Silver Dollar Speedway, Redwood Acres Raceway, Keller Auto Speedway, Deming Speedway, Plaza Park Raceway, More

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Copeland, Schank Kick Off Gold Cup With Wins

Chico, CA...September 8... Colby Copeland won the 30 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Wednesday night at Silver Dollar Speedway. This was the first night of Gold Cup week and also a qualifying event for the Platinum Cup. Copeland picked up $2,500 for his winning efforts. 

Because this is a bigger event than normal, they started 24 cars in the Preliminary Feature race. Washington's Brock Lemley charged into the early lead ahead of Joel Myers Jr and Shane Hopkins. A yellow flag waved for Dom Scelzi on Lap 4. The first restart attempt saw Chase Majdic flip in Turn 4 for a red flag. Lemley continued to lead Myers and Copeland on the restart, and Copeland slipped past Myers for second on Lap 6. The red flag waved on Lap 7 as Brian McGahan flipped in Turn 4. Lemley continued to lead Copeland and Landon Brooks on the restart. Copeland raced past Lemley for the lead on Lap 14, and a yellow flag waved a lap later for Drake Standley in Turn 4.  Copeland continued to lead on the restart ahead of Lemley and Myers. Unfortunately, Lemley fell back several positions on a Lap 17 as Myers briefly gained second. Lemley brought out a yellow flag on Lap 21. Copeland led the restart with Kyle Hirst settling into second ahead of Myers. Copeland would go on the win ahead of Hirst. Myers held off the efforts of Sean Becker to finish third. Shane Hopkins ended up fifth, followed by Jesse Schlotfeldt, Max Mittry, Justyn Cox, Dustin Freitas and Nick Larsen.

They had 32 Winged 360 Sprint Cars for the occasion. They qualified the drivers in their respective heat race groups. Madjic set the fast time of 12.528, beating the 12.698 of Hirst and the 12.791 of Copeland. All three drivers were part of the fourth group. The 10 lap heat race wins went to Lemley, Hopkins, Cox and Copeland. Schlotfeldt won the 15 lap B Main. He started on the pole and led every lap in victory. Ashlyn Rodriguez was an early second ahead of Larsen, but Larsen got by Rodriguez for second on Lap 8. Rodriquez surrendered third to Standley on Lap 12, but she would earn the fourth and final transfer spot.

Nathan Schank won the 20 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event. The division was added in replacement of the IMCA Sport Modifieds a week earlier and given a $1,000 prize for the winner. This was the first win for Schank in this division. The race had to be started after a crash involving Daniel Whitley and James Taylor that saw Whitley flip. Brent Steck had the pole and raced into the early lead ahead of Sheldon Moniz and Heath Holdsclaw. A yellow flag waved on Lap 2 for Holdsclaw and Brandon Moniz in Turn 2. Shawn Jones assumed command on the restart ahead of Steck and Ron LaPlant, but LaPlant and Schank both got by Steck on Lap 6. Schank put the moves on LaPlant for second on Lap 12, and a yellow flag waved on Lap 15 as Jones saw his impressive run come to an end. Schank took the lead on the restart ahead of LaPlant and Steck, and they would run that way to the checkered flag. Taylor ended up fourth, followed by Tony Bernard, Jeff Scotto, Kaimi Moniz-Costa, Sheldon Moniz, Jones and Cort Marchuk. They ran a pair of eight lap heat races with the wins going to Jones and Whitley.

Keep track of what's happening at the speedway by going to www.silverdollarspeedway.com.

Forsberg, Whitley Win Second Night Of Gold Cup

Chico, CA...September 9...Andy Forsberg won the 30 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Thursday night at Silver Dollar Speedway. This was the second night of Gold Cup week, and the final opportunity for the drivers to earn their points and pre-qualify for Saturday's Main Event. The win for the current Placerville Speedway champion paid him $2,500 and came aboard his own Sprint Car. 

Forsberg led from the outset ahead of Ryan Robinson and Corey Day. Day took second from Robinson on Lap 3, and a yellow flag waved after five laps for William Fielding in Turn 4. The first restart attempt was botched by a Jayson Bright in Turn 2. Bright retired from the race at that point. Forsberg continued to lead on the restart as Dom Scelzi took second from Day. A yellow flag waved on Lap 9. Forsberg maintained command on the restart with Day taking second from Scelzi. Scelzi regained second briefly on Lap 11, only to watch Day go motoring by to regain the position. This was the order all the way to the last lap. As Forsberg brought it home to victory ahead of the persistent Day, both Jodie Robinson and Kaleb Montgomery dropped Scelzi back to a fifth place finish. Michael Ing ended up sixth, followed by Grant Champlin, Ryan Robinson, Joey Ancona and Isaiah Vasquez.

There were 39 Winged 360 Sprint Cars for this occasion, and the drivers once again qualified in their heat race groups. From the third group, Ryan Robinson set the fast time of 12 364, beating the 12.428 of Forsberg from the fourth group and the 12.611 of Day from the second group. The 10 lap heat race wins went to Montgomery, Brad Bumgarner, Vasquez and Scelzi. Bright won the 15 lap B Main. He started on the pole and led all the way in victory. RC Smith ran second for two laps before John Clark went by. Clark finished second ahead of Smith. Mark Tabor Jr had fourth from the start, but Chelsea Blevins briefly got the position on Lap 8 before surrendering it back to Tabor on Lap 9. Blevins missed the transfer in fifth.

Daniel Whitley scored the win in the 15 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event. Whitley was piloting the Dave Johnson owned car, and he rebounded from his misfortune a night earlier for the $1,000 victory.

Whitley started on the pole and moved into the early lead over Wednesday night winner Nathan Schank and Ron LaPlant. Unfortunately, Schank brought out a yellow flag on Lap 2 as his race came to an end. Orland racer Nathan Johnson got past LaPlant for second on Lap 3, and LaPlant retired moments later. This enabled Brent Steck to move into third, and a yellow flag waved on Lap 7 for Jeff Scotto. The first restart attempt saw a tangle between Steck and Tony Bernard for the final yellow flag of the race. As Whitley led Johnson on the restart, Sheldon Moniz settled into third ahead of Braidon Moniz. Braidon Moniz took third from Sheldon Moniz on Lap 12. Whitley built about a half-lap advantage over Johnson in victory. Sheldon Moniz got past Braidon Moniz on the last lap to finish third. James Taylor ended up fifth, followed by Cort Marchuk, Scotto, Ryan Owens, Steck and Bernard. The eight lap heat race wins went to LaPlant and Whitley.

To keep up to date on the latest happenings at the track, go to www.silverdollarspeedway.com.

Powers, White, Murrell, David Win Friday Night Races 

At Redwood Acres Raceway

Eureka, CA...September 10...Loren Powers Jr won the 40 lap Bombers Main Event Friday night at Redwood Acres Raceway. This was a tune-up race for the following evening's Upstate Bomber race, and Powers collected $750 for his second win. This was the opening night of the special Legends Of The Redwoods Shootout weekend.

Roy Ingalls Jr set the early pace ahead of Jordan Krupa, but Powers moved into second behind Jordan Krupa on a Lap 2 restart. On the fourth lap, Powers put the moves on Jordan Krupa to take the lead. Donnie Brown took second from Jordan Krupa on the sixth lap. Powers started to pull away, leaving a close three-car battle for second. Shelby Helm took fourth from Raquel Krupa on Lap 14. Helm took third from Jordan Krupa on lap 19, and Krupa saw his race end for a Lap 21 yellow flag. Powers led Helm and Raymond Taylor on the restart. Raquel Krupa took third on Lap 27. Powers began to pull away from Helm and held a half-straightaway advantage by the time the race ended. Raquel Krupa settled for third, followed by Brown, Taylor, Ingalls, Ed Rasmussen, Jimmy Sorrels, Tony Ramazzotti and Jordan Krupa. Powers set the fast time of 18.045, beating the 18.497 of Raquel Krupa. Rasmussen won the 10 lap heat race.

Brandon White won the 35 lap Legend Car Main Event. This was the sixth win of the season for White, who collected $750 for his impressive effort. Brett Murrell set the early pace ahead of Tyler Krupa and Cameron Austin. Austin and White both got past Krupa for second and third on Lap 2. The Top 5 competitors ran nose to tail in the early laps with White taking second from Austin on Lap 9. White moved by Murrell for the lead on Lap 10. Both Cody Winchell and Murrell got past Austin on Lap 11. Point leader Chris Lawrence gained gained third on Lap 19. White went on to score the victory ahead of Winchell, Lawrence, Austin, Tyler Peach, Murrell, Tyler Avelar, Blake Borchers, Andy Thorton and Rick Estes. White set the fast time of 14 competitors at 17.768, beating the 17.831 of Winchel. Peach and White won the 10 lap heat races.

Brian Murrell Jr won the 25 lap Mini Stock Main Event. This was the third win of the season for Murrell. Colton Kinsey jumped into the early lead ahead of point leader Eric O'Ferrall and Jerry Peterson. Gannon Cyphers moved into third on Lap 2 and took second from O'Ferrall on the seventh lap. Unfortunately, Cyphers brought out a yellow flag on Lap 8. Murrell made a big move into the lead on the restart with Peterson following him into second as Jarrett Mayo ran third. Mayo took second from Peterson on Lap 11, and Cyphers charged back into third on the Lap 12. Murrell and Mayo had pulled away from the pack with Cyphers a straightaway back in third when the final yellow flag waved on Lap 19. Murrell led Mayo and Cyphers on the restart. They ran that way the rest of the distance with Peterson ending up fourth, followed by O'Ferrall, Kinsey, Alison McCarty and Shannon Palmer. Cyphers won the 10 lap heat race. Murrell set the fast time of 19.467, beating the 19.668 of Mayo.

Ryan David won the 25 lap Roadrunner Main Event. This was the first win of the season for David, and he led all the way. David led when the green flag waved, followed by 10 lap heat race winner Nick Ford and Shawn Wildman. Jeremiah Martin took third from Wildman on Lap 2 and got past Ford for second on Lap 7. This race ran rapidly as no yellow flags waved. David and Martin began to pull away from the pack. Though Martin kept it close all the way to the end, David would prevail at the checkered flag. Ford was the final lead lap finisher in third, followed by Tanisha Ratzlaff, point leader Bob Ratzlaff, Wildman, Elizabeth Ingalls and Dylan Cook. David was the fastest qualifier at 19.923, beating the 20.128 of Dylan Ford.

The same four divisions were going to be back in action the following evening, and more racing is scheduled this season. To keep up to date with scheduling and other information, go to www.racintheacres.com.

Gunderson, Peterson, Hillier, Constance Grab The Glory 

At Deming Speedway

Everson, Washington...September 10...Jared Gunderson won the 25 lap Shots 2 Go Espresso 1200 Mini Sprint Mini Event Friday night at Deming Speedway. Gunderson and Seth Hespe shared the front row and bolted into the 1-2 positions when the green flag waved. Tyson Lemley ran third for a lap before he flipped. Alex Lewis moved into third behind Gunderson and Hespe on the restart. Point leader Derek Holmwood settled into fourth. Holmwood slipped past Lewis for third on Lap 5. As Gunderson started to pull away, Hespe was being challenged by Holmwood. Gunderson took the checkered flag about a half-straightaway ahead of Hespe, followed closely by Holmwood, Alex Lewis, Dakota Drake, Terry Lewis, Clennon Holloway, Haley Bloodgood, Bill McKeekin and Austin Edson. Gundersen set the fast time on the 1/6th mile clay oval with a lap of 10.586, beating the 10.612 of Hespe and the 10.634 of Terry Lewis. The eight lap heat race wins went to Lemley and Alex Lewis.

Jared Peterson won the 25 lap Speed Mart Super 600 Main Event. Peterson took the lead from the start ahead of Kaden Holm and Colin Mackey. That was the order until Lap 7, when Holm brought out a yellow flag. Peterson continued to lead the restart as Mackey moved into second ahead of point leader Dylan Resch. Unfortunately, Mackey had problems for a yellow flag on Lap 12 as his race came to an end. Peterson led Resch and Tanner Holm on the restart. Peterson would lead the rest of the way as Resch held off Tanner Holm to finish second. Riley Mayer finished fourth, followed by Jayden Whitney, Dakota Drake, Parker Hadlock, Jeremy Holz, Kaden Holm and Tyler Conley. Tanner Holm was the quickest 20 competitors in time trials at 10.705, beating the 10.720 of Mackey and the 10.727 of Kaden Holm. The eight lap heat race wins went to Peterson, Mayer and Drake.

Point leader Levi Hillier won the 25 lap mytrafficman.net Restricted Micro Sprint Main Event. Hillier had the pole and jumped into the lead immediately, followed by Kane Van Sickle and Destry Miller. A yellow flag waved on Lap 3 with Grace Matier out of the race. Hillier continued to lead Van Sickle on the restart, and Levi Kuntz took third from Miller on Lap 4. Miller had problems on Lap 5 for a yellow flag. Hillier led Van Sickle and Kuntz on the restart. Axel Oudman was running in fourth at that point, and he took third from Kuntz on Lap 14. Moments later, a yellow flag waved. Hillier led Van Sickle and Oudman on the restart. Outman put the moves on Van Sickle for second on Lap 20 with Kuntz following into third. There was a yellow flag on Lap 22 for a tangle involving Fairah Lee and Peyton Drake. This didn't stop Hillier as he maintained the lead on the restart and brought it home to victory ahead of Oudman, Kuntz, Van Sickle, Corbin Ramsey, Mallory Fisher, Ryan Bright, Rylee Kentch, Dale Orcutt and Diane Knutzen. Hillier was the fastest in qualifying with a lap of 11.164, beating the 11.393 of both Miller and Koontz. The eight lap heat race wins went to Fisher, Van Sickle and Kentch.

Point leader Brooklyn Constance took a step closer to the Clean Crawls Junior Sprint championship with her latest win in the 20 lap Main Event. McKenna Morgan led the first four laps before Constance went motoring by. Previous winner Clayton Jalakas was an early third with Avery Askvig running fourth. Asking slipped past Jalakas for third on Lap 10, and Jalakas brought out a yellow flag on Lap 13. Constance remained in command on the restart ahead of Morgan and Askvig. Constance would build a half-straightaway advantage over Morgan at the checkered flag, followed by Askvig, Jayce Medcalf, Dustin Ramsey, Sawyer Baxter, Chase Whitney, Jentry Woods, Maddie Hoppe and Cole Campbell. Constance set the fast time standard of 13.145, beating the 13.296 of Whitney. Constance and Jalakas were the eight lap heat race winners.

Next Friday night will be Championship Night, featuring the Shots 2 Go Espresso 1200 Mini Sprints, Speed Mart Super 600s, mytrafficman.net Restricted Micros and Clean Crawls Jr Sprints. For further information, go to www.demingspeedway.com.

Johnson Chases $2,000 Prize In Wingless Sprint Car Race 

At Keller Auto Speedway

Hanford, CA...September 10...Chase Johnson won the 20 lap King of Thunder Wingless 360 Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Keller Auto Speedway. The night was a salute to the First Responders, and there was nice prize money for the Wingless Sprints, which included a $2,000 payday for Johnson. 

Trent Carter set the early pace ahead of Jacob Tuttle and Matt Day. Brody Fuson briefly grabbed third on Lap 2, but he surrendered the position to Johnson a lap later. A red flag waved on Lap 14 as Day flipped to end his race. Carter continued to lead the restart ahead of Johnson and Tristan Guardino. Johnson started threatening Carter for the lead before making what proved to be his winning pass on Lap 17. Johnson went on from there to victory with Carter settling for a $1,000 second, followed by an $800 third place finish for Guardino, Fuson, Travis Buckley, Tuttle and Day. Jake Hodges was a Main Event scratch. Johnson set the fast time of 16.170, beating the 16.583 Fuson. They ran two heat races with Johnson and Fuson getting the wins.

Trevor Fitzgibbon won the 15 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. The track decided to give the division an opportunity to race, though it couldn't be for points due to the IMCA Nationals event in Boone, Iowa. Unfortunately, only four drivers showed up. 

Ventura point leader Fitzgibbon jumped into the lead at the start ahead of Justin Gonzalez and Steve Noland. Noland took second from Gonzalez on Lap 4 before a yellow flag waved for Gonzalez. Fitzgibbon led Noland and Raymond Keldsen Jr on the restart, but Gonzalez regained the third on Lap 7. Fitzgibbon built a straightaway advantage over Noland in victory with Gonzalez and Keldsen completing the finishing order. Gonzalez set the fast time of 20.773. The six lap heat race wins went to Fitzgibbon and Gonzalez.

Jarrod Mounce won the 15 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. The special event drew just a five-car field. 2019 Watsonville champion Mounce took the lead from the start ahead of Jim Reed and Orion Messina. By the fifth lap, Mounce held a straightaway advantage over Reed, and it was 2/3 of a lap when the yellow flag waved for Messina on Lap 10. Mounce resumed command on the restart and built nearly a half-lap lead over Reed in victory. Cody Hample and Messina completed the finishing order as past State champion Austin Manzella was a Main Event scratch. Messina set the fast time of 21.336, beating the 21.381 of Mounce. They ran two0 heats with wins going to Mounce in both six lap races.

Ryan Doglione won the 20 lap West Coast Sport Compact Main Event. Doglione and Gene Glover raced into first and second at the start with Joe Robinson in the thick of the battle. Robinson and David Wilford Jr found themselves in second and third when Glover brought out a Lap 4 yellow flag to end his race. Doglione continued to lead the way over Robinson and Wolford on the restart. Doglione went on to score the impressive victory with Robinson a solid second ahead of David Wolford Jr, 12th starter Dan Myrick, Shawn DePriest, Jason Cook, Jeff Durant, David Wolford, Antioch point leader Eddie Humphrey III and Jason Cook Jr. Six lap heat race wins went to Glover and Doglione.

Racing resumes next Saturday night with the Tom Tarlton Classic for the World of Outlaw Winged 410 Sprint Cars. The IMCA Western RaceSaver Sprint Cars will run in support. For further information, go to www.racekingsspeedway.com.

Steele, Torgerson, Stoll, Mayhew, Ward Win 

At Plaza Park Raceway

Visalia, CA..September 10...Caeden Steele won the 30 lap Super 600 Main Event Friday night at Keller Auto Raceway at Plaza Park. This was the first win of the season for Steele in this class. 

Jade Avedisian raced into the early lead ahead of Lechlan Caunt and Steele. When Caunt's race ended in misfortune on Lap 13 as Steele was now second ahead of Colton Key. Steele was able to wrestle the lead away from Avedisian on Lap 23. Avidisian fell out three laps later, and Steele won ahead of KJ Snow, Key, Chris Martin, Dominic Carter, point leader Dominic Gorden, JJ Loss, Mariah Ede, Devon Courtnier and Izaak Sharp. Gage Garcia was the quickest 18 qualifiers with a lap of 10.858, beating the 10.867 of Key and the 10.870 of Steele. Avedisian, Caunt and Steele won the eight lap heat races.

Austin Torgerson won the 30 lap Wingless 600 Micro Sprint Main Event. This was the third win of the season for Torgerson. Torgerson had the pole and jumped into the lead at the start ahead of point leader Dominic Gorden and Brandt Twitty. Brian Gilbert settled into fourth early on. When Twitty had problems late, Gilbert grabbed the third position. Torgerson went on to win ahead of Gorden, Gilbert, Dawson Faria, Broedy Graham, JJ Loss, Brad Hohlbauch, Twitty, Zach McLoughry and Brian Boertje. Jade Avedisian had the fast time of 11.429, beating the 11.504 of Gilbert. Twitty and Austin Stone won the eight lap heat races. 

Taylor Mayhew won the 20 lap Restricted Micro Sprint Main Event. This was the second win of the season for Mayhew. Mayhew jumped into the lead at the start ahead of point leader Jett Barnes and Nathan Ward. Cash Lovenburg settled into third on the fifth lap with Elijah Gile following into fourth. Gile moved past Lovenburg for third on Lap 22. Mayhew went on to win ahead of Barnes, Gile, Lovenburg, Colton Key, Ward, Hailey Boudakian, Tegan Moles and Madelyn Jones. Giles set the fast time of 11.751, beating the 11.762 of Barnes. Moles and Mayhew picked up the eight lap heat race wins.

Caden Stoll won the 20 lap Super Stock 600s Main Event. This was his second win of the season. Stoll jumped into the lead from the start ahead of Dalton Parreira and point leader Matrix Salmon. Parreira had problems to end his race on Lap 17. Stoll led Salmon and Elijah Gile on the restart and they finished in that order with Wyatt Bookout, Evan Dixon, Dominic Carter and Parreira completing the finishing order. Parreira set the fast time of 10.863, beating the 10.905 of Stoll. Parreira also won the eight lap heat race.

Nathan Ward won the 20 lap Jr Sprints Main Event. This was the seventh win of the season for the point leader. Ward led from the outset ahead of Blayden Graham and Braxon Vasconcellos. They finished in that order with Brycen Roush fourth, followed by Maya Mauldin, Kasey Leal, Quinton Hagopian, Jace Meyers and Blake Bookout. Ward set the fast time of 13.524, beating the 13.548 of Vasconcellos. Ward and Vasconcellos were the eight lap heat race winners.

Next on the schedule is the big money Mark Hagopian Memorial race on September 24th and 25th. The Super 600s, Wingless 600s, Restricted 600s, Super Stock 600s and Junior Sprints will all be competing. For further information, go to www.plazaparkraceway.com.

 

 

Redwood Acres Raceway Unofficial Race Results September 10
Legends Of The Redwoods Shootout Night 1
Bombers
Results are not official
1     #27 Louren Powers     
2     #96 Shelby Helm
3     #24 Raquel Krupa
4     #44 Donnie Brown
5     #4 Raymond Taylor
6     #62 Roy Ingalls
7     #50r Ed Rasmussen
8     #66 Jimmy Sorrells
9     #78 Tony Ramazzotti
10     #00 Jordan Krupa     

Legends
Results are not official
1     #19 Brandon White
2     #12c Cody Winchel
3     #49 Chris Lawrence
4     #7c Cameron Austin
5     #27 Tyler Peach
6     #11 Brett Murrell
7     #7 Tyler Avelar
8     #65 Blake Borchers
9     #3 Andy Thorton
10     #4 Rick Estes
11     #3J Justin Johnson
12     #43 Dave Allen
13     #1 Emily Vest
14     #21 Tyler Krupa

Mini Stocks
Results are not official
1     #13 Brian Murrell Jr     
2     #14 Jarrett Mayo
3     #3 Gannon Cyphers
4     #07 Jerry Peterson
5     #16 Eric O'Ferrall
6     #33 Colton Kinsey
7     #7 Allison McCarty
8     #18 Shannon Palmer

Road Runners
Results are not official
1     #51 Ryan David
2     #29 Jeremiah Martin
3     #31 Nick Ford
4     #16 Tanisha Ratzlaff
5     #61 Bob Ratzlaff
6     #17 Shawn Wildman     
7     #62 Elizabeth Ingalls
8     #31c Dylan Cook
        

Keller Auto Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 10
West Coast Sports Compacts
Ryan Doglione
Joe Robinson
David Wolford Jr
Dan Myrick
Shawn DePriest
Jason Cook
Jeff Durant
David Wolford
Eddie Humphrey III
Jason Cook Jr
Gene Glover
Josie Robinson
Edward Marvin
Skyler Chairez
Cory Mata
Helder Santos
Kenny Deen

IMCA Modified
Trevor Fitz
Steve Noland
Justin Gonzalez
Raymond Keldsen Jr

IMCA Sport Modifieds
Jarrod Mounce
Jim Reed
Codie Hample
Orion Messina
Austin Manzella

KOT Wingless Sprint Cars
Chase Johnson
Trent Carter
Tristan Guardino
Brody Fuson
Travis Buckley
Jacob Tuttle
Matt Day


Deming Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 10
Shots 2 Go Espresso 1200 Mini Sprints
Jared Gundersen
Seth Hespe
Derek Holmwood
Alex Lewis
Dakota Drake
Terry Lewis
Clennon Holloway
Haylee Bloodgood
Bill McMeekin
Austin Edson
Jacob Buckenmeyer
Tyson Lemley
Steven Hendrickson

Speed Mart Super 600s
Jared Peterson
Dylan Resch
Tanner Holm
Ryley Mayer
Jayden Whitney
Dakota Drake
Parker Hadlock
Jeremy Holz
Kaden Holm
Tyler Conley
Levi Kuntz
Jon Farrell
Keira Zylstra
Macie Logsdon
Travis Hart
Xan Miller
Reese Wickard
Colin Mackey
Tyler McLeod
Haley Constance

mytrafficman.net Restricted 600s
Levi Hillier
Axel Oudman
Levi Kuntz
Kane VanSickle
Corbin Ramsey
Mallory Fisher
Ryan Bright
Rylee Kentch
Dale Orcutt
Diane Knutzen
Samantha Fraser
Jeff Woolsey
Fairah Lee
Peyton Drake
Destry Miller
Karma Fagerlie
Grace Matier

Clean Crawls Jr Sprints
Brooklyn Constance
McKenna Morgan
Avery Askvig
Jayce Medcalf
Dustin Ramsey
Sawyer Baxter
Chase Whitney
Jentry Woods
Madi Hoppe
Cole Campbell
Oliver Baxter
Clayton Jalakas


Silver Dollar Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 9
Platinum Cup Night #2
Winged 360 Sprints
A Main
Andy Forsberg
Corey Day
Jodie Robinson
Kaleb Montgomery
Dominic Scelzi
Michael Ing
Grant Chaplin
Ryan Robinson
Joey Ancona
Isaiah Vasquez
John Clark
Angelo Cornet
Brock Lemley
Greg DeCaires V
Stephen Ingraham
Mark Tabor Jr
Dawson Hammes
Bret Barney
Drake Standley
R.C. Smith
William Fielding
Brad Bumgarner
Jayson Bright

B Main
Jayson Bright
John Clark
R.C. Smith
Mark Tabor Jr
Chelsea Blevins
Dennis Scherer
Devan Whitlock
Steel Powell
Ryan Lippincott
John Sullivan
Travis Coelho
Scott Hall

Wingless Spec Sprints
Daniel Whitley
Nathan Johnson
Sheldon Moniz
Braidon Moniz
James Taylor
Cort Marchuck  
Jeff Scotto
Ryan Owens
Brent Steck
Tony Bernard
Rory McLaughlin
Ron Laplant
Nathan Schank Jr


Silver Dollar Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 8
Platinum Cup Night #1
Winged 360 Sprints
A Main
Colby Copeland
Kyle Hirst
Joel Myers Jr
Sean Becker
Shane Hopkins
Jesse Schotfeldt
Max Mittry
Justyn Cox
Dustin Freitas
Nick Larsen
Brock Lemley
Ashlyn Rodriguez
Dylan Bloomfield
Tanner Carrick
Brad Bumgarner
Travis Coelho
Drake Standley
Andy Forsberg
Landon Brooks
Dominic Scelzi
Casey Schmitz
Brian McGahan Jr
Chase Majdic
Corey Day

B Main
Jesse Schotfeldt
Nick Larsen
Drake Standley
Ashlyn Rodriguez
Anissa Curtice
Jayce Steinberg
Carson Hall
Ryan Lippincott

Wingless Sprints
Nathan Schank
Ron Laplant
Brent Steck
James Taylor
Tony Bernard
Jeff Scotto
Kaimi Moniz-Costa
Sheldon Moniz
Shawn Jones
Cort Marchuck
Braidon Moniz
Ryan Owens
Heath Holdsclaw
Daniel Whitley


Plaza Park Raceway Unofficial Race Results September 10
600cc Non Winged Micros
Austin Torgerson
Dominic Gorden
Brian Gilbert
Dawson Faria
Broedy Graham
JJ Loss
Brad Hohlbauch
Brandt Twitty
Zach McLoughry
Ryan Boertje
Cody Key
Austin Stone
Jade Avedisian
Cole Schroeder

600cc Winged Micros
Caeden Steele
KJ Snow
Cody Key
Chris Martin
Dominic Carter
Dominic Gorden
JJ Loss
Mariah Ede
Devon Courtnier
Izaak Sharp
Jake Smith
Josh Castro
Jade Avedisian
Cole Schroeder
Lachlan Caunt
Mattix Salmon
Paul Javaux
Gauge Garcia

Junior Sprints
Nathan Ward
Blayden Graham
Braxon Vasconcellos
Brycen Roush
Maya Mauldin
Kasey Leal
Quentin Hagoppian
Jace Meyers
Blake Bookout

Restricted Winged Micros
Taylor Mayhew
Jett Barnes
Elijah Gile
Cash Lovenburg
Colton Key
Nathan Ward
Hailey Boudakian
Teagen Moles
Madelyn Gjerness
Lucas Mauldin DNS
Jayden Huppert DNS

Stock Super 600s
Caden Stoll
Mattix Salmon
Elijah Gile
Wyatt Bookout
Evan Dixon
Dominic Carter
Dalton Parreira

 

Potato potato

Silver Dollar Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 8
Platinum Cup Night #1
Winged 360 Sprints
A Main
Colby Copeland
Kyle Hirst
Joel Myers Jr
Sean Becker
Shane Hopkins
Jesse Schotfeldt
Max Mittry
Justyn Cox
Dustin Freitas
Nick Larsen
Brock Lemley
Ashlyn Rodriguez
Dylan Bloomfield
Tanner Carrick
Brad Bumgarner
Travis Coelho
Drake Standley
Andy Forsberg
Landon Brooks
Dominic Scelzi
Casey Schmitz
Brian McGahan Jr
Chase Majdic
Corey Day

B Main
Jesse Schotfeldt
Nick Larsen
Drake Standley
Ashlyn Rodriguez
Anissa Curtice
Jayce Steinberg
Carson Hall
Ryan Lippincott

Wingless Sprints
Nathan Schank
Ron Laplant
Brent Steck
James Taylor
Tony Bernard
Jeff Scotto
Kaimi Moniz-Costa
Sheldon Moniz
Shawn Jones
Cort Marchuck
Braidon Moniz
Ryan Owens
Heath Holdsclaw
Daniel Whitley 

Lovelock Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 10
Sprint Cars
Bob Cooney
Jordan Garretson
Josh Bolt
Chevy Brown
Jeff Macedo
Richard Zeiter
Justin Bolt
James Brown
Jeff Culver DNS

Bootleggers
Logan Sage
Matt Cardin
Jeff Elerick Jr
Danner Barrick
Jon Allen
Raymond Lopez
John Minor

Mini Stocks
Ainsleigh Evenson
Mallory Evenson
Jeff Elerick
Kent Knisley

The Editor's Viewpoint 

I woke up to posts on Friday morning that were talking about it raining. People are happy in certain areas of California right now. It's not often you hear racing people say something positive about rain when there's still more racing left to do in the season. This is how much we need to see some rain. People are hoping for a wet winter this year. I don't know what the experts are saying about that. I guess we'll see when the time comes, but at least it was raining a little bit on Friday morning. That's a start. 

Anything I say about what's going on in the world that has a direct effect on racing is going to annoy certain people. I listened to the president's speech yesterday, and I have strong opinions about it. In any case, the good news is I was hearing how Stephanie Deatherage is still fighting as of Friday morning. Her battle with covid-19 has been difficult, but I have a strong sense that she knows how much Ben loves her. He's with her every step of the way in this. Prayer works. Say a prayer for Stephanie and others who are fighting right now. Also, don't give in to the fear being sold to us everyday when hope and faith are two things that help make us who we are. There's always tomorrow, so don't give up.

I got the idea to compare satellite shots of a few of the race tracks. I've never done that with regards to Hills Ferry Raceway. I've been told it's a true quarter-mile oval, and it looks like it from above. However, I compared it to Dixon Speedway and the Sacramento Raceway oval. It's bigger than both of them. They call Dixon a 1/5 mile and somehow call Sacramento a small quarter-mile. The two tracks are about the same size. It was very interesting to compare these tracks and see Hills Ferry Raceway is bigger.

To most people, the track in Newman, California is an afterthought if you don't run Outlaw Karts or Motorcycles. These are the two divisions that are featured there these days, although the track has had a history with Micro Sprint racing at times in the past as well. I would bet there are racing enthusiasts who drive past it at some point, but they don't stop in for a closer look. "Oh, that's a race track." Maybe they're with somebody in the know who says, "Yeah they run Karts and Bikes out there." If you're a car enthusiast, as in bigger cars, you might shut your brain off at that point. It's not a place you're probably going to visit. 

I had another one of those conversations with Mike on Wednesday, which is part of the reason why I ran later than I should have with the previous post. I kind of tuned my brain out for a while after the conversation, although I will say I found the conversation very interesting. I just didn't feel like working on the blog post much that day. Mike has been following that track from afar for years and knew Lionel. Lionel is the guy who bought the place when it had the pavement road course for the Karts. He wanted an oval track, so he built one. He built a quarter-mile oval, but he intended to run Motorcycles, Karts and Micro Sprints. 

It was the late 1970s or early 1980s. Mike had gone out there to watch some races, and some of the stories he has told me were entertaining for sure. He was promoting the SCMM Micro Sprint group, and they had races at several different venues. He ended up having races at this one as well. The track peaked Mike's interest, because he was starting to think about the possibility that he could promote a race track at that point. I could go off in some interesting directions here. He looked at a couple of different places. He was told by somebody who supposedly knew that he didn't have what it took to be a promoter. 

With respect to Lionel, Mike talked about wanting to buy the place from him, but Lionel was only looking for partners. Some people will jump right into something like that, but others know the pitfalls. I think it was a 51% to 49% deal that Lionel would entertain with him being the guy who owned the majority, so nothing happened. 

I know at the time Mike was promoting his Micro Sprint group, but it's not like he abandoned playing around with bigger cars. If he got this place in the early 1980s, chances are you were going to see some sort of bigger car racing there. With Mike it comes down to looking at things and considering all of the options and the pros and cons. He's always looking at what can be done at whatever venue has his interest in.

I was aware of Hills Ferry Raceway. I think there was a time or two when I would look in Racing Wheels and see the results posted. You'd hear stories about there being over 100 Karts for a big race, and I've seen some old video footage from the 1980s or early 1990s. At some point, John Ford ended up with the venue, and there's a story behind that. John was clearly a Kart guy. In fact, I was told that he's the guy who cut the 1/6 mile oval at Sandhill Raceway that had a nice Kart program for a couple of years. They even ran Dwarf Cars on it a time or two. In John, you might have had somebody who would entertain running bigger cars on that venue, but I never had that discussion with him as I recall.

I'm probably rehashing here, but at different times John Soares and George Steitz looked at that venue. With Soares, this happened before he went after Antioch Speedway. George looked in the early 2000s for another venue at which he might run one of his big races. George said the place was too small, and maybe it would be if you're trying to pump 200 cars through the pits. John had a few different issues. I don't think he was crazy about the mosquito situation, which could have been handled. Plus, if you get an opportunity to promote Antioch Speedway, I think you're going to choose it over a track that hasn't had a tradition with running bigger cars of any kind.

The last comment I've heard attributed to the people out there was when Paul Chamberlain bought the place. One of the things he was supposedly heard saying was he was going to show John Soares how it's done. That statement is so funny I chuckle and just roll my eyes. Having the place sitting there with horses grazing and on it for as long as he did is hardly showing John how to run a race track. It probably would still be sitting there if not for the Kart and Motorcycle racing people who came out there and started doing work on it around 2014. They didn't have a lot of money, so the process took quite a bit of time before they started having races on it.

One of the things they were talking about back then was 600 Micro Sprints, and there are people from the Micro community who look at this place and it's untapped potential. On any given weekend at a track like Delta Speedway or Dixon Speedway, you can get 60 or 70 cars. These are regular events, but it'll swell to over 100 for the bigger shows. This track is located centrally enough that they could have a blowout race. Maybe this track could be included in the King of California Series with the other four venues if it's brought back in 2022, but what I hear lately is they are working on making it Micro Sprint ready. Nothing to announce yet, just working on it.

Getting them to talk about doing anything with bigger cars might come as a shock to the people there. I don't know who would even think that big. Some will say it can't be done, but I still believe where there's a will there's a way. David Prickett owns multiple Midgets, and I think he brought three of them there back in January of 2020 to run some shakedown laps before they headed to the Chili Bowl in Oklahoma. 

I saw some of the footage and started to wonder. Is the WMR looking at this venue for a race? I do believe that Mike McCluney should entertain doing something at a Micro Sprint track as a way to get some attention for these cars from that community. Some of those racers are looking for a move up, and those cars might be just right for them.

In any case, there's been no talk about doing something like that there, and I don't suspect you'll hear that talk out of Paul. He would be the guy who would say, "We're doing this." If he hasn't done that by now, he's not going to. Maybe he'd be receptive to somebody coming in there and investing and doing all the work, while he still owns the majority. I'd be leery of making such a deal because it doesn't always go well for the guy who comes in there and does all the work. However, this is a venue that could be the next dirt track that pops up in the area if the right things fall into place. The last time we saw something down in this area, we got Chowchilla Speedway.

I could go on about this, but the thought that crossed my mind as I was comparing this track to Sacramento was an interesting one. For anybody who might say it's too small, they have had WMR Midgets and Limited Sprints making laps there in the past. Also, Sacramento had a decent run and could still be doing something if the promoter had a mind to promote that venue. It's all about drag racing there, and this place is an afterthought. Hence, the oval track has sort of been replaced with an MX track for the Bikes. That makes me sad to see. However, I guess you can say that they're getting some use out of the little track, which is better than having it just sit there growing weeds. 

It's a head scratcher how no other dirt track popped up in Sacramento after they closed West Capital Raceway at the end of the 70s. That city is big enough that it should have happened, but it didn't. Little attempts were made, but nothing stuck. In 1994 or so, they had people decide they wanted to run oval track racing with bigger cars. They had to do a little creative labeling, so the place became a Stadium Oval. This enabled them to get permits, and suddenly they had things like IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Placerville Pro Stocks, BCRA Midgets and Midget Lites, NorCal Dwarf Cars and even Wingless Spec Sprints. Oh yeah, Hardtops as well. This didn't just happen a few times. It happened on a somewhat regular basis for a few years.

Sacramento Raceway is smaller than Hills Ferry, and they did it there. That's the takeaway, or it should be. They could do it in Newman, and they are in a good enough location that I bet it would be supported. Looking at the track from the satellite, there's some things they need to do with the facility that are a little bit in disrepair. That stuff can be done, but I believe you've got racing organizations running the show. They don't have an infinite supply of money and are maybe smart enough to realize they don't want to put too much of their own money into somebody else's property. I think the next big move on their part will be when they finally do something with Micro Sprints, but who knows when that's going to happen.

The other telltale sign that something could change would be Paul putting the place up for sale. Depending on who would come in there and buy it, you may have somebody with a mind to do some of that stuff. It's an interesting and neat little venue, and they can do bigger things than they are currently doing. It's about the strategy you employ at a place like that. Maybe George was right and you're not going to do one of his big races, but that doesn't mean you can't do some things that would certainly have the appearance of being big to the people who were there. Where there's a will, there's a way. 

Another track that could host a Micro Sprint King of California race or something big for those classes is Orland Raceway. In the interesting history of that track when it was first built, the intent was to run Micro Sprints. This would be in the 1980s, and it was originally cut as a 1/6 mile dirt oval. They held those races, but the people involved wanted to do something bigger. There were other people who looked at the venue and wanted to cut a track the size of Silver Dollar Speedway. They wanted to run Sprint Cars, but they were flat out refused by the Fair Board. The track can't be any bigger than 1/5 is what they said, although Orland Raceway in the 1970s was bigger. That didn't happen, but something else did. 

I'm not sure which promoter it was, but they made the track bigger. It might have been because they were told they couldn't go bigger than 1/5, but the interesting part is they pretty much have. I believe what they have there is actually a quarter-mile oval. It might be a small one, but you're not going to hear them say it's bigger than 1/5th. The goal in making it bigger was to go beyond Micros, which they did. It became known as a track that featured Hobby Stocks and four-cylinder classes along with the Wingless Spec Sprints. They did run some Late Model and Modified stuff in the 1990s, but the Micro Sprints did sort of fall by the wayside until Mike McCann promoted the place in 2013.

Up until 2020 and what we've all been through, Orland was on the rise in terms of driver support and fans. I was doing my media effort from afar and getting them in multiple newspapers. I know that Rich Hood believes in the small growth philosophy and promoting the stuff that the track already has. However, they could have taken looks at bigger stuff that didn't break the bank. 

A Hunt Wingless Sprint Series race would probably go over well there. If the Winged Crate Sprint drivers really wanted to get on board and run some place other than Marysville for a visit or two, I think they would go over well at Orland. However, I think they need to bring a dozen cars like they've been doing in Marysville, not just four or five.

A blowout Dwarf Car show would work there, but the NorCal group is sort of lukewarm about it. This is their territory, so it's not likely you would get another group to come in there. If you tried to go rogue and do something outlaw, the association could squash it by directing their drivers not to support it. There were some dealings that went wrong between the group and the Turner family, and I'm not privy to any of that. I think Paul and Carol really did some good things, although their last year or two in charge were not the best for them. By the time Mike McCann got in there, the NCDCA wouldn't entertain anything from him. They were basically making him pay for the wrongdoings of previous management.

The thing about the Dwarf Cars is they launched in California on the 1/8 mile at Delta Speedway. It wasn't until after they got going that Petaluma started its thing and NorCal was founded and ran many races at Merced. McCann has a history with Dwarf Cars dating back to Cottage Grove Speedway in the late 1980s and the founding of the PHRA. He had a hand in that and was also looking to do something at Marysville. So, I strongly believe he would have done right by the Dwarf Cars in 2013 if they had given him the time of day. They could have had a race that was the featured show that night at Orland, whether it was a Nationals or what have you.

You could book something bigger there, but without the blessing of the group, it may not go well. I still believe the track should look at IMCA sanctioning for the Sport Modifieds. If the sanctioning body gave them their blessing for a four race series that didn't book on top of Marysville, I think they'd be surprised at the success they would have. Plus, it gives the fans something different that they don't see every week there. Since IMCA rejected Coos Bay this year, I don't know if they would be receptive to Orland or not. They may think that since Yreka, Chico and Marysville have IMCA Sport Modifieds, Orland doesn't need a seat at the table.

Micro Sprints are a possibility. One option would be to add Orland as the fifth track in the California Speedweek Series if it returns in 2022. Regardless of whether the track is added, I hope the series does return. The other possibility is to find a date that doesn't conflict with anything and book a special show there. A Micro Sprint Nationals of some sort. Being in Orland might enable them to get some Oregon and even Washington visitors, while drivers from the other venues from as far south as The Valley could come. They did take a shot at something a little bit bigger than normal this year, but they chose the night of the Deming Speedway Clay Cup. Though it got them a few more cars, that was not the right time for something that could be so much bigger.

My frustration with Orland remains that they don't put results out there. They've avoided a lot of the tech that every other track in California is using, but there's nobody rising above and making sure the information gets out there. You've got Christina Meeds with her photos every week, which helps. However, they very rarely ever release results. They are updating the points. The way they do that lets you see how many cars show up, so I was pleased that they had 42 total cars last week. It hasn't been an easy season, and I know people have been talking.

Hood is in his sixth season as promoter of this track. He's the second longest tenured promoter behind the Turner's. When he initially took over, it seemed like the community started to rally behind him. Within a couple of years, they were doing things bigger than had been seen out there since the Turner's. The momentum got squashed with what we all went through in 2020, and they've just been doing whatever they can to keep it going since then. I'm glad the show goes on, because it can get better. They do have their big special show in October, The Battle of the Axles. I'm curious to see that information, which should be released soon.

The California Hardtops make visits there, and there's another one coming up soon. The guys like the track, and the fans like the cars. That's a given. These cars are so unique and different rom everything else going on out there. It's not just that these cars hearken back to the good old days. The cars just look neat. I often say if these guys were better organized and had a better leader, they would be in high demand. These days, if you can bring a dozen of anything to the track, promoters look upon you favorably. It's not so easy for some divisions, but the potential is there for this group.

The Hardtops were another subject that came up between Mike and myself on Wednesday. It's always something that he comes back to as the guy who basically sparked the modern movement of the Hardtops in California. I was doing the car math in my head, and there have been 14 different Hardtops that have competed this year. Doesn't seem like it would be that high, but it is. This is not counting the Valley Sportsmans that come in and support them. If you go back to 2015, there's at least an additional 16 cars that are still in California that I know of. There were a few others that raced during that time, but I believe the cars have left the state. Maybe I'm wrong? 

The other thing is the cars that are still in whatever state of repair that ran prior to 2015. I have estimated that number is another dozen or so. I don't know if the leadership has a handle on what's out there, because I don't think they are really communicating anything these days. It just sort of happens. There's a date booked, show up if you want. I'm not a fan of the president of the CHA, and unless he changes his attitude, I won't be. I'm not going to sit here and talk about all the things I find wrong with him or talk about how he rose to power. Maybe another time, but it's not relevant to what I'm thinking here.

Anybody with a mind who wanted to bring change to this deal has a couple of options. The first is that you come in and assume the leadership role. I don't see that happening with the CHA, because the membership that's there seems to like the guy they have. You're sort of pissing in the wind there. 

There were people who went off and formed the Bay Area Hardtop group, but it's not doing any better with regards to leadership. Is there a leader at this point? They came out with a big statement, which included bringing back the Chet Thomson Memorial. After that, I don't know what exactly they've done to promote it. By the way, the race for Chet comes up on the second weekend of October in Antioch, and I hope it gets supported. 

While we're wondering what's going on and what's being done to grow this deal, there's also the debate about what a real Hardtop is and isn't. There's the discussion about this being the modern era and having to change things around, but there's also discussions that some people have taken it too far. When you don't have leadership clearly defining what Hardtops are and what can and can't be done, people are going to do what they want. 

Does a set of California Hardtop rules even exist, and how does one obtain a copy? I've seen the rules that they were based upon, because those rules were written by Mike McCann. I've also been well versed in the things he tried to do to salvage this deal in 2015, but I'm not rehashing that here.

Option two is very simple, but it's not easily done without serious commitment. You decide you're going to start something else. You figure out the marketing plan of how you're selling it to the people and the racers. You define what the Hardtops are and you find a track willing to give you an opportunity to grow your ranks. I believe there are places that would do this. 

You might make hard choices. Some of the cars currently competing would be welcome, and other cars would be ruled not in the spirit of the group. I'm going to leave that statement blank and not elaborate on any particular car, because that's not the point. I'm not here to blame anybody for how it got the way it did, because that's a story in and of itself.

By my way of thinking, you need a half a dozen cars that you know are going to be there to start with. Anytime you're scheduled, those cars are there. Whether you arrive at that figure by building new cars, getting some cars that are parked, getting people who are already out there or what have you, you need to do it. You need to let the promoter know if he's taking a chance with you and keep him informed. 

Then, you need to establish the deal. I believe over time that a clearly defined Hardtop group would peak the interest of some people. They may not like certain things that are happening as it is, so seeing something with a little more structure might get them to do it. There are people who started building cars that we haven't even heard from since then, and I don't know what the story is in their cases. 

What you're basically saying is that even if this or that group exists, they don't speak for the entirety of this type of racing. Therefore, if a track will give you a chance, you can make your own statement. Do you do this with a group that will have so many races or do you find a track that will book one race and make it about that special event every year? That's open for contemplation. To my knowledge, there is nobody out there talking about this option. Therefore, I'm not implying anybody is working on it, just that somebody could. If they knew what they were doing and had the right type of personality, it would work.

The purpose of this is not to slam the leadership of either group. I'm not enamored with the way it's being led, and I've tried to affect positive change. I have certainly given them media coverage in printed papers, so I've tried. I like the guys who run these cars, and these race cars in many cases are just so beautiful. I'd like to see the Hardtop effort in Northern California be the best that it can be, and it clearly isn't doing that right now. To see what they have the potential to do and watch them fail in that is disappointing. I've had to step back and not get my hopes up high anytime they are booked. Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised and other times it just is what it is. Ranting about my feelings on what's happening is a useless endeavor at this point.

On Friday I wasn't sure if I'd try to assemble a post for Saturday afternoon. I kind of got everything done on the previous post at the very last minute, so I had an excuse not to push things. Still, I knew I was going to sit down and keep track of a few races, and it turns out that all of the race review articles and the Viewpoint up until what I'm writing now has been cleaned up and edited. I need to go over it a couple of times before posting, which means a good two or three hours on Saturday. It's 2:00 in the morning as I'm writing this, so that means getting up after however much sleep I get and getting the rest of this done for an afternoon post. 

I've been speculating about the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car deal. Doug Lockwood took the reins of the effort last year, and I knew it was a tall order for him or anybody. The problem with the group is that you've had several drivers move on. A few aren't racing or are in other divisions now, and a few drivers have left the state. The bottom line is there aren't that many drivers who are legitimately chasing either the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car title or the Western States Midget championship. Lockwood initially looked at this deal and thought there was something he could do. 

It was announced that Stephanie Odom will be taking over both USAC groups as the Race Director. I don't know the details, but I do know one thing. I don't think I'd point a finger at Lockwood and say he failed here. This thing is struggling and on life support, and I don't know if anybody can save it. I do know that if it's going to be saved it will take a few years to turn it around. 

I've witnessed enough in Northern California to believe that if three promoters got together and decided they wanted to create a six or eight race injected Wingless 360 series, they could do it and be successful. My most likely candidates would be Scott Russell, Rick Faeth and John Prentice. I want to see the Wingless 360 injected Sprint Car group have some representation in Northern California, because my hope is that it would stop the push to turn the Hunt Wingless Spec Sprint Series into that.

I'm not crazy about some of the changes they've foisted upon the class as it is, and it isn't that far from just turning it into that. The minute they do that, they've driven one nail into the coffin of the Spec Sprint movement. An unnecessary nail at that. This is why I wrote recently that maybe it's time to explore the possibility of starting a new Spec Sprint class that's a little more limited and closer to the ideals the division was founded upon 20 years ago.

In any case, there's still going to be an injected Wingless 360 deal in California that is USAC sanctioned, and they will have a race coming up in Bakersfield. In Hanford, Promoter Peter Murphy decided to throw some money at his King of Thunder Sprint Cars for a Wingless 360 race. We're talking $2,000 to win and $1,000 for second among a nice purse. Despite the fact that there's a big Winged 360 Sprint show happening at Chico, I felt certain that a dozen to 16 cars was possible, so I was disappointed that only eight drivers bothered to show up for this race. It still turned out to be interesting, but it was far from what it should have been. 

Hanford hasn't had that many races this year as it is, and I do wonder about the thought process that went into booking this show. They had the IMCA Modifieds and Sport Modifieds scheduled for this and dropped the IMCA Stock Cars. I think they probably would have done better with the Stock Cars than either one of these two classes. As it was, only four Modifieds and five Sport Modifieds showed up. If not for the 17 West Coast Sport Compacts that came out there to put on a show, you could have classified this as a complete dud. It was far from a huge success, but it was an opportunity for fans in Hanford to enjoy a night at the races.

I was keeping track of Redwood Acres Raceway, where they were having the first night of a weekend double header. I was surprised they didn't throw the Late Models in on this deal, but they did put a little more money up than usual for the Legend Cars and Bombers. The Legend Cars are performing pretty well in Eureka this year, but the Bombers have been a little low. Tomorrow night will be an Upstate Bomber race, so they were hoping a few of those drivers would also support the Friday show. As it turned out, they did. For the Legend Cars and Bombers alone, this was a decent sort of show, but the Mini Stocks and Roadrunners rounded it out nicely. Saturday night will be the bigger event. 

I'm just happy to see the track hanging in there. There was some speculation a couple of years ago that the gates might close. There was a management change and all of that fun stuff. However, There remains a commitment to keep the show going, and they still manage to put on some good races. Pavement Late Model racing isn't doing so well on the Northern end of California, so the fact that they have something is a positive. The Legend Cars are definitely the MVPs here, but the track has done well with the North State Modified and Upstate Bomber races they've had. The show goes on.

Deming Speedway had their second to last Micro Sprint program. It was a solid turnout. It doesn't seem like they get much of a battle for the lead in the races most of the time, although the races generally go pretty smoothly. This track is regarded as one of the best for Micro Sprint racing anywhere on the West Coast, and it's earned that reputation. The show ran a little bit longer than usual, but not because officials were lagging. Sometimes races get a little bit messy, but they weren't in any danger of laps being cut or any of that. From what I've been seeing, they've done a good job of running a smooth program there this year.

I was basically just monitoring Chico tonight with no intent of doing an article. My internet got glitchy during the World of Outlaw race, which annoyed me. The Winged 360 Sprint Cars cars only ran C and B Mains as they set the stage for the big money Main Event tomorrow. From a car count standpoint, Chico has done well. The Wednesday and Thursday shows were a little messy at times, but the Winged 360s reached into the 30s on both occasions, and they managed to draw 14 Spec Sprints for $1,000 to win on each night on short notice. I was thinking that they might have wanted to invite the Crate Sprints on one of these nights given the year they've had in Marysville, but I do think they made the right call here.

The Gold Cup race is one of the longest running races on the West Coast. It's also a showcase event for the World of Outlaws on Friday and Saturday night. We didn't get to see the Outlaws in California last year due to everything being shut down so tight that tracks didn't want to host them with no fans. It is a big purse. Because fire crews are still in Placerville, they lost the race on the 18th, but the Outlaws will be heading to Hanford that night. Chico is the kickoff weekend for their visit to California.

I wasn't monitoring Plaza Park in live time, but I got to look at the numbers afterwards and decided to throw a little article together. The Highlight for them was 18 Super 600s and 14 Wingless 600s. It seems to me they did a little bit better this weekend than they did a few weeks ago. They have the Mark Hagopian Classic coming up in a couple of weeks, and that means big money spread out among the divisions. They will get some of the best drivers in the state for that one. It's nice to see that all four of the Micro Sprint tracks in California take turns having really big shows. Last weekend it was Delta Speedway, and they definitely fill the pits with cars when the money is on the line. 

Not much else needs to be added here. I got a little peek at what was going on with the Monster Trucks at Antioch. The Malicious Monster Truck Insanity Tour delivers an entertaining show. I like the way they present this thing as a contest, and they definitely put on a show. Yeah, the ticket price is high. What sort of entertainment doesn't cost good money to bring your family these days? However, if Monster Truck shows are something that interest you, I don't see why you would be disappointed with these guys. It's not necessarily my cup of tea, but I was very impressed with the way they did things when they came to Southern Oregon Speedway a few years back.

The last thing I need to be doing here is adding more to this column on a Saturday morning if I intend to post this in a few hours, but I must. First of all, it was 20 years ago today when it happened. I could say a lot of things about that day, and I know people have differing opinions. My eyes were already open before that happened. I will say that. It was also a day when everything changed. We were already going in that direction slowly but surely, but it accelerated a little bit after that. What do I mean? Do your research. I'm not talking about it here. 

I'm also not talking about the overall mission of the military. I have my opinions, but I've never questioned the bravery of those men and women. In this case, it isn't just the military that I'm referring to. The firefighters and safety people who went into the buildings and risked their lives, knowing how dangerous a situation it was. I don't think they fully understood what was really going on, but you sign up to protect lives. That's what you do when you are in that profession. People lived because of what they did, and some of these firefighters died that day. Others lived and suffered health issues brought about from being in the buildings as they burned. 

On a day like this, I think about their bravery. I think about the people who sign on for roles like that to protect us, and we sometimes don't really think about what that means. It's the same with the military. Most people get involved for noble reasons. They believe in the difference they make. When that day happened, the narrative shifted a little bit. However, the people who signed up did so because they wanted to keep us all safe. To all of those people who went into it with a pure heart and the best of intentions, I salute you. Your sacrifices are appreciated and won't be forgotten. 

I will forever mourn that day, though not completely for the reasons we are told to. I mourn what was lost that day, both in lives and how the narrative we've been presented through media and our politicians shifted that day. I'll mourn how things have steadily declined since then and remember the warnings that were given to us that these days were coming. I will always have my opinions and question what I'm being told, but I won't question the bravery of the people in uniform and particularly those who really believe in goodness and making a positive difference, the ones who fight for our right to choose and the freedoms that we take for granted. Those who sacrificed for us should not do so in vain. 

I'll put a simple comment here before I move on. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. You should pay attention to the things our founding fathers said all those years ago. Their words are just as important today as they were then, and I don't care that the world has evolved the way it has with all the fancy gadgets and things they never had. The basic premise of what they were creating back then still matters and should still be what guides us today.

I am mourning today for another reason. I woke up to the news that Stephanie Deatherage has passed away. Ben made us aware that he was told to say his final goodbyes a few days ago. As Stephanie was still fighting, I was hopeful that they were wrong. I do believe that prayer helps, and maybe the fight continued until early this morning because God was hearing us as He determined what was best. Sometimes what God wants may not make a lot of sense to us, and the hardest thing we might have to do is accept His judgment and that He has a plan. I've had moments in my life when I have wondered, but I've come to learn that God is in control. I don't know what the plan is, but I wonder when I look at the world today. Faith in God and a belief in His plan may be all we have these days. 

I know Ben only by the communications we've had online and a few conversations we've had in person. I've helped him out with information as he's assembled statistics. I respect him and his family greatly for what they have meant to Oregon motorsports. Stephanie comes from a racing family in California. I think I watched her father Mike race Late Models at Antioch Speedway in the 1980s, and he raced at other venues such as Petaluma and Vallejo. Stephanie grew up in the sport, so I can see where she and Ben would come together. Plus, the two shared other common interests, such as their love for Disneyland.

I know she was so proud of him. He came to Southern Oregon Speedway to announce one of the shows, probably Speedweek. I had a moment to tell her of my respect for her husband, and she was just beaming with her pride in what he does. Some people are kind of an open book on social media. I don't like to do that, but Ben will share things. You could see the love he had for her and the love she had for him. She was the one for him, and they were building a family together. Everything seemed to be going so well, but that is often the time when we are all tested. Do we have the strength and the faith to endure challenges that are so difficult?

Stephanie had been diagnosed with covid-19. I believe Ben tested positive as well, but he was able to fight it off. Stephanie wasn't as fortunate, although she fought longer and harder than most. It was my hope that somehow, some way she would pull through this and get home to her family. I did pray for her, but God had other plans. I really don't know what to say at a time like this, but I do send my condolences to Ben and his family during this difficult time. When you have to pick up the pieces and move forward when a piece of you has been taken away, it's so difficult to do. I know his family and friends will be there by his side.

As I said, I don't want to turn this column into my thoughts or observations about what's going on in the world. We all see it. However, we've also seen very clearly that it's impacting auto racing. We've seen cancellations and people involved with the sport have gone public that they tested positive. I haven't heard how Justin Evans is doing as his family doesn't put those updates out there daily as is their choice. I have seen Daren Ricks Campbell sharing a little bit of what he's going through, and I keep my prayers going for the people who are battling this. Daren is one of the good people in the sport and somebody I feel hasn't really gotten a fair deal in his efforts.

The good news there is he is still fighting and communicating with us. He's been treating this at home. I don't take it for granted that everything will turn out right, though I know he will do his best to take care of himself and keep fighting. I'll keep praying. This is the thing about life. He's relocated to Oregon, has a home and has been able to work and do some stuff for the sport in his free time. There was such a big moment at Coos Bay Speedway that probably wouldn't have happened if not for what he did. My hope Is that after he wins the fight he's in now, he'll have other moments and maybe even that big opportunity that I believe he deserves to make a bigger difference in the sport.

Is anybody reading this? I know I ramble, though I tried to keep it shorter this time. I just want to say that I don't convey it enough how much I love my racing family. I appreciate those who take the time to read anything that I'm writing, even if the view is what I got. I appreciate the people who have thrown money my way to help keep me going. I appreciate the people who have reached out to me and communicated. The friends I've made along the way will never be forgotten by me, even if we are located in different areas. You've all made a difference in my life. So, I send my love to you for being there for me in one way or the other. I will also never forget the ones who are no longer here who touched my life.

Now it's time to shut my mouth, wind things down and get some sleep. At the moment, I'm intending to put up a post on Saturday afternoon, so we'll see how that goes. There aren't too many of these big posts left this year, and this is another one. Until next time...