First of all...
The DCRR Racing Media Books
Just A Kid From The Grandstands: My Time In Auto Racing
Stories of my time in auto racing from the beginning to 2003
Available on Lulu in Paperback And Hard Cover
And
Don's California Racing Recollections: Best Of The Blog And Beyond
Racing History, Stories, Statistics And Pictures
Available via print on demand at Lulu in Hard Cover or Paperback
Available via print on demand at Lulu in Hard Cover or Paperback
Disclaimer
For years
we've made a commitment to cover motorsports on the West Coast, and
we're very proud of our record. We always endeavor to give you the most
accurate information possible, but sometimes some details aren't
available to us when we go to press. Therefore, we want to remind you
that any finishes listed in the articles and stats posted on this page
are unofficial. As always, we refer you to each race track's webpage for
official results and point standings. Our goal is to cover racing to
the best of our ability, but we are an unofficial news source for the
tracks covered in each post. Thank you for reading and thank you for
your support.
If You Like Reading Our Articles
Support Us Via The Tip Jar
You can support us at Antspeed1@aol.com via PayPal
Also...
DCRR Racing Media And PR Consulting HERE
From the Grandstands By Ron Rodda HERE
Blakesley Sports Media HERE
Short Track Live HERE
DRC (Daren Ricks Campbell) Motorsports Media HERE
DCRR Racing Radio Racing Discussion
Backup Link HERE
Antioch Speedway Racing Discussion
Backup Link HERE
Whitley, Fraser, Friend, Wagner
Score Antioch Speedway Victories
Antioch,
CA...April 23...Daniel Whitley won the 20 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main
Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. Whitley was the top rookie in
the Hunt Wingless Sprint Series last year, and he was piloting the Ted
Finkenbinder owned Sprint Car. Teammate Jacob Tuttle was also in a
Finkenbinder car and finished third. The duo dedicated their finishes to
Ted, who is currently in the hospital.
Two-time
Watsonville champion Jimmy Christian started on the outside front row
and bolted into the lead when the green flag waved, followed by Tuttle.
As they exited the second turn a lap later, Whitley made the move around
Tuttle, and his momentum carried him past Christian by the time they
got to the end of the back straightaway. A red flag waved on Lap 5 as
Kaimi Moniz-Costa tangled with Bob Newberry on the backstretch with
Newberry rolling. The restart lap saw another yellow flag as Steve
Maionchi and Heath Holdsclaw got together. Another restart attempt was
called back after James East and Dan Gonderman got together for another
yellow flag. Whitley continued to lead Christian and Tuttle on the next
restart. A final yellow flag waved for Rick Panfili in Turn 4. Whitley
led Christian and Tuttle on the restart. Whitley set a rapid pace and
built his lead to about a straightaway over Christian by the time the
checkered flag flew. Tuttle ended up third, followed by Jarrett Soares,
Trey Walters, Shannon Newton, Zack Neeley, East, Tony Bernard and Jacob
Williams. There were 18 competitors, and the eight lap heat race wins
went to Tuttle, Christian and Whitley.
2019
champion Tommy Fraser won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event.
Nick Zapatero jumped into the lead at the start, followed by Fraser and
Mark Garner. They ran in that order and caught traffic as they
approached the midway point of the race. A Turn 4 tangle involving Chuck
Golden, Jason Ryan Jr, Brianna Troen and Nick Caughman Jr brought out
the only yellow flag of the race on Lap 9. Zapatero continued to lead
Fraser as previous winner KC Keller made a Turn 4 pass on Garner for
third. Zapatero was doing an amazing job of leading the way, but he
bobbled just a little bit in Turns 3 and 4 as they came around to take
the white flag. This opened the door for Fraser and Keller to both get
by. As they went into the final turn, Zapatero got caught up in an
accordion effect and ended up being spun as Fraser brought it home to
victory ahead of Keller, Andrew Pearce, Garner, Jonathan Hagio, Jacob
Mallet Jr, Fred Ryland, Ryan, Caughman and Chester Kniss. There were 22
competitors, and the eight lap heat race wins went to Keller, Fraser,
Tyler Browne and Matt Pitts.
Les
Friend won the 30 lap Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stock
Main Event. Friend returned to the action after finishing second to
Misty Welborn at the season opener. Welborn started on the pole and took
the early lead ahead of Jason Robles and Larry McKinzie Jr. Clarence
Holbrook moved into third on Lap 3, but he surrendered the position to
Friend two laps later. The leaders came up on slower traffic by the
ninth lap, and there was a bit of contact between Welborn and Robles.
Welborn ended up with a flat tire, and Friend went low in Turn 4 on Lap
10 to take the lead from Robles. Holbrook regained third on Lap 11.
Friend set a good pace, but the yellow flag waved for McKinzie and Chris
Long on Lap 18. Friend continued to lead the restart and Holbrook took
second from Robles. They ran that way until Robles made a Turn 2 pass on
Holbrook for second. Bobby Motts Jr quickly moved into third. Friend
pulled away to the victory ahead of Robles, Motts, Holbrook, Jeff
Bentancourt, Jared Baugh, Long, Grayson Baca, Jewel Crandall and Ken
Johns.
There
were 31 Hobby Stocks for the show, and the Top 5 finishers in each of
the eight lap heat races made it into the show. Wins in those races went
to Welborn, Robles, Holbrook and Jon Haney. They ran a pair of 10 lap B
Mains that transferred just the winners into the show. In the first
race. Gavin Griffiths led the first four laps before being passed by
Adam Kujala. Unfortunately, Kujala headed pitside one lap later. James
Graessle got the lead at that point and held off Jess Paladino and
Griffiths for the win. The second B Main saw just three starters with
Michaela Taylor winning ahead of Angela Brown and Judy Arth.
Point
leader Danny Wagner won the 20 lap Delta Dwarf Car Main Event. This was
his third win of the season. South Bay competitor Dan Zuger jumped into
the lead at the start ahead of David Michael Rosa. A yellow flag slowed
the pace on Lap 4. Zuger continued to lead the restart as Wagner made
an inside pass on the backstretch to gain second. A lap later, Wagner
motored past Zuger for the lead as Rosa followed him into second. A
yellow flag waved on Lap 9 for David Rosa on the backstretch, and Chance
Russell spun from third. Wagner led Devan Kammermann and David Michael
Rosa on the restart, but Sean Catucci moved into third on the 11th lap.
Wagner had to contend with the pressure of Kammermann for several laps,
but he started to pull away for the win. Kammermann settled for second,
followed by Catucci, Ellie Russo, David Michael Rosa, Toby Brown, Zuger,
Mario Marques, Joe LeDuc and Russell. Russell and Catucci won the eight
lap heat races.
Racing
takes a break this weekend as the Malicious Monster Truck Insanity Tour
has a Saturday night and Sunday afternoon visit. Racing will return on
May 7th with the IMCA Modifieds back in action along with the IMCA Sport
Modifieds and IMCA Stock Cars. There will be a Mother's Day Mini Van
race. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Malicious Monster Truck Insanity Tour
Comes To Antioch Speedway
Antioch,
CA...Antioch Speedway will be shifting gears this Saturday night with
the return of the Malicious Monster Truck Insanity Tour. Speedway
management was excited to book a visit from the popular Monster Truck
tour last year, and the result was a packed grandstand for the Saturday
night show. This weekend, there will be Saturday night and Sunday
afternoon shows.
The
Monster Trucks are a popular attraction everywhere they go. These high
horsepower, gargantuan vehicles can actually shake the ground. As big as
they are, these trucks can fly through the air, crushing everything
beneath them. There will be several cars sacrificed as victims to big
trucks.
The
Malicious Monster Truck Tour is the premiere group for this type of
entertainment on the West Coast. They tour from Washington throughout
California, and they always deliver a top-notch show. There will be
five trucks competing, headlined by the popular Rockstar and Identity
Theft vehicles. California Kid, the dragon themed Spitfire and Weekend
Warrior will also be in action.
The
Monster Trucks compete in multiple contests, to the delight of the
onlookers. The competitors are highly skilled in the ability to maneuver
these vehicles around the course. One wrong move can be the difference
between executing a textbook jump and ending up on your roof. Everytime
one of these trucks is on the track, all eyes are on them.
Throughout
the evening, rides will be available for the spectators. Identity Theft
The Ride and Skeltor have been fitted with multiple seats to give the
fans a glimpse of what it's like to ride in one of these gargantuan
machines.
Antioch
Speedway offers some of the best oval track racing you're going to find
anywhere on the dirt, but they are also endeavoring to bring the fans
other exciting forms of entertainment. The Monster Trucks never
disappoint, and it's a show you won't want to miss.
Ticket
prices on Saturday are adults $20, military $15, senior 60 and over $15
and children four through 12 $15. Children three and under are free.
Gates on Saturday open at 4:00 with the pit party at 5:00 and the show
starting at 7:00.
Sunday
ticket prices are the same as Saturday. Gates open at 12:00 with the
pit party starting at 12:30. The show starts at 2:00.
For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Laney, Velasquez, Ward, Rogers
Win At Bakersfield Speedway
Bakersfield,
CA...April 23...Cody Laney scored the win in the 30 lap IMCA Modified
Main Event Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway. Laney moved into the
lead during the last 10 laps of the race and set a course for victory
from there.
Ventura
Raceway champion Trevor Fitzgibbon had the pole and raced into the
early lead ahead of Troy Morris III and reigning champion Jerry Flippo.
Flippo moved into second on Lap 2 as Morris had problems. Austin Kiefer
quickly moved into the third position. Flippo had problems on Lap 11 to
end his race. Fitzgibbon continued to lead Kiefer and Ethan Dotson at
that point, but Laney got past Datson for third on Lap 14. At that
point, Fitzgibbon had problems as Kiefer gained the lead ahead of Laney
and Dotson. Laney began pressuring Kiefer and made his winning move on
Lap 22. Laney went on to victory from there ahead of Kiefer, Dotson,
Logan Drake, Michael Scruggs, Morris, Rob Sanders, Fitzgibbon and
Flippo. Eight lap heat race wins went to Laney and Flippo. Larry Wise
was a Main Event scratch.
Tommy
Velasquez III scored the victory in the 20 lap Southern California
Dwarf Car Main Event. Having traveled throughout California for the past
couple of seasons, Velasquez was instrumental in helping reform the
group. He jumped into the lead at the start ahead of Nick Velasquez and
Michael Tobiason. Tobiason slipped past Nick Velasquez for second on Lap
5, only to surrender the position back to Velasquez on the ninth lap.
Tobiason briefly lost third to Brandon Wiley, but he got back around on
Lap 10. David Teves was running in fourth, and he gained third on Lap 15
as Tobiason retired from the race. Tommy Velasquez III managed to hold
off the persistent Nick Velasquez for the win. Teves ended up third,
followed by Wiley, Jeff Brink, Mark Pollock, Joey Bohard, Daniel Peters,
Tommy Velasquez II and Justin Pennem.
There
were 23 cars with the 10 lap heat race wins going to Kobe Kerns, Tommy
Velasquez III, Nick Velasquez and Tobiason. Wesley Dyckman won the 10
lap B Main. Dyckman jumped into the lead at the start and led Demetri
Brown all the way for the 1-2 finish. Pennem was third.
Colby
Ward won the 20 lap American Stock Main Event. Mason Conway set the
early pace ahead of James Williams and Kimberly Brown. Ward moved into
third on Lap 6, and Williams led Ward past Conway on the 10th lap. Ward
put the moves on Williams for the lead on Lap 15 as Miranda Scott had
settled into third. Scott slipped past Williams for second on Lap 17. It
was a close battle to the end, but Ward beat Scott back to the line for
the hard fought victory. Williams settled for third, followed by Sunnie
Simkins, Conway, Trenton Millard, Nick Johnson, Jose Rosales, Tyler
Weeks and Brown. Simkins, Williams and Johnson picked up the eight lap
heat race wins.
Joe
Rogers Jr won the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. Brandon Wolford had the
pole and bolted into the early lead ahead of Jason Cook Jr and Rogers.
Rogers slipped past Cook for second on Lap 5 and set his sights on
Wolford. On the 16th lap, Rogers put the moves on Wolford to grab the
lead. Rogers went on to victory from there. Wolford had problems on the
final lap with Gene Glover ending up second, followed by Cook Jr and
William Vint. Brandon Wolford salvaged a fifth place finish, followed by
Lucy Falkenberg, Jason Cook Sr, David Wolford Jr, Joseph Goatcher and
Liam Myers. Eight lap heat race wins went to David Wolford Jr and
Brandon Wolford.
Scheduling
has been adjusted due to permit issues, and Bakersfield Speedway will
no longer be hosting the Central Valley Clash opener on May 2nd. After a
night of Outlaw Kart racing on May 7th, the big track returns to action
on May 14th with USAC/CRA Sprint Cars in action along with the
California Lightning Sprints, Hobby Stocks and NMRA TQ Midgets. For
further information, go to www.bakersfieldspeedway.com.
Forte, Rea, Sanders, Augustine Score Earth Day Celebration Wins At Cottage Grove Speedway
Cottage
Grove, Oregon...April 23...Shane Forte scored the victory in the 25 lap
Todd's Auto Body Limited Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Cottage
Grove Speedway. Outlaw Kart graduate Ryan Hirschbock led just one lap
before Forte went motoring by. Hirschbock surrendered second to Austin
Sause on the fourth lap. Forte set a good pace, but Sause wasn't too far
behind him as the duo ran to the 1-2 finish. Hirschbock settled for
third, followed by David Marble, Patrick Desbiens, Brandon Governer and
Tim Minter. Marble set the fast time of 12.817 on the quarter-mile clay
oval, beating the 12.955 of Forte. Governer picked up the win in the
eight lap heat race with Desbiens prevailing in the four lap Trophy
Dash.
Paul
Rea won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. He charged into the lead
at the start ahead of Ricky Ashley and past champion Jake Mayden. Mayden
drove past Ashley for second on the fourth lap. Jeffrey Hudson briefly
gained third on Lap 10, but his race came to an abrupt end moments
later. Rea continued to lead Mayden and Ashley at that point, but Aaron
Sheelar put the moves on Ashley for third on Lap 13. Mayden took the
lead from Ray on Lap 25, but he had problems a lap later with Rea back
in front ahead of Sheelar and Curtis Towns. That would be the order to
the finish as Rea won by about a straightaway ahead of Sheelar, Towns,
Mayden, Ashley, Ron Brewster, Jimmy Lipke, Hudson, Jake Ferguson and
John Player. Sheelar set the fast time of 14.792, beating the 14.837 of
Mayden. The eight lap heat race wins went to Ray and Hudson with Towns
claiming four lap Trophy Dash honors.
Isaac
Sanders won the 25 lap Royalty Core IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Ray
Comer had the pole and took the early lead ahead of Dustin Comer and
Dalton Bloom. Unfortunately, Bloom had problems for a Lap 10 yellow
flag. Dustin Comer took the lead from Ray Comer on the restart as Isaac
Sanders moved into the third. Sanders slipped past Ray Comer for second
on Lap 12 and put the moves on Dustin Comer for the lead two laps later.
Matt Sanders followed Isaac Sanders into second as Dustin Comer
maintained third. Isaac Sanders drove a flawless race and held off Matt
Sanders for the win. Dustin Comer settled for third, followed by Ray
Comer, Jordan Henry, Kevin Williamson, Ron Wilson, Daniel Ray, Ray Bloom
and Theron Trissell. Isaac Sanders was the quickest of 18 qualifiers
with a lap of 15.078, beating the 15.166 of Matt Sanders. The eight lap
heat race wins went to Dustin Comer, Wilson and Dalton Bloom. Dalton
Bloom also picked up the win in the four lap Trophy Dash.
Nathan
Augustine won the 30 lap Late Model Main Event. The past Southern
Oregon Speedway and Coos Bay Speedway champion ran second for a lap
before Rob Williams had problems. Augustine assumed the lead ahead of
Jason Johnson and Randy Barley at that point. Barley briefly took second
from Johnson on Lap 20 before surrendering the position back a lap
later. Augustine had his hands full holding off Johnson in the waning
laps, but he prevailed at the checkered flag. Barley was a solid third,
followed by reigning champion Mike Peters and Williams. Johnson set the
fast time of 15.137, beating the 15.374 of Williams. The eight lap heat
race win went to Johnson, while Barley claimed four lap Trophy Dash
honors.
This
weekend, it's the annual Spring Fling event, featuring the Winged 360
Sprint Cars and IMCA Modifieds on both nights. On Friday, the Street
Stocks will be competing. The Saturday night show will include the IMCA
Sport Modifieds and the IMCA Sport Compacts in the four-division
program. For further information, go to www.cottagegrovespeedway.com.
Terrell, Biscardi, Debem, Lodin Score
Petaluma Speedway Victories
Petaluma,
CA...April 23...Bradley Terrell won the 25 lap Wingless Spec Sprint
Main Event Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. Terrell made a move from
third to first in the final 10 laps to score the impressive win.
Nathan
Schank had the pole and charged into the lead at the start, followed by
Mark Hanson and reigning champion Nick Robfogel. Terrell was an early
fourth, but he slipped past Robfogel for third on Lap 8. On the 17th
lap, Hanson got past Schank for the lead. Terrell moved into second two
laps later, and he made his winning move around Hanson on Lap 21.
Terrell went on to victory from there with Hanson settling for second,
followed by Schank, Robfogel, previous winner Marcus Hardina, Zack
Albers, Clint Motta, Ethon Lanfri, Amber Fields and Zach Atcheson.
Terrell set the fast time of 15.029 on the 3/8 mile adobe oval, beating
the 15.088 of Hardina. Eight lap heat race wins went to Robfogel and
Hardina.
Past
South Bay Dwarf Car champion Mark Biscardi picked up the win in the 20
lap Redwood Dwarf Car Main Event. Marty Weisler set the early pace ahead
of Jimmy Damron and past champion John "Scooter" Gomes. South Bay
competitor Eric Weisler moved into third on the fourth lap and slipped
past Damron for second on Lap 6. Biscardi gained third on Lap 10 and
made a big move into the lead two laps later. Marty Weisler lost second
briefly to Eric Weisler on Lap 13, but he regained the position a lap
later. Biscardi went on to victory with Marty Weisler settling for
second ahead of Eric Weisler, Damron, Gomes, reigning champion Chad
Matthias, Carroll Mendenhall, Adam Freitas, Michael Williams and Kasey
Horat. Eight lap heat race wins went to Matthias, Eric Weisler, Gomes
and Biscardi as 23 drivers competed.
Reigning
champion Caleb Debem won the 20 lap 600 Micro Sprint Main Event. He
charged into the lead at the start ahead of Rob Brown and Paul Alonso.
Alonso saw his race come to an end after two laps as Anthony Soper
gained third. Soper began to challenge Brown for second as the race hit
the midway point. Soper slipped past Brown for the runner up spot on the
12th circuit. However, Debem had a good lead and won by half a
straightaway. Track officials docked Soper one position for a penalty
with Brown getting second ahead of Soper, Mendenhall, Sam Borland,
Savannah Brown, Jeromie Charon, Shiloh Borland, Trevor Rodriguez and
Alonso. Debem and Mendenhall picked up the six lap heat race wins.
Austin
Lodin scored the victory in the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. This was
his first career win. Randy Miramontez led a lap before Lodin went
motoring by. Antioch regular Dana Gardner followed into second, and
Miramontez surrendered third to Mike Lodin on Lap 6. Antioch regular Dan
Abitz got past Mike Lodin for third on the 10th circuit. Both Abitz and
Mike Lodin got past Gardner for second and third on Lap 18. However,
Austin Lodin brought it home to the satisfying win. Abitz settled for
second ahead of Miramontez, Mike Lodin, Gardner, Benito Gomez, Daisy
Eszler, Ryan Graham, Trevor Rodriguez and Tom Brown. Gardner and
Rodriguez won the eight lap heat races.
The
Wingless Spec Sprints return this Saturday night along with the IMCA
Modifieds, Redwood Dwarf Cars and Mini Stocks. For further information,
go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Wasina, Macedo, Law Grab Marysville Victories
Marysville,
CA...April 23...Michael Wasina won the 26 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car
Main Event Saturday night at Marysville Raceway. This was his first win,
and he led all the way in victory.
With
Wasina bolting into the lead at the start, Nick Larsen was an early
second ahead of Brian McGahan Jr. A red flag waved on Lap 3 for rookie
Dryver Dothagen in Turn 4. Wasina continued to lead Larsen and McGahan
on the restart with a yellow flag waving on Lap 5 for Dothage in turn 4.
Again, Wasina led the restart and McGahan slipped past Larsen for
second. A yellow flag waved on Lap 8 for Graysen Tenora in Turn 2.
Wasina set the pace on the restart ahead of McGahan and Larsen. However,
Larsen and McGahan tangled in Turn 1 for a yellow flag on Lap 14.
Wasina lead Brad Bumgarner and Casey Schmitz on the restart. Dennis
Scherer took third from Schmitz two laps later. A yellow flag waved on
Lap 23 as Bumgarner saw his race come to an end in Turn 3. Wasina led
Scherer and Schmitz on the restart, but Schmitz managed to move into
second before the final yellow flag waved for Bill Smith in Turn 4. This
set up a one lap overtime situation, but Wasina was not to be denied as
he kept his poise and collected the win. Schmitz settled for second
with Larsen rebounding for third, followed by Sherer, Koa Crane, Seth
Stanley, Kevin Lovell, Korey Lovell, McGahan and past the champion Mike
Monahan.
Schmitz
was the fastest of 22 qualifiers on the quarter-mile clay oval with a
lap of 12.817, beating the 12.993 of Bumgarner and the 13.050 of Larsen.
The eight lap heat race wins went to Crane, Sherer and McGahan.
Jeff
Macedo won the 20 lap Winged Crate Sprint Main Event. Misty Castleberry
led the opening lap ahead of Chase Madden, but Madden took over a lap
later. Britton Bock gained third on Lap 2 and slipped past Castleberry
for second on the fourth lap. A yellow flag waved on Lap 6 for Kelly
Hicks in Turn 4. Getting a restart proved to be challenging as Tyler
George had problems in Turn 1 for a quick yellow flag. The next attempt
saw a yellow flag wave for George in Turn 4. Yet another restart attempt
was botched when Brandon Dozier, Jason Ballantine and Mike Hall tangled
and Turn 4. Bock took the lead on the restart ahead of Mike Ballantine
and Castleberry. A yellow flag waved on Lap 8 for Kirk Miner, who
retired at that point. Two restart attempts were botched with Hicks out
before the next restart saw Mike Ballantine race into the lead. However,
Bock came back strong to regain first on the 12th lap with Ballantine
surrendering second to Castleberry on Lap 13. A yellow flag waved
moments later for Madden in Turn 4. Madden was out at that point. Bock
led Macedo and Mike Ballantine on the restart, and the final yellow flag
waved on Lap 15 for Castleberry in Turn 3. On the restart, Macedo put
the moves on Bock to take the lead. As Macedo led the way, Bock
surrendered second to Mike Ballantine on Lap 17. Macedo went on to
victory with Mike Ballantine enjoying one of his better efforts in
second. Bock settled for third, followed by reigning champion Brett
Youngman, Derek Droivold, reigning Hobby Stock champion Jacob Johnson,
Cameron Haney Jr, Castleberry, David Sims and Hall. Eight lap heat race
wins went to Jason Ballantine, Mike Ballantine and Bock.
Howard
Law won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Niles Strever led the
opening lap before a yellow flag waved for debris in Turn 4. The first
restart attempt was botched by a Sebastian Davis spin in Turn 4. Philip
Shelby received a black flag for rough driving. The next restart attempt
saw debris in Turn 2 cause yet another yellow flag. The next restart
attempt found Maurice Merrill taking the lead ahead of Law and Scott
Rogers. A Lap 5 yellow flag waved for Preston Hughes on the back
straightaway. The first restart attempt was botched by a Toby Merrifield
spin in Turn 4. On the next restart, Law took the lead from Merrill as
Zach Lindgren settled into third. The final yellow flag waved on Lap 13
for Dave Rogers in Turn 4. As Law maintained the lead on the restart,
Lindgren took second from Merrill. However, Law built a nearly
straightaway advantage over Lindgren in victory. Merrill ended up third,
followed by Kyle Cheney, Scott Rogers, Jesse Van Roekel, Joe Gillock,
Strever, Hughes and Jacob Bright. Eight lap heat race wins went to
Lindgren, Shelby and Hughes.
Next
up is a visit from the Malicious Monster Truck Insanity Tour with the
Tuff Trucks on May 6th and May 7th. For further information, go to www.marysvilleraceway.com.
Evans, Lemley, Schlotfeldt, Guffie, Anderson
Win At Deming Speedway
Evanson,
WA...April 23...Nick Evans won the 25 lap Northwest Focus Midget Main
Event Friday night at Deming Speedway. This was Max Higbee Center/Rallye
Auto Sales/Best Western Plus night at the races, and Evans bolted into
the lead at the start ahead of Jake Munn and Jesse Munn. Sawyer Lind was
an early fourth ahead of Nik Larson, but Larson surrendered fifth to
point leader Levi Harless on the fourth lap. Harless slipped past Lind
for fourth on Lap 11. Evans set a furious pace up front and beat Jake
Munn to the checkered flag by over half a straightaway in a race that
had no yellow flag slowdowns. Jesse Munn settled for third, followed by
Harless, Lind, Larson, Brian Holmkvist, Chuck Pierce, Jesse Geddes and
Kyle Hanson. Larson turned the 1/6 mile clay oval with a fast time of
11.943, beating the 12.020 of Evans. The eight lap heat race wins went
to Harless and Evans.
Brock
Lemley won the 25 lap Shots 2 Go Espresso 1200 Mini Sprint Main Event.
Lemley started on the pole and proceeded to lead every lap in victory.
Jared Gunderson was an early second ahead of point leader Derek
Holmwood, but Holmwood slipped past Gunderson for second on Lap 6.
Lemley made no mistakes and scored the win with Holmwood not far behind
him in second. Gunderson ended up third, followed by Steve Hendrickson,
Terry Lewis, Tyson Lemley, Seth Hespe, Frosty Metcalfe, Tyson Cross and
Alex Lewis. Brock Lemley was the quickest of 18 drivers in qualifying
with a lap of 10.785, beating the 10.820 of Holmwood. They ran three
eight lap heat races with the wins going to Alex Lewis, Holmwood and
Hendrickson.
Point
leader Jesse Schlotfeldt won the 25 lap Speed Mart 600 Micro Sprint
Main Event. He started on the pole and proceeded to lead all the way for
the win. Levi Kuntz jumped into second from the start ahead of Tristin
Thomas. Collin Mackey gained third on Lap 3, but his race came to an end
a lap later. Ryley Mayer got third at that point. Schlotfeldt ran a
smooth race and picked up the win ahead of Kuntz with Mayer a solid
third, followed by Parker Hadlock, Macie Logsdon, Rachel Westmoreland,
Jaden Whitney, Spencer Constance, Jared Alseth and Travis Hart. Kuntz
was the quickest of 16 qualifiers with a lap of 10.732, beating the
10.783 of Thomas. The eight lap heat race wins went to Schlotfeldt and
Mayer.
Carson
Guffie won the 25 lap mytrafficman.net 600 Restricted Sprint Main
Event. Continuing the trend for the night, he started on the pole and
led every lap in victory. Peyton Drake was second from the start ahead
of Ryan Bright, but Levi Hillier slipped past Bright for third on Lap 5.
Drake gave Guffie plenty of pressure, but Guffie prevailed in the end.
Hillier settled for third ahead of Kane Van Sickle, Corbin Ramsey, point
leader Mallory Fisher, David Greene, Bright, Fairah Lee and Jailyn
Serrano.
Hillier
was the quickest of 24 qualifiers with the lap of 11.332, beating the
11.505 of Van Sickle. The eight lap heat race wins went to Hunter Cook,
Hillier, Serrano and Guffie. Fairah Lee won the 10 lap B Main. She went
flag to flag for the win with Karna Fagerlie a race-long second ahead of
Dean Lehmann.
Cooper
Anderson won the 20 lap Clean Crawls Junior Sprint Main Event. Sawyer
Baxter started on the pole but encountered a problem on the opening lap.
Anderson took the lead on the restart ahead of McKenna Morgan and
Bishop Brothers. Brothers had a good run going in third until his race
came to an unfortunate and on Lap 11. This moved the resurgent Sawyer
Baxter into third on the restart. Anderson won by about a straightaway
ahead of Morgan with Sawyer Baxter a solid third, followed by Kinley
Askvig, Ryan Cannon, Oliver Baxter, James Hayashi, Madi Hoppe, Hudson
Johnson and Brothers. Morgan was the quickest of 17 qualifiers with a
lap of 13.417, beating the 13.457 of Anderson. Chase Whitney, Sawyer
Baxter and Hayashi picked up the heat race wins.
Racing
resumes this Friday night with Judd and Black Appliance/Pacific Coast
Auto Center night, featuring the Shots 2 Go Espresso 1200 Mini Sprints,
Speed Mart 600 Micro Sprints, mytrafficman.net 600 Restricted Sprints,
Clean Crawls Junior Sprints and the Dwarf Cars. For further information,
go to www.demingspeedway.com.
Bernal Wins Sprint Car Challenge Tour Race
At Merced Speedway
Merced,
CA...April 23...Ryan Bernal scored the victory in the 35 lap Elk Grove
Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour, presented by Abreu Vineyards, Main Event
Saturday night at Merced Speedway. Burnal jumped into the lead from his
pole position start, followed by recent Watsonville winner Corey Day
and Andy Forsberg. Day was putting the pressure on Bernal as the race
hit the halfway point, and he made the move into the lead on Lap 22. Day
held the lead until his race ended on Lap 28. This put Bernal back in
front ahead of Forsberg and Colby Copeland, and they would finish in
that order. Tony Gomes ended up fourth, followed by Mitchell Faccinto,
Shane Golobic, Sean Becker, Justin Sanders, reigning champion Ryan
Robinson and Tim Kaeding.
There
were 52 drivers in action for this event, and they qualified in their
heat race groups. From the first group, Gomes was the overall fast
qualifier at 10.820, beating the 11.053 of Faccinto, who also ran with
the first group. The 10 lap heat race wins went to Faccinto, Copeland,
Forsberg, Becker and Keith Day Jr. Joey Ancona and Dylan Bloomfield won
the 10 lap C Mains, which transferred the Top 2 finishers into the B
Main. Bloomfield ran flag to flag in first in his race with past
Petaluma champion John Clark a race long second ahead of past Marysville
title winner Michael Ing. Likewise, Bloomfield led all the way to win
his race ahead of Steel Powell. Reigning Interstate Sprint Car Series
champion Camden Robustelli ended up third.
Robinson
won the 15 lap B Main, which would transfer the Top 4 finishers
directly into the feature race. Chase Majdic bolted into the lead at the
start ahead of Blake Carrick and Grant Duinkerken. Robinson moved into
second on Lap 6 and took the lead from Majdic two laps later. Carrick
was running third until being passed by Duinkerken on Lap 10. Robinson
got the win ahead of Majdic, Duinkerken, Carrick and JJ Ringo. To keep
up to date with all the happenings from the group, go to
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com.
Shane
Golobic won the 30 lap USAC Western States Midgets Main Event. Ryan
Bernal took the early lead ahead of Ben Worth, but Bernal saw his race
come to an end after six laps. Golobic motored into the lead on the Lap 7
restart with Worth still in second ahead of reigning series champion
Blake Bower. Austin Liggett moved into third on Lap 8. Michael Faccinto
took third from Liggett on Lap 19 and motored past Worth for second two
laps later. Golobic ran a consistent race and earned the victory ahead
of Faccinto, Worth, AJ Bender, Dawson Faria, Caeden Steele, Jake Hodges,
Travis Buckley, Brody Fuson and Danika Jo Parker.
Golobic
was the quickest of 19 qualifiers with a lap of 12.390, beating the
12.791 of Faccinto. 10 lap heat race wins went to Golobic, Faccinto and
Michael Snider. To keep up with all the latest happenings from the
group, go to www.usacracing.com.
Reigning
champion Domossie Scoggins won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event.
Scoggins led the opening lap before Bakersfield's Tate Loftis took over.
Ryan Hart settled into third at the start. Scoggins stayed with Loftis.
On the final lap, Scoggins executed his winning maneuver to steal the
victory away from Loftis. Timmy Crews ended up third, followed by Karl
Noland, Hart, Marcus Wankum, Chad Ragsdale, Lance Hurst, Darren Thomas
and John Tevis. Loftis, Scoggins and Hart won the eight lap heat races.
Next
up will be back to back Central California Clash races on May 6th and
May 7th, featuring The IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and IMCA
Stock Cars. For further information, go to www.mercedspeedway.net.
The Editor's Viewpoint
Every
time I write this column, I overdo it. I write too much. The goal to
keeping this blog going and including this column is to be succinct. I
want to make a few points, but I don't want to drag it on and on.
Antioch Speedway had a pretty successful night last Saturday. Tina told
me that it was largely due to the efforts I've been making. I'm kind of
shrugging.
Really?
I do what I can on social media, and I put the stories out there. I am
working on other things. However, there are other people working hard
out here as well. If I played a part in that, I'm proud. Part of the
reason I didn't walk away was because I figured there might be something
I could do to help this track before I leave the sport for good.
I
want to give an acknowledgment to Curtis Hardaway. People know him, but
they don't know how hard he really works behind the scenes. He makes a
lot of things happen that make Saturday night work. He's here during the
week fixing things that are broken.
As
we get to Friday, he gets the concession stands ready. He washes the
grandstands. He does a lot of stuff. He's not bragging or doing any of
that. If there's something he needs to do, he goes and does it. Then he
moves on to whatever needs his attention next. He's been doing this for a
decade, and he is definitely the MVP here.
There's
been a debate about whether we should have the pay-per-view or not. I
see both sides of it. My initial support of the idea of race tracks
doing this over a decade ago was the fact that you can create a fan base
that you don't have. That means, people who could be fans of your track
that couldn't get there, but they'll watch it online.
That
was something that popped into my head as I was watching the broadcast
at Ventura Raceway 12 years ago with my dad. It was pretty neat. I
started thinking. Could something like that be done at a race track to
create more revenue?
The
bottom line is you want to create more revenue at the race track. The
more money you have, the more bills can get paid. It's a job, so the
people investing in this deal should make money. A few of the people who
work and go a little bit above and beyond should also be compensated
for the extra energy they put into it.
Therefore,
if you get the dollars up, it's a good thing. If pay-per-view can get
you there, fine. We're almost out of the pandemic, but there's a sense
that we can get dragged back in. If we get to the point where fans
aren't allowed in the grandstands, having a quality pay-per-view that
people would want to spend money on becomes a good thing again. There
are many ways to look at this
Larry
Adams is the producer, and he's working hard to produce a better
quality product. It's a work in progress. There are rough edges, but
there are efforts to improve that. He was told if he could find the
money to invest in the broadcast, he could do it.
Larry
found a deal with Guitar Center that's going to bring some equipment
into this thing. There will be multiple camera angles. He's also going
to involve high school students who are trying to get credits towards
college as they pursue journalism careers. That's pretty good thinking,
and Guitar Center has a foundation for just that sort of thing.
One
of my concerns is the quality of announcing. I think there are things
that could be conveyed that are not being properly done. I'm not going
to get into all of that, and I'm not going to sit here and tell you I'm
the one to hire. Do I think I could do the job? I don't think I suck.
You
want to convey certain things about what the racing means towards the
overall picture. You want to acknowledge sponsorship and those types of
things. This doesn't just affect the pay-per-view, but what the crowd in
the grandstands that night sees and hears.
A
good announcer isn't the show, but they are the ketchup and mustard on
your burger, so to speak. There's room for improvement here, and I'll
leave it at that.
The
numbers we had in the grandstands were good. They compare well to the
season opener. By my way of thinking, they're not as good as they should
be. However, I learned in Medford that you have to learn to crawl
before you can walk. If 500 or 600 fans is good, then your first goal is
to keep that coming every week. You don't want it dropping lower than
that. When you can maintain that average, the next goal needs to be
trying to figure out what you can do to increase those numbers.
In
Medford, we took a majorly depleted attendance and doubled it from
around 350 people per race to 700 by the fourth year. We were on the
trajectory to get to four digits when the pandemic took away our fan
base and forced the promoter to put the key in the gate and leave.
I
could say a lot here, but it's a detailed observation that would take
more space than I want to take up here. The bottom line is the numbers
we have here didn't get there overnight. There were many factors, not
just one thing, that led to the numbers the track has had.
The
pandemic that disallowed any fans in 2020 did not help. Some would say
it wasn't wise to run as many races as they did, but the choices were
made and that's what happened. You get people trained to not come out
here, and then you have to reverse the trend. Get them to want to be
there and figure out how to do it. That's where I come in. I'm trying to
figure those things out.
So,
we had a good fan attendance, and there were 84 total cars. We had 31
Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stocks, and that was a positive.
We almost had enough for a B Main in the IMCA Sport Modifieds. There
were 22 cars, and what a finish it was as Tommy Fraser came on strong at
the end of snatch a win away from race long leader Nicholas Zapatero.
The
fans came out with a better turnout for this one and saw a good car
count and good racing. That can't help but assist you a little bit as
you try to increase the numbers going forward. Part of me wishes there
was another regular race to see if we could continue the momentum this
week.
.
What
we have with the Malicious Monster Truck Insanity Tour is a golden
opportunity. We should have a packed grandstand on Saturday. The plan is
to have some cars on display to hype up the fact that we're racing
again next week. I need to put together some copy for the announcer to
read to that audience throughout the night, letting them know that we
have racing again next Saturday.
Sure,
you're not going to get all 2000 or 3,000 people, whatever we get, to
come back next week. If you can convince a couple hundred of them, it's
still a positive. Any opportunity you have to put the word out and get
people, you take it. Plus, the show itself is a money making opportunity
for management at a time when they need it.
These
days, all the promoters are looking at different ways to get the fans.
The Malicious Monster Truck Tour puts on such a good show that promoters
are clamoring to get visits. They are on their way back up north for
another show next weekend. This means that the tour organizers are
working to make sure these vehicles are ready.
They
are trying to give the crowd the wow factor, but they're trying not to
punish their vehicles so much that there's major damage. They want to
keep the total of vehicles competing where it needs to be so they give
the fans a good show. That's work in itself, and I admire the job they
do. This particular tour is second to none on the West Coast.
The
weather was such that some places got rained out last week. We had rain
here, but it didn't really affect much. The crew did a good job, and we
didn't have a dust problem. That's a bonus. In my opinion, we should be
doing everything in our power to make sure there isn't a dust problem.
Sometimes
it feels like they don't really care about that, and I find that a
little bit troublesome. You're here to entertain the fans. The fans are
your customers, and they're paying their entertainment dollar to see
what you have to offer. I don't care if the IMCA Modified guys want
dusty tracks. If they were bringing a few thousand more dollars for
sure, in addition to what they pay to compete, then I might listen.
The
customer is always right. If they're complaining because of the dust
problem to the point where they're yelling loudly, "Put water on the
track," you've got a problem. They want to be comfortable, and if they
don't get that comfort for the entertainment dollar they spend with you,
they take that money someplace else.
You
better listen to them. You better keep the dust down. If you can find a
way to give the Modified drivers that dry track they find so precious,
while keeping the dust from blowing in the faces of your fans, do it.
Otherwise, keep that track hooked up, because empty grandstands don't
pay the bills.
Petaluma
Speedway and Merced Speedway both had to pump water off the track to
get it ready for Saturday. Yreka canceled last week. I believe
Placerville canceled as well, and Watsonville also went down for the
count. Yeah, April still brings showers, and showers lead to
cancellations. Don't worry, we're going to get to the warm weather soon
enough.
Merced
and Petaluma both went on as scheduled. Merced went on a little bit too
long and stretched past midnight, which is a bummer. When you're
getting 52 SCCT Sprint Cars, you want to stick the landing and leave the
people happy. I can't imagine the fans were too thrilled about leaving
the track as late as they did, so how much positive buzz did they get
from the night?
As
for Petaluma Speedway, everything delivered double digits, and that's a
positive. They nearly had enough Dwarf Cars for a B Main. Rick Faeth
has worked out a system pretty well. None of his regular divisions are
getting worked too hard, although the Spec Sprints seem to be running
more than most of them. That might affect their numbers in the long run
as they have just a tick over a dozen cars right now. That's not where
they were a few years ago, so if Rick isn't a little bit concerned, he
should be.
They
worked it out to give the fans four divisions and rotate things. I
would suppose the Spec Sprints and the Dwarf Cars might have been the
MVP of the night, but I don't know enough about the crowd to comment any
deeper than that. They did get a first-time winner in Austin Lodin in
the Mini Stocks, which is always nice to see.
I
found it interesting that Marysville Raceway went ahead and ran a
Winged 360 Sprint Car show opposite the SCCT race at Merced. In general,
tracks that participate in that series try not to run their class
against it. With the Crate Sprints delivering 18 cars on average these
days, you have an excuse to not run the 360s.
On
the other hand, when I look at the roster they had, I don't know how
many of those guys were going to tow to Merced anyways. So basically, if
you are giving the drivers the choice to tow down there to the race or
do nothing, most of those guys are going to do nothing. If you can give
them a local race and give the fans a little bit more, you do it. They
beat the weather, which is also a bonus.
I
was a little bit disappointed that the Central California Clash lost
Bakersfield Speedway. I guess they had an issue getting the approval for
running when they were scheduled, so the date got dropped. I felt like
part of the reason they went away from the Bay Area and Northern
California tracks was because Merced and Bakersfield were building this
alliance.
I
wonder if this might cause Doug Lockwood to reconsider the way he
booked things and get the Bay Area tracks involved again next year? It's
too soon to tell, but the loss of Bakersfield wasn't a positive. The
show will still go on at Hanford, Tulare and Merced and it will be
broadcast at Flo Racing. They also bumped the to win money from $600 to
$750 for the IMCA Stock Cars thanks to sponsorship.
Siskiyou
Golden Speedway in Yreka will have the Nicky Biehn Memorial IMCA
Modified series kickoff this Friday night. It seems like Kevin Barba has
been fortunate in that he's got a little Modified series happening for
$1,000 to win each race and a point fund. They meet the minimum criteria
of four races to get an IMCA championship out of it.
Plus,
they're doing the Jefferson State IMCA Sport Modified series between
themselves and Medford. I think it's a good thing for the Yreka track,
and hopefully they'll see their numbers increase as a result. It's not
easy running any track these days, so I wish Kevin the best.
I
look forward to watching Speed Union TV and it's Yreka broadcast. What I
like about what Roy Bain is doing is he's out there asking questions
and learning all the time. This is all new to him, but he has a
willingness to do better every week with his broadcast.
That's
the way he approached building the Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series
as well. I just have a lot of respect for the man because of how hard
he works at this. He's definitely approached it with the idea of making
things a little bit better, and what's not to like about that?
I
guess the Vintage Duels people in Grass Valley have come up with a new
name for the track, and they have some Outlaw Kart racing planned that
will begin on May 13th. Patrick Weger is going back to the older Grass
Valley track name, and he's calling it Empire Mine Speedway. I think a
lot of people would like to see Ernie Purcell Memorial Speedway back in
action again with the bigger track.
I
still think they ought to be trying to get to that goal eventually,
even if it might take a few years. The track they are on is a little bit
tight for the Dwarf Cars stuff that he would like to do there, but it
looks like they're developing a little bit of a Kart program. I'm
keeping an eye on things, because I still feel some racing is better
than none.
On that note, I'm wrapping this up so I can get something put together before I go to bed tonight. Until next time...
