Antioch Speedway, Madera Speedway, Marysville Raceway, Stockton Dirt Track, More

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Chadwick, Keller, Corn, Wagner 

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Antioch, CA...March 20...Kellen Chadwick won the 30 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. Chadwick started on the second row behind Aaron Crowell and Danny Malfatti. He didn't waste much time getting the lead. From the third row inside, Jim Pettit II quickly bolted into second. Crowell held third through four yellow flags during the first 10 laps. It was on a Lap 9 restart that Bobby Hogge IV got around Crowell for third. Chadwick would go on to win with Pettit and Hogge in close pursuit. From 12th starting, Dylan Thornton ended up fourth, followed by Randy Shafer, Crowell, reigning champion Troy Foulger, Carl Berendsen II, Matt Hagio and Bobby Motts Jr. There were 21 competitors, and the three eight lap heat races were won by Pettit, Chadwick and Buddy Kniss. 

Past champion KC Keller won the 25 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Keller had the pole position for the race and bolted ahead at the start. Third row starter Tommy Fraser and fifth row starter and previous winner Fred Ryland made a mad dash towards the front of the pack. By the 10th lap, Keller was leading Fraser and Ryland as Randy Brown ran strong in fourth. A yellow flag waved for a spin in Turn 4 on lap 10. As Keller continued to lead the restart, Ryland got past Fraser for second. Fraser, Guy Ahlwardt and Brown enjoyed a spirited duel for the third position. Ahlwardt grabbed the spot on a Lap 14 restart, but he surrendered it back to Fraser by Lap 20. Keller drove a flawless race and won ahead of Ryland, Fraser, Ahlwardt, Brown, 18th starter Trevor Clymens, Tyler Bannister, Todd Gomez, Mark Garner and Andrew Pearce.

A strong turnout of 25 Sport Modified competitors came to compete, and the eight lap heat race wins went to Ryland, Cooper, Ahlwardt and Haley Gomez. Front row starter Andrew Pearce picked up the win in the 14 lap B Main ahead of Jacob Mallet Jr, sixth row starters Tyler Bannister and Mark Garner and Gavin Espino. 

Garrett Corn won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. There were 14 competitors as a mixture of locals, Merced drivers and Hanford area competitors were on hand. Merced racers Corn and Austin Van Hoff battled with reigning Watsonville Hobby Stock champion Joe Gallaher early on. Van Hoff held the lead with Corn getting second following a Gallaher spin on Lap 4. Van Hoff led Corn on the restart, but Corn took the lead two laps later. Driving the Rich Quadrelli car, Kellen Chadwick battled with Travis Dutra for the third position, and they shuffled Van Hoff back to fourth on Lap 10. Dutra held second, but a high-pass in Turn 4 on Lap 14 briefly gained Chadwick the position. Dutra went low in Turn 2 on Lap 17 to regain the runner-up spot. Corn would go on to win ahead of Dutra, Chadwick, Van Hoff, Dan Gonderman, Joe Gallaher, Jay Bryant, Renn Bane, Steve Streeter and Michael Shearer. Brock Hamilton and Chadwick won their respective eight lap heat races. 

Two-time Antioch champion Danny Wagner won the 20 lap Delta Dwarf Car Main Event. David Michael Rosa started on the inside second row, but he and Wagner quickly moved into the first and second positions ahead of 2019 champion Scott Dahlgren. A very chaotic Lap 9 restart saw Dahlgren and Kevin Miraglio crash off the back straightaway in their third place duel. Mechanical issues struck Rosa to end his race. Wagner led the next restart ahead of Sean Catucci and Jack Haverty. However, by the 13th lap, Miraglio had found his way back to third. Miraglio made a high pass in Turn 4 on Lap 18 to take second from Catucci. Nobody was stopping Wagner as he won ahead of Miraglio, Catucci, Chance Russell, Dennis Gilcrease, Dahlgren, Ellie Russo, Haverty, David Rosa and Tom Van Tuyl. There were 17 competitors with Wagner, Miraglio and Haverty winning their respective eight lap heat races. 

Scheduled to appear this Saturday night are the Wingless Spec Sprints, joined by the Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks and Super Stocks. The race will be broadcast at www.antiochspeedway.tv. For further news and scheduling information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Thorn Wins Winter Showdown 150 At Kern County Raceway

Bakersfield, CA...March 20... Derek Thorn won the Winter Showdown 150 lap Southwest Tour race Saturday night at Kern County Raceway. Thorn turned in a rather dominant performance in leading all but one lap to score the impressive victory.

28 competitors timed in for qualifying on the half-mile paved oval, and previous SWT winner Preston Peltier set the fast time of 17.526, beating the 17.542 of Dan Holtz and the 17.550 of Thorn. They ran three eight lap heat races with Christian McGhee winning the first one ahead of a fast closing Thorn. Dylan Lupton won the second heat ahead of Kyle Neveau, and recent Nut Up Pro Late Model Madera winner Carlos Vieira won the third heat in front of Jace Hansen

Thorn and McGhee shared the front row for the race with Thorn charging into the lead at the start. McGhee held second with rookie Buddy Shepherd settling into third on the fifth lap. Shepherd moved by McGhee for second on Lap 12 with Holtz taking third on Lap 16. The first yellow flag waved on Lap 22, and Thorn continued to lead Shepherd and McGhee when the race resumed. Peltier finally settled into fifth on Lap 29 and slipped past Holtz for fourth on Lap 47. On the 53rd tour, Peltier moved by McGee for third. At the Lap 75 break, Thorn lead Shepherd, Peltier, Dean Thompson and Kyle Neveau.

Thorn had his biggest challenge in the early stages of the second half of the race. Thorn led the restart with Peltier charging past Shepherd for second. A lap later, Peltier slipped past Thorn to briefly gain the lead. On the 78th lap, Peltier bobbled enough to be shuffled back to fourth by Thorn, Shepherd and Thompson. Peltier regained third on lap 83, and a lap 97 yellow flag slowed the pace. As Thorn continued to lead the restart, Peltier took second from Shepherd. The battle was for second with Shepherd again getting past Peltier on Lap 115. 

Another yellow flag waved on Lap 126. Thorn led Shepherd and John Moore on the restart. Lupton settled into third on a Lap 132 restart, but he lost the position to Jacob Gomes on a Lap 134 restart. The final yellow flag waved on Lap 143. As Thorn continued to lead the way, Lupton briefly grabbed second from Shepherd. Shepherd remained persistent and finally got back around Lupton for second on Lap 149. However, there was no stopping Thorn as he won ahead of Shepherd, Lupton, Peltier, Gomes, Kyle Neveau, Blaine Rocha, McGhee, Cale Kanke and Thompson.

Jeremy Doss won the 60 lap Spears SRL Modified Main Event. The race got off to a bit of a bumpy start with Eddie Secord leading Sam Jacks and Doss for a lap before the yellow flag waved. The lead trio remained the same for another lap with a yellow flag falling. On the Lap 3 restart, Secord led with Doss moving into second and Travis Thirkettle in third. Doss put the moves on Secord to take the lead on Lap 5. Doss pulled away from the pack, leaving the battle for second. Thirkettle took the position from Secord on Lap 6. Thirkettle managed to keep somewhat of a pace with Doss, but Secord was about a straightaway behind Thirkettle by Lap 27 as Jacks retired from his Top 5 position. The yellow flag waved on Lap 32. Thirkettle surprised Doss by grabbing the lead on the restart. The lead duo again pulled away from the pack as Jimmy Dickerson settled into third. Doss managed to get past Thirkettle for the lead on Lap 38. From there, Doss set a rapid pace and had a three second advantage over Thirkettle by the time the checkered flag flew. Dickerson was third, followed by Secord, Chris Dalton, Ian Elliott, Andrew Anderson, Jim Coffey, Jason Kiser and Brock Melo.

Greg Puskarich won the 25 lap Super Stock Main Event. Though they didn't have a big turnout, they did run an entertaining race that needed no yellow flag interruptions. Mike Puskarich ran just a lap before retiring from the race as Gene Fife set the early pace ahead of Paul Ebersbacher and Greg Puskarich. Greg Puskarich settled into second on Lap 2, and he followed Fife closely as they broke away from the pack. Ron Cross took third on Lap 8. On the 15th lap, Greg Puskarich went past Fife to grab the lead. Anthony Mainella moved into fourth and begin pressuring Cross before making the pass for thid on Lap 20. Greg Puskarich went on to win ahead of Fife, Mainella, Cross, Kenny Harrison, Ebersbacher and Mike Puskarich.

 

For scheduling information regarding the pavement track or the dirt track, go to www.kernraceway.com. For the latest happenings with the Southwest Tour, go to www.srlsouthwesttour.com.

Erickson Makes Late Move For Late Model Victory 

At Madera Speedway

Madera, CA...March 20...Matt Erickson won the 40 lap Madera Late Model Main Event Saturday night at Madera Speedway. For much of the race, it looked like Austin Herzog would get the win. Herzog had a front row start and charged into the lead ahead of young charger Kyle Keller and Erickson. Herzog began to pull away and held a 3 second lead by the 30th lap. Keller and Erickson were approaching traffic in their battle for second when the yellow flag waved for Jay Juleson and Mike Shapiro in separate spins. Austin Herzog continued to lead Keller and Erickson on the restart. A low pass in Turn 4 of the 32nd lap put Erickson into second, and a Turn 2 spin involving Brandon Burd forced the final yellow flag on Lap 35. Stuck on the outside for the restart, Erickson got a good run. He beat Austin Herzog back to the line to lead the lap. A lap later, Erickson cleared Herzog. Erickson went on to win with Austin Herzog settling for second. Jason Aguirre had gained third on the Lap 36 restart and finished there, followed by Keller, Juleson, Howard Holden, Aaron Mullins, Kasey Kleyn, Richard Herzog and Haley Liles. 

Austin Herzog turned the 1/3 mile paved oval with the quick lap of 15.056, beating the 15.181 of Keller. The eight lap heat race wins went to Erickson and Keller. The Junior Late Models ran an exhibition race. Kleyn led that race from start to finish ahead of Liles. Mini Cup graduate Rebecca Dubie was making her first start. Despite three spins bringing out yellow flags, she took the checkered flag in third.

Ryan Reynolds won the 30 lap MST Main Event. They had a respectable turnout of eight competitors for this show with Ryan and his reigning champion brother Shaun Reynolds sharing the front row. The race was restarted after a Nick Thompson spin in Turn 1. Ryan Reynolds raced into the lead ahead of Shaun Reynolds and Patrick Geiger. An outside pass on the backstretch on Lap 2 gained Shaun Reynolds the lead. However, the brothers dueled fiercely side by side for several laps. Eventually, Ryan made the low groove stick to regain the lead on Lap 7. Thompson spun in Turn 3 for the final yellow flag on Lap 25. Despite some pressure from his brother, Ryan Reynolds kept his cool and went on to score the victory. Shaun Reynolds settled for second, followed by Geiger, Tim Kammerer, Haley Bugg, Dave Lander, Thompson and Chris Earls. Ryan Reynolds was the quick qualifier at 16.852, beating the 16.884 of Shaun Reynolds. The two eight lap heat race wins went to the Reynolds brothers.

Mike Nicks won the 30 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. After Donnie Large Jr scratched following hot laps, there were six competitors for the race. Nathan Casillas led a lap, but Nicks found himself in the lead on Lap 2 after Casillas spun in Turn 4 for the only yellow flag of the race. Nicks charged into the lead on the restart ahead Manny Gonzalez Jr and Nick Rowe. As Nicks began to pull away, Gonzales, Rowe and Casillas battled for second. Rowe managed to grab the spot with a low pass in Turn 4 on Lap 12, but Nicks held a straightaway advantage by then. Nicks went on to the impressive victory, and Rowe managed to cut the lead in half by the time the checkered flag waved. A straightaway behind Rowe, Gonzales managed to beat Casillas back to the line to finish third. Division newcomer Harley Kennealy and Rick Lea completed the finishing order. Nathan Casillas was the quick qualifier at 16.527, beating the 16.558 of Nicks. Nicks got the win in the eight lap heat race.

Next up is the annual Smokey Hanoian Classic this Saturday night, featuring the 602 Spec Pro Modified Series, Madera Late Models, Hobby Stocks, MST/Toyota Sedans, Mini Stocks, the Legends of the Pacific, the Legends of Kearney Bowl and a Junior Late Model exhibition. The track will offer this race for free on its YouTube page thanks to great sponsorship from Nut Up Industries, 5150 Energy Drink and Mission Foods. For further information, go to www.racemadera.com.

Netto Wins Salute To Leroy Van Conett 

At The Stockton Dirt Track

Stockton, CA...March 20...DJ Netto won the 30 lap NARC/King of the West Fujitsu Winged 410 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at the Stockton Dirt Track. This was the season opener for the group as they hope to get back to championship point racing this year. Netto is the reigning series champion, and his win came aboard the Netto Ag/Penny Newman Grain KPC

Netto set himself up in a good position to win following his six lap Trophy Dash win ahead of Dom Scelzi and Geoff Ensign. This put him on the pole for the race, and he settled into the early lead ahead of Scelzi and reigning Watsonville champion Mitchell Faccinto. Netto had built a good lead by the time the first yellow flag fell on Lap 13. Netto continued to lead Scelzi on the restart as Rico Abreu and Shane Golobic shuffled Faccinto back to fifth. Another yellow flag waved on Lap 26, but Netto resumed command on the restart as Abreu took second from Scelzi. Despite one final yellow flag on Lap 27, Netto was not to be denied. He bolted back ahead on the restart and went on to victory with Abreu settling for second. Scelzi brought it home in third, followed by Golobic, Austin McCarl, Faccinto, Bud Kaeding, Tim Kaeding, Ensign and Sean Becker. 

A field of 23 competitors took their turns on the Tom Sagmiller prepared 3/8 mile dirt oval, and Abreu set the fast time of 14.364, barely beating the 14.387 of Bud Kaeding. They ran three 10 lap heat races with the wins going to Golobic, Faccinto and Becker.

Ventura Raceway star Tommy Velasquez III scored the victory in the 20 lap NorCal Dwarf Car Main Event. Ryan Winter started on the front row and charged into the early lead ahead of reigning series champion Michael "Spanky" Grenert and Ben Wiesz. A Lap 3 yellow flag slowed the pace with Winter continuing to lead Grenert and Wiesz on the restart. A slowdown on Lap 9 changed the complexion of the race as Winter was eliminated. Grenert led Shawn Jones and Tommy Velasquez III on the restart. Jones and Velasquez slipped past Grenert for the lead two positions, and the final yellow flag waved on Lap 13. Jones continued to lead the restart with Tommy Velasquez III giving him plenty of pressure. Ben Wiesz took third from Grenert. On the 18th lap, Velasquez found his opening and raced past Jones for the lead. Tommy Velasquez III went on to victory with Jones settling for second, followed by Ben Wiesz, Grenert, Brandon Shaw, Nick Velasquez, Kevin Bender, Cory Eaton, Josh Wiesz and Dylan Shrum.

The Dwarf Cars produced an impressive 28 car field. The eight lap heat race wins went to Tommy Velasquez III, Ben Wiesz, Grenert and Shawn Whitney. Mike Reeder won the 10 lap B Main. Reeder jumped into the lead at the start ahead of John Williams. Following a Lap 8 yellow flag, Williams briefly grabbed the lead from Reeder on the restart. However, Reeder regained the lead on the final lap and won ahead of Williams, Austin Struthers, Fred Dickey and Jameson Sole.

Racing returns to the Stockton Dirt Track with another championship point earning event that will feature Dirt Modifieds, B Modifieds, Pro Stocks and Bombers. For further information, go to www.stocktondirtrack.com. The next NARC/KWS event takes place at Tulare Thunderbowl on May 15th. This will be the annual Peter Murphy Classic. Further information on happenings with the group, go to www.narc410.com.

Montgomery, Shelby, Law Win At Marysville Raceway

Marysville, CA...March 20...Kaleb Montgomery won the 25 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Marysville Raceway. The win came aboard the Jason Montgomery owned Sprinter. Despite some heavy rains on Thursday and early Friday morning, the track crew was able to get the track and pits in good enough condition to hold this event, while neighboring Placerville Speedway ended up canceling. 

Montgomery raced into the lead from his front row starting spot, followed by Billy Wallace and Jodie Robinson. Caden Sarale moved past Robinson for third on Lap 4, but defending champion Andy Forsberg gained third on Lap 8 before a yellow flag waved for Steven Snawder in Turn 2. Montgomery continued to lead the restart with Sarale and Forsberg settling into second and third. Forsberg took second from Sarale on Lap 12 before a yellow flag waved for Dylan Bloomfield in Turn 4. Montgomery continued to lead Forsberg and Sarale on the ensuing restart with a Lap 18 yellow flag falling for William Fielding. A yellow flag waved a lap later for Steel Powell in Turn 2. Montgomery led the restart and kept Forsberg at bay for the final six laps for the victory. Sarale finished third, followed by Robinson, Shane Hopkins, Wallace, Brent Bjork, Nick Larsen, Korey Lovell and Kevin Lovell. Montgomery was the quickest qualifier on the quarter-mile clay oval with a lap of 13.581, beating the 13.602 of Wallace. Hopkins, Robinson and Forsberg won the eight lap heat races.

Past champion Phillip Shelby won the 20 lap Pepsi IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Shelby started up front and raced into the early lead ahead of Jimmy Ford and Justin Funkhouser. Following a Lap 2 yellow flag, Les Friend settled into third behind Shelby and Ford on the restart. They ran in that order through a pair of yellow flags on Lap 6 for Todd Cooper and 11 for a Turn 2 tangle between Scott Savell and Mike Merritt. Shelby led Ford on the final restart. Friend was beginning to pressure Ford as Shelby pulled away to a huge advantage. On Lap 17, Friend put the moves on Ford to take second. However, nobody was stopping Shelby as he won ahead of Friend, Ford, Tyler Rodgers, Funkhouser, Damian Merritt, Mike Merritt, Savell, Willie Horn Jr and Brian Cooper. Rodgers and Friend won their respective eight lap heat races.

Howard Law won the 21 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Law is the 2015 IMCA Sport Modified champion, and he finished second last Saturday night behind Keith Ross. Rich Lindgren jumped into the early lead ahead of Maurice Merrill and Shannon Collins. The yellow flag waved on Lap 3 for Kyle Cheney in Turn 2. Lindgren continued to lead Merrill and Collins on the restart, but Law made a move around Collins for third on Lap 7. On the 10th lap, Law slipped past Merrill for second, and a Lap 12 yellow flag waved for Tim McHenry and Cody Rickard in Turn 2. Lindgren continued to lead Law on the restart, but Law was applying the pressure. On the 15th lap, Law sped past Lindgren to grab the lead, and a lap 18 yellow flag waved for Darren Ballantine. Law led the restart with Ross moving into second. Unfortunately for Ross, his spin in Turn 3 brought out a Lap 19 yellow flag and forced the race into overtime. Law led the restart with Lindgren giving him plenty of pressure. However, Law kept his cool and scored the victory. Lindgren crossed the line in second, only to be disqualified in post race tech. This moved Jacob Johnson into a second place finish, followed by Hollis Thackery, Jerry Bartlett, David Cooper, Merrill, Collins, Jesse Van Roekel, Chris Van Roekel and Robert Warf.

Another strong turnout of 25 Hobby Stocks filled the pits. Six lap heat race wins went to Law, Johnson and Ross. Rickard won the 12 lap B Main. Jason Clayton jumped into the early lead ahead of Toby Merrifield. Rickard moved past Merrifield for second on the third lap. Rickard took the lead from Clayton on the sixth lap. Merrifield moved into second on the ninth lap. Rickard went on to win the race. David Cooper made a Lap 11 pass on Merrifield for second. Merrifield, McHenry and Mario Davis completed the Top 5 at the checkered flag.

After a one week break, racing returns to Marysville with another weekly racing series program that will feature the Winged 360 Sprint Cars, NorCal Dwarf Cars and Limited Late Models. For further information, go to www.marysvilleraceway.com.

Antioch Speedway Unofficial Race Results March 20, 2021
IMCA Modified
Kellen Chadwick
Jim Pettit II
Bobby Hogge IV
Dylan Thornton
Randy Shafer
Aaron Crowell
Troy Foulger
Carl Berendsen II
Matthew Hagio
Bobby Motts Jr
Robert Montalvo
Clark Guglielmoni
Kimo Oreta
Jake Dewsbury
Jeff Browne
John Pierce
Paul Culp
Nick DeCarlo
Danny Malfatti
Buddy Kniss
Dylan Schriner

IMCA Sport Modified
A Main
KC Keller
Fred Ryland
Tom Fraser
Guy Ahlwardt
Kevin Brown
Trevor Clymens
Tyler Bannister
Todd Gomez
Mark Garner
Andrew Pearce
Chris Falkenberg
Tommy Clymens Jr
Joe Ferguson
Gavin Espino
Haley Gomez
Jacob Mallet Jr
Jim DiGiovanni
Chuck Golden
Dwayne Short
Aaron Farrell

Andrew Pearce
Jacob Mallet Jr
Tyler Bannister
Mark Garner
Gavin Espino
Trevor Clymens
Chris Falkenberg
Chuck Golden
Breanna Troen
Emali VanHoff
Dylan Connelly
Scott Foster
Tyler Browne
Jason Ryan Jr
Jason Bannister DNS

Delta Dwarf Car
Danny Wagner
Kevin Miraglio
Sean Catucci
Chance Russell
Dennis Gilcrease
Scott Dahlgren
Ellie Russo
Jack Haverty
David Rosa
Tom VanTuyl
John Tardiff
David Michael Rosa
Roberto Monroy
Mario Marques
Mike Corsaro
Travis Day
Devan Kammermann

IMCA Stock Car
Garrett Corn
Travis Dutra
Kellen Chadwick
Austin VanHoff
Dan Gonderman
Joe Gallaher
Jay Bryant
Renn Bane
Stephen Streeter
Michael Shearer
Troy Patee
Rob Gallaher
Devin Vaughan
Brock Hamilton DNS


Stockton Dirt Track Unofficial Race Results March 20, 2021
Salute to LeRoy Van Conett

NARC/King Of The West Fujitsu Winged 410 Sprint Cars
D.J. Netto
Rico Abreu
Dominic Scelzi
Shane Golobic
Austin McCarl
Mitchell Faccinto
Bud Kaeding
Tim Kaeding
Geoff Ensign
Sean Becker
Justin Sanders
Blake Carrick
Billy Aton
Willie Croft
Sean Watts
Mitchell Moles
Tim Estenson
Kenny Allen
Mark Barroso
Kyle Offill
Kyle Hirst
Tanner Carrick
Joel Myers Jr

NorCal Dwarf Cars
A Main
Tommy Velasquez III
Shawn Jones
Ben Wiesz
Mike Grenert
Brandon Shaw
Nick Velasquez
Kevin Bender
Corey Eaton
Josh Weisz
Dylan Shrum
Gage Meyers
Dan Geil
Fred Dickey
Isaak Geil
Jameson Sole
John Williams
Jace Badeker
Steve Walker
Ryan Winter
Shawn Whitney
Austin Struthers

B Main
Mike Reeder
John Williams
Austin Struthers
Fred Dickey
Jameson Sole
Jace Badeker
Joe Leduc
Tyler Quilty
Zach Armstrong
Larry Bell
Ed Heeney
Leonard Osorio


Marysville Raceway Unofficial Race Results March 20, 2021
Winged 360 Sprints
Kaleb Montgomery
Andy Forsberg
Caden Sarale
Jodie Robinson
Shane Hopkins
Billy Wallace
Brent Bjork
Nick Larsen
Korey Lovell
Kevin Lovell
Pat Harvey Jr
Kyle Standley
James Taylor
Cody Spencer
Steel Powell
R.J. Baker
William Fielding
Dylan Bloomfield
Steven Snawder
Jake Haulot

Pepsi IMCA Sport Modifieds
Phillip Shelby
Les Friend
Jimmy Ford
Tyler Rodgers
Justin Funkhouser
Damian Merritt
Mike Merritt
Scott Savell
Willlie Horn Jr
Brian Cooper
Todd Cooper
Donnie Fortney

Hobby Stock

A Main
Howard Law
Zach Lindgren
Jacob Johnson
Hollis Thackerey
Jerry Bartlett
David Cooper
Maurice Merrill
Shannon Collins
Jesse Van Roekel
Chris Van Roekel
Robert Warf
Devin Koranda
Niles Strever
Toby Merrifield
Tim McHenry
Keith Ross
Cody Rickard
Darren Ballentine
Mario Davis
Kyle Cheney

B Main
Cody Rickard
David Cooper
Toby Merrifield
Tim McHenry
Mario Davis
Trevor Abella
Trevor Deadmond
Joe Gillock
Jason Clayton
Jake Bright
Matt Rivera


Madera Speedway Unofficial Race Results March 20, 2021
Madera Late Models
Matt Erickson
Austin Herzog
Jason Aguirre
Kyle Keller
Jay Juleson
Howard Holden
Aaron Mullins
Kasey Kleyn
Richard Herzog
Hailey Liles
Brandon Burd
Mike Shapiro
Jeff Mead DNS

MST
Ryan Reynolds
Shaun Reynolds
Patrick Geiger
Tim Kammerer
Haley Bugg
Dave Lander
Nick Thompson
Chris Earls

Hobby Stocks
Mike Nicks
Nick Rowe
Manny Gonzales Jr
Nathan Casillas
Harley Kennealy
Rick Lea


Kern County Raceway Unofficial Race Results March 20, 2021
Winter Showdown
SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series
Derek Thorn
Buddy Shepherd
Dylan Lupton
Preston Peltier
Jacob Gomes
Kyle Neveau
Blaine Rocha
Christian McGhee
Cale Kanke
Dean Thompson
Austin Thom
Dylan Garner
Brandon Farrington
Keith Spangler
Tracy Bolin
Bob Lyon
Kole Raz
Scott Sanchez
Cole Moore
Jace Hansen
Jim Wulfenstein
Andy Allen
John Moore
Corey Neveau
Dan Holtz
John Dillon
Carlos Vieira

SPEARS Modified Series
Jeremy Doss
Travis Thirkettle
Jimmy Dickerson
Eddie Secord
Chris Dalton
Ian Elliott
Andrew Anderson
Jim Coffey
Jason Kiser
Brock Melo
Brady Melo
Pat Petrie
Trenton Millard
Mark Allen
Sam Jacks
Ed Coffey
William Guevara
Travis McCullough
Noah Morris
Douglas Carpenter

Super Stocks
Greg Puskarich
Gene Fife
Anthony Mainella
Ron Cross
Kenny Harrison
Paul Ebersbacher
Mike Puskarich 

 

Adobe Mountain Speedway Unofficial Race Results March 20, 2021
Western Midgets
Darren Brent
Shawn Arriaga
Cory Brown
Gary Dunn
Megan Moorhead
Greg Jewitt
Kyle James
David Prickett
Joey Bishop DNS


Havasu 95 Speedway Unofficial Race Results March 20, 2021
USAC RADICAL FOCUS MIDGETS MAIN EVENT
Friday Main Event
JESSICA BEAN
RIVER MERRILL
NATHAN BYRD
AUSTIN BARNES
ASHLYN POWELL
DEVIN WESTOVER
MIKE ANDERSON
CHEYENNE MERRILL
KYLE CLINE

Saturday Main Event
JESSICA BEAN
KYLE CLINE
AUSTIN BARNES
DEVIN WESTOVER
ASHLYN POWELL
NATHAN BYRD
RIVER MERRILL
MIKE ANDERSON
CHEYENNE MERRILL

 

Where: Antioch Speedway www.antiochspeedway.com and online pay-per-view www.antochspeedway.tv 

When: March 27th 

Who: Wingless Spec Sprints, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, Super Stocks

What: Because the Hunt Series race at Petaluma had to be postponed, Antioch was able to insert the Spec Sprints into the schedule on this occasion to replace the Winged 360 Sprint Cars. Two weeks ago, Shawn Jones scored the Spec Sprint win ahead of past Petaluma champion Ryon Siverling. Several drivers are poised to get their first Hobby Stock wins, and Larry McKinzie Jr got his first win two weeks ago. Jess Paladino won the Mini Stock title last year, and a few new cars are anticipated this week. Jim Freethy beat a short field of Super Stocks last time out.

Why: Promoter Chad Chadwick made the decision during the week to pull the Winged 360 Sprint Cars so that drivers could go to Placerville for the Sprint Car Challenge Tour race. Some Wingless Spec Sprint drivers were complaining they didn't have enough dates, so this was an opportunity for Chadwick to give them another race. It is hoped that car count could reach into the twenties for the class. There was a low turnout of Super Stocks two weeks ago, but other drivers should have their cars ready for this one. There could be a top name Mini Stock driver or two in town this week as the division isn't racing anywhere else. The Hobby Stocks have run strong during the past year and could have a car count approaching the 30s again this week.

Where: Merced Speedway www.mercedspeedway.net

When: March 27th 

Who: IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Valley Sportsman

What: The record shows that championship points were last kept in 2019 thanks to the covid-19 shutdown. Troy Foulger won the IMCA Modified championship, while fellow Antioch area racer Fred Ryland won his second IMCA Sport Modified title at the track. Shannon Nelson won the battle with Michael Shearer for the Hobby Stock title. Rick Elliott was the Sportsman champion in 2019. Interestingly enough, Foulger and Ryland won their respective big money races in Merced's final race of 2020 in November.

Why: This is the season opener for the quarter-mile clay oval. It's also the first running of the Jerry Shannon Memorial race, remembering the father of Promoter Chris Shannon. The IMCA Modifieds will pay $2,500 to win, and the IMCA Sport Modifieds get $1,000 to win among the increased purse money. Last season only saw the track running some races, and they did not keep championship points. Optimism is high going into this year, and this is the perfect way to kick off the season.

Where: Ocean Speedway www.racepmg.com 

When: March 26th

Who: Taco Bravo Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Four Bangers, Western Midgets

What: The Watsonville track did manage to have a limited championship season last year, and it came down to the wire in the Sprint Cars with Mitchell Faccinto edging out Bud Kaeding on the strength of his two wins. Cody Burke overtook Jim Pettit II at the end of the season to win the IMCA Modified title. Rob Gallaher was dethroned by his own father, Joe Gallaher, in the Hobby Stock ranks. Ryan McClelland dominated the Four Banger action to claim the championship. The WMR Midgets didn't get a point race, but reigning champion David Prickett scored two wins to one for Tyler Slay.

Why: The rainy weather has not been kind with the previous two events getting canceled, but the outlook is good this week. The Sprint Cars have come on strong during the past couple of years and should see a car count of over 20 top notch competitors. The Ecotec Midgets are a growing class, and Darren Brent won their most recent race in Arizona last week. A double-digit turnout is anticipated for this class. In fact, the numbers should be respectable in all five divisions.

Where: The Stockton Dirt Track www.stocktondirtrack.com 

When: March 27th 

Who: Dirt Modifieds, B Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Bombers

What: The track is in the midst of its biggest commitment to establishing a stock car program yet as this is the fourth round of an 11 race championship season for the Dirt Modifieds, B Modifieds and Bombers. Thus far, we have seen no repeat winners as Troy Foulger, Bobby Hogge IV and Ryan McDaniel have each won the Dirt Modified Main Events and Phillip Shelby, Andrew Pearce.and Les Friend are the B Modified winners. Bomber wins have gone to Nick Baldwin, Ryan Peter and Rich Denman. The Tri State Pro Stock win on January 1st went to Fred Ryland. This event will use Tri State rules but is not a Tri State sanctioned Pro Stock race. 

Why: When it comes to regular events for the Dirt Modifieds and B Modifieds, nobody is paying better to win on the West Coast than Stockton. It's not IMCA sanctioned, although the track adheres to IMCA rules. The Dirt Modifieds will pay $1,500 to win and $750 for second among the prize money offered, while the B Modifieds get $750 to win and $500 dollars for second among their prize money. Drivers enjoy challenging themselves on one of the biggest dirt tracks in California, where the speeds are high.

Where: Placerville Speedway www.placervillespeedway.com

When: March 27th 

Who: The Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour, Presented by Abreu Vineyards www.sprintcorechallengetour.com, BCRA Lightning Sprints www.bcraracing.com

What: The Sprint Car Challenge Tour has only been around for a short time, but they ultimately eliminated the incumbent Civil War Sprint Car Series thanks to some generous sponsorship that attracted top quality fields usually in the 40s or more. Thanks to the covid-19 pandemic, the series didn't get a point race at all last season, and this means that Kyle Hirst is still the defending champion. The BCRA Lightning Sprints bring some talented racers, led by past champions Scott Kinney and Hunter Kinney.

Why: Placerville was able to open on several occasions last season, but when they open on Saturday night, there will be a limited number of fans in the stands. Check the track's Facebook page or website for how to order tickets online as they won't be available at the gate. There is no other option in Northern Californiafor Winged Sprint Cars on Saturday, meaning some of the best drivers will be in town, including Tim Kaeding, Kyle Hirst, Bud Kaeding, Rico Abreu, Justin Sanders and Andy Forsberg. Like the SCCT, the Lightning Sprints didn't get to race for championship points last year. Scott Kinney is the reigning champion after winning the 2019 title ahead of Dakota Albright and Danika Jo Parker

Where: Madera Speedway www.racemadera.com

When: March 27th

Who: 602 Spec Pro Modified Series, Madera Late Models, Hobby Stocks, MST/Toyota Sedans, Mini Stocks, the Legends of the Pacific, the Legends of Kearney Bowl, Junior Late Model exhibition.

What: This is another Club Race, but we learned something about Club Races last week. The Late Model drivers still race hard for the win, as evidenced by Matt Erickson making a late move around Austin Herzog to get the win. The Reynolds brothers are pretty much having their way with the MST class as Ryan outran defending champion Shaun to win last week. Mike Nicks topped a half-dozen competitors to win the Hobby Stock race last week. We get our first look at the Spec 602 Modifieds, Legends of Kearney Bowl Super Modifieds and the Legend Cars.

Why: Madera is working with two other tracks on growing a series for the Spec 602 Modifieds. Last season, Jaron Giannini, Jason Philpot and Eddie Secord scored Madera wins. This is something the track is hoping to build up. The Legends of Kearney Bowl are some of the most beautiful race cars you will see anywhere. These Super Modifieds are a throwback to the cars that competed at tracks like Kearney Bowl, San Jose and even Madera. Keep track of the Madera Speedway web page as this event will be broadcast for free on the track's YouTube page.

Where: Bakersfield Speedway www.bakersfieldspeedway.com 

When: March 27th 

Who: USAC/BCRA Midgets, Hobby Stocks, American Stocks, Kern County Hardtops 

What: The USAC Western Midgets and BCRA Midgets go head to head in exciting competition this Saturday night, meaning some of the best drivers will be in town, including Alex Schutte, CJ Sarna, Shannon McQueen, Ben Worth, Corey Elliott, Brody Fuson, Maria Cofer and David Prickett. The American Stocks and Hobby Stocks didn't get much of a chance to race last year, and both classes are anxious to get back to championship racing this season. The Hobby Stock season opener was won by Ricky Childress Jr ahead of Dylan Wilson and Johnny Wood. It was Steve Johnson winning the American Stock opener in front of Josh Yadon and Clay Water. Yadon was one of the Kern County Hardtop competitors, and they are making their first appearance of the year on Saturday.

Why: Whoever takes the checkered flag first in the Midget race will receive $1,200 and just grabbing the green flag will get you $150 minimum. Making the Midgets even more exciting this year is the fact that most of these events will feature drivers from both the USAC and BCRA groups. Bakersfield Speedway was on the forefront of establishing American Stock and Hobby Stock divisions in California. In fact, they lay claim to the longest running divisions on both counts in the state. The Kern County Hardtop Association is the oldest continuously running Hardtop effort in California as well. Richard Souza has been one of the top competitors over the last couple of seasons and won the group's lone race at Kern Raceway last year ahead of Jason Denman and Tyler Weeks.

Where: Thunderbowl Raceway www.thunderbowlraceway.com

When: March 26th and March 27th 

Who: AMSOIL USAC/CRA Wingless 410 Sprint Cars, King of Thunder Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Van De Pol IMCA Western RaceSaver 305 Sprint Cars on March 26th

Wingless 410 Sprint Cars, King of Thunder Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Van De Pol IMCA Western RaceSaver 305 Sprint Cars, IMCA Stock Cars. 

What: Lots of money is on the line at Tulare Thunderbowl for the Dalton's Down Under Tour. The King of Thunder Winged 360 Sprint Cars get $2,000 to win and $250 minimum to start on Friday. On Saturday, it's $3,000 to win and $350 minimum to start. The USAC/CRA Sprint Cars run for their regular purse on Friday, but an unsanctioned Wingless 410 Sprint Car race on Saturday will pay $3,500 to win and $450 minimum to start. Plus, the exciting Western RaceSaver 305 Sprint Cars on both nights with a crop of eager young drivers looking to make a name for themselves. For the record, CRA kicked off their season recently at Kern County Raceway with wins being recorded by Ryan Timmons and Max Adams. A field of over 20 of these racers are anticipated for both the sanctioned and unsanctioned shows. 

Why: The King of Thunder Winged 360 Sprint Car drivers have reason to be excited. In addition to this being a weekend with two point shows, they have the extra money on the line. The wins so far have been grabbed by Dominic Scelzi, Shane Golobic and JJ Hickle. They should have a good field of competitors once again. For the record, the Western RaceSaver Sprint Cars have had a bit of a changing of the guard at the front of the pack. Brooklyn Holland won her lone appearance in Hanford, and the Kern Raceway wins went to young guns Ryan DeLisle and Ryan Rocha. IMCA Stock Cars are there on Saturday. They have been catching fire in California this year. Larry Thompson and Jeff Streeter were the winners of the first two Hanford races.  Both nights should feature good car counts all the way around.

The Editor's Viewpoint

Seems like time is just flying by. We only have one weekend ahead of us in March and then the first quarter of the year 2021 is history. Racing fans are more excited about the proposition of getting back into the grandstands again. Some tracks are already doing it, and other tracks will be doing it next month. You need to keep track of your respective speedway to see how they will sell the tickets as some places, such as Antioch Speedway, are selling those tickets online. You don't want to get left out as there are going to be a limited amount of tickets available at first.

I keep hearing little bits of bad news around the world regarding the virus and another wave and all of that BS. While I don't think they are going to put the brakes on opening things back up to the public this year, we always have to keep it in mind that they could. I'll cut my thought process off at that point as I'm definitely somebody who has a few thoughts that don't go along with the mainstream on this subject. To be honest, it has been pissing me off for a while now, but I'll leave it at that.

I've had a few people ask me what my plans are regarding racing. Am I going to another race track? I'm not currently seeking a position anywhere. I'm not against taking a gig at a track if the right offer presents itself, but it's not something I'm pursuing. Ultimately, my hope is to relocate somewhere in the Concord/Antioch area when that becomes a possibility for me. Whether I'm involved in a race track or not is not the highest priority in my desire to relocate there. If it happens, it happens. I've had so much heartbreak in my pursuit over the past few years that I've almost given up hope that it will work out for me. I do understand that Antioch Speedway isn't the only track down there. At the moment, I will just watch how things play out.

I can admit that I was hoping to get everything posted on Wednesday, but I hesitated. Turns out it was a good thing that I did. I am adding my revised comments on the situation in Medford for Southern Oregon Speedway. I'm a little disappointed that I wasn't able to offer my final thoughts regarding my four years at that race track and the things I'm proud of. I feel like we accomplished quite a bit at that track, and I played a part in helping Mike McCann make things work there. 

So if I might boil things down in one paragraph, I'll say that my one regret is that I didn't get nearly enough time to really hang out with and get to know the racers down there. As my time went on down there, I found myself even busier on race night. I'm proud of pitching the idea of the R Charles Snyder Salute and happy to see that the race will probably continue with the next management. I'm proud of establishing a Hall of Fame night and hope they continue to do that. I'm proud of the effort I put forth at the Outlaw Kart Track. I didn't always have the resources to do what I really wanted to do, but I made the most of it.

This is two paragraphs, but let me finish the thought. Most people know I poured my heart into my effort down there. There were things going on sometimes that people didn't know about, and I'm happy about that. Mostly, they got to see some good racing and didn't have to worry about anything. There are people I'm definitely going to miss there, and I'm proud to have been a link in the chain that is Medford area racing. That will do it for my personal thoughts regarding my involvement, but just so you know, there will be several chapters on the subject where I offer my honest opinion of things when the book comes out.

For Mike McCann, I can just say that he implemented his philosophy of Racing 101. While it's true he didn't bring a huge budget there with him, he did invest in things that helped the show. I'm not going to itemize everything. There's a reason we ran so many divisions to start with. Basically, car count was crap when we got there. We didn't kill the car count. It was like that when we got there. Running six divisions on some nights early on was a way to make sure the fans got to see more cars and more racing. Remember, there was a night when only 18 drivers showed up for a three division show in 2015.

Mike invested in adding a Late Model division to the roster, which is something John Skinner never even thought of. He also was the first promoter in the track's history to legitimately make an effort to establish Sprint Car racing. Because of these two things, the next promotional team will have Sprint Cars and Late Models as part of the rotation. What they do with it is up to them. If they're smart, they'll keep it going as the IMCA Modified division has been in decline. We were lucky to get double digits out of that class on a consistent basis. I'm not saying the car count can't or won't come back, but they won't wave a magic wand and get it back quickly. They do have a thriving Sport Modified division that we managed to double the car count for in our time. Lots of positives.

In the end, Mike decided it was time to retire, and I support his decision in that. This is where the new information comes in compared to what I was originally going to put here. Not only was Wednesday interview day for the four perspective promoters, it turns out that Heather Boyce barely finished her meeting with the panel before a winner was declared. Everything that I've heard told me that the people involved with the supposed racer's association were going to win this, but I've never seen the name of this association. Two people who are part of it, however, are Travis Hoppes and Dane Smith. The other contenders were Heather Boyce, who reportedly was going to have Jon DeBenedetti as her GM, Dave Hibbard and Cory Penfold of Moxie Media.

Ultimately, the win went to Hoppes. You'll get my honest opinion here as always, and I'm a bit suspicious at how the decision was made. Do I think it was on the up and up and fair? I'm not going to say no, but I am going to say I'm doubtful. You're telling me that after the bids were graded, Travis would beat Heather by 15 points, and she barely beat Hibbard by about two points? Excuse me while I call BS on this. Travis sponsors racers and races, that's true. Heather, meanwhile, has promoted the track that is considered the top track in Oregon for the past several years (Cottage Grove Speedway). She carried a clear experience advantage into this deal, plain and simple. I'm not saying Travis couldn't win this thing. He certainly could. What I am saying is the fact that it wasn't at least close at the top messes with my BS meter.

Honestly, they didn't need to have all of this drama play out. I am still pretty annoyed at the way the racing community ran around like chickens with their heads cut off like the track was abandoned and racing was doomed. That was never, and let me repeat this for the people in the back when I say never, going to happen. The process was going to play out, whether they decided to get the media involved and raise a panic or not. Then again, there are people down there that like to be drama queens, so it is what it is. Racing was always going to continue on at that venue, they just had to select a new leader.

Hoppes scored over 90 points on his total. Heather was lucky to make it into the mid 70s and just barely beat Hibbard. It's possible that there could be a protest, and that's within the rights of anybody who put in a bid if they so choose. If that happens, the worst case scenario is they put it out to bid again and deal with the concerns that caused the protest in the first place. I know what those concerns are. Somebody was involved in the panel who had the appearance of being biased. This person was one of the people beating the drum that caused the panic, and that's all I'm going to say about that. Ultimately, whether this is upheld or they have to do the procedure again, a new promoter will be named. Racing will continue.

I don't know Travis all that well, other than there were a few things that he was up to behind this scenes that gave me pause for concern. I didn't particularly care for the fact that he was going around saying that we were ruining the R Charles Snyder Salute and that he wanted to move the race to Cottage Grove. Yes, he said that. Excuse me while I point this out again. There was no R Charles Snyder Salute until we came in there. We put the race out there in the first place. While I understand that he may legitimately have cared about that race and knew Charles, the way he went about things was classless in my opinion.

Will the Modifieds and Sport Modifieds thrive with Travis in charge? I don't see why they wouldn't. Most of the divisions will be there, but we'll just have to wait and see how it all breaks down. Those details will be coming quick. I have no doubt that the minute they get the key to the gate, the whole community will volunteer to do whatever they've got to do, and yes, racing will go on. I do wish them all luck, and that would be the same regardless of who got the win. I am heartbroken about the way things came to an end with my involvement, but that was never anything I was in control of. I can only be proud of what I did and understand that we were building things up and gaining more fans and cars every year until the pandemic shut us down.

It looks like it's up to Travis now. He is a man who puts his money where his mouth is, and he has done good things in terms of sponsoring. He not only sponsored a big race at Yreka last year, he sponsored the first California IMCA Speedweek. He sponsors various racers and is not afraid to invest. That's a good thing, and I respect him for that. It now comes down to this. For the people who thought we were just ruining the track and whatnot, you don't have us to blame anymore. There's a new guy in charge. Basically, you either support or you don't. You're either a part of the solution or a part of the problem. There were a lot of people who could have been more helpful in their support with us, but they chose not to. So be it. We'll see how things go this time.

Would I want to go back there under Travis? No disrespect, but I think I've done my time out there. I don't think I would want to be involved in that situation, not because I think they would have it all wrong. I just think this is the time to move on. I think they need somebody who can do the media stuff. I would suggest Daren Ricks Campbell if anybody asked me. DRC Motorsports Media. He's a good guy, he knows social media pretty well, he can write an article and he also can sling a camera. You want a guy who can get people excited and fired up? That's your guy.

Since I'm on the subject of adding stuff that wasn't originally in this column, I had an opportunity to look at the NCRA Lakeport Speedway Facebook page. Recently, David Furia of Furia Motorsports won the bid for Lakeport Speedway. The NCRA protested, but ultimately they failed. They kind of decided to sling a little bit of mud at David on Facebook on their way out the door. I have to say that it was a totally classless move. It's my belief that association run tracks are not tracks that are run to their optimum potential. This is based on the tracks that I've seen in Oregon and California doing it that way. Lakeport is barely coasting along.

The NCRA diehards had to find a negative reason for David to go after the place. I noticed one person even suggested that David only went after the track for spite. Do they understand how much work it takes to operate a racing facility? The NCRA has had their run at this race track for many years, but they clearly weren't as effective in their recent years in charge. Furia has worked hard to establish something at Ukiah, and obviously the Lake County Fair Board felt that having a guy running both Ukiah and Lakeport would be beneficial for racing. Now is the time for the NCRA to either shut up and stay home or give this guy a chance and maybe be surprised. Boycotting or sniveling isn't going to help racing in Lakeport.

It looks like the schedule at both tracks is modest. I think I counted 10 races at Ukiah, including a two-race weekend at the end of the season. Looks like seven or eight races at Lakeport. The tracks will share many of the same divisions, and drivers can even support both tracks in the knowledge that they will be running the same rules. I see it as a winning deal. I have the utmost respect for David Furia, and I know that his intentions for going after the track were because he believes he can make things better. I believe he can too, and that's why I support him.

I'm always interested in seeing where the next big thing comes from. I am still of the opinion that short track racing needs another paradigm shift, but I think promoters are just happy to be able to open the gates with what they have. We've been watching IMCA Modifieds headlining so many shows on the West Coast for nearly three decades, and usually there is a new division taking over the top spot by now. What I find curious is IMCA Modifieds have headlined at tracks like Antioch and Watsonville longer than either the Late Models or the Sportsman division, and it's not even close. I'd love to see something cool and unique like a Sportsman or a Super Modified take over, but I admit I'm wishful thinking.

Seeing that the IMCA Modifieds have become a bit more expensive, but understanding that there are a ton of those chassis out there, the effort began in California over a decade ago to establish the Sport Modifieds. Merced Speedway was the first track to get on board, doing it unsanctioned. When Victorville and Chowchilla started having divisions with double-digit car count, the writing was on the wall. Sport Modifieds exploded in California. Soon, Merced car count grew and Bakersfield, Hanford and Watsonville got on board. If you didn't get on board, you risked being left behind. Initially, the Sport Modifieds negatively impacted the Modifieds' ability to draw big fields for the big money races, but the Modifieds have rebounded. Both divisions do well at the big shows now.

For close to 15 years now, Hanford has featured IMCA Stock Cars. These cars are a notch above your typical Hobby Stock, though a notch below the Super Stocks. I don't classify them as entry level. I'd say intermediate level is where they are. Regardless, the determination of the competitors in Hanford saw this class grow and get added to Bakersfield. They even made some appearances at Chowchilla and Porterville along the way. Over the past few years, they've established that they can bring double digits on most nights on which they compete at Hanford and Bakersfield. The stage has been set.

What's interesting is the IMCA Stock Cars finally got the attention of some promoters further north of Hanford. Merced Speedway got on board with several dates in 2020, though the pandemic hurt the effort to get it going. Antioch Speedway has gotten on board this year. The special shows at both Antioch and Merced last year netted multiple double-digit turnouts, but this year marks the first season the tracks will crown champions. After a slightly disappointing six car turnout for the January race in Antioch, they delivered a 14 car field last week. This included drivers representing the Antioch, Merced and Hanford areas. The writing is on the wall. Interest is growing, and this class will be gathering momentum from here.

I don't know if Antioch was expecting the car count they got on Saturday. It does come down to creative booking. You're going to end up booking on top of other tracks, so the Hanford and Bakersfield guys will not necessarily be regular visitors. I'd be more concerned with staying off of Merced so Antioch and Merced can share the field as they grow their own ranks. Without support from the visitors, you might have been looking at six or seven cars, so 14 was a good turnout. The roster will grow, because there's been nothing but positive buzz in Antioch and Merced.

You also had one heck of a race at the front of the pack, and eventually it was Garrett Corn claiming the glory over Travis Dutra and Kellen Chadwick, who was piloting the Rich Quadrelli car. I see this division getting into the twenties eventually, but it will take time. The Hobby Stock division is already feeding some racers into this class, and that should continue to be the trend. I don't think it will hurt the Hobby Stock division much as there are drivers who have what they have and don't want to have to spend more money to go IMCA Stock Car racing. Fortunately, Promoter Chad Chadwick isn't saying this is a case of either or. Antioch will have both

The trend of people going with IMCA sanctioning for their divisions will continue for the foreseeable future. I think you may start seeing tracks looking at sanctioning their Mini Stock class with IMCA, which would make them Sport Compacts. California already has Ventura and Barona as IMCA sanctioned Sport Compact tracks. More tracks may do that eventually, but it looks like the IMCA Stock Cars are the next big thing. Much like the Sport Modifieds were, I think tracks will see the writing on the wall. It's either get on board with this movement or get left behind.

California IMCA Speedweek is fast approaching. As I understand it, the drivers can sign up at the current rate up until April 1st. The IMCA Modifieds and the IMCA Sport Modifieds will be sharing the headline status, and depending on where they go, there will be a third division. Some of the tracks will actually have IMCA Stock Cars that night, and it wouldn't be a surprise if the IMCA Stock Cars get the third billing as a regular in the series in the future. The sign ups were being hyped as the year started, so I am a bit surprised at the racers who are taking their time to get involved with this deal.

All Modified races will play $1,000 to win and $100 to start, while the Sport Modifieds will pay $750 to win and $75 to start. Point fund money for the Top 5 has been advertised as well. This year, they will start south and work their way up north. It's eight races in nine days, but a driver can miss one race as a throwaway. The only time the throw away doesn't count in your totals is if that race is a disqualification. They will go from Bakersfield April 30 to Tulare May 1 to Hanford May 2 and then Merced May 3. From there, they will go to Antioch May 5, then Petaluma May 6, then Placerville May 7 and Chico May 8. All of the tracks should have some fan capacity by then, but last I heard, the full series will be broadcast on internet pay-per-view at floracing.com. Once again, it is our intent to cover this series in its entirety on the blog.

The Western Midget Racing group headed to Arizona to run a race at Adobe Mountain Speedway. This is a smaller track, about 1/5 mile, and it's dirt. They run other Micro Sprint classes, and even had a Mini Late Model show last Saturday. The Western Midgets were making their second of eight scheduled appearances there as part of their overall WMR $5,000 championship series. David Prickett was there, but he didn't get the glory on this occasion. That went to Darren Brent, who happened to win the last Petaluma race last season. Shawn Arriaga was second.

In looking at this division, I think the feeder class for it could be the 600 Micros. It seems like the Wingless 600 class is doing great numbers, which is good news for this class. In fact, they already have several drivers from the 600s in their ranks. I think this is where the Bay Cities Racing Association has missed the boat in trying to bring in the new blood that they need to reestablish their former glory. When the BCRA does have somebody emerge as a star, they stick around for about a year or so and head back east or start competing with the USAC Western States Midgets down south. I've been saying that the BCRA needs to establish some sort of tie with Micro Sprint racing, but they do what they do.

It seems like there is a willingness from the WMR to try the slightly smaller tracks. That's not surprising, considering they have dates booked at the 1/5 mile dirt oval in Ventura. The quarter-mile at Watsonville is also on the schedule along with some races on the 3/8 mile at Petaluma. Earlier this year, prior to making the trip to the Chili Bowl in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Prickett and a couple of his teammates headed to Hills Ferry Raceway in Newman to give their cars a shakedown run. In fact, you can find footage of that on Facebook. I have a hunch that at some point the Newman track will start hosting Micro Sprint races, and it got the wheels turning earlier this year when I thought about it.

The WMR seems to have a pretty busy schedule set up this year, but I wonder if they might entertain the possibility of a visit or two to a track like Hills Ferry or even Dixon Speedway? Actually, I think they might be the perfect fit at Dixon. The idea is that some of these Micro 600 drivers have dreams of going up to the next level, and the next level could be these Ecotec Midgets. Not every one of these young guns will find their way into a Sprint Car ride, and that makes the WMR an attractive option. You need to get your experience someplace, so why not here?

John Prentice saw a good thing when he and Mike McCluney spoke about adding this class at Watsonville a couple of years ago, and the division has steadily grown to double digits. Midget Racing has always been exciting to watch, and these cars aren't that far behind the full on BCRA Midgets when it comes to speed. When it gets to car counts in the twenties, you can even make a case for headlining a show or two with these cars. Much like I spoke above about the IMCA Stock Car explosion getting ready to happen in California, the same sort of thing can happen here with these WMR Ecotec Midgets. There are some exciting possibilities ahead.

Since I brought up the Bay Cities Racing Association, it almost amazes me at this point that the association continues on. They are definitely a shadow of their former selves and really haven't had much to brag about for about 20 years. I don't say that to be negative, but rather because I feel there is more potential than these guys are achieving. What they really need is to get some younger people involved with the group who truly appreciate the heritage that BCRA brings to the table. They need to get with the times a little bit, while still embracing their heritage. That can lead me off in a few different directions, but I don't want to drag this column on longer than necessary.

The thing that caught my attention was the rebranding of the BCRA Midget Lites to Lightning Sprints. I get why they did this as the group they sometimes compete with, the California Lightning Sprints, uses that name. However, I can't help but feel like this is another little bit of a slap in the face to the BCRA. I have a friend who is even more critical of the fact that BCRA even sanctions this division. I always understood why they were brought in under the banner, but I feel like the group kind of failed to feed the new drivers into the Midgets that were anticipated. 

They had a brand thing going where the three BCRA sanctioned groups had Midget in the name, and now the Midget Lites have struck out with their own name. Reminds me of when they decided to create their own web page rather than use the established www.bcraracing.com site, but I digress. I can come off a bit harsh sometimes in my criticisms of the BCRA, and that's not really intentional. I respect the heritage. The other thing I've noticed about the Lightning Sprints is they aren't doing all that much better than the Midgets when they don't share a billing with another group.

The intent was to not go long with this column, which I don't think I accomplished. Rain claimed some races last week, but the forecast looks a little bit better this week. Merced Speedway and Ocean Speedway are set to kick off their seasons, and Antioch, Madera and Bakersfield are planning to race as well. The Stockton Dirt Track is running their fourth stock car oriented championship point race. They aren't booking most of those classes head-to-head with Antioch, which is a good thing. However, there's some really good money on the line at Merced. It will be interesting to see what happens, and the intent is to be at the news desk trying to cover what we can.

If memory serves, sometimes Stockton has gone head-to-head with the Merced effort, at least with the Sport Modifieds. You're going to clash with another track sometimes in scheduling, so that's not a big deal. There seems to be an effort to keep Stockton from booking the Modified divisions on top of Antioch, and that's a smart move. When it comes to money, Merced has $2,500 on the line to the IMCA Modified winner and $1,000 for the IMCA Sport Modified winner. It's the Jerry Shannon Memorial race. Jerry was the father of Merced Co-Promoter Chris Shannon. Meanwhile, Stockton is offering up $1,500 to their Dirt Modified winner and $750 to win the Sport Modifieds. It's going to be interesting to see where the car count goes, but I'm pretty sure Merced is going to do alright.

Under normal circumstances, the schedules are subject to change. It's even more the case as we have been working our way through this pandemic. I was looking forward to seeing the Challenge Cup Series at Madera last week. They were listed on the schedule, but these cars that use ARCA West rules we're not there. Sometimes those last-minute schedule changes happen, but I'm sure we'll see some Challenge Cup races there soon. I did like seeing Promoter Kenny Shepherd acknowledge his use of the Central Valley Mini Stock (now West Coast Sport Compact) rule set as he attempts to establish a class of his own. He had one competitor for that class last week, but if the track commits, I think they should gain more cars going forward.

Antioch Speedway initially intended to run a Winged 360 Sprint Car race this week. From the looks of the schedule, Promoter Chad Chadwick attempted to run this division only when Petaluma Speedway didn't have a point race. However, it never seems to fail. You're going to conflict with somebody's date, and it just so happened that the Antioch event was booked on top of the Sprint Car Challenge Tour show in Placerville. 

A few years ago, Promoter John M Soares would have just gone ahead with it, knowing he'd get a dozen or so cars. Not everybody wants to go to the bigger show with more cars as some people don't feel they have a chance. John was tapping into that. Chad was looking at it long range. That is to say, I believe that once they get the electronic scoring deal sorted out, Antioch hopes to have at least one prominent Winged Sprint Car touring event on the schedule in the future. Maybe two?

Finally, we have multiple tracks with playdays scheduled this weekend. In the far northern end of California, Hayfork, Yreka and Susanville all intend to make a go of it. There was a bit of water on the track in Hayfork, but Josh Smith reported that they should be able to whip things into shape for their practice. Petaluma Speedway also plans to have a practice this weekend. Initially, it was going to be the opener, but Rick Faeth moved things around and bumped last week's rained out practice to this week. I think the fact that they can't have fans in the stands yet may have influenced his cancellation of the intended opener.

As I said, tracks are trying to find their way through the other end of this pandemic shutdown. All three states on the West Coast have seen a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. We know that there will be fans in the stands at multiple venues in all three states. Some tracks will have to follow really strict covid-19 guidelines, which might mean they can't sell tickets at the front gate to spectators. It could be that you have to order your tickets online through the track's website, so it's a good idea to keep an eye on your local track's web page for those announcements.

Getting back to practice for a minute, I noticed Orland Raceway Hobby Stock competitor John Camper was piloting one of the Johnson family owned Wingless Spec Sprints. It just so happened to be at the Johnson family property. This isn't the first time I've seen footage of cars practicing there, and I believe they've also had Hobby Stocks show up there. The dreamer in me takes a look at that and wonders what could be. You know, could they build a full fledged track there? Then again, you get into zoning issues, and the neighbors get grumpy about that. 

I've heard it mentioned by a promoter whom I respect that one place that can be zoned for racing is a drive-in movie theater. He recently even told me that there were some drive-in theaters that would have the occasional Micro Sprint race before showing the movie. While I was thinking about that, I started looking for areas that have closed drive-in theaters that haven't been completely built over. I think the original inspiration for that was looking for locations in Oregon, and then it morphed to locations near Watsonville or Petaluma, two places with tracks that could be on borrowed time. 

Eventually, I broadened my search and found a long since closed drive-In in Sacramento. I believe it was called 49er Drive-In or something like that. Doesn't look like they have the screens or any of that stuff, but the property still sits there. Sacramento has unfortunately been jinxed when it comes to dirt track racing over the last 40 years, and it's a real head scratcher to me. There is a strong base of racers in multiple divisions from the area. Other than occasional attempts at the dirt track next to the drag strip, which is now in danger itself, they've had nothing. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, because I think a track in that area would be successful.

Really, it would be a lot of work trying to build a race track from scratch, but a person with the money and the right knowledge could pull it off. It starts with finding property that is zoned to allow motorsports, and every county might have different rules in that regard. As we're seeing, tracks like Yakima Speedway and Arizona Speedway are now on the chopping block. They always seem willing to close tracks, so I say we should get people to go on the offense. Not only be there to defend any track that's in need, even if it's not your local track, but be there to help get new race tracks built whenever it's a possibility. Then again, I'm a dreamer.

On that note, I'm going to end this column. Until next time...