Antioch Speedway, Merced Speedway, Petaluma Speedway, Marysville Raceway, Placerville Speedway, More

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Johns Wins Wild Hobby Stock Race, 

Wagner, Miramontez, Enos Other Antioch Winners

Antioch, CA...March 26...Ken Johns won the 25 lap Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stock Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. Johns was rebounding from a night that saw mechanical issues sideline him very early, and he also benefited from a tangle between the leaders, which put him into the lead. 

Breck Smith led the opening lap before pushing too high exiting Turn 2, handing longtime speedway racer Brad Coelho the lead ahead of reigning champion Larry McKinzie Jr and Charlie Bryant. A yellow flag waved on Lap 3 as Ron Brown spun exiting Turn 4. The first restart attempt was botched after Adam Kujala spun in the same turn. Coelho continued to lead McKinzie and Bryant on the restart. Grayson Baca had settled into fourth. A Turn 4 pass on Lap 5 put Baca into third, and a yellow flag waved for another Ron Brown spin in Turn 4 on Lap 8. Coelho continued to lead McKinzie and Baca on the restart. The yellow flag waved on Lap 11 for a Turn 4 tangle involving Smith, Jess Paladino and Anthony Vigna. Coelho remained the leader ahead of McKinzie and Baca on the restart, but Baca made an inside pass on the frontstretch a lap later to take second from McKinzie. Paladino spun in Turn 4 for a Lap 13 yellow flag. The restart lap saw Baca get a good run on the inside exiting Turn 4 to grab the lead from Coelho. Ken Johns gained third on Lap 14 as McKinzie had problems, and a yellow flag waved on Lap 14. Baca led Coelho and Johns on the restart. A yellow flag flew for Taylor DeCarlo in Turn 4 on Lap 15. Coelho took the lead from Baca on the restart. It was a wild Lap 18 incident that saw contact between Baca and Coelho send them both spinning for a yellow flag. Suddenly, Johns found himself leading Angela Brown and Jared Baugh on the restart. Michaela Taylor took third from Baugh on Lap 19, and a yellow flag slowed the pace for a Gene Haney spin on Lap 22. Johns led Angela Brown and Taylor on the restart, but Coelho made a big move on Lap 24 that saw him take second from Brown with an inside pass in Turn 4. However, Johns picked up the win ahead of Coelho. Brown had a career best finish in third, followed by Taylor. Baca crossed the line in fifth, but he was disqualified in post-race tech, moving Gavin Griffiths into the position, followed by DeCarlo, Paladino, Gene Haney, Shelby Asher and Danny Aves.

McKinzie, Bryant, Smith and Coelho won the eight lap heat races as 24 drivers came to compete. Coelho won the special four lap Trophy Dash.

Danny Wagner picked up the win in the 20 lap Delta Dwarf Car Main Event. This was the second-straight win for the two-time champion, and the field got a boost by the visit of several drivers from the rival South Bay Dwarf Car Association.

Two-time Street Stock champion David Rosa jumped into the early lead ahead of South Bay racer Eric Weisler and Chance Russell. Russell slipped past Weisler for second on Lap 3, and a yellow flag waved for debris on the back straightaway on the sixth circuit. Rosa continued to lead the way on the restart as Wagner moved around Russell for second. Wagner kept it close before a yellow flag bunched the field on Lap 9 after a Kieran Costas spin in Turn 4. The first restart attempt saw Sean Catucci spin in the second turn. The next time around, Wagner took over the lead ahead of Devan Kammerman and Jack Haverty. Haverty took second from Kammeraman on a Lap 12 restart. Weisler motored past Kammeraman for third on Lap 18. Wagner went on to take the checkered flag ahead of Haverty, Weisler, Russell and Kammermann. With the post race disqualifications of Haverty and Russell, Wagner got the win ahead of Weisler, Kammermann, Ellie Russo, David Michael Rosa, Barry Waddell, Catucci, David Rosa, Pete Piatanida and Tom Van Tuyl. There were 20 Dwarf Cars in action with Haverty, Russo and Wagner picking up eight lap heat race wins.

Randy Miramontez won the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. Miramontez started his career in Mini Stocks out at Petaluma, and he was the Super Stock champion at that track last season. He made the decision to bring his Mini Stock out to Antioch, rather than running his local track, and he denied reigning Antioch and Petaluma champion Tom Brown the win. 

Dana Gardner jumped into the early lead ahead of Shan Titman and Brown. Brown made an inside pass on the backstretch on Lap 2 to take second and set his sights on Gardner before making a pass on the inside down the backstretch on lap fifth for the lead. Miramontez gained third on Lap 3, and it was a close three-car battle up front at that point. Miramontez made a low pass in Turn 4 of the eighth lap to take second from Gardner, and the battle was on at the front of the pack. Traffic became a factor in that battle as the lead duo ran side by side on Lap 13. They split a slower car a lap later with Miramontez making a low move in Turn 2 to take the lead. Though Brown kept it close, Miramontez would prevail at the checkered flag. Gardner was the final lead lap finisher with Titman fourth, followed by Eddie Humphrey III, Daisy Eszler, Laina Bales and Ryan Graham. Dan Abitz was eliminated in a heat race crash, and those eight lap races went to Miramontez and Brown.

Mitch Enos won the 15 lap California Sharp Mini Late Model Main Event. Enos is a long time competitor in Late Models, Modifieds and Hobby Stocks, and he's a driving force in trying to get this division started at Antioch. 

Matt Malcolm has been competing in this division for a few years, and he drew on his experience to take the early lead ahead of Enos and DJ Saenz. Malcolm had won the six lap heat race earlier in the eThat's aweesonvening. Halfway through the race, Malcolm's motor began to sputter on him a little bit, and Enos closed the gap quickly. A low pass in Turn 4 of the 11th lap gained Enos the lead, and Malcolm spun in the same turn a lap later trying to regain the lead. On the restart lap, Malcolm spun again in the fourth turn, and Enos won ahead of Saenz and Malcolm. 

Racing resumes this Saturday night with the IMCA Modifieds back in action along with the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stocks and the return of the Super Stocks. For further information, go to www.antochspeedway.com.

Laney Wins Jerry Shannon Memorial Race 

At Merced Speedway

Merced, CA...March 26...Cody Laney won the 30 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Merced Speedway. This was the Second Annual Jerry Shannon Memorial, which honors the memory of the father of one of the track's promoters, Chris Shannon. Laney, who hails from Torrance, CA, pocketed $5,000 for his winning effort as Bakersfield Speedway champion Jerry Flippo was a $2,000 second.

Some of the best drivers in the state came to compete for the increased prize money being offered. Jake Pike set the early pace, but Laney got by for the lead on the fifth lap. Austin Kiefer ran in the third position until Flippo got by on the 10th lap. Flippo set his sights on Pike and finally grabbed the runner-up spot on Lap 21. Laney drove a good race and led the rest of the way for the victory. Flippo settled for second ahead of Pike, DJ Shannon, Rick Diaz, Jim Pettit II, Bobby Hogge IV, Troy Foulger, Kellen Chadwick and Ryan McDaniel. 

A stellar turnout of 39 drivers came to compete for the extra money. The Top 4 finishers in each of the eight lap heat races transferred into the show, and wins went to Chadwick, Laney, Kiefer and Pike. 

Only two transfer spots were available in each of the two 10 lap B Mains, and Bobby Hogge IV and Paul Stone scored the 1-2 finish in the first race. Hogge led all the way. Trevor Fitzgibbon ran second for the first four circuits before being overtaken by Stone and settling for a third place finish. Danny Lauer and Dalton Houghton completed the Top 5.

Watsonville champion Cody Burke won the second 10 lap B Main ahead of Danny Roe. Burke led the entire distance ahead of Roe as Dylan Schriner, Chuck Weir and Jeffrey Faulkner completed the Top 5.

Fred Ryland won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Ryland started back in the fourth row, and young Andrew Pearce set the early pace ahead of Jason Bannister. Ryland made his way into third by the fourth lap, and he made a big move on Lap 9 to get around both Pearce and Bannister for the lead. Jason's son Tyler Bannister settled into third on the ninth circuit. Pearce kept it close, but Ryland prevailed at the checkered flag. Tyler Bannister ended up third, followed by Jason Bannister, Tyler Blankenship, Cale Kanke, Markus Frazier, Jarrod Mounce, Jeremy Hoff and Richard Ragsdale.

26 IMCA Sport Modified drivers came to do battle, and the eight lap heat race victories went to Pearce, Tyler Bannister and Mounce. Past Merced champion Jeremy Hoff won the 10 lap B Main. Hoff led most of the way for the win. Jonathan Hagio chased him all the way to finish second, followed by Ragsdale, Nicholas Zapatero and Ryan DeForest.

Fred Ryland also won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. Ryland had a win earlier this season in the class at Antioch. Paul Stone led a pair of laps before Bakersfield's Dakota Schweitzer got by. Ryland moved into second on Lap 4 as he battled with Paul Stone. He lost the spot a lap later but regained it on the sixth circuit. On the ninth lap, both Ryland and Stone moved around Schweitzer for the first two positions. As Ryland led the way, two-time Sport Modified champion Rick Diaz engaged Stone in a good battle for second. Diaz gained the position on the 11th lap, and Bakersfield's Steven Johnson moved into third on Lap 14. Ryland went on to win ahead of Diaz and Johnson. Mark Morton ended up fourth, followed by Anthony Giuliani, Paul Stone, Les Friend, Steve Stone, Mike Shepard and Schweitzer. There were 18 IMCA Stock Cars on hand for the show, and the three eight lap heat race wins went to Diaz, Schweitzer and Paul Stone.

Austin Sprague won the 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event. West Coast Sport Compact competitor Shawn DePriest bolted into the lead at the start, and Sprague settled into second ahead of Rick Thompson. On the 12th lap, Sprague put the moves on DePriest to grab the lead. Sprague went on to take the checkered flag in first. Thompson got around DePriest for second on Lap 14 to finish there, and DePriest was disqualified from third. Leo Lotz finished third ahead of Brian Post, Kevin Thompson, Chris Corder and Daniel Bond. Synthya Tremble was a Main Event scratch, and DePriest won the eight lap heat race.

Racing resumes this Saturday night with the Hobby Stocks returning along with the IMCA Stock Cars, BCRA Lightning Sprints, Valley Sportsman and the California Sharp Mini Late Models. For further information, go to www.mercedspeedway.net.

 

Terrell, Sears Open Petaluma Speedway Season With Wins 

Petaluma, CA...March 26...Bradley Terrell won the 25 lap Hunt Wingless Sprint Car Series Main Event Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. This was the season opener for the track and the traveling series. 

Dwarf Car graduate Mark Hanson had the pole and bolted into the early lead ahead of reigning track champion Nick Robfogel and Bradley Terrell. Terrell got by Robfogel for second on the seventh circuit and stalked Hanson until making his winning maneuver for first on Lap 15. The battle intensified for third in the waning laps with reigning Hunt Series champion Shawn Jones making the pass on Robfogel for the position on Lap 24. Terrell brought it home to the satisfying win ahead of Hanson, Jones, Robfogel, Jimmy Christian, Josh Young, Heath Holdsclaw, David Lindt II, Jake Morgan and Anthony Snow.

37 competitors showed up for the opener for the premier Wingless Spec Sprint circuit, and Terrell turned the 3/8 mile adobe oval at 15.457 for the quick time, beating the 15.623 of Holdsclaw and the 15.791 of Morgan. The seven lap heat race wins were earned by Terrell, Robfogel, Morgan and Shawn Arriaga. Past Petaluma Speedway champion Sparky Howard scored the win in the time-limit shortened six lap B Main. Howard led all the way to win with Nathan Johnson a race long second. Ethon Landfri ended up third ahead of Tony Bernard and Jordan Garretson.

Nevada competitor Jay Sears won the 25 lap Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series Main Event. Sears picked up the Bob McCoy Memorial race win in September last year. 

Previous Bob McCoy Memorial winner Richard Brace Jr started on the pole and took the early lead ahead of past Petaluma champion Matt While and Bakersfield racer Frank Nyback. Sears quickly moved into fourth and slipped past Nyback for third on the fifth circuit. An eventful ninth lap saw both While and Sears get around Brace for the first two positions. Sears put the moves on While for the lead on Lap 11. While held second until being overtaken by Brace on the 16th lap. Meanwhile, past Chico champion Phil Marino and Randy Miller had a good battle going for fourth. Marino held the position until Miller got by on the final lap. Sears won by a straightaway ahead of Brace with While settling for third ahead of Miller, Marino, Darren Fridolfs, Peter Coberley, Nyback, past Petaluma champion Shawn McCoy and David Spindell. There were 19 drivers on hand, and the eight lap heat race wins went to Sears, Marino and While.

Past NorCal Dwarf Car champion Ryan Winter won the 20 lap Redwood Dwarf Car Main Event. Winter started on the pole next to Zack Albers, and the duo went all the way to the one-two finish. Reigning Petaluma champion Chad Matthias came from deep in the pack to score the third place finish. Past Redwood Dwarf Car champion John "Scooter" Gomes was an early third ahead of Mike Dahle, but Dahle saw his race take an unfortunate turn on the third lap as past Redwood Dwarf Car champion John Peters moved into fourth. Carroll Mendenhall was running fifth at that point. Mendenhall found himself in third on Lap 17 as he got past Gomes, and Peters fell back several positions. Matthias made a Lap 18 move around Mendenhall. Winter won ahead of Albers with Matthias a straightaway back in third, followed by Mendenhall, Brandon Shaw, Gomes, Peters, Danny Marsh, Kylee Johnson and Adam Freitas. Eight lap heat race wins went to Dahle, Gomes, Albers and Winter as 22 drivers turned out for the show.

Racing continues next Saturday night with the IMCA Modifieds in action along with the Redwood Dwarf Cars, 600 Micro Sprints and Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.

 

 

Haney, Micheli, Law, Cooper Score 

Marysville Raceway Victories

Marysville, CA...March 26...Cameron Haney Jr won the 20 lap Winged Crate Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Marysville Raceway. The Crate Sprint division enjoyed a rare opportunity to be the only Sprint Car class competing on the quarter-mile clay oval for the evening, and Haney drove a flawless race in leading from start to finish.

Haney jumped into the lead when the green flag waved, followed by Mike Hall and Britain Bock. A yellow flag waved on the third lap for Kirk Miner in Turn 3. Haney continued to lead Hall and Bock on the restart. A Lap 5 yellow flag flew for Matthew Kaiser in Turn 3. The first restart attempt was followed quickly by a yellow flag for Kelly Hicks in the third turn. Haney continued to lead Hall and Bock on the restart with another yellow flag flying on Lap 7 for Jack McDonald in Turn 2. Once again, Haney led the way on the restart ahead of Hall and Bock. McDonald brought out a final yellow flag on Lap 11, ending his race. Haney continued to lead Hall and Bock on the restart, but Bock put the moves on Hall to take second on Lap 13. Meanwhile, reigning champion Brett Youngman was riding along in fourth. Haney drove a great race to score the victory ahead of Bock, with Hall closely behind him in third. Youngman settled for fourth, followed by reigning Hobby Stock champion Jacob Johnson, Jason Ballantine, Jeff Macedo, Tyler George, Misty Castleberry and Kaiser. The 18 cars ran three eight lap heat races with wins going to Haney, Bock and Hall.

Matt Micheli won the 20 lap Xtreme Scaffolding Limited Late Model Series Main Event. Micheli is a past champion at Placerville in the class. As luck would have it, he had the pole for the race and bolted into the lead at the start, followed by Clark Gugliemoni. A yellow flag waved after one lap for Kiely Ricardo, who retired at that point. Micheli continued to the way on the restart and Dan Jinkerson moved into second ahead of Rod Oliver. The yellow flag waved on Lap 5 for Tyler Lightfoot in Turn 4. Micheli continued to lead Jinkerson and Oliver on the restart. Jay Norton took third from Oliver on Lap 12 and got past Jinkerson for second on the 14th circuit. The final yellow flag unfurled on Lap 15 for Gugliemoni. Micheli led Norton and Oliver on the final restart, but Oliver was overtaken on Lap 17 by fifth row starter Dan Brown Jr. Micheli brought it home to victory ahead of Norton, Brown, Oliver, Gugliemoni, Jinkerson, Tyler Lightfoot, Ray Trimble, Anthony Slaney and Michelle Paul. Jinkerson and Norton picked up the eight lap heat race wins.

Howard Law won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. The past IMCA Sport Modified champion started in the third row as past Chico champion Kyle Allen set the early pace ahead of Brian Cooper and Willie Horn Jr. A yellow flag waved on Lap 4, and the first restart attempt saw a Turn 4 tangle involving Tobi Merrifield, Joe Gillock and Trevor Deadmond. The next restart saw Cooper slip past Allen for the lead. Horn surrendered third to Law on the eighth circuit, and Law got past Allen for second on Lap 13. A yellow flag waved moments later for debris in Turn 2. Cooper led Law and Allen on the final restart. Law was giving Cooper some pressure until putting the moves on him on the final lap to grab the lead and victory. Brian Cooper settled for second ahead of Allen, Jesse Van Roekel, Zach Lindgren, Maurice Merrill, David Cooper, Preston Hughes, Kyle Cheney and Casey Gingerich.

There were 26 Hobby Stocks in action, and the four eight lap heat race wins went to Law, Merrifield, Hughes and Lindgren. They also ran a 12 lap B Main, which was won by Brian Horn. It was the first win for Horn as Gary Holsey set the early pace ahead of Jacob Bright and Horn. Horn slipped past Bright for second on Lap 2 and got by Holsey for the lead on the fifth circuit. Holsey held second until Joe Edington and Gingerich both got by on the 10th circuit. Gingerich took second on the 11th lap, and Brian Horn won ahead of Gingerich, Edington, Holsey and Trevor Abella.

Brian Cooper won his second-straight IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Cooper jumped into lead at the start ahead of eight lap heat race winner Jimmy Ford and Hunter Merritt. A Lap 2 yellow flag waved for Lisa Shelby. Cooper continued to lead Hunter Merritt and Shaun Merritt on the restart, but a Lap 4 yellow flag waved for Shaun Merritt in the fourth turn. Cooper continued to lead Hunter Merritt on the restart, and Shelby saw her race come to an end for a Lap 6 yellow flag. Cooper led the final restart ahead of Hunter Merritt and Ford, and they would finish in that order with Cooper winning by a straightaway. Shaun Merritt settled for fourth, followed by Scott Savell, Bryce Campbell and Shelby.

Racing resumes next Saturday night with the return of the Winged 360 Sprint Cars along with IMCA Sport Modifieds, WMR Midgets and Winged Crate Sprints. For further information, go to www.marysvilleraceway.com.

Rea, Robustelli, Johnson, Sanders 

Open Cottage Grove Speedway Season With Wins 

Cottage Grove, Oregon...March 26...Paul Rea won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Cottage Grove Speedway. Once again, the track was the first to get a dirt track race in anywhere in the state.

Rea started on the pole and proceeded to lead all the way in victory. Curtis Towns was an early second ahead of Steven Sturdevant, but Sturdevant slipped past Towns for second on Lap 6. Towns surrendered third to Sport Compact graduate Brad Martin on the 12th circuit, and Martin put the moves on Sturdevant for second on Lap 20. Rea managed to hold off Martin, and Sturdevant ended up third. Towns and past champion Jake Mayden had a back and forth battle for fourth with Towns getting the edge at the checkered flag. Mark Carrell ended up sixth, followed by Paul Culp, Jeremy Martin, Ricky Ashley and John Player.

Mayden was the quickest of 11 qualifiers at 15.429, beating the 15.462 of Brad Martin. The eight lap heat race wins went to Chad Groves and Sturdevant with four lap Trophy Dash honors going to Carrell.

Camden Robustelli drove the TJ Winningham owned entry to the victory in the 25 lap Todd's Auto Body Limited Sprint Main Event. Tim Minter jumped into the early lead ahead of Brandon Governer, but Robustelli bolted past Governer for second on the fourth lap. Two laps later, Robustelli put the moves on Minter to take the lead. Minter saw his run up front come to an abrupt end on Lap 9. Robustelli continued to lead as David Marble moved into second ahead of Governer, and that's the way they finished. Axel Oudman finished fourth ahead of Donny Waddell, Mike Griffith, Austin Sause, Minter and past champion Shane Forte. Robustelli set the fast time of 13.486, beating the 14.407 of Marble. Robustelli completed his clean sweep effort with eight lap heat race and four lap Trophy Dash honors.

Jason Johnson won the 25 lap Late Model Main Event. A short field of four competitors were in action. BJ Donofrio led just two laps before Johnson went racing by for the lead. Johnson won with Donofrio not too far behind in second as Randy Barley and Rob Williams completed the finishing order. Bryan Norton set the fast time of 14.992 ahead of the 15.207 of Johnson. However, Norton scratched prior to the four lap Trophy Dash, which was won by Barley. Johnson picked up eight lap heat race honors.

Reigning Southern Oregon Speedway champion Matt Sanders won the 25 lap Royalty Core IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Ray Comer paced three circuits before Matt Sanders went charging by. Justin Ryker was an early third, but he had problems on the ninth lap. Dustin Comer was third at that point and took second from Ray Comer on the 10th lap. Ray Comer regained second on Lap 16, and moments after taking the second position back on the lap 20, Dustin Comer saw his race come to an unfortunate end. Matt Sanders led Ray Comer at that point, but Isaac Sanders moved into second on Lap 22. Matt Sanders won ahead of Isaac Sanders, Californian Jason Ferguson, Brandon Norton, Garrett Craig, Street Stock graduate Michael Hollingsworth, Kevin Wilson, Daniel Ray, Kasi Comer and Dustin Comer. Ray Comer had crossed the line in third, but he was disqualified in post race tech.

Isaac Sanders was the quickest of 14 drivers in qualifying with a lap of 15.463, beating the 15.535 of Ray Comer. The eight lap heat race wins went to Ray Bloom and Ray Comer. Ryker got the win in the four lap Trophy Dash.

Racing resumes this Saturday night with the IMCA Modifieds back in action along with the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Todd's Auto Body Limited Sprints and the IMCA Sport Compacts. For further information, go to www.cottagegrovespeedway.com.

Simmons, Perry, Goetz, McMillan 

Open Diamond Mountain Speedway Season With Wins

Susanville CA...March 26...Reigning champion Riley Simmons won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Diamond Mountain Speedway. This was the season opener for the track, and 16 Modifieds came to do battle. Simmons drew the pole and picked up the win ahead of past champion Chris Nieman, Oregon star Jeffrey Hudson, Gene Kay and Scott Foreman. Simmons and Hudson picked up the eight lap heat race wins.

Reigning Siskiyou Golden Speedway champion Ryan Peery picked up the win in the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Peery shared the front row with Tyler Rodgers, and they drove to the one-two finish. Cole Olexiewicz finished third ahead of Jimmy Ray Huffmon and reigning champion Richard Longacre. There were 13 drivers in action, and Rodgers and Peery picked up the eight lap heat race wins.

Royce Goetz won the 20 lap Street Stock Main Event. Goetz had to maneuver from the third row, but he picked up the win ahead of fourth row starters Aaron Flournoy and Carl Barlow as Steve Gordon and Rocky Goetz completed the Top 5. Despite the fact that the track launched a new IMCA Stock Car class, there were still 23 Street Stock competitors with the eight lap heat race wins going to reigning champion Randy Boyd, Craig Nieman and Rocky Goetz. 

Rusty McMillan won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. McMillan bested a nine car field to win ahead of Late Model veteran Jesse Gonzalez, past Stock Car champion Richard Longacre, Terry Kennemore and Mickey Bouchat.

Joe Frock won the 20 lap Nevada Dwarf Car Main Event. He started on the pole and picked up the win ahead of Dan Geil, Isaak Geil, Glen Sciarani and Chris Cristiano. Isaac Geil and Frock picked up the eight lap heat race wins. 

Multi time Orland Raceway champion Tom Davis won the 13 car, 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event. Davis shared the front row with second place finisher Travis Showe as Anthony Hovland, Nick Boucher and Jeff Tuttle completed the Top 5. Davis and Showe picked up the eight lap heat race wins.

Racing continues on April 8th with IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, Street Stocks and Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.dmspeedway.com.

Winchel, Romero, Hammond, Darter Win 

At Stockton 99 Speedway

Stockton, CA...March 26...Cody Winchel won the 35 lap Legends of the Pacific Main Event Saturday night at Stockton 99 Speedway. The group was kicking off their season, and Winchel was part of a three-car battle for the lead late in the race.

Sean Hingorani took the lead from Brendan Ruzbarsky on the second lap as Winchel ran third. The lead trio had a good battle up front as Ethan Nascimento took fourth from Brandon White on the eighth circuit. On Lap 25, Winchel made his way past Ruzbarsky for second, and he stalked Hingorani. On Lap 32, Winchell made his winning move into the lead with Ruzbarsky following into second. Winchel won a very close battle with Ruzbarsky to the line to grab the glory. Hingorani ended up third, followed closely by Nascimento, Cameron Austin, Brandon White, Dustin Tilbury, Kevin Travels, Josh Fleming and Logan Chambers.

The Legends of the Pacific had a stellar 35 car turnout, and Hingorani turned the quarter-mile paved oval at 15.050 for fast time, barely beating the 15.054 of Ruzbarsky. Nascimento was third quick at 15.080. The eight lap heat race wins went to Tyler Batzianis, Jordan Paiment, Carlee Austin and Kenna Mitchell. Winchel scored the win in the eight lap final heat. 

They ran a 15 lap B Main with Kayci Phillips scoring the victory. JK Kinney took the early lead with Phillips moving into second on Lap 3. Phillips slipped past Kinney for the lead on Lap 7 with Paiment moving into second. Clayton Travels started battling Paiment for second and grabbed the position on Lap 13. However, Paiment made a last lap maneuver to regain the runnerup position as Kayci Phillips won ahead of Paiment, Clayton Travels, Aiden Phillips and Wyatt Sansom.

Jason Romero won the 50 lap Late Model Main Event. This was still a preseason, non-point affair. Ross Strmiska jumped into the lead at the start ahead of JoJo Stearns and Jason Gilbert. Romero lined up in the third row and was fourth early on. Gilbert got past Stearns for second on Lap 16 with Romero gaining third a lap later. Romero and Blaine Rocha both swept past Gilbert on Lap 29, and Romero put the moves on Strmiska for the lead on the 31st circuit. Rocha followed closely into second. However, Romero hit the afterburners and beat Rocha by about a straightaway to the checkered flag. Strmiska settled for third ahead of Mike Regelman, Gilbert, Kyle Gotula, Stearns and Justin Philpott.

Rob Hammond won the 20 lap NCMA Sprint Car Main Event. He started on the pole and would go on to lead the entire distance. Mark Amador was an early second with Jerry Kobza moving into third on the second lap. Kobza swept past Amador for second, but his race came to an unfortunate end on the seventh circuit. Hammond led Pat Goodwill and Amador at that point, and they finished that in that order as David Burchett and Kobza completed the finishing order.

Donnie Darter won the 20 lap Bomber Main Event. Darter is also a past Street Stock competitor. Brandon Deide led the first two laps before Darter went motoring by. Joe Reichmuth followed into second as Deide still ran third. Fourth place Troy Walz ended up being lapped, and Reichmuth fell out with two laps remaining. Darter won just ahead of Reichmuth as Walz settled for third ahead of Deide, Robert Arndt and Nicholas Mello.

Austin Carter won the Super Modified vs Sprint Car 15 lap Main Event. Carter was driving a Sprint Car. He led all the way for the win with the Super Modified of Mike Sargent finishing 2/3 of a lap behind him. The Sprint Car of Adam Carter was right behind Sargent as Fred Guthmiller finished fourth in a Super Modified. The Super Modified of Art McCarthy Jr failed to start.

Ethan Rumsey won the 20 lap Basically Four Cylinder Main Event. Dave Keller led a lap before having problems as past champion Josh Cross took over ahead of Rumsey. Cross saw his race come to an unfortunate end on the eighth lap with Rumsey now leading Rod Previtali and Michael Hill. Hill slipped past Previtali for second on Lap 13. Rumsey beat Hill by about a straightaway with Previtali a solid third ahead of Cross, Keller and Scottie Crawford.

The pavement track roars back to life again on April 9th with the Championship Season Opener for the Stockton Late Models, Bombers, Basically Four Cylinders, Junior Basically 4 Cylinders and California Hardtops. The dirt track at the fairgrounds will be hosting the Third Annual Asparagus Cup this Saturday night. The NARC Fujitsu Winged 410 Sprint Car Series will be an action along with the NorCal Dwarf Cars and a special appearance from the Legends of Kearney Bowl Super Modifieds. For further information, to go to www.stockton99.com.

Sanders Opens Sprint Car Challenge Tour Season With Win

Placerville, CA...March 26...Justin Sanders won the 35 lap Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour, Presented by Abreu Vineyards, Main Event Saturday night at Placerville Speedway. This was the first race of the season for the group as the quarter-mile clay oval was running their Spring Fever Frenzee Event. Sanders was piloting the Thompson's Auto Group/Smith TI sponsored Sprinter.

Willie Croft had the pole and jumped into the lead at the start, followed by Shane Golobic and Isaiah Vasquez. Sanders moved in to battle Vasquez for third, grabbing the position on the eighth circuit. Vasquez briefly regained the spot on Lap 9 before surrendering it back to Sanders. Meanwhile, Golobic slipped past Croft for the lead on the 12th circuit. Vasquez made a big move around both Croft and Sanders for second on Lap 15. Sanders moved into third on the 18th lap and took second from Vasquez on Lap 24. Sanders moved in to challenge Golobic, making what proved to be his winning pass on Lap 26. Vasquez surrendered third to many-time Chico champion Sean Becker on Lap 30. Sanders picked up the win ahead of Golobic, Becker, Blake Carrick, Vasquez, Shane Hopkins, Logan Forler, Croft, Steven Ingraham and Michael Faccinto.

They ran the 51 car field in five separate qualifying groups, and Croft came out with the third group to set the fast time of 10.534, beating the 10.643 of Becker, who was in the first group. Young Max Mitttry was in the third group and had third quick time of 10.659. The 10 lap heat race wins went to Sanders, Mittry, Kalib Henry and Blake Carrick. Croft set himself up for the pole in the Main Event by winning the six lap Trophy Dash ahead of Golobic.

Steven Ingraham won the 15 lap B Main. He jumped into the lead at the start and proceeded to lead every lap in victory. Michael Sellers ran second for two laps before being passed by Colby Johnson, who would finish there. Joel Myers Jr was running an early third, but he briefly lost the position to Ashlyn Rodriguez, who started back in the seventh row. Myers regained third for good on Lap 10, and Rodriguez fell out a few laps later. Ingraham won ahead of Johnson, Myers, Steven Tiner and Michael Ing.

Landon Brooks won the first of two 12 laps C Mains ahead of Dylan Bloomfield and Casey Schmitz. Joey Ancona won the second 12 lap C Main. Reigning Series champion Ryan Robinson led the first 10 laps before Ancona got by on Lap 11 to win. Robinson settled for second ahead of Ryan Rocha.

Jake Andreotti won the 20 lap BCRA/USAC Western Midget Main Event. Andreotti started on the pole with fellow front row starter Michael Faccinto following him into second. The lead duo ran closely the entire distance with Andreotti prevailing at the checkered flag. Ben Worth ran third for two laps before Shane Golobic went motoring by. Fourth row starter and Lightning Sprint competitor AJ Bender settled into fourth on Lap 13 and put the moves on Golobic for third on the 18th circuit. Andreotti went on to victory ahead of Faccinto, Bender, Golobic, Shannon McQueen, Austin Liggett, Dylan Bloomfield, reigning USAC and WMR Midgets champion Blake Bower, Travis Buckley and Ben Wiesz.

There was a solid 23 car Midget turnout for this show, and Golobic bested them all in qualifying with a lap of 11.663, beating the 11.747 of Worth and the 11.755 of McQueen. They ran three 10 lap heat races with wins going to Golobic, Andreotti and Liggett.

AJ Bender won the 20 lap BCRA Lightning Sprint Main Event. The Southern California competitor led from the outset ahead of Harlee Aguilera and Matt Land. Land took second from Aguilera on the sixth lap with Brandon Leedy getting third on Lap 11. Unfortunately, Leedy saw his race come to an end on Lap 16, giving Aguilera back the position. Bender beat Land by half a straightaway with Aguilera a close third, followed by Hunter Kinney, Tim Kinser, Gage Meyers, Jordan Meyer, Leedy, Cody Meyers and Rick Holbrook. Land was the quickest of 14 qualifiers with a lap of 11.906, beating the 12.150 of Bender. The eight lap heat race wins were earned by Aguilera and Leedy.

This Saturday night, there's plenty of Sprint Car excitement in the air with the Thompson Auto Group Winged 360 Sprint Cars in action along with the Hunt Wingless Sprint Car Series, the local Pure Stocks and Mini Trucks. For further information, go to www.placervillespeedway.com. You can keep up with the happenings of the Sprint Car Challenge Tour at www.sprintcarchallenstour.com or monitor the Midget groups at www.bcraracing.com and www.usacsacracing.com.

 

 

Super Stocks Return To Antioch Speedway

Antioch, CA...News was dire for the Super Stock class last season when one night saw just four competitors show up to race and drivers were told that the division's days were numbered. Some teams even decided to sell their cars. One driver was Lori Brown, who enjoyed running in the class and is a one-time champion. Some of the drivers who could support the show just tuned out at a certain point or towed down the road, so management made good on the threat and didn't book them initially on the 2022 schedule. 

However, two things changed. Drivers got together to map out a game plan that enabled them to get a limited championship schedule together. This was led by Jim Freethy. The other thing that changed was management's outlook on the division. 

They realized that if they could still get a half a dozen to a dozen cars out of this class, it would help them on certain nights. Having 35 race dates to fill can be a challenge, and some people enjoyed watching these throwback cars to the Late Models of the 1980s and early 1990s.

Saturday night will be their first race, and they will be back the following Saturday. We have to go back to 2000 when this division was first added. Then Promoter John Soares wanted Late Model racing, but he couldn't make an agreement with his father, who had Late Models at Petaluma. 

What he decided was there were older Late Model chassis that last competed at Antioch in 1993, and they might be able to get enough of those cars to start what he called Super Stocks. An enthusiastic Ron Brown, the inaugural champion, set about finding older cars and getting them to people who wanted to run them. 

The initial roster included such competitors as Brown, David Rosa, Jerry Harless, Chester Kniss, Dusty Green, Mike Gustafson, Brandi Ford, Clay Twigg and George Connor, to name a few. The car counts started off a little bit slow for the first few years, but there was interest in this class from both Watsonville and Chowchilla. 

Within a few years, Antioch was getting double digit car counts as other competitors like Jeremy Petrell, John Asher, Jeff Silva and Ty Duggins got involved. There was also the George Steitz sponsored series between Watsonville, Chowchilla and Antioch. 

Within four years, the division went putting car counts in the high teens on the track, and it ran that way for a few years before numbers started to decline. Ron Brown won a pair of championships, and his wife Lori was also a title winner. Gustafson picked up a couple of championships, and Duggins, Asher and Silva also wrote their names into the record books as  champions as well. The record will show that nobody has won more Main Events in this class than Gustafson, who still has a car.

At a certain point, car count dwindled and management made the decision to merge the bigger Street Stock division with the fledgling Super Stocks. It was hoped that it would breathe new life into the efforts. Unfortunately, many of the Street Stock drivers parked, and it was still an eight to ten cars field by 2010. That began the era of Larry Damitz, who won five championships in a seven year span, finishing second to Mitch Machado in 2010 and Jim Freethy in 2013. Damitz also racked up a pair of titles at Merced

At times, the division was able to get double digits. We weren't just looking at old style Late Models. This was the Street Stock division as it had evolved at several tracks. Hobby Stock ace Kimo Oreta joined the fray as did Mark Garner. Oreta picked up a pair of titles and Garner got one. The last solid year for the class was 2020 when longtime racer Mike Walko won his first championship in a nearly 40 year career. Walko will be another drver anticipated Saturday night.

Having a Super Stock division on the roster at Antioch gives the fans a glimpse of the Late Model style of racing without the Late Model budget. It also opens the door to the possibility of special big races that might bring drivers from Petaluma or elsewhere. It gives the drivers who still have cars an opportunity to race. Under normal circumstances, a division would just be dropped and all of those drivers would be left with cars that they may not even be able to sell.

Some of the drivers anticipated along with Freethy, Gustafson and Walko include Chad Hammer, Joey Ridgeway, Michael Burch and Ryan Cherezian. The Super Stocks will be part of Saturday's show that will also include the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stocks. It's sure to be an exciting night of racing, and it will be interesting to see how things go. For further information, go to www.antiohspeedway.com.

 

The Editor's Viewpoint

This column has always been a bit of a problem for me. When it became part of the blog, the issue was I kept throwing everything at it. It became a real pain in the rear end to edit because it takes so much longer. When it was in the printed magazine, I only had so much space to give it. The basic problem at that point was whether I said something that might get me disinvicted from the pits. I think the column helped gain me popularity, but it became stressful after a few years.

What I want to do now is streamline this blog. This column must be more succinct. I think less is more. My sphere of interest this weekend is basically the four tracks, Antioch, Petaluma, Watsonville and Merced. I'll spare you my rants about how stressful it was to get the souvenir program together or my Monday without a functional internet and how it put me behind schedule. Whatever. I've gotten used to these kinds of things, but I'm trying to handle them in a better way now.

An interesting thing at Watsonville that I've noticed is that the Sprint Car class is getting stronger. I can't help but think they are benefiting from the fact that Chico isn't running a full schedule. They do have a strong Bay Area interest, but the guys from up north are more willing to come down and race as well. 

The Sport Modifieds aren't getting paid very well, or so the complaints go. The interesting thing about that is they're still getting car counts in the teens most nights, despite the purse. I think the racers like running on that track, and they are the second strongest car count at the speedway.

There can be no doubt that the Sprint Cars headline Watsonville because of the car count, not just the speed. Everything else kind of goes along on its own course, hovering around a dozen cars. The Modifieds still haven't hit double digits in two races, which is disappointing. We've been talking about gas prices and how that's going to negatively impact the car count. They still get an interesting race out of the Modifieds, and it's nice to see the Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks living up to their end of the bargain.

It's easy to slag on John Prentice as a guy who apparently doesn't care about Stock Cars. His track record sort of speaks for itself. I'll sing his praises all day for bringing the Sprint Cars in there, because I think Rick Farren should have done it when he closed San Jose Speedway. However, people who criticize John over his lack of interest in Stock Cars have a valid point. He's done precious little to change that attitude, and many of the times that big things happen there for the stock car classes, it's somebody else doing the legwork for him. I'm still grateful he keeps the gates open.

The impression I get from the other promoters is that John is one of those guys who gets relegated to the little kid table. It just seems that way to me. I don't know if anybody spoke with him about doing a series from another track with him. He did bring a couple of different things to his schedule. I think the Bay Area promoters should have aligned and done something after Doug Lockwood went another way with Speedweek and made it about The Valley. There isn't much that can be said here.

We can talk about track unity until the cows come home, but the bottom line is promoters will work with the people that they benefit from. What Doug did was clever in moving Speedweek and renaming it. Doing Merced, Bakersfield, Tulare and Hanford is smart because Merced gets a lot of support from further south of them. The Merced drivers will go down south as well. 

The Bay Area tracks aren't included, but Doug understands that he'll get those cars. Any Bay Area track trying to book against him will suffer. That's just reality. Sometimes a promoter has to book a date not because they're working with another track but because they'll get hurt on car count if they dare challenge it.

I'd like to see Merced work a little bit more with the Bay Area tracks, but the alliance between Lockwood and Scott Schweitzer makes perfect sense to me. It helps when they try to run something like the Jerry Shannon Memorial and get 40 IMCA Modifieds like last week. The other tracks did avoid booking on top of Merced, who also pulled in 24 IMCA Sport Modifieds and 18 IMCA Stock Cars. You're not going to beat them, so just book another night and let the guys who want to travel go there.

I like that they made this a $5,000 to win race. Well, I kind of do. Promoters would be justified in not going too big on some purses because of the economic situation we're in. Tighten the belt. When the Miller Brothers brought the Al Miller Memorial to Merced Speedway, that gave the Sport Modifieds $5,000 to win. That race is coming up shortly. The Modifieds were getting $2,000 to win, but the Shannon family decided to make the race for Jerry that much bigger. It became $5,000 to win, and the Hobby Stock race on Al Miller Memorial race night is now $2,000 to win.

One of the things I like about what Doug is doing at Merced is he's not trying to run a 30-plus race schedule, because he knows there will be too many duds if he does that. He's concentrating on making each event as special as he can and not running as many. Therefore, you're probably going to hear more about big car counts at Merced than most of the other tracks in California. I'm not sure how attendance was, but the pits looked good. They also had some good racing all the way around, and that's what it's all about.

I'm still waiting to consult with Doug in regards to the potential Hall of Fame night, which would take place in August if I'm not mistaken. I've been lobbying for a night like this for quite some time. Doug Williams added Legends Night back in 2013, and that meant some familiar old faces were back for an appearance. 

They never quite turned the corner and made this a Hall of Fame night, but Doug approached me in December about doing something. I think we could get something up and running this year that would be pretty nice for the track. Coming up with a list of first round Hall of Famers will be a snap for that place as the names are pretty obvious to people who have been observing.

Merced Speedway wasn't the only track having a bonanza last Saturday. Petaluma Speedway had a bonifide Bonanza, and I'm happy for Rick Faeth. Just a few years ago, that place was firing on all eight cylinders. They had consistently good crowds and car counts. I think track conditions began to get away from them, and then the pandemic hit. Rick didn't take that lying down. Thanks to some help from multiple sources, they reworked the facility and the racing surface itself. What I have heard suggests the people were very happy with the track they got to compete on.

They had the Hunt Wingless Sprints and the Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series, which definitely packed a nice one-two punch. They were a few cars short of 40 Sprints, and you're not going to get a bigger Spec Sprint turnout anywhere in the state. The Tri State Pro Stocks delivered a solid 19 car field, which was nice to see. 

Even the Redwood Dwarf Cars delivered nearly two dozen, so the fans got to see a lot of cars racing under good track conditions. And yes, there were quite a few fans in the stands. I'll let the results article included in this post speak for itself, but it was a great night for Petaluma racing fans.

When I speak of alliances and talk about how well Bakersfield and Merced work together, I feel very strongly that the same can happen at Antioch Speedway and Petaluma Speedway. I'm a bit mystified as to why the two promoters can't sit down and hash out something where both places gain. Many of the divisions they have they share in common. Petaluma is getting into Hobby Stock racing and Antioch is trying to jump start their Super Stock class. 

The two tracks can help each other out here. Bottom line is these two tracks have worked well together through the years, because drivers don't have as big an issue going over the Benecia Bridge. It's not as long a tow there as it is to other venues. I'd love to see a Benecia Bridge Series. They could also have a multi-track series that included the Stockton Dirt Track, which isn't far off the beaten path. They could include Watsonville in this. I'm just thinking. 

A tri track holiday series could be brought back between Petaluma, Antioch and Watsonville very easily if the promoters had the will to do this, and it would be successful. Run IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. Petaluma doesn't have a Sport Modified show, but they could put one together if there was the will to do it.

Antioch Speedway has the hardest task when it comes to booking a schedule, and that's because there are some 35 races scheduled this year. To me, that's about 10 too many races. As the publicity person, it's my job to help put the word out for these shows as best I can. I already know that the IMCA Modified nights will do pretty well. That's a fan favorite show when you get both Modified divisions on the same card. It's a one-two punch. IMCA Stock Cars are gaining in popularity, and I believe Hobby Stocks and Wingless Spec Sprints sell tickets.

The Hobby Stocks had to anchor Saturday's show. It is of little doubt to me that the people came to see them. Very few people left until the Hobby Stocks finished their show at the end of the night. With two dozen cars, they delivered the goods. A pat on the back also goes to the Delta Dwarf Cars for the 20 cars they brought. There was some cooperation between tracks, and at least a half a dozen Watsonville based South Bay Dwarf Cars came to challenge the local Delta Dwarf Cars. Can't we get more of that?

There were at least four Petaluma Mini Stocks, and they were the ones at the front of the pack putting on the show. Again, this is my point. There was cooperation here. It wouldn't be hard to book something Petaluma or Antioch guys would go to if it was strategically booked. They could use as few or as many divisions to make something like that happen. 

I can see it, but I think a lot of people are sitting like vultures waiting for Petaluma Speedway to close. I think that's wrong thinking. I think you strike while the iron is hot, because Petaluma ain't done yet. Forming an alliance now could lead to good things in the long term.

I like seeing Mini Stocks at Antioch as an entry level class, and it looked like they gained a new local or two. This will grow. You just have to give it time. Antioch management is looking hard at California Sharp Mini Late Models with some Bay Area based teams wanting to break off from the Merced group to start something closer to home. The latest word is that management is in favor of this, so we could be hearing of new dates booked in the future.

Rumors of the demise of the Super Stock division have been greatly exaggerated. It looked like it was done, because they just weren't getting any cars last year. My understanding is that Jim Freethy and a few others got in a huddle and found a way to get the division added to the Antioch schedule. 

Here's my thinking on the matter. On certain nights, Antioch struggles to get cars because of their big schedule. If you can get 6 to 10 of these cars, add them. Fans want to see cars. If they are working with Petaluma, they might get more than that sometimes.

That's the other thing. I know there were hard feelings towards the Tri State Pro Stock Series, but there shouldn't be. Roy Bain works his ass off to put that thing together. There's too much common sense here. Run your track rules and we'll make it happen. Would you rather watch 10 cars here and 8 or 10 cars there and never have a shot at a big show? 

Antioch missed the boat by not booking a Tri State race this year. Bottom line. But the rumored attempt to book on top of a Tri State race was crazy, I told them that. They wisely backed off on Saturday and let Petaluma have what they had.

The good news is Antioch will get a look at the Super Stocks on Saturday, and I'd be surprised if they didn't bring at least a half a dozen cars. The roster is capable of 10, and Ron Brown and I were having that talk. What if some Hobby Stock guys wanted to run four barrels and challenge these guys? Sounds like some of the Roy Bain common sense plan to me. Get a few more cars If guys want to take that shot. You never know what can happen.

Ron and I talked about another thing that I found interesting. I've been thinking the same thing. What if we started a bone stock class and re-labeled the Hobby Stocks as Street Stocks? I kind of like the Hobby Stock name being left alone, since it's been around now for 26 years, but I see the merit in reviving the Street Stock name. You could just take the new division and call them Hobby Stocks, transferring the heritage over to them for those keeping records.

Some of the teams might detune their cars to run with the new class, and the top teams would welcome being able to do what they do. Ron didn't think too many of the teams that were out there now would do that. He figured most of the teams would stay with the newly re-labeled Street Stock class. 

There's good and bad with that idea. The bad is that you're getting some 20 odd Hobby Stocks every race. If you divide the car count, you're back into the teens again. On the other hand, if you can deliver double digits in a new Hobby Stock class and a new Street Stock division, it gives you more booking options.

We can't book a division much more than 16 or 17 times now without hurting it. When you're running 35 races, you need to do the math. You need more good divisions. By good I mean divisions that can give you a dozen cars. That's not good by old day's standards, but it is now. 

It gives you two decent divisions to work with. So, if you have another division available with a dozen cars, that's good. The track is going to try to get there with Super Stocks and maybe keep the California Sharp Mini Late Model division around as well.

I will clarify that I'm perfectly all right with leaving the Hobby Stock class with the bigger car count alone. They are probably going to get booked more than anybody at Antioch, so they are able to keep the numbers up respectively whenever they are booked, provided they're not booked on some big race elsewhere. 

If you were to split it up, you might start a new division that was at double digits relatively quickly, but there might be a negative impact on Street Stock car count. I want there to be the potential for B Mains in some divisions, and Antioch has that right now with Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Wingless Spec Sprints.

I will say I'm a bit frustrated with the situation regarding the Bay Area Hardtops. I've been saying that this thing is rudderless without the kind of leadership it needs. They splintered off from the California Hardtop Association from the Sacramento area. I'm not going to comment on the Northern California group, because they're handling their own business. I'm also not going to throw Dave Mackey under the bus. He meant well and he did the best he could. 

Dave's not always in California these days, so we have to take that into consideration as well. I had hoped somebody would take the reigns and become a leader here. Somebody who would step up and talk to the promoters on behalf of the group and might look around at area tracks such as Petaluma, Stockton and even Watsonville for dates. You don't need to book too many dates with these cars. 

However, there is no leadership booking dates or even making sure people are ready to go. Nothing is happening. The only thing that has happened is drivers from the Sportsman and Hardtop groups seem to be getting on one promoter about booking them incorrectly. That would be the Antioch promoter. The only thing that serves to do is irritate a promoter and make him not want to book them at all. 

I know some people didn't care about burning the Antioch bridge a few years back because John Soares is always everybody's favorite fall guy. Mike McCann mended the fences at Antioch in 2015, but it looks like those fences are becoming walls. Only one date remains on the schedule for the Hardtops in Antioch this year, and that's the Chet Thomson Memorial in October. 

It was my hope to get the guys in a huddle and find out what they wanted to do with this group and maybe do something bigger for Chet's race. However, I'm detecting hostility from these drivers towards Antioch. I think it's best to sit back and observe and let things fall where they will. 

I will warn these guys that if they're not careful, they're going to have cars they can't run anywhere except for maybe with the guys up north that they rebelled against in the first place. Whatever. Let it be what it is, but these guys could have been in a very good position at Antioch if they had gotten organized the right way. I wish them well, because I love these race cars.

I could go on about other tracks, but I'm not as well versed on what happened last week. I'm very pleased with the Winged Crate Sprints bringing 18 cars to Marysville. They are delivering the goods. When the Crate Sprints can do that, you can give the Winged 360 Sprint Cars a night off to go to Placerville and still give your fans a good Sprint Car show with the other guys. I think it was a good one-two-three punch that also included the Xtreme Limited Late Models with their first race and Hobby Stocks that delivered 26 cars.

Mike Slaney has gone all in on the Limited Late Models. He bought multiple cars and still finds new ones to buy to get other people involved. If this thing fails, it won't be because of his effort. 12 cars at Maryville was a respectable start, and we'll be getting a look at them at Antioch very soon. It gives the fans the Late Model style of racing. It is closer to the actual Late Models, but they don't run unlimited motors. Trying to keep that cost down as much as possible. 

Anyway, that's all for now, until next time...