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Late Models, Wingless Spec Sprints Head Up Five Division Program At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...Antioch Speedway heads into June with an exciting five division All Star Series racing line up this Saturday night. The DIRTcar Late Models are back for their third event of the season, joined by the Wingless Spec Sprints, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks.
Having scored a win and a second so far this season, it's no surprise to see three-time reigning champion Jeff Decker topping the list in the DIRTcar Late Model division standings. It might be a surprise to see who is second. It's Rod Oliver, who has been racing at Marysville and Placerville in recent seasons. Oliver is only 10 points out of the lead, six ahead of Dennis Souza. If the Oliver name sounds familiar, fans of the Late Model program in the early 90s may remember Danny Oliver making occasional visits to Antioch Speedway and running competitively.
Souza enjoyed his best Antioch finish to date in second at the most recent race. Dennis has been a staunch supporter of the Late Model effort since the track launched it five years ago. He also leads two time Petaluma champion Paul Gulielmoni and Rob Norris by just four points in another close race for third. These five are anticipated this week along with Mike Hynes, Kimo Oreta, David Newquist and two-time champion Richard Papenhausen.
Bob Newberry is slowly beginning to pull away from the pack in his quest for a second Antioch Speedway Wingless Spec Sprint championship. Newberry won for the second time at the most recent race, and he also has two second place feature finishes. Ageless veteran Roy Fisher is holding on to second by just seven points ahead of Shannon Newton and eight in front of Brandon Burd. Newton won the Trophy Dash at the recent Fair Race, but he ran out of time in the Main Event as he had to charge from 10th starting to third.
Both Newton and Alan Miranda are feature winners this year. Miranda is a little bit further back in the standings in sixth. 12 points ahead of Miranda, despite a very disappointing start to his season is Rick Panfili. Panfili put his car on it's lid earlier this year. He'll be hoping for better results this week, and other drivers to look for include Scott Martin, James East and rookie McKenzie Newton.
In B Modified competition, 2016 champion Trevor Clymens appears to be gathering momentum and pulling away from the pack. Clymens won for the second time in a row last week ahead of KC Keller. Keller is the reigning champion but is making visits to other tracks this season. 2016 Hobby Stock champion Guy Ahlwardt holds second, just two points ahead of rookie Ryan DeForest. A championship may not be out of the question for Ahlwardt, but what he's really looking for is his first feature win in this class. Other drivers to watch for this week include rookie and one time feature winner Brent Curran, Chuck Golden, Kevin Brown and Todd Gomez.
Four races into the Limited Late Model championship season, there are four drivers very much in contention. Mark Garner sent notice to the rest of the competition that he is looking to bring that championship trophy back to the Garner household by winning the prestigious Larry Damitz Memorial Race to kick off the season. He also has a second and third place feature finish, putting him eight points ahead of Mike Walko. If the Walko name sounds familiar, it's because Mike started racing at Antioch Speedway in the famous Car 54 Stock Car back in 1982. He has spent recent seasons as one of the top drivers at Marysville and finished second in points there last year. However, Walko wanted to race a little closer to home this season.
Walko is a one time feature winner this year with a pair of thirds and a second, putting him six points ahead of reigning champion Kimo Oreta in the close race for second. Not to be counted out in the battle is the flying pickup truck of Ryan Cherezian. Ryan also enjoyed one of his best ever finishes in second this year, and he's hungry for victory. Maybe he'll get that win this week. Other drivers to watch for include Chad Hammer, John Evans, Lori Brown and two-time champion Mike Gustafson. Word is that Chris Long will be making his return this week.
Chris Sorensen has had an amazing start to his season in a new car from the shops of Baker Motorsports. Sorenson has won three features so far with three additional Top 3 finishes, putting him 34 points ahead of Michael Cooper. Cooper is also a three-time winner, but last week broke a streak of two straight non Top 5 finishes for Cooper. In a similar occurrence to last season, Cameron Swank rattled off four second place finishes before finally getting his first win last time out. The win helped move him to within 30 points of Cooper for third in the standings.
One time winner John Wacht tops the rookies in the field and is ranked fourth in the standings. After having one of his best finishes ever in third last week, Billy Garner has closed to within just 30 points of Wacht. Several new drivers have helped make the Hobby Stocks a very entertaining show this year. Other drivers to keep an eye on this week include Tanis Rangel, Haley Gomez, Anthony Vigna and Breanna Troen. Last week, Chris Bennett enjoyed his best ever finish in second. The next time he returns to the speedway, he'll be out to put the Bob Hanson Tribute Car into the Winner's Circle.
The five division All Star Series lineup of divisions offers a little something for everybody. It's sure to be a great show from start to finish. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Chadwick, Clymens, Swank Win
Antioch Speedway Features
Antioch, CA...May 26...Kellen Chadwick scored the 20 lap All Star Series A Modified Main Event win Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. The division produced a big 24 car count, and Chadwick shared the front row of the Main Event with Jeff Olschowka. Olschowka surprised Chadwick on the start, but a lap three restart gave Chadwick the opportunity to make an inside move into the lead in Turn 4. Once Chadwick got the lead, he was never really challenged in victory. On a restart with three laps to go, Olschowka had his hands full trying to hold off Jeff Decker and mid-pack starter Nick DeCarlo for second. However, Olschowka kept his cool and grabbed the runnerup finish ahead of DeCarlo, Richard Papenhausen and Decker.
Point leader Trevor Clymens captured his third B Modified Main Event victory. After the race struggled with four yellow flags in the first lap, Doff Cooksey settled into the lead ahead of Sharp Shooter winner Guy Ahlwardt and Clymens. Ahlwardt made an inside pass exiting Turn 4 of the 10th lap to take the lead. Cooksey got out of shape down the front straight away, allowing Clymens to settle into second. The lead duo battled fiercely for the lead, and a yellow flag flew with six laps to go. Clymens got a good run on the outside on the restart lap and made the pass for the lead down the backstretch. Ahlwardt was making a bid to regain the lead as they approached the white flag, only to be given a yellow as there was another crash in Turn 2. On the restart, Ahlwardt discovered that he had a flat tire but he continued. Clymens led the final lap for the victory, followed by KC Keller, Cooksey, Robby Senn and Tony Peffer.
Brad Furr picked up the win in the 20 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event. Furr is a two-time champion at Watsonville, and he raced around front row starters Art McCarthy and Matt DeMartini early on. Jacob Tuttle found his way into second, but he was no match for the flying Furr, who scored the impressive victory. McCarthy settled for third ahead of DeMartini and Billy Aton.
Reigning Hobby Stock champion Cameron Swank won the 20 lap Main Event. It was his first win of the season after four second place finishes so far this year. Rookie Tanis Rangel led a couple of laps before Swank swept past for the lead. Billy Garner finally took second from Rangel halfway through the race, but he surrendered that position to mid pack starter Chris Bennett on a lap 15 restart. There was no stopping Swank as he sped to the victory with Chris Bennett a career best second. Garner was a career best best third as the returning Bob Bennett and Michael Cooper completed the Top 5 at the checkered flag.
Kevin Miraglio won his second 20 lap Dwarf Car Main Event of the season. The 2016 champion raced into the lead early on. A restart with two laps to go proved to be interesting. Second place David Michael Rosa made an attempt to get around Miraglio, but Devan Kammermann charged past him to take the second position behind the flying Miraglio. Rosa settled for third ahead of his father, David Rosa, and fifth place finisher Miranda Chappa.
Next week, All Star Series racing continues with DIRTcar Late Models, Wingless Spec Sprints, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
All Star Series
A Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Kellen Chadwick, Jeff Olschowka, Bobby Motts Jr, Jeff Decker. B Main (12 Laps)-Carl Berendsen II, Trent Wentworth, Duane Cleveland, John McDougall, Josh Combs. Main Event (20 Laps)-Chadwick, Olschowka, Nick DeCarlo, Richard Papenhausen, Decker, Motts, Brian Cass, Berendsen, Chris Lewis, Cleveland.
B Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-KC Keller, Trevor Clymens. Sharp Shooter Race (12 Laps)-Guy Ahlwardt, Clymens, Tommy Fraser. Main Event (25 Laps)- Clymens, Keller, Doff Cooksey, Robby Senn, Tony Peffer, Ron Brown, Ahlwardt, Joe Salvi, Ryan DeForest, Anthony Giuliani.
360 Sprint Cars
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Billy Aton, Brad Furr. Main Event (20 Laps)-Furr, Jacob Tuttle, Art McCarthy, Matt DeMartini, Aton, David Dias, Tim Burcher.
Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Chris Sorensen, Cameron Swank. Main Event (20 Laps)- Swank, Chris Bennett, Billy Garner, Bob Bennett, Michael Cooper, Sorensen, Anthony Vigna, Philip Oreta, Breanna Troen, Tanis Rangel.
Dwarf Cars
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-David Michael Rosa, Josh Miller. Main Event (20 Laps)-Kevin Miraglio, Devan Kammermann, David Michael Rosa, David Rosa, Miranda Chappa, Mario Marquez, Tony Carmignani, Mike Corsaro, Paul Altorre, Charlie Correia.
Parker Guiding Merced Speedway To Success
Merced, CA...There's something exciting happening at Merced Speedway this season. The racing on the quarter-mile clay oval is better than it has been for a while, numbers are up and the track has a good man guiding it to success. He's local businessman Ed Parker.
Ed already keeps himself very busy with his work, but racing is in his blood. He was a part of the Mini Truck class that the speedway had in the 1990s, and son Cody Parker is racing IMCA Sport Modifieds. When the track became available prior to 2016, Ed jumped at the chance to become a promoter.
He had much to learn, but he has been up to the challenge. He studies the current trends in the sport, attends several racing meetings during the year and applies that to what he does at the speedway. He also surrounds himself with people who are respected and know a few things about the sport. This includes past NASCAR Regional champion Doug Williams as Race Director, track prep guru and Street Stock champion Tim Ragsdale and long time racer and speedway supporter Dale Falkenberg.
Earlier this season, Parker saw over 140 computers flock to the Speedway for the Bill Egleston Remembrance. A search of speedway records shows this to be the biggest car count ever at the track, topping the 120 plus car show they had under Parker last season. The racers want to race at Merced Speedway, which has had championship seasons every year since 1950.
The track still benefits from the truck division that long time promoter Chuck Griffin added to the lineup. Though the division is long gone, the Stone family got their start in the class. Brothers Troy and Ramie and cousin Paul Stone are running at the front of the IMCA Modified pack these days. Between Ramie and Paul, there are seven track championships, and both are feature winners this season. Family is key here. The Porter family is four generations strong at the Speedway, and Ryan is the latest family member out there mixing it up with the likes of two time champion Randy Brown, Darrell Hughes II, Justin Villanueva, Shane DeVolder and Ricky Thatcher.
The Thomas brothers are both IMCA Sport Modified winners this year. Tanner and Chase are just following in the footsteps of their three time Street Stock championship winning father Darren. Numbers are up in both classes this year.
With the Hobby Stocks, the FND Motorsports team fields three and sometimes four cars at each race. 2016 champion Michael Shearer is the team owner and two time champion Bruce "Bubba" Nelson is the chief mechanic. Bubba won the recent Sport Modified race, but he still enjoys driving a Hobby Stock now and then. Their wives are out there as well. Shannon Nelson leads a close point race with reigning champion Kodie Dean, and Kristie Shearer is still very much in the hunt.
The track is seeing a big increase in the Mini Stock car count this season, while Mini Late Models and Valley Sportsman cars are also on the roster. Things are looking up at Merced Speedway, and it starts with having a promoter like Parker inspiring people to come out and be a part of what's happening on any give Saturday night.
The speedway roars back to life on Wednesday, June 6th as part of the Merced County Fair. IMCA Modifieds will be there along with Hobby Stocks and Mini Late Models. On June 16th and 17th, the track hosts the Western States Dwarf Car Nationals with a field of over 60 racers from all over the West Coast anticipated. For more information on the happenings at the speedway, go to www.racemerced.com.
Orland Raceway Back In Action
Saturday Night
Orland, CA...There's plenty of excitement in the air at Orland Raceway this season. The current track has been around since the 1980s, and racing in Orland goes back even further than that. Things are changing for the better. The track has had a revolving door of different promoters during the last ten years, but third year promoter Rich Hood is giving racers and fans hope for the future
Car count is up so far as drivers want to be a part of the show. Saturday night will offer the fans more exciting wheel to wheel racing on the one-fifth mile dirt oval as Mini Trucks, Mini Stocks and Pure Stocks are back, along with the B Modifieds.
Orland has featured a Mini Truck division for over 20 years. In fact, their success with the class led to other tracks in the state starting a division of their own. Keith Ross, Dan Webster, Ross Vige, Olin Crain and William Fogle have been the strongest supporters in recent years. All but Fogle has won a championship at the track, and Fogle had his best season in third last year.
Reigning champion Ross won for the second time last race. It might have been three in a row if not for Jeff Bennett battling him for the win in the second race. Bennett has been doing a great job behind wheel of the Olin Crain truck. Other drivers who have been out there putting on a great show include Hayfork Speedway champion Andy Blackburn. Quinonez, Kevin Kvalik and Rick Wagner.
When it comes to close racing, the Pure Stock division is hard to beat. Reigning champion Jeremy Langenderfer is already a two time winner and recently got a win at Silver Dollar Speedway as well. Speaking of the other track, it was IMCA Sport Modified racer Richard Vanderploeg getting behind the wheel of the #55 car and winning a multi car battle up front for the victory at the recent Glenn County Fair Race.
One of the drivers Richard held off in his win was Jerry Bartlett. Jerry is one of the top drivers on the IMCA Sport Modified circuit, but he considers Orland a home track. He is a past Pure Stock champion at the track. He's not the only one. Two time champions Paul Stevens and Steve Martin are still a part of the roster along with past Mini Truck champion Brad Ray. Other drivers hoping to get a win include last season's point runner up Shannon Collins, Amanda McAbel, John Camper and
The Mini Stock roster is just as competitive as ever. Making things even more interesting is the fact that Barbara Crain won the first two races this season. The wife of Olin Crain debuted her car last season and gave us a glimpse of things to come with a second place finish late in the season.
Equally surprising is the fact that two time champion Tom Davis is without a win so far. Knowing him, that won't be the case for long. Having accomplished so much in Pure Stocks, Paul Stevens is racing Mini Stocks as well this season. Paul won the recent Fairtime race. With two time champion John Kirkpatrick, Sean Perry, Jason Libbee and Dustin Hills on the roster, it's anybody's guess who will win this week.
Long time track supporter Ralph Jacobo is a big reason the track ever started the Wingless Sprint Car class in the first place. Back in 2000, he purchased a couple of cars from NCMA racer Bill Hopkins and began having son Josh Jacobo and Rob Worthington practice with them. Both have remained on the roster to this day.
Josh is a multi time champion and a feature winner this season. The decision was made to keep this class as affordable as possible and run the cars on gasoline. Numbers have been picking up as seven drivers competed at the recent race. It was Josh Tucker winning a photo finish with Tanner Thomson. David Johnson, RJ Baker and Jeff Crossman are other drivers who have raced so far.
The track has invited the B Modified drivers to come compete. At other tracks, the division is better known as Sport Modifieds. They are sanctioned by IMCA at those tracks. Earlier this season at the first play day, about a half dozen drivers came out and put their first laps ever on the 1/5 mile dirt oval. Past Pure Stock champion Jerry Bartlett and recent Pure Stock feature winner Richard Vanderploeg are two drivers who could see some action in the class this week. Other drivers who might make an appearance include Tyler Rogers, Andrew Peckham and Jesse Skidmore.
Promoter Rich Hood is hoping to further entice the racers with a $350 to win first prize for the division this week. Bit by bit, Orland Raceway continues to introduce other attractions to the fans. Not only will the B Modifieds be back on July 28th for a second appearance, but there will be two appearances this season by the California Hardtop Association. Depending on how things go, the B Modified division could see more more time on the schedule in the future.
Racing should be exciting and entertaining from start to finish this Saturday night. For further information, go to www.orlandraceway.org or look us up on Facebook.
Stockton 99 Speedway Dirt Unofficial Race Results May 26th, 2018
Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Willie Croft
DJ Netto
Kyle Hirst
Shane Golobic
Tim Kaeding
Colby Copeland
Kaleb Henry
Grant Duinkerken
Landon Hurst
Tucker Worth
Tanner Boul
Kyle Offill
Matt Dumgney
Steven Tiner
DJ Freitas
Mitchell Faccinto
Michael Kofoid
Matt Peterson
Hunt Magneto's Wingless Spec Sprints
Michael Faccinto
Scott Hall
Cody Spencer
Troy DeGaton
Kaimi Costa
Nick Larson
Angelique Bill
Bryan Grier
Ryon Siverling
Brian Sperry
Rick Gutzke
Robert Floyd
Terry Shank Jr
Shawn Jones
Bob Davis
Roy Grier
Adam Teves
Paul Vandenberg
BCRA Midgets
Finish Unavailable.
Madera Raceway Unofficial Race Results May 26, 2018
MAVTV Race #4 Military Night By 51-Fifty
Late Models
Racin Vernon
Blaine Rocha
Austin Herzog
Ross Strmiska
Dillon Tucker
Ryan Hart
Adam Lemke
Matt Erickson
Garland Tyler
Nick Grossi
Henk Gaalswyk Jr
Jarret Gilmer
Howard Holden
Kolby Berry
Logan Zampa
Kyle Gottula
Ryan Phillpott
Jack Wood
Glen Cook
Tyler Herzog
David Lewellen
Buddy Shepherd
B-Main
Rick Thompson
Erik Woods
Shane Butler
Kevin Thompson
Loren Kutz
Ross Strmiska
Ryan Hart
Dillion Tucker
Jack Wood
Nick Grossi
David Lewellen
Del McIntosh
Christian Roche
Shelden Cooper
Will Martyn
Quintin Harris
51-Fifty Jr. Late Model
Jesse Love
Dylan Zampa
Tyler Reif
Kayla Eshleman
Austin Edwards
Kabe McClenny
Lilly Mead
Kyler Berry
Calvin Hegje
Tanner Reif
Olivia Manke
Toyota Sedans
Jillaun Holden
Tim Curtis
Greg Tyler
Kyle Labrie
Thomas Magray
Mike Marley
J.J Brandsen
Manny Gonzales Jr
Kurt Davison
Jerry Cantrell
MST's
Patrick Geiger
Ryan Reynolds
Bert Stephens
Dave Lander
John McCullum Jr
John Benedict
Shaun Reynolds
Dennis Brannon
Santa Maria Raceway Unofficial Race Results May 26-27, 2018
May 27
Late Models
#11X Steve Drake
#1 Jason Papich
#5L Cody Laney
#91T Tony Toste
#32 Clay Daly
#27 Scott Bartels
#10N Rob Sanders
#9XXX Chett Reeves
#16B Randy Brown
#29 Andy Obertello
#74 Dennis Souza
#15M Cory McDonald
IMCA Modifieds
Main Event
Results are not official
#44s Shane Devolder
#198 Robby Sawyer
#15B Brad Pounds
#25 Austin Burke
#111 Logan Drake
#24 Roger Holder
#16B Randy Brown
#17N Steve Noland
#222 Cody Laney
#C9 Clint Reichenbach
#32 DJ Shannon
#22D Ryan Daves
#96A Clay Daly
#77K Kenny Kirkpatrick
#21 Austin Rodarte
#9XXX Chett Reeves
#20 Aaron Rodarte
#98 Alex Stanford
#28 Trevor Fitz
#75 Brad Prows
#13 Jerry Flippo
#20x Cody Burke
#78 Jarod Fast
#96 Carla Laney
B Main #1
Results are not official
#222 Cody Laney
#96 Carla Laney
#75 Brad Prows
#78 Jarod Fast
#44 Andrew Berry
#27H Branon Hoekstra
#25J Danny Cavanagh
B Main #2
Results are not official
#21 Austin Rodarte
#9XXX Chett Reeves
#32 DJ Shannon
#20 Aaron Rodarte
#4RXX Dylan Thornton
#4RX Chad Weber
#3AC Austin Kiefer
#3ac Levi Keifer
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Main Event
Results are not official
#22C Michael Johnson
#83 Jason Nation
#5a Austin Frye
#G6 Gary Dutton
#21 Kyle Wood
#7 Patty Ryland
#132 Brent Curran
#04M Austin Manzella
#09 Brylon Holder
#30 Donny Hampl
#7-7 Aaron Farrell
#C5 Wayne Coffman
#M13 Mathew Mayo
#P51 Parker Maccianti
#48K Kollin Hibdon
#20S Kevin Johnson
#5 Mathew Hagio
#7J Fred Ryland
#28 Paul Harris
#88c Joey Claborn
#42W Austin Williams
#75B Brendon Frye
#3 Dylan Potter
#48 Mike Dean
B Main #1
Results are not official
#20S Kevin Johnson
#C5 Wayne Coffman
#132 Brent Curran
#04M Austin Manzella
#51V Vaughan Vondera
#88B Ryan Bledsaw
#128 Keith Brown Jr
B Main #2
Results are not official
#3 Dylan Potter
#7-7 Aaron Farrell
#21 Kyle Wood
#28 Paul Harris
#15F Markus Frazier
Pro Stocks
Results are not official
#54 Brady Bell
#21JT Justin Crockett
#4 Jerry Stewart
#43K Dave King
#68S Billy Simkins
#50 Chris Smith
#13M Matt Mayo
#11x Tim Randolph
#5N Frank Nyback
#85 Brian Johnson
#33 Rob Gilbertson
#49 Patrick Tone
#87 Chris Clinton
#65 Dennis Woodridge
#11 Kevin Irwin
#11m Clay Daly
#20T Toby Randolph
#21 Devon Crockett
Hobby Stocks
Main Event
Results are not official
#3 Taelor Janes
#91X Michael Scruggs
#8 Tom Grizincic
#99c Eric Cimental
#1n Nicholas Johnson
#11 Cody Johnson
#7c Kodie Dean
#44 Austin Van Hoff
#52 Perry Alderman
#87 Matt McEwan
#19 Pat Fausel
#5x Mike Lewis
#52x Jerry Flippo
#99 Don Mead
#48x Tom Manzella
#55M Mack McGeary
#9.75 Eddie Williams
#18A Aaron Bruce
#91 Scotty Preast
#56 Greg Noah
#11x Billy Nelson
#3R Ernie Malone
#74 Wayne Dotson
#20 Charles Paul
B Main #1
Results are not official
#3R Ernie Malone
#52 Perry Alderman
#20 Charles Paul
#19 Pat Fausel
#48x Tom Manzella
#56 Greg Noah
#18A Aaron Bruce
#55M Mack McGeary
#8K Kyle Eurto
#43 Sam Garvin
#7 Sheldon Bailey
#51 Mike Keebler
#14 JD Mealer
American Stocks
Results are not official
#5 Sean Martin Sr
#47 Brock Crawford
#49J Justin Jackson
#38cc James Coots
#98 Gary Rayburn Jr
#37 Jimmy Satlawa
#32 Jon Waterfiled
#29 Bronson Van Fleet
#174 Kevin Black
#15D Dakota Brown
#55K Kristina McGeary
#99 Steven Amick
#21rrr Issac Dotson
#16 Ed Wyand
#96 Matthew Crawford
#G72 Ronald Lookadoo
#46 Brian Childress
#42 Nick Verbryke
#77 Brandy Wilkerson
#88 Ryan Little
#57 Gregg Teller
#11 Jennifer Oseguera
#14 JD Mealer
May 26
Late Models
Results are not official
#5L Cody Laney
#32B Clay Daly
#1 Jason Papich
#29 Andy Obertello
#91T Tony Toste
#11X Steve Drake
#10N Rob Sanders
#16B Randy Brown
#27 Scott Bartels
#74 Dennis Souza
#9XXX Chett Reeves
IMCA Modifieds
Main Event
Results are not official
#111 Logan Drake
#198 Robby Sawyer
#96A Clay Daly
#32 DJ Shannon
#222 Cody Laney
#98 Alex Stanford
#15B Brad Pounds
#13 Jerry Flippo
#25 Austin Burke
#24 Roger Holder
#20x Cody Burke
#16B Randy Brown
#22D Ryan Daves
#C9 Clint Reichenbach
#21 Austin Rodarte
#9XXX Chett Reeves
#4RXX Dylan Thornton
#28 Trevor Fitz
#75 Brad Prows
#77K Kenny Kirkpatrick
#27H Branon Hoekstra
#44s Shane Devolder
#78 Jarod Fast
#3ac Levi Keifer
B Main #1
Results are not official
#27H Branon Hoekstra
#75 Brad Prows
#4RXX Dylan Thornton
#77K Kenny Kirkpatrick
#96 Carla Laney
#4RX Chad Weber
B Main #2
#24 Roger Holder
#16B Randy Brown
#28 Trevor Fitz
#78 Jarod Fast
#44 Andrew Berry
Pro Stocks
Results are not official
#21JT Justin Crockett
#43K Dave King
#68S Billy Simkins
#54 Brady Bell
#21 Devon Crockett
#11m Clay Daly
#11x Tim Randolph
#13M Matt Mayo
#85 Brian Johnson
#5N Frank Nyback
#20T Toby Randolph
#66 Chad Schaffer
#33 Rob Gilbertson
#49 Patrick Tone
#50 Chris Smith
#4 Jerry Stewart
#32c William Chambers
#11 Austin Keifer
#87 Chris Clinton
#77 Bill Bartels
Hobby Stocks
Main Event
#11 Cody Johnson
#8 Tom Grizincic
#87 Matt McEwan
#91 Scotty Preast
#1n Nicholas Johnson
#99c Eric Cimental
#7c kodie Dean
#48x Tom Manzella
#3 Taelor Janes
#91X Michael Scruggs
#5x Mike Lewis
#52 Perry Alderman
#13 Raymond Shoemaker
#9 Gene Ross
#3R Ernie Malone
#25B Corey Brough
#9.75 Eddie Williams
#11x Billy Nelson
#74 Wayne Dotson
#19 Pat Fausel
#5 Sean Martin Jr
#56 Greg Noah
#21RRR Roger Welch
#55M Mack McGeary
B Man
Results are not official
#91X Michael Scruggs
#56 Greg Noah
#52 Perry Alderman
#5x Mike Lewis
#44 Austin Van Hoff
#51 Mike Keebler
#20 David Bettencourt
#99 Don Mead
#43 Sam Garvin
B Main #2
Results are not official
#21RRR Roger Welch
#55M Mack McGeary
#5 Sean Martin Jr
#13 Raymond Shoemaker
#7 Sheldon Bailey
#45 Christina Garvin
#18A Aaron Bruce
#37 Kelly Nichols
American Stocks
Results are not official
#49J Justin Jackson
#5 Sean Martin Sr
#47 Brock Crawford
#15D Dakota Brown
#96 Matthew Crawford
#38cc James Coots
#11 Kris Broucaret
#38 Taylor King
#174 Kevin Black
#46 Brian Childress
#86c Clay Waters
#55K Kristina McGeary
#57 Gregg Teller
#77 Brandy Wilkerson
#16 Ed Wyand
#37 Jimmy Satlawa
#9 Justin Teller
#99 Steven Amick
#21rr Issac Dotson
#32 Jon Waterfiled
#98 Gary Rayburn Jr
#88 Ryan Little
#29 Bronson Van Fleet
#42 Kevin Pritchard
#14 JD Mealer
#52 Cristy Zumwalt
The Editor's Viewpoint
It's the end of May as I write this. We're already 5 months into this year. Seems to me like time is going faster, and I don't feel it's because I'm having fun. It just seems like time is going faster. Whatever the case, the season is in full swing, and it will be over before we know it.
I saw something this last weekend that I was a bit surprised to see. John M Soares decided to book a race at Antioch Speedway on Memorial Day Weekend. He's made it a point to stay off of the holiday weekends in recent years, meaning no racing on Memorial Day, Labor Day and Fourth of July weekends. There's a concern over whether he can get the attendance.
This is a change in the sport from the way things were 25 years ago. Back then, not only did you run on those weekends, you frequently ran one of those 50 lap or 100 lap races. So, the fact that John and other promoters stay off of those weekends tells you something. Antioch isn't the only track that has stayed dark. Petaluma, Watsonville and Merced still chose not to book last week.
I have been thinking that somebody had to do it eventually. If every other one of those tracks is going to stay dark, you can possibly gain something from it. Antioch rolled the dice, for whatever reason. The gain came in the A Modified division where 24 drivers competed. Antioch had close to 70 total cars in the pits. In that sense, it was a success. Whether it paid off in the grandstands, I couldn't say.
I am a bit mystified at the elevation of the B Modified division. I watched the footage from Antioch Speedway to see the B Modifieds get more Main Event laps than the A Modifieds. You have Kellen Chadwick, Duane Cleveland, Bobby Motts Jr, Nick DeCarlo and so many quality driver's in that A Modified field. When you get that kind of a lineup, they are the show. The B Modified division in Antioch continues to be a case where drivers will go elsewhere and come back to Antioch when it's convenient to them.
So, I am a bit mystified by the elevation. Not saying that to put down the class as there are good drivers in it. But when I look at the pecking order of Antioch Speedway, the B Modified division isn't at the top of the list, or it shouldn't be. I know that Jay Banks is doing the Sharp Shooter Series, which is a nice little touch to things. In any event, Antioch Speedway had a pretty darn good show from what I could see.
The holiday weekend seems to be Santa Maria Speedway's time to shine. This was the case going back to when Doug Fort ran the place, and with the promoters that followed, they have managed to hold on to it. They had what the late Clair Arnold might call a bonanza. Car count was through the roof at Santa Maria for both nights. I don't know how the attendance went, and I haven't had the time to look at the footage, but they had cars like you wouldn't believe.
Otherwise, you have to head north to find a show. I was very happy to see the Civil War Series have big car counts at Marysville and Chico. I know the Sprint Car Challenge Tour is doing all the special things and has all the bells and whistles, but I am a tradition minded person. The Civil War has been around a lot longer, and though admittedly things have been on difficult times, it's still here. I'd rather see an effort made to fight for that cause. Last weekend, they shined very brightly with full fields at both tracks.
In Yreka, it rained. There had been rain forecast a week earlier, but it sort of backed off. It was calling for a 10% or 20% chance of rain, so nobody was expecting it. While we were getting things in shape at Southern Oregon Speedway for our big Open Wheel Showcase event, it rained all around us. We were ready to go. In Yreka, it rained Friday night into Saturday morning. It became evident on Saturday morning that the pits were unusable, so they canceled.
To me, the way they laid out their format didn't make a lot of sense anyway. I get why the racers might want to come on Sunday as they were putting the big money on their big Memorial races, but Saturday was just a regular show. I think that the board might want to sit down and plan these things out a little bit better. For starters, if you've got a big money Main Event for your Modified class, anybody who starts the Main Event shouldn't actually be paying more to go racing than they get to start the race. Most big race promoters will give you your entry fee back if you earn a starting spot in the Main Event. Perhaps this had an impact on why there were 13 IMCA Modifieds instead of more?
The track was rough and was doing a number on the front ends of some of those cars. I'm not going to dog the track crew for that, because they were pretty busy trying to make sure the pits could be usable after the rains. They fought hard to make sure the Sunday show could go on. What was remarkable is the Modifieds had 38 laps to run. The lap total matched the car number of the late John Arnberg, who was being remembered with this race. They didn't have a yellow flag.
I'm watching the video footage from Ryan McDaniel and McDaniel Motorsports. Seems like Ryan was starting to get slower, which is unusual for him. But as I watched what was happening to the people in front of him, it made sense to me. One driver who passed him retired late in the race. I didn't see the reason as far as whether it was a flat tire or maybe there was some suspension damage. That was Jeffrey Faulkner. Kyle Casson did have left front end damage. McDaniel was in second when leader Mark Wauge had the same damage as Casson had. Wauge was leading with only two laps remaining. Had it gone a little bit longer, like 40 laps, McDaniel was going to win that race. Maybe he slowed his pace because he figured out how to negotiate the track without doing as much damage? I don't know.
I was happy that Siskiyou Motor Speedway pulled this race off, although as I said, track conditions were less than ideal. Given the circumstances, I understand that. I look ahead to this week's schedule with a bit of concern. With Southern Oregon Speedway getting ready for the 6th Annual Roger Haudenshild Tribute, I don't think they're going to do very well in their Sport Modified class. They are giving those Jefferson Jalopies their first race, and I hope for the best.
In contrast to the California Bay Area, where the holiday weekends are a time not to race, the tracks in Oregon were very busy running big specials. Willamette Speedway honored their legendary promoter Clair Arnold with the Clair Cup, a big event for the IMCA Modifieds and Late Models. At Cottage Grove Speedway, it was the Marvin Smith race for Sprint Cars. Down at Southern Oregon Speedway, it was the Open Wheel Showcase.
I admit to being a bit skeptical about Mike adding this race to the schedule last year. I felt this was the perfect weekend for the Roger Haudenshild Tribute Race since it could piggyback with the big race in Yreka. Californians could tow to Southern Oregon Speedway and go down to Yreka, making the trip worth the effort. But, the Haudenshild family were the ones who suggested the date change.
We took heat from the Sprint Car community for running this race, but I don't understand why. I understand that Cottage Grove is a Sprint Car track, or at least has that reputation. I work with the man, Mike McCann, who made that happen when he was running the track back in the 1980s. But the thing is, the Marvin Smith race is a Winged 360 Sprint Car race. Our own Sprint Car class is running a limited rules package, similar to the Limited Sprints at Cottage Grove. What happens up there is they offer an incentive to the highest Limited Sprint Car driver as an enticement to get them to run this race.
Another thing that happened that affected things was the fact that the Interstate Sprint Car Series ran a busy two race weekend the week prior. So, you had some of those drivers with a little bit of racing fatigue. They were ready to take the week off and maybe just come spectate a race. There were only a couple of takers to go for the bonus money, and the Marvin Smith race only had 25 Sprint Cars. Why is that? Winged 360 Sprint Cars are dying in Oregon. They're on life support. The Limited Sprint Car effort is actually saving Sprint Car racing in Oregon.
I could get into reasons as to why it has happened. I have mentioned one of the culprits, in my opinion, in recent columns. So, you can't really run big Sprint Car programs in Oregon without the support of people coming down from Washington or people coming up from California. They didn't have much of either, and the Marvin Smith suffered a little bit as a result. From what I hear, the racing was still great, but car count missed the mark. People wanted to point a finger at us for running our own Sprint Car race, but if you talk to the people in the pits there, none of our racers were going up there as they didn't have a chance to be competitive with the Winged 360s. Having a race with their own set of rules at their home track is why they raced at all.
When you talk about an open-wheel division tour and who might be the best, you really should include the Northwest Focus Midgets in this discussion. What Carla and Galen Stewart are doing with this tour is nothing short of remarkable. They promote the hell out of it. They bring in good contingency sponsors, they work social media very hard, they keep their racers very well informed and they Inspire loyalty.
Here's something you don't see very often in racing. A big group of drivers saying they're going to be somewhere and actually showing up. Carla put out a list last year of how many cars were coming. It had 22 names, and 22 drivers showed up. This year, there was a list of 30 drivers, and we got 30 drivers. Only one name on that list didn't show up, but somebody not on the list did. To me, this is incredible.
Southern Oregon Speedway actually outdrew Cottage Grove Speedway in car count with the Open Wheel Showcase. Why is that? We're not trying to be a big Winged 360 Sprint Car show on that weekend. We are showcasing open wheel cars. We get to bring in some amazing Focus Midgets, our own Sprint Car class and a big group of Dwarf Cars. The pits were packed, and the fans got a nice variety. Let's not forget those beautiful old Hardtops that were there as well. 70 cars.
I can't really get into the adventure that we're having at Southern Oregon Speedway as we try to put things together. I'm trying to keep my thoughts composed and take notes for the book that I would like to finish up during the off-season. It has been an adventure, and I can tell you that Mike and myself are working very hard to ensure that things go well. I'm not even sure how Mike is getting through all of this, but he commits himself to it.
Everything was not 100% perfect behind the scenes and has not been so far this year. I'm a little bit mystified as to why some things are happening, but on race night, I don't stop and think about that. If I need to help get something done, I do it. That's what Mike is doing as well. We're making it happen, and hopefully the fans are seeing a program that they are enjoying. Every indication I have heard so far is mostly positive. That's what you want to hear. But rest assured, we know where we need to improve things.
We're not hitting our marks the way we would like. Mike is one of those who believes in getting the show done in a timely manner, and we're running just a little bit later. It's not because of dead time. There have been more cars, the track has required a little bit more packing or whatever the case. When the show starts, we keep it going. Only a brief 10-minute break happens between heat races and Main Events, and then we're racing. It's still gone a little bit later, and that's likely to be the case again this week if we're not careful.
Scorekeeping has been a bit of an issue as well. When you train new people, there's a learning curve. I have brought my own score keeping skills into service to help, though that's not really my desire. I am happier doing my writing thing and doing interviews and taking pictures and announcing anytime I can. I do love to announce, and I don't do enough of that up here, unfortunately. I have found that I'm needed in other places. My goal is always to try and keep things going as smoothly as possible.
And to that end, I see that I've almost used up the allotted time to write this column. There's more hype that needs to be done for our Roger Haudenshild Tribute Race this week. It's the sixth annual event, and we are paying $2,000 to win the IMCA Modifieds, $1,600 to win the IMCA Sport Modifieds and $1,200 to win the Pro Stocks. The Haudenshild family and Dusty's Transmissions have helped make that happen.
As a publicity person, I have to do what I have to do to get the word out. We're using different avenues, and in this case, I'm trying to get some television coverage for us. I've actually been able to do that on three different occasions. The unknown is whether the TV stations will even pay attention. There's other people vying for that brief bit of time that they can get. I'm hoping that given the tradition that this race is and who Roger was in the racing community, they'll give us a little bit of time.
Race tracks have their ups and their downs. There's a lot of regular nights in which you do your best with what you have. You're still trying to make it pop, even though you know there's nothing extra special to entice the fan who might be on the fence thinking about it. When you have your big events, you do your best to make them pop. You need to try to make them as big as you can. Any promoter will tell you that they go from week to week not sure whether it is going to be a gain or a loss. And if you get the momentum, you do the best you can to keep it.
No good week is guaranteed at any race track. I like to say you're only as good as your last race. And even if your last race did pop, you can't just assume this one will too. You need to work on it and make it happen. That's part of what my job is up here, and I take it very seriously. Though I don't know how much longer I'm going to last doing any of this, I do know that I will give it 100% while I'm at it.
Doing what I do up here at Southern Oregon Speedway and doing the media effort that I'm trying to do for several other venues has made me very busy. It's a full-time job it seems. I just wish there was more coming my way for the work put in, but that's never really been the case with what I do. I appreciate all the support that I have been shown from the people who have helped me out. It means a lot, and it's really what's kept me going at this point.
I almost let one thing slip my mind, but I will end on this. Hayfork Speedway has had some problems. Evidently, the association has some missing funds and it looked like the track was just about dead. This is the problem with having an association run track, rather than a promoter run track. It doesn't happen every time, but there are many occasions where somebody ends up leaving with the money, or even leaving with somebody's wife and the money. Siskiyou Motor Speedway had a similar situation nearly shut the track down prior to this year.
I have heard that they are regrouping and renaming the track Mountain Valley Speedway. I have forwarded my thoughts to somebody in the know who I think cares a great deal about racing at that track. There are a few names that have gone missing from the roster that I hope will return and fight for that track. Hayfork racing needs its own local base of racers to make this thing fly. They need to focus on the core divisions that they have, mainly Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks and Enduro cars and growth at first.
In my estimation, there are things that you can do to market yourself. They need to keep working social media, build a strong website and be in touch with any media outlets that can help them in the area. And, I don't think it would hurt them to entertain working a series with Orland Raceway, since there seems to be drivers going back and forth between the tracks. At some point, you even entertain the possibility of bringing in a tour of some kind for one visit, a special night of racing for the fans.
But the first thing that needs to happen at the newly renamed Mountain Valley Speedway in Hayfork, California is they need to get the books in order, make sure the basics are covered and just go racing again.
Anyway, I've used up my allotted time for this column. There's other stuff that needs to be done before I can even come back and edit this. Until next time...
