Nothing is posted on the Antioch Speedway page as of yet as far as results. Jon K hasn't put his stuff up either, and no results are in the paper for the second straight week. At this point, I may not mess with anything as I'm so far behind on things now it messes with my schedule. Not sure why results couldn't have been posted Sunday morning like everybody else, but oh well. It's not really my problem now, is it?
Gaspar Photography did another great job with the photos, so it looks like at least 47 cars were there, maybe a few more? I count 15 Spec Sprints (Tommy Laliberte is in the winner's circle), 11 BCRA Midget Lites (Jason Sneep in the winner's picture), six Four Bangers (Patty Ryland with a new paint job), eight Super Stocks (Mike Gustafson) and seven Mini Trucks (not a clue who won, but it looks like the Haney truck rolled).
Merced has had excellent hype from right out of the gate with newspaper coverage all over, radio station crews at the track, TV station crews at the track. Results were posted on their page with a story a couple hours after the race, and the twitter account had some updates too.
Antioch had Jack.
So, my question to any Antioch racer is, how do you feel about that? Do you even care at this point? Does it mater? I'm not asking this to hate on Merced, because I love that the track is getting what it's getting. Just wondering about Antioch. I know it's just racing. There are bigger things in the world. There really are. But, once upon a time, it mattered who won at Antioch. It mattered who was doing what in the points. It mattered when somebody got their first heat win or top five. There were stories in the newspaper. There were people making an effort.
I'm just asking truthfully, not to dump on anybody. Please don't attack anybody. I'm not doing this for that. The reason I started posting here weekly with stories and hype was because I thought it was needed and that I could put out something to help spread the word.
So, I ask anybody who is racing or a fan there or wants to race there, how do you feel about things? What do you like? What do you not like? What needs improving? Is it okay with you that the man in charge runs two tracks and one of them seems to be getting all the attention? Be nice in your response.
I'll be honest. I don't like the fact that a man was brought in at Merced who seems to be getting things done, but at Antioch there is virtually no effort being made officially to spread the word. It seems wrong to me. I don't see how this can be. I'm not asking for the powers that be to be removed, though I know there are some who are. I am asking for the powers that be to do something about this. It's really not that hard. Spend the money and hire somebody.
We have battles in most of the divisions that are pretty close. Hype them. We have a great history at this track. Tell people about it. There are people in the stands interested in going racing. Show them why they should. There are many newspapers in the area, inform them about this place. Even if you hear no from them, keep after them about it. It is my belief that the racers and the fans deserve better than this, and NO, that does not mean I am advocating change at the top, just change in certain people doing certain jobs.
How do you feel about things? Is it okay with you? That's fine if you are. This isn't 1980 or 1990. It's 2010, and times have changed. Racing at Antioch Speedway used to bring excitement. It was looked forward to. People cared about what went on. Maybe apathy is the way things are now.
I don't believe for a minute that John doesn't care, or he wouldn't be investing in Merced and Antioch and he wouldn't have bought the rights to Racing Wheels Magazine. But if he doesn't get the right people in place, will it matter in the end?
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Once More Into The Sport Mod Debate
Just sitting here not seeing any results from Antioch Speedway while most of the other tracks have reported already, and I noticed the Sport Mod Thread on the forum over at Late Model Racer had a question posted by learnlozinto (Mike Learn?). Now, maybe I'm just bored, I don't know. I'm not a huge advocate of this class as I'm still not convinced it won't divide an already hurting car count. Anyway, he posted this:
what would it take to get petaluma and antioch to run sport mods.....I have 2 chassis that would work for this......if petaluma or antioch wont do it then I know of a couple of asphalt tracks that would do it.....
Of course, Bap33, (Johnnie Baptista) posted a lengthy post, advocating IMCA sanctioning as usual. As John and Jim both had IMCA sanctioning on their Modifieds and dropped it, I just don't see that happening, but really, a good car count does not require that particular banner. For instance, Antioch has a slightly better UMP Modified car count than Bakersfield does with IMCA. The secret may be in the beter purse? I will aknowledge, however, that Watsonville and Santa Maria are doing quite well with IMCA. Though I'm not on the IMCA banner, I understand why some would be. I still think California needs something better than that, but this is another topic.
Johnnie did make an interesting statement in that post:
While we are at it, the IMCA 4bangers should be the companion class. Tracks are doing the "just like iMCA" thing to 4bangers and it will just keep the numbers low and the cars tied to particular tracks.
I disagree, and anyway, John was the first person to start this class in California without IMCA sanction. His hasty (to put it nicely) decision to drop the points from the class, which ultimately did it in, is the only reason it's not in the 20's now, in my opinion, but it should get better. The IMCA banner isn't needed here with all due respect. Show me an IMCA that actually cares about California and promotes that way, and I'll reconsider my stance, but they do not impress me. They are not even half the sanctioning body NASCAR was back when NASCAR actually cared about our little tracks. We need something better, but that (track unity) post will have to wait for another day.
Johnny also said:
I personally know 11 mod drivers in Merced County ready to follow the IMCA NSM rules right now. They just want some type of guarantee that a track wont just drop the sanction and change the rules once the class is built (ahem - like Antioch and Peteluma did with IMCA mods).
Okay, let's be honest here. IMCA didn't build anything at Antioch or Petaluma. John Soares Sr. is the man who actually started this clas in California in 1987, and he did it without IMCA. When he got into this deal, IMCA and NASCAR followed him. It took NASCAR a little longer. Once he started building a car count, he gave it a shot, even participated in a cool thing IMCA once did called the Great Western Classic. The only thing IMCA really did at Petaluma was cost a driver a championship on the stupid claim rule. "I can steal your motor for a mere $400." Get a real motor rule. It's not that hard. Wingless Spec Sprints anyone? Claims are for crybabies, in my opinion. I'm sure I'll piss somebody off with that opinion, but I've seen nothing but crap come from that claim in 20 years. It did not make things better.
As to Antioch, IMCA did NOTHING for car count there. NOTHING!!! NASCAR actually built that car count to the highest point it ever had, 30 or more cars per week for a few seasons and the most competitive point racing throughout the top 20 the division has EVER seen. Now, the racing on the track was an entirely different story. If you like weekly crash fests with ten cautions or more for a 30 lap race most weeks, the NASCAR Grand American Modified show at Antioch once Regional points were added to the equation would be for you. That's not to say there weren't some damn good drivers out there, though.
IMCA saved Merced Speedway. I will grant you that. The division was going nowhere until Chuck added the sanction, and he used it for everything it was worth. Sunday races that attracted top drivers from all over. It was a good thing. They seldom dropped below double digits and had a time when 16-20 cars raced per week. Not where Antioch or Petaluma was, but a decent show. In the end, even IMCA couldn't save that deal, but blaming it on IMCA wouldn't be fair. IMCA could have done the right thing a few years earlier when a certain track wanted in, but having a strong California has NEVER been on their agenda, in my opinion. Again, I know I will ruffle some feathers here, but it's just my opinion based on what I've seen and heard through the years.
If there are 11 cars in the area, bring them out. Look, it's very simple, when John Soares Jr. green lit the Spec Sprint deal back at the end of 1998, he did so after Don O'Keefe Jr. and I put the rules together and 12 racers committed to it. You claim you have 11, so what could it hurt to put a proposal together and go to John with it? If you have 11 cars, I guarantee you he will listen. Chances are good that you'll either get him to commit to IMCA or to not tweak any rules not associated with safety for a certain amount of time. If nothing else, you can say you tried. I don't see anything with the Sport Mod class at Merced being set in stone if a real proposal was there from the racers starting in 2011 and going forward.
Really, I thought I'd throw a few more thoughts in, because the answer to the question that started this post is real simple.
What would it take to get this class at Petaluma and Antioch?
Get the cars to Merced. NOW. You want John to notice, then get the cars. I don't know where Jim would stand at Petaluma, but if there was enough interest, I'm sure he would listen. Ford Cook is already building a car that should debut at Petaluma soon from what I've heard. But, John runs Antioch and Merced. If he sees enough cars out there putting on a good show at Merced, that has to increase the chances of a bay area track getting into this deal. I'm not a huge fan of it, but it could happen. John has taken chances on other classes in the past. If he see's ten or more cars at Merced before the season's end, that has to be a factor in any decision. So basically, a good car count at Merced can only help the bay area Sport Mod cause.
what would it take to get petaluma and antioch to run sport mods.....I have 2 chassis that would work for this......if petaluma or antioch wont do it then I know of a couple of asphalt tracks that would do it.....
Of course, Bap33, (Johnnie Baptista) posted a lengthy post, advocating IMCA sanctioning as usual. As John and Jim both had IMCA sanctioning on their Modifieds and dropped it, I just don't see that happening, but really, a good car count does not require that particular banner. For instance, Antioch has a slightly better UMP Modified car count than Bakersfield does with IMCA. The secret may be in the beter purse? I will aknowledge, however, that Watsonville and Santa Maria are doing quite well with IMCA. Though I'm not on the IMCA banner, I understand why some would be. I still think California needs something better than that, but this is another topic.
Johnnie did make an interesting statement in that post:
While we are at it, the IMCA 4bangers should be the companion class. Tracks are doing the "just like iMCA" thing to 4bangers and it will just keep the numbers low and the cars tied to particular tracks.
I disagree, and anyway, John was the first person to start this class in California without IMCA sanction. His hasty (to put it nicely) decision to drop the points from the class, which ultimately did it in, is the only reason it's not in the 20's now, in my opinion, but it should get better. The IMCA banner isn't needed here with all due respect. Show me an IMCA that actually cares about California and promotes that way, and I'll reconsider my stance, but they do not impress me. They are not even half the sanctioning body NASCAR was back when NASCAR actually cared about our little tracks. We need something better, but that (track unity) post will have to wait for another day.
Johnny also said:
I personally know 11 mod drivers in Merced County ready to follow the IMCA NSM rules right now. They just want some type of guarantee that a track wont just drop the sanction and change the rules once the class is built (ahem - like Antioch and Peteluma did with IMCA mods).
Okay, let's be honest here. IMCA didn't build anything at Antioch or Petaluma. John Soares Sr. is the man who actually started this clas in California in 1987, and he did it without IMCA. When he got into this deal, IMCA and NASCAR followed him. It took NASCAR a little longer. Once he started building a car count, he gave it a shot, even participated in a cool thing IMCA once did called the Great Western Classic. The only thing IMCA really did at Petaluma was cost a driver a championship on the stupid claim rule. "I can steal your motor for a mere $400." Get a real motor rule. It's not that hard. Wingless Spec Sprints anyone? Claims are for crybabies, in my opinion. I'm sure I'll piss somebody off with that opinion, but I've seen nothing but crap come from that claim in 20 years. It did not make things better.
As to Antioch, IMCA did NOTHING for car count there. NOTHING!!! NASCAR actually built that car count to the highest point it ever had, 30 or more cars per week for a few seasons and the most competitive point racing throughout the top 20 the division has EVER seen. Now, the racing on the track was an entirely different story. If you like weekly crash fests with ten cautions or more for a 30 lap race most weeks, the NASCAR Grand American Modified show at Antioch once Regional points were added to the equation would be for you. That's not to say there weren't some damn good drivers out there, though.
IMCA saved Merced Speedway. I will grant you that. The division was going nowhere until Chuck added the sanction, and he used it for everything it was worth. Sunday races that attracted top drivers from all over. It was a good thing. They seldom dropped below double digits and had a time when 16-20 cars raced per week. Not where Antioch or Petaluma was, but a decent show. In the end, even IMCA couldn't save that deal, but blaming it on IMCA wouldn't be fair. IMCA could have done the right thing a few years earlier when a certain track wanted in, but having a strong California has NEVER been on their agenda, in my opinion. Again, I know I will ruffle some feathers here, but it's just my opinion based on what I've seen and heard through the years.
If there are 11 cars in the area, bring them out. Look, it's very simple, when John Soares Jr. green lit the Spec Sprint deal back at the end of 1998, he did so after Don O'Keefe Jr. and I put the rules together and 12 racers committed to it. You claim you have 11, so what could it hurt to put a proposal together and go to John with it? If you have 11 cars, I guarantee you he will listen. Chances are good that you'll either get him to commit to IMCA or to not tweak any rules not associated with safety for a certain amount of time. If nothing else, you can say you tried. I don't see anything with the Sport Mod class at Merced being set in stone if a real proposal was there from the racers starting in 2011 and going forward.
Really, I thought I'd throw a few more thoughts in, because the answer to the question that started this post is real simple.
What would it take to get this class at Petaluma and Antioch?
Get the cars to Merced. NOW. You want John to notice, then get the cars. I don't know where Jim would stand at Petaluma, but if there was enough interest, I'm sure he would listen. Ford Cook is already building a car that should debut at Petaluma soon from what I've heard. But, John runs Antioch and Merced. If he sees enough cars out there putting on a good show at Merced, that has to increase the chances of a bay area track getting into this deal. I'm not a huge fan of it, but it could happen. John has taken chances on other classes in the past. If he see's ten or more cars at Merced before the season's end, that has to be a factor in any decision. So basically, a good car count at Merced can only help the bay area Sport Mod cause.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Five Division Show Will Be A Test Of Car Count At Antioch
Four of the track's regular division and the BCRA Midget Lites are on tap for Saturday night's show at Antioch Speedway. With all of the excitement down the road at Merced, it may seem like the 50 year racing tradition that is Antioch Speedway will get lost in the shuffle, but that is not the case. Actually, the grandstands were packed for last week's Golden State Challenge Series race.
I would love to see some of the hype effort that has been made at Merced lately be made at Antioch, because the track deserves it. This isn't to be a critic. John Soares Jr. has done some really amazing things this year, and he deserves credit for it. However, he seems to have hired some people who are already doing some amazing things to build the excitement at Merced. Isn't it time Antioch had the same? Just a thought.
No, I'm not lobbying for anything, but they can do better than what's there now. Don't you think?
Anyway, let's get to it. I'm a little worried about this one, and I'm trying to figure out who will produce the cars. It's definitely gut check time for a few divisions. You can't claim race fatigue at this point. Drivers have had a week off or more at this point.
They should make it into the 50's at least. It should be bigger than that really. I will put the Over/Under number at 52.
Wingless Spec Sprints (14), Super Stocks (10), Four Bangers (8), Mini Trucks (8), BCRA Midget Lites (12).
Tommy LaLiberte's recent win at Ocean Speedway moved him into a tie for second in points there and earned him an appearance on The Motor Sports Show with Tony Karis on Wednesday night. The man is probably in the top five or even top three of Wingless Spec Sprint drivers in the state. Some will argue whether he is #1, and after his four race win streak at Antioch, who could blame them? Two time feature winner David Press is no stranger to championships himself. At 20 points behind LaLiberte in the title chases at Antioch, it may be a bit early to start fitting Tommy for that championship jacket.
While past champion Jim Perry Jr. sits comfortably in third in the standings, a couple of up and coming racers have moved into the fourth and fifth spots as the division continues to create new stars. In fourth with a 22 point lead over fifth is Chuck Bradshaw. Bradshaw is also top ten ranked at Watsonville. Riding in fifth is Trevor Press. These are the top two newcomers in the class at the moment, and both have enjoyed recent top five success in the Main Event. Press actually started out in a Four Banger a few years back and was a Main Event winner at Antioch. Another division newcomer, Tyler Henriquez, is 14 points behind Press in seventh. Henriquez has some top ten feature finishes (finishing as high as sixth) and is a heat race winner as well.
One of the nice things about the Spec Sprint division is it continues to offer racers a reasonable way into Sprint Car racing, and it produces a field with a nice mixture of veterans and young up and coming racers. One racer who could be back in the field is one of the track's top five point runners of the past, Roy Fisher. Roy took a nasty, life threatening tumble on the front stretch last season, but he was at the track a couple of weeks ago hot lapping his race car. As one of the drivers who has supported this division the longest, he would certainly be a welcome addition if he shows up.
At the top of the Super Stock standings, you will find a good battle raging on between Mitch Machado and Larry Damitz. Machado leads the division in feature wins and carried a 30 point into the last race. However, a flat tire for Machado and a second win of the season for the ageless veteran Damitz cut that margin down to 14. No doubt Machado, who spent years racing at Petaluma and watched Damitz win several championships there as well, is enjoying racing with him for this season's title. At 80 years old, Damitz is still going strong and proved that by winning his heat race and finishing third in the Main Event at Merced last Sunday in a surprise appearance there. Seeing Machado and Damitz battle every week is a definite highlight at the speedway.
But there are more drivers than them in this class, and if you look closely, you will see a Pure Stock connection in this division. Rookie Of The Year contender Fred Ryland won the Pure Stock crown last year in dominant fashion. About 34 points behind him, you'll find a past top five Pure Stock point runner and feature winner, Eric Berendsen. Eric is definitely fast in his #88 car, but though Ryland has two victories, the second generation racer Berendsen is still looking for his first. He does have some top three success, but he'd like to take it up a notch.
Todd Gomez and Michael Newman both started out in Pure Stocks, and Newman was a top ten point runner his first season. Both have won Street Stock championships and have looked fast in their appearances in the Super Stock division so far. Natalie Perry is also a past top ten Pure Stock point runner and has finished as high as second in the feature this season. Her absence last race cost her fifth, but it's likely she would have been passed for that position by Lloyd Cline anyway as he finished third in the feature.
The question will be whether a new name will be added to the feature winner's list this time. Jon Haney, a top ten ranked Dirt Modified racer last season, looked like he was headed for the win last time out, but a yellow flag bunched the field and provided Damitz the opportunity he needed to get the win. Haney settled for a solid, but likely disappointing, second. It will be interesting to see who shows up this week.
Defending champion Patty Ryland leads the Four Banger division in wins and trails two drivers who have yet to win this season. She'd likely be leading now, but she missed a race. As it stands, Dayna Andreesen leads 2009 runnerup Ken Radabaugh by just four points with Ryland 20 points back and closing in fast. What Andreesen and Radabaugh would both like is to finally get a feature win this season. Both drivers have won heat races and finished as high as second in the Main Event.
With over 15 competitors to earn points, it's nice to see the division gaining a little ground. Divers like Jeff Browne, Devon DeOdosso and Laura Crabtree have made their first appearances in recent races, and as more cars start showing up, it's going to get even more interesting out on the race track. Despite a hard crash earlier this year, Dominic Myers continues to hang in there and is just five points behind Justin Silveira in the battle for fifth. Silveira is rapidly improving out there, and if he can improve on his restarts, he may be in line for a feature victory in the future.
In watching the races at Golden Triangle Speedway in Texas, I've noticed the Jr. Mini Stock class that has about a half dozen young teen aged competitors. It's a nice approach to getting young racers out to the track, where they can race against each other. Even if it's not a big car count there, it's still a nice concept to bring in young racers, plus a High School Racing program can be worked right in there. In any event, the Four Banger show will go on Saturday night at Antioch, and a double digit car count is entirely possible.
Not that long ago, the Mini Trucks produced 14-16 truck fields, and things were getting interesting. After starting in double digits this season, count fell to just six last time out. Racers like Frank Rosa and Pete Paulsen haven't been seen in weeks. After winning two features early on, Tom Brown moved up to the Dwarf Cars and took his truck with him. The Mini Truck division appears to be falling apart, as it did in Merced after a good run of seven or eight seasons there. The trucks are out there, but will they show up for the next race?
In the meantime, Travis Dutra is on his way to winning the track championship as he also tops the winner's list. His closest rival is Mini Stock veteran Ray Bunn, who is still in search of his first win of the season and is 48 points back. Bunn may need that win soon as one time winner Dan Wagner is just 18 points behind him in third. The absent Brown still sits in fourth, waiting for Jerry Carpanello, Ron Mayberry and Dean Cline to pass him. The racing in the Mini Truck division can be good, but they need more trucks on the track to make it interesting.
Mini Sprint racing has been a part of the scene at Antioch for nearly two decades, starting in the early 90's with the Northern Stars Mini Sprints and such stars as Ted Harrison, Bob Robicheaux, Mike Benson and Harley Van Dyke. The racing was good, and they brought a lot of cars to the track. As BCRA got into sanctioning Midget Lites and the NST' hit rough waters, the show still went on. One of the biggest stars to come out of the BCRA Midget Lites was a young leadfoot by the name of Brad Sweet. Brad seemed to win every time they came to Antioch for a while there before moving up to race Sprint Cars all over the country. In fact, Brad recently came back to Placerville to win the Sprint Car WTF Cup.
These days, some of the names at the top have changed, but the competitive fire burns just as brightly. Jason Sneep leads the championship charge by 59 points over Brian Corso. BCRA also keeps a car owner point list, and Corso leads Sneep's car owner Lonnie Lopez by 19 points. Scott Kinney, Richard Hoover and Dakota Albright round out the top five. It should be a double digit car count for the Midghet Lites, and the balance of the top ten in the standings coming into this race is made up of Craig Holsted, Doug Nunes, Joey Hoover, Rick Holbrook and Pete Paulson.
The group was last at Antioch in July of last season, and Sneep collected the victory over Doug Nunes and Chris Glass in a 13 car field. Nunes won the championship last season ahead of current point leader Sneep.
With the Dirt Modifieds off and licking their wounds from the last time and Dwarf Cars and Hobby Stocks taking a much needed break, this will be a test for the rest of the track's regular divisions. Can they produce the cars? The Super Stocks and Four Bangers have been adding a few more cars as of late, but the trucks are struggling. The two open wheels classes should still be good for double digits and at least two heats. There's enough here to produce a good show, and if people step up a little and bring more cars, it will be even better. It should be interesting to see what happens.
I would love to see some of the hype effort that has been made at Merced lately be made at Antioch, because the track deserves it. This isn't to be a critic. John Soares Jr. has done some really amazing things this year, and he deserves credit for it. However, he seems to have hired some people who are already doing some amazing things to build the excitement at Merced. Isn't it time Antioch had the same? Just a thought.
No, I'm not lobbying for anything, but they can do better than what's there now. Don't you think?
Anyway, let's get to it. I'm a little worried about this one, and I'm trying to figure out who will produce the cars. It's definitely gut check time for a few divisions. You can't claim race fatigue at this point. Drivers have had a week off or more at this point.
They should make it into the 50's at least. It should be bigger than that really. I will put the Over/Under number at 52.
Wingless Spec Sprints (14), Super Stocks (10), Four Bangers (8), Mini Trucks (8), BCRA Midget Lites (12).
Contrary To Rumors, LaLiberte & Press Aren't The Only Spec Sprint Drivers
Tommy LaLiberte's recent win at Ocean Speedway moved him into a tie for second in points there and earned him an appearance on The Motor Sports Show with Tony Karis on Wednesday night. The man is probably in the top five or even top three of Wingless Spec Sprint drivers in the state. Some will argue whether he is #1, and after his four race win streak at Antioch, who could blame them? Two time feature winner David Press is no stranger to championships himself. At 20 points behind LaLiberte in the title chases at Antioch, it may be a bit early to start fitting Tommy for that championship jacket.
While past champion Jim Perry Jr. sits comfortably in third in the standings, a couple of up and coming racers have moved into the fourth and fifth spots as the division continues to create new stars. In fourth with a 22 point lead over fifth is Chuck Bradshaw. Bradshaw is also top ten ranked at Watsonville. Riding in fifth is Trevor Press. These are the top two newcomers in the class at the moment, and both have enjoyed recent top five success in the Main Event. Press actually started out in a Four Banger a few years back and was a Main Event winner at Antioch. Another division newcomer, Tyler Henriquez, is 14 points behind Press in seventh. Henriquez has some top ten feature finishes (finishing as high as sixth) and is a heat race winner as well.
One of the nice things about the Spec Sprint division is it continues to offer racers a reasonable way into Sprint Car racing, and it produces a field with a nice mixture of veterans and young up and coming racers. One racer who could be back in the field is one of the track's top five point runners of the past, Roy Fisher. Roy took a nasty, life threatening tumble on the front stretch last season, but he was at the track a couple of weeks ago hot lapping his race car. As one of the drivers who has supported this division the longest, he would certainly be a welcome addition if he shows up.
The Pure Stock Connection In The Super Stock division
At the top of the Super Stock standings, you will find a good battle raging on between Mitch Machado and Larry Damitz. Machado leads the division in feature wins and carried a 30 point into the last race. However, a flat tire for Machado and a second win of the season for the ageless veteran Damitz cut that margin down to 14. No doubt Machado, who spent years racing at Petaluma and watched Damitz win several championships there as well, is enjoying racing with him for this season's title. At 80 years old, Damitz is still going strong and proved that by winning his heat race and finishing third in the Main Event at Merced last Sunday in a surprise appearance there. Seeing Machado and Damitz battle every week is a definite highlight at the speedway.
But there are more drivers than them in this class, and if you look closely, you will see a Pure Stock connection in this division. Rookie Of The Year contender Fred Ryland won the Pure Stock crown last year in dominant fashion. About 34 points behind him, you'll find a past top five Pure Stock point runner and feature winner, Eric Berendsen. Eric is definitely fast in his #88 car, but though Ryland has two victories, the second generation racer Berendsen is still looking for his first. He does have some top three success, but he'd like to take it up a notch.
Todd Gomez and Michael Newman both started out in Pure Stocks, and Newman was a top ten point runner his first season. Both have won Street Stock championships and have looked fast in their appearances in the Super Stock division so far. Natalie Perry is also a past top ten Pure Stock point runner and has finished as high as second in the feature this season. Her absence last race cost her fifth, but it's likely she would have been passed for that position by Lloyd Cline anyway as he finished third in the feature.
The question will be whether a new name will be added to the feature winner's list this time. Jon Haney, a top ten ranked Dirt Modified racer last season, looked like he was headed for the win last time out, but a yellow flag bunched the field and provided Damitz the opportunity he needed to get the win. Haney settled for a solid, but likely disappointing, second. It will be interesting to see who shows up this week.
It's Nice To See That More Four Bangers Are starting To Show
Defending champion Patty Ryland leads the Four Banger division in wins and trails two drivers who have yet to win this season. She'd likely be leading now, but she missed a race. As it stands, Dayna Andreesen leads 2009 runnerup Ken Radabaugh by just four points with Ryland 20 points back and closing in fast. What Andreesen and Radabaugh would both like is to finally get a feature win this season. Both drivers have won heat races and finished as high as second in the Main Event.
With over 15 competitors to earn points, it's nice to see the division gaining a little ground. Divers like Jeff Browne, Devon DeOdosso and Laura Crabtree have made their first appearances in recent races, and as more cars start showing up, it's going to get even more interesting out on the race track. Despite a hard crash earlier this year, Dominic Myers continues to hang in there and is just five points behind Justin Silveira in the battle for fifth. Silveira is rapidly improving out there, and if he can improve on his restarts, he may be in line for a feature victory in the future.
In watching the races at Golden Triangle Speedway in Texas, I've noticed the Jr. Mini Stock class that has about a half dozen young teen aged competitors. It's a nice approach to getting young racers out to the track, where they can race against each other. Even if it's not a big car count there, it's still a nice concept to bring in young racers, plus a High School Racing program can be worked right in there. In any event, the Four Banger show will go on Saturday night at Antioch, and a double digit car count is entirely possible.
Where Have All The Trucks Gone?
Not that long ago, the Mini Trucks produced 14-16 truck fields, and things were getting interesting. After starting in double digits this season, count fell to just six last time out. Racers like Frank Rosa and Pete Paulsen haven't been seen in weeks. After winning two features early on, Tom Brown moved up to the Dwarf Cars and took his truck with him. The Mini Truck division appears to be falling apart, as it did in Merced after a good run of seven or eight seasons there. The trucks are out there, but will they show up for the next race?
In the meantime, Travis Dutra is on his way to winning the track championship as he also tops the winner's list. His closest rival is Mini Stock veteran Ray Bunn, who is still in search of his first win of the season and is 48 points back. Bunn may need that win soon as one time winner Dan Wagner is just 18 points behind him in third. The absent Brown still sits in fourth, waiting for Jerry Carpanello, Ron Mayberry and Dean Cline to pass him. The racing in the Mini Truck division can be good, but they need more trucks on the track to make it interesting.
BCRA Midget Lites Are Coming To Town
Mini Sprint racing has been a part of the scene at Antioch for nearly two decades, starting in the early 90's with the Northern Stars Mini Sprints and such stars as Ted Harrison, Bob Robicheaux, Mike Benson and Harley Van Dyke. The racing was good, and they brought a lot of cars to the track. As BCRA got into sanctioning Midget Lites and the NST' hit rough waters, the show still went on. One of the biggest stars to come out of the BCRA Midget Lites was a young leadfoot by the name of Brad Sweet. Brad seemed to win every time they came to Antioch for a while there before moving up to race Sprint Cars all over the country. In fact, Brad recently came back to Placerville to win the Sprint Car WTF Cup.
These days, some of the names at the top have changed, but the competitive fire burns just as brightly. Jason Sneep leads the championship charge by 59 points over Brian Corso. BCRA also keeps a car owner point list, and Corso leads Sneep's car owner Lonnie Lopez by 19 points. Scott Kinney, Richard Hoover and Dakota Albright round out the top five. It should be a double digit car count for the Midghet Lites, and the balance of the top ten in the standings coming into this race is made up of Craig Holsted, Doug Nunes, Joey Hoover, Rick Holbrook and Pete Paulson.
The group was last at Antioch in July of last season, and Sneep collected the victory over Doug Nunes and Chris Glass in a 13 car field. Nunes won the championship last season ahead of current point leader Sneep.
In Closing
With the Dirt Modifieds off and licking their wounds from the last time and Dwarf Cars and Hobby Stocks taking a much needed break, this will be a test for the rest of the track's regular divisions. Can they produce the cars? The Super Stocks and Four Bangers have been adding a few more cars as of late, but the trucks are struggling. The two open wheels classes should still be good for double digits and at least two heats. There's enough here to produce a good show, and if people step up a little and bring more cars, it will be even better. It should be interesting to see what happens.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Random Thoughts
I wasn't planning to write anything this week, but here I am again for another week. Once again we reach into the grab bag as we look at a few different things going on. We have Dwarf Cars racing in Turlock, Mike Cecil Memorial race at Watsonville, a lady looking for ten wins in a row at Marysville and more, so let's dive in.
We found out a few interesting tidbits about the Dwarf Car race at the fair in Turlock last Sunday. Reports we saw indicated the drivers were offered $200 per car to race, regardless of finishing position. It's basically an exhibition type race on a hastily made dirt oval track that's probably 1/10th of a mile. They are racing, but obviously not so hard that they risk crashing too hard. It's more about putting on a show for the fans who pack the area for the various motor sports events.
There were 12 cars in action, and we did catch results for the first of three heat races. Charlie "The Hammer" Correia won that heat with Neil Stinson passing Curt Jordan on the last lap for second. Alan Heeney was fourth. In the Main Event, Brett Barstow collected the victory ahead of Josh Hiatt. A driver named Duane (Didn't catch a last name, maybe Daniel?) was third ahead of Sam Westhorpe. Correia apparently tangled with the #3n car in the Main Event. I'm thinking Mike Corsaro was was probably racing there as well, but not sure who the other two racers were. Car count was up two from last year.
By the way, Correai won the Dwarf Car fair race in Turlock about a decade ago. Dwarf Cars and Legend Cars competed back then, as did Quads. This time around, the Dwarf Cars were part of a card that featured Monster Trucks. Being that he lived around the corner from the fairgrounds, I'm thinking Gary Jacob would have gotten a kick out of this race, but, knowing him, he likely would have skipped it to go to Merced Speedway.
Well, the Timmy Post Memorial Race may be off, but racing is still on at Merced Speedway. The appearance of over 60 cars last week made the opener a success. The Modifieds were boosted by the appearance of the McDaniel father-son duo. Randy McDaniel just retook the point lead at Chico that Friday night with a second place finish as he pursues another championship. Ryan McDaniel, meanwhile, came into Merced gunning for a rare three win weekend. Ryan held off his father to win the Modified race Friday at Chico, then jumped behind the wheel of Billy Knoop's car and won the Stock Car race Saturday at Marysville.
So, the Dirt Modifieds boasted a 16 car field for Merced's opener, including Ryan Porter and Alex Stanford, who are competing for the championship at Chowchilla, defending champion Jim DiGiovanni and past Merced champion Paul Stone. Paul's cousin Ramie Stone, a champion in three different divisions at Merced and probably the top driver at the track in the last decade, was not in the field. No word on whether Ramie intends to race this season, but he would definitely be a welcome addition. However, the 16 racers who did show in this division were definitely a welcome site.
Past Dirt Modified champion "Bullet" Bob Williamson was in action Sunday behind the wheel of the #00 Street Stock, and he ended up caught between a pair of #15 cars. The #15 of Chowchilla point leader Mike Shepherd was doing his usual thing and beating the competition, while Antioch title hopeful Larry Damitz made a surprise appearance and ended up third after winning a heat race. Back at the site of his first career feature win when he drive a Late Model in the early 90's, Mitch Enos finished fourth. With new track management at Merced, Roy Hart Jr. was back and finished fifth.
Merced boasts some of the best Street Stock drivers in the state, include past champions Tim Ragsdale, Darren Thomas and Randy Brewer, and though they weren't in action Sunday, it is hoped that they will be back in the near future. Meanwhile, two time defending champion Ricky Thatcher and his father Buddy Thatcher did compete as did second generation racer George Lefler Jr., whose father is a past champion at the track. It was indeed a good opener at the Speedway.
In an interesting bit of booking, the Dirt Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Four Bangers and Sport Mods will be joined not by the Street Stocks, but the IMCA Stock Cars this week. I'm really not sure where this class runs in California, other than Giant Chevrolet Speedway in Hanford. There have been car counts as high 10 or 11 cars in Hanford this season, where Loren DeArmond has been the driver to beat. I believe one of the reasons Hanford went to this division in the last few years was in an effort to try and build up a car count. Whether Merced might get on board with this class or it's just a special appearance remains to be seen.
Once one of the top drivers in the non Camaro Pure Stock division, Shane Hausman returned and won the Hobby Stock season opener ahead of second generation racer Raul Rodriguez Jr. and the rapidly improving Ryan Hart. The Hobbys delivered 12 cars for the opener, while Four Bangers produced a similar car count. The driver taking the win in that race was Watsonville racer Dan McCabe. I do recall a Dan McCabe racing Stock Cars at San Jose Speedway in the 1980's, but I'm not sure if there is a relation.
Wrapping up, the Sport Mod buzz continues to get louder as drivers push for this class in more venues. Chowchilla Speedway had seven cars at their most recent race and now have seen ten different cars compete. This means double digit cars counts are possible, and if that starts happening, you have to wonder if Antioch or even Petaluma might get on board. Drivers fighting for the cause should also consider that John Soares Jr. now runs both Antioch and Merced, and he will be paying attention to the numbers. The reason Petaluma comes into the debate is former Mini Stock racer Ford Cook, who intends to debut a Sport Mod legal car in the Dirt Modified field at Petaluma in early August.
So, Round #2 of racing comes to Merced Sunday, July 25th. Promoter John Soares Jr. is starting to hear something he used to hear in his early days as the man in charge at Antioch, praise from the racing community. I'll add to that, because he and his entire crew did an amazing job getting Merced up and running on the old quarter-mile clay oval in just a couple month's time. Sure, there's work to be done, but who would have thought things would have gotten this far so quickly?
Ocean Speedway is not likely to jump on the bandwagon for the Sport Mod class, but for good reason. Set aside how strong some of the divisions are there, the IMCA Modifieds are still solid and likely to produce another B Main Friday night. The IMCA sanctioning is working well for them as they do get visitors from other tracks, and their drivers go to places like Santa Maria, Victorbville, Bakersfield and Ventura for IMCA points.
On Friday night, the IMCA Modifieds will run a 50 lap race in honor of Mike Cecil. Cecil was a second generation racer who had big shoes to fill as his father Jerry Cecil was a past Sportsman champion and won more Sportsman features at the track than anybody. But, Mike did make a name for himself, winning a Street Stock championship and winning the big 100 lap race the track had for that division twice. Fact was, Mike loved the 100 lap race, and it was something he looked forward top every year.
He also became one of the track's more popular and respected drivers, and his passing in 1997 hit a lot of people hard. Track management at the time renamed the 100 lap race the Mike Cecil Memorial Race in his honor. The event continues to be a "must race" for the all of the racers, and a race that everybody wants to win. Yes, there will be points in a hotly contested championship battle and extra money, but just winning this one is a career highlight for anybody.
Less than 40 points separate point leader Brian Cass, defending champion Kenny Nott Jr., Victorville point leader Larry Hood, Michael Dalton and Cody Burke. The pits are likely to be filled with cars, causing the need for a B Main, and that means these five drivers will need to bring their A Game to this one.
Also on tap Friday at Ocean Speedway will be the Ocean Late Models, Dwarf Cars, American Stocks and Four Bangers. These divisions all put on a good show, so this would be the perfect time to check out a race at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville.
Up north, Placerville will be racing Dirt Modifieds. The division is a regular class at Chico on Friday nights, where Randy McDaniel and Darin Ruley are having a good battle for the championship. McDaniel has won several championships in his career, but this would be Ruley's first in this division if he can make up the nine point deficit on McDaniel. The Placerville race is a special event, but most of the Chico regulars are anticipated for this race as well as a few visitors. Placerville used to have point racing for this division in the past, and Antioch Speedway Hall Of Famer Darryl Shirk is one of the past champions there in this division. The Placerville race will pay $800 to win.
Placerville's headliner that night will be the Hunt Magneto Spec Sprint Series with a car count in the 20's anticipated as Sprint Car veterans Terry Schank Jr. and Billy Wallace battle for that championship. Also in action will be the Pure Stocks and Limited Late Models. The track had run what they called Pro Stocks for years, but switched over to a Limited Late Model rule set similar to that of Ocean Speedway. It's generally an 8-12 car show. The division has been booked several times at Chico, but drivers have been slow to support that effort there. In fact, a race for this Friday night has been canceled.
This will be a key we4ekend for the Hunt Magneto Spec Sprint Series as they will be a part of Chico's open wheel night that also includes 410 Sprints and ASCS Midgets. The track has booked the new ASCS Midget effort for several races this season, and the last race saw a season high eight cars show up with Rick Young collecting his first win.
On the Sprint Car Fan forum, somebody put up a bounty of $500 to anybody who could snap Misty Castleberry's win streak cleanly. Castleberry has dominated the action in the Mini Stock class at Marysville with nine feature victories. The Mini Stocks were added to Saturday's Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car Series race to make up for a rain out. According to the track's recent press release, a tenth straight win for the current point leader and defending champion would be a new track record. So the question is, can anybody beat Misty Castleberry? And you thought the GSC Sprint Cars were the only reason to go see this race. It should be a good show at Marysville.
On the Sprint Car Fan forum, there's been some talk about Orland Speedway. Some people are even offering help, including one person who offered to donate new clay for the track if they could pay for it to be hauled. The track's Mini Trucks, Mini Stocks and Pure Stocks have made it for all the shows, though car count is a little less than hoped for. What is nice is that several drivers have been winners in all divisions this season. As an added feature to give the fans one more race to watch, the Trucks and Mini Stocks ran a combined feature last week. All feature winners last week picked up their first wins of the season, which hopefully will provide some incentive for other drivers to get out and race.
If you're keeping track, Ryan Compton (Hobby Stock), Richard Gale (Mini Truck) and Don Runkle (Mini Stock) collected the regularly scheduled feature victories, while Dan Webster won the combined Mini Stock/Truck race.
The track has been trying to keep the Mini 4 cylinder Modified division alive. This 4 Cylinder version of Dirt Modifieds had a good run in the last decade and even ran some races head to head with the group from Lakeport at one time. As the cars at Marysville are a little more modified than the Orland Mini Stocks, those drivers have run with the 4 Cylinder Modified class when they've visited with the track's Mini Stocks encouraged to run if they want to.
The division that has fallen on hard times in recent weeks in the Wingless Spec Sprint class. Over ten cars have competed this season, includimng eight on opening night, but it appears as if not enough cars have shown up to race the last two events. This, coincidentally enough, follows on the heels of Ralph Jacobo's departure as a track official. Whether this has anything to do with things is unknown to this writer, though two Jacobo cars had appeared at most of the events this season.
One fan of the division appeared appeared on the specsprint.com forum recently and pointed out that a five car field races for $250 to win in this division, hoping to stir up some support. I'm curious what that would be to start as most of these drivers would have to tow a good distance from out of town, and that is a factor in getting them to come. I've always appreciated how Orland was the first track to follow Antioch and start it's own class, and I envisioned a day when this effort could have been involved with any future multi track series, maybe even the Hunt Series. However, car count has to get back at least to where it was a few seasons ago.
This might be a good time for the track to call a meeting with the drivers at a local puzza parlor to discuss things going forward. I know the cars are still up there in this class, and this could help put things back on track. In fact, it might not be a bad idea to do this for all divisions in the interest of ending the season strong and building things up for next year.
At any rate, I'm hoping for the best for Orland. This is a neat little race track that gives fans and racers something fun to do on any given Saturday night. Racing resumes at Orland this week with all of the regular classes in action.
The show goes on at Chowchilla Speedway as Dirt Modifieds, Street Stocks, Hobby Stocks and Four Bangers, the back bone of the track's schedule, are all in action. The battle between Alex Stanford and Ryan Porter will likely continue in the Dirt Modifieds, but if these two slip up even a little bit, Andrew Krumm is right there to try and stake a claim on the point lead. These four divisions would be enoigh to put on a show as it is, but there's more.
The Vintage Supermodifieds will be in action as well. These cars will put people in mind of Supermodified racing from the 60's and 70's, and racers like Everett Edlund and LeRoy Van Connet are expected top be among a field of 10-12 cars. This show is sure to be a good one, and it's great to know that classes like the Sportsman division, the Hardtops and Supermodifieds are still around to give people a taste of what racing was like in the past.
Dwarf Cars Come To Turlock
We found out a few interesting tidbits about the Dwarf Car race at the fair in Turlock last Sunday. Reports we saw indicated the drivers were offered $200 per car to race, regardless of finishing position. It's basically an exhibition type race on a hastily made dirt oval track that's probably 1/10th of a mile. They are racing, but obviously not so hard that they risk crashing too hard. It's more about putting on a show for the fans who pack the area for the various motor sports events.
There were 12 cars in action, and we did catch results for the first of three heat races. Charlie "The Hammer" Correia won that heat with Neil Stinson passing Curt Jordan on the last lap for second. Alan Heeney was fourth. In the Main Event, Brett Barstow collected the victory ahead of Josh Hiatt. A driver named Duane (Didn't catch a last name, maybe Daniel?) was third ahead of Sam Westhorpe. Correia apparently tangled with the #3n car in the Main Event. I'm thinking Mike Corsaro was was probably racing there as well, but not sure who the other two racers were. Car count was up two from last year.
By the way, Correai won the Dwarf Car fair race in Turlock about a decade ago. Dwarf Cars and Legend Cars competed back then, as did Quads. This time around, the Dwarf Cars were part of a card that featured Monster Trucks. Being that he lived around the corner from the fairgrounds, I'm thinking Gary Jacob would have gotten a kick out of this race, but, knowing him, he likely would have skipped it to go to Merced Speedway.
Merced Speedway Gets Set For Round #2
Well, the Timmy Post Memorial Race may be off, but racing is still on at Merced Speedway. The appearance of over 60 cars last week made the opener a success. The Modifieds were boosted by the appearance of the McDaniel father-son duo. Randy McDaniel just retook the point lead at Chico that Friday night with a second place finish as he pursues another championship. Ryan McDaniel, meanwhile, came into Merced gunning for a rare three win weekend. Ryan held off his father to win the Modified race Friday at Chico, then jumped behind the wheel of Billy Knoop's car and won the Stock Car race Saturday at Marysville.
So, the Dirt Modifieds boasted a 16 car field for Merced's opener, including Ryan Porter and Alex Stanford, who are competing for the championship at Chowchilla, defending champion Jim DiGiovanni and past Merced champion Paul Stone. Paul's cousin Ramie Stone, a champion in three different divisions at Merced and probably the top driver at the track in the last decade, was not in the field. No word on whether Ramie intends to race this season, but he would definitely be a welcome addition. However, the 16 racers who did show in this division were definitely a welcome site.
Past Dirt Modified champion "Bullet" Bob Williamson was in action Sunday behind the wheel of the #00 Street Stock, and he ended up caught between a pair of #15 cars. The #15 of Chowchilla point leader Mike Shepherd was doing his usual thing and beating the competition, while Antioch title hopeful Larry Damitz made a surprise appearance and ended up third after winning a heat race. Back at the site of his first career feature win when he drive a Late Model in the early 90's, Mitch Enos finished fourth. With new track management at Merced, Roy Hart Jr. was back and finished fifth.
Merced boasts some of the best Street Stock drivers in the state, include past champions Tim Ragsdale, Darren Thomas and Randy Brewer, and though they weren't in action Sunday, it is hoped that they will be back in the near future. Meanwhile, two time defending champion Ricky Thatcher and his father Buddy Thatcher did compete as did second generation racer George Lefler Jr., whose father is a past champion at the track. It was indeed a good opener at the Speedway.
In an interesting bit of booking, the Dirt Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Four Bangers and Sport Mods will be joined not by the Street Stocks, but the IMCA Stock Cars this week. I'm really not sure where this class runs in California, other than Giant Chevrolet Speedway in Hanford. There have been car counts as high 10 or 11 cars in Hanford this season, where Loren DeArmond has been the driver to beat. I believe one of the reasons Hanford went to this division in the last few years was in an effort to try and build up a car count. Whether Merced might get on board with this class or it's just a special appearance remains to be seen.
Once one of the top drivers in the non Camaro Pure Stock division, Shane Hausman returned and won the Hobby Stock season opener ahead of second generation racer Raul Rodriguez Jr. and the rapidly improving Ryan Hart. The Hobbys delivered 12 cars for the opener, while Four Bangers produced a similar car count. The driver taking the win in that race was Watsonville racer Dan McCabe. I do recall a Dan McCabe racing Stock Cars at San Jose Speedway in the 1980's, but I'm not sure if there is a relation.
Wrapping up, the Sport Mod buzz continues to get louder as drivers push for this class in more venues. Chowchilla Speedway had seven cars at their most recent race and now have seen ten different cars compete. This means double digit cars counts are possible, and if that starts happening, you have to wonder if Antioch or even Petaluma might get on board. Drivers fighting for the cause should also consider that John Soares Jr. now runs both Antioch and Merced, and he will be paying attention to the numbers. The reason Petaluma comes into the debate is former Mini Stock racer Ford Cook, who intends to debut a Sport Mod legal car in the Dirt Modified field at Petaluma in early August.
So, Round #2 of racing comes to Merced Sunday, July 25th. Promoter John Soares Jr. is starting to hear something he used to hear in his early days as the man in charge at Antioch, praise from the racing community. I'll add to that, because he and his entire crew did an amazing job getting Merced up and running on the old quarter-mile clay oval in just a couple month's time. Sure, there's work to be done, but who would have thought things would have gotten this far so quickly?
Mike Cecil Memorial Race Friday Night
Ocean Speedway is not likely to jump on the bandwagon for the Sport Mod class, but for good reason. Set aside how strong some of the divisions are there, the IMCA Modifieds are still solid and likely to produce another B Main Friday night. The IMCA sanctioning is working well for them as they do get visitors from other tracks, and their drivers go to places like Santa Maria, Victorbville, Bakersfield and Ventura for IMCA points.
On Friday night, the IMCA Modifieds will run a 50 lap race in honor of Mike Cecil. Cecil was a second generation racer who had big shoes to fill as his father Jerry Cecil was a past Sportsman champion and won more Sportsman features at the track than anybody. But, Mike did make a name for himself, winning a Street Stock championship and winning the big 100 lap race the track had for that division twice. Fact was, Mike loved the 100 lap race, and it was something he looked forward top every year.
He also became one of the track's more popular and respected drivers, and his passing in 1997 hit a lot of people hard. Track management at the time renamed the 100 lap race the Mike Cecil Memorial Race in his honor. The event continues to be a "must race" for the all of the racers, and a race that everybody wants to win. Yes, there will be points in a hotly contested championship battle and extra money, but just winning this one is a career highlight for anybody.
Less than 40 points separate point leader Brian Cass, defending champion Kenny Nott Jr., Victorville point leader Larry Hood, Michael Dalton and Cody Burke. The pits are likely to be filled with cars, causing the need for a B Main, and that means these five drivers will need to bring their A Game to this one.
Also on tap Friday at Ocean Speedway will be the Ocean Late Models, Dwarf Cars, American Stocks and Four Bangers. These divisions all put on a good show, so this would be the perfect time to check out a race at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville.
Dirt Mods At Placerville
Up north, Placerville will be racing Dirt Modifieds. The division is a regular class at Chico on Friday nights, where Randy McDaniel and Darin Ruley are having a good battle for the championship. McDaniel has won several championships in his career, but this would be Ruley's first in this division if he can make up the nine point deficit on McDaniel. The Placerville race is a special event, but most of the Chico regulars are anticipated for this race as well as a few visitors. Placerville used to have point racing for this division in the past, and Antioch Speedway Hall Of Famer Darryl Shirk is one of the past champions there in this division. The Placerville race will pay $800 to win.
Placerville's headliner that night will be the Hunt Magneto Spec Sprint Series with a car count in the 20's anticipated as Sprint Car veterans Terry Schank Jr. and Billy Wallace battle for that championship. Also in action will be the Pure Stocks and Limited Late Models. The track had run what they called Pro Stocks for years, but switched over to a Limited Late Model rule set similar to that of Ocean Speedway. It's generally an 8-12 car show. The division has been booked several times at Chico, but drivers have been slow to support that effort there. In fact, a race for this Friday night has been canceled.
This will be a key we4ekend for the Hunt Magneto Spec Sprint Series as they will be a part of Chico's open wheel night that also includes 410 Sprints and ASCS Midgets. The track has booked the new ASCS Midget effort for several races this season, and the last race saw a season high eight cars show up with Rick Young collecting his first win.
Beat Misty For Me
On the Sprint Car Fan forum, somebody put up a bounty of $500 to anybody who could snap Misty Castleberry's win streak cleanly. Castleberry has dominated the action in the Mini Stock class at Marysville with nine feature victories. The Mini Stocks were added to Saturday's Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car Series race to make up for a rain out. According to the track's recent press release, a tenth straight win for the current point leader and defending champion would be a new track record. So the question is, can anybody beat Misty Castleberry? And you thought the GSC Sprint Cars were the only reason to go see this race. It should be a good show at Marysville.
Orland Speedway Still Hanging In There
On the Sprint Car Fan forum, there's been some talk about Orland Speedway. Some people are even offering help, including one person who offered to donate new clay for the track if they could pay for it to be hauled. The track's Mini Trucks, Mini Stocks and Pure Stocks have made it for all the shows, though car count is a little less than hoped for. What is nice is that several drivers have been winners in all divisions this season. As an added feature to give the fans one more race to watch, the Trucks and Mini Stocks ran a combined feature last week. All feature winners last week picked up their first wins of the season, which hopefully will provide some incentive for other drivers to get out and race.
If you're keeping track, Ryan Compton (Hobby Stock), Richard Gale (Mini Truck) and Don Runkle (Mini Stock) collected the regularly scheduled feature victories, while Dan Webster won the combined Mini Stock/Truck race.
The track has been trying to keep the Mini 4 cylinder Modified division alive. This 4 Cylinder version of Dirt Modifieds had a good run in the last decade and even ran some races head to head with the group from Lakeport at one time. As the cars at Marysville are a little more modified than the Orland Mini Stocks, those drivers have run with the 4 Cylinder Modified class when they've visited with the track's Mini Stocks encouraged to run if they want to.
The division that has fallen on hard times in recent weeks in the Wingless Spec Sprint class. Over ten cars have competed this season, includimng eight on opening night, but it appears as if not enough cars have shown up to race the last two events. This, coincidentally enough, follows on the heels of Ralph Jacobo's departure as a track official. Whether this has anything to do with things is unknown to this writer, though two Jacobo cars had appeared at most of the events this season.
One fan of the division appeared appeared on the specsprint.com forum recently and pointed out that a five car field races for $250 to win in this division, hoping to stir up some support. I'm curious what that would be to start as most of these drivers would have to tow a good distance from out of town, and that is a factor in getting them to come. I've always appreciated how Orland was the first track to follow Antioch and start it's own class, and I envisioned a day when this effort could have been involved with any future multi track series, maybe even the Hunt Series. However, car count has to get back at least to where it was a few seasons ago.
This might be a good time for the track to call a meeting with the drivers at a local puzza parlor to discuss things going forward. I know the cars are still up there in this class, and this could help put things back on track. In fact, it might not be a bad idea to do this for all divisions in the interest of ending the season strong and building things up for next year.
At any rate, I'm hoping for the best for Orland. This is a neat little race track that gives fans and racers something fun to do on any given Saturday night. Racing resumes at Orland this week with all of the regular classes in action.
Chowchilla Speedway Resumes Saturday Night Racing
The show goes on at Chowchilla Speedway as Dirt Modifieds, Street Stocks, Hobby Stocks and Four Bangers, the back bone of the track's schedule, are all in action. The battle between Alex Stanford and Ryan Porter will likely continue in the Dirt Modifieds, but if these two slip up even a little bit, Andrew Krumm is right there to try and stake a claim on the point lead. These four divisions would be enoigh to put on a show as it is, but there's more.
The Vintage Supermodifieds will be in action as well. These cars will put people in mind of Supermodified racing from the 60's and 70's, and racers like Everett Edlund and LeRoy Van Connet are expected top be among a field of 10-12 cars. This show is sure to be a good one, and it's great to know that classes like the Sportsman division, the Hardtops and Supermodifieds are still around to give people a taste of what racing was like in the past.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Rivera Continues Climb Towards Antioch Point Lead
The Dwarf Car division ran a show in conjunction with the Golden State Challenge Series Sprint Car race Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. Despite missing a race, five time champion Ricardo Rivera continues his climb towards the Dwarf Car point lead at a rapid pace. Rivera gained even more ground with his fifth feature victory of the season.
The Golden State Challenge Series Sprint Car feature event went to young Kyle Larson ahead of Brent Kaeding, Bobby McMahon, Ryan Kaplan and Evan Suggs. The 19 cars ran three heat races with wins going to Brent Bjork, Larson and Andy Gregg, while McMahon won the dash. Despite not winning a feature this season, 13 time series champion Kaeding holds a slim four point lead over Larson with three races remaining.
There were 16 Dwarf Cars in action, and they ran two heat races. Incoming point leader Nick Squatritto won his heat race with Tony Carmignani grabbing second from Rivera, who settled for third. Past champion Ed Johnson outdueled Tom Brown to win the second heat race.
Only 12 points separate Squatritto, Rivera and Jerry Doty in the track's closest point battle. Rivera continued his heat race battle with Carmignani in the Main Event, but this time, Rivera came out the victor. The top three finishers received plaques as top five ranked Clayton Dortzbach enjoyed one of his better nights in third. Doty kept in the championship battle with a fourth place finish as Dan Liston had one of his better nights in fifth. Completing the top ten were Joel Osias, Squatritto, Charlie Correia, Mike Corsaro and Chris Lloyd.
Regular championship racing resumes at Antioch Speedway next Saturday night with a five division show featuring Wingless Spec Sprints, Super Stocks, Mini Trucks, Four Bangers and BCRA Midget Lites.
The Golden State Challenge Series Sprint Car feature event went to young Kyle Larson ahead of Brent Kaeding, Bobby McMahon, Ryan Kaplan and Evan Suggs. The 19 cars ran three heat races with wins going to Brent Bjork, Larson and Andy Gregg, while McMahon won the dash. Despite not winning a feature this season, 13 time series champion Kaeding holds a slim four point lead over Larson with three races remaining.
There were 16 Dwarf Cars in action, and they ran two heat races. Incoming point leader Nick Squatritto won his heat race with Tony Carmignani grabbing second from Rivera, who settled for third. Past champion Ed Johnson outdueled Tom Brown to win the second heat race.
Only 12 points separate Squatritto, Rivera and Jerry Doty in the track's closest point battle. Rivera continued his heat race battle with Carmignani in the Main Event, but this time, Rivera came out the victor. The top three finishers received plaques as top five ranked Clayton Dortzbach enjoyed one of his better nights in third. Doty kept in the championship battle with a fourth place finish as Dan Liston had one of his better nights in fifth. Completing the top ten were Joel Osias, Squatritto, Charlie Correia, Mike Corsaro and Chris Lloyd.
Regular championship racing resumes at Antioch Speedway next Saturday night with a five division show featuring Wingless Spec Sprints, Super Stocks, Mini Trucks, Four Bangers and BCRA Midget Lites.
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