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Bannister Wins Al Miller Memorial At Merced,
Chadwick, Dotson, Scoggins Other Big Winners
Merced,
CA...April 17...Jason Bannister won the 35 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main
Event Saturday night at Merced Speedway. The Bakersfield Speedway star
had a second row inside starting position and was able to grab the lead
early on. This was the Fourth Annual Al Miller Memorial race, and
Bannister collected $5,000 for his effort. $2,000 was at stake for
second, and Fred Ryland collected that money as fellow Antioch racer
Tommy Fraser was a $1,000 third.
Fraser set the
early pace ahead of Chris Falkenberg and Jason Bannister, but a Lap 1
yellow flag slowed the pace. As Fraser continued to lead the restart,
Bannister took second from Falkenberg. Two laps later, Bannister put the
moves on Fraser to take the lead. Ryland had settled into fifth by then
and took fourth from Kenny Shrader on Lap 8. A lap later, Ryland
slipped past Falkenberg for third. Following a Lap 10 yellow flag,
Ryland moved into second behind Jason Bannister, and the race was on.
The final 20 laps went all green, and Jason Bannister initially built a
comfortable advantage over Ryland. However, Ryland steadily chipped away
at that lead during the final five laps. Nick Spainhoward moved past
Falkenberg for 4th on lap 24. Jason Bannister kept his cool down the
stretch and staked his claim on the rich win. Ryland settled for second
ahead of Fraser, Spainhoward, Jason Nation, Shrader, Tyler Bannister,
Andrew Peckham, Falkenberg and Brian Cooper.
The
big prize money saw 52 IMCA Sport Modifieds fill the pits. They ran six
eight lap heat races with just the Top 2 finishers earning feature
starts. Those wins went to Jason Bannister, Todd Gomez, Falkenberg,
Nation, Ryland and Spainhoward. The Top 3 finishers from each of the
three ten lap B Mains also made the show. Polesitter Les Friend won the
first race ahead of Joe Antonetti and Michael Black as 14th starter
Garrett Jernagan just missed the cut in fourth. The second race saw
ninth starter Peckham charge forward to claim the win ahead of fourth
row starter Tyler Bannister, Tanner Thomas and Chris Frisbee. Young
Andrew Pearce had a front row start for the final B Main and used it to
pick up the win ahead of Brian Cooper, Jimmy Ray Huffmon and Dwayne
Short.
Kellen Chadwick collected the victory in
the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. The win paid Chadwick $2,000.
Chadwick lined up in the fourth row, and Raymond Keldsen Jr raced into
the early lead ahead of Billy Wilker. Chadwick struck to third on Lap 3,
and Wilker took the lead from Keldsen a lap later. The yellow flag flew
moments later, and both Chadwick and Cody Laney shuffled Wilker back to
third on the restart. Past Merced champion Darrell Hughes II claimed
third on Lap 7 before another yellow flag waved. Hughes briefly took
second from Laney on the restart, but Laney reclaimed the position on
Lap 10. Chadwick and Laney began to pull away just a little bit, but a
lap 18 yellow flag bunched the field. Ethan Dotson settled into third
behind Chadwick and Laney on the restart. In the closing laps, Chadwick
held off the pressure of Laney for the rich victory. Laney settled for a
$1,000 second, followed by Dotson, Cody Burke, Troy Foulger, Bobby
Hogge IV, Clint Reichenbach, Rob Sanders, Trevor Fitzgibbon and Matthew
Hagio.
32 IMCA Modified competitors showed up
for the special event, and the Top 3 finishers in each eight lap heat
race automatically made the big race. Wins in those races went to Robby
Sawyer, Reichenbach, Wilker and Laney. They ran two 10 lap B Mains with
the Top 4 finishers making the cut. Front row starter Aaron Crowell won
the first race ahead of Foulger, Dotson and Fitzgibbon. Third row
starter Hogge won the second race ahead of Pettit, Cody Burke and Hagio.
Ethan
Dotson won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. The Bakersfield star
had a pole position start and led most of the way, but he still had his
hands full battling Jeff Streeter in the closing laps before claiming
the victory.
When the green flag dropped,
Dotson settled into the lead ahead of Austin Van Hoff and Garrett Corn.
Corn slipped past Van Hoff for second on Lap 3, and a yellow flag slowed
the pace on Lap 5. Dotson continued to lead Corn and Van Hoff on the
restart and started to pull away when a Lap 8 yellow flag bunched the
field again. Jeff Streeter settled into third behind Dotson and Corn on
the restart and they maintained that order through yellow flags on Lap
11 and 15. Streeter put the moves on Corn for second on Lap 17 and
surprised Johnson by taking the lead a lap later. Dotson and Streeter
battled fiercely for the lead, and Dotson made the pass on the final lap
to take the victory. Streeter settled for an $800 second, followed by
Corn, Nick Johnson, Dan Gonderman, Brock Hamilton, Loren DeArmond, Van
Hoff, State point leader Renn Bane and Steven Johnson. DeArmond and Corn
won the eight lap heat races.
Domossie
Scoggins won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. The biggest win of his
career paid him $750. Scoggins had a pole position start, but Dylan
Wilson took the early lead from his outside front row starting position.
Johnny Wood was an early third, and they ran in that order until the
first yellow flag of the race flew on Lap 8. Scoggins slipped past
Wilson to take the lead on the restart, and Porterville star Karl Noland
took third from Johnny Wood on Lap 10. The final yellow flag waved on
Lap 11, and Scoggins found Noland and Tim Elias chasing him on the
restart. Johnny Wood raced past Noland for second on Lap 15, but
Scoggins was pulling away from everybody as the checkered flag finally
waved. Johnny Wood settled for a $400 second, followed by Noland, Elias,
Tom Manzella, Syd Finn, DJ Keldsen, Race Shelton, Kyle Wood and Allen
Neal. There were 21 cars, and the eight lap heat race wins went to
Scoggins, Wilson and Johnny Wood.
Racing
resumes next Saturday night with the Bay Cities Racing Association
Midgets and Lightning Sprints making an appearance along with the IMCA
Van De Pol Western RaceSaver 305 Sprint Cars and Hobby Stocks. For
further information, go to www.mersedspeedway.net.
Bloomfield Wins First Winged Sprint Car Race,
Johns, Myrick Other Antioch Speedway Winners
Antioch,
CA...April 17...Dylan Bloomfield won the 30 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car
Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. Bloomfield was last
year's runner-up in Wingless Spec Sprint points at 14 years old. This
year, he got a ride in Dave Johnson's Sprinter, and his first career win
in the class earned him a $1,500 payday.
Bloomfield
started in the second row outside, and polesitter Justin Henry led the
opening lap ahead a Burt Foland Jr. Following a yellow flag on Lap 1,
Henry continued to lead Foland and Bloomfield on the restart. Bloomfield
slipped past Henry to take the lead on Lap 3. The second and final
yellow flag waved on Lap 17. As Bloomfield continued to lead the
restart, both Billy Aton and Foland got around Henry for second and
third. Bloomfield ran smooth and consistent laps down the stretch and
held off Aton for the satisfying win. Joey Ancona moved past Foland for
third on Lap 20 and would finish there. Foland settled for fourth ahead
of Henry, Angelique Bell, Steve Jaquith, Art McCarthy Jr and Jeffrey
Grimm.
Aton was the quickest of 11 qualifiers
on the quarter-mile clay oval at 12.849, beating the 12.949 of Ancona.
Bloomfield and Ancona won the eight lap heat races. Past champion Jacob
Tuttle and Ashlyn Rodriguez were Main Event scratches.
Ken
Johns won the 30 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was his first ever
feature win. Point leader Larry McKenzie Jr had the outside front row
for the start and jumped into the early lead ahead of Johns and Gavin
Griffiths. A yellow flag flew on Lap 4 for Jewel Crandall and Charlie
Bryant, and McKinzie continued to lead Johns and Griffiths on the
restart. A Lap 9 yellow flag waved for Tom Leopold. Kenneth Robles moved
into fourth behind McKinzie, Johns and Griffiths on the restart, and
Robles took third from Griffiths a lap later. A Lap 17 yellow flag flew
for Judy Arth. Johns motored past McKinzie to take the lead on the
restart as Robles continued to run third. There were three yellow flags
in the final 10 laps. As Johns continued to lead the way on the Lap 27
restart, Robles was pressuring McKinzie for second. Robles maneuvered
past McKinzie for second on Lap 28. Johns would lead the final laps to
win ahead of Robles, McKinzie, Anthony Vigna, Gene Haney, Michaela
Taylor, Philip Oreta, James Graessle, Crandall and Misty Welborn.
There
were 27 Hobby Stocks, and the eight lap heat race wins went to Jon
Haney, reigning champion James Thomson, Bryant and Johns. Thomson won
the four lap Trophy Dash. Adam Kujala started on the second row inside
and wasted little time getting the lead in the 14 lap B Main. Kujala won
ahead of Oreta, Gene Haney, Taylor and Emilie Bryant.
Dan
Myrick scored the victory in the 20 lap West Coast Sport Compact Main
Event. Myrick is the 2019 series champion, and this was the group's
first ever appearance at Antioch Speedway. The race was destined to go
without a yellow flag. Myrick had an outside front row starting position
and bolted into the early lead ahead of point leader Chris Corder and
Eddie Humphrey III. Jeff Durant slipped past Humphrey for third on Lap
4. By the seventh lap, Myrick held a straightaway advantage over Corder.
Humphrey regained third on Lap 11 with Shawn DePriest following into
fourth. Myrick stretched his advantage to about half a lap over Corder
by the time the checkered flag waved. Humphrey finished third ahead of
DePriest, Durant, Greg Baronian, Gene Glover and Dan Abitz. DePriest and
Corder were the six lap heat race winners.
Racing
resumes next Saturday night with the Wingless Spec Sprints back in
action along with the Hobby Stocks, Delta Dwarf Cars and the Super
Stocks. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Jones, Paul, Learn, Nielson Score Petaluma Speedway Victories
Petaluma,
CA...April 17...Shawn Jones scored the victory in the 30 lap C&H
Veteran's Services Hunt Wingless Sprint Car Series Main Event Saturday
night at Petaluma Speedway. Jones is a champion with the group as well
as a multi-time Dwarf Car champion.
Nick
Robfogel won the final Hunt Series race at Petaluma last year, and he
bolted into the early lead from his front row starting position,
followed by Marcus Hardina and Jones. Jones settled into second on the
third lap and took up pursuit of Robfogel. Bradley Terrell moved into
third on the fourth lap before a yellow flag slowed the pace. Robfogel
continued to lead Jones and Terrell on the restart, and the battle at
the front got interesting. On the eighth lap, Jones made his move around
Robfogel to grab the lead. Terrell put the moves on Robfogel for second
on Lap 11. A Lap 12 yellow flag resulted in the end of the race for
Cameron Martin. Jones continued to lead Terrell and Robfogel on the
restart. A final yellow flag unfurled on Lap 23. Undaunted, Jones
motored into the lead and pulled away during the final three laps for
the impressive win. Robfogel made a last lap pass on Terrell for second.
Terrell settled for third ahead of reigning track champion Daniel
Whitley, Geoff Ensign, Matt Streeter, Jarrett Soares, Brent Steck,
Hardina and Kevin Box.
The Hunt Series
produced a stellar field of 32 competitors. Terrell turned the 3/8 mile
adobe oval at 15.115 for the fast time. Ensign was second quick at
15.143 and won his eight lap heat race. Other heat wins went to Terrell,
Whitley and Soares. Braidon Moniz won the seven lap B Main ahead of
Cameron Martin, Tony Bernard, Nathan Schank and Ethon Lanfri.
Michael
Paul Jr won the 20 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. Bobby Montalvo led
early ahead of Jake Dewsbury and Paul. Paul took second from Dewsbury on
Lap 3 before a yellow flag flew. On the restart, Paul slipped by
Montalvo to take the lead as Tim Balding settled into third. Balding
raced past Montalvo for second on Lap 6, and the yellow flag waved on
Lap 8. Michael Paul Jr maintained the lead on Lap 9 and Lap 10 restarts
ahead of Balding as Michelle Paul briefly took third on the Lap 10
restart. On Lap 11, reigning champion Anthony Slaney took over third.
Michael Paul Jr stretched his advantage to nearly a straightaway ahead
of Balding by the time the checkered flag waved. Slaney settled for
third ahead of Michelle Paul, Dewsbury, Montalvo and Gary Zwicker.
Freddie Plourde III was a Main Event scratch, and Michael Paul Jr won
the eight lap heat race.
Mike Learn won the 20
lap Super Stock Main Event. Learn is the reigning Tri State Pro Stock
Challenge Series champion, and he had the pole position for the feature
race. Learn charged into the lead at the start ahead of Randy Miramontez
and past champion Shawn McCoy. A Lap 4 yellow flag slowed the pace, and
Dave Spindell moved into third behind Learn and Miramontez on the
restart. Learn began to build a comfortable lead and held a straightaway
advantage over Miramontez by Lap 15. Spindell made a Lap 18 pass on
Miramontez for second, and Learn won ahead of Spindell, Miramontez,
McCoy, Dwayne Croft, Justin Zwicker and Sid Hess. McCoy won the eight
lap heat race.
George Nelson won the 20 lap 600
Micro Sprint Main Event. Nielson had the pole for the Main Event, which
had to be restarted. Nielsen jumped out to the early lead ahead of 2019
champion Justin Addiego and Brian Slubik. A yellow flag flew after one
lap, and Nielsen continued to lead as Slubik took second from Addiego.
Kyle Grissom moved into third, and Jeromie Charon retired from the race
at that point. Slubik kept it somewhat close during the final 15 laps,
but Nielson still prevailed at the checkered flag. Grissom finished
right behind Slubik in third, followed by Addiego, Sam Borland, Amber
Fields, Victor Guerra, Charon, Shiloh Borland and Trevor Mendenhall.
The
Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour Presented by Abreu Vineyards
invades Petaluma Speedway this Saturday night, joined by the Redwood
Dwarf Cars and Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Wallace, Winter, Hannagan Win At Marysville Raceway
Marysville,
CA...April 17... Billy Wallace won the 25 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car
Main Event Saturday night at Marysville Raceway. Wallace is the current
point leader, and he became the sixth different winner in as many races.
Wallace
had a front row start and moved into the lead ahead of Korey Lovell and
Colby Wiesz when the green flag waved. Wiesz moved past Korey Lovell
for second on the fifth lap before a Turn 3 tangle between James Taylor
and Jason Holt brought out a yellow flag. Holt was eliminated, and
Wallace continued to lead Wiesz and Korey Lovell on the restart. The
rapidly run race only had one more yellow flag on Lap 20 for Taylor in
Turn 2, ending his race. Steel Powell moved into third behind Wallace
and Wiesz on the restart. Wallace went on to win ahead of Colby Wiesz,
Powell, Korey Lovell, Kevin Lovell, RJ Baker, Koa Crane, Josh Wiesz, Pat
Harvey Jr and Drake Standley. Powell set the fast time on the
quarter-mile clay oval at 13.419, beating the 13.516 of Wallace. The
eight lap heat race wins went to Colby Wiesz and Dawson Hammes.
Ryan
Winter won the 25 lap NorCal Dwarf Car Main Event. Winter has won
several races already this year as he is positioning himself for another
championship run. Reigning champion Michael "Spanky" Grenert and Shawn
Whitney shared the front row for the Main Event and raced into the 1-2
positions at the start. Winter moved into second on the fourth lap
before a yellow flag waved for Bobby Johnson in Turn 4. Grenert
continued to lead Winter and Whitney on the restart, but Winter put the
moves on Grenert to take over on the sixth lap. Whitney slipped past
Grenert for second on the eighth lap, and Grenert stalled in Turn 3
moments later as his race ended. Winter continued to lead Whitney and
Mike Reeder on the restart. Dan Geil settled into fourth and began
battling Reeder for third. On the 21st lap, Geil made the move into
third, and the final yellow flag waved on Lap 22 for Austin Struthers.
Winter led the restart and pulled away from Whitney to collect another
win. Geil was a season-best third, followed by Reeder, Corey Eaton, Ben
Wiesz, Kevin Bender, Brandon Shaw, Gage Meyers and Carl Droivold.
24
Dwarf Cars came to compete, and the eight lap heat race wins went to
Shaw, Winter, Whitney and Wiesz. Struthers won the 12 lap B Main.
Droivold had the pole and raced into the early lead ahead of Struthers.
On the sixth lap, Struthers made what proved to be his winning move as
he brought it home to victory ahead of Droivold, Robert Kozinski,
Jamison Sole and Zachary Armstrong.
Joel
Hannagan won the 15 lap California Hardtop Main Event. Hannagan was
again piloting the Junkyard Dog Sedan of Doug Braudrick. Joe Shenefield
raced into the lead at the start ahead of Ken Clifford. On the second
lap, Ron Ruiz ran the outside line into the second position. He and
Shenefield crossed the line side by side. However, they got a bit close
in Turn 1, and Ruiz ended up swerving into the wall. Ruiz saw his race
end at that point. Tom Grady took the lead from Shenefield on the
restart with Hannagan moving into second. A lap later, Hannagan moved
past Grady to take the lead. Hannagan went on to victory from there with
Grady settling for second. Clifford and Shenefield ran closely in the
race for third. Clifford briefly gained the position on Lap 13, but
Shenefield regained the spot a lap later for the finish. Clifford
settled for fourth ahead of Ruiz. Hannagan won the eight lap heat race
ahead of Ruiz
Racing at Marysville will take a
break for a few weeks, but it returns on May 15th with Winged 360 Sprint
Cars, Pepsi IMCA Sport Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. For further
information, go to www.marysvilleraceway.com.
Perry Wins 50 Lap Special,
Peters, Steele Siskiyou Speedway Winners
Yreka,
CA...April 17... Ryan Peery won the special 50 lap IMCA Sport Modified
Main Event Saturday night at Siskiyou Golden Speedway. The special race
ran 25 laps before a mid-race fuel break and paid $500 to the happy
winner. Peery Impressed with multiple wins in his rookie season last
year and is emerging as a championship contender this year.
Last
year's 4th of July $850 winner Braxton Possinger had the pole for the
race, but it got off to a rocky start with multiple yellow flags
eliminating previous winner Jorddon Braaten, Matt Sanders and Steven
Sanders. Possinger raced into the early lead ahead of Isaac Sanders and
Colt Boswell. Wyatt Westfall made a move around Colt Boswell for third
on Lap 4 as eighth starter Peery quickly settled into fourth. Peery made
a move around Westfall for third on Lap 15 before a yellow flag waved.
Peery took the lead from Possinger on the restart with Isaac Sanders
back in third. One more yellow flag waved on Lap 18, but Peery continued
to lead Possinger, Isaac Sanders, Westfall and Colt Boswell to the
halfway break.
After the drivers were allowed
to refuel, Peery led Possinger and Isaac Sanders on the restart. The
second half of the race was destined to go caution free, and Peery
pulled away rapidly ahead of Possinger. Possinger and Isaac Sanders had a
close battle going for second that intensified in the waning lams. As
Peery sped home to a straightaway advantage in victory, Isaac Sanders
made a last lap maneuver around Possinger to claim second. Westfall
settled for a respectable fourth, followed by Ryder Boswell, Jace
Wright, Colt Boswell, Jack Waldon III, Chad Wormington and Pro Stock
star James Flowers. The 16 competitors ran two eight lap heat races with
Braaten and Possinger claiming the wins.
Cody
Peters won the season opening 25 lap Main Event for the Southern Oregon
Dwarf Cars. Peters had a pole position start, but he had to negotiate
through multiple yellow flags to ultimately claim the win.
Cody
Peters set the early pace ahead of reigning champion Josh King and
Kaycee Sheeler. A yellow flag waved after just one lap. Cody's father
Brock Peters moved into third on the restart. A lap later, King slipped
past Cody Peters to take the lead. Cody Peters and Brock Peters came
roaring back to drop King back to third on the fourth lap. A yellow flag
waved moments later, and Cody Peters led Brock Peters and Chad Cardoza
on the restart. This was the lineup on the Lap 8 restart, but Ryan Smith
took third from Cardoza on Lap 14. Another yellow flag waved moments
later, and Cody Peters led Ryan Smith and Brock Peters on the next
restart. King and Cardoza were battling for the fourth position at that
point, and a final yellow flag waved on Lap 20. Cody Peters stayed cool
under pressure and led the final restart over Smith and Brock Peters.
They finished in that order with Cardoza finishing fourth, followed by
Steve Walker, Tanner Curr, Jason Robustelli, Erin Morgenstern, Reggie
Ayers and Andrew Hall.
There were 21 Dwarf Cars
for the show, and eight lap heat race wins were earned by Brett James,
Fred Hay and King. James won the four lap A Dash ahead of King, while
Cody Peters out ran Kaycee Sheeler to win the four lap B Dash.
David
Steele scored a thrilling win in the 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event. Last
season, Steele turned in a dominant performance in winning seven of the
eight point events on his way to his second Yreka championship. After
winning the six lap heat race, Steele lined up in the third row for the
feature race. Darek Alford set the early pace ahead of Steve Goetz and
Ashtin Hedges. Hedges took the lead on the second lap with Steele and
Kristopher Mix settling into second and third as Goetz saw his race come
to an end. Alford took third from Mix on Lap 8, and the yellow flag
waved on Lap 10. With Steele there to provide the pressure, Hedges
continued to lead the restart. The final few laps got intense, and
Steele was able to execute a pass in the final turn to take the win away
from Hedges, who settled for second. Alford ended up third, followed by
Mix, Marilyn Yawnick, previous winner Michael Knuckles and Goetz.
After
taking another week off, a big show will be in the offering on May 1st.
The IMCA Sport Modifieds and Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars will be in
action along with the Mini Stocks and the first visit of the year for
the Outlaw Pro Stocks. For further information, go to www.syskiyougoldenspeedway.com.
Aguirre, Bugg, Wren Win At Madera Speedway
Madera,
CA...April 17...Jason Aguirre won the 40 lap Late Model race Saturday
night at Madera Speedway. This was a Club Race, and it was also the
second win this year for Aguirre.
Kyle Keller
and Racin Vernon shared the front row with Aguirre and Joey Iest in the
second row. Keller set the early pace ahead of Vernon, but a low pass in
Turn 4 of the second lap put Iest into second. Aguirre was able to move
into third on the fifth lap, and a Mike Shapiro spin brought out the
first yellow flag on Lap 8. Keller continued to lead Iest and Aguirre on
the restart. However, the complexion of the race changed as the
driver's worked what would have been the 11th lap. Contact sent Keller
spinning. Iest was put to the back of the pack for his part in the
incident. Aguirre led Vernon and Howard Holden on the restart, and a
Shapiro spin brought out a Lap 17 yellow flag. Aguirre continued to lead
Vernon and Holden on the next restart. A Richard Herzog spin forced a
Lap 18 yellow flag. Aguirre continued to set the pace on the restart
ahead of Vernon. A low pass in Turn 4 on Lap 28 gained Iest fourth from
Aaron Mullins, and he made a similar move on Lap 29 to take third from
Holden. The final yellow flag waved on Lap 32 for Herzog and Shapiro.
Aguirre led Vernon and Iest on the restart. Iest hounded Vernon until
making an inside pass in Turn 4 on Lap 38 to take second. However,
Aguirre would lead the rest of the way to win ahead of Iest, Keller,
Vernon, Holden, Mullins, Brandon Burd, Loren Kutz, Haley Liles and
Shapiro.
14 drivers qualified on the 1/3 mile
paved oval with Keller setting the quick time of 14.942, beating the
14.951 of Vernon. The eight lap heat race wins went to Keller, Vernon
and Iest. The Jr Late Model class had an exhibition, and Haley Liles and
Rebecca Dubie came to take advantage of the 30 lap opportunity. Dubie
led a lap before Liles made a bit of contact in making the pass on the
back straightaway to take the lead. Both drivers did a good job the rest
of the way as Liles won ahead of Dubie. Liles also won the eight lap
heat race.
Haley Bugg won her first ever 30 lap
Mini Super Toyotas Main Event. Prior to the race, it was revealed that
reigning champion Shaun Reynolds had emergency stomach surgery and was
forced to miss the show. Brother Ryan Reynolds also sat the weekend out,
meaning the chances were good for a first ever win for somebody.
Aaron
Reaves had the pole and led the first two laps before an inside pass
gained Bugg first. Tim Kammerer settled into second on the fifth lap
with Patrick Geiger following closely into third. A yellow flag waved
for Bill Gordon's spin in Turn 2 on Lap 9. As Bugg continued to lead the
restart, Geiger got past Kammerer for second. Another yellow flag flew
one lap later, but Bugg continued to lead Geiger and Kammerer on this
restart and another restart a lap later. The leaders ran in close
formation for the next several laps, but the complexion of the race
changed on a Lap 24 yellow flag when Geiger and Reaves crashed on the
back straightaway, ending the race for both. Bugg led the restart and
held off Kammerer the rest of the way for her first win. Nick Thompson
took the checkered flag in third as Geiger, Reaves and Gordon completed
the finishing order. Geiger set the fast time of 16.772, beating the
16.824 of Thompson. The eight lap heat race wins went to Geiger and
Kammerer.
Bakersfield's Lloyd Wren Jr won the
30 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Wren and reigning champion Manny Gonzales
Jr shared the front row for the race. Wren took the early lead ahead of
Gonzales and Donnie Large Jr. The lead duo began to pull away from
Large in a close battle up front. Traffic didn't present much of a
challenge for Wren on Lap 16 as he moved past the slower cars to
maintain his advantage. In the waning lap, Gonzales began to fade back a
little bit as Wren went on to score the victory. Large was a solid
third, followed by rookie Harley Kennealy and Rick Lea. Wren set the
fast time of 16.396, beating the 16.564 of Large. Wren also won the
eight lap heat race.
Johnny Williams won the 15
lap Mini Stock Main Event. The track is trying to start a new
four-cylinder class using the West Coast Sport Compact rules set.
Williams, who is part of the track's safety crew, led the entire
distance with Rick Lea keeping it close all the way in second. Williams
set the fast time of 18.946 and also won the eight lap heat race.
Racing
resumes next Saturday night with the third round of the MavTV Series,
featuring The Nut Up Pro Late Models, 51fifty Energy Drink Jr Late
Models, the Legends of the Pacific and the Bandoleros/Mini Cup cars. The
track will continue to stream these races live for free on their
YouTube page thanks to sponsorship from Nut Up Industries, Mission Foods
and 51fifty Energy Drink. For further information, go to www.racemadera.com.
Mognaga, Sharp, Johnson, Stepps Win At Dixon Speedway
Dixon,
CA...April 17... Dan Mognaga won the 25 lap Wingless 600 Micro Sprint
Main Event Saturday night at Dixon Speedway. Mognaga becomes the third
different winner in as many races.
Brandon
Carey and Austin Torgerson shared the front row for the feature race,
and Carey led Torgerson and Mognaga early on. A yellow flag waved on
Lap 8. Carey continued to set the pace ahead of Torgerson and Mognaga on
this restart and restarts on Lap 11 and Lap 13. On a Lap 14 restart,
however, Mognaga was able to move past Austin Torgerson for second.
Yellow flags waved on Lap 19 and 20. On the Lap 21 restart, Mognaga
began seriously pressuring Carey and made his winning move on Lap 23.
Mognaga went on to victory as Carey settled for second. Austin Torgerson
continued to hold third until surrendering the position to Ashton
Torgerson on Lap 19. However, Austin Torgerson came roaring back on Lap
23 to claim third for good. Ashton Torgerson ended up fourth, followed
by Jeffrey Pahule, reigning champion Kelvin Lewis, Nate Wait, Brian
Bell, Justin Stretch and Travis Sullivan.
40
Wingless Micros tripped the clock on the 1/5 mile dirt oval with Wait
setting the fast time of 11.631. Danny Carroll was second quick at
11.705, beating the 11.735 of previous winner Cody Gray. The 10 lap heat
race wins went to Carey, Brandon Riveira, Lewis and Mognaga. The 10 lap
Trophy Dash win went to Austin Torgerson ahead of Carey. Jeffrey Pahule
took the lead from early leader Derek Patterson on the Lap 7 and went
on to win the first 12 lap B Main. Patterson settled for second ahead of
Cody Braund. Bryant Bell led from start to finish with Hayden Saich a
race-long second in the second B Main. Jarrett Heimlich gained third on
Lap 7 and would finish there.
Izaak Sharp won
the 25 lap Super 600 Main Event. Sharp started on the pole and raced
into the lead immediately ahead of Ashton Torgerson and Austin
Torgerson. Colby Grieg took third from Austin Torgerson on Lap 4, and
the first yellow flag of the race didn't fall until Lap 11. Austin
Torgerson briefly regained third on the restart behind Sharp and Ashton
Torgerson. However, reigning champion Brad Hannum moved into third on
Lap 14. A final yellow flag waved on Lap 22. As Sharp continued to lead
the restart, Hannum took second from Ashton Torgerson. Jessica McManus
briefly took the third position on Lap 24, but Ashton Torgerson came
roaring back on the final circuit. Sharp went on to win ahead of Hannum,
Ashton Torgerson, McManus, Dennis Scherer, Brett McCulloch, Austin
Torgerson, Rylee Whitehouse, Grieg and Jeffrey Pahule.
Austin
Torgerson was the fastest of 13 qualifiers with a lap of 10.341,
beating the 10.491 of Ashton Torgerson. The 10 lap heat race wins went
to Sharp and Pahule. Sharp won the six lap Trophy Dash ahead of Ashton
Torgerson.
Lucas Johnson won the 20 lap
Restricted Main Event. Jackson Kohler and reigning Jr Sprint champion
Kyle Fernandez shared the front row. Kohler led a lap before Fernandez
gained the lead. However, a Lap 2 yellow flag waved, and Kohler regained
the lead briefly on the restart ahead of Johnson and Ryder Byrd.
Johnson went motoring past Kohler for the lead on Lap 4. The yellow flag
waved on Lap 6, but Johnson resumed command ahead of Kohler and Byrd on
the restart. Johnson held a straightaway advantage over Kohler by Lap
14, but a Lap 15 yellow flag erased that. Johnson continued to lead
Kohler and Byrd on the restart, but Byrd slipped past Kohler for second
on Lap 17. Johnson pulled away to the victory ahead of Byrd, Kohler,
Andrew Smith, Kyle Cravotta, Peyton Whitehouse, Fernandez, Adrianna
DeMartini, Nicholas Leonard Jr and Kellen Harper.
Fernandez
was the quickest of 14 qualifiers with a Lap of 11.443, beating the
11.506 of DeMartini. Smith and Johnson won the 10 lap heat races, and
Fernandez won the six lap Trophy Dash ahead of Kohler.
Hayden
Stepps won the 20 lap Junior Sprint Main Event. This was the
third-straight win for Stepps. Fellow front row starter Dean Skrifvas
surprised Stepps by charging into the early lead as Vito Cancilla ran
third. Stepps took the lead on the fourth lap, and Cancilla took second
on Lap 8. Brody Rubio settled into third on Lap 9, and that was the
battle. Hayden Stepps would lead the rest of the way to win ahead of
Cancilla. Josiah Vega took third from Rubio on Lap 18, but he
surrendered the position to Levi Osborne a lap later. Osborne finished
third, followed by Rubio, Vegas, Skrifvas, Jackson Tardiff, Heston
Stepps, Kyle Klagenberg and Mickelina Monico.
Rubio
with the quickest of 12 qualifiers with a lap of 12.755, beating the
12.782 of Cancilla. The eight lap heat race wins went to Hayden Stepps
and Cancilla. Skrifvas outran Hayden Stepps to win the six lap Trophy
Dash.
A full slate of Micro Sprint racing will return on May 8th. For further information, go to www.dixonspeedway.net.
Montgomery, Christian, Beaudoin Score
Coos Bay Speedway Wins
Coos
Bay, Oregon...April 17...Brody Montgomery won the 30 lap NASCAR
America's Mattress Super Late Model Main Event Saturday night at Coos
Bay Speedway. Montgomery, who is the two-time reigning division
champion, started on the second row inside behind 2019 champion Preston
Luckman. Luckman bolted into the lead at the start ahead of Montgomery.
Braden Fugate quickly worked his way into the third position. The battle
at the front between Montgomery and Luckman was close throughout the
race, and Montgomery made what proved to be his winning pass on Lap 23.
Fugate got around Luckman for second on Lap 27. However, Luckman
regained that position on the final lap as Montgomery collected the win.
Fugate settled for third, followed by Mike Taylor, previous winner
Wayne Butler and Hannah Robison. Luckman was the eight lap heat race
winner.
Seth Christian won the 25 lap Street
Stock Main Event. He had the outside front row starting position and
raced into the early lead ahead of Charlie Withers and past Sportsman
Late Model champion Dyllan Siewell. Siewell made his way around Withers
on Lap 3. However, Christian pulled away to about a straightaway
advantage by the time the checkered flag waved. Dyllan Siewell settled
for second ahead of Withers, Austin Morrow, Dave Siewell and Daniel
Land. Sam Talon was a Main Event scratch. Christian also won the eight
lap heat race.
Earlier in the evening, Seth
Christian also won the 20 lap Hornets Main Event. This makes it two wins
in a row for Christian in two divisions. Christian started in the
second row inside behind reigning champion Isaac Stere. However,
Christian found his way into the lead before the first lap was
completed. A yellow flag waved on the second lap, and Christian led
Stere and William Hitner on the restart. Despite a yellow flag on Lap 17
bunching the field again, Christian led the restart and went on to win
ahead of Stere, Hitner, Bid Van Loon, Alexis Baker, Jet Nelson, Ben
Bahadar, Amy Hedgepetch, Joseph Maricle and Lily Metzgus. Hitner and
Christian won the eight lap heat races.
Ryan
Emry won the 25 lap Sportsman Late Model Main Event. John Crabtree had
the pole and charged into the lead at the start ahead of Emry and Tahlan
Rogers. A yellow flag waved on Lap 12 as the race ended for Crabtree.
Emry assumed the lead at that point and went on to win with Rogers
taking the checkered flag in second as Crabtree and Dustin Hitner were
scored third and fourth, respectively. Emry won the eight lap heat race.
Scott
Beaudoin won the 25 Mini Outlaw Main Event. Mike Beaudoin had the pole
and raced into the early lead ahead of Scott Beaudoin and Matthew Emry.
Scott Beaudoin made his way past Mike Beaudoin for the lead on Lap 4. By
the 12th lap, Scott Beaudoin held a straightaway advantage over Mike
Beaudoin, who was battling to hold off Matthew Emry. Emery made the move
around Mike Beaudoin for second on Lap 16. However, Scott Beaudoin went
on to victory ahead of Matthew Emry, Mike Beaudoin, Joey Duke and
Nicole Emry. Scott Beaudoin was the eight lap heat race winner.
Griff
Smith won the 18 lap Jr Stingers Main Event. With a pole position
start, Cameron Metzgus raced into the lead at the start ahead of Smith
and DJ Nelson. Smith took the lead from Metzgus on the second lap before
a yellow flag waved. Smith continued to lead Metzgus and Alex Butler on
the restart. Butler finally made his way around Metzgus for second on
Lap 12, but Smith held a straightaway advantage by then. A yellow flag
on Lap 14 bunched the field. However, Smith resumed command on the
restart and posted the victory with Butler not too far behind in second.
Tallon Dubisar also got around Metzgus on Lap 12 and would finish
third. Metzgus settled for fourth, followed by Heather Burton, Max Haga,
Drake Vincent, Tanner Dubisar, Tucker Dubisar and Nelson. The eight lap
heat race wins went to Eli Luckman, Tallon Dubisar and Smith.
Racing
will resume on the oval track for Pepsi night on May 1st, featuring the
NASCAR America's Mattress Super Late Models, Sportsman Late Models,
Street Stocks, Mini Outlaws, Hornets and Junior Stingers. For further
information, go to www.coospacespeedway.us.
Three In A Row For Sanders In Sprint Cars
At Placerville Speedway
Placerville,
CA...April 17...Justin Sanders won the 25 lap Thompson's Auto Group
Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Placerville Speedway.
This was the third-straight win for Sanders, who is leading the
standings at both Placerville and Watsonville so far this year.
Sanders
started in the second row for the feature race behind the front row of
Tanner Carrick and Shane Golobic. Carrick raced into the early lead
ahead of Sanders and Golobic. On the 12th lap, Sanders made his move
around Carrick for the lead. A lap later, Golobic took second from
Carrick, but Carrick came roaring back to reclaim the position on Lap
14. This battle continued with Golobic again briefly grabbing second on
Lap 19, but Carrick again moved past him a lap later. Sanders had
motored out to about a straightaway advantage as Golobic regained second
for good on Lap 23. 14th starter Ryan Bernal made a last lap pass to
grab fourth from Carrick. At the checkered flag it was Justin Sanders
winning ahead of Golobic, Bernal, Tanner Carrick, Jodie Robinson, Chase
Majdic, Michael Faccinto, Andy Gregg, Joel Myers Jr and Caden Sarale.
There
were 29 Sprint Cars for the show, and Majdic toured the quarter-mile
clay oval at 10.770 to set the fast time. Kalib Henry was second quick
at 10.906, barely beating the 10.907 of Golobic for second quick. The
four eight lap heat race wins were earned by Michael ing, Gregg, Sanders
and Kyle Offill as the Top 4 finishers earned feature starting births.
Majdic had the pole for the 12 lap B Main and led all the way in
victory. Isaiah Vasquez held second until being overtaken by third row
starter Joel Myers Jr on the 10th lap. Vasquez settled for third ahead
of Blake Carrick and Shane Hopkins.
Dan
Jinkerson won the 20 lap Pure Stock Main Event. It was Kevin Jinkerson
taking the early lead from the pole ahead of previous winner Nick
Baldwin. Dan Jinkerson was running third on Lap 2 and took second from
Baldwin a lap later. On the fourth lap, Dan Jinkerson raced past Kevin
Jinkerson for the lead. Dan Jinkerson motored ahead to a respectable
margin of victory over Kevin Jinkerson by the time the checkered flag
waved. Baldwin had a back and forth battle with Jason Palmer for third.
Palmer grabbed the position on the fifth lap, but he surrendered it to
back Baldwin on the eighth lap. However, Palmer came roaring back to
grab the position for good on Lap 12 with Baldwin settling for fourth,
followed by Russell Murphy, Ryan Peter, Johnathan Walsh, Ryan Murphy,
Michael Murphy and Stephanie Hanson. Dan Jinkerson and Jason Palmer won
the eight lap heat races.
Craig Holsted won the
20 lap BCRA Lightning Sprints Main Event. Holsted started on the pole
and led all the way for the victory. Terry Bergstrom ran second for a
lap before being overtaken by Hunter Kinney. Kinney held second until
encountering problems on Lap 16 for a yellow flag. This put Bergstrom
back into second, but he was no match for Holsted, who sped on to the
win. Scott Kinney took third from Brandon Leedy on the 18th lap and
finished there. Joseph Ferolito finished fourth, followed by Hunter
Kinney, Dakota Albright, Cody Meyer, Greg Dennett, Jimmy Riddell and
Jayden Meyer. Holsted was the quickest of 13 qualifiers with a lap of
12.306, beating the 12.368 of Bergstrom. Hunter Kinney and Scott Kinney
won the eight lap heat races.
Wyatt Lakin won
the 20 lap Mini Truck Main Event. This was his second-straight win.
Polesitter Howard Miller led a lap before being overtaken by Lakin. Mike
Miller settled into second on Lap 3 and briefly got past Lakin for the
lead on Lap 5. However, Lakin regained the lead on Lap 7 and went on to
victory ahead of Mike Miller. Thomas Jenson was a solid third, followed
by Tom Stanwood, Aaron Rupley, Del Tremblay, Kevin Tremblay, Howard
Miller and Brian Tremblay. The eight lap heat win went to Rupley.
Next
Saturday night is the annual Don Tilford Tribute race, featuring the
Limited Late Models, Pure Stocks, Mini Trucks, California Hardtops and a
special visit by the Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series. For further
information, go to www.placervillespeedway.com.
Thompson, Drager, Tanner, Bloom Win
At Cottage Grove Speedway
Cottage
Grove, Oregon...April 17..Tyler Thompson won the 25 lap Todd's Auto
Body Limited Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Cottage Grove Speedway.
Thompson was able to take the lead on the seventh lap and never
relinquished it. This was the second win of the season for the 2019
Winged 360 Sprint Car champion.
Jake Wheeler
and reigning champion Shane Forte shared the front row for the feature,
and Wheeler sprinted into the lead at the start. Forte held second for
two laps before being overtaken by Thompson. The yellow flag waved for
Wheeler on Lap 6. This put Thompson into the lead on the restart ahead
of Forte and Tyrell Mead. Steven Snawder passed Mead for third on Lap
11, but he surrendered the position to the resurgent Wheeler on Lap 15.
Wheeler caught Forte and took second from him on Lap 20. Though Wheeler
kept pace with Thompson, he wasn't able to make the move as Thompson
scored the win. Forte settled for third, followed by Mead, Snawder,
Johnny Burke, Brody Sim, TJ Winningham, Scotty Fox and Pat Desbiens.
Thompson was the quickest of 16 qualifiers with a lap of 11.798, beating
the 11.916 of Wheeler. Forte, Wheeler and Mead won the eight lap heat
races with Forte also picking up four lap Trophy Dash honors.
Matthew
Drager won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. He became the third
different winner in his many races. Chad Groves and Drager shared the
front row, and Groves led two laps before Drager raced into the lead.
Groves regained first on the fourth lap, but Drager again charged by for
first a lap later. Jake Mayden ran third early on, and Groves again
took the lead from Drager on Lap 15. Unfortunately, Groves brought a
brought out a yellow flag moments after getting the lead, putting Drager
back in front ahead of Mayden. Drager led the restart and paced the
rest of the race for the victory. Curtis Towns took second from Mayden
on Lap 21, but he surrendered the position to sixth row starter Collen
Winebarger on Lap 23. Winebarger made a serious bid to overtake Drager
for the lead on the last lap, but Drager was able to barely beat him
back to the checkered flag for the win. Towns settled for third,
followed by Mayden, Eston Whistler, Craig Cassell, Groves, Aaron
Sheelar, Paul Rea and Doug Lockwood. Mayden was the quickest of 20
qualifiers with a lap of 14.696, beating the 14.890 of Jeffrey Hudson.
Cassell won the four lap Trophy Dash, and the eight lap heat race wins
went to Towns, Hudson and Winebarger.
Joey
Tanner won the 30 lap Late Model Main Event. The multi-time Willamette
Speedway champion started back in the sixth row. Outside front row
starter Bob Dees led four laps before encountering problems. Rob Campos
grabbed the lead at that point ahead of Doug Elkins, but Darren Coffell
grabbed second on lap eight. Tanner had worked his way into third by Lap
13 and took second from Coffell a lap later. On the 15th lap, Tanner
put the moves on Campos to take the lead. Coffell settled into second on
Lap 16. Tanner rapidly pulled away to a more than straightaway
advantage, leaving the battle for second. Eston Whistler took second
from Coffell on Lap 21, but Coffell beat him back to the line for the
position a lap later. On Lap 23, Whistler regained the position for
good. At the checkered flag, it was Tanner winning ahead of Whistler,
Coffell, Brian Smith, Doug Elkins, Tomas Hunziker, Campos, Randy Barley,
Jordan Wright and Mike Peters. Whistler set the fast time of 18
qualifiers at 12.988, beating the 13.302 of Elkins. Whistler, Tanner and
Kyle Frick won the eight lap heat races with Tanner wrapping up a clean
sweep with the four lap Trophy Dash win.
Aaron
Bloom won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Bloom had the pole
for the rapidly run race and proceeded to lead every lap in victory.
Theron Trissell ran second for a lap before being overtaken by Ray
Bloom. Steve Hopkins ran third early on, but David Schmidt passed him on
Lap 7. Dustin Comer took third from Schmidt on Lap 14 with Schmidt
regaining the position a lap later. Comer again made a pass for third on
Lap 16 and passed Ray Bloom for second on Lap 18. Aaron Bloom held a
comfortable margin at the checkered flag. Comer crossed the line in
second, only to be disqualified. This moved Ray Bloom into second ahead
of Schmidt, Travis Pruitt, Doug Coffman, Dalton Bloom, KC Scott, Skyler
Winbarger, Hopkins and Trissell.
Pruitt was
the quickest of the 18 drivers in qualifying with a lap of 15.199,
beating the 15.218 of Donald Bandfield. The eight lap heat race wins
went to Comer, Schmidt and Aaron Bloom, and Aaron Bloom also won the
four lap Trophy Dash to give him a clean sweep. Coffman won the 12 lap B
Main. Matt Brown led two laps before Scott took over. Scott held the
point until being overtaken by Coffman on Lap 7. Coffman went on to win
by a comfortable margin ahead of Scott and Dalton Bloom.
Justin
Evans won the 20 lap Street Stock Main Event. Polesitter Don Schott led
a lap before Evans raced into the lead. Dakota Goddard settled into
third on Lap 3 and quickly moved up to challenge Schott for second. On
the 10th lap, Goddard made his move around Schott, but Schott came
roaring back on Lap 12. Unfortunately, Schott brought out a yellow flag
moments later. Evans led the restart and would hold off Goddard for the
victory. Graig Osborne settled into third on Lap 13, but Taunton Swain
passed him a Lap later. Osborne regained third on Lap 14, but Swaim
stayed with him. On Lap 19, Swaim made the pass and claimed third place
for good. At the checkered flag, Evans got the win ahead of Goddard,
Swaim, Osborne, Schott, PJ Humphrey, Wayne Clink, Troy Chamberlain,
Brody Humphrey and Bob Bloom. Sam Potter was the quickest of 21 drivers
in qualifying with a lap of 17.171, beating the 17.287 of Evans. Bernie
Lujan won the four lap Trophy Dash, and the eight lap heat race wins
went to Osborne, Swaim and Goddard.
This
weekend has two nights of action on the oval track. It's the Spring
Fling, featuring the Winged 360 Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds and Street
Stocks on Friday. On Saturday night, the Winged 360 Sprint Cars will be
there along with the IMCA sanctioned Modifieds, Sport Modifieds and
Sport Compacts. For further information, go to www.cottagegrovespeedway.com.
Liggett, Roa Win USAC Double Bill At Tulare Thunderbowl
Tulare,
CA...April 17...Austin Liggett won the 30 lap USAC Western States
Midgets Main Event Saturday night at Tulare Thunderbowl. Liggett
collected the win aboard the Liggett family owned Excel Environmental
Services/Liggett Trucking Spike chassis. He collected $1,200 for the win
as he ended the night with a 23 point lead over Shannon McQueen.
Dylan
Ito had the pole and raced into the lead at the start ahead of previous
winner Mitchel Moles and Kyle Beilman. Moles took the lead on a Lap 2
restart, and it didn't take too long for Liggett to steal second from
Shannon McQueen. On the ninth lap, Liggett took the lead from Moles, but
Moles came roaring back to regain first a lap later. A red flag waved
on the 14th lap after Alex Schutte and Ito tangled and flipped for a red
flag, ending a battle for a Top 5 position. On the restart, Liggett
motored past Moles to grab the lead. Ben Worth battled his way past both
McQueen and Moles and would finish second behind Liggett. McQueen took
the checkered flag in third, followed by Jake Andreotti, Moles, Brody
Fuson, CJ Sarna, Beilman, Terry Nichols and Schutte.
Worth
was the quickest 15 drivers in Woodland Auto Display qualifying with a
lap of 15.803, beating the 15.958 of Schutte. Liggett won the Extreme
Mufflers 10 lap first heat, and Moles picked up the win in the
Competition Suspension Incorporated/Rod End Supply second heat.
Brody
Roa won the 25 lap USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Main Event. His first
win of the season came aboard the Fastenal/Cooper's Propane Maxim
chassis. Roa collected $1,500 for his effort and exited the evening with
a 24 point lead over Kaleb Montgomery.
DJ
Johnson had the pole for the feature race and bolted into the early lead
ahead of Danny Faria Jr and Ryan Timmons. A yellow flag waved on the
third lap, and Johnson continued to lead the restart as Roa quickly
struck to second. On the sixth lap, Roa put the moves on Johnson to grab
the lead. Austin Liggett battled with Johnson for the second spot and
was running second when a Lap 17 yellow flag slowed the pace. That
didn't stop Roa as he motored ahead on the next restart. Johnson also
made a move around Liggett for second. However, Roa held nearly a
straightaway advantage over Johnson at the checkered flag. Liggett
finished a solid with third, followed by Timmons, final lead lap
finisher Kyle Edwards, Montgomery, James Herrera, Faria and Tanner
Boul.
Just nine competitors showed up for this
race, and Boul won the Sway-A-Way Torsion Bars qualifier. Roa was the
Extreme Mufflers 10 lap heat race winner.
Kyle
Rasmussen won the 25 lap Van De Pol IMCA Western RaceSaver 305 Sprint
Car Main Event. Rasmussen wasted little time getting into the lead as
Lane Taylor and State point leader Ryan DeLisle battled for second. A
yellow flag waved on the eighth lap. Rasmussen continued to lead the
restart as DeLisle took second from Taylor. Rasmussen set a quick pace
out front and beat DeLisle by a straightaway at the checkered flag.
Taylor settled for third followed by Brooklyn Holland, Michael Pombo,
Brandon Emmett, Davey Pombo Jr, Blaine Fagundes, Phil Heynen and Sean
Quinn. Holland was the quickest of 15 qualifiers with a lap of 14.843,
beating the 14.974 of Rasmussen. The eight lap heat race wins went to
Michael Pombo and Rasmussen.
The next race for
both the USAC Western Midgets and West Coast 360 Sprint Cars will take
place at Petaluma Speedway on May 15th. For further information, go to www.usacracing.com.
Tulare Thunderbowl will host the second round of the California IMCA
Speedweek Series on May 1st, featuring IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport
Modifieds and IMCA Stock Cars. For further information, go to www.thunderbowlraceway.com.
Weekend Racing Calender
Where: Antioch Speedway www.antiochspeedway.com
When: Saturday, April 24th
Who: Wingless Spec Sprints, Hobby Stocks, Delta Dwarf Cars, Super Stocks
What:
The season is just getting started, and the point battles are getting
interesting. The Hobby Stock numbers continue to rise, while the Dwarf
Cars and Wingless Spec Sprints continue to deliver respectable numbers.
Last week, Ken Johns won his first career Hobby Stock race. So far,
there have been four different winners, including reigning champion
James Thomson, point leader Larry McKinzie Jr and Jason Robles. The
Delta Dwarf Cars have had four races and generally deliver about 20
cars. Two-time champion Danny Wagner has a pair of victories as Shawn
Jones and point leader Kevin Miraglio also have wins. The Wingless Spec
Sprints have had two races so far this year with wins going to Geoff
Ensign and recent Hunt Series winner Shawn Jones. There is a bit of
concern for the Super Stock division, which has struggled to reach a
half-dozen cars. The two events held so far have both been won by Jim
Freethy.
Why: It's a wide open
battle at the front of the Hobby Stock point race. McKinzie leads James
Graessle by 16 points. What's interesting is Gavin Griffiths and
Michaela Taylor are tied for third, 26 points back. The three drivers
chasing McKinzie are searching for their first ever wins. Braidon Moniz
tops the point leader board in Wingless Spec Sprints by just four
markers ahead of past Petaluma champion Ryon Siverling. Sheldon Moniz is
26 points back in third. Fifth ranked Bob Newberry is a two-time
champion out to get his first win of the season. 2016 Dwarf Car champion
Miraglio leads Dennis Gilcrease by 18 points with Devan Kammermann 32
points back. Both Kammermann and Gilcrease are knocking on the door to
their first ever wins, while fourth ranked Sean Catucci picked up a win
recently at Petaluma. The early point list for Super Stocks finds 2013
champion Freethy holding a four point lead over two-time champion Kimo
Oreta with Joey Ridgeway eight points back in third. The question is,
will we get some more cars in the Super Stocks this week?
Where: Petaluma Speedway www.petaluma-speedway.com
When: Saturday, April 24th
Who: Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour Presented by Abreu Vineyards, Redwood Dwarf Cars, Mini Stocks.
What:
Thanks to the pandemic situation, Petaluma Speedway didn't get to host
an SCCT race last year. In 2019, Shane Golobic picked up a pair of
victories at Petaluma, while Chase Johnson won the final tour appearance
of the year. The local effort has one race in the books, and many-time
champion Andy Forsberg got that win. There were well over 30 Dwarf Cars
in competition at Petaluma two weeks ago as the division continues to
run strong, and even the Mini Stocks saw notable improvement with eight
competitors. Saturday's show should be a good one.
Why:
If you're keeping track, Kyle Hirst won the 2019 SCCT championship by
just 16 points ahead of Tim Kaeding and 25 over Sean Becker. A field in
the 40s is possible this weekend. They nearly got that at the
Placerville opener a few weeks back, and that race was won by Tanner
Carrick ahead of Sean Becker and Chase Majdic. The Petaluma Dwarf Car
opener was won by Sean Catucci ahead of Dennis Gilcrease and Corey
Eaton. Reigning champion Chad Matthias was the top regular in the
finishing order back in fifth. Roberta Broze collected her first win in
the Mini Stocks last time out ahead of newcomer JB Hagemann as past
champion Tom Brown settled for third.
Where: Bakersfield Speedway www.bakersfieldspeedway.com
When: Saturday, April 24th
Who: IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, American Stocks, Kern County Hardtops
What:
The IMCA Modifieds will formally reach the minimum level required for
an IMCA sanctioned championship as this is their fourth race. The
numbers are down slightly, but still big enough to provide the
excitement as Ethan Dotson, Robby Sawyer and Cody Laney are the three
winners so far. The IMCA Sport Modifieds are doing even better in the
car count department, and Tyler Bannister and Jason Nation have the two
victories to this point. It's a Dotson family affair in IMCA Stock Cars
as Wayne Dotson and son Ethan Dotson have the two wins. The wild and
sometimes unpredictable American Stocks have three races in the books
with Antony Sly, Dakota Brown and Steven Johnson claiming the victories.
The Vintage Kern County Hardtops are working on boosting their numbers
and keeping California's oldest Hardtop group going.
Why: Ethan
Dotson holds a 12 point advantage over Sawyer in the IMCA Modified
point race as reigning champion Jerry Flippo is 13 points back in third.
Tyler Bannister leads past State champion Nick Spainhoward by one point
and Nation by five in a close IMCA Sport Modified contest. Ethan Dotson
leads Wayne Dotson by two points and Steven Johnson by four in the IMCA
Stock Cars. Josh Yadon finds himself leading Anthony Sly by ten points
and Kody Sly by 12 in the American Stocks. Last time the Hardtops were
in town, Jason Denman picked up the win ahead of Rich Souza. Souza won
more recently at Kern County Raceway with Travis Mason finishing second.
Where: Ocean Speedway www.racepmg.com
When: Friday, April 23rd
Who: Taco Bravo Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, South Bay Dwarf Cars, Four Bangers
What: The track still isn't cleared to have fans in attendance yet, but you can still catch all of the action at www.floracing.com.
The Taco Bravo Sprint Cars have produced no less than 28 cars at any of
the races so far, but Justin Sanders has claimed three of the four
wins. He was in line to win the other race, but his plans were thwarted
by Bud Kaeding. The IMCA Modifieds are off to a good start this year
with state-point leader Jim Pettit II and Cody Burke each claiming a
victory. It looks as Joe Gallaher is resuming things from last year with
two victories. Son Rob Gallaher and Terry Campion are both multi-time
champions in the class with one feature win each this year. Kate
Beardsley, Richard Mitchell and Tony Gullo have the wins in the Mini
Stocks so far. Last weekend was the first race of the year for the South
Bay Dwarf Cars, and they delivered a solid 18 car field for the show.
Why:
Sanders appears to be making his first run at Sprint Car points in a
few years, and the 2015 champion leads Bud Kaeding by three points and
Tanner Carrick by 17. Sanders also leads the Placerville point race.
Reigning IMCA Modified champion Cody Burke leads Jim Pettit II by four
points and Austin Burke by five. Joe Gallaher leads Rob Gallaher by
three points in the Hobby Stock contest as Campion and Adriane Frost are
tied, 11 points back. A point list has yet to be released for the Four
Bangers, but two of the top contenders, two-time champion Kate Beardsley
and Nicole Beardsley, failed to make the start last time out. We
haven't seen the South Bay Dwarf Car point list, but the always fast
Shawn Jones picked up the most recent win ahead of Southern California
star Tommy Velasquez III and Nick Velasquez. Tommy won last week at
Santa Maria.
Where: Placerville Speedway www.placervillespeedway.com
When: Saturday, April 24th
Who: Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series, Limited Late Models, Pure Stocks, Mini Trucks, California Hardtops
What: The
Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series, brought to you by Jay's Mobile
Welding Service, makes their maiden appearance at Placerville Speedway.
Expectations are that anywhere from a dozen to 20 Pro Stocks should be
coming from all over California. The Limited Late Models make their
second appearance of the season. Ray Trimble won the first race, and Jay
Norton and Dan Brown Jr won races at Marysville earlier this year. The
Pure Stocks are off to an exciting start as the three wins have been
earned by Nick Baldwin, Kevin Jinkerson and Dan Jinkerson. Wyatt Lakin
has the two wins in the Mini Truck class. The fact that Placerville is
one of the California Hardtop group's favorite destinations could yield a
car count of 10 or more. The night is being held in honor of
Placerville Speedway Legend Don Tilford.
Why: We
haven't seen a point list for the Tri State Series yet, but it's a good
bet that Richard Brace Jr is leading after winning all three point
events so far. Some of the hard chargers in the group include reigning
Western Pro Stock champion Justin Crockett, reigning Tri State Series
champion Mike Learn, Chris Smith and Ryan Smith. The one-race totals
find Trimble leading Dan Jinkerson by two points and Tom Tilford by five
in the Limited Late Models. Baldwin and Kevin Jinkerson are tied for
the Pure Stock lead with Jason Palmer 12 points back. Lakin has a 16
point lead over Mike Miller in Mini Trucks with Thomas Jenson 21 points
back in third. The Californian Hardtops kicked off their season at
Marysville last week with Joel Hannagan driving the Doug Braudrick car
to victory ahead of Tom Grady and Joe Shenefield.
Where: Madera Speedway www.racemadera.com
When: Saturday, April 24th
Who: Nut Up Pro Late Models, 51fifty Energy Drink Jr Late Models, Bandoleros/Mini Cups, Legends of the Pacific
What:
This is the third MavTV Series event, which will be broadcast on the
network at a later date. Fans unable to attend in person can watch this
race for free on the track's YouTube page thanks to sponsorship from Nut
Up Industries, Mission Foods and 51fifty Energy Drink. The two Nut Up
Pro Late Model wins have been earned by Carlos Vieira and Bubba
Nascimento. It's a very competitive field that usually produces 20 or
more cars, and there are several talented drivers capable of winning.
The 51fifty Energy Drink Jr Late Model division has the wins being
earned by Kale McClenny and Jacob Smith so far, though the consistent
Barrett Polhemus has a pair of seconds and is knocking on the door to
victory. The Bandoleros have the advantage over the Mini Cup cars with
Logan Chambers winning both races. If the race conditions are right and
yellow flags don't come out at the wrong time, however, Mini Cup star
Sam Wedehase just may become the first driver ever in his group to win
the combined feature. The Legend Cars delivered two dozen competitors
last time.
Why: A check of the
points after two events finds Austin Herzog leading Tyler Herzog by one
point in the Pro Late Models. Jason Aguirre, who has two Club Race wins,
is six points back and one ahead of Glen Cook. Both Herzogs have
finished as high as second once so far. The Jr Late Model point race is
being led by the consistent Polhemus by 11 points over the tied Brody
Armtrout and Brody Moore with Smith just 13 points back. The Bandolero
point race is being led by Chambers by 10 points over Caden Cordova and
14 over Joey Kennealy. When last we saw the Legend Cars, it was Luis
Tyrrell picking up the win ahead of Josh Ayers and Foryst Souza.
Where: Merced Speedway www.mercedspeedway.net
When: Saturday, April 24th
Who: IMCA Western RaceSaver Sprint Cars, Hobby Stocks, BCRA Midgets, BCRA Lightning Sprints
What:
After the success of the Fourth Annual Al Miller Memorial IMCA event,
Merced Speedway shift gears to some open wheel action this weekend. The
Bay Cities Racing Association is delivering both their Midget and
Lightning Sprint classes on Saturday. As is the case often this year,
you can anticipate some USAC Midget support along with some California
Lightning Sprint drivers helping boost the numbers as the organizations
are working together. The Van De Pol IMCA RaceSaver 305 Sprints are
having their seventh event of the year. Brooklyn Holland is the only
two-time winner so far with other wins going to Ryan DeLisle, Ryan
Rocha, Lane Taylor and Kyle Rasmussen. Hobby Stock wins have been
collected by Derek Ogden, Dylan Wilson and most recently the $750
victory for Domossie Scoggins.
Why: The
Mighty Midgets have some very entertaining shows every time they come to
Merced Speedway, and Saturday night should be no different. Michael
Faccinto picked up the most recent win at Kern County Raceway, and Chase
Johnson scored a thrilling victory a few weeks ago at Bakersfield
Speedway. Eric Greco Jr and Craig Holsted have won the two Lightning
Sprint races so far. We haven't seen a point list for the Midgets yet,
but Dakota Albright holds a 12 point lead over Terry Bergstrom in the
Lightning Sprints battle with Greg Dennett 16 points back in third.
After three races, Syd Finn leads the Hobby Stock battle by 11 points
ahead of the tied Scoggins and Allen Neal, while Ogden is 14 points back
in fourth. The IMCA RaceSaver point list won't be updated until this
Friday. DeLisle was leading Rocha by 12 points going into last weekend
with Richard Weddle 29 points back in third.
Where: Lakeport Speedway www.lakeportspeedway.com
When: Saturday, April 24th
Who: Modifieds, Bombers, Jammers, Jalopies, Legend Cars, Bandoleros
What:
Saturday night begins a new era at the quarter-mile paved oval. The
NCRA has been at the helm of the speedway for decades, but David Furia
of Furia Motorsports is the new promoter. Furia has been successful in
building a program at Ukiah Speedway, while also maintaining a strong
indoor Outlaw Kart program in Lakeport during the winter months. The
racers won't have to worry as all of the divisions they've come to
expect from Lakeport will continue to be scheduled this year, while they
will attempt to do some new things. This will include the wild and
entertaining Jalopy races on an infield track, which is what they do at
Ukiah Speedway.
Why: With Furia
Motorsports running the two pavement tracks and scheduling so that there
are no conflicts, drivers who wish to do so can now run two tracks that
are using the same rules. It's a plan that should help rebuild a
program that has been in decline in recent years. The NCRA did crown
champions last year. Mike Sullivan won the Modified championship ahead
of Richard Knight and Ian Elliott. It was Donovan Cox winning the
Bombers division title ahead of Mikey Collins and Amber Portlock, while
Kylie Daniels won the Legend Car title ahead of Tom Summers and Trey
Daniels. The NCRA plans to have a banquet in May to celebrate the
accomplishments of the season they were able to put together last year
under very difficult circumstances.
Where: Cottage Grove Speedway www.cottagegrovespeedway.com
When: Friday-Saturday, April 23rd-24th
Who:
Winged 360 Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks (Friday), Winged
360 Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Sport
Compacts (Saturday)
What: The news is a
bit mixed for Cottage Grove Speedway. Lane County has been put back to
Orange tier, and that means maximum grandstand occupancy is reduced from
25% to 15%. You can only buy tickets online. As always, www.dirtovaltv.com
will be doing the internet pay-per-view broadcast, and this is a
special race. Winged 360 Sprint Car fans will get to see the class on
both Friday and Saturday. It's the Spring Fling, and joining the Sprint
Cars on Friday will be the popular IMCA Modifieds and Street Stocks. On
Saturday, it's the IMCA sanctioned Modifieds, Sport Modifieds and Sport
Compacts joining the Sprint Cars.
Why:
There will probably be a few Limited Sprints filling the field for the
Winged 360 Sprint Cars, and it's anybody's guess who might make a long
tow to take advantage of two nights of racing. They didn't get to run at
all last year due to no fans in the stands. They had nine races in 2019
with eight different winners. Tyler Thompson ended up winning the
championship by 80 points ahead of Kyle Miller with Tanner Holmes 11
points behind Miller in third. Thompson and Jake Wheeler were among the
winners. After three races, Curtis Towns holds a five point lead over
Jake Mayden in the IMCA Modifieds with Jeffrey Hudson 10 points back,
four ahead of Matthew Drager for third. Only reigning champion Mayden is
without a win so far of the four drivers mentioned. Graig Osborne has
picked up a pair of wins in Street Stock competition, and he carries a
42 point lead over Taunton Swaim with Terry King six points behind
Swaim. The Bloom family is doing well in IMCA Sport Modifieds. Ray Bloom
leads reigning champion Doug Coffman by two points, while Dalton Bloom
is seven points back in third. The IMCA Sport Compacts are being led by
Michael Kennerly by two points ahead of 2019 champion Brad Moffitt and
two over the tied Burnie Bryant and Kerry Cooper.
Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 17
Fourth Annual Al Miller Memorial
IMCA Modifieds
A Main
Kellen Chadwick
Cody Laney
Ethan Dotson
Cody Burke
Troy Foulger
Bobby Hogge IV
Clint Reichenbach
Rob Sanders
Trevor Fitz
Matthew Hagio
Troy Morris III
Aaron Crowell
Jim Pettit II
Rick Diaz
Raymond Keldsen Jr
Darrell Hughes II
Billy Wilker
Chase Aue
Chris Crompe
Nick DeCarlo
Robby Sawyer DQ
B Main 1
Aaron Crowell
Troy Foulger
Ethan Dotson
Trevor Fitz
Nick DeCarlo
Ryan Porter
Chris Shannon
Austin Burke
Jerry Flippo
Karl Rose
B Main 2
Bobby Hogge IV
Jim Pettit II
Cody Burke
Matthew Hagio
D.J. Shannon
Ricky Thatcher
Justin Hart
Josh Combs
Justin Yaeger DNS
IMCA Sport Modifieds
A Main
Jason Bannister
Fred Ryland
Tom Fraser
Nick Spainhoward
Jason Nation
Kenny Shrader
Tyler Bannister
Andrew Peckham
Chris Falkenberg
Brian Cooper
Joe Antonetti
Austin Manzella
Tyler Rodgers
Randy Miller
Jimmy Ray Huffmon
Michael Black
Jeremy Hoff
Robert Miller
Les Friend
Todd Gomez
Andrew Pearce
Tanner Thomas
Chase Alves
IMCA Sport Modifieds
B Main 1
Les Friend
Joe Antonetti
Michael Black
Garrett Jernagan
Robert Miller
Riley Jeppesen
Scott Savell
Trevor Clymens
Tyler Browne
Mark Squadrito
Clarence Holbrook
Frank Cefaliello Jr
Tony Hornyack
Guy Ahlwardt DNS
B Main 2
Andrew Peckham
Tyler Bannister
Tanner Thomas
Christopher Frisbie
Mark Garner
Haley Gomez
Tyler Thomas
Kelly Campanile
Austin Pugh
Robby Claborn
Randy Miller
Adriane Frost
Tony Peffer
B Main 3
Andrew Pearce
Brian Cooper
Jimmy Ray Huffmon
Dwayne Short
Jon McKinley
Chase Thomas
Richard Ragsdale
Ryan DeForest
Chuck Weir
Darren Thomas
Joe Salvi
Craig Nieman
Jacob Mallet Jr DQ
Hobby Stocks
Domossie Scoggins
Johnny Wood
Karl Noland
Tim Elias
Tom Manzella
Syd Finn
DJ Keldsen
Race Shelton
Kyle Wood
Allen Neal
Logan Fernandez
Chad Ragsdale
Derek Ogden
Kristie Shearer
Anglea Brown
Quintin Harris
Jeff Lacy
Dylan Wilson
Xavier Baez
Devin Belton
Dana Richey
IMCA Stock Car
Ethan Dotson
Jeff Streeter
Garrett Corn
Nicholas Johnson
Dan Gonderman
Brock Hamilton
Loren DeArmond
Austin VanHoff
Renn Bane
Steven Johnson
Antioch Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 17
Hobby Stocks
A Main
Ken Johns
Kenneth Robles
Larry McKinzie Jr
Vigna Anthony
Gene Haney
Michaela Taylor
Phillip Oreta
James Graessle
Jewell Crandall
Misty Welborn
Jeff Bentancourt
Albert Ballinger
James Thomson
Adam Kujala
Gavin Griffiths
Judy Arth
Tom Leopold
Dustin Himes
Jon Haney
Charlie Bryant
B Main
Adam Kujala
Phillip Oreta
Gene Haney
Michaela Taylor
Emilie Bryant
Jewell Crandall
Albert Ballinger
Colton Haney
Jake Bentancourt DNS
Jess Paladino DNS
Steve Perry DNS
West Coast Sport Compacts
Dan Myrick
Chris Corder
Eddie Humphrey III
Shawn DePriest
Jeff Durant
Greg Baronian
Gene Glover
Don Abitz
Winged 360 Sprints
Dylan Bloomfield
Billy Aton
Joey Ancona
Burt Foland Jr
Justin Henry
Angelique Bell
Steve Jaquith
Art McCarthy Jr
Geoffrey Grimm
Ashlyn Rodriguez DNS
Jacob Tuttle DNS
600 Micro Sprints
Jack Clark
Charlie Kight
Placerville Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 17
Thompson's Auto Group Winged 360 Sprint Cars
A Main
Justin Sanders
Shane Golobic
Ryan Bernal
Tanner Carrick
Jodie Robinson
Chase Majdic
Michael Faccinto
Andy Gregg
Joel Myers Jr
Caden Sarale
Kyle Offill
Justin Bradway
Greg Decaires V
Michael Ing
Andy Forsberg
Landon Brooks
Isaiah Vasquez
Kalib Henry
Max Mittry
Blake Carrick
B Main
Chase Majdic
Joel Myers Jr
Isaiah Vasquez
Blake Carrick
Shane Hopkins
Cody Spencer
Stephen Ingraham
C.J. Humphreys
Brent Bjork
John Clark
Bobby Butler
Justin Johnson DNS
Pure Stocks
Dan Jinkerson
Kevin Jinkerson
Jason Palmer
Nick Baldwin
Russell Murphy
Ryan Peter
Jonathan Walsh
Ryan Murphy
Michael Murphy
Stephanie Hanson
Mini Trucks
Wyatt Lakin
Mike Miller
Thomas Jenson
Tom Stanwood
Aaron Rupley
Del Tremblay
Kevin Tremblay
Howard Miller
Brian Tremblay
BCRA Lightning Sprints
Craig Holsted
Terry Bergstrom
Scott Kinney
Josef Ferolite
Hunter Kinney
Dakota Albright
Cody Meyer
Greg Dennett
Jimmy Riddle
Jayden Meyer
Brandon Leedy
Harley Aguiler DNS
Kaleb Ferolito DNS
Siskiyou Golden Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 17
IMCA Sport Modifieds (50 Laps)
Ryan Peery
Isaac Sanders
Braxton Possinger
Wyatt Westfall
Ryder Boswell
Jace Wright
Colt Boswell
Jack Waldon III
Chad Wormington
James Flowers
Nick Berryhill
Steven Sanders
Matt Sanders
Jorddon Braaten
SODCA Dwarfs
Cody Peters
Ryan Smith
Brock Peters
Chad Cardoza
Steve Walker
Tanner Curr
Jason Robustelli
Erin Morgenster
Reggie Ayres
Andrew Hall
Paul Haselow
Dan Penland
Kaylee Sheeler
Josh King
Trevor Davis
Brett James
Fred Hay
Mini Stocks
David Steele
Ashtin Hedges
Darek Alford
kristopher mix
Marilyn Yawnick
Michael Knuckles
Steve Goetz
Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 17
Hunt Wingless Sprints
A Main
Shawn Jones
Nick Robfogel
Bradley Terrell
Daniel Whitley
Geoff Ensign
Matt Streeter
Jarrett Soares
Brent Steck
Marcus Hardina
Kevin Box
Tony Bernard
Eathon Lanfri
James Williams
Cameron Martin
Sparky Howard
Bob Newberry
Nathan Schank
Kaimi Moniz-Costa
Dennis Furia Jr
B Main
Braidon Moniz
Cameron Martin
Tony Bernard
Nathan Schank
Eathon Lanfri
Tim Sherman Jr
Shayna Ensign
Scott Clough
Scott Gannett
Josh Gillis
Bob Davis
Frank Herman
Heath Holdsclaw
Anthony Horn
IMCA Dirt Modifieds
Michael Paul Jr
Tim Balding
Anthony Slaney
Michelle Paul
Jake Dewsbury
Bobby Montalvo
Gary Zwicker
Super Stocks
Mike Learn
Dave Spindell
Randy Miramontez
Shawn McCoy
Duane Croft
Justin Zwicker
Sid Hess
600 Micro Sprints
George Nielson
Brian Slubik
Kyle Grissom
Justin Addiego
Sam Borland
Amber Fields
Victor Guerra
Jeromie Charon
Shiloh Borland DNS
Trevor Mendenhall DNS
Carroll Mendenhall DNS
Marysville Raceway Unofficial Race Results April 17
Winged 360 Sprints
Billy Wallace
Colby Wiesz
Steel Powell
Korey Lovell
Kevin Lovell
R.J. Baker
Koa Crane
Josh Wiesz
Pat Harvey Jr
Drake Standley
James Taylor
Jason Holt
NorCal Dwarf Cars
A Main
Ryan Winter
Shawn Whitney
Dan Geil
Mike Reeder
Corey Eaton
Ben Wiesz
Kevin Bender
Brandon Shaw
Gage Meyers
Carl Droivold
Jamison Sole
Austin Struthers
Robert Kozinski
John Williams
Mike Grenert
Jace Badeker
Isaak Geil
Dylan Shrum
Bobby Johnson
Fred Dickey
B Main
Austin Struthers
Carl Droivold
Robert Kozinski
Jamison Sole
Zachary Armstrong
Hailey Wiesz
California Hardtops
Joel Hannagan
Tom Grady
Joe Shenfeld
Ken Cillford
Ron Ruiz
Coos Bay Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 17
America's Mattress Super Late Models
Brody Montgomery
Preston Luckman
Braden Fugate
Mike Taylor
Wayne Butler
Hannah Robinson
Sportsman Late Models
Ryan Emry
Tahlan Rogers
John Crabtree
Dustin Hitner
Street Stocks
Seth Christian
Dyllan Siewell
Charlie Withers
Austin Morrow
Dave Siewell
Daniel Land
Mini Outlaws
Scott Beaudoin
Matthew Emry
mike beaudoin
joey duke
Nicole Emry
Hornets
Seth Christensen
Isaac Stere
William Hitner
bid VanLoon
alexis baker
Jett Nelson
Ben Bahadar
amy hedgepetch
Joseph Maricle
Lily Metzgus
Jim Van Loon
Jamie Daniels
Jeremy Mayfield
JR Stingers
Griff Smith
Alex Butler
Tallon Dubisar
Cameron Metzgus
Heather Burton
Max Haga
Drake Vincent
Tanner dubisar
Tucker dubisar
DJ Nelson
Jordan Wheeler
Clarrissa Hughes
Dylan Wheeler
riley rockwell
Eli Luckman
Anthony Hoggatt
Dixon Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 17
Jr. Sprints
Hayden Stepps
Vito Cancilla
Levi Osborne
Brody Rubio
Josiah Vega
Dean Skrifvars
Jackson Tardiff
Heston Stepps
Kyle Klagenberg
Mickelina Monico
Maya Mauldin
Colton Patterson DNS
Wingless
A Main
Dan Mognaga
Brandon Carey
Austin Torgerson
Ashton Torgerson
Jeffery Pahule
Kelvin Lewis
Nate Wait
Bryant Bell
Justin Stretch
Travis Sullivan
Hayden Siach
Austin Taborski
Cody Bloom
Blake Parmley
Jarrett Heimlich
Steve Bettanini
Cole Patrick
Danny Carroll
Brandon Riveira
Sage Bordenave
Cody Gray
DERRICK PATTERSON
JJ Loss DNS
Joe Silva DNS
B Main 1
Jeffery Pahule
DERRICK PATTERSON
Cody Bloom
Cole Patrick
Cody Parmley
Taylor DeCarlo
Randy Sims
Brandon Alvarad
Devin Osanna
Steve Alvarado
Jackie Whitson
Isak Johnson DNS
B Main 2
Bryant Bell
Hayden Siach
Jarrett Heimlich
Steve Bettanini
Aiden Bailey
Tyler Chamorro
Harley Rose
Matthew Santana
Chris Parmley
Ryan Holden
Caleb Ingle DNS
Randy Westbrook DNS
Restricted
Lucas Johnson
Ryder Byrd
Jackson Kohler
Andrew Smith
Kyle Cravotta
Peyton Whitehouse
Kyle Fernandez
Adrianna DeMartini
Nicholas Leonard Jr
Kellan Harper
Savannah Brown
Lucas Mauldin
AJ Neilson
Kaiden Gowen
Super 600
Izaak Sharp
Brad Hannum
Ashton Torgerson
Jessica McManus
Tony Alosi
Brett McColloch
Austin Torgerson
Rylee Whitehouse
Colby Greig
Jeffery Pahule DNS
JJ Loss DNS
Cottage Grove Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 17
Todd's Auto Body Sprints
Tyler Thompson
Jake Wheeler
Shane Forte
Tyrell Mead
Steven Snawder
Johnny Burke
Brody Sim
TJ Winningham
Scotty Fox
Pat Desbiens
Donny Waddell
RJ McGahuey
Carley Holmes
Morgan Burks
Tim Minter
David Marble
IMCA Modifieds
Matthew Drager
Collen Winebarger
Curtis Towns
Jake Mayden
Eston Whisler
Craig Cassell
Chad Groves
Aaron Sheelar
Paul Rea
Doug Lockwood
Jeff Lovell
Jeffrey Hudson
Paul Culp
Toby Ferrando
Dustin Asher
Travis Lillard
James Welshone
Steven Sturdevant
Brian Winkler
Jayson Nelson
Late Models
Joey Tanner
Eston Whisler
Darren Coffell
Brian Smith
Doug Elkins
Tomas Hunziker
Rob Campos
Randy Barley
Jordan Wright
Mike Peters
Rob Williams
Bob Dees
Ed Peters
Jason Johnson
Tony Goddard
Kye Frick
Willie Sutton
Street Stocks
Justin Evans
Dakota Goddard
Tautom Swaim
Graig Osborne
Don Schott
PJ Humphrey
Wayne Clink
Troy Chamberlain
Brody Humphrey
Bob Bloom
Robert Hughes
Terry King
Mike Swaim
Sam Potter
Anthony Prather
Bernie Lujan
Cody Moore
Daniel Ray
Jamie Britton
Adam Applebee
Brad Korpela DNS
Royalty Core IMCA Sport Modifieds
Main Event
Aaron Bloom
Ray Bloom
David Schmidt
Travis Pruitt
Doug Coffman
Dalton Bloom
KC Scott
Skyler Winebarger
Steve Hopkins
Theran Trissell
Roger Bell
Donald Bandfield
Gavin Ropchan
Dustin Comer DNQ
B Main
Doug Coffman
KC Scott
Dalton Bloom
Matt Brown
Garrett Craig
Chuck Carson
Madera Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 17
Madera Late Models
Jason Aguirre
Joey Iest
Kyle Keller
Racin Vernon
Howard Holden
Aaron Mullins
Brandon Burd
Loren Kutz
Hailey Liles
Mike Shapiro
Steve Schermerhorn
Richard Herzog
Ricky Nelson
Jeff Mead DNS
Mini Super Toyotas
Haley Bugg
Tim Kammerer
Nick Thompson
Patrick Geiger
Aaron Reaves
Bill Gordon
Madera Hobby Stocks
Lloyd Wren
Manny Gonzales Jr
Donny Large Jr
Harley Kennealy
Rick Lea
Jr Late Model Exhibition
Hailey Liles
Rebecca Dubie
Madera Mini Stocks
Johnny Williams
Rick Lea
Tulare Thunderbowl Unofficial Race Results April 17
USAC West Coast 360 Sprints
Results are not official
1 #8M Brody Roa
2 #33 D.J. Johnson
3 #83 Austin Liggett
4 #29T Ryan Timmons
5 #39 Kyle Edwards
6 #3 Kaleb Montgomery
7 #5J James Herrera
8 #17V Danny Faria Jr
9 #99T Tanner Boul
USAC Western States Midgets
Results are not official
1 #83 Austin Liggett
2 #5K Ben Worth
3 #7 Shannon McQueen
4 #00 Jake Andreotti
5 #21 Mitchel Moles
6 #51 Brody Fuson
7 #20 C.J. Sarna
8 #31B Kyle Beilman
9 #1NP Terry Nichols
10 #28 Alex Schutte
11 #73 Dylan Ito
12 #15 Ron Hazelton
13 #22Q David Prickett
14 #9 Blake Bower
IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #38 Kyle Rasmussen
2 #15D Ryan Delisle
3 #4L Lane Taylor
4 #2 Brooklyn Holland
5 #53 Michael Pombo
6 #12E Brandon Emmett
7 #3P Davey Pombo Jr
8 #11 Blaine Fagundes
9 #31H Phil Heynen
10 #28Q Sean Quinn
11 #1X Richard Weddle
12 #3 Brandon Stidham
13 #36 Tyler Gray
DNS #22 Mike Schott
DNS #5D Connor Danell
Santa Maria Raceway Unofficial Race Results April 17
Pro Stocks
Results are not official
1 #43K Dave King Jr
2 #21JT Justin Crockett
3 #33 Rob Gilbertson
4 #3D Chris Smith
5 #4 Jerry Stewart
6 #5N Frank Nyback
7 #11 Tim Randolph
8 #22 Paul Miller
Hobby Stocks
Results are not official
1 #18A Aaron Bruce
2 #805 Chad Weber
3 #19 Pat Fausel
4 #5 Sean Martin Sr
5 #9.75 Eddie Williams
6 #49C Colby Ward
7 #37 Jimmy Satlawa
8 #4Z Zac Johnston
Dwarf Cars
Results are not official
1 #14E Tommy Velasquez III
2 #6 Tim Conley
3 #48 Trent Morley
4 #91E Scotty Preast
5 #22 Gage Cheek
6 #88 Jeff Brink
7 #19K Kobe Kerns
8 #18E Tom Morley
9 #64 Tommy Velasquez
10 #2E Tony Margott
11 #57 Jeff Hinz
12 #00B Joe Barket
13 #6B Brian Barnhill
14 #81 Dominic Maldonado
15 #99E Charles Jones
16 #28E Tony Pellegrino
17 #41E Nick Velasquez
18 #93 Jason Horton
19 #99 Shane Linenberger
20 #32E William Chambers
NMRA Midgets
Results are not official
1 #75 Chuck West
2 #77 Ace Kale
3 #59 Scott Niven
4 #70 Thomas Yergler
5 #5 Bruce Hiroshima
6 #36 West Evans
Barona Raceway Unofficial Race Results April 17
IMCA Modifieds
Eric Evans
Michael Thing
Cole Dick
Kyle Morris
Steven Daffern
P.J. Dyke
Karl Von Yokes
Rod Robison
Chris Jaggi
Thomas Daffern
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Brian Brown
Steven Luecht
Ryan Amidon
mitchel mohler
David Ross
David Kilpela
Bill Hackett
Jake Triska
Jeremey Willey
IMCA Sport Compacts
Brandon Jones
David Hunt
Andrew Schmitz
Benjamin Pendleton
Street Stocks
Paul Dyke
Jason Aldridge
Chris Laff
Nick Braddy
dale erwin
Scott Duffy
Dan Burakowski
Denis Taylor
Perry Humphries
Pure Stocks
David Hunt
Rusty Staley
Rick Chavez
rich schnerdger
Brandon Jesina
Tiffany Crow
Michael Rumbaugh
Mike Wolfe
Greg Perr
Jason Aldridg
Dave Evangeloa
Nicole carleton
Dwarf Cars
Darren Brown
John Isabella
Mike Tobiason
Robert Peters
pete Scully
Greg Goodwin
Damon Sheets
CJ Marin
John Bridger
Dan Varner
Bryan Occoner
Devin Kelly
Mikey Hall
Masters Mini Dwarfs
Kelly Weitzel
Jacob Manalo
Kellen O'Connor
Kendra Jones
Harmony Painter
Danielle Friel
Tanner Novel
Ethan Delperdang
Jacob Novak
Logan Novell
Nathan Manalo
Sportsman Mini Dwarfs
Brysen Byford
Cam Baldwin
Cody Isabella
Kaiden Johnson
Melanie Ross
Zach Dalton
Jackson Reiter
Cole Bezio
Bakersfield Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 17
Beginner Box
Tyce Domingos
Zayne Darpli
Nova Bowles
Blake Watson
Gerald McKellar
Kinser Walls
Bronson Gonzalez
Cole Pounds
Kasey Pounds
Jaxson Evett
Landynn Childress
Nixon Milam
Ryan Daves DQ
Box Stock
Jaden Mead
Brody Loquaci
John Brumley
Gavin Cordova
Blaine Walls
Stella Moody
Logan Banks
Emma McKellar
Luke Andrade
Deegan Soares
Madison Prine
Intermediate
Conner Bell
Cade Lewis
Bryson Martin
Cole Revious
Kylie Wilkinson
Wyatt Tallant
Haley Wells
Alexis Hutchings
Chelby Revious
Shane Bowles
Andrew Alves
Kinser Bell
Open Outlaw
Tyler Blankenship
Chris Ennis
Tailer Morrison
Cade Lewis
Garrett Revious
Levi Smith
Larry Moody
Zach Hanes
Tony Banks
Rowdy Sneed
Chris McKellar
Jake Lyon
Ryan Bonner
Jeremy Alves
Jacob Hughes
Russell Smith
Riley Clem
Taylor Marchant
Preston Hollett
Julian Prine
Robby Stancliff DNS
Jr Mini Dwarfs
Jacob Chutuk
Camden Festerling
Kasen Eurto
Karter Flippen
Travis Varney
Catie Varney
Kyle Keller
Racin Vernon
Howard Holden
Aaron Mullins
Brandon Burd
Loren Kutz
Hailey Liles
Mike Shapiro
Steve Schermerhorn
Richard Herzog
Ricky Nelson
Jeff Mead DNS
Mini Super Toyotas
Haley Bugg
Tim Kammerer
Nick Thompson
Patrick Geiger
Aaron Reaves
Bill Gordon
Madera Hobby Stocks
Lloyd Wren
Manny Gonzales Jr
Donny Large Jr
Harley Kennealy
Rick Lea
Jr Late Model Exhibition
Hailey Liles
Rebecca Dubie
Madera Mini Stocks
Johnny Williams
Rick Lea
Tulare Thunderbowl Unofficial Race Results April 17
USAC West Coast 360 Sprints
Results are not official
1 #8M Brody Roa
2 #33 D.J. Johnson
3 #83 Austin Liggett
4 #29T Ryan Timmons
5 #39 Kyle Edwards
6 #3 Kaleb Montgomery
7 #5J James Herrera
8 #17V Danny Faria Jr
9 #99T Tanner Boul
USAC Western States Midgets
Results are not official
1 #83 Austin Liggett
2 #5K Ben Worth
3 #7 Shannon McQueen
4 #00 Jake Andreotti
5 #21 Mitchel Moles
6 #51 Brody Fuson
7 #20 C.J. Sarna
8 #31B Kyle Beilman
9 #1NP Terry Nichols
10 #28 Alex Schutte
11 #73 Dylan Ito
12 #15 Ron Hazelton
13 #22Q David Prickett
14 #9 Blake Bower
IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #38 Kyle Rasmussen
2 #15D Ryan Delisle
3 #4L Lane Taylor
4 #2 Brooklyn Holland
5 #53 Michael Pombo
6 #12E Brandon Emmett
7 #3P Davey Pombo Jr
8 #11 Blaine Fagundes
9 #31H Phil Heynen
10 #28Q Sean Quinn
11 #1X Richard Weddle
12 #3 Brandon Stidham
13 #36 Tyler Gray
DNS #22 Mike Schott
DNS #5D Connor Danell
Santa Maria Raceway Unofficial Race Results April 17
Pro Stocks
Results are not official
1 #43K Dave King Jr
2 #21JT Justin Crockett
3 #33 Rob Gilbertson
4 #3D Chris Smith
5 #4 Jerry Stewart
6 #5N Frank Nyback
7 #11 Tim Randolph
8 #22 Paul Miller
Hobby Stocks
Results are not official
1 #18A Aaron Bruce
2 #805 Chad Weber
3 #19 Pat Fausel
4 #5 Sean Martin Sr
5 #9.75 Eddie Williams
6 #49C Colby Ward
7 #37 Jimmy Satlawa
8 #4Z Zac Johnston
Dwarf Cars
Results are not official
1 #14E Tommy Velasquez III
2 #6 Tim Conley
3 #48 Trent Morley
4 #91E Scotty Preast
5 #22 Gage Cheek
6 #88 Jeff Brink
7 #19K Kobe Kerns
8 #18E Tom Morley
9 #64 Tommy Velasquez
10 #2E Tony Margott
11 #57 Jeff Hinz
12 #00B Joe Barket
13 #6B Brian Barnhill
14 #81 Dominic Maldonado
15 #99E Charles Jones
16 #28E Tony Pellegrino
17 #41E Nick Velasquez
18 #93 Jason Horton
19 #99 Shane Linenberger
20 #32E William Chambers
NMRA Midgets
Results are not official
1 #75 Chuck West
2 #77 Ace Kale
3 #59 Scott Niven
4 #70 Thomas Yergler
5 #5 Bruce Hiroshima
6 #36 West Evans
Barona Raceway Unofficial Race Results April 17
IMCA Modifieds
Eric Evans
Michael Thing
Cole Dick
Kyle Morris
Steven Daffern
P.J. Dyke
Karl Von Yokes
Rod Robison
Chris Jaggi
Thomas Daffern
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Brian Brown
Steven Luecht
Ryan Amidon
mitchel mohler
David Ross
David Kilpela
Bill Hackett
Jake Triska
Jeremey Willey
IMCA Sport Compacts
Brandon Jones
David Hunt
Andrew Schmitz
Benjamin Pendleton
Street Stocks
Paul Dyke
Jason Aldridge
Chris Laff
Nick Braddy
dale erwin
Scott Duffy
Dan Burakowski
Denis Taylor
Perry Humphries
Pure Stocks
David Hunt
Rusty Staley
Rick Chavez
rich schnerdger
Brandon Jesina
Tiffany Crow
Michael Rumbaugh
Mike Wolfe
Greg Perr
Jason Aldridg
Dave Evangeloa
Nicole carleton
Dwarf Cars
Darren Brown
John Isabella
Mike Tobiason
Robert Peters
pete Scully
Greg Goodwin
Damon Sheets
CJ Marin
John Bridger
Dan Varner
Bryan Occoner
Devin Kelly
Mikey Hall
Masters Mini Dwarfs
Kelly Weitzel
Jacob Manalo
Kellen O'Connor
Kendra Jones
Harmony Painter
Danielle Friel
Tanner Novel
Ethan Delperdang
Jacob Novak
Logan Novell
Nathan Manalo
Sportsman Mini Dwarfs
Brysen Byford
Cam Baldwin
Cody Isabella
Kaiden Johnson
Melanie Ross
Zach Dalton
Jackson Reiter
Cole Bezio
Bakersfield Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 17
Beginner Box
Tyce Domingos
Zayne Darpli
Nova Bowles
Blake Watson
Gerald McKellar
Kinser Walls
Bronson Gonzalez
Cole Pounds
Kasey Pounds
Jaxson Evett
Landynn Childress
Nixon Milam
Ryan Daves DQ
Box Stock
Jaden Mead
Brody Loquaci
John Brumley
Gavin Cordova
Blaine Walls
Stella Moody
Logan Banks
Emma McKellar
Luke Andrade
Deegan Soares
Madison Prine
Intermediate
Conner Bell
Cade Lewis
Bryson Martin
Cole Revious
Kylie Wilkinson
Wyatt Tallant
Haley Wells
Alexis Hutchings
Chelby Revious
Shane Bowles
Andrew Alves
Kinser Bell
Open Outlaw
Tyler Blankenship
Chris Ennis
Tailer Morrison
Cade Lewis
Garrett Revious
Levi Smith
Larry Moody
Zach Hanes
Tony Banks
Rowdy Sneed
Chris McKellar
Jake Lyon
Ryan Bonner
Jeremy Alves
Jacob Hughes
Russell Smith
Riley Clem
Taylor Marchant
Preston Hollett
Julian Prine
Robby Stancliff DNS
Jr Mini Dwarfs
Jacob Chutuk
Camden Festerling
Kasen Eurto
Karter Flippen
Travis Varney
Catie Varney
The Editor's Viewpoint
We're
seeing more positive signs as race tracks here on the West Coast are
more active than they've been in over a year. We seem to be pulling
through the pandemic shutdown BS, although how much fan access a track
gets will depend on the county in which they are located. I don't think
there is a grandstand that is allowed 100% capacity. I think it's at
about 25% at best, but it should get better.
Even
tracks like Ventura Raceway and Ocean Speedway will have good news in
the days ahead. Ventura is the last track being kept closed by county
health officials, but the word is they may get to finally open their
gates in June. Ocean Speedway isn't able to have fans yet, but that
changes on May 7th. As I said, we should pull through this, but I'm
still concerned that since everybody just accepted the BS narrative the
media threw at them, we're going to see a return of this crap in another
year. I hope I am wrong about that or at least the people aren't just
going to accept it next time. I wish I could say I had faith in the
people, but, well, you know.
Tracks will be
doing whatever they can to get fans in the stands or get them watching
their internet pay-per-view. What amazes me is that we are in 2021 and
we are still dealing with tracks that either don't have a website or
don't put race results and point standings out there for people to see. I
have to be careful here, because I'll go into a rant that will take up
half of this column. Being somebody who's been in media and witnessed
first hand what that can do for a track, it frustrates me how little
value some promoters see in having a media person there to spread the
word. That sort of thing matters in capturing the imagination of the
casual fans.
Most tracks know there's a certain
amount of people who are going to spectate no matter what. These are
generally the older crowd who have been coming to the track for years or
people who are associated with one car or another. Whether it's 200
people, 300 or whatever, the observant promoter knows that number.
That's their base crowd. You still need the casual fans looking for some
fun on a Saturday night. They have so much disposable income for their
entertainment, and promoters are wise to do what they can to inspire
them to come out and watch. I think this means a lot of things. Surely,
the video stuff and pictures are important, and there are so many more
ways to get that out to the people these days.
Some
places don't put any stock in a good writer who can put together a
succinct article that hypes up the show. This is what I call capturing
the imagination of the people. It's not just cold hard statistics with
results and point standings. There's color involved that talks about the
racers. This inspires the people to want to come out and watch. Believe
me, tracks aren't guaranteed as many spectators these days as they used
to be, because people have plenty of other options. Plus, what we've
been through with this pandemic will affect people in what they're
willing to do.
There are simply too many tools
out there for a race track to not post their point standings or race
results in a timely manner. Whether it's by uploading the MyLaps
information to Speedhive, which every track that uses MyLaps should do
regardless of any other places they put up that information. Some tracks
go with My Race Pass. There are sites and programs out there that make
putting up that information easier than ever before. It boggles my mind
that in 2021 we can't get results posted from places like Orland
Raceway, Shasta Speedway, American Valley Speedway or Diamond Mountain
Speedway. I am assuming that last track will eventually get it situated,
because they were posting it last year.
I
covered Orland Raceway for multiple media outlets in their area for a
few years, and I know for a fact that my articles and Christina Meeds'
photos that appeared in those papers had a positive effect on fan
attendance. Why the track doesn't put any value in that is beyond me.
Christina has even volunteered to help them with social media and a web
page. I just shake my head at that. It's so simple to use Facebook or
Twitter that you can simply snap a picture of the payout sheets,
covering up the payout totals if you wish, and put that on your Facebook
page so people at least know that.
It
frustrates me, and I don't think simply being a humble little track in
the shadows of Silver Dollar Speedway cuts it as an excuse. Orland
Raceway could be more than it is. Believe me, I'm not knocking Rich
Hood, because I think he's really done a good job as the promoter
bringing stability there. However, this is one of the easy things that
can be done to help things grow even more, and no official attempts have
been made to handle the media and results aspect of that track since
Hood took over. Truthfully, the track has done almost nothing since
Carol Turner used to write the articles and keep the point standings
updated on the track's web page some 15 years ago.
Shasta
Speedway boggles my mind even more because there used to be a time when
that track was a marquee venue. Big touring events used to go there.
Dave Twyman certainly came in there and rescued the place from closure.
They use MyLaps, but they don't post those results. You get next to no
information from them unless a touring organization like the North State
Modified Series comes to town, and that's really not acceptable. I've
asked them repeatedly to post the information, but it seems they give
less than a damn about it. If a track doesn't understand the importance
of letting people know how the show is going in 2021, I don't know what I
can say to persuade them. It's not a recipe for race track longevity.
Ultimately,
the tracks want to have fans in the grandstands, and this internet
pay-per-view thing isn't going to be the answer. It is an answer when
you either can't have fans or have a limit to how many tickets you can
sell. I've looked at it as a possible way to augment ticket sales. It's
possible to build a fan base of people who couldn't make it to the track
if they wanted to, so there's a little bit of money to be made there.
Ultimately,
the promoter is better off selling tickets to fans who will actually be
there in person. Ticket sales alone don't pay the bills. Those
concession sales help immensely. This is why some of the old school
promoters bristle at the thought of an internet pay-per-view. They feel
like they're leaving money on the table. I say focus on grandstands
first, but the video footage has potential not just to sell tickets to
the grandstands, but to get money from people who couldn't be there
anyway.
It really comes down to promoters
thinking outside the box and taking a chance. A good promoter will take
risks at times, knowing that in the long run they will gain something
from it. It's something you start now with a game plan may not yield
fast results. You have to put the time, effort and sometimes money into
it. If you are committed, you can see success over time. You aren't
guaranteed success, but the one thing that will ensure that you don't
grow and really prosper is being complacent and not taking the
occasional chance that something could make it even bigger and better.
I've
mentioned my frustrations with Siskiyou Golden Speedway in Yreka. This
isn't a new revelation that's unique to the current promoter. Although I
think Kevin Barba could be doing more to build his own program with
more divisions, he inherited the current situation from the previous
management. I don't think he's done everything he can to grow it. He's
added Jefferson State Jalopies to the rotation. This is not a division
that's going to flourish and become a 20 car class. It's simply too
unique and doesn't have broad appeal. I would never say don't book these
guys if they want to come race for next to nothing, but it isn't the
answer either.
All the track has that are
in-house divisions are the IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks. The
Sport Modifieds are doing okay, although we'll see how the numbers look
when they are running against a regular program in Medford. The Mini
Stocks are struggling to get a car count and would have had almost no
show last week if not for the Medford support. I don't think they can
keep this division going by paying half the Main Event. They need a full
purse that pays last place, even if it's not much. I know the budget
isn't big down in Yreka, but if you can't afford to do that, you need to
question what you're even doing out there.
I
will say it one more time, the decision not to book any IMCA Modified
shows in Yreka was terrible. It made absolutely no sense given the fact
that they can get at least a half-dozen cars or more if they book the
class right. This division didn't deteriorate overnight and isn't going
to be fixed quickly. However, giving up on the division only means that
fans have one less attraction to enjoy. The two races they've had so far
would have been enhanced by having IMCA Modifieds, and you're not going
to convince me they wouldn't have at least had six cars at each of
them. I'd say they could have hit double digits.
What's
baffling to me is not only did they not book the class, they decided
that they would book some Limited Sprint dates. I don't believe Kevin
just took it on himself to book the class. He had people from the
Medford area pushing him to do it. The sad reality is that some of those
people saying they wanted dates in Yreka were probably in Cottage Grove
on Saturday instead.
Kevin obviously likes
the idea and the fact that they don't require as big a purse as the
Winged 360s. He put up a pay scale, which some people might think was
lacking. The drivers knew what they'd be getting based on car count, and
the Medford bunch greeted it with a resounding, "No thank you." I hate
to say I told you so, but...
Here's the deal,
Kevin worked out a budget that he's willing to pay these Sprint Car
drivers. They could get as much as $700 to win at 10 cars and had $500
to win at six. If you really want to give this a try, there is an
option. I noticed Mike Sayre did show up. He was one of the Crate Sprint
drivers from Marysville. The question might be worth asking. Would the
Crate Sprint drivers deliver a half-dozen or more cars for a special
race at Yreka, or might the Nevada Battle Born Winged Sprint guys be an
option? Both groups hover at around 10 cars, and bringing a half-dozen
cars would probably be acceptable in Yreka at the moment given the car
counts they have.
The reason it becomes an
option is because you want to give your fans more things to enjoy on the
track. Otherwise, they may lose interest. Therefore, might a call to
somebody in Marysville or one of the Nevada guys be in order to find out
if there's a way to get a race or two out of them? I don't know. What I
do know is there's not strong enough interest out of Medford's Limited
Sprints group to come to Yreka based on the purse Kevin offered, and
this has been demonstrated multiple times already. It boggles my mind
why you would put more effort into trying with these guys than the IMCA
Modifieds, a division that has a significant history at the track.
Right
now, they rely on visits from the Outlaw Pro Stocks and Southern Oregon
Dwarf Cars to bolster a declining car count, and both divisions will be
joining the Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks on May 1st. The Dwarf Cars
delivered 21 cars last Saturday, while there were 16 Sport Modifieds. It
was not a bad show, although fans who came expecting to see Sprints
Cars were probably disappointed. Even the Mini Stocks, thanks to the
Medford support, had enough of a show to give the fans a thrilling
finish. I'd expect the Dwarf Cars to deliver a decent show at the next
race, but Yreka needs to keep something in mind. The Dwarf Car guys
booked so many dates at Yreka this year because Medford wasn't an option
due to the situation there. Don't expect things to be the same in 2022.
I
said it before and I'll say it again, they need to develop divisions
based on what resources they have. The IMCA Modifieds should remain on
that schedule for the minimum four dates needed to create a championship
that's acknowledged by the sanctioning body. The Hobby Stocks and
Hornets probably both deserve a shot. Kevin has asked the racers in the
past about this, but what needs to happen is rules need to be put out
there, an open invitation needs to be extended and you just make it
happen. If two cars show up, you've got a match race, and you build on
that. The association that ran the place flirted with Hornets back in
2017. Had they continued to run them, the track would have established
the class by now.
Promoters promote. They take
chances and bring in new things. Sometimes it might fail, and other
times it is successful. I know at my old stomping grounds, Antioch
Speedway, Promoter Chad Chadwick reinstated the Mini Stock class as a
new entry level point. He added the IMCA Stock Cars as another
intermediate division. It will take a little doing, but I think both
divisions will make it. What it does for Antioch is allows them to
rotate divisions and not book somebody every week, thereby making car
counts stronger when the divisions are there. It's Promoting 101.
It
looks to me as if Chuck Prather is stepping away completely from the
sport. Chuck has been a promoter at places such as Marysville, Eugene
and Coos Bay. He's rightfully credited as the first person to begin a
Hardtop effort in the modern era in California. After he was part of the
group with Mike McCann that came to Sacramento and Orland in 2002, he
started an effort that ran at Sacramento and Roseville from 2003 through
about 2005. Chuck was looking for a venue to promote, and it's
interesting that he took a shot at Dixon Speedway and Sacramento
Raceway's little dirt oval track. Negotiations never came to fruition,
but I'm just imagining a stock car program at Dixon. It's a damn shame
the dirt track in Sacramento just sits there unused.
Chuck
eventually took his Hardtop fleet and headed to Coos Bay. He ran those
cars for the first year or so before selling them. We know the rest. He
threw dirt on Coos Bay Speedway and started to establish some of the
things that are a part of the schedule to this day. He also invested
quite a bit of money into a half-dozen or so Limited Sprint Cars. What
he wanted to do was give the fans some Sprint Car racing, so he
attempted to establish a class. These would be rental cars that Chuck
would have prepared for them. For the last six or seven years, Coos Bay
Speedway has had its own little Sprint Car class.
This
is what I mean by a promoter taking the time to promote and spend
money. I know some people have unkind things to say about Chuck, but I
do respect the man for the good he has brought to the sport. Initially, I
looked at the Coos Bay Speedway schedule and saw the regular Limited
Sprint class being there about once a month, but now it looks like only
the Interstate Sprint Cars are there. The reason became clear. Chuck is
selling his fleet of Limited Sprints as he walks away, and Drake Nelson
isn't as interested in doing a Sprint Car class in house with his NASCAR
stuff. It's the end of an era. Actually, a resourceful promoter who
wanted to start a Sprint Car class might seize the opportunity to buy
those cars and sell them to people in the area. Then again, that's not a
cheap investment.
I watch with interest as
Travis Hoppes and his group, Southern Oregon Motorsports, is moving
around the Southern Oregon Speedway facility, making changes and
improvements. I find it interesting that there was a concern about the
place closing, but rather than just do the things needed to get those
gates open quickly, they are doing even more. I don't know that this is
the "magic bullet" solution to getting more fans in the stands or more
cars in the pits. Drivers will come based on the format, pay off, how
the track is run and the racing conditions. The amount of cars at the
show you offer is what puts butts in the seats.
It's
not like the improvements being made to the facility won't have a
positive impact. It's obviously better to have a nice looking facility,
and there have been things in decline that have been in need of
attention for several years now. With an individual promoter, you might
be dealing with somebody who doesn't have the budget to spend tens of
thousands of dollars overnight. Promoters generally look for things they
can get a return on in a short amount of time. If you're spending high
five or even low six figures on a place, you're not seeing that money
for a few years.
An association may have its
flaws when it comes to a running a racing program or being really
concerned about the bottom line. I've seen several associations that
simply want enough money to keep the gates open, but they're not
necessarily running it like a business. They don't do it like a promoter
would. What an association such as the one put together down in Medford
can do is have money being invested by multiple people. It's not just
Travis putting his neck on the line. There are others. It doesn't just
come from the people on the board but various people offering various
resources.
I tend to think it would have been
wiser to get the things needed to open those gates. Maybe put some new
clay on the track, but the configuration was fine. Clean up the pits and
work on a few things, but what they are doing is so much more. When
people come out there, they're going to see a bigger race track. The
crews in the pits will be able to sit in bleachers that will be off the
back straightaway like most tracks. There are many things going on out
there that I'm not privy to that will translate into more improvements,
and that is a good thing. It certainly means that the scenery is going
to be nice to look at. It won't hurt the effort to boost the numbers on
both sides of the fence.
I do caution that I
think some people are looking at the early years of that race track when
the numbers were ridiculously high in the grandstands and the pits. We
are 20 years down the line, the economy has changed, we just came
through a pandemic and you're not going to see 2000 people in the stands
or pits that are regularly filled with over 100 competitors. When Mike
McCann came in, we took a show that might have been lucky to get 30 cars
on some nights and boosted those numbers significantly. That translated
into a gradual but steady increase in fan attendance during our four
year run. It took hard work and getting in there every week and making
it happen. It will take hard work with the program itself to keep the
increase going.
I will readily admit that the
facility itself needed improvements long before we got there. We did
what was needed to make racing happen, and in the process we improved
the program. The program itself that has been inherited by the new team
is greatly improved over what it was at the end of 2015. The trend was
upward before the pandemic hit. A year of momentum was lost, but they've
got a chance to keep it up. I'm just saying that simply making the
place look nicer isn't necesarily going to translate into huge car
counts and crowds of people in the stands. You've got to give them a
reason to be there based on the way you run the show.
This
is why you will see people throw money at a race track and fall flat on
their faces. The people weren't looking for all the bells and whistles.
They came to the track to be entertained with a good show. You might
notice that if you go to some tracks across the country that look kind
of dumpy, they still have a huge crowd and a hell of a show. What it
comes down to is giving people a place to sit and watch, decent food and
drink and a good race track that drivers like to compete on. That's the
great equalizer between a track that some might call a dive and a track
that some might call a palace. Take a look at Cottage Grove Speedway.
It's far from a palace, but does that matter when you have nights with
100 or more cars several times during the season? There's a lesson to be
learned there.
As I said, news is breaking
everyday on the happenings at the Medford track. I've been curious to
know what the payouts are going to be, and it looks like they are going
back to a pay scale. There are different theories on the idea of
offering a pay scale. On one hand, you give the drivers incentive to
bring more cars and get more money. Then again, a driver can only
control their own car, not what the rest of the group does. Therefore, a
pay scale can also deincentivize racers wanting to support because they
know the car count won't get to the level where the pay increases. I
know when Yreka started doing a pay scale with the IMCA Modifieds under
the association, rather than paying the standard purse the class gets at
most other venues, they pretty much killed the class.
Mike
had a theory with his guaranteed purses. He knew he might take it in
the shorts if car count was really bad, as was the case at times.
However, he knew that he could gain a little bit when car count started
to improve. His theory was to look at the way car count improved and
decide during the off-season whether a new guaranteed purse was needed. I
know there were some people critical of the idea, but they didn't
complain too much when they didn't see a pay cut on any night at the pay
window, even if car count was not great.
Based
on the numbers from 2019, here's what it looks like to me. The IMCA
Sport Modifieds are going to get a big pay increase, and the IMCA
Modifieds could see a slight pay cut initially. Again, this is based on
the average of about 12 IMCA Modifieds per week and about 22 IMCA Sport
Modifieds. If those numbers hold, the Sport Modifieds will be competing
for $500 to win, and the minimum to take the green will be $100. Oregon
has this big group of racers who want to knock the Modifieds out of the
way and replace them with the Sport Modifieds, so I'm sure this will
make them happy. At less than 16 cars, they are getting just a tick
lower than what they got before, and at 16 to 19, the Sport Modifieds
are getting a little bit better.
I know I piss
people off when I say this, but the Sport Modifieds are a lower division
than Modifieds in the pecking order. It doesn't mean they suck. It
doesn't mean they don't have good racing. It simply means that you have a
tiered system of divisions for a reason. What we are witnessing here is
part of what ultimately destroys divisions. As I mentioned above,
there's a significant crowd of people who would love to see the
Modifieds replaced by the Sport Modifieds. They will get their wish one
day, but when it comes to the West Coast, the IMCA Modifieds are still
at the top, and the Sport Modifieds are the sidekicks.
What
has happened with the pay scale is at less than 16 cars, the IMCA
Modifieds no longer get $100 guaranteed to start. This is the standard
at a lot of places, including Cottage Grove Speedway. If they come out
with the numbers they had on average before, the drivers who don't
finish at the top will notice it, and I don't think they will be
delighted. There's a pretty good chance of them hitting middle tier, 16
to 19 cars. They get their $100 to start and receive $750 to win. I know
the pie in the sky belief is the Modifieds will return to their
greatness from the early 2000s, but forgive me for being skeptical.
However, if they get 20 or more cars, they will receive $1,000 to win.
Do
those numbers look bad? No. In fact, these two purses are meeting with
generally favorable reviews, and that's exactly what management wants to
see. It does leave me a bit concerned with what the numbers are going
to look like when they release the purse information for the Limited
Sprints and Late Models. I am highly doubtful they will be getting the
money they got before. If it's even offered to them, the expected car
count will be so high that the drivers won't see the increase. Again,
that will only serve to dissuade racers to want to support. To put it
plainly, Mike's decison to pay a guatanteed purse to the Late Models and
Limited Sprints is why the classes made it. We'll just have to wait and
see what the purse numbers look like, but I'm sure we will find out
sooner versus later.
I was disappointed to hear
on Monday night that the Stockton Dirt Track canceled this weekend's
show. Evidently, the fairgrounds booked another event, and this forced
Tony Noceti to cancel his oval track program. Just the fact that Tony
made dirt track racing happen in Stockton is a major accomplishment. The
track has had many big Sprint Car events and will continue to do so,
but Tony has shown amazing commitment to establishing a stock car
championship series. To that end, he's been offering purses for his
regular shows that rival anything happening in the state. Like I said,
it takes promoting and commitment.
I know Tony
had to swallow a little bit of pride in paying what he advertised to
everybody last time given the fact that none of his divisions even
reached 10 cars. This is what promoters do. The sad part was Antioch
Speedway and Merced Speedway weren't running either of their Modified
classes this week. Petaluma gave the IMCA Modifieds the week off, and
there was every indication that Stockton would have benefited with
double digits in both classes. They needed to have a good night like the
one I think they were about ready to have, so I'm disappointed that he
had to cancel. Sometimes things are just out of your hands.
In
general, I think Merced Promoter Doug Lockwood is trying to work with
Bakersfield Speedway, because there tends to be some back and forth
between the drivers. Bakersfield ran a successful Outlaw Kart program on
the infield track last week, while several of their top drivers in the
three IMCA classes headed to Merced. Bakersfield has the three IMCA
classes this weekend, while Merced is trying an open wheel deal with the
BCRA Midgets and Lightning Sprints, the IMCA RaceSaver 305 Sprint Cars
and the local Hobby Stocks.
I can't help but
praise the Al Miller Memorial race. Doug was quick to think the Miller
brothers for all of their promotional efforts in making those big purses
a reality. I know their dad would have been proud of them. Merced had
about 120 cars in the pits on both Friday and Saturday. I am a bit
critical about elevating the IMCA Stock Cars above the Hobby Stocks
given the fact that the Hobby Stocks dwarf the IMCA Stock Car count at
the moment. There's this optimism in the air about the IMCA Stock Cars,
and I do think it's well placed. Given a few years, this class will grow
by leaps and bounds, but it won't replace the Hobby Stocks. It isn't
intended to either. That criticism aside, this isn't what the Al Miller
Memorial race was for.
The emphasis was put on
the IMCA Sport Modifieds at $5,000 to win, $2,000 for second and $1,000
for third. That's $8,000 just for the Top 3 finishers in the Main Event.
My expectation was a field of at least 50 cars, and that's what they
got on Saturday. By any measuring stick, this was a successful event and
another feather in the cap of Merced Speedway. Every time I turn
around, I'm hearing good things from the IMCA racers when it comes to
Merced Speedway, and I don't think that's something that's going to
change anytime soon.
It might be a little bit
early to discuss the Fifth Annual Al Miller
Memorial race. The Miller brothers have moved this race to a different
venue every year, and this was the first year it featured IMCA Sport
Modifieds instead of Pro Stocks. I'm sure they are giving thought to
what they want to do next, but after the resounding success that they
had at Merced Speedway, I wouldn't be surprised if they decided they
wanted to come back there for another year. I suppose we'll see an
announcement on that soon. In the meantime, the track comes back with
another exciting racing offering that will feature some BCRA Midgets and
Lightning Sprints, IMCA Western RaceSaver Sprints and Hobby
Stocks.
I trace it all back to John Soares
coming in and promoting that track when it had a dismal ending in 2009.
John did what everybody wanted to see happen. He eliminated the inside
back wall, reshaped that track and made it better than it had been in
years. Eventually, people developed their negative feelings towards
John. It just happens with his family, but I'll always hold him and his
dad in high regard.
When Ed Parker bought the
place from him in 2016, the numbers really skyrocketed. Ed put his heart
into it, and it showed with multiple occasions where over 100 racers
filled the pits. I think what it came down to was people being happy
that a local area person was running that track. You'll find that trend
at a lot of places. Some people don't care what experience you bring,
but if you're local and sincere enough, they will back you.
I
feel like Ed wore his heart on his sleeve and stressed himself out
trying to do right by the racers. It led to his early demise. I'm
saddened by that because I had a lot of respect for him. I liked the
guy, and I truly wish I would have been able to make good on his offer
to come down there for Legend's Night. We were going to have a talk
about starting the Hall of Fame. When he died, Margie Mejia stepped up
to make sure the 2018 season concluded properly. Yeah, there was concern
about the future, but there didn't need to be.
Respected
area racers Paul Stone and Chris Shannon formed S&S Promotions and
got the contract. They continued making improvements to an already
beautiful facility and hired Doug Lockwood as the promoter. The base
classes continue to thrive, and the IMCA banner flies high over the
track. However, Doug also brings his love of open wheel racing with him,
and that means some good things for Sprint Car fans. Good race tracks
do things for both Sprints Cars and Stock Cars, and what can I say?
Merced Speedway is a good track with a good promoter.
There's
no denying that Antioch Speedway has a thriving IMCA Modified and IMCA
Sport Modified program. While the numbers might have been skating along
before Chad Chadwick brought IMCA back, there's no denying that the
sanctioning body makes some of the traveling locals decide to support
their home track instead. The Sport Modifieds are delivering counts that
require a B Main, and the Modifieds are close. With the IMCA Stock Cars
usually the third division on nights where the other two divisions are
booked, Chad's pretty confident that he's got a show on those nights. A
lot of times, the Dwarf Cars end up being the fourth class, but they are
interchangeable with those other nights.
What
you try to do is make sure there are enough cars to look at on any given
night, and the Dwarf Cars can bring 20 or more on occasion. The
Wingless Spec Sprints are still solid, and the Hobby Stocks are
delivering consistent B Mains. I think the IMCA Stock Car division will
continue to grow, and the Mini Stock division should do so as well. Chad
brought in the West Coast Sport Compacts last week, and I'm just
wondering if Antioch may be a little too far north for the Hanford and
Porterville based racers of the group. There were just eight cars for
this occasion. The fans still got a good race out of them, but it may
not work out between the track and the group if they can't get better
support.
I do think we're going to see numbers
leveling off and going lower as people deal with the financial fallout
from what we've been through. Last year, the WCSC had two dozen cars
showing up at Hanford for those races, so the fact that they've had 15
or 16 cars at most of their races so far shows they are feeling the
pinch a little bit. It's still good, but it's not the big thing it was
the year before. Everything isn't always golden in racing, so you do the
best you can to whether the bad times. This group will still be fine,
but I do worry about the IMCA sanctioning eventually encroaching on what
they do. As the IMCA Stock Cars get stronger, it's bound to happen.
All
in all, the show at Antioch went okay. They'd like to do some Winged
360 Sprint Car shows, but It's tricky trying to book your schedule in
such a way that you have a shot to get the cars. I don't think it was a
bad deal that they got 11 cars, although I know Chad would like to see
more than that. John Soares paid a very nice purse when he promoted the
track, and yet it never really stuck. It had him questioning whether he
should continue doing it. When you're paying $1,500 to win and $150
minimum to start, as John was, you really should have a dozen cars
minimum as a base field by your fifth season, and that wasn't the case.
Maybe Chad will have better luck. I know he wants the class to have a
place on the schedule.
I couldn't help but be
disappointed with the low turnout at Kern County Raceway for the
unsanctioned Wingless 360 Sprint Car show on Friday. They only had a
half-dozen cars with an additional 10 BCRA Midgets. The promoter is
paying good money and clearly wants to establish something, and my first
thought was that USAC threw a screwing into them. My opinion changed
when I noticed only nine USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars at Tulare on
Saturday, joined by 15 USAC Midgets.
I am
hoping they can turn things around by the time they come to Petaluma on
May 15th, but that will remain to be seen. The nice thing about Petaluma
is there are racers who will take off their wings and challenge
themselves. Honestly, Northern California could take a stab at its own
Wingless 360 Sprint Car class and get decent numbers if somebody had a
desire to form a group. I'd rather see them do that than turn the Spec
Sprints into that, as is the rumored long-range plan with the Hunt
Series.
The Hunt Wingless Sprint Car
Series is
alive and well. They followed up that big 29 car showing at Placerville
with 32 cars at Petaluma. That's always good to see. They ran an IMCA
Modified show against the show at Merced and had eight cars, and the
Super Stocks were down to seven. I'm a bit concerned about the Super
Stocks, but there are some key names that we haven't seen after two
races. Hopefully we see them soon and get back to double digits, which
is what the 600 Micros delivered. All in all, it was not a bad show, and
they get the Sprint Car Challenge Tour along with the Redwood Dwarf
Cars and Mini Stocks this week.
Marysville was a
little bit lean last week. The Dwarf Cars had enough for a B Main, but
the Winged 360 Sprint Cars were lacking a bit with a dozen. A lot of
teams are heading to Placerville, which was just a bit light at 28
cars. When you're a bit light at 28 cars, however, you're doing pretty
damn good. With Lightning Sprints, Pure Stocks and Mini Trucks to
balance it out, fans in Placerville got a good show. They get the Don
Tilford Tribute Stock Car program this week, featuring the first ever
visit of the Tri State Pro Stock Challenge, Limited Late Models, Pure
Stocks, Mini Trucks and the California Hardtops. Again, good promoters
know you can do special Stock Car stuff and Sprint Car stuff.
The
Hardtops delivered five cars to Marysville, which is about what I
expected. I'd like to say that you can have a Marysville Hardtop race
and have 10 cars, but I think that kind of turnout will show up at
Placerville or Antioch, maybe even Orland, before you even get close at
Marysville. I don't want to beat a dead horse here, but it might help if
the group promoted themselves a little bit more. I bet there were
people with Hardtops who didn't even know they had a race last week. As
for Marysville, they don't have a race for a few weeks.
People
have been declaring Chico Silver Dollar Speedway dead, but Dennis Gage
is about ready to kick those gates open again. On April 30th, they get
the Bill Brownell Memorial for the Winged 360 Sprint Cars, joined by the
NorCal Dwarf Cars and the local Street Stocks. Drop the Street Stocks
from the David Tarter Memorial the next night and make the Sprint Cars a
Sprint Car Challenge Tour race, and you've got the second night of their
double header. In fact, Chico will have the finale for the California
IMCA Speedweek Series on May 8th.
I could go a
lot of places with this column at this point, but I was trying to be
brief. I'm happy that so many tracks are opening and able to have fans. I
hope this continues to be a trend, and I hope the people won't put up
with this shutdown BS if they try to do it again. My optimism level
isn't so high. For now, we don't have to look at any of that, because
racing season is in full gear. Since I was talking about Marysville and
Chico, I'll end the thought process with those two tracks.
Dennis
Gage came in and tried to keep the program that John Padjen built alive
at Silver Dollar Speedway. That was the priority. Because of things
that were happening at Marysville, there was some concern about the
future of that race track, but Dennis came in and took on the
promotional duties there as well. This means that at 73 years old,
Dennis promotes two different race tracks. Some people are saying he's
not doing enough, but he's had to negotiate through the pandemic to keep
the track going. The people in Butte County weren't being very
cooperative, but Yuba County was a little bit more reasonable. Hence, he
moved ahead at Marysville.
When you can't have
fans in the grandstands, you have to figure out where you're going to
get the revenue. By virtue of getting his track open before anybody else
on the West Coast after the pandemic shutdown, Dennis was able to
negotiate a pretty good deal with Flo Racing. I'm privy to those
numbers, but I'll just say this. It made a difference in being able to
have as much racing as they did, but that deal ended after the last race
last year. Without that guaranteed revenue coming in, he's been left
scrambling. They still only have a small percentage of people allowed in
the stands, so this break coming up might be helpful. Maybe by the time
they open the gates again, they can have more fans?
Silver
Dollar Speedway gets an opportunity to shine while Marysville takes a
break. There has never been any thought in Dennis's head about killing
racing at either venue. However, as a guy who's been involved in the
sport for as long as he has, I understand he is looking for the exit
gate. I don't know how many people want to invest not just the money but
the time to be a promoter, and Dennis is doing that at two tracks.
Plus, he's done some Monster Truck promoting at other venues. That
speaks to his desire to do good things for the sport, but he's another
guy from another era that we're probably going to see walking away
from the sport in the not too distant future.
People
who want to be critical of Dennis or even other promoters might have
the opportunity to step up to the plate. It might be worth talking to
Dennis about the possibility of buying him out at Marysville or Chico
and taking your shot. I know for these older guys it's difficult to walk
away, because they've done it for as long as they have. Eventually,
your body tells you it's time. You start thinking there are other things
you want to try to do in life, and the race track is what's holding you
back. Though it's tough to walk away, it's also sad to look back and
see other things you wish you had done while you were putting all of
your energy into the sport.
I wouldn't worry
too much about racing in Marysville or Chico. It will go on. Dennis will
see it through this year, and maybe next year. Eventually, somebody
else will take their turn and show us all how it's done. You come in
there with grand plans of what you're going to do, but then reality
hits you. There are a lot of factors promoters have to consider when
they're
opening those gates, and people don't realize it. I may have been
critical of something here or there, but Dennis has my respect. I
appreciate what he's done for the good of the sport that we all love.
If I have anything else to say, it will keep. I'm done here. Until next time...
