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Mister Chester Kniss #28 celebrates his A Modified with with his son, Buddy Kniss at Antioch Speedway. Photo By Paul Gould Photography
Seavey, Newberry, Kniss Score Antioch Speedway Victories
Bob Newberry grabbed the victory in the 20 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event. The past Antioch Speedway and Silver Dollar Speedway champion has raced multiple divisions at Antioch Speedway and won in all of them. This time around, Newberry battled past Chowchilla champion Brandon Burd for the lead and then held him off well for the win. Burd still enjoyed his best Antioch finish in second as Shannon Newton, Alan Miranda and Rick Panfili completed the Top 5. Roy Fisher flipped early in the race, but he was not injured. Newberry and season opening winner Bryan Grier won eight lap heat races.
Chester Kniss scored a satisfying victory in the 20 lap A Modified Main Event. It's been a while since Kniss visited the winner's circle in his Delta Transmissions Modified, and this win paid him $750. Sean O'Gara gave chase before finishing a season best second. Point leader Bobby Motts Jr. settled for third ahead of rookie Eric Berendsen and Mike Salazar. Salazar also won the eight lap heat race.
Mike Gustafson won the 20 lap Limited Late Model Main Event. Nobody has won more features in this division at Antioch than Gustafson, who is a two time champion. The invert put six lap heat winners Gustafson and Mark Garner back in the third row, forcing them to race their way past 2013 champion Jim Freethy and 2016 "Rookie Of The Year" Kimo Oreta. Gustafson battled Freethy before grabbing the lead. Once in front, Gustafson went on to victory. Freethy held off Garner for second as Jeff Kendrick and John Evans completed the Top 5.
Trevor Clymens made a last minute decision to go racing and was glad he did after winning the 20 lap B Modified Main Event. Clymens shared the front row with Randy Brown and charged into the lead. The reigning division champion, Clymens drove a great race and eared his second win of the season. Championship contender K.C. Keller settled for second, while heat winner Mark Garner rebounded from two straight bad weeks for a third place finish. Chuck Golden finished fourth, while Walter Harper was a lap down in fifth.
Rookie Brent Curran scored his second straight 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event win. Curran made an impressive charge from the back of the pack and battled Cameron Swank for the victory. C. Swank was a career best second. Chris Long won a drag race back to the line with Jordon Swank for third as Chris Sorensen rounded out the Top 5. Rookie Chris Bennett was battling Sorensen for fifth late in the race when he spun in Turn 4. Long and Michael Cooper won eight lap heat races.
The Larry Damitz Memorial is up next, paying $3,000 to win and $300 minimum to start for the DIRTcar Late Models. Also on the card will be the All Star Series Winged 360 Sprint Cars, A Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Tyler Seavey, Shawn Arriaga. Main Event (20 Laps)-Seavey, Arriaga, Burt Foland Jr., Marissa Polizzi, Art McCarthy, Jenna Frazier, Aaron Miller, Jason Paniagua, Kyle Offill, Bryan Grier (DNS).
Wingless Spec Sprints
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Bob Newberry, Bryan Grier. Main Event (20 Laps)-Newberry, Brandon Burd, Shannon Newton, Alan Miranda, Rick Panfili, Jeff Lee, Jeremy Newberry, Grier, Kelly Campanile, Robert Floyd.
A Modifieds
Heat Winner (8 Laps)-Mike Salazar. Main Event (20 Laps)-Chester Kniss, Sean O'Gara, Bobby Motts Jr., Eric Berendsen, Salazar, Sean Wilson, Gregg McElhaney (DNS).
B Modifieds
Heat Winner (8 Laps)-Mark Garner. Main Event (20 Laps)-Trevor Clymens, K.C. Keller, Garner, Chuck Golden, Walter Harper, Kevin Brown, Randy Brown.
Limited Late Models
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Mike Gustafson, Mark Garner. Main Event (20 Laps)-Gustafson, Jim Freethy, Garner, Jeff Kendrick, John Evans, Kimo Oreta, Chad Hammer, Buddy Kniss, Lori Brown (DNS).
Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Chris Long, Michael Cooper. Main Event (20 Laps)-Brent Curran. Cameron Swank, Long, Jordon Swank, Chris Sorensen, Lindsey Buirch, Ricky Foster, Billy Garner, Joey Ridgeway, Chris Bennett.
Two time reigning champion Rick Diaz #714 and family celebrate his IMCA Sport Modified Ted Stofle Classic victory at Merced Speedway. Photo Totally In The Zone Photography
Hanford and Merced IMCA Modified champion Paul Stone #66p dominated the IMCA Modified portion of the Ted
Stofle Classic at Merced Speedway. Photo Totally In The Zone Photography
Stone, Diaz, Corn Win Ted Stofle Classic At Merced Speedway
Merced, CA...May 6...The 16th running of the Ted Stofle Classic made it a special night of racing at Merced Speedway. Ted Stofle was a six time Stock Car champion at Merced Speedway with over 100 feature wins. His championship car was there to lead the pace lap for each Main Event, as is tradition. The 30 lap IMCA Modified portion of the race went to Paul Stone. The 30 lap IMCA Sport Modified victory went to two time reigning champion Rick Diaz. The final 29 lap segment for Hobby Stocks was won by third generation racer Garrett Corn. The 89 lap total was in honor of Stofle's car number.
Paul Stone collected the $700 winner's paycheck for his victory in the 30 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. Stone is a past champion at both Merced and Hanford, and he took the lead from 2012 champion Bill Egleston on a lap four restart. The final 27 laps were destined to go non stop, and Stone's car was so hooked up on the dry slick quarter-mile clay oval that he took the checkered/ flag by a straightaway over second place. The battle was for second between Egleston, Darrell Hughes II and reigning track champion Randy Brown. Brown began to make his charge in the final ten laps. Working heavy traffic, Brown made an inside pass in Turn 2 on lap 21 to take second from Hughes, and he made another inside pass in Turn 4 of the 26th lap to secure a second place finish behind Stone. Egleston settled for third, followed by Hughes, Bruce Nelson, Mike Villanueva, Joel Myers, Ryan Porter, Jarod Fast and Chris Shannon. D.J. Shannon, Egleston and Stone won eight lap heat races.
Rick Diaz won his third 30 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Diaz set an early pace ahead of Jeremy Hoff, but Bakersfield leadfoot Michael Johnson took over second by the midway point of the race. Reigning Chico champion Todd Cooper settled into third, but he lost the spot to 2014 State champion Nick Spainhoward on lap 20. Diaz was not going to be denied the victory after his impressive drive. Johnson settled for second ahead of Spainhoward, T. Cooper, Fred Ryland, Matt Lewis, Hoff, IMCA State point leader Shane DeVolder, T.J. Etchison and Phillip Shelby. Chris Falkenberg won the first 15 lap B Main ahead of Matthew Mayo and Tim Elias. The second 15 lap B Main win went to Matt Sotomayor ahead of Matt Mayo and Anthony Giuliani. Eight lap heat race wins went to Johnson, Spainhoward, Diaz, Lewis, Cooper and Ryland The support of the West Coast Sport Mod Tour grew the car count to 40 cars.
Garrett Corn mastered the dry slick conditions to win the 29 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Corn had the outside front row for the start and led the entire distance with his impressive drive. Mike Stockton ran second throughout the first half of the race, while two time winner Kodie Dean and Robbie Loquaci traded third several times in a close battle. Dean made the move into third by lap 15 and moved up to battle Stockton for second. Dean made the inside work down the front stretch on lap 27 as he made the pass. Corn was a happy winner, just ahead of Dean, Stockton, Loquaci, three time Watsonville champion Billy Nelson, reigning Merced champion Michael Shearer, John Ferrell, Kristie Shearer, Dexter Long and Austin Van Hoff. K. Shearer and Bruce Nelson were eight lap heat winners.
Racing continues next Saturday night with America’s Propane Night, featuring BCRA Midget Lites, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks and Mini Late Models. For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.
Merced Speedway
Unofficial Race Results May 6
IMCA Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-D.J. Shannon, Bill Egleston, Paul Stone. Main Event (30 Laps)-Stone, Randy Brown, Bill Egleston, Darrell Hughes II, Bruce Nelson, Mike Villanueva, Joel Myers, Ryan Porter, Jarod Fast, Chris Shannon.
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Michael Johnson, Nick Spainhoward, Rick Diaz, Matt Lewis, Todd Cooper, Fred Ryland. B Main 1 (15 Laps)-Chris Falkenberg, Matthew Mayo, Tim Elias. B Main 2 (15 Laps)-Matt Sotomayor, Matt Mayo, Anthony Giuliani. Main Event (30 Laps)-Diaz, Johnson, Spainhoward, Cooper, Ryland, Lewis, Jeremy Hoff, Shane DeVolder, T.J. Etchison, Phillip Shelby.
Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Kristie Shearer, Bruce Nelson. Main Event (29 Laps)-Garrett Corn, Kodie Dean, Mike Stockton, Robbie Loquaci, Billy Nelson, Michael Shearer, John Ferrell, Kristie Shearer, Dexter Long, Austin Van Hoff.
Tarlton, Hogge, Frost, Keldsen Ocean Speedway Winners
Watsonville, Ca...May 5...Tommy Tarlton Jr. won the 30 lap Taco Bravo Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. Tarlton and "The Human Highlight Reel" Geoff Ensign shared the front row of the feature and battled early on. Tarlton prevailed at the checkered flag. Two past champions, Justin Sanders and Brad Furr, battled to second and third place finishes, respectively, while Ensign settled for fourth. Kurt Nelson took fifth ahead of Jason Chisum, Koen Shaw, Dustin Golobic, Josh Chisum and Wayne Katen. Golobic and Nelson won eight lap heat races, while Ensign was the six lap Trophy Dash winner.
Reigning IMCA Modified champion Bobby Hogge IV continues to be a force in IMCA Modifieds as he came from seventh to win the 25 lap Main Event. Jim Pettit II had the pole, but his bad luck continued as he fell out of contention. Brothers and past IMCA State champions Kyle Wilson and Alex Wilson grabbed the second and third place finishes. Cody Burke finished fourth, followed by previous winner Nick DeCarlo, Austin Burke, Todd Hermosillo, Raymond Keldsen Jr. and Pettit. C. Burke and DeCarlo were eight lap heat winners.
Just to show that her win last week wasn't a case of good luck, Adriane Frost won her second straight 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. It was a race from the fourth row between Frost and 2015 champion Matt Hagio with Frost making Hagio settle for second once again. Anthony Giuliani and Mike Kofnovec Sr. came from the fifth row to place third and fourth, respectively. Past Antioch Mini Truck and Spec Sprint competitor Mark Hartman finished fifth, followed by pole sitter Charlie Hunter, Billy Robertson, Mike Kofnovec, Bud Aiassa and Duane Bieser. Igor Gandzuk won an eight lap heat race, but he fell out early in the Main Event. Hagio was the other heat winner.
D.J. Keldsen returned to his winning ways in the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. The reigning champion, Keldsen started back in sixth as eight lap heat race winner Erik Moody and Kate Beardsley battled early. Keldsen put the moves on both of them to grab the win ahead of Moody, K. Beardsley, Bill Beardsley, Brian Bigniogni and Dakota Keldsen.
Martin, Whitson, Ross Win At Orland Raceway
Orland, CA...The season opened at Orland Raceway on Saturday night with a full slate of divisions competing on the one-fifth mile dirt oval. When checkered flags flew on those races, Main Event wins were recorded by Steve Martin (Pure Stocks), Jackie Whitson Jr. (250 Micros) Keith Ross (Mini Trucks), Sean Perry (Mini Stocks), Mavel Michelet (600 Micros) and Josh Jacobo (Wingless Gas Sprints).
Steve Martin enters the season as a two time reigning Pure Stock champion, and he shows no signs of slowing down. Martin had to battle past Mini Truck champion Brad Ray and division rookie Keith Ross for the win. Martin ran strong and took the checkered flag in the 20 lap race ahead of Ray and Ross. Rookie Ethan Benzel finished fourth, while recent Chico winner Shannon Collins settled for fifth. 2016 championship runnerup Jeremy Langenderfer finished sixth ahead of Chris Barnett, Jeremiah Creedon, Cody Bundy and John Camper. Ray and Ross each won eight lap heat races.
Jackie Witson Jr. opened the 250 Micro season with an impressive 20 lap feature win. Whitson is no stranger to the winner's circle as he has won several times in the past few seasons. Whitson scored the win ahead of Jamie Barnes and Jackie Whitson Sr. 2015 champion Jess Garland finished fourth ahead of Monica Aldrich and Ronnie Heyer. Whitson Jr. and Garland were eight lap heat race winners.
Keith Ross isn't content to run Pure Stocks. The past Mini Truck champion still has his truck. Ross battled reigning champion Dan Webster before winning the 20 lap Mini Truck feature. 2013 champion Ross Vige placed third, followed by William Fogle and Jeremy Callen. Ross made it a clean sweep as he held off Webster for the eight lap heat race win.
Sean Perry returned after a year off and won the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. John Kirkpatrick won his second championship last season, but he did it without a feature win. Kirkpatrick gave it a good effort, but he was forced to settle for second behind the flying Perry. Donnie Fortney finished third ahead of Barbara Crain. Tom Davis might have been the man to beat after winning his eight lap heat race, but he struggled to a fifth place finish in the feature.
The Wingless Gas Sprints are back after a season off. The division is a more economical Sprint Car with a 360 cast iron motor and a two barrel carburetor that runs on gasoline. Multi time champion Josh Jacobo won their feature race ahead of David Johnson and Josh Tucker. Two of the 600cc motorcycle engine Micro Sprints competed, and Mavel Michelet won that race ahead of Kyra Michelet.
Racing resumes on May 19th as they race during the Glenn County Fair. The Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks, Mini Trucks and Micro Sprints will be competing. There will also be a special Powder Puff RV Destruction Derby. For further information, go to www.orlandraceway.org.
