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Chadwick, Fraser, Robles Win Mother's Day Celebration Night At Antioch Speedway
Antioch,
CA...May 7...Kellen Chadwick won the 20 lap IMCA Modified Main Event
Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. It was the second win of the season
for the 2006 track champion as he maintains his contention in the
championship battle. The night was also a celebration of mothers with
giveaways, Mother's Day ride alongs and a Mother's Day Mini Van race
also on the agenda.
With
an outside front row starting position, rookie Terry DeCarlo Jr was
hoping to make his presence known. Sean Wilson bolted into the early
lead before a yellow flag flew after one lap. DeCarlo took the lead on
the restart ahead of championship hopeful Bobby Motts Jr and point
leader Nick DeCarlo. Nick DeCarlo and Kellen Chadwick got past Motts on a
Lap 4 restart following a yellow for debris on the track. Eric
Berendsen spun on the frontstretch for a Lap 5 yellow flag. As Terry
DeCarlo Jr led the restart, Kellen Chadwick went past Nick DeCarlo for
second. Motts also gained third. The lead duo-caught traffic by the 10th
lap, but a yellow flag waved for Wilson and Jeffrey Partain in Turn 2
on Lap 10. Terry DeCarlo Jr led Chadwick and Motts on the restart, but
an inside pass on the backstretch on Lap 12 put Chadwick into the lead.
Chadwick began to stretch his lead to about a straightaway over DeCarlo
when a yellow flag waved on Lap 19. Running in the fourth position,
Berendsen momentarily lost control of his car and headed straight into
the front wall. He was uninjured, but he was out of the race. Chadwick
led Terry DeCarlo Jr and Motts on the restart, and they finished in that
order, followed by Trevor Clymens, Gary Hylton, Berendsen, Partain,
Kenneth Robles, Wilson and Nick DeCarlo. Nick DeCarlo and Chadwick
picked up eight lap heat race wins.
Tommy
Fraser won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. This was the
second-straight win for the 2019 champion. Dylan Connelly continues to
improve with each start, and he jumped into the early lead ahead of Jake
Bentancourt and Fraser. A low pass in Turn 4 of the third lap put
Fraser into second, and Kenny Shrader settled into third on the fifth
lap. A yellow flag waved for Nick Caughman Jr in Turn 4 on Lap 6.
Connelly continued to lead Fraser and Shrader on the restart. This was a
lengthy green flag run that saw the leaders catching slower traffic by
the 14th circuit. A slight bobble through Turns 3 and 4 by Connelly cost
him on Lap 16, and Fraser used his momentum on the inside to take the
lead down the front straightaway. The leaders were still in heavy
traffic, but Caughman was involved in a mishap in Turn 1 for a Lap 17
yellow flag. Fraser continued to lead the restart with Shrader now in
second ahead of Mark Garner. A yellow flag waved for an incident in Turn
4 on lap 18. Fraser continued to lead Shrader on the restart as Chester
Kniss got past Garner for third. Fraser went on to victory ahead of
Schrader, Kniss and Garner. Fred Ryland made a Turn 4 move around two
cars to get fifth as Andrew Pearce, Chuck Golden, Jason Ryan Jr,
Connelly and Jacob Mallet Jr completed the Top 10. There were 19
competitors, and eight lap heat race wins were earned by Fraser, Ryan
and Shrader.
Jason
Robles maintained his title contention in the IMCA Stock Cars with his
second 20 lap Main Event win. With an outside front row start, Andrew
Pearce took the early lead ahead of Robles and Kellen Chadwick. The
leaders had a lengthy green flag run with Robles trailing Pearce as the
duo pulled away. Reigning champion Travis Dutra went low in Turn 2:on
Lap 6 to grab third. As Dutra worked on reeling in the leaders, Robles
was pressuring Pearce. Unfortunately, Pearce veered into the infield off
the front straightaway on Lap 16 with mechanical issues. Robles had his
hands full with Dutra all the way to the end. However, Robles prevailed
ahead of Dutra, Chadwick, Jason Jennings, Jeff Bentancourt, Joe
Gallaher and Pearce. Pearce picked up the eight lap heat race win.
During
intermission, Hobby Stock drivers Angela Brown, James Graessle and
Gavin Griffiths gave ride alongs to six lucky mothers. The Mother's Day
Mini Van event saw three different races being won by Patricia Robles
over the Scooby-Doo themed Mystery Machine van of Kayte East. Several
sponsors saw to it that both ladies won some prize money.
Following
the Contra Costa County Fair Destruction Derby on Saturday night, oval
track racing returns on May 21st with a show that will include the
Wingless Spec Sprints, Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stocks,
IMCA Stock Cars and Delta Dwarf Cars. For further information, go www.antiochspeedway.com.
Destruction Derby Returns To Contra Costa County Fair On Saturday Night
Antioch,
CA...One of the yearly occasions that people have flocked to Antioch
Speedway to witness through the years is the Destruction Derby. At some
point during the Contra Costa County Fair, they have had a big Derby in
the main grandstand arena.
Up
until about the mid 1990s or so, the track would also have the
occasional Destruction Derby to end a racing program, but the County
Fair Derby was always something real special.
The
purses were always just a little bit bigger, and the competitors, who
traveled up and down the road together in some cases, would make it a
point to be at this Derby. Drivers with last names like Reyes, Doyle,
Cornwell, Palacious and Slaney enjoyed the spirit of competition.
They
took their efforts a little more seriously in the way they prepared
their cars. These were the guys you knew would be competing for the
money, and the local stars out for a few grins would usually be
eliminated in a few hits.
At
one time, we had the Dutch Holland Destruction Derby Tour. They
traveled to some of these big County Fairs and promoted other big
events. They kept points and Joe Reyes Sr was a highly decorated
champion.
His son, Joe
Reyes Jr, followed in his footsteps. In the 1990s, competitors like Mike
Doyle, Tim Palacious and Ken Cornwell, competed for the glory.
Destruction
Derbies have not been a part of the Antioch Fair or even the regular
shows in several years, but that changes this Saturday night.
A
big Destruction Derby is on the schedule, and this will attract some of
the best competitors to the arena. The fans will once again be treated
to a type of entertainment that they used to flock to back in those
days.
Car preparation
is serious business for a Destruction Derby. Unless rules specify
otherwise, the drivers can spend some time reinforcing their cars in
vulnerable areas. They can make them stronger to take hits in certain
spots and make them stronger when it comes to delivering hits.
This
is what separates the real pros from the amateurs. An amateur
competitor might just take an older car, which is the preference, but
they don't know how to prepare it right. They may eliminate themselves
in the way to deliver the blows as their car gets used up within a few
hits.
A Destruction
Derby is about more than just delivering hits and smashing up cars. If
you're going to win, there is a way you do it. Your car will take some
damage when you deliver a hit, so knowing the vulnerable spots on other
cars is something an experienced competitor is well versed in.
You
may not deliver the big hits on a car, but the smaller hits do damage.
You loosen them up for the big blow. In some Destruction Derbies, you
can work together in teams, and that makes this even more interesting to
behold.
The fans in
the grandstands watch in full delight as cars absorb the hits and are
eliminated one by one, leaving the final two gladiators to decide who
wins the big prize and who settles for second.
It's
a unique form of motorsports competition that requires skill and
preparation to come out the victor when it's all said and done. The fact
that this event takes place with the always enjoyable County Fair in
the backdrop makes it even more special.
To
attend the Destruction Derby, you have to enter through the Fair
entrance. Fair and Derby admission is $20 for adults and $15 for youths
6-13 years of age.
The grandstands will open at 4:00 with the event scheduled to start at 6:00. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com, or visit the Antioch Speedway by PROmotions Facebook page.
Laney Closes Central California Clash With Win, Wraps Up Championship
Merced,
CA...May 7...Cody Laney won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event
Saturday night at Merced Speedway. This was the fourth win in six races
for Laney, and he used the victory to beat Bobby Hogge IV by just six
points for the series title.
Hogge
jumped into the lead at the start ahead of Troy Morris III and Laney.
Laney took second from Morris on Lap 2 and put the moves on Hogge on the
fourth circuit. Morris slipped past Hogge for second on eight. Laney
drove a flawless race and scored the victory with Morris settling for
second ahead of Hogge, Jerry Flippo, Kyle Heckman, Troy Foulger, Rick
Diaz, Jim Pettit II, Paul Stone and Cody Burke.
There
were 30 IMCA Modifieds in action, making this the second biggest
turnout of the week. Wins in the eight lap heat races went to Josh
Combs, Robby Sawyer, Hogge and Laney. Ryan Porter and Chuck Weir picked
up the 10 lap B Main wins. In the first race, Porter led from the outset
and beat Danny Lauer by about half a straightaway. Lauer was a
race-long second, and multi time Petaluma champion Michael Paul Jr
gained third on the fourth lap, where he would finish. In the other
race, Weir also went flag to flag for the win, beating Rick Diaz by
about half a straightaway. Diaz managed to hold off Matthew Hagio for
second.
Garrett
Jernagan won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Jernagan won
the 2020 Speedweek championship. On this occasion, Nick Spainhoward
bolted into the lead at the start ahead of Southern Oregon Speedway star
Matt Sanders. Jason Bannister gained second briefly on the fourth lap
before surrendering the position to Jernagan a lap later. Jernagan put
the moves on Spainhoward for the lead on the sixth circuit. Bannister
finally got past Spainhoward for second on Lap 13. Jernagan led the rest
of the way to pick up the win ahead of Jason Bannister. Spainhoward
settled for third, followed by Cale Kanke, Tyler Bannister, Nathan
Rolfe, Adam Baker, Sanders, Jarrod Mounce and Markus Frazier. Tyler
Bannister held off his father Jason Bannister by just seven points to
win the championship. Spainhoward was 11 points back in third.
The
IMCA Sport Modifieds also delivered their best turnout of the week with
32 competitors. Eight lap heat race victories went to Sanders, Mounce,
Jason Bannister and Brian Baker. The 10 lap B Main wins were earned by
Jeremy Hoff and Gavin Espino. In the first race, Hoff motored into the
lead at the start ahead of Kanke, and they drove to the 1-2 finish.
Antioch racer Tyler Browne ran third all the way until the final lap,
when Riley Jeppesen got by for the position. In the second race, Espino
led from the green flag. Frazier ran third for a lap before moving into
second. He kept it reasonably close behind winner Espino. Ryan DeForest
ran third from the second lap on.
Bo
Partain won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. He bolted into the
lead at the start ahead of Rick Diaz. A yellow flag waved on the fourth
lap with Diaz involved in the incident. Partain continued to lead Dakota
Schweitzer and Garrett Corn on the restart. The battle heated up in the
final few laps with Schweitzer briefly taking the lead from Partain on
Lap 18. Partain moved back ahead a lap later, and Corn gained second on
the final circuit. Partain won just ahead of Corn and Schweitzer.
Schweitzer was disqualified in post-race tech, elevating Eric Hamilton
into third, followed by Diaz, Paul Stone, Troy Foulger, Steven Johnson,
Loren DeArmond, Anthony Giuliani and Mike Shepherd. Steven Johnson won
the series title by 10 points ahead of Corn, who beat DeArmond by one
point for second.
The
IMCA Stock Cars delivered a consistent field of 18 cars for most of the
week, which was the number they delivered on this night. Eight lap heat
race wins went to Foulger, Hamilton and Diaz.
On
May 21st, the Hunt Wingless Sprint Car Series comes to town along with
the IMCA Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks and California Sharp Mini
Late Models. For furthers information, go to www.mercedspeedway.net.
Laney, Bannister, Foulger
Win Merced Central Valley Clash Race
Merced,
CA....May 6....Cody Laney won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event
Friday night at Merced Speedway. This was his third win in the five
races held for the Central California Clash, and it brought him one step
closer to the week long series championship. Laney made the trip from
Torrance to compete and has proven to be just a bit faster than the rest
of the competition all week long. The Merced race was the biggest of
the week.
Laney
was an early third ahead of Bobby Hogge IV as Ryan Porter led Jake
Pike. Laney slipped past Pike for second on the third circuit and
overtook Porter for the lead on Lap 5. Hogge moved into third on Lap 9
and overtook Porter for second two laps later. Porter maintained third
until his run came to an end on Lap 23, moving Kyle Heckman into the
position. However, nobody was beating Laney as he collected the win
ahead of Hogge, Heckman, Cody Burke, Troy Foulger, Paul Stone, Buddy
Kniss, Josh Combs, Tim Yeager and Chuck Weir.
There
were 31 competitors for the occasion with the eight lap heat race wins
going to Robby Sawyer, Heckman, Pike and Hogge. 10 lap B Main wins went
to Buddy Kniss and reigning Merced and State champion Jim Pettit II.
Kniss led his race from the start ahead of apparent runner-up finisher
Rick Diaz. Tim Yeager was fourth until moving into third on the fifth
circuit, where he would finish. When Diaz was disqualified after the
race, Yaeger and Josh Combs were elevated into the place and show
positions. Pettit bolted into the lead at the start of his race and held
off fellow Watsonville championship contender Burke, who finished
second ahead of highly decorated Petaluma champion Michael Paul Jr.
Reigning
Merced champion Tyler Bannister won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main
Event. The younger Bannister took the lead on the second lap and never
relinquished it from there. Antioch racer Kenny Shrader was second for a
lap before being overtaken by Cale Kanke and Jason Bannister. Shrader
moved into the third on the sixth lap and passed Kanke for second on Lap
8. Shrader held that position for much of the race. Medford's reigning
champion Matt Sanders gained third on Lap 18 and slipped past Shrader
for second a lap later. Tyler Bannister held off Sanders for the win
with Kanke making a last lap pass on Shrader for third. Garrett Jernagan
ended up fifth, followed by Jason Bannister, Jacob Mallet Jr, Nick
Spainhoward, Brian Baker and Jeremy Hoff.
There
were 32 IMCA Sport Modifieds with eight lap heat race triumphs being
recorded by Adam Baker, Jason Bannister, Richard Ragsdale and Tyler
Bannister. The 10 lap B Mains wins went to Jarrod Mounce and Brian
Baker. Mounce started on the pole and led every lap in victory. Markus
Frazier was an early second, but he was overtaken by Antioch regular
Chuck Golden for the position on Lap 6. Mounce built nearly a
straightaway advantage over Golden in victory with Frazier settling for
third. Brian Baker had a front row start in his race and proceeded to
lead every lap in victory. Dutch Jantz was a race-long second with
Jeremy Hoff grabbing the final transfer finish in third.
Troy
Foulger picked up the win in the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event,
piloting the Bowers Motorsports owned entry. Foulger raced into an early
second behind Bakersfield star Dakota Schweitzer. Foulger put the moves
on Schweitzer for the lead on the 12th lap and proceeded to lead the
rest of the way for the win. Schweitzer managed to hold off series
leader Steven Johnson for the second place finish. Johnson had been
running fourth for most of the race before he overtook Anthony Giuliani
for third on Lap 16. Giuliani settled for fourth, followed by Bo
Partain, Chad Johnson, Mike Shepherd, Garrett Corn, Cody Johnson and
Loren DeArmond. The two eight lap heat race wins went to Schweitzer and
Rick Diaz as 16 drivers were in action.
To keep up with scheduling in the future for the series and it's history, go to www.myracepass.com/series/1950
Hogge, Hamilton, Bannister Open
Central California Clash With Wins
Hanford,
CA...May 2...Bobby Hogge IV picked up the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main
Event victory Monday night at Keller Auto Speedway. This was the opening
round of the six-race Central California Clash Series. Hogge led every
lap in victory. The battle ended up being for second. Troy Foulger
settled into an early second aboard the Bowers Motorsports entry with
Troy Morris III in third. Foulger and Morris got into a tangle for a Lap
7 yellow flag. This put Cody Laney into second, and he was followed at
that point by Jake Pike. Pike slipped past Laney for second on the 24th
circuit with Bakersfield star Robby Sawyer following closely into third.
Hogge took the checkered flag about a half a straightaway ahead of Pike
in victory as Sawyer ended up third, followed by Laney, Jerry Flippo,
Logan Drake, Kyle Heckman, Donald Houghton, Morris and Cody Burke.
There
were 24 competitors with the eight lap heat race wins going to Hogge,
Laney and Folger. Jim Pettit II won the 10 lap B Main. Pettit led from
the outset. Paul Stone ran second for two laps before Vinny Raucci Jr
got by. Stone saw his race come to an end on the sixth lap, and Raucci
surrendered second to Jerry Flippo at that point. Pettit won ahead of
Flippo, Raucci and Brad Pounds.
Tyler
Bannister won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Reigning
Antioch Speedway champion Fred Ryland set the early pace ahead of Jarrod
Mounce. Tyler Bannister moved into the second on Lap 5. Mounce
surrendered third to Jason Bannister on Lap 9, but Bannister was
overtaken by Cale Kanke for the position on Lap 14. The battle up front
got intense with Tyler Bannister putting the moves on Ryland for the
lead on Lap 19. Tyler Bannister went on to victory from there with
Ryland settling for second ahead of Kanke, Jason Bannister, Mounce, Nick
Spainhoward, Dave Pearson, Jason Pugh, Riley Jeppesen and Orion
Messina.
Brock
Hamilton won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. Hamilton started up
on the front row and bolted into the lead ahead of Chad Johnson and Troy
Patee. Johnson got past Hamilton for the lead on the second lap, but
his race came to an unfortunate end at that point. Garrett Corn slipped
past Patee for second on the 10th lap. However, nobody was getting
around Hamilton as he won ahead of Corn. Loren DeArmond made the move
into third on Lap 18 and finished there, followed by Troy Foulger,
Dakota Schweitzer, Steven Johnson, Patee, Josh Nichols, Steve Stone and
Michael Shearer. There were 20 competitors and the eight lap heat race
wins went to Patee, Chad Johnson and Foulger.
Racing
will resume on Saturday night with the NARC Fujitsu Winged 410 Sprint
Car Series and the King of Thunder Winged 360 Sprint Cars. For further
information, go to www.racekingsspeedway.com or www.narc410.com.
Laney, Bannister, Stone Win
At Keller Auto Speedway
Hanford,
CA...May 3...Cody Laney won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Tuesday
night at Keller Auto Speedway. This was the second round of the Central
California Clash. The Torrance competitor benefited from a front row
start to lead the entire distance in victory. With Laney bolting into
the lead at the green flag, Steve Noland was an early second, but he
surrendered the position to Paul Stone on the third lap. Stone held
second until being passed on the ninth circuit by Bobby Hogge IV. Hogge
was soon being challenged by Ventura Raceway competitor Donald Houghton,
and Houghton gained second on the 17th lap. Laney stayed smooth and
scored the well-earned victory with Houghton holding off Hogge for
second. Kyle Heckman ended up fourth followed by Troy Foulger, Jake
Pike, Logan Drake, Matthew Hagio, Jim Pettit II and Paul Stone.
There
were 23 drivers on hand, and Laney, Foulger and Houghton picked up the
wins in the eight lap heat races. Hackman started on the pole and led
all the way in victory in the 10 lap B Main, followed by Braydon Gladd,
Devin Reed and Vinny Raucci Jr
Jason
Bannister won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. With the
benefit of a front-row start, Jason Bannister moved into the lead when
the green flag waved. Tyler Bannister ran second for a lap before being
passed by Fred Ryland. Cale Kanke settled into fourth on the third lap,
and Tyler Bannister overtook Ryland for second on Lap 15. However, Jason
Bannister held off the efforts of his son Tyler to pick up the win.
Ryland ended up third, and Kanke crossed the line fourth, only to be
disqualified. That put Jonathan Hagio into fourth, followed by Nick
Spainhoward, Markus Frazier, Riley Jeppesen, Willy Oathout, Jason Pugh
and Codie Hampl. Eight lap heat race wins went to Tyler Bannister, Kanke
and Ryland as 19 drivers competed.
Paul
Stone won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. This was the first win
in the class for the past Hanford and Merced IMCA Modified champion.
With a front row start, Stone charged into the lead at the green flag.
The battle was for second. Rick Diaz held the spot for a lap before his
race ended abruptly. Troy Foulger moved into second behind Stone on the
restart, but he lost the position to Steven Johnson. Unfortunately,
Johnson's race ended on the eighth lap. Loren DeArmand had the runner-up
position for a lap, but Fred Ryland went motoring by on Lap 10 to grab
the position. Garrett Corn settled into third a lap later. However, Paul
Stone built nearly a straightaway advantage over Ryland by the time the
race concluded. Ryland held off Corn as DeArmond settled for fourth,
followed by Troy Foulger, Dakota Schweitzer, Chad Johnson, Larry
Thompson, Matt Mayo and Dave Hill. The 20 competitors ran three eight
lap heat races with wins going to DeArmond, Rick Diaz and Foulger.
Racing
will resume on Saturday night with the NARC Fujitsu Winged 410 Sprint
Car Series and the King of Thunder Winged 360 Sprint Cars. For further
information, go to www.racekingsspeedway.com or www.narc410.com.
Laney, Spainhoward, Thompson Score
Tulare Thunderbowl Wins
Tulare,
CA...May 4... Cody Laney won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event
Wednesday night at Tulare Thunderbowl. This was the second win for him
during the Central California Clash as the Torrance driver kept his
series title hopes on track. Laney started up front and immediately
powered into the lead. Nick DeCarlo ran second for three laps ahead of
Jerry Flippo. Jake Pike got past DeCarlo for second on Lap 4 with Flippo
following him into third. Bobby Hogge IV finally took third from Flippo
on the 17th lap and gained second when Pike had problems on the 20th
lap. Laney went on to win with Hogge settling for second ahead of
Flippo, DeCarlo, Troy Foulger, Troy Morris III, Dalton Houghton, Matthew
Hagio, Paul Stone and Brayden Gladd. There were 19 competitors with the
eight lap heat race wins going to Laney, Flippo and DeCarlo.
Nick
Spainhoward won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. The two-time
State champion Spainhoward wasted little time leading the race from the
start. Brian Baker was an early second with Tyler Bannister moving into
third on the fourth lap. On the eighth circuit, Tyler Bannister slipped
past Baker for second. Cale Kanke gained third on the 14th lap and made
the move around Tyler Bannister for second on Lap 17. However, Tyler
Bannister came back strong and regained the runner-up position on the
final lap. It was smooth sailing ahead for Spainhoward as he won ahead
of Tyler Bannister. Jason Bannister also made the last lap move into
third, followed by Adam Baker, Andrew Pearce, Cale Kanke, Orion Messina,
Riley Jeppesen, Willy Oathout and Jason Pugh. The 19 competitors ran
three eight lap heat races with the wins being recorded by Jason
Bannister, Spainhoward and Marcus Frazier.
Larry
Thompson won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. Stephen Johnson set
the early pace with Thompson moving into second on Lap 3. Thompson put
the moves on Johnson to grab the lead on the 10th lap. Bo Partain took
second from Johnson on Lap 12. Johnson briefly got back around on the
15th lap, but the tenacious Partain regained runner-up status on the
17th circuit. Thompson went on to win comfortably ahead of Partain as
Steven Johnson settled for third, followed by Loren DeArmand, Mike
Shepherd, Steve Stone, Anthony Giuliani, Chad Johnson, reigning State
champion Renn Bane and Michael Shearer. There were 19 drivers on hand
with the eight lap heat race victories going to Troy Foulger, Partain
and Steven Johnson.
Chadwick, Fraser, Robles
Come Back For Seconds at Antioch Speedway
Antioch,
CA...May 7.. Kellen and Chadwick won the 20 lap IMCA Modified Main
Event Saturday night at Antioch speedway. This was the second win of the
season for the 2006 champion. The night was also a salute to mothers
with several things taking place, including A Mother's Day Mini Van race
and lucky ride alongs in Hobby Stocks for the mothers.
Sean
Wilson let the opening lap ahead of Bobby Motts Jr before a yellow flag
waved. On the restart, Terry DeCarlo Jr made an impressive maneuver on
the outside of Turn 2 to gain the lead with point leader and brother
Nick DeCarlo following him into second. Debris fell in turn two for a
Lap 3 yellow flag. Terry DeCarlo Jr led his younger brother on the
restart with Chadwick settling into third. Following a yellow flag for
Eric Berendsen on the front straightaway, DeCarlo Jr continued to lead
with Chadwick moving into second on the Lap 6 restart. DeCarlo Jr was
doing a good job of leading the way when another yellow flag waved for
Wilson and Jeffrey Partain in Turn 1 on Lap 11. DeCarlo Jr led Chadwick
on the restart, but Chadwick made an inside move on the backstretch on
Lap 17 to take over. Motts started pressuring DeCarlo a little bit for
the second position as Chadwick pulled away just a little bit. A yellow
flag for a Berenson crash on the front straightaway on Lap 19 bunched
the field and set up a one lap shootout, but Chadwick would prevail
ahead of Terry DeCarlo Jr I should say, mats, Trevor Clymens and Gary
Hylton.
Tommy
Fraser won his second l-straight IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. The
2019 champion benefited from traffic in making his winning pass. Dylan
Connelly jumped into the early lead ahead of Jake Bentancourt. Fraser
went low in Turn 4 on lap 3 to take second, and a yellow flag waved for
Nick Caughman Jr on Lap 6. Dylan Connelly continued to lead Fraser and
Kenny Shrader on the restart. During this lengthy green flag run,
Connelly was doing a good job of holding off Fraser. The leaders caught
traffic around Lap 13. One little mistake going through Turns 3 and 4 on
Lap 16 allowed Fraser to make a move on the inside down the front
straightaway as they worked through traffic. A lap later, Caughman
brought out a yellow flag once again. Without the traffic to deal with,
Fraser maintained his lead on the restart and brought it home to
victory. Connelly faded as Shrader ended up second ahead of Chester
Kniss, Mark Garner and Fred Ryland.
Jason
Robles kept his IMCA Stock Car championship hopes strong with his
second 20 lap Main Event win. Despite a short field of entries, this
race provided plenty of excitement as it closed the evenings activities.
Andrew Pearce jumped into the lead from the start ahead of Robles and
Kellen Chadwick. Point leader Travis Dutra went low in Turn 2 on Lap 6
to gain third, but he was a bit behind the lead duo by then. As Dutra
began to close in on Robles, Pearce ducked into the infield with
problems on Lap 16. Robles had his hands full over the five final five
circuits in his quest for victory, but he held off Dutra to the
checkered flag. Chadwick settled for third, followed by Jason Jennings
and Jeff Bentancourt.
Patricia
Robles bested Kayte East to win the three Mother's Day Mini Van races.
East was piloting a van painted like the Mystery Machine of Scooby-Doo
cartoon fame. The two ladies competed for $100 in sponsored prize money
in the final race with Robles winning ahead of East.
The
Contra Costa County Fair happens this Saturday night, but the track
will be offering its first Destruction Derby in many years. Fans will
need to come in through the Fair entrance. The next oval track race
happens on May 21st, featuring The Wingless Spec Sprints, Pacific Coast
General Engineering Hobby Stocks, Delta Dwarf Cars and IMCA Stock Cars.
For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
Antioch Speedway
IMCA Modifieds
Heat
Winners (8 laps)-Nick DeCarlo, Kellen Chadwick. Main Event (20
laps)-Kellen Chadwick, Terry DeCarlo Jr, Bobby Motts Jr, Trevor Clymens,
Gary Hylton, Eric Berendsen, Jeffrey Partain, Kenneth Robles, Sean
Wilson, Nick DeCarlo.
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Heat
Winners (8 laps)-Tommy Fraser, Jason Ryan Jr, Kenny Shrader. Main event
(20 laps)-Tommy Fraser, Kenny Shrader, Chester Kniss, Mark Garner, Fred
Ryland, Andrew Pearce, check Golden, Jason Ryan Jr, Dylan Connolly,
Jacob Mallet Jr.
IMCA Stock Cars
Heat
Winner (8 laps)-Andrew Pearce. Main Event (20 laps)-Jason Robles,
Travis Dutra, Kellen Chadwick, Jason Jennings, Jeff Bentancourt, Joe
Gallaher, Andrew Pearce.
Racing
continues this Friday night with the Eighth Annual Peter Murphy Classic
for the NARC Fujitsu Winged 410 Sprint Car Series and the Elk Grove
Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour, presented by Abreu Vineyards. For
further information, go to www.thunderabowlraceway.com, www.narc410.com or www.sprintcoachallangetour.com.
Foulger, Spainhoward, Corn Win Central Valley Clash Races At Tulare Thunderbowl
Tulare,
CA...May 5...Troy Foulger won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event
Thursday night at Tulare Thunderbowl. This was the fourth round of the
six-race Central California Clash. The five-time Antioch champion
Foulger piloted the Bowers Motorsports owned entry into the lead at the
outset. Jake Pike moved into second on the second circuit, but all he
could do was stay within half a straightaway of winner Foulger by the
time the race concluded. Bakersfield's Troy Morris III was in the third
position until being passed by Cody Laney on Lap 18. Laney ended up
third as Morris settled for fourth, followed by Robby Sawyer, Bobby
Hogge IV, Paul Stone, Jim Pettit II, Jerry Flippo and Matthew Hagio.
There
were 24 drivers on hand for this race with the eight lap heat race
triumphs going to Foulger, Laney and Ryan Porter. Nick DeCarlo had to
win the 10 lap B Main to get his feature start. The current Antioch
point leader led all the way for the win with Hogge moving into second
on Lap 2 and finishing there, followed by Brayden Gladd and Danny
Lauer.
Nick
Spainhoward picked up his second Tulare win. The two-time State
champion had the lead by the sixth circuit. Adam Baker took the early
lead before Spainhoward gained command. Andrew Pearce settled into
second on the seventh lap with Tyler Bannister quickly moving into
third. Tyler Bannister began challenging Pearce for second in the later
stages of the race and made his move on Lap 18. Spainhoward won ahead of
Tyler Bannister with Pearce settling for third, followed by Jason
Bannister, Riley Jeppesen, Cale Kanke, Markus Frazier, Adam Baker, Jason
Pugh and Haley Gomez. The eight lap heat race wins went to Spainhoward
and Jason Bannister as 15 drivers competed in the lowest turnout of the
week.
Garrett
Corn won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. Anthony Giuliani motored
into the lead on the second lap with Corn gaining second on Lap 4. Rick
Diaz settled into third two laps later. Corn put the moves on Giuliani
for the lead on the 14th lap, and Giuliani's run up front ended on Lap
16 with Rick Diaz briefly taking over the position on Lap 17. Stephen
Johnson gained second a lap later, but all he could do is watch as Corn
sailed to the victory. Diaz settled for third, followed by Paul Stone,
Loren DeArmand, Larry Thompson, Mike Shepherd, Chad Johnson, Dakota
Schweitzer and Dave Hill. The eight lap heat race wins went to Chad
Johnson, Stone and Loren DeArmond as 18 drivers competed.
Racing
continues this Friday night with the Eighth Annual Peter Murphy Classic
for the NARC Fujitsu Winged 410 Sprint Car Series and the Elk Grove
Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour, presented by Abreu Vineyards. For
further information, go to www.thunderabowlraceway.com, www.narc410.com or www.sprintcoachallangetour.com.
Pahule, Torgerson, Mauldin, Mauldin Win
At Dixon Speedway
Dixon,
CA...May 7...Jeffrey Pahule won the 25 lap Wingless 600 Micro Sprint
Main Event Saturday night at Dixon Speedway. Looking for yet another
win, polesitter Ashton Torgerson bolted into the lead at the start ahead
of Lucas Johnson. Austin Torgerson gained second on Lap 3 with Cody
Gray running in third. Gray surrendered third to Johnson on the seventh
lap, but Johnson saw his race come to an unfortunate end on Lap 16.
Ashton Torgerson led Austin Torgerson and Pahule on the restart, but
Pahule made a big move on Lap 19 to gain first. Once in front, Pahule
led the rest of the way in victory. Ashton Torgerson settled for second,
followed by Jett Barnes, Gray, Austin Torgerson, Austin Wood, Taylor
Mayhew, Tommy Carroll, Austin Taborski and Kelvin Lewis.
The
Wingless 600 Micros brought a strong 28 car field with Pahule turning
the 1/5 mile dirt oval at 11.489 for the fast time. Kelvin Lewis was
second quick at 11.587, beating the 11.667 of Austin Torgerson. Ashton
Torgerson gained the pole by winning the six lap Trophy Dash ahead of
Johnson. 10 lap heat race wins went to Ashton Torgerson, Kelvin Lewis
and Barnes. Restricted 600 Micro Sprint graduate Cierra Wullenwaber
picked up her first 12 lap B Main win. She started on the pole and led
every lap in victory. Savannah Brown moved into second and would finish
there. Kyle Cravotta gained third on Lap 5 and ended up finishing in
that position.
Ashton
Torgerson maintained his point lead by winning the 25 lap Super 600
Micro Sprint Main Event. He started on the front row and led from the
outset with Jett Barnes moving into second on Lap 3. Austin Torgerson
moved into third at about the same time, and he found himself in second
when Barnes enountered problems on Lap 14. Ashton Torgerson led the rest
of the way over brother Austin Torgerson. Barnes rebounded late to
finish third, followed by Jeffrey Pahule, Austin Taborski, Jeff Rosas,
Tony Alsoi, Rylee Whitehouse, Wullenwaber and Caiden Gotelli.
Austin
Wood was the quickest of 12 qualifiers at 10.373, beating the 10.385 of
Barnes. Ashton Torgerson and Devin Courtnier picked up the 10 lap heat
race wins with Courtnier holding off Torgersen to win the eight lap
Trophy Dash. Unfortunately for Courtier, his Main Event ended on a Lap 4
incident.
Lucas
Mauldin won the 20 lap Restricted 600 Micro Sprint Main Event. He
started on the pole and took the early lead ahead of Nicholas Leonard
Jr. However, Leonard surrendered second to Peyton Whitehouse on Lap 3.
Brody Rubio moved into third on the fifth circuit. Whitehouse briefly
took the lead from Mauldin on Lap 11, but Mauldin was back ahead a lap
later. Adriana DeMartini started challenging Rubio for third and gained
the position on Lap 15. Mauldin won ahead of Whitehouse, DeMartini,
Rubio, reigning Junior Sprint champion Hayden Stepps, Leonard, Kaiden
Gowan, Matthew Linde, AJ Nielson and Mickelina Monico.
Maldin
set the fast time of 16 competitors at 11.590, beating the 11.592 of
Whitehouse. 10 lap heat race triumphs went to Maldin and Leonard, and
Mauldin made it a clean sweep by holding off Linde for the six lap
Trophy Dash win.
Maya
Mauldin won the 20 lap Junior Sprint Main Event. Briggs Davis had the
pole and motored ahead at the green flag, followed by Mauldin and Haven
Sherman. Davis saw his race end two laps early. Mauldin had the lead at
that point and brought it home to victory ahead of Sherman, Colin
Reynolds, David Anderson, Davis, Charlie Haynes, Samantha Dozier,
Jackson Tardiff and Heston Stepps. Davis set the fast time of 12.791,
beating the 12.913 of Sherman. The 10 lap heat race win went to Tardiff
with the four lap Trophy Dash triumph going to Davis.
Micro
Sprint racing continues on Saturday night, and the upcoming Grandma Pam
Non-wing Nationals event for the bigger prize money takes place on May
28th and 29th. For further information, go to www.dixonspeedway.net.
Chadwick, Fraser, Robles
Come Back For Seconds at Antioch Speedway
Antioch,
CA...May 7.. Kellen and Chadwick won the 20 lap IMCA Modified Main
Event Saturday night at Antioch speedway. This was the second win of the
season for the 2006 champion. The night was also a salute to mothers
with several things taking place, including A Mother's Day Mini Van race
and lucky ride alongs in Hobby Stocks for the mothers.
Sean
Wilson let the opening lap ahead of Bobby Motts Jr before a yellow flag
waved. On the restart, Terry DeCarlo Jr made an impressive maneuver on
the outside of Turn 2 to gain the lead with point leader and brother
Nick DeCarlo following him into second. Debris fell in turn two for a
Lap 3 yellow flag. Terry DeCarlo Jr led his younger brother on the
restart with Chadwick settling into third. Following a yellow flag for
Eric Berendsen on the front straightaway, DeCarlo Jr continued to lead
with Chadwick moving into second on the Lap 6 restart. DeCarlo Jr was
doing a good job of leading the way when another yellow flag waved for
Wilson and Jeffrey Partain in Turn 1 on Lap 11. DeCarlo Jr led Chadwick
on the restart, but Chadwick made an inside move on the backstretch on
Lap 17 to take over. Motts started pressuring DeCarlo a little bit for
the second position as Chadwick pulled away just a little bit. A yellow
flag for a Berenson crash on the front straightaway on Lap 19 bunched
the field and set up a one lap shootout, but Chadwick would prevail
ahead of Terry DeCarlo Jr I should say, mats, Trevor Clymens and Gary
Hylton.
Tommy
Fraser won his second l-straight IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. The
2019 champion benefited from traffic in making his winning pass. Dylan
Connelly jumped into the early lead ahead of Jake Bentancourt. Fraser
went low in Turn 4 on lap 3 to take second, and a yellow flag waved for
Nick Caughman Jr on Lap 6. Dylan Connelly continued to lead Fraser and
Kenny Shrader on the restart. During this lengthy green flag run,
Connelly was doing a good job of holding off Fraser. The leaders caught
traffic around Lap 13. One little mistake going through Turns 3 and 4 on
Lap 16 allowed Fraser to make a move on the inside down the front
straightaway as they worked through traffic. A lap later, Caughman
brought out a yellow flag once again. Without the traffic to deal with,
Fraser maintained his lead on the restart and brought it home to
victory. Connelly faded as Shrader ended up second ahead of Chester
Kniss, Mark Garner and Fred Ryland.
Jason
Robles kept his IMCA Stock Car championship hopes strong with his
second 20 lap Main Event win. Despite a short field of entries, this
race provided plenty of excitement as it closed the evenings activities.
Andrew Pearce jumped into the lead from the start ahead of Robles and
Kellen Chadwick. Point leader Travis Dutra went low in Turn 2 on Lap 6
to gain third, but he was a bit behind the lead duo by then. As Dutra
began to close in on Robles, Pearce ducked into the infield with
problems on Lap 16. Robles had his hands full over the five final five
circuits in his quest for victory, but he held off Dutra to the
checkered flag. Chadwick settled for third, followed by Jason Jennings
and Jeff Bentancourt.
Patricia
Robles bested Kayte East to win the three Mother's Day Mini Van races.
East was piloting a van painted like the Mystery Machine of Scooby-Doo
cartoon fame. The two ladies competed for $100 in sponsored prize money
in the final race with Robles winning ahead of East.
The
Contra Costa County Fair happens this Saturday night, but the track
will be offering its first Destruction Derby in many years. Fans will
need to come in through the Fair entrance. The next oval track race
happens on May 21st, featuring The Wingless Spec Sprints, Pacific Coast
General Engineering Hobby Stocks, Delta Dwarf Cars and IMCA Stock Cars.
For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
Antioch Speedway
IMCA Modifieds
Heat
Winners (8 laps)-Nick DeCarlo, Kellen Chadwick. Main Event (20
laps)-Kellen Chadwick, Terry DeCarlo Jr, Bobby Motts Jr, Trevor Clymens,
Gary Hylton, Eric Berendsen, Jeffrey Partain, Kenneth Robles, Sean
Wilson, Nick DeCarlo.
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Heat
Winners (8 laps)-Tommy Fraser, Jason Ryan Jr, Kenny Shrader. Main event
(20 laps)-Tommy Fraser, Kenny Shrader, Chester Kniss, Mark Garner, Fred
Ryland, Andrew Pearce, check Golden, Jason Ryan Jr, Dylan Connolly,
Jacob Mallet Jr.
IMCA Stock Cars
Heat
Winner (8 laps)-Andrew Pearce. Main Event (20 laps)-Jason Robles,
Travis Dutra, Kellen Chadwick, Jason Jennings, Jeff Bentancourt, Joe
Gallaher, Andrew Pearce.
The Editor's Viewpoint
So,
I'm starting to edit this damn column that I wrote for a third time,
and there's just too much. It's 3:00 in the afternoon on Friday, and if I
want to put a blog post up, this has to be very succinct. Let's see if I
can do it this time, or is four not a charm?
I want to talk about the fact that I got to
announce at Antioch Speedway for the first time in four years, the fact
that the announcer walked off the job and got let off the hook to come
back and work again here, the show that we just had at Antioch, the
Central California Clash Series and touch briefly on Petaluma Speedway.
If there's time, I have something else to say, but there probably won't
be.
I'm
enjoying my time back in the Bay Area. Contra Costa County is where I
grew up, and Antioch Speedway were was where it all started for me as a
fan. The people are generally being very loving towards me, and I feel
very good about being here as I am going through my own transition since
coming out as trans. I was only here to write and keep an eye on the
property, but I've gradually started doing more and more.
When
I can get into the moment, my focus is there and I'm good. However, I
can get scatterbrained and am slow to get going compared to the way I
used to be. I don't know what I can attribute that to. I was hoping I'd
settle into a routine when I arrived back here in early March, but I
still haven't. I'm still not really getting full days away from racing,
and I keep fighting that fight. I must have those days for myself, one
way or the other. And yet, when I could have thrown in the towel on this
blog post, here I am writing.
For
reasons I won't get into, I got out of my trailer to do my pit walk
later than I wanted to last Saturday. I need to get out there by 2:00,
and I've been allowing myself to get out there at 4:00. My
responsibility on Saturday night is to work social media and gather my
notes for my article.
Therefore,
I'm allowing myself to be a little bit late. If I was needed for more,
I'd have to change my routine. After finishing getting myself ready, I
emerged from my trailer and was about ready to get started on a pit walk
that I put on Facebook when Tina and the head of security come to me.
She
tells me that I'm needed up in the booth. Why? I don't go up in the
booth as I don't prefer to be around the guy they have announcing.
Evidently, the guy they have announcing was being a goldilocks.
Everything in the booth wasn't just right, and he threw a fit and quit.
This
happened about an hour before they were to go live on the Pay-Per-View.
After protesting for a moment to Tina that I wasn't ready and have
certain standards that I like to have taken care of before I announce,
preparations that I make, she assured me I could do it.
Of
course I can. I was being a little diva I guess, but after a few
moments, I gathered my wits and the head of security took me to the
booth. It was sort of a struggle to start as the sound wasn't set up. We
got that dialed in within about a half an hour, and I found that me and
Mike Bauer worked well together.
I
am somebody who prefers to announce solo, but I can work with him. We
actually had a fun time getting things set up in the booth the night
before, and I was kind of laughing my ass off. I needed that.
As
I used to do, I walked around the stands with a wireless microphone,
talking about the point battles and those sorts of things. The fans in
the stands don't get very much of that, and it seemed to go over pretty
well. I was getting complimented by multiple people, and a few people
thought it was interesting enough that they even snapped pictures of me
in the booth.
I
also handled on track interviews, which I haven't done in years. I
tried to focus on the questions I wanted to ask and then asked them when
I got down there. I felt very good about the way the night went.
You
have to understand that I'm not lobbying to get this gig. I will tell
you that the idea that I could get paid more money is appealing to me,
and the idea that I can do better than the guy they have up there
further makes me think I can do it.
So,
my mind started to open up to that idea and then the guy they have
walks off. Fine, I guess I'm in now. I'm ready. We made the show work as
best we could, and a disasterous situation that might have been had
there been nobody to handle these duties was averted.
Tina
wanted to give this guy an opportunity to get himself off the hook, so
she arranged for a dinner meeting between him and herself and Larry. I
had this feeling that he would work his way off the hook, because every
time there is a hint that I'll be the announcer at Antioch Speedway over
the last 20 years, it's like Lucy with the football and Charlie Brown. I
end up on my ass.
I
made the mistake of thinking it could be that I would be announcing
again, and I knew better before I ever left Oregon to come here. I was
right. The guy was let off the hook.
I
will just say that he's one of the worst announcers I've had the
displeasure of hearing, and he hasn't improved one iota from the first
time I heard him in 2015 to the present. He doesn't learn, and he hasn't
even retained the knowledge of what he's witnessed in his time out
here, much less done any of the research I've done.
He
puts people to sleep and doesn't bring any excitement to what he does.
Nobody cares how fast these cars are going in a race, and that's the
butt of the jokes when I read people talking about this guy's
announcing.
Professionally
at the track, I can be cordial to this guy and only be around him as
much as I have to be. As the Editor of DCRR and observer of the sport
for many years, I can honestly say he wouldn't have a job if I were
running this track.
If
he walked off on my previous boss, Mike McCann, he wouldn't be welcomed
back. I'd go as far as to say my previous boss probably would have
fired him years ago, but his previous boss, John Soares, was giving him
enough rope to hang himself. Even when he had the noose around his neck,
John kept letting the guy off the hook. If you can't get fired for
walking off the job an hour before you're set to go live, I don't know.
I'm
perfectly fine coming in here and doing the duties I've been doing when
we have our next oval track race on May 21st. This guy who is
supposedly the voice of our track hasn't even bothered to show up at our
booth at the County Fair. We have a PA system set up there, I've
designed some nice color fliers to get the fans some information and
scheduling stuff.
I've
interacted with people multiple times so far and will continue that
throughout the weekend. This is my home track, and I figured if I had
any gas left in the tank before I ultimately get out of this sport for
the final time, I'll give it to the place that got it started for me. I
want to see this place rise in prominence once again. I also can admit
I've been enjoying the Fair so far.
I
can't say it's been smooth sailing for me personally as I've been
stressing out. But I can say that between Larry, Nette and Tina, I've
been able to keep focused and get the things done that I'm being asked
to do.
Tina
is the biggest reason I came back after Larry arranged for the offer to
be made to me. She set my mind at ease. I had plenty of reason to be
reluctant to come, but I'm very glad I showed up. Tina has proven to be
as amazing a person as I thought she would be, and even better.
Antioch
Speedway had an IMCA sanctioned deal with Modifieds, Sport Modifieds
and Stock Cars. Some might have advised against doing this as the
Central California Clash was in its sixth and final round at Merced
Speedway on the same night.
Merced
had the best car count of the series that night and the night before as
Tulare and Hanford sort of struggled but still had adequate numbers. If
you're giving the fans full Main Events in three divisions on every
night, you're delivering these days, although a week-long series of this
magnitude will generally have enough cars for B Mais.
It
is my opinion that once this thing went from being Speedweek to The
Clash and certain tracks were released, the series promoter had no right
to expect the dismissed tracks to not run what they felt was necessary.
I might have advised against some of the divisions that were scheduled
due to the fact that car count was going to be a challenge. However,
Antioch Speedway managed to cobble together a pretty darn good show with
the car count they had.
We
let the IMCA Stock Cars bat clean up, and they delivered an exciting
finish despite only having seven cars. The Sport Modifieds had some
drama with a new driver leading for several laps. Even the IMCA
Modifieds flirted with getting a new winner.
With
the Mini Van race, the Mother's Day ride alongs and all of that,
Antioch Speedway delivered a fun program with a positive vibe. I'll say
this. If it was the last race I ever announced, I'm okay with that. I
think we made the best presentation possible and had a good show
overall.
I
do suspect that Central California Clash Promoter Doug Lockwood will
look at things and decide where he might want to go next year. Could
there be adjustments needed? I think so, but that's me.
I
will say that the way John Prentice keeps working with him and being
ignored at Watsonville, Doug might want to look at that track if he
brings one new venue into the fold. I've recently been saying that John
is the guy who they put at the little kids table, like he's not part of
the bigger discussion. That's just the impression I get, and I'm not
sure why that would be. He's done good things as the promoter of
Watsonville and is closing in on 20 years at the helm there.
.
I
bet the promoters at Hanford and Tulare weren't complaining too much.
It's not easy for either of these tracks to have Stock Car oriented
programs that get them cars, especially Tulare. Each track had two races
and did okay, but Merced had 30 or more cars in both Modified classes
both nights. That's one take away.
Another
is that I don't think they had less than 18 IMCA Stock Cars and had
more winners in that class than the others. They made it work, and given
the challenges that we have these days, especially with fuel prices,
they can be proud of that series overall.
I'd
like to have been able to sit down and enjoy every event on Flo Racing,
since Lockwood sponsored me that deal. It wasn't possible because I've
had to do a bunch of different things. However, I did want to make sure
we had full coverage of each race on this blog, which is included in
this particular post.
I
appreciate that Doug is one of the few promoters who has supported DCRR
Racing Media, and I greatly respect the guy. I may not agree with a few
aspects of the things he's done, but I support him as a good leader and
positive force for racing in Merced and the state in general.
I
spoke with Chad Chadwick, and it's nice that we've actually been able
to finally have discussions. He's been frustrating to me in the recent
past, but I'll leave that there. However, one of the things I told him
is that he ought to sit down with Rick Faeth at Petaluma and John
Prentice at Watsonville and think about reviving the Tri Track holiday
Series.
Given
that Petaluma seems okay with running Sundays, you have Watsonville on
Friday and Antioch on Saturday. You can run IMCA Modifieds and Sport
Modifieds and Hobby Stocks at all three places. You could probably toss
in the Wingless Spec Sprints for good measure and have a nice little
four-division series.
As
I told Chad, an advantage to doing this is that you're doing it on a
weekend. Tracks sometimes struggle to get people to come watch on a
Wednesday or Tuesday, and here's your answer. They could at least pick
one weekend as a trial balloon and see how it went.
If
they did want to create a week-long series as they're not part of the
Central California Clash, they could do that too. I might even bring in
Tony Noceti at Stockton. Tony doesn't have his own classes, but he's a
promoter willing to pay, even when he hasn't had the car count deserving
of the money he's paid
I'm
not delighted that there are no results as of Friday from last week's
race at Petaluma. I still feel they should have a scorekeeper, one who
will even write down the scores and not just work off the computer,
handling this stuff. I think Ron Lingron is a solid announcer. One of
the better ones. But I don't think I like him working with the scoring
unit, especially as these types of things keep happening.
It
looked like they had an okay car count with Spec Sprints doing better
numbers. Everything I'm hearing about the vibe at Petaluma Speedway is
positive, and I hope it stays that way. I did hear a rumor about Rick,
but I would advise everybody that the fight ain't over to keep Petaluma
Speedway going until it's over.
Losing
that fairgrounds in Petaluma would be a bad move, particularly as
fairgrounds do more than just racing. I'm witnessing that here at the
Contra Costa County Fairgrounds today. The rumor has it that Rick might
move on to Calistoga Speedway. I haven't seen any facts to back that up,
and it's the same type of rumor that says Tony Noceti is building a
track on his property. We'll see.
If
Calistoga does come back, and it should, the big half-mile needs to
stay. That's what makes the place unique. I'm a little apprehensive
about building a smaller track in the infield, but I could probably let
go of my objections to that. My ultimate hope is that the big races at
Calistoga will continue and Petaluma Speedway stays where it's at and is
still open after 2023.
I
have this idea that I've been cobbling together about a program for the
kids. An Outlaw Kart program that would take place in Antioch. They
built a rodeo arena next to the big track years ago as they took the
rodeo off of the main grandstands property during the fair.
I'm
not sure when the rodeo died over at the arena, but I am sure they have
all the things they need for a racing facility. They have metal
bleachers all the way along the arena, which in my estimation might fit
1,000 people packed in there. They have a restroom, a spot for
concessions and an office. The arena itself would be big enough for a
Kart racing program and Motorcycles.
I've
been holding on to this idea for a few years now, but I've shared it
with Larry Adams, who likes it. He's already working on things that
would involve the high school students here, but I guess he's had some
preliminary conversations about racing on the arena property. It may
come to the point now of drafting a proposal.
I
don't want more than 20 races at this location, and they need to be
reasonable about rent. We're not going to make a bundle on Kart racing.
Also, I know they want to get back to horse programs again, but it's
going to cost a lot to clean up the mess that's there. We have people
around here willing to jump in and do it.
As
a sampling of the idea that I've had bouncing around my head, you run
no more than a dozen Kart racing programs, and right around the time
school starts in September, you want to be tapering off on that. I'd
like to run some Flat Track Bike programs or maybe even look into the
Speedway Bike program they run at Auburn on Friday nights.
I
bet with the scenery we have there, we can have success with that. If
we wanted to move the back wall out a little bit, which is doable, we
could entertain running a couple of Micro Sprint programs. I've had
people tell me we shouldn't, but I don't want to start a regular program
unless it involves just the Mini Late Models. We could run the Mini
Late Models on a Kart program for that matter.
The
real reason I looked at that arena as something I'd like to do at least
one time a year is what they do at the Alameda County Fair. I'd like to
have a 4-cylinder Destruction Derby, in this case. I'd also like to run
a Figure 8 for the Mini Stocks. We might even be able to do something
with oval track racing, albeit it with maybe no more than six or eight
cars on the track.
This
may be something that would be done during the County Fair on a Sunday.
I say maybe, because if this thing becomes usable for horses, they may
want to use it for horse events and not even be open to doing it on the
last day of the Fair.
In
any case, I could ramble on more, but I need to shut my mouth. I've
written enough. I need to edit, so that's all for now. Until next
time...
