Ocean Speedway, Keller Auto Speedway, American Valley Speedway, More

 

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

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Hogge, Ryland Sweep Modified Madness Night 

At Ocean Speedway 

Watsonville, CA...May 14...Bobby Hogge IV won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. The night was billed as Modified Madness for the track as the two IMCA sanctioned divisions hadn't been at the track for a couple of weeks. It was also the first win at Watsonville this season for six-time track champion Hogge aboard the Joe Glade Enterprise owned Modified.

Hogge and State point leader Jim Pettit II shared the front row for the Main Event. Hogge jumped into the immediate lead over Pettit and JC Elrod, and the first 10 laps went without a yellow flag before a Robert Marsh spin slowed the pace. Hogge led Pettit and Elrod for a lap, but a tangle between Steven Pemberton and Jacob Dewsbury in Turn 4 brought out another yellow flag. Hogge again led Pettit and Elrod on the next restart, and a red flag waved on Lap 16 when Marsh rolled in Turn 2. Hogge resumed command over Pettit and Elrod on the restart. Point leader Cody Burke spun from fourth for the final yellow flag on Lap 21. Hogge led Pettit and Elrod on the final restart, and the lead trio finished in that order. Tim Balding started last in the 13 car field and drove to a fourth place finish, followed by Austin Burke, Cody Burke, Kyle Bryan, Andy Obertello, Gary Marsh and Robert Marsh.

The IMCA Modifieds got a rare opportunity to qualify on the clock, and Hogge turned the Tom Sagmiller prepared quarter-mile clay oval with a lap of 14.730 to beat the 14.876 of Pettit for fast time. Hogge also won the four lap Trophy Dash and his eight lap heat race for the clean sweep. Pettit was the other heat race winner. 

Fred Ryland won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Ryland currently leads the point standings, and this was his third win in as many starts. It also capped a clean sweep for the 2015 State champion, who set the fast time, won the Trophy Dash and his heat race.

Ryland shared the front row with Dennis Simunovich, and the duo settled into first and second at the start. Randy Miller was an early third, and a Lap 4 yellow flag slowed the pace. Ryland continued to lead Simunovich and Miller, and Mike Ficklin took the fourth position from Justin McPherson. Miller took second from Simunovich on Lap 6, and a Lap 11 yellow flag proved to be the final slowdown of the race. Ryland led Miller and Ficklin on the restart. In the closing laps, Ryland built a comfortable margin of victory over Miller. Simunovich slipped past Ficklin for third on Lap 17 and would finish there. Ficklin settled for fourth, followed by State point leader Trevor Clymens, Scott Foster, McPherson, Jim DiGiovanni, Max Baggett and Mike Kofnovec Jr. 

Ryland was the quickest of 15 qualifiers with a lap of 15.347, beating the 15.375 of Simunovich. Simunovich and Ryland won the eight lap heat races, and Ryland won the four lap Trophy Dash.

David Prickett won the 20 lap Western Midget Racing Main Event. This was the third-straight win for the point leader and reigning Watsonville champion. Blake Bower led the opening lap before past BCRA Midgets champion John Sarale went motoring by for the lead. There was a yellow flag on Lap 3, and Sarale led Bower and Prickett on the restart. Prickett gained second on Lap 5 and began pressuring John Sarale immediately. On the seventh lap, Prickett put the moves on John Sarale to gain the lead as Caden Sarale settled into third. Prickett began to pull away as John Sarale had his hands full holding off Caden Sarale. Bower made that a close three-car battle for the second position. However, Prickett prevailed at the checkered flag by a straightaway ahead of John Sarale. Caden Sarale settled for third, followed by Bower, Nate Wait, JJ Loss, Cory Brown, Kayla Kelliinoi, Megan Morehead and Gary Dunn. The eight lap heat race wins went to Bower and John Sarale.

Point leader Joe Gallaher scored an unlikely victory in the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was his fourth win of the season, and it came aboard son Rob Gallaher's car after Joe had mechanical problems in his own ride during his heat race.  Looking to score his second win of the season, Quentin Harris bolted into the early lead ahead of Jerry Skelton and Norm Ayers. Tony Oliveira slipped past Ayers for third on Lap 4, but he surrendered the position to Joe Gallaher a lap later. Harris suddenly suffered a major motor meltdown on the seventh lap and pitted, handing Skelton the lead ahead of Gallaher and Oliveira. Skelton held a near straightaway lead over Gallaher.  Ryan Muller took third from Oliveira on Lap 12. In the final few laps, Skelton appeared to be slowing with his own motor issues. Joe Gallaher got a run on the outside as they went down the back straightaway for the final time, and he made a Turn 4 pass on Skelton to take the lead and victory. Skelton limped to a second place finish, followed by Ryan Muller, Ayers, Oliveira, Brady Muller, Bobby Gallaher and Harris. Harris and Rob Gallaher won the eight lap heat races.

Travis Van Gilder won the 15 lap Four Banger Main Event. This was his first victory. Van Gilder led from the start ahead of two-time champion Kate Beardsley and Wayne Reeder. Reeder slipped past Beardsley for second on Lap 2, and the lead duo ran closely from that point on. Point leader Joe Gullo was challenging Kate Beardsley for several laps before moving by on Lap 11. Unfortunately, Gullo brought out a Lap 12 yellow flag as his race came to an end. Van Gilder continued to lead on the restart as Kate Beardsley and Nicole Beardsley settled into second and third. Van Gilder sped to a satisfying win, followed by Kate Beardsley, Nicole Beardsley, Reeder, Bill Beardsley, Gullo, Joseph Marsh and Forest Movrich. Gullo won the six lap heat race.

The Taco Bravo Sprint Cars and South Bay Dwarf Cars return to action next Friday, joined by the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Four Bangers. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.

Scelzi Wins First Night Of Peter Murphy Classic 

At Keller Auto Speedway

Hanford, CA...May 14...Dominic Scelzi won the 30 lap Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour, Presented by Abreu Vineyards, Main Event Friday night at Keller Auto Speedway. This was the first night of the annual Peter Murphy Classic, and Scelzi pocketed $3,000 for his winning effort.  Prior to this win, Scelzi also picked up the victory in the 30 lap King of Thunder Winged 410 Sprint Car Main Event.

Shane Golobic led the opening lap of the SCCT Main Event ahead of Colby Copeland and Scelzi, but the yellow flag waved after a lap. Copeland took the lead on the restart as Scelzi and Kaleb Montgomery settled into second and third. The second of only three yellow flags for the race flew on the fifth lap as Bud Kaeding had settled into fourth. On the restart, Kaeding slipped past Montgomery for third as Copeland continued to lead Scelzi. However, Scelzi began to put some serious pressure on Copeland and took the lead on the 14th lap. The final yellow flag waved on Lap 19. Scelzi led Copeland on the restart, but Copeland would keep it close all the way to the end. Kaeding settled for third, followed by Montgomery, point leader Chase Majdic, Corey Day, Ryan Robinson, Justyn Cox, Tanner Carrick and Placerville and Watsonville point leader Justin Sanders.

There were 39 Winged 360 Sprint Cars for the show, and the drivers qualified in their respective heat race groups.  Stephen Kent and Michael Faccinto were part of the fourth group, and Kent set the fast time of 14.226, beating the 14.269 of Michael Faccinto. Eight lap heat races were won by Kaeding, Golobic, Copeland and Michael Faccinto. Scelzi earned the pole position for the Main Event by winning the four lap Trophy Dash ahead of Bud Kaeding and Michael Faccinto. Blake Carrick won the 12 lap B Main. He started on the outside front row and proceeded to lead the entire race. Max Mittry was an early second ahead of Tanner Carrick, but Carrick took the second position on the final lap. Blake Carrick won ahead of brother Tanner Carrick, Mittry and Joey Ancona.

Dominic Scelzi led the entire distance to win the 30 lap King of Thunder Winged 410 Sprint Car Main Event. Scelzi started on the pole and led early ahead of Kasey Kahne and Corey Day. Following a Lap 3 yellow flag, Day slipped past Kahne for second as Scelzi led the way. By the midpoint of the race, Scelzi was building a good lead and Day was comfortably in second. The battle was for third between Kahne and Shane Golobic and fifth between Austin McCarl and Mitchell Faccinto.  Mitchell Faccinto took the fifth position from McCarl on Lap 22, and Golobic put the moves on Kahne for third on Lap 24. Scelzi built a good lead over Day by the time the checkered flag flew. Golobic was third with Kahne settling for fourth. Mitchell Faccinto had problems late as Bud Kaeding finished fifth, followed by Willie Croft, DJ Netto, Sean Becker, Tim Kaeding and McCarl.

The 24 Winged 410 Sprint Cars ran two sets of heat races that earned the driver's points and would ultimately help determine their starting order at the front of the Main Event. The first set of seven lap heat races were won by Golobic, Bud Kaeding and Ringo. Corey Day, Croft and Scelzi won the second set of heats. Kahne held off Scelzi and Day to win the four lap Trophy Dash.

For information on what's happening at Keller Auto Speedway, go to www.racekingspeedway.com. To keep up with the happenings with the SCCT Sprint Cars, go to www.sprintcarechallengetour.com.

Frock, Woods, Preast Win Opening Night Of 

Dwarf Car Nationals At American Valley Speedway

Quincy, CA...May 14...The Western States Dwarf Car Association made their annual trek to the Plumas County Fairgrounds in Quincy, California for another two-day Nationals event. Roughly 90 drivers from six Western States came to compete on the dirt oval track at American Valley Speedway. The format called for three different groups of Dwarf Cars, featuring the Pros, the Veterans and the Sportsman divisions. When the checkered flag waved, it was Joe Frock winning the Pro Dwarf Car division feature, Stacey Woods collecting the victory in the Veteran Dwarf Car class and Scotty Preast picking up the Sportsman Dwarf Car win.

Joe Frock won the Pro division 25 lap Main Event.  Frock hails from Reno, Nevada. He started on the inside of the fourth row, while Roseburg, Oregon driver Anthony Pope started third row inside. The always fast Darren Brown shared the front row with Devin Breese, but unfortunately both of those competitors had issues and finished out of the running. Frock would work his way forward and wrestle the lead away from Pope. From there, Frock went on to the victory with Pope settling for second. Past NorCal and Antioch champion Danny Wagner out of Bay Point, California worked his way from the eighth row to finish third, followed by NorCal point leader Ryan Winter, who started eighth. Nevada star Adam Teves came from the eighth row to finish fifth, followed by Petaluma Redwood Dwarf Car star Chad Matthias, Viki Wilson Jr, Southern California star Nick Velasquez, Josh Rodgers and Chris Kress. The Top 10 finishers in all three classes automatically locked themselves into the bigger money feature races on Saturday.

36 of the drivers on hand were part of the Pro division, and they ran four eight lap heat races. The Top 4 finishers in those races transferred automatically into the Friday night Preliminary Main Event. Wins in those races went to Peyton, Colorado's Devin Breese, Brown, Pope and James Brinster of St Helens Oregon. The rest of the drivers had to work their way into one of the Top 8 transferring positions in the 15 lap B Main. Oregon's Jake Van Ortwick started on the outside front row and held off Camarillo, California's Nick Velasquez and Tommy Velasquez III as they finished in order. Matthias settled for fourth ahead of Antioch, California racer Dennis Gilcrease.

Stacy Woods won the 20 lap Veterans Main Event. Woods hails from Longdale, Nevada. Stacy started on the pole next to Mark Pollock of Mesa, Arizona. Woods would settle into the lead as third row starter Mike Reeder of Placerville, California worked his way into second. He battled second row starter Tim Fitzpatrick, who hails from Virginia City, Nevada. Reeder would win that battle, but he couldn't get the lead from Stacy Woods, who brought it home a happy winner. Fitzpatrick settled for third. Richie Abbott earned passing honors by coming from 18th starter to grab the fourth position from Pollock. Pollock settled for fifth, followed by Tommy Velasquez II, Glenn Sciarani, Tony Margott, David Rosa and Jack Haverty.

The Veterans class had a solid 27 car turnout, and the three eight lap heat races would transfer the Top 5 finishers directly into the night's Preliminary Main Event. Stacy Woods, Pollock and Tracy, California's Buddy Olschowka won those races. South Bay champion Mark Biscardi of San Jose, California started in the third row and won the 15 lap B Main after overtaking front row starter Margott, who settled for second. Abbott finished third, followed by Jesse Turner and Kelli Kennemore.

Scotty Preast won the 20 lap Sportsman Dwarf Car Main Event. Priest hails from Santa Maria, California, and he was a Hobby Stock star at that track before moving on to Dwarf Cars in the past couple of years. Preast started on the pole and led much of the race. Albany, Oregon's Tanner Curr made a charge from the fourth row to finish second. El Cerrito, California's Will Dyckman claimed passing honors by charging from the seventh row to finish third, followed by Teagan Fischer, Orey Woods, Ellie Russo, Dan Varner, John Pipe, Travis Behrman and Kelly Woods of St George, Utah. There were 21 Sportsman Dwarf Cars on hand, and the eight lap heat race wins were earned by Preast and Fisher.

Follow the Western States Dwarf Car Association on Facebook to keep up to date on their latest happenings.

 

Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results May 14
IMCA Modifieds
Bobby Hogge IV
Jim Pettit II
JC Elrod
Tim Balding
Austin Burke
Cody Burke
Kyle Bryan
Andy Obertello
Gary Marsh
Robert Marsh
Jake Dewsbury
Steve Pemberton
Matthew Hagio

IMCA Sport Modifieds
Fred Ryland
Randy Miller
Dennis Simunovich
Mike Ficklin
Trevor Clymens
Scott Foster
Justin McPherson
Jim DiGiovanni
Max Baggett
Mike Kofnovec Jr
Cody Bryan
Charlie Hunter
Justin Parr
Mike Kofnovec Sr
Duane Bieser

WMR Midgets
David Prickett
John Sarale
Caden Sarale
Blake Bower
Nate Wait
JJ Loss
Cory Brown
Kala Keliinoi
Megan Moorehead
Gary Dunn
Jon Santibanes
Shawn Arriaga

Hobby Stocks
Joe Gallaher
Jerry Skelton
Ryan Muller
Norm Ayers
Tony Oliveira
Brady Muller
Bobby Gallaher
Quintin Harris

Four Bangers
Travis VanGilder
Kate Beardsley
Nicole Beardsley
Wayne Reeder
Bill Beardsley
Tony Gullo
Joseph Marsh
Forset Movrich


Keller Auto Speedway Unofficial Race Results May 14

Peter Murphy Classic Night 1
SCCT Winged 360
A Main
Dominic Scelzi
Colby Copeland
Bud Kaeding
Kaleb Montgomery
Chase Majdic
Corey Day
Ryan Robinson
Justyn Cox
Tanner Carrick
Justin Sanders
D.J. Netto
Blake Carrick
Jake Andreotti
Grant Duinkerken
Isaiah Vasquez
Max Mittry
Brendan Warmerdam
Joey Ancona
Tucker Worth
Sean Becker
Michael Faccinto
Steven Kent
Michael Pombo
Shane Golobic

B Main
Blake Carrick
Tanner Carrick
Max Mittry
Joey Ancona
Kalib Henry
Bryce Eames
Joel Myers
Zane Blanchard
Mitchel Moles
Ashlyn Rodriguez
Greg Decaires V
Brooklyn Holland
Travis Coelho
Ryan Rocha
Jared Faria
Eric Humphries
Grant Champlin DNS
Brent Bjork DNS

Kings of Thunder 410 Sprintcars
Dominic Scelzi
Corey Day
Shane Golobic
Kasey Kahne
Bud Kaeding
Willie Croft
D.J. Netto
Sean Becker
Tim Kaeding
Austin McCarl
Kyle Hirst
Kalib Henry
Mitchel Moles
Tanner Holmes
J.J. Ringo
Sean Watts
Koen Shaw
Kenny Allen
Craig Stidham
Mark Barroso
Mitchell Faccinto
Kyle Offill
Robbie Price
Adam Kaeding


American Valley Speedway Unofficial Race Results May 14
WSDCA Dwarf Car Nationals
Pros
A Main (Top 16)
Joe Frock
Anthony Pope
Danny Wagner
Ryan Winter
Adam Teves
Chad Matthias
Vuki Wilson Jr
Nick Velasquez
Josh Rodgers
Chris Kress
Jake Van Ortwick
Shawn Whitney
Dylan Shrum
James Brinster
Krystal Breese
Darren Brown

B Main
Jake Van Ortwick
Nick Velasquez
Tommy Velasquez III
Chad Matthias
Dennis Gilcrease
Chris Trimino
Krystal Breese
Shawn Whitney
Patrick Weger
Joey Lingron
Corey Eaton
David Michael Rosa
Travis Day
Bobby Johnson
Chance Russell
Alan Heeney
Greg Brand
Jimmy Damron DNS
Roberto Monroy DNS
Michael Williams DNS

Veterans

A Main (Top 16)
Stacy Woods
Mike Reeder
Tim Fitzpatrick
Richie Abbott
Mark Pollock
Tommy Velasquez II
Glenn Sciarani
Tony Margott
David Rosa
Jack Haverty
Eric Weisler
Mario Marques
Tom VanTuyl
Eddy Claessen
Kelli Kennemore

B Main
Mark Biscardi
Tony Margott
Richie Abbott
Jesse Turner
Kelli Kennemore
Tom VanTuyl
Mario Marques
David Rosa
Robert Kozinski
Rodney Cook
Dan Geil DNS
Gary Wegener DNS

Sportsman
Scotty Preast
Tanner Curr
Will Dykeman
Teagan Fischer
Orey Woods
Ellie Russo
Dan Varner
John Pipe
Travis Behrman
Kelly Woods
Justin Schilling
Larry Bell
Isaak Geil
Ayden Breese
William Chamber
Cody Shrum
Charles Jones
Kenny Kendall
Joe Bohard
Wesley Dykeman
Samantha Marshall


Deming Speedway Unofficial Race Results May 8
600 Micro
Results are not official
1    #11h Parker Hadlock
2    #23R Dylan Resch
3    #8R Rachel Westmoreland
4    #28B Blaine Granberg
5    #22 Jesse Schlotfeldt
6    #21H Jeremy Holz
7    #22D Dakota Drake
8    #29 Levi Kuntz
9    #11c Colin Mackey
10    #88w Jayden Whitney
11    #70 Macie Logsdon
12    #23X Xan Miller
13    #52W Jeff Woosley
14    #22R Ryley Mayer
15    #02 Tyler McCloud
16    #91 Jared Peterson
17    #78 Haley Constance
18    #54 Kyle Johnson
19    #13c Tyler Conley

600 Restricted
Results are not official
1     #21c Corbin Ramsey
2     #22 Peyton Drake
3     #7o Axel Oudman
4     #29 Levi Kuntz
5     #24L Levi Hillier
6     #71 Kane VanSickle
7     #21z Keira Zylstra
8     #3D Destry Miller
9     #40J Rylee Kentch
10     #88J Jayden Huppert
11     #91 Grace Matier
12     #4D Diane Knutzen
13     #12 Orn Biggs
14     #66 Fairah Lee
15     #38B Dale Orcutt
16     #59M Mallory Fisher        
17     #14c Carson Guffie    
18     #48z Zoey Tuppe

Jr Sprints
Results are not official
1     #21c Clayton Jalakas    
2     #68 McKenna Morgan
3     #20d Dustin Ramsey
4     #23 Jayce Medcalf
5     #3 Avery Askvig
6     #5W Chase Whitney
7     #88 Sawyer Baxter
8     #67 Oliver Kairis
9     #77 Brody Cooley
10     #54 Ryan Bright
11     #27P Piper Bilven
12     #5c Colton Knapp    
13     #78 Brooklyn Constance

Focus Midgets
Results are not official
1     #24 Nick Evans    
2     #32 Jared Peterson
3     #95 Jesse Munn
4     #09 Levi Harless
5     #17M Brian Rose
6     #17 Kyle Hanson
7     #90H Brian Holmkvist
8     #32m Jake Munn
9     #5C Chris Foster
10     #15 Jacob Austin 

 

 

Where: Coos Bay Speedway www.coobayspeedway.us

When: Wednesday, May 19th

Who: NASCAR America's Mattress Super Late Models, Street Stocks, Hornets, Sport Modifieds, Jr Stingers (non points, just added)

What: Coos Bay Speedway will continue the trend started last year of doing the occasional Wednesday Night Throwdown races. This Wednesday will be such an occasion. The track is hoping to attract drivers from out of town, but the Late Model drivers have to contend with two-time champion Brody Montgomery. Montgomery picked up his third feature win last time out. Only Wayne Butler has managed to get a win in the class, while Braden Fugate and Mike Taylor have three Top 5 finishes in four starts. Seth Christian has been having one heck of a season so far. He's picked up a pair of Street Stock wins and three Hornet wins as he attempts to pick up a pair of championships. Joining him on the Street Stock winner's list so far is Ken Fox and Blake Lehman. Isaac Stere is the reigning Hornets champion and managed to prevent Christian from winning all four Hornet races so far. Both he and Christian have four Top 5 finishes. The track is hoping to get some Sport Modified drivers to come from around the state as they have been visited by some of those drivers as part of their Sportsman Late Model class. 

Why: There's some nice track, State and Regional point fund up for grabs in the Super Late Model class. Montgomery holds a 14 point lead over the tied Butler and Fugate in the current standings, while Taylor is 26 points back. Christian holds a 42 point lead over Fox in the Street Stocks, and Charlie Withers is 24 points behind Fox. Christian leads Stere by just two points in the Hornet class, but it's a drop off of 74 points back for third ranked Alexis Baker, who leads Bid Van Loon by just four points. Last season, Aaron Bloom won the Sport Modified championship by 70 points over KC Scott with David Schmidt 30 points behind Scott. These three drivers and a majority of the people who have supported this effort call Cottage Grove Speedway their home track.

 

The Editor's Viewpoint

It's kind of interesting that I'm sitting here on a Monday afternoon working on the blog post that you will have already seen by the time this particular column gets posted. You see, during Speedweek, I was trying to stay ahead of the game. I didn't allow myself a moment to not really focus on racing in one sense or another. When I had free time, I already cobbled together the Viewpoint column that you read in the previous post. Since I have decided I'm going to put another Friday racing article post up on Saturday afternoon, I decided to get a head start on it. It helps that there is an internet outage that is preventing me from working on the race results articles I'd be doing right now. 

When I did my audio show that accompanied the Sunday post, I explained part of the process that goes into putting together the race reviews articles you read here every week. Obviously, I'm not at all of these tracks. In fact, I'm usually sitting here at the news desk monitoring several tracks at the same time. I'm not currently going to any race track. You might say I'm between gigs, and I'm not sure if I will find another gig or quietly creep off to wherever I am destined to go next. I don't take anything for granted anymore, and I just do what I can.

Back in the day when Gary Jacob was writing for Racing Wheels, The DCRR and a bunch of other racing news magazines, he would cover several tracks he wasn't at. I used to hear people complain about that. Gary wasn't there. How does he know? Let me educate you a little bit on Gary. He was a guy who jumped in to make sure the tracks got recognition, because those tracks usually didn't bother to hire a media person. Even 20 years ago, you had a bunch of cheap tracks that didn't see the value in it. Gary had note takers giving him good details for some tracks, including Don Low down in Bakersfield and his own father Dick Jacob at Merced. 

What inevitably ended up happening was tracks would just fax him finishes. They also figured out that if they faxed him score sheets, he could use that to give more details in his results articles. Once they realized that Gary could get them some better exposure within the racing community, they were all for it. You might not get an increase in fan attendance based on Gary's articles in racing publications, but you could get bigger driver support at your special races by having him get the word out. Gary was known to pass out flyers to help enhance the car count. He was a team player who only wanted to make the sport better. Why Ken Clapp still hasn't put him into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, I will never understand.

I've made no secret of the fact that I call my racing media effort my Gary Jacob effort. I dedicate it to him. I think this is one of the reasons why John Soares has been on me about reviving Racing Wheels Newspaper, which could happen in one form or another. I am still exploring those options, and John and I will have another conversation. I just want to make sure everything is in order and that I really am up to the task. Doing Racing Wheels the way it needs to be done is much more work than my humble racing magazine was back in the day. If I can't do it the right way, I won't do it at all. You also have to take into account the times we are in now and how technology affects all of that.

In any case, I make a note at the top of each blog post that the stats and information we put up here are unofficial. I endeavor to be as accurate as possible when it comes to finishes, but sometimes the final official results are not released by the race track. Or, I can be getting information from somebody who didn't get official results. The main thing I try to do with this blog is put some kind of news out there so people know what's going on with these tracks. Before I got tired of meeting deadlines and the fact that I wasn't getting any support from the tracks, I was actually sending these articles to various news sources within the areas of the tracks, and I know it made a difference. It made a difference to the sport, but it wasn't lining my pockets with pennies or anything for that matter.

Gary probably would have gotten a kick out of the tools we have at our disposal these days. If he were still alive and doing the media effort, he surely would have made use of some of this. My favorite tools of choice are the Race Monitor live scoring app and Speedhive, which is an extension of the MyLaps site. These are the people who make the transponders that most tracks are using. Tracks have already paid for the use of Speedhive. All they need to do is upload that data to Speedhive, and everybody can see it. There's no charge, and it will tell drivers how fast they are going on any given lap.

I am aware that since My Race Pass is siphoning off that information and causing people to no longer upload that information to Speedhive, drivers are able to still check their lap times with them. However, the data they produce doesn't include the track positions of the drivers on any given lap. When everybody's transponders are functional, that data appears and is very helpful. I've been saying that somebody could write an app that could use that information to generate a story minutes after the races are done. Some tracks even input when the yellow flag is thrown and who caused it, so an app could produce an informative enough story without the need of even hiring a writer to do it.

In any case, I can do an article for any track that uploads information on Speedhive. The challenge comes from the idea that some people either aren't running a transponder or happen to have a malfunctioning transponder. If their data is missing, that can impact how a story turns out. I'm also watching Race Monitor in real time and jotting down notes as the race goes on. I know when the yellow flags wave, although I don't always know who caused them. There are times when I'm watching three or four Main Events go at the same time and going from track to track to jot down that information.

The problem with Race Monitor is it can get glitchy at times. There are times when it completely shuts down. When it comes back, all you see is a bunch of "waiting for data" on your screen. The other thing is that if somebody isn't running a transponder or doesn't have one that is functioning, they're not showing up on the screen. It's not advisable to write an article based solely on what you see on Race Monitor without checking the official finishes first. After you check official finishes, you can adjust what you have from Race Monitor and proceed to write your story.

Is it perfect? Nope. What are the options if certain tracks aren't hiring a media person to be on the scene writing an article? They can put the results up and the point standings, but you don't get any color. It's all raw statistics. For the racing community itself, that may be fine. To anybody thinking about whether they want to go check out a race, the color helps make a difference. This has been proven. I understand that with video and audio stuff out there these days, dinosaurs like myself who write articles don't have as big of an impact, but what we do still matters.

I just wanted to give you a little bit of insight into what I do. I'm actually watching real time data coming across my screen from Race Monitor and My Race Pass and also using Speedhive. One of the things that brings a smile to my face is that you can click on one of these posts and sometimes see as many as a dozen tracks covered along with full Main Event finishes. You don't have to click anywhere but our site to see all of this on one page. Plus you can listen to our audio show that accompanies the post. I can't guarantee you that this will continue. I'm still doing this week to week with basically no financial support coming my way, and it could stop at any time.

I understand why John would want me to revive the racing newspaper. I don't know that it would have the same impact it did 20 years ago, and I don't know if it could be successful. I do know it's a lot of work to do it right. I don't believe in going in and half-assing it. To do it the right way takes lots of time and energy, and I have a tendency to burn myself out. There are a lot of factors that go into deciding whether or not this is something I want to do. I've already been given the go ahead to use the Racing Wheels brand, but the real question is still, can Racing Wheels Newspaper make it in 2021? This is probably the last time I'm going to ask myself whether I went to jump in and do something with this paper or not.

I'm not exactly sure when John bought the paper. Sometime between 2006 and 2008 is my guess. This paper had been around for about 45 years. Even before that, the founder of the paper was doing articles in souvenir programs for several West Coast tracks. We're talking 1950s here. Wheels faced the same struggle that The DCRR faced. The internet was becoming a bigger thing, and everybody had a computer. They were going online and checking finishes, seeing what happened at tracks and they suddenly didn't need the printed paper anymore. If you can get the information that quickly and for free, why bother with the papers?

Still, John is one of those guys who thinks about things like that. That's part of the racing tradition we had back in the day, and that matters to guys like John and myself. He bought the paper, but he didn't have any idea how he was going to bring it back. The people he had on his staff at the track had no inclination or time to do anything with it. The first time I heard anything about John owning the paper was in late 2009 when he offered me the microphone, publicity duties and all that other stuff at Antioch Speedway. I will always wonder in the back of my mind if I made the right decision by not going for it. I just wasn't quite ready to jump back in.

Periodically, as he and I have talked about this over the past decade, we've debated how it could happen. Sadly, when John's house burnt down, he lost everything related to the paper. The computers and all that stuff are gone. The mailing list was probably too dated to be of any use in a revival, but all of the information on formatting and that sort of stuff would have been useful. For me, I want a Racing Wheels Newspaper that's done in newspaper, not magazine, style. Plus, I'd like for it to have a similar look, right down to the logo. That much I do know.

The problem is, John may own Racing Wheels and it's archives, but he has none of it. You're essentially starting a brand new racing newspaper at this point. I happen to be sitting on stacks of old Racing Wheels issues from the early 1980s through 2004, plus several issues from the 1970s and even the 1960s. I have enough archives to do special features in such a paper that would include things like the writings of Gary Jacob. That would be a must. I'm just asking myself whether or not I want to put forth the effort. There are reasons I'm entertaining this idea that go beyond the paper. One of those reasons is changing my location and going back to familiar territory again. Anyway, I only wanted to explain the process behind doing race results articles here on the blog and I ended up talking about Racing Wheels.

Chris Briggs went live last Friday with his announcement on the Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame. He named the five inductees that the panel had voted in. The process now calls for a vote from the fans on who will be the next person, and then the board will reconvene to discuss who the seventh inductee will be. He mentioned that he didn't get nearly as many nominees as he was hoping for, which I find disappointing. There were actually people throwing out nominations after Chris announced the first five inductees who are going in. I know I sent him a lengthy email with my nominations and why I feel they should get in, but he didn't get the sort of response he needed.

Chris is already talking about how to change the process and improve it next year, and he's also looking to add other members to the board. He asked me if I would be a part of it, and my answer was yes. I'm pretty much an advisor this year, so if I've had any influence whatsoever on the outcome, I'm happy. In a way, I'm sad that I wasn't more involved, but in a way I'm happy because the process continues and the Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame lives on. That's more important. This isn't my Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame, it's the community's Hall of Fame. That's as it should be.

I'm not going to tell you that I agree with all of the names on the list, just as people may not have agreed with the lists I ultimately submitted. This is not a question of whether I think the people getting inducted into the Hall of Fame this year belong. My answer is, yes they do. Timing might be a factor. I have some questions as to why this person or that person might not be getting in, but you know what? That doesn't do this any good. We have to get behind what's happening and support it and make it better. Chris Briggs is the Director of the Hall of Fame of Antioch Speedway, and I have the utmost confidence in him. That's why I chose him to take over for me. He cares as much about the history of that race track as any of us do, and it shows.

I'm delighted that Bobby Hogge III is getting in this year along with Marv Wilson and Lonnie Williams. I'd like to have seen a little more early flavor as far as the first two decades are concerned, but at least the 1960s and 1970s are represented a little bit. In addition to those three, Steve Hendren and Don Shelton are also getting in. Again, all of these drivers had Hall of Fame worthy the careers, so I think we should proceed with that. If somebody you want to see get in didn't make it this time, there's always next time. This will be happening for years to come, and there are other matters that need to be handled to make this better than it's ever been.

To give structure to the next step in the process, Chris didn't just open the vote to anybody you want to vote for. What he did was take the people who had the sixth, seventh and eighth most votes by the board and put them on the list. Therefore, Ed Sans Jr, Dave Byrd and Debbie Clymens are the ones being voted on now by the fans. One of these drivers will be the sixth inductee. I think it's pretty obvious that Debbie will be the one. She and her family are still involved in things at the track, and she'll win on popularity. That is not to say that she doesn't belong, because she's somebody I nominated myself.

The real problem is that Byrd and Sans are far removed from the track. Sans hasn't competed there in 20 years, and it's been closer to 30 since Byrd competed at the track. I don't know how many people who are voting right now remember those two drivers, and that's unfortunate. Both of them are Hall of Fame worthy, but both of them will get in eventually. I just know that Clymens will be the one who wins the vote and gets in this year. After Chris and the board decide on who the seventh person is, we'll move ahead on two very important issues.

I don't think there's going to be an issue of not having one of the drivers or somebody representing them at the Hall of Fame. Steve Hendren is making a trip from back east to be there. Sadly, Lonnie Williams has passed away, but his family is aware of his induction. The other thing is there are several plaques for Hall of Fame recipients that were left in the office from the 2019 edition of the Hall of Fame. It's possible we could find a couple of the families of those inductees and hand out the hardware this year. Actually, I'd like to see that happen as there is time to do a proper effort to contact these people.

Chris and I have spoken about the fact that the track doesn't want this to be a drag on time. The night will be October 9th, which is the Donna Soares/Larry Damitz Memorial race. They're also running the Chet Thomson Memorial Hardtop race that night. Truthfully, I made sure it only took about 20 minutes during intermission to do what needed to be done, so I know it wasn't a drag on time the first two years. However, this was never meant to be the way the Hall of Fame would be. If anything, intermission on Hall of Fame night would simply be the opportunity to introduce the people who were inducted, but the ceremony would take place before the races in the way I envisioned it.

My problem was that I lived in Oregon and therefore had to organize everything from afar. I basically had a couple of weeks when I got down there to put the things in order needed to make it happen. I had a few people help me, which was greatly appreciated. There was no way I could organize the Hall of Fame picnic that I wanted to have before the races. I think a Hall of Fame picnic would be good because people who really aren't up to going out to a race might still be up to going to a picnic and doing some bench racing. They have the perfect picnic area in front of the Antioch Fairgrounds, so I knew what I wanted to do. This is the same thing I wanted to do when I originally pitched the Hall of Fame idea to John in 2000.

I don't think it would take Chris too much time to plan this out. Basically, he needs to find out if the area is available for rental and for how much. There are a few people in the area who would be eager to jump in and help. Whether that would be helping set up the event that day, cooking, handling the invitations, sponsoring something or whatnot, there's no doubt that the Antioch racing community would jump in and put this together. I don't know if a Hall of Fame picnic will happen in 2021, but I think it could come together in 2022 and beyond.

To me, this is what's important. I started the Hall of Fame for a few reasons. First of all, we need to honor the greats who have made the track special through the years. That's pretty obvious. Secondly, it helps promote the race track by adding another special event to the calendar. Thirdly, it shows the community overall that the race track has its place. Some people don't realize there's been weekly racing going on there for 60 years, and the fact that it's been around for so long should be remembered. We're looking at things to help keep the track going strong for years to come. In any case, I'm excited that the third installment of the Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame will happen this year.

I think California IMCA Speedweek was a success. There were a couple of speed bumps along the way, but I think it went well overall. I know Doug Lockwood is going to be looking over the numbers and figuring out how it went. Were there enough races, too many or what? Were the right tracks included? How did the support hold up. Honestly, there were still close to 30 cars in both the Modifieds and Sport Modifieds at the last race. I don't know how much better it could be than that under the circumstances. Personally, I thought it did well enough this year, and the important thing for me is to see it continue. 

I think Doug left the weekend feeling a little bit beat up and burnt out. Nine days on the road with eight races at eight different tracks will do that to you. There were some things that went wrong, and Doug heard about it. I'm sure he took it to heart, but we shouldn't lose site of the fact that this was one hell of a series. Doug puts in uncounted hours putting this thing together, and that's before the first night even takes place. I want to take this time to show my appreciation for Doug Lockwood in taking this Speedweek idea and making it really pop. Great sponsors like Travis Hoppes and Fred Ryland have come on board to do good for the series as well.

I may have other things to say, but I think at this point I will just forward the idea of doing other types of series with these classes. It's interesting that Tom Sagmiller was trying to propose a big Hobby Stock series a few years ago. He had sponsorship lined up and wanted to pay these guys $1,000 to win every race. It would have been a good deal, but I don't think he got beyond a dozen people signed up by his deadline. I think he wanted at least 20 drivers, and I'm baffled as to why that didn't happen. Tom wasn't putting a week long series together, but rather something that would take place throughout the year at various tracks.

There's so much potential with this that it's ridiculous. Antioch Speedway has a thriving Hobby Stock division. Merced is doing well. Bakersfield is doing well. Watsonville is still hanging in there. Marysville has a big car count. We can't overlook the Hobby Stocks at Chico and Orland. You could put together a series of six or eight races and come out looking pretty damn good. I don't know if Tom will ever put that idea out there again or if another Hobby Stock driver will grab a hold of it. However, I think it could work, and multiple tracks would be able to benefit from it.

It's almost the model that Brian Cooper put together with his Sport Modified series a few years ago. IMCA head honcho Brett Root didn't like that too much and exerted his authority to shut it down. I have a few choice thoughts about what Brett did, but it is what it is. I am a bit surprised that he was quick to extinguish a really good Sport Modified thing in California, and yet he allows a certain Sport Modified thing out of Oregon slide. 

The promoters in Oregon brought an IMCA sanctioning because they believed that would help their tracks. Honestly, it has. They don't need other things necessarily, not that it's a bad thing. It could become a problem if that particular group gets it in their heads to do a boycott at some point based on the fact that they're united in this other group. You might say it couldn't happen, but it's happened in the past with other groups.

However, if the promoters were to do something with the Sport Modifieds, they could do it. I'm wondering if the North State group of tracks could do something again. It could be similar to what the Modifieds were doing in the 1990s. John Padjen promoted Silver Dollar Speedway and Placerville Speedway. He made a series that had those two tracks along with Grass Valley, Susanville and Marysville. They even did a special race for the group during the Gold Cup in September, and you had to be in the points to be able to compete. The thing worked pretty well while it was around. Since some of these tracks no longer have Modifieds, the Sport Modifieds would be the pick.

Again, you're not doing this as a week long series but rather a series of races throughout the season. It gives tracks an opportunity to benefit and prepare for the race. The challenge with a Speedweek thing is the tracks that run during the week aren't going to do as well in fan attendance. The die-hards might find a way to make it, but your average fans are busy with work. When it comes to racing, they think about being at the track on the weekends, not the weekdays. A series like the North State Modified Series would seem ideal.

Similarly, the Bay Area tracks could do something or any group of tracks for that matter. You could do it with Sport Modifieds or Modifieds or even both on whatever weekends are chosen. You put something like that together with a race at Antioch, Watsonville, Merced or what have you, and I would bet you're going to get support for it. In this case, you wouldn't necessarily have to have somebody running around overseeing the whole thing. Each track would run the program according to IMCA format, they'd put the data out where it needed to be and people would know who was doing what in the points. Every track pitches in so much money for the series point fund and there you have it.

Another idea that could be used is the Tri Track Series. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Watsonville, Antioch and Merced used to run on the holiday weekends. Friday, Saturday and Sunday would be the race dates, and it would be a weekend series unto itself with a champion. Could something like that be revived again? Would it be Watsonville, Antioch and Merced partaking? Alternatively, what if, instead of the Big Kahuna George Steitz Freedom Series at Antioch Speedway, this was expanded to three Tri Track weekends on Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends? A nine race series, but only on those weekends. This one sounds like it could be a winner, although I'm only speculating.

I didn't talk a lot about what happened last weekend. Obviously, The Viewpoint column was already written. I don't feel the burning need to get into too much here. The Winged Sprint Cars had a solid weekend between Silver Dollar Speedway and Placerville Speedway. I thought the Crate Sprint class did well in support of Speedweek at Chico. What I have said about them still goes. If these guys could deliver 14-16 cars on a consistent basis, they would surly help take up the slack at Marysville should the promoter need to give his Winged 360s a night off to work with Placerville. Speaking of Sprint Cars, I thought the Interstate Sprint Car Series did pretty well between Cottage Grove and Coos Bay at about 18 or so cars. Not bad, considering they didn't have a season last year.

The Limited Sprints are a thriving thing in Oregon. Frankly, I'm a little disappointed that Drake Nelson chose to bail on the Winged Sprint Car effort he had there as I think it had potential. Car owner Chuck Prather obviously wants to retire and step away from the game, so I know that affected the decision. You've still got Cottage Grove and Southern Oregon Speedway, and there's good news from the Medford track. Dave Hibbard of Dave's Home Supply will again come in and sponsor some of the purse money. I don't know how far down it goes. Dave was paying extra money to multiple positions before, but I do know he's paying to make sure they continue to offer $1,250 to the winner.

I don't necessarily think that the Limited Sprints need to completely replace the Winged 360 Sprint Cars in Oregon. I think the two divisions need to coexist, and I also believe that the Limited Sprints should feed new drivers into the Winged 360 Sprints. The thing about it is, there are already some Limited Sprint drivers moving up. Cottage Grove is trying as hard as they can to keep their Winged 360 Sprint Car class alive, though they frequently have to fill out positions in those shows with Limited Sprints. I think that over time the Limited Sprints could feed enough drivers into the 360s to see a little bit of a revival in the 360 Sprint effort in Oregon, while still offering a solid Limited Sprint thing.

I think Dave looks at it as an either or type of thing, but I don't. I think you can have both classes. Regardless, I think it's great that he and the management at Southern Oregon Speedway could come to an agreement. That didn't sound like it would happen a couple of weeks ago, so I'm glad people are leaving the past in the past. This move should help keep the Limited Sprints on the roster in Medford and help it grow as well, and that's very good news for the track. 

In a broader sense with regards to the State of Oregon, it would be nice if another track would take a shot at Limited Sprints to help build the base. If Coos Bay isn't going to do anything other than offer Interstate Sprint Car dates, then perhaps Willamette Speedway or Sunset Speedway will look at it. It's not like Sunset Speedway hasn't done that in the past.

It's nice when you get information to get a bigger picture on something. I originally wrote something about Coos Bay Speedway and the Wednesday Night Throwdown race they have coming up next week, May 19th. I stand by my assertion that they need to do that stuff on a Friday night if they want to do two dirt track races during the week. Cottage Grove does that sort of thing, and I think all Promoter Drake Nelson would need to do is check the schedule at The Grove. Don't book on top of anything they are doing if you were to book on Friday nights and you'll be fine.

Wednesday night racing at Coos Bay is a hard sell for anybody who has to tow from too far out of the area. I think there are some traffic issues, but it's also about work schedule. People still need to go to work on Thursday, so you're not going to get the visitors you would hope for on a Wednesday night, especially when you book divisions that require visitors to get any sort of car count. I did notice that Drake added the Junior Stingers to the lineup in a non-point show that will give the kids an opportunity to get more seat time.

I've been talking about the fact that Coos Bay is booking four Sport Modified and Modified races throughout the season. IMCA as a sanctioning body will acknowledge a track championship if you have four races during their points season window. This is regardless of what the track acknowledgee, though I'm sure Drake might be considering a point series as he did last year. IMCA will send out point fund money and a champion's award when they acknowledge a track championship at whatever venue has the minimum required races.

I was wondering why Drake didn't go to the sanctioning body. He has NASCAR for his regular shows, but as far as I know, neither sanctioning body has an issue with having both at the same track as long as you handle things by their rule book in their particular classes. Nelson made a post explaining to the IMCA Sport Modified crowd that he had petitioned for inclusion in IMCA, but they denied him this time. Apparently, they didn't want to give the drivers too many races, which I find to be the most absurd idea I've heard yet.

What are four races during the course of the season going to hurt the drivers? If you talk to a lot of the drivers in the Modified and Sport Modified classes, they won't even entertain going to a track if it doesn't have sanctioning, and I think Drake understands that. He's not trying to book on top of any other track or hurt their programs. He is simply trying to give the racers with IMCA memberships another option for racing that will go by the IMCA rule book and award proper points. I think he also understands, finally, that if he could get these divisions on his roster at times, it will only enhance his program.

I don't understand the thinking of IMCA, and I probably never will. You can't say four more races in Oregon is too much for the drivers here, while California will have two-race weekends often during the course of the year, and it's not hurting racing there at all. I think it would only help Oregon to give these drivers a second night option, should they want to pursue it. Not only will it get drivers from out of town, it would also help get more local drivers to build cars that are IMCA legal. There are a few of them now, but it would only get better in the long run.

I was happy to see Madera Speedway have a good Modified race. The North State Modifieds came and put on a good show, and a few of the 602 Crate Modifieds came to take a run at the extra money being offered to them. Mission Foods is the title sponsor for the Madera Crate 602 Modified effort, and I'm hoping that Kenny Shepherd can grow that into something. It wasn't too long ago when Madera had a strong Modified class, and they can get it again. I like that Kenny is looking at other divisions and knowing he needs more than just a strong Late Model effort. 

He had nine West Coast Sport Compacts show up at the most recent race. Well, I think at least seven of them were part of the WCSC group, while two of them may have been locals. Dan Myrick has an interest in trying to work with Madera. For starters, Kenny is using his rules package to try to grow his own class. Secondly, Dan is a fan of the track and watched his father race there for years. In fact, he was a little bit emotional after picking up the win in the most recent race. It definitely meant something to him. I am hoping the WCSC has a good turnout on Saturday at Antioch. The numbers weren't great last time, and I'm wondering if some of the guys just don't want to tow that far.

When Antioch booked last Saturday's show, I was worried about it. The IMCA Stock Cars aren't quite there, so the five car turnout they had wasn't surprising. However, they delivered a show with 29 Dwarf Cars and 20 Wingless Spec Sprints. Both divisions have been doing well so far. What was interesting was Promoter Chad Chadwick had this idea of doing a Mother's Day Mini Van race, and I remember him making a big deal of that with the interview he gave to Wylie Wade last year. I kind of chuckled, because the idea seemed silly to me. Then again, promoters have to come up with novelty ideas like this that can engage the crowd.

After watching the video footage provided by Michael Briggs last Saturday night, I have to say that the five Mini Vans that showed up were a smashing success. The crowd was engaged throughout the race, very vocal and in favor of it. Chad had them throw a yellow flag to bunch these novice lady racers together, and the ladies were playing it up to the crowd. The night worked out overall for the track, and the Mini Van race was a nice touch. I know we haven't seen the last of this race on the schedule. I would caution the track not to go overboard on doing too many of them, but an annual visit or two for this class would be just fine. I bet there will be more vehicles next time.

I was just going over the statistics from Santa Maria Raceway last Saturday before the internet outage, and I must say they did okay for themselves. The numbers looked dismal for their opener, but I think they had close to 50 cars for this four division program. Toste Paving and Grading put in extra money for the purse and that resulted in a few more cars than they might have gotten. Actually, some of the drivers who came to compete had competed with the IMCA Speedweek Series earlier that week. The fans ended up getting a full slate of racing from what I could see.

I'm just a little bit concerned with management and their vision of Santa Maria Raceway becoming 805 Stadium. They are keen on doing concerts and other things at this venue, but it is a race track first. The problem is you are trying to make nice with your neighbors. People are already grumpy about a track being in their neighborhood, and moreso as new houses are built. Concerts can be noisier, and I just wonder why anybody would want to tempt fate. They've had public meetings discussing whether the track should be allowed to continue, and I wonder if that wouldn't be as bad if they weren't trying to do concerts.

As a community, we racing people have to understand that we're not the only people in the neighborhood. We have to make nice with the neighbors whenever possible, and we have to be careful not to push things too far. Having an agreement for racing at Altamont and then turning around and doing drifting when that wasn't supposed to be allowed helped shut the gates there. I'm just saying that racing ought to be the main thing focused on at Santa Maria. Besides, you have other places to have concerts, so doing this at the race track is just playing with fire. You're giving people who want to shut you down more ammunition to do so, and they're lucky they didn't get shut down when everybody started raising hell in the last year. In any case, at least they had a good show for the racing fans last week.

Finally, I see Orland Raceway had around 50 cars or so last Saturday night. It really bothers me that they don't feel the need to put results out there for us to see. Christina Meeds is out there slinging the camera and providing us what information we get. Through her photos, we at least see how many cars they get, plus she shows us pictures of the winners. That's better than nothing. I wouldn't have known that Keith Ross won the Hobby Stocks, Dan Webster won the Mini Trucks, Tom Davis won the Mini Stocks and Joe Shenefield won the Hardtops last week without her pictures to tell me that much. It did look like they did okay with the crowd, all things considered.

From what I could see, they had five California Hardtops. I thought they might do a little bit better, but that's better than nothing. I don't think the people in Orland were complaining that there were only five Hardtops instead of 10, and I know the people who came out there had fun. This included Ken Clifford, Jason Armstrong, Shenefield, Ron Ruiz and somebody driving the Dennis Armstrong car. Anytime these cars take to the track, no matter what the car count, I still think it's a cool thing to behold. Clifford did provide some in car camera footage for us to enjoy, which continues to be the only sort of information we get from the California Hardtop Association.

What I find interesting is that Antioch Speedway had to move the race they had booked for the Hardtops on May 22nd. All of the divisions have been moved to June 12th, due to the fact that Antioch will be offering a Flat Track Bike show on May 22nd. It just so happens that June 12th also had the Hardtops booked at Orland Raceway. I don't think that Chadwick was aware of this, but I also don't think he made the effort to look. Unlike some of the other divisions that Antioch offers, it's not like there's an infinite supply of Hardtops. There are only so many active cars in California right now, and the base will be divided.

I don't anticipate the CHA canceling at Orland, nor should they. I think the reason they booked June 12th is because it tends to get hot in Orland. The thinking was that the weather would still be acceptable for that date as they tend to cancel when the heat gets up around 102° or more. There will probably be a half-dozen or so cars as there were a few people who didn't show up last Saturday night who might this time. Antioch will likewise have a half-dozen to eight Hardtops, but they also allow the Vintage Valley Sportsman group from Merced to come race. They could still have a double-digit turnout.

There are still technically two Northern California based Hardtop groups. The California Hardtop Association may be the oldest of the two, but the drivers that call Antioch Speedway home are basically the Bay Area Hardtops. You don't hear much about it, because neither group posts much about what they're doing on their Facebook pages or makes that big of a deal out of it. For that matter, you're not hearing much from the Kern County Hardtop group down at Bakersfield either. I'm giving some thought to opening up a Facebook page to help the Hardtop cause a little bit, but I haven't sat down and really thought about how I want to approach it yet.

In any case, I think I've pretty much covered everything I had in my mind for now. The plan is to have a Saturday early afternoon post covering the Friday night activity, so if you're reading this, that mission was accomplished. Though I feel pretty good about the media effort, I'm still doing this week to week. It is a lot of work, and like I said, I'm not getting much financial support for that effort just yet. I do feel pretty good about the work put forth, so that has motivated me a little bit. And now, I'm motivated to end this column. Until next time...