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Berendsen Wins First Modified Feature At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...September 17...Another loaded six division All Star Series racing program entertained the crowd at Antioch Speedway Saturday night, and there were several new faces in the winner's circle. Carl Berendsen II made sure he would not be the first driver in track history to win two championships without a Main Event victory as he won the 20 lap A Modified feature. The Winged 360 Sprint Car division saw its 11th 20 lap Main Event winner in fourth generation racer Colby Johnson, while Jeff Decker fell just short in his bid to repeat as DIRTcar Late Model champion despite his second 20 lap feature win of the season. Nick DeCarlo was doing double duty this week, and he climbed into the Lloyd Cline B Modified for a 20 lap Main Event win. Rookie Guy Ahlwardt used his fourth 20 lap Hobby Stock feature win to clinch the track championship, while Josh Miller won his first 20 lap Dwarf Car Main Event.
With four time champion Troy Foulger back in the Bill Bowers owned car and Duane Cleveland back to go for his second win, Carl Berendsen II picked a great night to get his fist career A Modified Main Event victory. The win had further significance for the second generation racer as he clinched his second A Modified championship in the last three years. Cleveland's bid for victory came up just short in second, but he managed to hold off Foulger, who is still looking for his first win of the season. Two time reigning Petaluma champion Nick DeCarlo and Trent Wentworth rounded out the Top 5.
Troy Foulger was doing double duty in the Bowers Racing DIRTcar Late Model, and he joined Richard Papenhausen as a heat race winner. Papenhausen's Main Event ended early, but he had enough of a point lead that he still clinched his second championship in the last three seasons. 2015 champion Jeff Decker had Foulger giving chase, but he would prevail for his second win of the season. He gained significant ground on Papenhausen, but it wasn't quite enough to get him the track championship. Shawn DeForest drove the House Car to a solid third place finish ahead of past champion Andy Obertello and Terry Kuntz, who was piloting the Paul Guglielmoni owned entry.
Each generation of the family that has followed Hardtop Legend Johnny Franklin has had at least one racer among them. On Saturday night, great grandson Colby Johnson came to town with his Winged 360 Sprint Car to make a run for the money. Johnson won a heat race along with recent Southern Oregon Speedway winner Aaron Miller. Johnson had his hands full with point leader Billy Aton, but he drove a great race to earn his first career feature victory. Second place finisher Aton added a few points to his slim lead over Art McCarthy in the hotly contested championship battle. McCarthy finsihed fourth behind another newcomer, Cody Hodgson. Jenna Frazier completed the Top 5.
Nick DeCarlo got to do double duty and had a strong night of his own in the B Modifieds. After joining point leader Trevor Clymens in the heat winner's column, DeCarlo had to contend with Clymens in a good Main Event battle. DeCarlo would score a well earned victory, but Clymens came that much closer to the track championship with his second place finish. Marysville star Phillip Shelby returned to town in the hopes of winning his second Main Event, but he settled for a third a place finish ahead of two time winner K.C. Keller. For the first time, the three Brown brothers competed against each other. Two time Limited Late Model champion Ron Brown finsihed fifth ahead of brothers Randy Brown and Kevin Brown.
Continuing the trend of heat race winners doing well in the Main Event, Guy Ahlwardt and Frank Furtado won their heat races and battled at the front of the Hobby Stock Main Event. Ahlwardt recently announced that he is planning a move up to the B Modified division, and he celebrated his new track championship with his fifth win of the season. Furtado ran strong in second ahead of 2010 champion Chris Sorensen. It's looking more likely that Lindsey Buirch will rank second in the standings following a fourth place finish ahead of Jordan Swank.
Rounding out the program were the Dwarf Cars, where one of the heat winners didn't do so well in the Main Event. David Rosa hit the wall in the Main Event in what was a hard crash. Fortunately, he walked away unscathed. Josh Miller has done some traveling this season, but he returned to end the point season with an impressive victory. Chuck Connover had a solid night with a second place finish, following his heat race victory. Kevin Miraglio wrapped up his championship season with a third place finish. Second generation racer Preston Humphrey returned to his Dwarf Car roots and finished fourth as Buddy Kniss wrapped up his "Rookie Of The Year" season with a fifth place finish. Like Ahlwardt, Kniss will be moving up to B Modifieds next season.
Point racing concludes next week with an exciting program of Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Wingless Spec Sprints, A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
DIRTcar Late Models
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Troy Foulger, Richard Papenhausen. Main Event (20 Laps)-Jeff Decker, Troy Foulger, Shawn DeForest, Andy Obertello, Terry Kuntz, Dennis Souza, Travis Meyerhoff, Papenhausen, Rob Norris, Mike Hynes.
Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Aaron Miller, Colby Johnson. Main Event (20 Laps)-Johnson, Billy Aton, Cody Hodgson, Art McCarthy, Jenna Frazier, Miller, Wayne Katen, Craig Frandsen, Jesse Colwell.
B Modifieds
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Trevor Clymens, Nick DeCarlo, Main Event (20 Laps)-DeCarlo, Clymens, Phillip Shelby, K.C. Keller, Ron Brown, Randy Brown, Kevin Brown, Chuck Golden, Al Johnson, Mike Mates, Shane DeVolder.
A Modifieds
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Troy Foulger, Mike Salazar. Main Event (20 Laps)-Carl Berendsen II, Duane Cleveland, Foulger, Nick DeCarlo, Trent Wentworth, Salazar, Aaron Crowell, Sean O'Gara, Bobby Motts Jr., Bobby Montalvo, Scott Busby, Anthony Slaney, Josh Combs.
Dwarf Cars
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Chuck Connover, David Rosa. Main Event (20 Laps)-Josh Miller, Connover, Kevin Miraglio, Preston Humphrey, Buddy Kniss, Charlie Correia, Devan Kammermann, Chris Becker, Tim Reeder, Toby Brown, David Rosa, David Michael Rosa, Timmy Ryan, Mike Corsaro (DQ).
Hobby Stock
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Guy Ahlwardt, Frank Furtado. Main Event (20 Laps)-Ahlwardt, Furtado, Chris Sorensen, Lindsey Buirch, Jordan Swank, Joe Ridgeway, Gene Haney, Anthony Vigna, Michael Cooper, Cameron Swank, Tobi Madden.
Egleston, Ryland Return To Merced Speedway Winner's Circle
Merced, CA...September 17...On Gary Brown Memorial Youth Appreciation Night last Saturday night at Merced Speedway, children 12 and under got treated to a free night of racing. They watched as Bill Egleston returned to the winner's circle in the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. Reigning IMCA State Sport Modified champion Fred Ryland won the that division's Main Event, while Chris Corder wrapped up an impressive Mini Stock championship season with his seventh victory. 2008 Sportsman champion Mark Odgers returned to action and won the 15 lap Main Event in that division.
A good field of 18 IMCA Modifieds came to compete on the fast quarter-mile clay oval. Ryan Larimer started things off with a nine lap heat race win ahead of fellow rookie D.J. Shannon, who was only getting warmed up. Bill Egleston gave people of a glimpse of what was to come with his heat race win ahead of one time feature winner Mike Villaneuva. Point leader Randy Brown held off Late Model veteran Derek Nance to win his heat race. Brown has been on a bit of a roll lately with four wins and three of his four second place finishes in the previous seven Main Events. Again, Brown was in the hunt. Meanwhile, second generation racer D.J. Shannon was making his father Chris proud as he contended for his first career feature victory. However, 2012 champion Egleston was on a mission to get his fist victory since the third race of the season, and he was not about to be denied. Egleston held off Shannon for the well earned victory. Brown took another step closer to his second career championship with his third place finish. Villanueva held off a pair of champions in Jim Pettit II and Ramie Stone for a fourth place finish. Nance settled for seventh ahead of likely "Rookie Of The Year" Bruce Nelson, Harley Turner and Larimer.
Not to be outdone, the IMCA Sport Modified division checked in with a strong field of 19 cars. Fred Ryland started his night off strong with a nine lap heat race win ahead of Mark Squardrito. Veteran Gary Tucker won his heat ahead of past Pure Stock champion Andy Welch. Rising teen star Tanner Thomas won his first career heat race and beat point leader Rick Diaz to do it. Diaz knew he could clinch his second track championship in three seasons, but he was hungry for his seventh feature win of the season. As fast as he was running, however, F. Ryland was just a little bit faster. Despite missing three races, Ryland is closing in on fifth in the standings, and his fourth Main Event win of the season will gain him a few points in that effort. Diaz is the 2016 champion following his third runnerup feature finish, and second generation racer Tanner Thomas gave his father Darren something to be proud of with his career best third place finish. Dwarf Car graduate Chuck Weir finished fourth as Josh Hensley had one of his best finishes in fifth. Tucker, Welch, Paul Espino, second ranked Mike Drake and Patti Ryland completed the Top 10 at the checkered flag of the 20 lap race.
The Mini Stocks wrapped up their season with a car count that needed two heat races. Paul Lauretti held off point leader Chris Corder to win his heat as Erik Moody made his first visit and won the second heat ahead of the truck of Tony Peffer. Lauretti was hoping to complete his second place point season with his first feature win. Unfortunately, there aren't too many racers who can beat Chris Corder when he's running strong. Corder drove to his seventh Main Event win and hurt his motor in the process. Lauretti was a season best second ahead of another great effort by second generation racer Lucy Falkenberg in third. Rookie Destiny Carter held on to her third place point status in the Corder Racing entry by finishing fourth in the 20 lap Main Event ahead of Peffer, Moody, Curtis Thornhill, Jason Womack and Tony Miranda.
2008 Sportsman champion Mark Odgers only runs selected races in his Vern Willhoite tribute car, but he is fast when he's there. Odgers held off new champion Kenny Birdsong to win the eight lap heat race. Odgers continued that momentum by scoring his second Main Event win of the season to leap into fifth in the final standings. Jeff Bristow had his third second place feature finish ahead of Birdsong, two time division champion Mike Friesen and Shannon Fry.
Point racing concludes this Saturday night with the special Matt and Glass Fight Against Cancer: Matt Van Hoecke Memorial race. It's Championship Night for the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Hobby Stocks and the Hobby Stocks will run for double points. For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.
Morton, Yawnick Score Wins At Siskiyou Motor Speedway
Yreka, CA...September 17......As the season winds down at Siskiyou Motor Speedway, there are still some championships to be decided and racers looking to add their names to the winner's column. On Saturday night, young Dwarf Car ace Kalvin Morton won his first 25 lap O'Reilly Auto Parts IMCA Sport Modified Main Event in only his third start. In McDonald's Mini Stocks, point leader Marilyn Yawnick served a reminder to the competition that she came to win her first championship as she held off reigning champion David Steele for her fourth victory.
Kalvin Morton's win in the Sport Modified 25 lap Main Event makes him the 13th different winner. Colton Cheffey had his sights set on win #4 and looked like he was going to make it happen. To highlight just how good Cheffey is, he won both of his eight lap heat races and the four lap Trophy Dash ahead of reigning champion Colter Boswell in all three races. It seemed likely that the Main Event would be his as well. Morton won a heat race ahead of point leader Jimmy Lipke. Come Main Event time, Morton set a blistering pace and scored the win by half a lap. Cheffey still finished second ahead of Doug Franklin. Lipke protected his point lead with a fourth place finish ahead of heat race winner D.J. Bottoms, Randy Wright, Garrett Hamilton, Jack Waldon III, David Henshaw and Colter Boswell.
Marilyn Yawnick's fourth 25 lap Mini Stock Main Event win might have come out of nowhere. Like the Sport Modifieds, the drivers got to run a pair of eight lap heat races, and this led to four winners, including Mike Colson, Michael Johnson, David Steele and Terry Kendrick. Aaron Jorgensen won the four lap Trophy Dash. Yawnick's best preliminary effort of the night was a third in a heat race, but she saved the best for last in the Main Event. With a driver as fast as Steele on your back bumper, you have to run a smooth race. Yawnick scored the win, but Steele was a very close second. It is interesting to note that Yawnick's three previous wins also came with Steele a close second. Killingsworth maintained his hold on second in the standings with a close third place finish as Aaron Jorgensen was a season best fourth. Colson continued a solid night with a fifth place finish ahead of Dan Borror, Mike Frost, Randy Simmons, Mike Whitaker and Dennis Jorgensen.
Racing season closes with the big $3000 to win IMCA Modified race this Saturday night. It is the Rod Restad Memorial race, which honors the beloved former promoter of the track. O'Reilly Auto Parts IMCA Sport Modifieds and McDonald's Mini Stocks are also on the schedule in what should be a great night of racing. For further information, go to www.siskiyoumotorspeedway.com
