Actually, you'd be surprised at how many tracks are still out there in various states of repair in California, Oregon and Washington. I could go very long in talking about this subject if I focused on all three states, but I have looked a little more intently at Washington lately. They've had bad luck in keeping tracks open there in recent years, and it looks like they're going to lose Yakima Speedway next. What's interesting is you can look on the map and see that Tri City Speedway in West Richland, the track in Ephrata, Washington and Jackson Prairie Speedway in Chehalis are all sitting there.

Tri City is a track that I remember back in the NASCAR Regional point days of the late 1980s and early 1990s. We'd hear about drivers like Tom Pinkowski and Bob Fox, and that was one of the tracks the guys went to. I think I remember hearing something about Ephrata, but Prairie Valley Speedway almost slipped under the radar. The owner built the track as a dirt track initially for Outlaw Kart practice. Towards the end of the 1990s, they started racing there, but they eventually paved the track. It was just a little mom and pop track that was on a moderate piece of land.

The track is credited as a place where the Focus Midgets got going in Washington, although I think they were using a different name. They ran 6 cylinder Modifieds, Mini Stocks and Hornets. I don't think they got a big car count in anything, although the Hornets did get double digits. I'm told that this track, while it was still dirt, could have rivaled the track in Deming, Washington as a Micro Sprint hub, but it went the pavement route. 

The promoters basically were just trying to give the local racers a place to go, and they weren't doing it for the money. They were doing it for family. To illustrate that, they didn't sell alcohol at the facility and they didn't sell billboard signs. When it looked like the place might close about 5 years before it did, the racers finally convinced them that they'd be willing to pay more to go racing and that the promoter should sell signs. At least they got a few more years out of it. But over a decade ago they rezoned the land to grow trees. To this day, the track is surrounded by them. I'm told there's a way to bring the track back to life as it's been 10 years. It's a bit complicated to explain here. I'm not sure there's any desire to reopen the gates there at this point, but I guess you never know.

When it comes to opening closed tracks or establishing new ones, nothing happens without a master plan and the desire and effort to put that plan in motion. When I look at the state of Oregon, I know that there's a few potential spots to open the gates on a 10th race track, and I may have some conversations with people who have a desire to see it happen. On one level, the state of Oregon racing frustrates me for reasons that I won't get into here. On the other hand, it's racing. If I could play any sort of part in getting a track open, I'd love to do that. There is a certain appeal for me when it comes to establishing a whole new tradition at a track. In a way, I was a part of that at Chowchilla, but I didn't truly appreciate it at the time.

When I wrote Just A Kid From The Grandstands in August of 2013 after a lengthy phone conversation with Mike McCann, all I was doing was talking about how it all started for me in the sport. I was a decade away from it, and I wasn't entertaining the idea of going back just yet. However, talking with Mike got me thinking about those days. I was just a little kid, and I remember going to the track with my dad and my sister. I remember watching all of these Sportsman racers who were larger than life to me. I remember cheering as loud as I could for Len Mello.

Around the block from where I lived was a guy named Marion Heaton. He wasn't a front of the pack racer, but he was a Sportsman racer. That made him one of my heroes. Sportsman racer Dan Hatfield used to be there all the time, and there were a few other racers from the division who would stop by. Marion used to let me hang out in the garage with them, and I thought that was just the greatest thing in the world at the time. At some point, Dave Oswald showed up there with the old Rich Oagle car. That car was built by one of the oldest DCRR supporters, Michael Burch, which is something I didn't necessarily know at the time.

Dave had raced Antioch before. He was a Stock Car racer, and I didn't realize he was also a good friend of Jerry Garner. He put that paint job on the car with the #03a, and he was a Top 10 driver in 1980. Unfortunately, an encounter with Al Nordstrom on the front straightaway left Dave with a severely damaged chassis, and he dropped out after that. I don't know how many more times I saw him after that, but I do remember being in that garage with Dave, Dan and Marion. Just being around the racers enforced my desire to be involved in the sport. It had a profound impact on me at the time.

I just found out that Dave passed away. I knew he wasn't doing well, but I'm still sad to hear that. What's interesting is when I made my first steps back to Antioch Speedway in 2015, the first racing people that I talked to that night were Dave and Jerry. I had spent the whole night standing at the fence just watching the pit activity, and I hadn't talked to anybody else. As I'm standing at the gate waiting for them to open it, Jerry is looking over at me and talking to Dave. He sends Dave over and Dave asks if I'm who they think I am. I didn't realize I was talking to Dave Oswald initially, but it was so cool to come full circle. I told Dave that I remembered those days back at Marion Heaton's house.

At any rate, I'm glad he is no longer suffering. As I'm writing this, I'm also informed that Bobby Hogge II passed away. Bobby was one of the original racers when Watsonville Speedway opened in 1960. He and Joe Bailey were obviously inspirations in getting Bobby Hogge III to go racing, and we all know what he and Bobby Hogge IV have accomplished. The Hogge family has always raced together, and they've suffered through a couple of losses this off season. It wasn't that long ago that Bailey passed away. So basically, I want to offer my condolences to the Hogge family and the Oswald family.

On that note, I will end this column. Until next time...