Has there ever been a track champion in the United States older than 82 years old? How about an 82 year old who won two track championships in one season? Well, we have one in California. He's Larry Damitz. Larry won the Limited Late Model championships at both Antioch and Merced this season.
My first thought is that this is what is right with racing on the short track. Drivers who have been doing it for years. If you leave the track and come back a few years later, you still have that driver to cheer on. Honestly, I wouldn't know most of the drivers at Antioch if I did show up to watch, but I would know Larry.
But, it's more than that. He's 82 years old, and he still races. And he wins. 82 years old. Larry is a hero of mine. When you hit your 60's, some might say you start to slow down. But, age doesn't mean what it once did. Larry gives hope to all of us that we can do the things that we love to do when we are in our 80's. It's hard to imagine anybody booing that man. If they do, they are morons, and their opinion doesn't count.
As a young fan going to Antioch late in the Sportsman era, my dad told me stories of Vallejo and Pacheco in the 50's and 60's. He'd name the names, and Larry was one of them. He was on the top ten of point earners at Vallejo in the decade of the 60's and a track champion. Yes, he had to pay his dues in the 50's, but it wasn't long before he was winning. As time went on, he won championships at Vallejo, Petaluma and Chico. This was before he came to Antioch in 1984.
He was a feature winner in 1984. In 1986, he dominated the scene as far as wins. A back injury sidelined him as his nephew Milt McGinnis took over for a couple years and won championships at Petaluma. But, Larry wouldn't quit. He continued winning races and championships at Petaluma. Shoot, in his late 70's, he was racing competitively in full Late Models. I believe his decision to go back to Limited Late Models was based in part on the idea that he would be racing with Chevy McGinnis. He continues to be a force in the division.
It's amazing to contemplate the fact that he's been racing since the 50's. There have been breaks, but not long breaks. I think racing is part of what keeps him young. It's true of all the guys from his era who raced, such as Roland Lokmor, Del Quinn and Phil Pedlar, who raced for years. Roland and Del have since passed away, but it's hard to imagine there'd still be an NCMA without their contributions.
I can imagine what it felt like for Larry to jump back into a Hardtop again this year and win races. He won the last one this year at Antioch. It's like coming full circle to the division that started it all. I know car count is nothing compared to what it was, but still, it's Hardtops.
And the championships? Knowing Larry, though I'm sure he's proud of them, that's not what drives him. It's more than that. It's the camaraderie of the team. It's the friendships made at the track. It's the excitement of being out there competing. It's the memories made. It's all of that and more.
I don't know how long he plans to continue. I've said before that people should appreciate what they are seeing with him out there racing, because it's one of those things you will miss when he's gone. For my part, I wish him continued good health so that he can continue to do what he loves. If he's 90 and he can still do this competitively and he wants to, I hope he does.
Thanks for all the great memories Larry, and I hope you can continue to do what you love for years to come. You truly are an inspiration to everybody.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Random Thoughts
Okay, I'm going to try and limit my rambling here, because I know I can get going very easily on different subjects. At the top of the list, should the Spec Sprints have been booked for a special at Antioch, are open shows effecting the regular point season at tracks, what is next for Chowchilla and other stuff if I don't ramble too long.
Ten Dirt Modifieds showed for $1,000 to win at Antioch last week. I understand Tulare ran a big show that night, though that doesn't account for all of the absences. I'm not blaming the local racers. It was a long season, cars were wrecked and people needed a break. The fact is it's also open season and some drivers want to race at places they don't get to run now that point season is over. I hope for the best at Antioch, but I'm not expecting car count to hit the 20's in this class. It may not even get that close.
Fact is, this division was given two very big paying races at Antioch this season, and they produced strong car counts both times. Up until that fateful night in July, this class has been clutch, even on regular point nights. I understand John booking them now, but I believe the Spec Sprints would probably have produced at least into the high 20's or low 30's if booked right. Look at what Petaluma just did. This wasn't in Antioch's plans and that's fine, but I can't help thinking they missed an opportunity.
All things considered, I don't think John isn't too unhappy with the stretch run he just had at the track, and that's the main thing. For him to be running two tracks and basically getting Merced Speedway up again on such short notice is a good thing. As long as the tracks are running, things have a chance to get bigger and better at both places.
I do wonder if the open show is killing or at least hurting the point show at some of these tracks, particularly with Dirt Modifieds. More promoters are booking money races during the season, and there are some good racers who used to chase points who now chase the money. It makes it hard to have a show on a point night that even gets near a B Main car count at some places. IMCA has had some moments.
Which leads me to Chowchilla. I don't know what Hanford will be doing, but Tulare has went to an IMCA sanction for its Modifieds in 2010. Having read some of the things that have gone down at that track in recent years, I bet this is a proud moment for Paul and IMCA. However, this puts a damper on the cooperation Hanford, Tulare and Chowchilla had with the Modifieds that allowed each track to have shows not booked on top of the other ones.
As I see it, Kenny has some choices to make going forward at Chowchilla if he wants to run a regular season. UMP is one option. He can jump on the bandwagon with John and link up with Antioch and Merced. I know Antioch and Chowchilla are Saturday tracks, but Antioch does not run Modifieds every week. This would;d be doable with a minimum of double booking. That's one option, and it definitely solidifies UMP's presence in California. If, and I say IF, they do this, I'd love to see Hobbys and Super Stocks added to the sanctioning as UMP keeps Regional and National points there too.
I still have my doubts about UMP, but I want to be fair here since I have my doubts about the crazy thing I'm about to type next. Some "old schoolers" may love it though.
Kenny could bring NASCAR to Chowchilla. The money may not be there for such a move, but it's a thought. I don't even know what NASCAR offers the short track anymore, other than a state point race. This is a longshot, and the only reason I bring this up is Kenny's history racing with NASCAR. Plus, as I said, he needs to make a move.
The Valley's resident IMCA booster, Johnnie Baptista, has proposed IMCA sanctioning for Modifieds, Sport Mods and Four Bangers. Yeah, I know, stop the presses, Johnnie is talking IMCA again, but this may not be so crazy. First of all, this track has worked well with Watsonville in the past, and Watsonville has IMCA Modifieds. Suddenly, California is back at the table competing for IMCA Regional honors.
Chowchilla has a growing Sport Mod class. Ten cars this year, and eight last week. Kenny is even considering a big race for them at the end of October in hopes of enticing cars from Victorville. This class is slowly growing, and double digit counts in 2011 seems doable. It should be pointed out, in fairness, that the track has gotten to this point without sanctioning, but they definitely need to realize that they may have something here.
Four Bangers are coming either way, but sanctioning wouldn't hurt. What if Watsonville sanctioned their class too? I don't see that happening, but what if?
Here's the kicker. Merced was a big base for many years for IMCA Modifieds, and Chuck's Four Banger class at that time carried IMCA sanctioning as well. The question is, how many drivers in the area are looking for the IMCA option in Modifieds? Would it hurt for Chowchilla to hold a meeting for driver input? You can certainly make a case that IMCA saved the Modifieds at Merced and allowed the class to grow to the point of B Mains being needed.
Its an interesting thought. At this point, it seems to me Chowchilla needs to make some changes going forward. Things may be bleak there, but it's salvageable. What Kenny does next will be important, but may be that some driver input can help things along.
I think I will end this here. I was going to comment on Orland Speedway, but if you've been reading, you know my thoughts. Orland is doing good to open the gates these past two years and do some racing, but they do need to step things up in year three. I hope for the best.
For those wondering, I'm not planning to close this blog. It may not be a place that covers things weekly. I may not cover the 50th Anniversary Season at Antioch Speedway (1961-2011), but the blog will be here and posts will be made.
Ten Dirt Modifieds showed for $1,000 to win at Antioch last week. I understand Tulare ran a big show that night, though that doesn't account for all of the absences. I'm not blaming the local racers. It was a long season, cars were wrecked and people needed a break. The fact is it's also open season and some drivers want to race at places they don't get to run now that point season is over. I hope for the best at Antioch, but I'm not expecting car count to hit the 20's in this class. It may not even get that close.
Fact is, this division was given two very big paying races at Antioch this season, and they produced strong car counts both times. Up until that fateful night in July, this class has been clutch, even on regular point nights. I understand John booking them now, but I believe the Spec Sprints would probably have produced at least into the high 20's or low 30's if booked right. Look at what Petaluma just did. This wasn't in Antioch's plans and that's fine, but I can't help thinking they missed an opportunity.
All things considered, I don't think John isn't too unhappy with the stretch run he just had at the track, and that's the main thing. For him to be running two tracks and basically getting Merced Speedway up again on such short notice is a good thing. As long as the tracks are running, things have a chance to get bigger and better at both places.
I do wonder if the open show is killing or at least hurting the point show at some of these tracks, particularly with Dirt Modifieds. More promoters are booking money races during the season, and there are some good racers who used to chase points who now chase the money. It makes it hard to have a show on a point night that even gets near a B Main car count at some places. IMCA has had some moments.
Which leads me to Chowchilla. I don't know what Hanford will be doing, but Tulare has went to an IMCA sanction for its Modifieds in 2010. Having read some of the things that have gone down at that track in recent years, I bet this is a proud moment for Paul and IMCA. However, this puts a damper on the cooperation Hanford, Tulare and Chowchilla had with the Modifieds that allowed each track to have shows not booked on top of the other ones.
As I see it, Kenny has some choices to make going forward at Chowchilla if he wants to run a regular season. UMP is one option. He can jump on the bandwagon with John and link up with Antioch and Merced. I know Antioch and Chowchilla are Saturday tracks, but Antioch does not run Modifieds every week. This would;d be doable with a minimum of double booking. That's one option, and it definitely solidifies UMP's presence in California. If, and I say IF, they do this, I'd love to see Hobbys and Super Stocks added to the sanctioning as UMP keeps Regional and National points there too.
I still have my doubts about UMP, but I want to be fair here since I have my doubts about the crazy thing I'm about to type next. Some "old schoolers" may love it though.
Kenny could bring NASCAR to Chowchilla. The money may not be there for such a move, but it's a thought. I don't even know what NASCAR offers the short track anymore, other than a state point race. This is a longshot, and the only reason I bring this up is Kenny's history racing with NASCAR. Plus, as I said, he needs to make a move.
The Valley's resident IMCA booster, Johnnie Baptista, has proposed IMCA sanctioning for Modifieds, Sport Mods and Four Bangers. Yeah, I know, stop the presses, Johnnie is talking IMCA again, but this may not be so crazy. First of all, this track has worked well with Watsonville in the past, and Watsonville has IMCA Modifieds. Suddenly, California is back at the table competing for IMCA Regional honors.
Chowchilla has a growing Sport Mod class. Ten cars this year, and eight last week. Kenny is even considering a big race for them at the end of October in hopes of enticing cars from Victorville. This class is slowly growing, and double digit counts in 2011 seems doable. It should be pointed out, in fairness, that the track has gotten to this point without sanctioning, but they definitely need to realize that they may have something here.
Four Bangers are coming either way, but sanctioning wouldn't hurt. What if Watsonville sanctioned their class too? I don't see that happening, but what if?
Here's the kicker. Merced was a big base for many years for IMCA Modifieds, and Chuck's Four Banger class at that time carried IMCA sanctioning as well. The question is, how many drivers in the area are looking for the IMCA option in Modifieds? Would it hurt for Chowchilla to hold a meeting for driver input? You can certainly make a case that IMCA saved the Modifieds at Merced and allowed the class to grow to the point of B Mains being needed.
Its an interesting thought. At this point, it seems to me Chowchilla needs to make some changes going forward. Things may be bleak there, but it's salvageable. What Kenny does next will be important, but may be that some driver input can help things along.
I think I will end this here. I was going to comment on Orland Speedway, but if you've been reading, you know my thoughts. Orland is doing good to open the gates these past two years and do some racing, but they do need to step things up in year three. I hope for the best.
For those wondering, I'm not planning to close this blog. It may not be a place that covers things weekly. I may not cover the 50th Anniversary Season at Antioch Speedway (1961-2011), but the blog will be here and posts will be made.
Damitz Collects Fourth Win of 2010 Season, Machado Champion
Wasn't planning to do a story, but since JonKPest had his videos up and I said I would cover the point season, I did one. I do hope the track makes a better effort to get the word out next year, but we shall see. Congratulations to all of the drivers who helped give this track it's 50th consecutive point season. Technically, next year is the 50th Anniversary of the track, so we'll see how that's handled too. Anyway, results are unofficial and if I misspelled a name, I'm sorry. There were some new cars this week.
Four divisions competed Saturday night as Antioch Speedway wrapped up it's 50th consecutive season of point racing. Ageless veteran Larry Damitz did all that he could do in scoring his fourth Super Stock feature win of the season, but Mitch Machado used his top five finish to grab a well earned championship. Having been disqualified from a win earlier in the season, Jim Freethy finally earned his first Hobby Stock feature win of the season in the Team #99 car that he has shared with Jack Jonker this season. Meanwhile, Brad Myers used his top three finish to give the Team #33 car he shares with Melissa Hansen the division championship. With no points, but $1,000 on the line, Mike Salazar dominated in winning the Dirt Modified Main Event. With their race being run in reverse, Justin Silveira continued his strong late season effort with his second Four Banger feature win, while Patty Ryland won her second straight division title.
With 12 cars on hand, the Super Stocks ran two heat races. Damitz got his night started off right with a heat win ahead of Mikey Slaney. Lori Brown held off Machado to win her heat race, but Machado came back to win the Trophy Dash ahead of Damitz.
While Machado started deep in the pack, Damitz had a front row start for the feature and raced into the lead at the drop of the green flag ahead of Slaney and Brown. Fred Ryland and Machado were battling for fifth when they tangled in Turn 2 for a yellow flag. Damitz chose the outside for the restart and continued to lead as Mike Gustafson rode the high side around Slaney for second. Eric Berendsen had his hands full with Machado battling him for fifth as Brown was fourth. On lap 18, Berendsen, Daniel Mendes and Ryland crashed in Turn 4 for a caution flag. Damitz didn't let that stop him as he led the restart and cruised to victory ahead of Gustafson, Slaney, Brown, Machado, Jon Haney, the #8 car (Alan Beasy?), Berendsen, Mendes and Ryland.
There were 11 Hobby Stocks, and Wes Bentley won the first heat race ahead of Phillip Gibber. Myers won the second heat race ahead of previous feature winner Dave Lincoln. The division also got a Trophy Dash with Gibber collecting the win ahead of Lincoln. Randy Mentzler scratched after the heat races.
The top point earning driver in the Hobby Stocks this season, Chris Sorensen shared the front row of the Main Event with Freethy, but it was Freethy charging into the lead at the start ahead of Megan Ponciano and Myers. An outside move on the back stretch gained Lincoln third on lap two. A yellow flag flew on lap six when Gibber's strong night came to an abrupt end. Freethy remained in the lead on the restart, but a yellow flag flew a lap later as Bentley and Lincoln crashed in Turn 2. Bentley and Lincoln retired, and Freethy led Ponciano and Myers on the restart. With Sorensen running fourth, the lead four cars ran closely the rest of the way, and Freethy collected a well earned victory ahead of Ponciano, Myers, Sorensen, Chuck Templeman, Pat Gooding, Aaron Biels, Lincoln, Bentley and Gibber.
With Tulare also running a money race for Dirt Modifieds, ten cars showed for the $1,000 to win at Antioch. Petaluma champ Michael Paul Jr. won the first heat ahead of Chester Kniss. After Dan Gonderman and Troy Foulger crashed running 1-2, Salazar won the second heat with Foulger bouncing back for second.
Salazar had a front row start for the Dirt Modified feature and was not to be denied as he charged into the lead at the green flag ahead of Paul and Foulger. By lap five, Salazar was a straightaway in front and lapping slower cars. Foulger slowed in Turn 4 for a lap eight caution flag. Salazar maintained the lead on the restart as Derek Colvin slipped past Paul for second. Colvin was doing a great job of holding down second, but problems in traffic on lap 16 dropped him out of the top three as Paul and Gonderman raced past. Salazar had a huge lead at that point and cruised to a popular victory ahead of Paul, Gonderman, Colvin and Gene Haney.
Eight cars competed in the Four Banger division, and Ryland's point lead was not insurmountable until she won the heat race by a straightaway ahead of Dayna Andreesen. Track officials elected to run the Main Event in reverse to shake things up a bit, and newcomer Humberto Orezzo set the early pace ahead of Silveira and Ken Radabaugh. A back stretch pass on lap four gained Silveira the lead. Radabaugh was second by lap ten, but Silveira was not to be denied the victory as possibly the hottest driver in this division in the last four or five races. Radabaugh settled for second and will be the runnerup in points for the second straight season. Orezzo held off Ryland to finish third. Lynn Wilkerson was fifth as Andreesen, Mike Felt and Laura Crabtree completed the finishing order.
With point racing done, the season closes at Antioch Speedway with an open show for Dirt Modifieds, Super Stocks and Hobby Stocks this Saturday night.
Four divisions competed Saturday night as Antioch Speedway wrapped up it's 50th consecutive season of point racing. Ageless veteran Larry Damitz did all that he could do in scoring his fourth Super Stock feature win of the season, but Mitch Machado used his top five finish to grab a well earned championship. Having been disqualified from a win earlier in the season, Jim Freethy finally earned his first Hobby Stock feature win of the season in the Team #99 car that he has shared with Jack Jonker this season. Meanwhile, Brad Myers used his top three finish to give the Team #33 car he shares with Melissa Hansen the division championship. With no points, but $1,000 on the line, Mike Salazar dominated in winning the Dirt Modified Main Event. With their race being run in reverse, Justin Silveira continued his strong late season effort with his second Four Banger feature win, while Patty Ryland won her second straight division title.
With 12 cars on hand, the Super Stocks ran two heat races. Damitz got his night started off right with a heat win ahead of Mikey Slaney. Lori Brown held off Machado to win her heat race, but Machado came back to win the Trophy Dash ahead of Damitz.
While Machado started deep in the pack, Damitz had a front row start for the feature and raced into the lead at the drop of the green flag ahead of Slaney and Brown. Fred Ryland and Machado were battling for fifth when they tangled in Turn 2 for a yellow flag. Damitz chose the outside for the restart and continued to lead as Mike Gustafson rode the high side around Slaney for second. Eric Berendsen had his hands full with Machado battling him for fifth as Brown was fourth. On lap 18, Berendsen, Daniel Mendes and Ryland crashed in Turn 4 for a caution flag. Damitz didn't let that stop him as he led the restart and cruised to victory ahead of Gustafson, Slaney, Brown, Machado, Jon Haney, the #8 car (Alan Beasy?), Berendsen, Mendes and Ryland.
There were 11 Hobby Stocks, and Wes Bentley won the first heat race ahead of Phillip Gibber. Myers won the second heat race ahead of previous feature winner Dave Lincoln. The division also got a Trophy Dash with Gibber collecting the win ahead of Lincoln. Randy Mentzler scratched after the heat races.
The top point earning driver in the Hobby Stocks this season, Chris Sorensen shared the front row of the Main Event with Freethy, but it was Freethy charging into the lead at the start ahead of Megan Ponciano and Myers. An outside move on the back stretch gained Lincoln third on lap two. A yellow flag flew on lap six when Gibber's strong night came to an abrupt end. Freethy remained in the lead on the restart, but a yellow flag flew a lap later as Bentley and Lincoln crashed in Turn 2. Bentley and Lincoln retired, and Freethy led Ponciano and Myers on the restart. With Sorensen running fourth, the lead four cars ran closely the rest of the way, and Freethy collected a well earned victory ahead of Ponciano, Myers, Sorensen, Chuck Templeman, Pat Gooding, Aaron Biels, Lincoln, Bentley and Gibber.
With Tulare also running a money race for Dirt Modifieds, ten cars showed for the $1,000 to win at Antioch. Petaluma champ Michael Paul Jr. won the first heat ahead of Chester Kniss. After Dan Gonderman and Troy Foulger crashed running 1-2, Salazar won the second heat with Foulger bouncing back for second.
Salazar had a front row start for the Dirt Modified feature and was not to be denied as he charged into the lead at the green flag ahead of Paul and Foulger. By lap five, Salazar was a straightaway in front and lapping slower cars. Foulger slowed in Turn 4 for a lap eight caution flag. Salazar maintained the lead on the restart as Derek Colvin slipped past Paul for second. Colvin was doing a great job of holding down second, but problems in traffic on lap 16 dropped him out of the top three as Paul and Gonderman raced past. Salazar had a huge lead at that point and cruised to a popular victory ahead of Paul, Gonderman, Colvin and Gene Haney.
Eight cars competed in the Four Banger division, and Ryland's point lead was not insurmountable until she won the heat race by a straightaway ahead of Dayna Andreesen. Track officials elected to run the Main Event in reverse to shake things up a bit, and newcomer Humberto Orezzo set the early pace ahead of Silveira and Ken Radabaugh. A back stretch pass on lap four gained Silveira the lead. Radabaugh was second by lap ten, but Silveira was not to be denied the victory as possibly the hottest driver in this division in the last four or five races. Radabaugh settled for second and will be the runnerup in points for the second straight season. Orezzo held off Ryland to finish third. Lynn Wilkerson was fifth as Andreesen, Mike Felt and Laura Crabtree completed the finishing order.
With point racing done, the season closes at Antioch Speedway with an open show for Dirt Modifieds, Super Stocks and Hobby Stocks this Saturday night.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Antioch Point Race Comes To A Close With Four Division Show
We enter the final point race of the season at Antioch with not much expected to change in the standings. The most potential appears to be in the Winged 360 Sprint Cars and Four Bangers, but I wouldn't count on it. However, if there is a chance, anything can happen. It has been a chore at times to get results from the races, and I feel good about having a place here where people can look back on the 2010 season at Antioch. As I get ready to step away from this, it is my hope that the track will hire somebody to do the job of handling the track's publicity.
The Over/Under number for this race is 42. Though they could have over 50 cars for this four division show, I wouldn't count on it.
Winged 360 Sprint Cars (10), Super Stocks (12), Hobby Stocks (12), Four Bangers (8).
First of all, the audit has been completed for the Wingless Spec Sprint point race, and your champion is Tommy LaLiberte by ten points over David Press, according to the track's web site. At the end of last week's race, it appeared as if Press has won by two points. I typed a blog that wasn't posted that cautioned that this could be the case. I also wanted to point out that this was a mistake in point calculating, and nothing devious, in my opinion. There have been mistakes from time to time in other classes that I have noticed just from a glance, and I've been told the track hasn't had a problem correcting things as they are pointed out. It might be a good idea to audit things at the top in the other classes, just in case. I'm not suggesting anything is wrong here, but as i said, honest mistakes happen. It also might be a good idea to examine how things are being done with the points, and make a change. There are plenty of options out there.
Even with three wins in five races, Craig Smith still holds just an 18 point lead over rookie Ryan Rusconi in the Winged 360 Sprint Car race. This may be because Rusconi is still winning heat races and made an impressive charge to finish second last time out. Risconi and Smith both started in the back of the ten car field last time, and with only a red flag at the start, they had to hustle their way trough the pack.
Past champion Art McCarthy was third in the previous race, leaving him just 24 points behind Rusconi for second. After Jeremy Burt's victory last time out, he is 20 points behind McCarthy for third. Though it isn't likely to happen, there could still be a change in the top five of the standings. The bigger picture is Antioch's attempt to establish it's own 360 Sprint Car division. The track has a desire to be a player on the Sprint Car scene, and with 8-10 cars showing up so far, it won't be a surprise to see the division on the schedule next season.
When a season high 13 cars showed up last time, it showed that drivers are still interested in supporting the Super Stock division. Throughout the first half of the season, just six or seven cars were showing up, leaving many to wonder what happened to this division. The more cars that show for this division, the better the racing will be. Despite the car count issues, Mitch Machado and Larry Damitz have had a nice battle for the championship.
Last time out, Machado scored the victory to maintain his status as the winner of the most features in this division this season. Damitz did make a charge into the top three, but the point damage has been done. Most likely, all Machado will need to do is start this feature to win this championship. Machado has not made it a big goal of his to win championships in his impressive racing career, though he has track titles at Petaluma and Sacramento, but he wanted this one.
The added bonus of competing against a legend like Damitz had to make it special. In fact, Machado's Street Stock title at Petaluma came the same year as one of Damitz's Late Model titles. At 81 years old, it's amazing to see Damitz racing, let alone doing it as well as he still does. I'm not sure how much fans realize how special this is. Damitz got his start racing in the 1950's at tracks like Contra Costa Speedway in Pacheco and Vallejo Speedway, tracks that no longer exist. Whether or not this is it for Larry, I certainly want to thank him for all the memories and for doing it with the class and style that he always has.
Fred Ryland won two features this season, but the rookie stumbled just slightly to fall out of the hunt. As of now, the likely "Rookie Of The Year" holds a 22 point lead over the steady Eric Berendsen for third. As a double digit car count is expected, something could happen here. The same can be said for fifth, where three time Antioch champion Mike Gustafson, a three time winner this year, now has a nine point lead over Lloyd Cline. Cline tried his best to hold him off as Gustafson gained a little every week, but he will need to bring something special to reclaim the position from a veteran like Gustafson.
With a second last time out, two time Street Stock champion Michael Newman would have to be considered a threat to win the finale if he shows. Other drivers to look for include two time track champion Melissa Hansen, Jon Haney, Lori Brown and Mike Calhoun. Last time out, 2009 champion Danny Mendes and Mikey Slaney made their season debuts, showing further proof that interest is growing in this division as the season comes to a close. Another season high car count is possible this week.
With Hansen anticipated in the Super Stocks this week, it could mean rookie Brad Myers will get to finish the season in the Hobby Stocks for the Team 33 car. Myers made a rare mistake last time out when he spun taking early in the race, but he did manage to recover for a top three finish. That put him 36 points ahead of Chris Sorensen going into this race. He will likely only need to start this feature to claim the championship. The idea of a car owner champion and a driving champion still sounds appealing to this writer.
In the case of a driver champion, or second in points, it would be a battle between Sorensen and past champion Dan McCown, who picked up a top three finish last time out. Sorensen is 15 points ahead of McCown in a close battle. This one could get interesting as both drivers are feature winners this season and capable of doing it again. At this stage in the game, the Team 99 car of Jack Jonker and Jim Freethy and the #98 of Joe Cancilla appear to have a good hold on fourth and fifth.
Wes Bentley's top five finish last time out allowed him to take a four point lead over Pat Gooding in the battle for sixth. Gooding finished in the top ten in the 14 car field as he continues a strong late season run. Speaking of strong runs, after his second place finish two races ago, Dave Lincoln kicked it up a notch with a win last time out, to push him into 14th in points after a late start. As with the Super Stocks, this should be a good show that could possibly field one of the best car counts for the division this season.
Ken Radabaugh did what he could last week in the Four Bangers, but luck simply was not on his side. 2009 champion Patty Ryland won the heat and the Main Event to continue her charge. Radabaugh, the 2009 point runner up, was second in the heat, had problems and came back to finish third. He was second early in the feature, but he ended up in the pits and finished the race laps down. The bottom line was the two were tied going into the night, and Ryland now leads by 16 points.
Though it's still close, Ryland is clearly the class of the field, and short of a DNF in the Main Event or some other problem, she will be champion again. Radabaugh can't worry about what Patty does. He needs to get out there and win his first feature of the season and let the points fall where they may. With another strong top three run, Justin Silveira is a solid fourth in points, but he won't catch third ranked Dayna Andreesen, who looked good out there last week. However, as mentioned last week, Justin is making a good case for himself as driver to beat in 2011.
Another driver looking good after a late start is Mike Felt. Mike had a top three run to move into sixth in the standings, but he won't catch Dominique Myers. Myers holds fifth in points despite a DNF last week. Another Myers in the field was Brad Myers, who enjoyed a top five finish in his first start, basically just making laps. There were eight cars last week, and if a few more drivers show up, it could increase the possibility of a change at the top of the point list.
The Over/Under number for this race is 42. Though they could have over 50 cars for this four division show, I wouldn't count on it.
Winged 360 Sprint Cars (10), Super Stocks (12), Hobby Stocks (12), Four Bangers (8).
First of all, the audit has been completed for the Wingless Spec Sprint point race, and your champion is Tommy LaLiberte by ten points over David Press, according to the track's web site. At the end of last week's race, it appeared as if Press has won by two points. I typed a blog that wasn't posted that cautioned that this could be the case. I also wanted to point out that this was a mistake in point calculating, and nothing devious, in my opinion. There have been mistakes from time to time in other classes that I have noticed just from a glance, and I've been told the track hasn't had a problem correcting things as they are pointed out. It might be a good idea to audit things at the top in the other classes, just in case. I'm not suggesting anything is wrong here, but as i said, honest mistakes happen. It also might be a good idea to examine how things are being done with the points, and make a change. There are plenty of options out there.
Even with three wins in five races, Craig Smith still holds just an 18 point lead over rookie Ryan Rusconi in the Winged 360 Sprint Car race. This may be because Rusconi is still winning heat races and made an impressive charge to finish second last time out. Risconi and Smith both started in the back of the ten car field last time, and with only a red flag at the start, they had to hustle their way trough the pack.
Past champion Art McCarthy was third in the previous race, leaving him just 24 points behind Rusconi for second. After Jeremy Burt's victory last time out, he is 20 points behind McCarthy for third. Though it isn't likely to happen, there could still be a change in the top five of the standings. The bigger picture is Antioch's attempt to establish it's own 360 Sprint Car division. The track has a desire to be a player on the Sprint Car scene, and with 8-10 cars showing up so far, it won't be a surprise to see the division on the schedule next season.
When a season high 13 cars showed up last time, it showed that drivers are still interested in supporting the Super Stock division. Throughout the first half of the season, just six or seven cars were showing up, leaving many to wonder what happened to this division. The more cars that show for this division, the better the racing will be. Despite the car count issues, Mitch Machado and Larry Damitz have had a nice battle for the championship.
Last time out, Machado scored the victory to maintain his status as the winner of the most features in this division this season. Damitz did make a charge into the top three, but the point damage has been done. Most likely, all Machado will need to do is start this feature to win this championship. Machado has not made it a big goal of his to win championships in his impressive racing career, though he has track titles at Petaluma and Sacramento, but he wanted this one.
The added bonus of competing against a legend like Damitz had to make it special. In fact, Machado's Street Stock title at Petaluma came the same year as one of Damitz's Late Model titles. At 81 years old, it's amazing to see Damitz racing, let alone doing it as well as he still does. I'm not sure how much fans realize how special this is. Damitz got his start racing in the 1950's at tracks like Contra Costa Speedway in Pacheco and Vallejo Speedway, tracks that no longer exist. Whether or not this is it for Larry, I certainly want to thank him for all the memories and for doing it with the class and style that he always has.
Fred Ryland won two features this season, but the rookie stumbled just slightly to fall out of the hunt. As of now, the likely "Rookie Of The Year" holds a 22 point lead over the steady Eric Berendsen for third. As a double digit car count is expected, something could happen here. The same can be said for fifth, where three time Antioch champion Mike Gustafson, a three time winner this year, now has a nine point lead over Lloyd Cline. Cline tried his best to hold him off as Gustafson gained a little every week, but he will need to bring something special to reclaim the position from a veteran like Gustafson.
With a second last time out, two time Street Stock champion Michael Newman would have to be considered a threat to win the finale if he shows. Other drivers to look for include two time track champion Melissa Hansen, Jon Haney, Lori Brown and Mike Calhoun. Last time out, 2009 champion Danny Mendes and Mikey Slaney made their season debuts, showing further proof that interest is growing in this division as the season comes to a close. Another season high car count is possible this week.
With Hansen anticipated in the Super Stocks this week, it could mean rookie Brad Myers will get to finish the season in the Hobby Stocks for the Team 33 car. Myers made a rare mistake last time out when he spun taking early in the race, but he did manage to recover for a top three finish. That put him 36 points ahead of Chris Sorensen going into this race. He will likely only need to start this feature to claim the championship. The idea of a car owner champion and a driving champion still sounds appealing to this writer.
In the case of a driver champion, or second in points, it would be a battle between Sorensen and past champion Dan McCown, who picked up a top three finish last time out. Sorensen is 15 points ahead of McCown in a close battle. This one could get interesting as both drivers are feature winners this season and capable of doing it again. At this stage in the game, the Team 99 car of Jack Jonker and Jim Freethy and the #98 of Joe Cancilla appear to have a good hold on fourth and fifth.
Wes Bentley's top five finish last time out allowed him to take a four point lead over Pat Gooding in the battle for sixth. Gooding finished in the top ten in the 14 car field as he continues a strong late season run. Speaking of strong runs, after his second place finish two races ago, Dave Lincoln kicked it up a notch with a win last time out, to push him into 14th in points after a late start. As with the Super Stocks, this should be a good show that could possibly field one of the best car counts for the division this season.
Ken Radabaugh did what he could last week in the Four Bangers, but luck simply was not on his side. 2009 champion Patty Ryland won the heat and the Main Event to continue her charge. Radabaugh, the 2009 point runner up, was second in the heat, had problems and came back to finish third. He was second early in the feature, but he ended up in the pits and finished the race laps down. The bottom line was the two were tied going into the night, and Ryland now leads by 16 points.
Though it's still close, Ryland is clearly the class of the field, and short of a DNF in the Main Event or some other problem, she will be champion again. Radabaugh can't worry about what Patty does. He needs to get out there and win his first feature of the season and let the points fall where they may. With another strong top three run, Justin Silveira is a solid fourth in points, but he won't catch third ranked Dayna Andreesen, who looked good out there last week. However, as mentioned last week, Justin is making a good case for himself as driver to beat in 2011.
Another driver looking good after a late start is Mike Felt. Mike had a top three run to move into sixth in the standings, but he won't catch Dominique Myers. Myers holds fifth in points despite a DNF last week. Another Myers in the field was Brad Myers, who enjoyed a top five finish in his first start, basically just making laps. There were eight cars last week, and if a few more drivers show up, it could increase the possibility of a change at the top of the point list.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Plenty Of Excitement And Drama At Antioch Speedway
The official results aren't up, so finishes here are unofficial. Just trying to put something out to spread the word a little. Once again, JonKPest has come through with some nice videos of the action from what looks like another good night of racing. Jon has done a great job with the videos and helping spread the word of the good racing going on out there.
Points are not posted as there is an audit being done on the Wingless Spec Sprints. This is standard procedure when you have a close race like that. It could change, or it may not. As long as the points are as accurate as possible, I don't care. It's a sign of a good point race when you have a battle go down to the final race, and they had two last week.
There was plenty of excitement and drama on tap at Antioch Speedway Saturday night as three point races concluded for the season with two of them going down to the last checkered flag. Tommy LaLiberte seemed to be on his way to the front again in wingless Spec Sprints, but when mechanical problems sent him pit side, the point lead appeared to shift in favor of David Press. Points are being audited as of this writing to confirm a champion. Meanwhile, Nick Squatritto was locked in a battle with Ricardo Rivera in the Dwarf Car feature before a flat tire sent him to the pits. The result of Squatritto's misfortune was Jerry Doty winning the championship. Feature wins for the night went to Chico competitor Braedon Enos (Wingless Spec Sprints), Ricardo Rivera (Dwarf Cars), Travis Dutra (Mini Trucks) and Patty Ryland (Four Bangers).
With 14 Spec Sprints in action, two heats were staged. Nick Larsen won the first heat ahead of Dan Gonderman as incoming point leader Tommy LaLiberte claimed third place points. David Press gained some ground on the lead by holding off Jim Perry Jr. to win the second heat, but no Trophy Dash was held to offer further point gain opportunity heading into to the feature.
Jeff Lee had a front row start for the Main Event and raced into the early lead ahead of Gary Nelson and Trevor Press. A lap two caution flag flew for Gonderman, and LaLiberte settled into fourth on the restart. LaLiberte made a move for third in Turn 2 of the sixth lap, resulting in slight contact as both continued. Working lap nine, LaLiberte and Nelson made contact in the battle for second. Both continued with LaLiberte in second and pressuring Lee. Moments later, the final caution flag fell for a two car tangle in Turn 4. LaLiberte headed to the pits for repairs and did not return. Lee led Nelson and Chuck Bradshaw on the restart. Very quickly, Braedon Enos, Perry and D. Press made this a close six car battle up front that went on for several laps until Enos made his move. Working lap 14, a high move in Turn 2 gained Enos third from Bradshaw. A lap later, Enos passed Nelson on the outside in Turn 2 and made a high pass in Turn 4 of the same late to take the lead from Lee. As Enos pulled away, Perry made his move. A low pass in Turn 4 of the 16th lap put Perry into third, and he made a high move in Turn 2 of the 17th lap to take second from Lee. The close battle continued for third, with Nelson taking over that spot on lap 20. Enos held a comfortable lead all the way to the checkered flag with Perry never threatened in picking up yet another runner up finish. Nelson was a season best third, and D. Press may have gained enough points in fourth to win the championship by a slim margin. Gonderman was fifth, followed by Lee, Bradshaw, T. Press, Roy Fisher and Larsen, all unofficial as official results were not available.
With 19 cars, the Dwarf Cars ran three heat races. Incoming point leader Nick Squatritto started his night off right with a heat win ahead of Michael Crommie. The second heat win went to rookie Tom Brown ahead of Tony Carmignani. Five time champion Ricardo Rivera was back in prime form with a heat win ahead of the persistent Jerry Doty. Though not as flashy as Rivera and Squatritto, Doty has been consistent all season long, and that would pay off in the end.
The feature started off well for Squatritto, who set the early pace ahead of Brown and Rivera. As Squatritto had nearly a straightaway advantage, Rivera made a low pass in Turn 4 of the seventh lap to take second from Brown. Squatritto caught traffic by lap ten, allowing Rivera to close the gap quickly. A back stretch pass on lap 12 gained Rivera the lead, and moments later, Squatritto slowed with a flat tire. A caution flag flew for a crash, and Squatritto retired to the pits. Rivera led Brown and Johnny Tevis on the restart. Tony Carmignani made his move into third place on lap 18, and at the checkered flag, it was Rivera with an impressive win, followed by Brown, Carmignani, Russ Sieber and Curt Jordan. Doty took the checkered flag in sixth to clinch the championship as the top ten was unofficially rounded out by Nick Davis, Chuck Connover, Sam Westhorpe and John Davis.
For the first time since early in the season, there were ten Mini Trucks, and they had two heat races. Having already clinched the championship two races ago, Travis Dutra won his heat race ahead of Dean Cline. Second ranked Dan Wagner won the other heat ahead of last week's feature winner Mike Harmon.
While Pete Paulsen and 2009 champion Gene Haney shared the front row for the feature, Dutra and Harmon were in the last row. Paulsen led the early goings ahead of Greg Williams and Wagner. A high move in Turn 2 of the third lap gained Williams the lead, and Wagner and hard charging Dutra both got past a sideways Paulsen on lap 4. A low move in Turn 4 of the seventh lap moved Dutra into second, and he made a back stretch pass on Williams for the lead on lap nine. However, a surprising mistake by Dutra saw him get out of shape exiting Turn 4 to complete the 11th lap. Both Williams and Wagner raced past him in Turn 1 for first and second in a good battle up front. A yellow flag flew moments later, and Dutra raced back into the lead on the restart. Williams pitted to move Wagner into second, but Dutra would hold a straightaway lead by lap 16. Paulsen gained second on lap 17 as a yellow flag flew for Wagner. The restart saw Harmon take over second, but there was no stopping the hard charging Dutra from claiming the victory. Paulsen settled for third ahead of Haney and Ron Mayberry.
The eight Four Bangers ran one heat race, and the night started with 2009 champ Patty Ryland and 2009 point runner up Ken Radabaugh in a tie for the point lead. Ryland emerged with the lead going into the feature after her heat win ahead of Justin Silveira and Radabaugh.
As luck would have it, Ryland started on the front row of the Main Event and led every lap. Hoping to keep the point damage to a minimum, Radabaugh raced into second ahead of Dayna Andreesen, but Andreesen made a back stretch pass on lap five to take over second. A low move in Turn 4 of the ninth lap moved Silveira into third, and moments later, Radabaugh received a j mechanical black flag. As Andreesen faded late, Silveira and Mike Felt found themselves in second and third, and Ryland would cruise to the victory. Brad Myers finished fourth ahead of Andreesen.
The final point race of the season this Saturday night will feature Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Super Stocks, Hobby Stocks and Four Bangers.
Points are not posted as there is an audit being done on the Wingless Spec Sprints. This is standard procedure when you have a close race like that. It could change, or it may not. As long as the points are as accurate as possible, I don't care. It's a sign of a good point race when you have a battle go down to the final race, and they had two last week.
There was plenty of excitement and drama on tap at Antioch Speedway Saturday night as three point races concluded for the season with two of them going down to the last checkered flag. Tommy LaLiberte seemed to be on his way to the front again in wingless Spec Sprints, but when mechanical problems sent him pit side, the point lead appeared to shift in favor of David Press. Points are being audited as of this writing to confirm a champion. Meanwhile, Nick Squatritto was locked in a battle with Ricardo Rivera in the Dwarf Car feature before a flat tire sent him to the pits. The result of Squatritto's misfortune was Jerry Doty winning the championship. Feature wins for the night went to Chico competitor Braedon Enos (Wingless Spec Sprints), Ricardo Rivera (Dwarf Cars), Travis Dutra (Mini Trucks) and Patty Ryland (Four Bangers).
With 14 Spec Sprints in action, two heats were staged. Nick Larsen won the first heat ahead of Dan Gonderman as incoming point leader Tommy LaLiberte claimed third place points. David Press gained some ground on the lead by holding off Jim Perry Jr. to win the second heat, but no Trophy Dash was held to offer further point gain opportunity heading into to the feature.
Jeff Lee had a front row start for the Main Event and raced into the early lead ahead of Gary Nelson and Trevor Press. A lap two caution flag flew for Gonderman, and LaLiberte settled into fourth on the restart. LaLiberte made a move for third in Turn 2 of the sixth lap, resulting in slight contact as both continued. Working lap nine, LaLiberte and Nelson made contact in the battle for second. Both continued with LaLiberte in second and pressuring Lee. Moments later, the final caution flag fell for a two car tangle in Turn 4. LaLiberte headed to the pits for repairs and did not return. Lee led Nelson and Chuck Bradshaw on the restart. Very quickly, Braedon Enos, Perry and D. Press made this a close six car battle up front that went on for several laps until Enos made his move. Working lap 14, a high move in Turn 2 gained Enos third from Bradshaw. A lap later, Enos passed Nelson on the outside in Turn 2 and made a high pass in Turn 4 of the same late to take the lead from Lee. As Enos pulled away, Perry made his move. A low pass in Turn 4 of the 16th lap put Perry into third, and he made a high move in Turn 2 of the 17th lap to take second from Lee. The close battle continued for third, with Nelson taking over that spot on lap 20. Enos held a comfortable lead all the way to the checkered flag with Perry never threatened in picking up yet another runner up finish. Nelson was a season best third, and D. Press may have gained enough points in fourth to win the championship by a slim margin. Gonderman was fifth, followed by Lee, Bradshaw, T. Press, Roy Fisher and Larsen, all unofficial as official results were not available.
With 19 cars, the Dwarf Cars ran three heat races. Incoming point leader Nick Squatritto started his night off right with a heat win ahead of Michael Crommie. The second heat win went to rookie Tom Brown ahead of Tony Carmignani. Five time champion Ricardo Rivera was back in prime form with a heat win ahead of the persistent Jerry Doty. Though not as flashy as Rivera and Squatritto, Doty has been consistent all season long, and that would pay off in the end.
The feature started off well for Squatritto, who set the early pace ahead of Brown and Rivera. As Squatritto had nearly a straightaway advantage, Rivera made a low pass in Turn 4 of the seventh lap to take second from Brown. Squatritto caught traffic by lap ten, allowing Rivera to close the gap quickly. A back stretch pass on lap 12 gained Rivera the lead, and moments later, Squatritto slowed with a flat tire. A caution flag flew for a crash, and Squatritto retired to the pits. Rivera led Brown and Johnny Tevis on the restart. Tony Carmignani made his move into third place on lap 18, and at the checkered flag, it was Rivera with an impressive win, followed by Brown, Carmignani, Russ Sieber and Curt Jordan. Doty took the checkered flag in sixth to clinch the championship as the top ten was unofficially rounded out by Nick Davis, Chuck Connover, Sam Westhorpe and John Davis.
For the first time since early in the season, there were ten Mini Trucks, and they had two heat races. Having already clinched the championship two races ago, Travis Dutra won his heat race ahead of Dean Cline. Second ranked Dan Wagner won the other heat ahead of last week's feature winner Mike Harmon.
While Pete Paulsen and 2009 champion Gene Haney shared the front row for the feature, Dutra and Harmon were in the last row. Paulsen led the early goings ahead of Greg Williams and Wagner. A high move in Turn 2 of the third lap gained Williams the lead, and Wagner and hard charging Dutra both got past a sideways Paulsen on lap 4. A low move in Turn 4 of the seventh lap moved Dutra into second, and he made a back stretch pass on Williams for the lead on lap nine. However, a surprising mistake by Dutra saw him get out of shape exiting Turn 4 to complete the 11th lap. Both Williams and Wagner raced past him in Turn 1 for first and second in a good battle up front. A yellow flag flew moments later, and Dutra raced back into the lead on the restart. Williams pitted to move Wagner into second, but Dutra would hold a straightaway lead by lap 16. Paulsen gained second on lap 17 as a yellow flag flew for Wagner. The restart saw Harmon take over second, but there was no stopping the hard charging Dutra from claiming the victory. Paulsen settled for third ahead of Haney and Ron Mayberry.
The eight Four Bangers ran one heat race, and the night started with 2009 champ Patty Ryland and 2009 point runner up Ken Radabaugh in a tie for the point lead. Ryland emerged with the lead going into the feature after her heat win ahead of Justin Silveira and Radabaugh.
As luck would have it, Ryland started on the front row of the Main Event and led every lap. Hoping to keep the point damage to a minimum, Radabaugh raced into second ahead of Dayna Andreesen, but Andreesen made a back stretch pass on lap five to take over second. A low move in Turn 4 of the ninth lap moved Silveira into third, and moments later, Radabaugh received a j mechanical black flag. As Andreesen faded late, Silveira and Mike Felt found themselves in second and third, and Ryland would cruise to the victory. Brad Myers finished fourth ahead of Andreesen.
The final point race of the season this Saturday night will feature Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Super Stocks, Hobby Stocks and Four Bangers.
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