DON'S CALIFORNIA RACING RECOLLECTIONS

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Paul Stone Returns For Victory At Merced Speedway

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Saturday, September 19, 2015

Obertello Outduels Hogge For Late Model Win At Antioch Speedway

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Obertello Outduels Hogge For Late Model Win At Antioch Speedway

Andy Obertello returned to action at Antioch Speedway for the first time this year Saturday night and won the 20 lap DIRTcar Late Model Main Event. A champion in this division at Antioch not too many years ago, Obertello had to earn this win in a thrilling battle with three time Antioch Modified champion Bobby Hogge IV and defending Late Model champion Richard Papenhausen. The three cars ran closely for much of the race.

As the leaders hit slower traffic late, things got interesting. Hogge made a strong inside move in Turn 2 as the leaders worked lap 18. Hogge appeared to make that pass stick as he moved around a slower car on the back stretch, but Obertello regained the lead by the time they exited Turn 4. Obertello held off Hogge for the final lap to score a thrilling victory. Papenhausen settled for third ahead of new track champion Jeff Decker.

Doing double duty, Hogge also charged from the fifth row to win the 20 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. Hogge steadily worked his way to the front. The race only had one yellow flag on lap ten. Chester Kniss led the first ten laps before Brian Cass and Hogge both slipped past him on the restart. Hogge ran closely behind Cass until making an inside pass in Turn 3 on the 17th lap to grab the lead. Once in front, Hogge went on to collect a well earned victory. Cass settled for second ahead of Kniss.

Billy Macedo won his second 20 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event of the season. Macedo chased early leader Keith Shipherd down by lap six and made an inside pass in Turn 4 to grab the lead. Once Macedo got the lead, he was unstoppable in victory. Marcus Smith wrapped up a strong season in second in points by finishing a season best second in the Main Event. Past champion Jim Perry Jr. charged to a third place finish.

Merced and Chowchilla champion Kevin Joaquin returned and won his third 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Danny Jones led the first 14 laps of the race with Joaquin and Antioch point leader Kimo Oreta in close pursuit. Joaquin made an inside pass on the front stretch to take the lead from Jones on lap 15. Joaquin went on to victory from there. Oreta passed Jones late, only to lose second to Jones at the line as he made contact with a slower car. It was the sixth second place finish of the year for Jones as Oreta settled for third.

Fred Ryland was in the right place at the right time to win his seventh 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event of the season. Ryland actually spun early in the race and was nearly lapped by race long leader Trevor Clymens. Clymens had a few restarts to deal with late in the race, but he kept pulling away on the outside despite the presence of F. Ryland. On the last lap, Clymens spun in the final turn. F. Ryland managed to avoid him and drove by for the unexpected victory. Patti Ryland was second for the second straight race as Al Johnson finished third.

Eric Berendsen appeared to have his first career 20 lap Limited Late Model Main Event victory, but a post race tech disqualification handed the win to point leader Larry Damitz. Larry Damitz had a front row start and led the first 18 laps of the race. A mid race restart allowed Berendsen to ride the outside line into second. Berendsen’s opportunity came when Damitz made contact with a couple of slower cars on the front stretch while trying to lap them on Lap 17. Damitz started to slow, and Berendsen made an outside pass to take the lead in Turn 4 on lap 19. Berendsen went on to take the checkered flag first, but he was later disqualified in post race tech. Damitz saw his second place finish become another win as Lori Brown and Mark Garner were second and third.

Racing resumes on Saturday night with the Delta Valley Classic, headlined by the IMCA Modifieds along with IMCA Sport Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks. This is the last scheduled event of the year at Antioch Speedway, but there is a date being planned for October 24th. Check out www.ovalmotorsports.com for more information as it comes.

Saturday Night, September 19, 2015

Race Results
DIRTCar Late Models
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Bobby Hogge IV, Andy Obertello. Main Event (20 Laps)-Obertello, Hogge, Richard Papenhausen, Jeff Decker, Paul Guglielmoni.

Wingless Spec Sprints
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Billy Macedo, Jim Perry Jr. Main Event (20 Laps)-Macedo, Marcus Smith, Perry Jr., Keith Shipherd, Roy Fisher.

IMCA Sport Modifieds
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Trevor Clymens,Al Johnson Main Event (20 Laps)-Fred Ryland, Patti Ryland, Johnson, Anthony Giuliani, Clymens.

IMCA Modifieds
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Carl Berendsen II, Alex Wilson. Main Event (20 Laps)-Bobby Hogge IV, Brian Cass, Chester Kniss, Scott Busby, Berendsen.

Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Kimo Oreta, Natalie Perry. Main Event (20 Laps)-Kevin Joaquin, Danny Jones, Oreta, Jim Robbins, Russell Shearer.

Limited Late Models
Heat Winner (6 Laps)-Mark Garner, Jim Freethy. Main Event (20 Laps)-Larry Damitz, Lori Brown, Garner, Freethy, Mike Hynes.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Pit Stops

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Pit Stops

This was a totally unplanned column, so we’ll see how long this ends up being. People think it’s my birthday as I wrote this, but that’s really not the case. I felt no need to share that date on social media when I joined. Not that I’ll do anything special when the day comes. No cake (haven’t had birthday cake in years), no party, no friends to hang out with anyway. But, if I’m lucky, I’ll have a microphone and be announcing that day. They tell me I will, but I take nothing for granted. Anyway...

It's The family Aspect That Makes Racing Special

The first bit of information is something this reporter can’t share. So, why would we even put anything here? Well, because it’s pretty darn cool. There is a racing family planning to have a car at the track this weekend that is very special to them. It has rarely been at the track at all, but we’ve heard that it will be. Once it happens, we can get into more details on everything, but it’s pretty neat to see.

In racing, families are the backbone of the whole sport. Maybe it's fathers bringing their sons to the races and their sons doing the same with their sons. It could even be mothers bringing their daughters. Let’s talk about a mother who brought her daughter to the races. She’s Dawn Carter. She remembered how special racing was to her in her home town back east. So, when she moved to the Merced area, she brought her young daughter, Destiny Carter, to the races. She wanted that for her. It was also a mother-daughter bonding experience. That’s what racing is.

Dawn and Destiny sometimes scrimped and saved and had help getting into the races from the racing family. They would walk to the track. As Destiny grew up and was old enough to get into the races, she started taking pictures and sharing them on social media. She is one of the voices of positivity out there who loves Merced Speedway. She began working on race cars and helping others in the hopes that one day she might get a chance to race. One day, you shouldn’t be surprised to see her behind the wheel of a Mini Stock.

Dawn Carter had her struggles with health issues and had been in and out of the hospital. She loved her daughter and wanted to be there for her. Unfortunately, she recently lost her battle and passed away. The racing community immediately sprang into action with many donations to ensure a proper burial for Dawn. But, that’s what the racing community is, one big family. Family is at the heart of this sport.

We’ve said this many times before. You can look at the promoter of Antioch, Merced and Chowchilla. John M. Soares is the son of John P. Soares, a legend of the sport. His brother Jim also followed in his dad’s footsteps in the sport. Chief Steward Brad Coelho is the son of Sportsman racer Butch Coelho Sr. Go to any track, and you’ll find families that have been involved for years.

At Merced, you have the Porter family, four generations. There is also the Corn family. Like the Porter’s, they go back to the beginning of the track’s history. The Odgers family, the Tuckers, the Falkenbergs, the Sagmillers, the Stones, the Barcellos family and so many others. While some racers come and go, these are the names you continue to see. Then, there’s Bob Williamson, who has raced at Merced Speedway since the 1970‘s.

At Antioch, the Brown family is another fine example. There are soon to be four generations of racers from Bill Brown’s family. There’s Ron Brown’s family and Bob Brown’s as well, and both have several members who have raced. The Gonderman family goes back three generations to 1970 Sportsman champion Ken Gonderman. The McCowns, The Swanks, The Briggs and Kniss family, The Clymens family, the Garners, the Chadwicks, the DeCarlos, the Rosas and so many others. Through it all, you have 86 year old Lary Damitz still racing as well as Mike Gustafson and Charlie Correia, who both go back to the 1970‘s.

At any track, this is what keeps things going. The Dozier and the McDaniel family in Marysville, the Olschowkas at several Northern California tracks, The Hogges, Hagios and so many others at Watsonville. The Drews, Machados Studebakers, McCoys and so many others at Petaluma. The Furia family at Ukiah and Lakeport The Kaedings in Sprint Cars. Then you have the old man of BCRA, ageless veteran Floyd Alvis. If the sport is to continue to survive, the biggest reason is the families.

A racing family has many branches, and often times you’ll have crew members who work on a car for a few years until one day they get the opportunity to race. That makes a difference. We also have the Cline family. Dean Cline is a future Antioch Speedway Hall Of Famer, and his son Lance could make a strong case for himself as a car builder. In fact, guys like Lance are important because they are the ones building cars for the new drivers. Since Lance walked away, this has been something needed at Antioch.

This weekend, you’ll see the families that are still involved in racing competing at Antioch, Merced and so many other tracks. There are some who mentor the new drivers. Former racers who crew for new drivers to help get them up to speed. When those new drivers learn and get better, they end up mentoring the next generation. And, there’s another thing to consider when it comes to families in racing.

When things get ugly, sometimes it may get heated in the pits. However, some of these rivals end up helping each other when the need arises, because they want that driver to compete next week. And, when an outside threat arises against a race track, everybody in the racing family is prepared to rise up and fight that threat. Some people don’t understand the “field of dreams” that is the race track, but long time racers and fans know one thing. If people just came out and watched the races and gave it a chance, they’d love racing just as much as they do.

And, we are lucky that we have so many race tracks in California to still go to in this day and age. We racing fans are guilty of one thing. In our moment of passion, we can sometimes turn our frustration towards our favorite race track and say things that really don’t help the cause. It’s not that criticism isn’t acceptable. Sometimes it needs to happen to make a situation better. However, sometimes we get downright nasty and mean spirited in what we might say. Back in the day, that might be a face to face conversation, but these days we get on the internet and social media and launch an attack.

We may not always think about what those words do to that race rack. Somebody might be thinking of going to the races, but our comment after a bad night influences them to stay home. Maybe it’s another race car that stays parked, and suddenly, the race track isn’t doing as well as it once was. In that case, we become a part of the problem instead of part of the solution. Sometimes one needs to take a step back in order to gain perspective or just to cool off and realize that maybe they are overreacting in the heat of the moment. Sometimes you can make a difference. There are other times when it's best to take a step back and reevaluate your options.

We Are Lucky To Have So Many Race Tracks

What is interesting is that even now there are people looking to open race tracks up and get them going. Persistent rumors have Altamont Raceway coming back again. There is a lot of work to be done and hurdles to jump in order to get there, but the facility has been used this year as a way to teach teenagers about safe driving. That’s the first step to maybe something happening with racing in the future.

There is also the rumor of Sacramento Raceway’s oval reopening again. People are looking at doing something there. Once upon a time, that tight quarter-mile oval had a thriving Friday night program of Street Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Dirt Modifieds and other divisions. Later, the track launched the modern Hardtop movement in Northern California and gave us a new Spec Sprint division. Can things happen again?

Then. there’s the rumors of an influential racing promoter looking around at possible sites for a race track. This person has something in mind, but at this point is doing some homework on the subject. When things line up and the time is right, something pretty cool could happen that might seem out of left field to the racers. However, it’s a good bet that they will want to be there to race on this track. A few more details are known by this writer, but much like the car we spoke of at the beginning of this column, it’s too early to say anything more.

In the meantime, we have to be thankful for the tracks we have. Sure, some are doing better than others, but the gates are opening and giving these tracks a chance. Adam Zachary is following in the footsteps of Mike McCann at Orland. He renamed the place Sacramento Valley Speedway, and racing takes place every other Saturday night. It has been a struggle to gain attendance and car count, but the Hobby Stocks are showing signs of life there. The Mini Stocks, Mini Trucks and Wingless Sprints are still on the card. McCann introduced 600 Mini Sprints last season, and Zachary added a Wingless 250 Mini Sprint class. With a bit more effort, this track can turn the corner.

It wasn’t too many years ago when Hayfork Speedway sprang from the site of the former horse racing track at the Trinity County Fairgrounds. Way down south, Rocky Hill Speedway in Porterville, which had been closed for about 15 years, came back. Hayfork has run a few different divisions, but they also know that building Hobby Stock and Mini Stock car count is ultimately what gives them the best chance. In Porterville, those are the classes they run. Money isn't flowing in these places, so the higher end stuff won’t have much of a chance until these divisions take hold. And, Porterville still has some big races planned for their regular classes, including the Veteran's Day show in November.

You may go from a track like Bakersfield or Placerville and see the struggles of the three aforementioned tracks and ask why they bother. They bother because there are people in these places that love racing too. To get back to the family theme, the Nolands, the Reeds and others still love Rocky Hill Speedway, so they fight for it. And, a track that’s doing well should never take that for granted. If it’s doing well, it can fall apart due to economical, promotional or other factors. It is a never ending challenge for a promoter to keep a race track going.

Chowchilla Speedway To Have Racing Again In October, November

Back at the Oval Motorsprots tracks, promoter John M. Soares is trying to close out the season on a strong note, and he too has a track that is in the same boat as Orland and Porterville. Chowchilla Speedway had 19 cars at their last race and less than 100 fans. Some promoters would have just shut the gate and said, "That’s it. This place is done." However, Soares put the track on hiatus while he focused on strengthening Merced Speedway. Indications are that Merced is getting better, though it’s still a work in progress. This has led Soares back to Chowchilla and what to do there.

October was the time, but when exactly? There are race dates at other tracks that are important to some of the drivers in the area. Watsonville pays tribute to Pat Pettit, mother of Jim Pettit II, with the Pat Pettit Memorial race on the first weekend of October. Bakersfield has some 30 Bud Nationals events that they have held through the years, and the second weekend of October will be the latest instalment. Santa Maria has a big Dwarf Car blowout race on the third weekend, and Dwarf Cars factored into the plans.

When the dates were researched, Soares found the Sundays of October 25th and November 15th to be his best options, so he scheduled his last two Chowchilla Speedway races of 2015 for then. He will be running a special Hobby Stock, Dwarf Car and Mini Stock race, and more details will be forthcoming. Soares believes that though he has done some big IMCA Modified and Sport Modified races, the work horse Hobby Stock division deserves a big night as well. He’s also keen on establishing a Dwarf Car division in The Valley. The hope with the Dwarf Car race is that support will come in from the two big clubs of Northern California.

People have been asking what the future of Chowchilla Speedway is. The reality is that Soares is the sixth promoter since the track opened in 2000. In fact, there have been five different promoters in the last eight years as they’ve all struggled. The fact that he opened 2015 with a high dollar purse for both Modified classes shows how committed Soares was to making it happen. To make Chowchilla Speedway thrive will take lots of effort and boots on the ground, so to speak. But, it also requires racers and fans to give the place a chance. One has to ask how much longer that track can continue going through promoters before the gates stay shut?

If the drivers give these two races a chance, Soares has long since shown a willingness to pay a good purse and promote big races. This could be the beginning of an annual big race for Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars, and both divisions are more than capable of putting on entertaining shows. The Valley has some of the best Hobby Stock drivers in the state, and a meeting of the Antioch Dwarf Car regulars and drivers from the two clubs could be huge. Add in the Mini Stocks and this could be big if the racers and fans give it a chance, But, will they?

Meanwhile, Back At Antioch And Merced

There was still an indication that Soares might add one more race to Antioch’s schedule in October, though nothing is official. What has been made clear is that both Antioch and Merced’s original season finale races will be huge. They take place at Antioch on September 26th and Merced on September 27th. IMCA Modifieds pay $2000 to win and a minimum of $200 to start, while Sport Mods pay $500 to win and $100 to start. Plus, there’s a $500 bonus to the driver who can win both Main Events in their respective division. Plus, Hobby Stocks and Limited Late Modes will be on the card at both tracks.

We’ve already heard one confirmation that Kellen Chadwick will be there. Chadwick is a force in the open shows he goes to, and we see no reason to expect anything different this time. Bobby Hogge IV and Troy Foulger are two others we could be seeing, though there is no confirmation at this point. There should be some good racers in both divisions running for the money at both tracks, and this will be a nice way to wrap up the points season.

Speaking of points, we have a few battles we are watching as the season comes to a close. There have been questions concerning banquets, and we can’t answer them at this point. The only thing we can tell you is there is a room full of unclaimed trophies from last year, and Oval Motorsports is disappointed in that. Our hope was that a banquet could happen at some point before the year ended at Merced (including Chowchilla) and at Antioch, but that hasn’t been decided yet. Drivers wanting a banquet would be encouraged to call the Antioch Speedway hotline and leave a message regarding banquet tickets. Enough interest expressed in a banquet could make it happen, and this reporter thinks it would be a good thing overall.

Antioch already knows that Shawn Arriaga is the Winged 360 Sprint Car champion. He held off a past champion in Art McCarthy, who got his second win in the season finale. Third belongs to two time winner Jake Haulot as Dan Gonderman passed Chris Magoon to finish fourth. The Spec Sprint champion will be four time winner Kyle Bakkie. With that settled, Rick Panfili leads rookie Marcus Smith by just six points in the battle for second. Both want that spot and are looking for their first win. We’ll see who gets it. It looks like Alan Miranda and four time winner Jimmy Perry III will round out the Top 5.

IMCA Modified point leader Scott Busby has to be frustrated that the invert always puts him in the back with a talented driver like Aaron Crowell receiving front row starts. Busby struggles to get into the Top 5, but the four time winner still leads Bobby Motts Jr. by 23 points. It's not a comfortable lead, but Busby should be able to hold on as long as he just maintains a decent finish in the Main Event. Carl Berendsen II is on his way to third and it looks like one time winner Shawn DeForest will be fourth. State champion Alex Wilson leads his one time feature winning brother Kyle Wilson by five points, and Dustin Himes is waiting in the wings should an opportunity arise to pass them for fifth.

The Hobby Stocks are the ones who have caught our attention. Kimo Oreta has wrapped up a third straight championship season with eight wins so far. The only question about him is whether he can add another win, but he’s starting no better than tenth this week. Brother in laws Jordan Swank and Michael Cooper are having an entertaining battle for second, and Swank leads by just 13 points. These two both seem to be on the verge of that first feature win, and this is Swank’s rookie season to boot. The steady Frank Furtado has crept past Danny Jones for fourth in the standings, while five time feature runner up Jones has been out with motor problems.

The likely Sport Modified champion with six wins and a lead of over 50 points is Fred Ryland. This has left Al Johnson and one time winner Paul Mulder to battle it out of second. Johnson is looking for his first win and leads Mulder by just ten points. Chuck Golden has finished as high as second this year, but he’s had to borrow Loyd Cline’s car for the past two races to make points. He trails Patti Ryland by 21 points in the battle for fourth. In her rookie season, Ryland does have a feature win this season and finished second last time out. There is a chance for things to change in the Top 5.

In Limited Late Models, Larry Damitz leads by 38 points. The six time winner merely started the last race to make points as he had a mechanical issue. This just illustrates how anything can still happen, though it’s likely that Damitz will win his fourth championship in five years. What’s still in doubt is second as three time winner Mike Gustafson is tied with one time winner Mike Hynes. After a bad night last time, two time winner and Merced champion Mark Garner trails the second place battle by 28 points. Jim Freethy is a solid fifth, but after finishing as high as second this year, the 2013 champion is hungry for victory.

In DIRTcar Late Models, Richard Papenhausen has seven wins, but his shadow, Jeff Decker, has seven seconds as well as two wins of his own. Decker leads the championship race by 28 points and will win the deal as long as he stays reasonably close to Papenhausen and doesn’t have a DNF. In fact, Decker is poised to win the $2500 DIRTcar Regional championship as well. The battle for third is even closer after Danny Maflatti’s second place finish in the previous race moved him ahead of David Newquist by four points. Meanwhile, Chester Kniss should be able to hold onto his fifth place point status with the big lead he has over two time winner Troy Foulger.

The Dwarf Car matter is settled. David Teves has wrapped up an impressive championship season with four wins. He was a force in this division after debuting his new car. His son Adam Teves makes a good case for “Most Improved Driver” honors after his two wins and second place season. Though not his best season, Danny Wagner is still one of the best drivers, as his third place ranking and three wins will show. Two time winner Mike Corsaro and Kevin Miraglio make up the Top 5 in this division. The Dwarf Cars were the most loyally supported division at Antioch Speedway in 2015.

Dwarf Cars are something that Oval Motorsports wants to see as a part of Merced Speedway’s show going forward. At this point, it appears as if two time winner Mike Drake is headed for his first championship. Chuck Weir has been a bit of a hard luck racer at Antioch Speedway, but he leads Tim Reeder by almost 100 points for second. Reeder, meanwhile, has his hands full. One time winners Danny Wagner and Mike Corsaro are eight and 12 points, respectively, behind him. Because we don’t know if all of the Top 5 drivers will be there this week, there's a chance that Alan Heeney or Chester Kniss Jr., or both, can still move up.

As for IMCA Modifieds, Alex Wilson broke it wide open. This was a three car battle between he, Bill Egleston and John MacDougal through the first half of the season, and only MacDougall had a win. When MacDougall crashed at Petaluma to end his season, he was still the point leader. When you consider that Wilson has won four times since switching cars, it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t have won it regardless. The battle is for second, where Ricky Thatcher leads three time winner Kyle Wilson by nine points. Egleston is still 16 points behind K. Wilson, while Bob Williamson is fifth.

The Sport Modified division belongs to rookie and two time winner Josh Hensley. Hensley has been a staunch supporter of this division and is a deserving champion. Meanwhile, Dwayne Short leads one time winner Mark Odgers by just five points coming into the next race. Six time winner and State champion Fred Ryland leads two time winner Gary Tucker by ten points in the battle for fourth, and Bruce Nelson has bowed out of this battle after selling his car and buying an IMCA Modified from Paul Stone.

Merced and Chowchilla champion Kevin Joaquin has been the class of the field in the Hobby Stocks with three wins and twice as many seconds. The highly competitive class has 15 winners in 21 races, but Joaquin has been consistent all season. Jennifer Corder is on her way to second and "Rookie Of The Year” honors. Two time winner Austin Van Hoff is on his way two a double Top 3 season as the Chowchilla runner up as well. Austin leads three time winner Kristie Shearer by 51 points in the battle for third. Rookie Dexter Long is leading George Silva by 33 points in the battle for fifth.

The Mini Stocks is the closest championship battle in all of Oval Motorsports as 12 time winner Darren Miguel leads three time winner Chris Corder by just eight points. Both drivers are moving up to Hobby Stocks in 2016, and they both want to do it as Mini Stock champion. Kelly Campanile leads Dennis Copus by 25 points and rookie Natalie Waldrop by 38. All three drivers are still looking for that first win, but only Waldrop is confirmed as racing this Sunday. Campanile has been racing at Watsonville and recently won her first career Main Event.

The Limited Late Model champion is seven time winner Mark Garner. Garner came to Merced with every intention of winning the title, and Roy Hart Jr. was one of only two drivers to beat him for a Main Event victory. Buddy Thatcher had a good showing in third while Scott Van Gelder fell from second to fourth after getting injured in a heat race crash. Peggy Sue Jarred ended up fifth and had a career best second place finish at Merced.

By all accounts, Marcus Lung should be listed as the Valley Sportsman point leader, but Kenny Birdsong is being credited with a 22 point lead. Birdsong’s car is the only one to be at every race, but Chris Birdsong drove it twice. Jeff Bristow will finish third ahead of Eric Sealy and Mike Palmberg. After their six car turnout on Legend’s Night, it is hoped that the Sportsman division will be back for an 18th season in 2016.

Racing resumes at Antioch Speedway this Saturday night with a six division show that will be headlined by the DIRTCar Late Models and IMCA Modifieds. Also on the card will be the Wingless Spec Sprints, IMCA Sprint Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks. Merced Speedway on Sunday features IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks and Dwarf Cars. For further information, check out the official Oval Motorsports Website.

Back At Orland And Porterville

Shifting focus up north to Sacramento Valley Speedway, we mentioned earlier that the Hobby Stocks are starting to come around. The last two races have had double digit car counts, and there have been seven winners in the ten races. Only point leader and four time winner Paul Stevens has won more than once. Stevens leads one time winner Steve Martin by just five points in a close championship battle. Past Mini Truck champion Brad Ray won the most recent feature, and other winners this year include Bill Hampton, David Pierce and Chico racers Todd Cooper and Brian Cooper.

Everything else is a work in progress as the Mini Trucks and Mini Stocks struggle to regain count. Some might suggest merging the two classes, but this track has a tradition going back about 20 years of having both. There are known to be several Mini Trucks and Mini Stocks in the area, and part of the challenge in getting them back has been the struggle the track has had to stay open under the different promoters since Paul & Carol Turner.

The Mini Trucks have had 16 different drivers get points in the ten races held so far, but the average is about six trucks a week. Getting them to come back in bigger numbers is the goal. Keith Ross has won six of those Main Events with the other four wins being earned by Ross Vige (twice), Tyler Pebley and Nathen Skaggs.

A look at the Mini Stock division finds familiar numbers to those in the Mini Trucks. There have been 19 different drivers to earn points in the ten races held so far. Unfortunately, the weekly average is about five cars per week. With Chico trimming down their own Mini Stock schedule, it was hoped that car count would get a nice bounce. At this time, point leader Nick Vidovich has seven feature wins, while Tom Davis, Jimmy Davis and Donovan Chilton each have one win.

Wingless Sprints are also having about a seven car average in their six races from a total of 17 cars. Greg Hidenbottom had one win, while Tony Richards has five in a row. Richards is now tied with Bill Hopper for the point lead. This class has been a part of Orland racing since 2001.

The 600 Mini Sprints and 250 Mini Sprints are recent additions as the track seeks other ways to spark interest. Many talented racers have come up through these divisions at other tracks through the years. Mike McCann saw the need to add the 600‘s a couple years ago, and this has proven to be a good move. Promoter Adam Zachary decided to add 250‘s this year.

There have been 15 different drivers in the 600‘s as they have averaged seven cars. Point leader Jeromie Crismon has three wins as Tony Alosi and Dan Mognaga are the other winners. The 250‘s have 12 different drivers to have earned points in the five races. Point leader Jesse Garland (two) and Jackie Whitson Jr. (three) are the two winners so far. Both divisions have much potential to help this track in the days ahead if they get the right attention.

Orland may be struggling, but it can get stronger with each race. It is a racing tradition worth fighting for. This Saturday night, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, Mini Trucks, 600 Mini Sprints and 250 Mini Sprints are all on the card. For further information, check out the official Sacramento Valley Speedway Website.

Not to be ignored in this conversation is Rocky Hill Speedway in Porterville. As they run their final point race this Saturday night, Jared Plumlee wraps up an impressive Mini Stock championship season, while Raymond Noland Jr. will be Hobby Stock champion and Roy Atchison will be the Super Mini Stock champion.

The Mini Stocks have been the stars this year with several double digit car counts as racers like Plumlee, Andy Boydstun, Clinton and Clifton Massey, Bob Ellis and Justin Moore are some of the stars from this season. There has been some good racing here as well as in the Super Mini Stocks. Along with Atchison, defending champion Adell Shelton has had her moments. Racers like Darren Estermann, Kit Murphy and Larry Ramirez are others who have been fast this year.

The American Stock division has been a challenge to establish as the few who show up have raced with the Hobby Stocks. That puts them on the track with the Noland family. Karl Noland Sr. has won several Main Events, and it is another multi time feature winner, Raymond Noland Jr., who is the point leader. Other racers, such as Karl Noland Jr., Alvin Ince and Gene Glover, have been a part of making this division happen.

Rocky Hill Speedway is one of the growing number of tacks that recognizes the importance of getting kids involved in the sport. This has led to the smaller track in the infield and the addition of the Mini Dwarf Cars. Both classes have been well supported for most of the season.

Porterville still has the point finale this week. It’s the Seth Patterson Memorial Race, and it’s a blowout event that includes Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, Super Mini Stocks, American Stocks, Jr. Dwarf Cars, Central Valley Tanks (IMCA style Stock Cars) and Okie Bowl Hardtops. It should be a good one. Another big race will be the Dearl Noland Memorial race on October 24th that will have all the divisions from this week except for Central Valley Tanks and Mini Dwarf Cars. The Veteran’s Day race on November 11th will have Hobby Stocks, American Stocks, Mini Stocks and Super Mini Stocks as well as the Battle Of The Badges & Dignitaries Race.

Rocky Hill Speedway closes things on November 28th and 29th with their biggest race, the 4th Annual Turkey Day Shoot Out. Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, Super Mini Stocks, American Stocks and Mini Dwarf Cars are all on the schedule. For further information, check out the official Rocky Hill Speedway Website.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Pittman, Sargent Antioch Winners, Antioch & Merced Weekend Previews, Chowchilla Race Dates

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DCRR Racing Radio Show
Weekend Review Edition

DCRR Racing Radio Show: Episode 59 by GenWhat

Pittman Wraps Up WoO West Coast Swing With Antioch Win

The World of Outlaws Sprint Cars returned to Antioch Speedway for their final appearance of the season and last West Coast event of the year, and a familiar name was in the winner’s circle. Daryn Pittman wheeled the Kasey Kahne Racing with Mike Curb #9 Sprinter to his second win of the year at Antioch and fifth on the circuit. He won the race back in March, and he led the final 21 laps of this race after an eventful first nine laps. More excitement was provided behind Pittman as Joey Saldana outdueled Tyler Walker for a second place finish.

The excitement began early on as 26 Outlaws took their turns on the clock in time trials. Early on, Brad Sweet broke Sammy Swindell’s 2010 qualifying record with a lap of 11.559. Not to be outdone and on the heels of his big wins on Louie Vermeil Memorial Weekend at Calistoga, Rico Abreu shattered that record with a lap of 11.489 in the Abreu Vineyards #24 Sprinter. Heat races were next, and the ten lappers transferred the Top 6 finishers into the Main Event. Pittman gave a preview of what was to come with his win in the first heat race ahead of point leader Donny Schatz and Shane Stewart.

The third heat was an opportunity for D.J. Netto to shine as he led all the way to win ahead of Watsonville star Shane Golobic and Paul McMahan. The second heat proved to be the most exciting as Logan Schuchart jumped out into the lead at the start with Walker in close pursuit. To the delight of the crowd, Walker stuck it up on the outside, had the momentum exiting Turn 2 and made the pass on the back stretch on lap nine. Walker won ahead of Schuchart and Saldana.

Saldana had an opportunity to grab the pole for the Main Event if he could win the dash, but he had 29 time winner Schatz on the pole next to him. Saldana charged into the lead with Schatz in close pursuit. However Saldana grabbed the victory ahead of Schatz and Pittman.

The final order of business before the big show was the 12 lap Last Chance Qualifier. Eight cars lined up to compete for the six transfer positions. Jason Sides had the pole and figured to be the sure winner as he grabbed the lead from the start. Long time NARC and Golden State Challenge Series Sprint Car star Jason Statler and Jacob Allen took up early pursuit of the Top 10 ranked Outlaw. A lap eight caution flag flew when Mikey Kuemper, subbing for the injured Kraig Kinser, spun. Sides looked like he was on his way to victory until a lap 11 caution flag for debris. The restart lap saw Sides spin from the lead in Turn 4. He managed to make two passes in the last two laps to transfer, but Statler brought it home with a B Main victory ahead of Allen and Jarrett Soares.

After the Outlaw’s trademark four abreast salute to the fans, Saldana and Schatz led the 24 car field to the green flag. Saldana grabbed the early lead with Schatz in close pursuit. Schatz got the momentum coming out of Turn 2 of the fifth lap and slipped underneath Saldana for the lead. At that point, Pittman had settled into third. Battling for a Top 5 spot, Abreu flipped his car in Turn 2 for a lap nine red flag. He was not injured, but his race was over. As they pushed the cars back off to get ready for the restart, Schatz discovered he had a right rear tire going flat and pitted. This put Saldana into the lead over Pittman and Walker. However, Pittman made an inside pass down the back stretch and had the lead before the lap was done. Pittman maintained his lead as Walker ran closely behind Saldana. Sweet and David Gravel made up the rest of the Top 5 by the time a lap 21 caution flag waved for debris. As Pittman set the pace on the restart, Walker made a high pass in Turn 2 for second on lap 22. A yellow flag flew for Netto in Turn 2 on lap 24. Pittman remained in command, and Saldana was doing everything he could to get back around Walker for second. Gravel spun from his Top 5 spot for a lap 27 caution flag. A lap later, Jason Johnson hit a rut and nearly flipped in Turn 4 for the final caution flag. Pittman maintained the lead on the restart and brought it home to a $10,000 victory. Saldana made an inside pass on the back stretch on lap 29 to take second from Walker. Walker tried to come back strong on the inside a lap later, but Saldana had momentum in the final turn to take the $5,500 second place finish. Walker settled for a $3,200 third. Sweet was fourth as Paul McMahan, Stewart, Golobic, Kerry Madsen, Schuchart and Jonathan Allard rounded out the Top 10.

Sargent Impresses With Dwarf Car Victory

At Antioch Speedway

Matt Sargent made his first Antioch Speedway appearance of the year Sunday night and came home with the victory in the 20 lap Dwarf Car feature. The Sargent family is one of the biggest names ever in California Super Modified racing, and Matt has had an impressive career of his own in Dwarf Cars, including a 2006 championship at Watsoville. Sargent won a battle with division point runner up Adam Teves to win the race as two time champion Danny Wagner settled for third.

Celebrating his birthday, David Teves was looking to grab a heat race win, but after leading the first heat race for a lap, he suffered a mechanical failure to end his night. Chris Kenner won his first heat race of the year ahead of Sargent. Mike Corsaro won his six lap heat race ahead of Kurtis Craig. Wagner won the third and final heat ahead of Kevin Miraglio.

Kenner and Cosraro shared the front row for the Main Event. As they were exiting Turn 4 to complete the lap, Corasro started to spin and hit the front end of Craig’s car. This triggered a crash that involved several cars. Sargent raced into the lead on the restart ahead of Kenner. A lap four caution flag flew for a three car crash in Turn 4. Sargent chose the inside on the restart as A. Teves raced into second. Wagner and Josh Miller were dueling for third before a red flag flew after Jenna Frazier and Glenn Sciarani tangled with Sciarani flipping in Turn 4. He was okay, but out of the race. Sargent stayed with the inside on the restart, only to be surprised as A, Teves raced by him for the lead. Teves went back to the inside groove as Sargent ran a higher line. Teves would drift up a bit coming out of Turn 2, but he'd quickly close the door before Sargent could make a move. Wagner was the third car in this close battle. Sargent finally grabbed the low line from A. Teves down the back stretch and took the lead on lap 14. A lap 16 caution flag for Miranda Chappa provided some excitement. Sargent chose the outside at first, and A. Teves got a jump on him to take the lead. The restart was rejected, and Sargent went back to the inside this time. Sargent led this restart and went on to pick up the impressive win. A. Teves and Wagner were strong in second and third, respectively. Kevin Miraglio won a late race duel with Kenner to finish fourth as Miller, Chappa, Craig, David Rosa and Tim Reeder rounded out the Top 10.

Racing resumes at Antioch Speedway next Saturday night with DIRTcar Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Wingless Spec Sprints, Hobby Stocks and Limited Late Models. For further information, check out the official Oval Motorsports Website.

Oval Motorsports To Reopen Chowchilla Speedway in October

There have been many rumors regarding the future of the 15 year tradition known as Chowchilla Speedway. Back in late June, Oval Motorsports and promoter John M. Soares made the decision to switch Merced Speedway to Sundays to oversee things and postponed the last two scheduled events at Chowchilla. This set up all kinds of rumors regarding the future of the track, but there are two things to consider through all of this.

Oval Motorsports only committed to ten races this year. There were several factors that contributed to the decision to postpone the last two races. Though it was believed that Merced Speedway had more pressing needs and more potential, the intent was always to bring back racing to Chowchilla Speedway. The question was when and what divisions? The window of opportunity to schedule these last two races would open in October, but it was a tricky situation.

Soares had to go over the schedules of several tracks to find the right dates and figure out what divisions would race. Back in June, he revealed that he was looking at doing something for the Hobby Stocks, and there’s a good reason for that. Some of the biggest races for that division in the last 15 years have happened at Chowchilla Speedway. He also had to make sure there were no conflicts with the traditional races people usually go to.

Finally, the decision was made to come back on Sunday, October 25th and Sunday, November 15th. The Hobby Stocks will headline these events, though details are still pending. Dwarf Cars and Mini Stocks are also on the schedule for both nights, and the desire is to get support from Antioch's regulars, South Bay Dwarf Cars and Nor Cal Dwarf Cars. Soares remains committed to building a Dwarf Car division in The Valley.

Over the years, Chowchilla has had some big Hobby Stock races, not the least of which is the Buddy Cox Memorial Hobby Stock $500, the three Freedom Series races they held every year for several seasons and the Steitz Dirt Track Shoot Out. The goal is to have support from top Hobby Stock racers up and down the state and a strong presence of local support.

Chowchilla has crowned it’s 2015 Hobby Stock champion in three time feature winner Kevin Joaquin. Austin Van Hoff has given the locals a Chowchilla based racer to cheer for and enjoyed a strong second place season. Teammate Kodie Dean and Robbie Loquaci are two others who have been fast at Chowchilla. Josh Hensley, Dexter Long, Bobby Williams, Adam Reed and George Silva are among the others we’ll be watching for.

But, there are some “heavy hitters” in Hobby Stocks from the area that will make things more interesting with their presence. Not the least of which is the Shearer Racing Team. Whether it’s Kristie Shearer, Michael Shearer, Shannon Nelson or Bruce “Bubba” Nelson behind the wheel, they all have wins this year on the circuit. Bubba won two races at Chowchilla with M. Shearer following closely. Hard chargers like up and coming star Cody Parker, Gary Hildebrand, Marc Key and past champion Chris Falkenberg are others we could see.

The Merced-Chowchilla area has well over 50 cars that have competed this year, and it is hoped that we will see strong support from these drivers as the division has an opportunity to take a step up into the spotlight. This is also an opportunity for fans of the track to make a statement in support of racing there. In recent seasons, it has been a struggle to keep racing going there, but a good turnout will show why it’s still very much worth the effort.

We’re sure to see more details about these two shows, but as of now, Hobby Stocks, Dwarf Cars and Mini Stocks are on the schedule on October 25th and November 15th at Chowchilla Speedway. They are both Sunday events. For further information, check out the official Oval Motorsports Website.

Late Models, IMCA Modifieds Headline Six Division Show At Antioch Speedway

September will go out with a bang at Antioch Speedway as we wrap up what has been an exciting season. Six divisions are on the card this Saturday night, headlined by the DIRTcar Late Models and IMCA Modifieds. Also in action will be the Wingless Spec Sprints, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks as more champions will be crowned.

The 14th appearance of the Late Models wraps up what has been a good season for the popular division. Not since 1993 has this division had so many races at the track, and the average has generally been in the 12 car range. The two “prime time” players this season have been defending champion Richard Papenhausen and past champion Jeff Decker, and there’s the added incentive of the $2500 Regional championship prize money awarded by DIRTcar.

Papenhausen would seem to be the class of the field with seven wins in 12 starts. However, there are two things working against him. The consistent Decker has two wins and seven second place finishes, and Papenhausen was unable to finish the most recent race, won by Decker. Decker’s lead is now 28 in the Antioch championship battle and 62 points in the region. He went into the season unconcerned with points and could be a champion in two races simply by having a decent finish on Saturday night.

Chasing Decker last time in a season best second place finish was Danny Malfatti. That finish propelled him past David Newquist for third in the standings, but he leads by just four points. Malfatti has been a little faster and more consistent in recent starts, but can Newquist turn it around? Chester Kniss seems headed for fifth in points as he holds a good lead over two time winner Troy Foulger. We’re anticipating that one time winner Paul Guglielmoni, Terry Kuntz, Dennis Souza and Rob Norris will be among the field this week, and there was a rumor that a past champion may make his first visit of the season.

Scott Busby just needs to stay smooth and get to the finish line and that fifth championship is within his grasp. The IMCA Modifieds have been very competitive with nine different winners in 15 races and only three multiple winners. Busby leads with four wins and a 23 point lead over one time winner Bobby Motts Jr. Motts made the points a little closer last time out with a fifth place finish as Busby crashed in the final turn with a broken ball joint.

2014 champion Carl Berendsen II has a solid hold on third in points, but Shawn DeForst moved into fourth on the strength of his second place finish aboard Jim Reid’s Modified last time out. Aaron Crowell might have won that race, but he had suspension damage late and retired. The two time winner and 2004 champion is anticipated this week along with Merced point leader Alex Wilson, Kyle Wilson, Chris Elby and others.

Kyle Bakkie’s fourth win of the season last time out ensured that he will be the 2015 Wingless Spec Sprint champion. The question is will Rick Panfili have a career best second place season, or will that honor fall to impressive rookie Marcus Smith? Both drivers have second place feature finishes this season, but neither has won a Main Event. With Panfilli falling out last time, Smith used his Top 5 finish to move to within six points of Panfili in this close battle.

Alan Miranda has a good hold on fourth, but he’s another driver trying to improve on his season best second place feature finish. With drivers like four time winner Jimmy Perry III in the field, that will be a challenge. Perry is running fifth in points after a late start, and he could be the driver to beat this week. Others we’ll be watching for this week include two time winners Roy Fisher and Jeff Lee, one time winner and 2014 champion Billy Macedo, one time winner James East and division veteran Keith Shipherd.

Fred Ryland is hoping to wrap up his IMCA Sport Modified championship season by winning at least one of the September races. It just seems like every time he’s in position to do so lately, something happens to derail his effort. Last time out, he was leading when he was black flagged after losing his hood piece. Ryland has six wins, but he has been shut out in his last six Antioch starts. His bad luck has put a damper on his Top 3 IMCA National point hopes, but he is well in command in the State and at Antioch.

Back in second, Al Johnson leads one time winner Paul Mulder by ten points. Johnson is still looking for his first win, but he’s been running very strong lately and could win at any time. Patti Ryland does have a win and grabbed her second runner up finish in the most recent race. Patti is on her way to a “Rookie Of The Year” season while the struggling Chuck Golden is still holding onto fifth. Anthony Giuliani could be in town to go for his fifth win. Others to watch for include one time winner Trevor Clymens, hard charger K.C. Keller, Al Sotomayor and Tim Hammett.

The latest race for Limited Late Models was an example of why the point race is not over until it’s over. Three time champion and point leader Larry Damitz had a mechanical issue and started the feature just to get points. The star of that race was Mike Gustafson, who held off Mike Hynes to win his third feature of the season. Hynes had won his first Main Event a couple weeks earlier, and the two Mike’s are now tied for second, 38 points behind Damitz. The two are also 28 points ahead of the struggling Mark Garner. Garner is a two time winner at Antioch and the 2015 Merced champion, but his family is dealing with the heartbreak of the passing of his father, legendary Antioch Speedway racer Jerry “The Maverick” Garner.

Car count has increased in recent races, and Jim Freethy seems to be the next driver most likely to get a win. He finished second the night Hynes won and fifth last time as he holds down fifth in the standings. Lori Brown finished third last time as her car seems to be dialed in lately. The steady John Evans had a fourth place finish last time. Others we’ll be watching for this week include Eric Berendsen, Ryan Cherezian and John Keith.

Kimo Oreta is prepared to join the Limited Late Model division as he wraps up his third straight Hobby Stock championship season. His win in the most recent race makes it eight on the season, and he has 21 wins as the all time Hobby Stock feature winner.   Behind him is an entertaining battle between brother in laws Jordan Swank and Michael Cooper. Both have finished as high as second and seem poised to get that first win. For second generation racer Swank, this has been a good rookie season that has seen him improve noticeably since the start of the season. Swank leads Cooper by just 13 points in the battle for second.

In fourth is another surprise as the steady Frank Furtado moved up a spot after the last race. Danny Jones has taken some time to regroup after his latest motor problems. The Stock Car veteran has five second place finishes this year, but is thus far winless. We’ve been seeing some fast competitors visiting from other tracks in recent weeks, including two time winner Kevin Joaquin. Other drivers we’ll be watching for this week include hard charger Natalie Perry, Cameron Swank, Tony McCown, Steven Rogers, Robert Niven and Lindsey Biurch.

The racing this week should be exciting from flag to flag. Antioch Speedway is located within the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds, 1201 W. 10th St. in Antioch, Calif. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens, and $10 for children 6-12. Children under six years old are admitted free. A family four pack of tickets is $40. Secured parking is offered by the Fairgrounds for $5. Racing begins at 6:30 p.m.

Antioch Speedway Top 5 At A Glance

DIRTCar Late Models

Jeff Decker        652
Richard Papenhausen    624
Danny Malfatti    522
Dave Newquist   518
Chester Kniss        428

IMCA Dirt Modifieds

Scott Busby        495
Bobby Motts        472
Carl Berendsen    380
Shawn DeForest    302
Alexander Wilson    289

IMCA Sport Modifieds

Fred Ryland        560
Al Johnson        499
Paul Mulder        489
Patti Ryland        456
Chuck Golden    435

Wingless Spec Sprints

Kyle Bakkie       692
Rick Panfili       604
Marcus Smith        598
Alan Miranda        556
Jim Perry III        476

Limited Late Model

Larry Damitz        616
Mike Hynes           578
Mike Gustafson    578
Mark Garner           550
Jim Freethy        508

Hobby Stocks

Kimo Oreta        1098
Jordan Swank        795
Michael Cooper    782
Frank Furtado        730
Danny Jones        692

Five Division Racing Program

At Merced Speedway Sunday Night

After two weeks off, Merced Speedway will roar back to life this Sunday night with five divisions of racing. The resurgent Hobby Stock division will be in action along with the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks and Dwarf Cars. There will also be a memorial lap in honor of long time Merced Speedway supporter Dawn Carter, who passed away during the two week break.

The Hobby Stocks have held 21 races, and 15 different drivers have scored victories this season. The latest winner was two time champion Bruce “Bubba” Nelson, who was subbing for Michael Shearer. Nelson recently purchased an IMCA Modified from Paul Stone and made his division debut last week in the Boone, Iowa IMCA Nationals. It’s likely that at least one of the Shearer cars will be in action, and one driver will probably be three time winner Kristie Shearer, who is currently fourth in the standings.

Point leader Kevin Joaquin has already clinched the championship to go with his Chowchilla title. Kevin has been fast all season long with three wins, and he finished a close second last time out. Kevin has two wins in the last couple months at Antioch, but he’s eager to get his fourth win at his home tack. The steady Jennifer Corder is well on her way to “Rookie Of The Year” honors as well as a second place point season. She has a good lead over two time winner Austin Van Hoff and should finish second in points.

The big question is will we see a 16th different winner this week? If we do, it could be rookie Dexter Long or George Silva stepping up. Long holds a 33 point lead over Silva in the battle for fifth in points. Silva is definitely capable of winning and has a win this year at Chowchilla. Other drivers we’ll be watching for include Ryan Hart, Adam Reed, Kodie Dean, Jeff Lacy, Phil Vaughn and Cody Parker. Car count has been up lately, and there were 18 Hobby Stocks at the last race.

Alex Wilson has clinched the track's IMCA Modified championship and is headed for the State championship as well. Since switching cars, Alex has been a force in this division with four Main Event wins. He now leads in that department as brother Kyle Wilson and Ryan Porter each have three. Kyle Wilson has been steadily chipping away at Ricky Thatcher’s lead in the battle for second in the standings. Thatcher leads K. Wilson by just nine points.

In addition to the possibility of seeing the Merced debut of Nelson in a Modified, four time champion Ramie Stone is planning to be there this week. Ramie finished a strong third in his shakedown run two weeks ago. He enjoyed a good battle with veteran Derek Nance and Chester Kniss for that finish. Alan Pace made his debut in this division last time as he switched his Sport Mod over to this class. Ray Mayer is another driver we’ll be watching for, and it’s likely that we’ll see 2014 champion Paul Stone before the season ends.

Josh Hensley notched his second win of the season last time out, which had to be gratifying. Hensley will win the IMCA Sport Modified championship, but he’s out there to try to win some races. Mark Odgers and Dwayne Short have been battling hard, but Odgers had some bad luck last time. Short still leads Odgers by five points in a close battle for second in points. Odgers does have a win this season, but Short is still looking for that first win.

State point leader Fred Ryland has six wins at Merced, and it could just be that he will make a run at a seventh win this week. Two time winner and past Chowchilla Street Stock champion Gary Tucker trails Ryland by 11 points in the battle for fourth in the standings. Other drivers we’ll be watching for this week include Marisa Odgers, Darren Thomas, Nick Tucker and Tim Cecil.

The Mini Stock point battle tilted back in Darren Miguel’s favor last time out as he won for the 12th time this season. He now leads defending champion Chris Corder by eight points in the race for the championship. With no races on Merced’s calender, Miguel paid another visit to Porterville two weeks ago and grabbed his second victory there. Miguel and Corder are the odds on favorites to win this week's Main Event, but there are others in the field hoping to make a statement.

Teammates Mike Germait and James Stockton have been racing recently, and both seem to be getting faster. Alica Caldwell is happy to be back in another car. We’re also hearing that Natalie Waldrop will be back this week to maintain her Top 5 point status. Last race had one of the best car counts of the year for this division, and it’s hoped that we’ll get more of the same this week.

Meanwhile, Mike Drake holds command in the Dwarf Car championship battle. Drake is a two time winner this year and could be the driver to beat this week. Chuck Weir has a good hold on second in points while Tim Reeder is third. We anticipate these three drivers will be there, and young Chester Kniss Jr. will be there as well. Merced has caught the attention of the two Northern California Dwarf Car clubs, and it’s likely that we’ll see some of them this week. Last time out, NCDCA racers Ryan Winter and Buddy Olschowka ran 1-2 in the Main Event.

It should be an exciting night of racing in Merced. Merced Speedway is located inside the Merced County Fairgrounds, 900 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way in Merced, Calif. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and $8 for children 6-12. A family four-pack of tickets admits two children and two adults for $32. Racing begins at 6 p.m. on Sunday. The grandstand opens at 4:30 p.m.

Merced Speedway Top Five At A Glance

IMCA Modified

Alex Wilson        619
Ricky Thatcher    502
Kyle Wilson        493
Bill Egleston        477
Bob Williamson    366

IMCA Sport Modifieds

Josh Hensley        745
Dwayne Short    579
Mark Odgers        574
Fred Ryland        468
Gary Tucker        457

Hobby Stocks

Kevin Joaquin       924
Jennifer Corder    726
Austin Van Hoff    586
Kristie Shearer   535
Dexter Long           478

Mini Stocks

Darren Miguel    882
Chris Corder        874
Kelly Campanile    384
Dennis Copus        359
Natalie Waldrop   346

Dwarf Cars

Mike Drake           296
Chuck Weir           212
Tim Reeder        116
Danny Wagner    108
Mike Corsaro           104

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Pittman Prevails In World Of Outlaws Antioch Speedway Visit

First of all...

On Sale At Reduced Price

Don's California Racing Recollections: Best Of The Blog And Beyond

Available via print on demand at Lulu in Hard Cover or Paperback