Thankful, Not Complacent On Thanksgiving

First of all...

Just A Kid From The Grandstands:  My Time In Auto Racing

Available on Lulu in Paperback And Hard Cover

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


Also, what could be a series of informative books...

Short Track History Project at Go Fund Me 

Additional info on the Short Track History Project  HERE

DCRR Racing Media And PR Consulting  HERE

The Editor's Viewpoint For Thanksgiving Can Be Viewed HERE

Thankful, Not Complacent

By Don O'Keefe Jr.  --- Special To The DCRR Blog

http://www.lokent.com/main.html

As I sit here and write this on Thanksgiving I feel thankful, but I admit I am too complacent, too much of the time.

With so much daily hassle involved in our lives, it’s easy to lose track of how some of the simplest gestures can make a big difference in someone’s life. Whether it’s holding a door open for someone as you enter or leave a building, the simple gesture of saying “good morning” to someone at a business you frequent, a heartfelt “Thank you” to one’s effort, be it big or small. These all matter, especially to folks who may be struggling day-to-day or with a family crisis.

As this pertains to racing at our local short tracks, where can I start? Management, track personnel, competitors, all seem to be taking each other for granted and the results are clearly visible at many tracks.

Clearly one of my big gripes the last dozen or more years are tracks and groups not having their rules packages set at the end of the season for the next year. This is one of the biggest forms of “complacency” in short track racing.

In my opinion there are 3 reasons for this:

1. Laziness (just putting it off)

2. Waiting to see if any manufactures are willing to “pay a little extra” to have management mandate their particular product

3. My least popular is when management works hand-in-hand with certain competitors on end-of-year changes that ultimately favor those competitors and lead to lower car counts.

The fix for this really isn’t that hard in my opinion. Promoters - talk to the car owners; “the average car owner” not just the top 2 or 3. See what they like or dislike about the current rules package. Was the car count up or down during the year? If any major changes are planned, let owners know before the end of the current season… my god it isn’t rocket science.

Just because someone wants to put a few bucks in your pocket to mandate their product, will the owners support this? Or just park their car because they have to run something that “costs them more” – think about it. Most track owners want to cry “the bad economy” is why there’s less cars… could it be you changed one or more of your rules that now they need to decide if the extra $$$ go towards the race car or the home front? A lot of cars are just sitting because of this.

Track personnel… they can really make or break the atmosphere at any track. The good ones make even a bad track, or group, run like a well-oiled machine… the problem is they also seem to be the 1^st ones the promoter kicks to the curb. They put their heart and soul into it, only to take the fall when one bad thing happens. Yes some “officials” are there just for the power trip and the extra $$$ in their pocket – too bad you put all this time, effort and $$$ into your car, you’re on my shit list this week. Maybe next time you, as an official, can cut a team a little slack – think about how they busted their ass at their job during the week, as well as on their car.

Competitors, owners, and teams… during the year have a tendency to bitch, moan, and complain, but when it comes down to it, they just crawl back into their trailers and out of site. Understand your division rules, make sure you understand your track’s or group’s tech procedures, and know the officials by name. This protects your investment (money & time) in the sport.

But also remember this, you are a customer as well as a competitor at the track. If you’re not happy with something, go through the proper channels to try to resolve things… bitching and fighting get you no-where. If you still don’t like what’s going down just load up and leave…period. No yelling, no fighting, just leave. You are a customer! Treat it like you’re at a restaurant and the service is bad, your food cold and there’s an overall “who cares” attitude, you won’t go back… if you feel that way at the track “DON’T GO BACK”.

Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful and believe me, I am, through all the good and bad. It’s a day to sit back enjoy and reflect with family and friends, especially about the past year’s events and give hope to the coming year.

In the racing world, our “Thanksgiving Days”, more or less, are the awards banquets. A time for all at the track to gather and celebrate the teams’ and track’s accomplishments. To have a good time, reflect, and ultimately start the momentum for next year’s season. It motivates us to achieve more next year than this one, as we watch the champions receive their awards.

Imagine if everyone got complacent on Thanksgiving and had no celebration? No meal, no family, no friends, no friendly chatter at the dinner table. It becomes another day… and the family feeling and camaraderie disappears.

A few tracks and groups have gotten “complacent” on their Awards Banquets, their Thanksgiving Day or night, which is the day of their race track family gathering and season reflection and celebration. It’s their day of saying “Thank You” and being “Thankful “to their racing members and family. It’s the celebration that starts the next year with hope.

Happy Holidays, DOK

The Editor's Viewpoint For Thanksgiving

First of all...

Just A Kid From The Grandstands:  My Time In Auto Racing

Available on Lulu in Paperback And Hard Cover

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


Also, what could be a series of informative books...

Short Track History Project at Go Fund Me 

Additional info on the Short Track History Project  HERE

DCRR Racing Media And PR Consulting  HERE

It's a special day me today.  You know, one of the things that my sister Jackie and I enjoyed was the music of Queen.  We used to hang out in front of the house back in the day playing music on her tape recorder, and Queen's The Game was one tape that got a lot of play.  Well, it was 14 years ago today that the talented Freddie Mercury died.  I believe he may have been the greatest rock & roll singer ever.  I have books about Freddie and Queen, plus I still have the Queen Box Set Jackie gave me one year for Christmas.

Jackie and I were visiting a cousin when the news came on TV that Freddie had died.  I knew he was ill, and during that time he recorded maybe the best Queen album in my opinion, Innuendo.  Freddie could have called it a life at that point and just stayed in bed, but he wanted to record with his band mates until the end.  Days Of Our Lives is a video I can't watch without crying.  Just looking at Freddie and knowing that he knew his days were numbered.  Queen's music was happy music, especially the operatic stuff from the early 1970's.  I love it.

As it just so happened, the day we were visiting my cousin was Jackie's birthday.  So, today was Jackie's birthday.  Jackie would have been 51 today.  It's been almost ten years since I lost her, and I miss her still.  Jackie had an energy about her that people responded to.  People liked her, and she was the kind of person who tried to help others if she could.  I had my biggest success in racing because of her.  She believed in me, and I believed in her too.  I was proud of her and her accomplishments.  So, happy birthday Jackie.  You and I and dad will meet again one day.

Ron Brown broke the news that there will be an awards banquet for the Oval  Motorsports tracks, and he reports that John M. Soares has set a date for January 23rd  He also indicated that the January race is still happening, weather permitting.  I'm reporting this second hand, because I haven't heard from John concerning anything.  Given my personal situation, which I won't get into, I have been a little busy trying to keep from losing everything I own after losing my home.

There have been rumors about my future in racing and all of that stuff, but I can tell you this.  I have not officially been offered anything at my home track.  I will assume they have people on staff until I hear otherwise.  Because my personal work station doesn't exist after losing my home, I'm not currently set up to do much writing.  I have been offered an announcing gig at a track I will not name and for a fee that I feel is fair and comparable to my peers.  It's simply to announce, but I haven't officially accepted at this time.  There are reasons for this that I won't get into here.  Bottom line is I am lucky to be able to write anything at the moment.

As I understand it, management ordered the social media pages for Merced and Antioch Speedway to be removed after the final Merced race.  A lot of rumors have been flying since then.  People want to know what the status is for Merced and Chowchilla.  Oval Motorsports has both race tracks as I type this, and Antioch Speedway as well.  The rest is speculation based on limited information, but I'll give you what I know.

Merced Speedway reportedly had two interested parties looking to buy out Oval Motorsports.  Reality is they were looking to get a good deal.  In this racing climate, who wouldn't be?  This is not a good time to invest in the sport when you consider economic and environmental issues and the fact that car counts are low at many places.  You invest and you better be prepared to lose money.  I know who one of the "suitors" was, but I'll leave names out of it.  As of now, there is no deal for Merced.  My hunch is that John and Oval Motorsports will keep the track and there will be changes.  I know what I've heard, but I'll leave it at that.

As for Chowchilla Speedway, I can tell you that the date I've heard is November 30.  The fair board wants to hear what Oval Motorsports' intentions are for that track by then and may be entertaining other offers.  It is my belief that they have an over inflated sense of the value of that facility.  Tom Sagmiller and his crew made that place special in the early days, and nobody has duplicated what he accomplished there since then.  I'm not saying that to knock anybody, but facts are facts.  Tom oftentimes went above and beyond to make things pop there.  People may say things about him, but the bottom line is Tom cared and people knew it.

The only possible way for Chowchilla Speedway to work somewhat consistently is for a promoter to be very hands on with the community.  Improvements are needed, and any promoter would have to invest a lot and would need reassurances that they would have time and opportunity to recoup their investment.  The fairgrounds believes they can make more money off of that place, so it would not take much to come in there and get the place, in my opinion.  Just be prepared to work hard and lose money early on.

I heard an interesting comment from John after we ran the Hobby Stock/Mini Stock show that basically said that those were the only types of shows that could work there for now.  I don't disagree with that.  If you aren't attracting a big fan base, purse money won't be there for the higher level classes.  In fact, there's precedent for that.  Promoter Kenny Shepherd dropped Modifieds one season for Sport Mods.  Lower level classes are featured at some tracks, including Porterville, Hayfork and Orland.  Whatever it takes to keep racing going, I am in favor of.

That still begs the question, will Oval Motorsports offer another season for Chowchilla?  I won't put anything past John, but he wasn't sounding favorable to the idea when we spoke back in October.  Of course, he could change his mind.  If he cuts them a check the way he did this year, even for another ten race season, they are likely to take the money if a better offer isn't there.  But, that is just speculation.  However, I don't know that it would be a bad idea to attempt a season that featured Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, Dwarf Cars and classes like that.  It's a safe bet, even if it doesn't do much to grow the Chowchilla Speedway brand.

I've heard a lot of speculation about John's future in the sport, but I know one thing.  He loves this sport.  He grew up in it, and he still feels he can make a difference.  Promoting last season was difficult for him because of the illness of his wife, Donna.  Thankfully, reports are that she is doing better.  The other thing making last year difficult was the departure of Doug Williams at Merced.  People love and respect Doug, and Oval Motorsports spent the year trying to recover from the loss.  Indications are that things were looking up at the end of the season, but we'll see how that translates into 2016.

Another thing Oval Motorsports had to overcome was the sluggish start that saw them stumble out of the gate with four ill advised January races.  I am flatly against racing in January.  Sorry if that offends.  It left them in the hole for a few races as they tried to recover.  I'm not saying the racing wasn't good, but there were a number of other issues that contributed to the disappointing outcome.  To hear that the races will happen again is disappointing to me.  John was wanting to cancel them when last I spoke with him.

For starters, the hype machine should be in full gear right now.  There should be fliers, articles and all of that.  This is last year's event all over again, and I hope I'm wrong about that.  In fact, it was my concern over the possible failure of those races that had me doing audio shows and several articles last year as I climbed back into the picture again.  The problem was it was so damn cold that there was just no way I was going in person.  I still hoped for the best.

Now, all year long, from that first meeting with John back in March, I knew that he was not happy with the outcome of the 2014 season banquets.  That day, John showed me the room full of unclaimed trophies.  He was not pleased with that.  It cost him money.  Coupled with the disappointment of the West Coast Nationals, it was not a good start to 2015.  Therefore, John was insisting right up through October that there would be no banquet for this season.  I was aware that Brad and Andrea were lobbying for banquets, and I was too.  This is about building a community, and I believe people will come.  Just tell them where, when and how much and they will support it.  Thanks to Ron Brown, we know the January 23rd date.

Through sources, I have heard there is an interest in my involvement, but that brings the next problem.  The powers that be haven't indicated anything to me.  I have heard from one source and good friend that there was a question about how serious and committed I am.  Um, excuse me?  If me putting racing first when it paid nothing, in the hopes that it would in the long run and then losing my house as a result, is not proof enough that I am serious when it comes to my passion for the sport (and dare I say how much I do care about John and Donna), then nothing I do will ever be good enough.  Otherwise, I'll keep the hurt feelings to myself and wish John and Donna nothing but the best.  I will always be a Soares supporter.

I will be a racing supporter as well.  I was happy to hear that Adam Teves is going Spec Sprint racing in 2016 thanks to the deal the team got on Cameron Beard's car.  This kid is a natural from what I have seen.  He very nearly could have won the Dwarf Car championship this year, so I think he is ready.  With his champion dad, David Teves, and his knowledgeable grandfather, Dana Craig, guiding him, he's going to do just fine. 

Spec Sprints are alive and well.  The Hunt Series just wrapped up a successful sixth season with a nice awards banquet and plans for another season.  I believe Marysville, Chico and Petaluma will keep the class as well.  Antioch is where it started, and indications are 2016 should be a better season.  When Don O'Keefe Jr. and I started putting this class together for John, we went over the rules line by line.  Don was the expert, but he explained each line to me so I could understand.  It was about making it so that everybody would understand, and I think it was successful.

One of the keys to Spec Sprint success was easy to understand rules.  The Hobby Stocks had to struggle out of the gate this year because of different interpretations of the rules.  Whatever the case, I heard from Jim Robbins the other day about how he would like to get a hold of the rules and go over them to clear them up.  I suggested a line by line approach would be best.  That's my opinion.  My main concern is that the drivers have what they have, so I don't want to see dramatic changes to the rule book heading into December.  What I want to see is more incentive to get the cars to the track.  A few less dates and a slight increase in purse, at least based on car count, would be a start.

Merced Speedway had an amazing season in terms of different winners.  I'm not sure how "legal" all of the cars are, but I am sure car count was growing by season's end.  I want to see that trend continue.  Besides, nobody is dominating.  Antioch Speedway featured an incredible season for three time champion Kimo Oreta.  He's moving up in 2016 to Limited Late Models.  The thought of Jordan Swank, Michael Cooper, Danny Jones, Frank Furtado and Natalie Perry and this talented group of racers battling for a championship interests me.  So, I hope nothing drastic is done with the rules.  Really, they just need to book a sensible schedule, open the gates and let the good races happen.

Bottom line is there is potential for Antioch and Merced to both have stronger seasons in 2016 if management maintains and doesn't over manage things.  The fans want to see more cars and good racing, so concentrating of giving the fans what they want should be the goal.  It can be done.  While my status for the 2016 season is doubtful, I am hoping for a good season for the sport.  Hopefully, my efforts this year have contributed to the positive.

To that end, I wrote most of the reviews for Rocky Hill Speedway and Sacramento Valley Speedway this year.  My reason was because I want to see these tracks thrive too.  I love that the Porterville track was resurrected after being down for some 15 years.  If it takes a Hobby Stock and Mini Stock program to keep it alive, I am all for it.  I hope the Thanksgiving program coming up is successful for them.  They seem to have done well with these races in the last couple seasons too.  As for the Orland track, I just hope Adam Zachary and crew can build on what they did this season.  The Hobby Stocks ended strong this season, and I hope something comes from Greg Rayl's Hobby Stock rental idea.  He did good things with a similar program for Mini Trucks at Altamont.

At this point, I'm going to end this column.  I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas as well.  I'm not sure where things will go for me next, but for now I am unable to do much writing.  I'd like to do a yearbook, but I don't have access to the things I need to make it happen at this time.  So, any new books will have to wait.  Just A Kid From The Grandstand and Best Of The Blog And Beyond will remain up on Lulu for those who are interested.  

Until next time...

Hobby Stocks At Chowchlla November 15, Noland Memorial Report From Porterville

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

Just A Kid From The Grandstands:  My Time In Auto Racing

Available on Lulu in Paperback And Hard Cover



Also, what could be a series of informative books...

Short Track History Project at Go Fund Me 

Additional info on the Short Track History Project  HERE

DCRR Racing Media And PR Consulting  HERE

Hobby Stocks Headline Chowchilla Speedway

Season Finale November 15

Oval Motorsports will conclude the ten race season at Chowchilla Speedway on Sunday afternoon with an event including Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks and Dwarf Cars. With little buzz surrounding the previous race in October, a field of 16 Hobby Stock drivers were on hand, and management is hoping to increase that car count in November.

To that end, a field of 20 Hobby Stocks will run for an increased purse, which will include $500 to win the Main Event. In the event that car count gets even bigger, indications are that the purse could increase even more. This will be the last Hobby Stock race from Chowchilla all the way through Northern California.

Management is hoping to see an increase in Dwarf Car and Mini Stock car count as well, and drivers could see the rewards if that happens. The Mini Stocks ended 2015 on a strong note at Merced this season, and it's hoped that this can carry over to Chowchilla, where the division has been a part of all ten scheduled races.

Dwarf Cars were added to the 2015 roster at Merced Speedway as Oval Motorsports has been trying to establish the division in The Valley. Rookie Mike Drake won that championship over Chuck Weir. Northern All Stars competitor Mike Corsaro won the recent Chowchilla race ahead of teammate Charlie Correia. Corsaro has won features at all three Oval Motorsports tracks this season. Management is hoping to see Dwarf Cars come in from different areas for the finale.

The Hobby Stocks have a driver who has won at all three tracks, which includes Merced and Antioch. That would be Chowchilla and Merced champion Kevin Joaquin.  Kevin ran strong in the October race as he battled from the fourth row to finish second ahead of 2014 Ted Stofle Classic winner Syd Finn. However, Bruce "Bubba" Nelson was the class of the field.

A two time Merced champion, Nelson got behind the wheel of the Michael Shearer car and won his third Main event of 2015 at Chowchilla. Earlier in the afternoon, he won the Trophy Dash. Only a second in his heat race prevented him from mimicking 2015 Mini Stock champion Chris Corder's sweep of the afternoon.

The Hobby Stock division has been the work horse division at Oval Mororsports, having raced over 20 times each at Merced and Antioch and nine times at Chowchilla. Therefore, management wanted to give them a little more as a reward. Starting money was increased in the October race, and the dash win included a nice trophy.

For the drivers coming in from Bay Area tracks like Antioch and Watsonville or further north at tracks like Orland and Chico, this is the last chance to get a start this year without having to tow much further south. The race in October was a good one, and this one is shaping up to be even better as we tie a nice bow on the 15th Anniversary season at Chowchilla Speedway.

Like the Hobby Stocks, the Mini Stocks have been a part of Chowchilla Speedway since it opened. Chris Corder's season included a Chowchilla championship. He won four of the last five Merced races and just missed the championship there by two points behind the flying Darren Miguel. It is hoped that these two will be part of the next show along with teammates James Stockton and Mike Germait, who finished second and third, respectively, in the October race.

Weather permitting, the November 15th race at Chowchilla Speedway should be a good show.  Grandstands open at noon with the first race scheduled to start at 2.  Hopefully, more official information will be available on the Oval Motorsports Website. 

News & Rumors

With respect to my good friend Don O'Keefe Jr., I'm going to play "guest writer" for a very special column.  However, you can see Don's News & Rumors columns on his website right HERE.  They offer a lot of insight, and I do hope Don will continue them when he can.  Since I'm in the mode to write some racing material today, I decided I would take a shot at this column.  Hey, Don's welcome to do an Editor's Viewpoint if we wants.

We in the racing community are living a charmed life when it comes to all the race tracks we have in California.  In the last decade, we saw several tracks close before reopening.  We gained a couple new and returning tracks as well.  So, it's easy to think we will just have these tracks.  However, some promoters are barely keeping tracks going as attendance and car count drops.  They are the ones covering the losses, and you have to wonder how long they can do that.

We should not take it for granted that we will always have these tracks.  Two tracks that remain in constant danger now are Watsonville and Petaluma.  Watsonville is under threat of being closed for noise and Petaluma has people there who think stores or condos would be a better use of the property.  Management keeps fighting for those tracks, but it's a year to year battle.  Both tracks have raced weekly since the early 1960's.  Can you Imagine the sport without them?

The theme for this writer, for however long I continue, is track unity and keeping every track alive as long as we can.  I favor a unified coalition of promoters who work to keep rules compatible with each other, stay off of each other's big dates whenever possible and come to each other's aid if a track is threatened.  These and other subjects should be discussed every year at the RPM Promoters Meeting.  There should be a special meeting of California promoters to establish an agenda of unity.  This reporter is considering applying for credentials for a potential fifth visit to cover the big December event.

From what I have seen, the $4000 to win Rod Restad Memorial Race for IMCA Modfieds in Yreka was the biggest paying event for the division in California this season.  Yreka also has a banquet to honor their drivers, and the track is run by a board elected by the drivers.  As for banquets, I've heard talk about an Oval Motorsports banquet.  Indications are that it is possible, but the hold up is concern that there won't be enough participation from the drivers.  Management lost a significant amount of money on the previous one and still has a room full of unclaimed trophies.

Just a quick note on the winners of the Clyde Cordell Memorial Race at Hayfork Speedway.  Jack Turner won the Hobby Stock feature, Ross Vige won the Mini Stock feature and J.D. Hudman won the Enduro race.  They did have a Hobby Stock champion this season, but I can't seem to find the information now.  Hayfork was another miracle track that popped up in the last five years, and I salute the people in Trinity County for making that track happen.

Adam Zachary was the latest promoter to take over at Orland, renaming the track Sacramento Valley Speedway.  Adam didn't make radical changes there.  It's still at its heart a Hobby Stock, Mini Stock, Mini Truck track that also has Wingless Sprints and two classes of Mini Sprints.  It really takes a community to make small town tracks like these happen, and I was intrigued by the offer of Greg Rayl to start a Hobby Stock rental program there in the future.  Greg raced Late Models at Stockton in the past before starting a successful Mini Truck rental program at Altamont.  I have no doubt that he can make this fly if he chooses to pursue it.

Good promoters can make good things happen.  They inspire others to contribute to the cause and get good sponsorships behind them.  I see two promoters in particular who impressed me this year.  There was Allan Handy of Placerville and Scott Schweitzer at Bakersfield.  Both tracks had big car counts and strong fan support this year, showing what can still happen in California racing if the right effort is made.

The lower end program idea has been used to keep tracks going.  Hayfork, Porterville and Orland feature Hobby Stock and Mini Stock classes right now, partly due to economic issues.  In this way, you can establish a program without going broke as a promoter.  If faced with that choice or no racing, I know I would choose racing.  On the heels of the Hobby Stock and Mini Stock show at Chowchilla, I wonder if this is something that should be pursued there in the future?  Something needs to happen to give that track stability.

On the other hand, you have high end travelling groups like the BCRA Midgets and KOW Sprint Cars.  BCRA is already voicing some concerns about their future, though I have no doubt that they will be back.  KOW is an even more expensive class to bring to the track,  Those Winged 410 Sprint Cars cost money to race, but they aren't even bringing enough cars for B Mains some nights.  Promoters will begin asking if it's worth it.  One of the tracks they visit is one that depends on touring classes, Stockton 99 Dirt.  I have to wonder why Tony Noceiti hasn't tried harder to start some local classes, such as Hobby Stocks, Sport Mods or even Mini Stocks.

Now for the fun part.  It's time to talk about some News & Rumors.  As Don would say, it's up to you to decide what is news and what is rumor.

Sacramento Raceway's Stadium Oval next to the drag strip will begin running some Friday and Saturday shows featuring Spec Sprints, Hardtops, Mini Sprints and Mini Stocks next year.

Allan Handy will be stepping down as promoter at Placerville after this successful season.  The new promoter is a well known Sprint Car owner.

One promoter is considering a new E Modified class that truly will be an economic, low dollar class using older equipment, which will be specified in the rules.  

Northern California Hardtops will have new leadership, providing a new option for racers who enjoy driving these old cars on the dirt.

A New Dirt Modified series in the Bay Area will run races on at least three different tracks in 2016.

BCRA Midgets will take a cue from the Midget Lites and eliminate pavement dates to increase car counts on the dirt.

Street Stock racing at Marysville will be eliminated in 2016.

There will be a new promoter at Petaluma Speedway within the next year.

One long time pavement track will become a dirt track in the next year and will become a player in Sprint Car racing.

At least two tracks will drop IMCA sanctioning on their Dirt Modified program in 2016.

At least one new track will sanction IMCA Stock Cars in 2016, joining Bakersfield and Hanford,

Late Model racing will continue to have home tracks in the Bay Area and Southern California, and both efforts will grow in 2016.

A prominent promoter will sell out to a new promoter, giving that track it's third different promoter in the last 25 years. 

Taking a cue from Southern California, the figure 8 will get another chance with at least one race in the northern half of California next year.

The Valley Sportsman division will be back in 2016 and will begin the rebuilding process.

I will no longer be involved on a regular basis in racing in 2016.

Raymond Noland, Kylie Conway Win 

Dearl Noland Memorial At Porterville

With point racing done for the season, Saturday night signalled the start of the special race portion of the season at Rocky Hill Speedway in Porterville.  It started with a special race honoring Dearl Noland.  The Noland family has been a part of the racing tradition in Porterville for decades, and it was 2015 Hobby Stock champion Raymond Noland winning that division’s 20 lap Main Event.  The 20 lap Mini Stock feature saw a new winner in Top 5 Bakersfield point competitor Kylie Conway.  2015 champion Roy Atchison continued his domination in the Super 4 Mini Stock class with his tenth 20 lap win.  The American Stocks had enough cars to run their own 20 lap Main Event, and it was Trevor Baker picking up a win.  The popular Okie Bowl Hardtops were back to entertain the fans once again with James Bradburn getting the feature victory.

The Hobby Stocks had a few big names in the field to challenge Raymond Noland.  That included returning Modified veteran Charles Paul.  Paul gave it a good run, but he settled for second behind the flying R. Noland.  It was Noland’s fifth win of the season.  Steve Noland made his first start of the year and brought it home third ahead of Alvin Ince and Bakersfield competitor Brian Childress.  Hailing from Porterville, Kevin Collier spent the season winning the Bakersfield championship in dominating fashion, but he finished sixth in the Main Event ahead of the division debut of Clinton Massey, Cody Heinsohn and IMCA Stock Car competitor Rick Childress.

The Mini Stocks had a strong turnout with 14 cars starting the Main Event.  Bakersfield competitors swept the Top 3 at the checkered flag as Kylie Conway grabbed the win ahead of Shannon Triede and Misty Warren.  Shawn Schwartzenberger finished fourth and Robert Jackson returned to round out the Top 5.  Super 4 Mini Stock competitor Kit Murphy made his first Mini Stock start and finished sixth ahead of the division debut of Candy Noland-Soares.  Ken Shinarts, Bakersfield competitor Loni Spiller and Branson Trice rounded out the Top 10.  Third ranked Clinton Massey severely damaged his car in a hard crash in the Main Event.

Roy Atchsion’s amazing Super 4 Mini Stock season continued with another impressive feature victory.  Third ranked William Hughes’s quest for his first win of the season was thwarted once again as he settled for a division leading sixth second place finish.  Russell Silvas grabbed the final podium position.  Kit Murphy’s double division effort netted him a fourth place finish in the Super 4 feature as Steve Golden and Gary Meeks Jr. completed the finishing order.

Rocky Hill Speedway has remained committed to having an American Stock division, and low turnout has seen these drivers race with the Hobby Stocks most of the season.  However, five cars enabled them to have their own race this time.  Bakersfield point runnerup Trevor Baker held off fellow Bakersfield racer Nicholas Johnson to win the feature.  Ricky Lloyd finished third ahead of Mike Warren and Jake Daniels.

The Okie Bowl Hardtops have held most of their races at Rocky Hill Speedway this year and were thrilled to be a part of the Dearl Noland Memorial Race.  Having won earlier at both Rocky Hill and Bakersfield this season, James Bradburn won another Main Event ahead of previous winner Bobby Courtney and Rich Souza.  Josh Yadon finished fourth ahead of Tom Dugan, David Courtney and Jerry Hughes.

On November 7th, racing returns to Rocky Hill Speedway with Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, Super 4 Mini Stocks, American Stocks and a Mechanics Race.  On November 11th, it’s the Fourth Annual Veterans Day race with the same four divisions along with a Battle Of The Badges & Dignitaries Race.  For further information, check out the official Rocky Hill Speedway Website.

Nelson Impresses With Third Chowchilla Victory

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Nelson Impresses With Third Chowchilla Victory

Leading from the start of the race, Turlock’s Bruce Nelson won his third 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event of the season Sunday afternoon at Chowchilla Speedway.  The two time Merced Speedway champion withstood a late race challenge from 2015 track champion Kevin Joaquin to score the impressive victory.  Joaquin had third place finisher Syd Finn of Atwater right on his bumper at the checkered flag as Madera’s Robbie Loquaci and Quinton Harris of Watsonville rounded out the Top 5 finishers.

Nelson picked up a nice trophy earlier in the afternoon for his four lap Trophy Dash victory.  Finn won a heat race, and Watsonville Sport Mod champion Matt Hagio of Salinas won his heat race.  Unfortunately for Hagio, he broke something and loaded up before the feature.

Chris Corder of Modesto had a dominating performance in the Mini Stock division.  The 2015 track champion took the lead from Merced’s James Stockton on the second lap and went on to win the 10 lap Main Event by a straightaway.  Stockton was a solid second as Mike Germait of Merced held off Natalie Waldrop of Antioch in a good battle for third.  Corder swept the action with wins in the six lap heat race and four lap Trophy Dash.

Tracy’s Mike Corsaro won an ear;ly duel with David Rosa of Antioch in the 15 lap Dwarf Car Main Event before winning the race by a straightaway.  This was Corsaro’s fourth win of the year on the circuit.  Rosa held second until spinning in Turn 2 on the final lap.  That handed second to 77 year old Charlie Correia of Tracy as Antioch’s David Michael Rosa finished third.

Racing continues on Sunday, November 15th at Chowchilla Speedway with Hobby Stocks, Dwarf Cars and Mini Stocks all back in action to close the 2015 season. Chowchilla Speedway is located at the Chowchilla Fairgrounds.  Racing starts at 2:00 PM.

Sunday, October 25th, 2015

Race Results

Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Syd Finn, Matt Hagio,  Trophy Dash (4 Laps)-Bruce Nelson.  Main Event (20 Laps)-Nelson, Kevin Joaquin, Syd Finn, Robbie Loquaci, Quinton Harris.

Mini Stocks
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Chris Corder.  Trophy Dash (4 Laps)-Corder.  Main Event (10 Laps)-Corder, James Stockton, Mike Germait, Natalie Waldrop, Clifton Massey.

Dwarf Cars
Main Event (15 Laps)-Mike Corsaro, Charlie Correia, David Michael Rosa, David Rosa.

McClennon Wins Orland Finale, Noland Wins At Porterville

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McClennon Wins Finale, Hopper Champion 

At Sacramento Valley Speedway

Returning to his Wingless Sprint Car roots, Rowdy McClennon won the 20 lap season finale for the Wingless Sprint Cars Saturday night at Sacramento Valley Speedway in Orland.  McClennon is a regular 410 Sprint Car competitor at Chico and a past Wingless Sprint Car champion there.  Despite an ugly night, season long point leader Bill Hopper emerged with his second straight division championship.   Another regular Chico competitor, Gary Newman, won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event, while Paul Stevens wrapped up the championship by starting the feature.  New champion Keith Ross won the 20 lap Mini Truck Main Event, while Nick Vidovich ended his championship season with a 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event win.

The Wingless Sprint Car championship battle was greatly effected in the heat race as incoming point leader Tony Richards broke a driveline to end his night.  Jeremy Wilson started a good night for his team by winning the heat race.  Richards and Bill Hopper were tied for the point lead, and Hopper was hoping to get a feature win.  It was a case of good news/bad news for Hopper.  The bad news was he flipped on the opening lap of the Main Event to end his night. The good news was he earned enough points to successfully defend last season’s championship.  With Hopper and Richards on the sidelines, it was Rowdy McClennon impressing with a feature win.  Wilson was a solid second as David Dias was back for the first time since the opener and would finish third.  Gerald Webber was fourth ahead of Ryan Owens and Hopper.

Gary Newman is a Street Stock regular at Chico, and he won his Hobby Stock heat race, while Scott Bigley was the other heat race winner.  This was Newman’s first start of the year at Orland, and he did it in style with an impressive feature victory.  James John rebounded from last week’s disappointing DNF with a strong second place finish ahead of past champion Steve Martin.   Rich Hood was back in action after missing a few races, and he finished fourth ahead of Cody Bundy, Lester Elsey, new champion Paul Stevens,  Bill Hampton, Bigley, Brad Ray and Jeremy Langenderfer.

All season long, Keith Ross has been setting the pace in the Mini Truck division.  Ross started a championship clinching night off by winning his eighth heat race.  He continued to dominate in winning his eighth Main Event of the season.  Nathan Skaggs has run a limited schedule, and he earned his third second place finish of the season to go with the win he had earlier this year.  Point runner up Dan Webster collected his fifth third place finish of the season.  Josh Tucker finished fourth ahead of “Rollin” Olin Crane and William Fogle.

Nick Vidovich has led most of the season in the Mini Stocks, and he started his championship clinching night with his second heat race win of the season.  Jeff Bennett was back and trying for his second straight feature win, but he had to settle for second behind the eighth win of the season for Vidovich.   Hobby Stock champion Paul Stevens finished third in the Mini Stock Main Event ahead of Eric Hammond and point runnerup John Kirkpatrick.

Rayl, Point Leaders Crismon and Ross 

Win At Orland

Greg Rayl became the latest new winner in the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event Saturday night at Sacramento Valley Speedway. in Orland.  Point leader Jeromie Crismon won his fifth 20 lap 600 Mini Stock feature, while Jackie Whitson Jr. won his fourth 250 Mini Sprint Main Event.  Mini Truck point leader Keith Ross continued to roll with his seventh Main Event win.  Hobby Stock point leader Paul Stevens collected his second straight Mini Stock Main Event win.

Hobby Stock car count dipped slightly as previous feature winner Brad Ray won the lone heat race.  Greg Rayl has history racing Late Models at Stockton and was a driving force in building Mini Truck count in the 1990‘s at Altamont.  On Saturday, he got behind the wheel of one of the Cooper Racing Team Hobby Stocks and showed the rest of the pack how it’s done with a Main Event triumph.  Mini Truck veteran Ray made his presence known in second as Earl Adams grabbed the final podium spot in third.  Shannon Collins and point leader Paul Stevens completed the Top 5.  Defending champion Steve Martin was a no show, handing Stevens a 90 point lead.  Martin leads Collins by just 15 points in the race for second.

Jeromie Crismon has been a force in the 600 Mini Sprints this season, and he continued the trend by winning both the heat race and Trophy Dash.  Crismon won his fifth Main Event in seven starts.  One of the two other feature winners this season, Tony Alosi, settled for second ahead of current point runner up Skyler Richter, Marty Plumb and the season debut of Dean Slinkard.  Crismon is well on his way to the track championship with a 190 point lead over Richter.  Richter has a 55 point advantage over Plumb in the battle for second.

Jackie Whitson Jr. has been tough to beat in 250 Mini Sprints.  If not for missing two races this season, he would likely be the point leader.  Whitson won both the heat race and Trophy Dash before rolling to his fourth feature win in five starts.  Dave McKinnon, point leader Jesse Garland and Rusty Hensley rounded out the finishing order.  Garland leads Whitson by 115 points with Hensley a distant third.

Keith Ross is leaving little doubt that the Mini Truck championship is his if he wants it.  Ross started the night off with a heat race victory.  He followed that up with his seventh feature win in the last nine races.  One of the nights he didn’t win saw him taking the night off.  Josh Tucker returned to action for the first time this season and was second ahead of Nathan Skaggs.  Dan Webster settled for fourth ahead of Mini Stock veteran Olin Crane and William Fogle.  Ross currently leads Webster by 80 points, while Fogle is another 110 points behind Webster in third.

Last time out, Hobby Stock point leader Paul Stevens made his Mini Stock season debut with a feature win.  On this night, he started things off with a heat race triumph.  Come Main Event time, point leader and seven time winner Nick Vidovich was looking for another win, but Stevens was there to deny him for his second straight win.  Vidovich settled for his second straight runnerup finish ahead of the fifth third place finish of the season for past champion John Kirkpatrick.  Jeff Bennett and Donovan Chilton rounded out the Top 5.  Vidovich holds a commanding 130 point lead over Kirkpatrick in the championship race with past champion Tom Davis a distant third after bowing out of the championship battle.

Results for the most recent race were not available at press time, but the season comes to a close this week with Wingless Sprint Cars, Hobby Stocks, Mini Trucks and Mini Stocks all in action.  For further information, check out the official Sacramento Valley Speedway website.

This just in from last week...

Compton, Webster And Bennett New Winners 

At Sacramento Valley Speedway

There were new drivers in the winner’s circle at Sacramento Valley Speedway in Orland Saturday night.  Making his first appearance of the season, Brian Compton won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event.  Mini Truck veteran Dan Webster scored the victory in that division's 20 lap Main Event.  Jeff Bennett made his fourth start of the season a winning effort in the 20 lap Mini Stock feature.  Tony Alosi scored his second 600 Mini Stock Main Event win, while point leader Jesse Garland wrapped up his championship season with a win in the 250 Mini Sprint feature.

Brian Compton at one time was one of the top Hobby Stock competitors at Orland, and he just wrapped up another championship season at Chico Silver Dollar Speedway.  Compton gave indication of things to come with a heat race victory, while defending champion Steve Martin was the other heat winner.  Coming off of his second pace finish a week earlier, past Mini Truck champion Brad Ray was hoping to take it up a notch for another victory, but Ray again settled for second behind the impressive Compton.  Jeremy Langenderfer grabbed his third third place feature finish of the season.  The rest of the Top 6 was filled by drivers who were making their first starts of the season as Lester Elsey finished fourth ahead of Michael Adams and Scotty Bigley.  Point leader Paul Stevens finished seventh ahead of Martin, Shannon Collins, James John and 250 Mini Sprint point leader Jesse Garland.  Despite his disappointing effort, Stevens holds an 85 point lead over Martin and can clinch the championship by merely starting this week’s season finale.  Martin leads Collins by just 20 points in a closer battle for second.

Mini Stock ace “Rollin” Olin Crane was back in a Mini Truck and started the night off with a heat race win.  Dan Webster has been consistent this season with two seconds and four thirds in the Main Event.  On this occasion, he took it up a notch for his first win of the season.  It didn’t come easy as point leader Keith Ross gave chase for the second place finish.  Josh Tucker backed up last week's second place finish by placing third this time ahead of Nathan Skaggs, Crane, Leroy Beck and William Fogle.  Ross leads Webster by 75 points and can clinch the championship by just starting the final feature of the season.  Webster has a sold hold on second and Fogle will rank third this season.

Hobby Stock point leader Paul Stevens fielded a Mini Stock once again and began the night with a heat race victory.  Donovan Chilton was hot on the trail of his second win of the season, but it was not to be.  Jeff Bennett was back for the fourth time this season and improved on his previous season best third place finish with a feature victory.  Chilton ran strong and finished second ahead of point leader Nick Vidovich.  John Kirkpatrick settled for fourth ahead of Stevens, Dustin Hill and Eric Hammond.  Vidovich leads Kirkpatrick by 135 points and has therefore clinched the division championship.  Kirkpatrick and Tom Davis will rank second and third, respectively, regardless of where they finish in the finale.

The 600 Mini Sprint division has been the Jeromie Crismon show for much of the season, and Crismon and Tony Alosi were both preliminary winners.  Alosi had a feature win earlier this season, and he added another trophy to his mantle with a Main Event victory ahead of Skyler Richter.  That was the fifth runnerup finish of the season for Richter, who finished ahead of Crismon and Kyra Michelet at the checkered flag.  Crismon won the championship by 195 points ahead of Richter as Alosi finished third.

Turnout was a little light in the 250 Mini Sprints, but Jerrid Carter happily collected his first Trophy Dash win.  With Jackie Whitson Jr. a no show, Carter was hoping to add a feature win on the night, but it was point leader Jesse Garland winning his first Main Event since July and third of the season.  Carter settled for second ahead of Andrew Love.  Garland won the championship by 215 points over Whitson as Carter will rank third.

The season finale this week will feature the final showdown between the tied Bill Hopper and Tony Richards in a good Wingless Sprint Car championship battle.  Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks and Mini Trucks will also be in action  For further information, check out the official Sacramento Valley Speedway website.

New Champions Noland, Atchison 

Score Rocky Hill Speedway Wins

Point racing for Rocky Hill Speedway in Porterville is done for the year, but the track has several races left to run through the end of November.  On Saturday night, newly crowned Hobby Stock champion Raymond Noland collected his fourth 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event win.  Roy Atchison has been the dominant force in the Super Mini Stock division, and he won his ninth 20 lap Main Event.  Jason Cook returned to action and won his first 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event.

Michael Scruggs was back out to challenge for his second straight Hobby Stock feature win, but it was Raymond Noland running just a little stronger for the win.  Scruggs settled for second ahead of a respectable third place finish for Alvin Ince.  Joe Robinson has only competed in a handful of races in this his rookie season, and he matched his season best effort in forth as Bakersfield racer Brian Childress rounded out the Top 5.    Gene Clover finished sixth ahead of Mini Stock racer Shawn Schwartzenberger, Bakersfield champion Kevin Collier, Karl Noland and Cody Heinschn.

Only a second place finish in the previous race prevented Atchison from making it eight feature wins in a row as he collected another victory.  William Hughes enjoyed his fifth season best second place finish with Kit Murphy scoring his second season best third place finish.  2014 champion Adell Shelton settled for fourth ahead of Larry Ramirez and Gary Meeks.

Jason Cook won his first Mini Stock Main Event of the season.  Justin Moore was a season best second ahead of third ranked Clinton Massey, Brandon Trice and Shawn Schwartzenberger.

The Dearl Noland Memorial Race is next on the schedule for October 24th, and Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, Super 4 Mini Stocks, American Stocks and Okie Bowl Hardtops are all on the card.  For further information, check out the official Rocky Hill Speedway Website.