Thursday, June 28, 2018

Firecracker 50 Race Saturday At Antioch, Timmy Post Race At Merced Speedway, Orland Raceway, More

First of all...

The DCRR Racing Media Books


Just A Kid From The Grandstands:  My Time In Auto Racing
Stories of my time in auto racing from the beginning to 2003
Available on Lulu in Paperback And Hard Cover

And


Don's California Racing Recollections:  Best Of The Blog And Beyond
Racing History, Stories, Statistics And Pictures
Available via print on demand at Lulu in Hard Cover or Paperback

If You Like Reading Our Articles
Support Us Via The Go Fund Me The Tip Jar HERE


Also...

DCRR Racing Media And PR Consulting  HERE

Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion Can Be Heard HERE


The DCRR Racing Radio Show

Did I say Prather?  Griffin. It's Chuck And Marylee Griffin. Derp!  Wish I could edit these shows.  Where's Joe Martinez when I need him ;) I need a vacation!




Firecracker 50 B Modified Race On Tap At Antioch Speedway

Antioch, CA...It used to be that longer distance races happened a few times every season at Antioch Speedway. Now, they are a rarity. Saturday night, the speedway is planning a $500 to win 50 lap feature for the All Star Series B Modified division. Also scheduled to compete on Saturday night will be the A Modifieds, Wingless Spec Sprints, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks.

Trevor Clymens is a five-time winner and the runaway B Modified point leader this year, so you know he has his eyes on the prize. However, it was Fred Ryland coming back for the first time in several weeks and capturing his third 20 lap feature win last Saturday night. These two drivers are the biggest stars of the division in the past few seasons as Clymens is the 2016 champion and Ryland won the track and State championships a year earlier.

Todd Gomez is still knocking on the door to his first win of the season, and he scored his second runner-up finish in the last four races last week. Gomez was a feature winner twice last season and he is a past Street Stock champion at the speedway. The trick of the distance races is surviving the first half of the race and making your move down the stretch. You never know who will win one of these races, and it's not unheard of to see a driver get their first win in a race such as this. One driver who is quietly creeping up the ladder in the standings in fifth is Kenny Shrader. He has a pair of third place finishes so far, but could the win be his for the taking this week?

Chuck Golden scored his second straight Top 5 finish last time to move into second in the standings in a tie with Ryan DeForest. DeForest tops all rookies in the field so far this season, but Shrader has closed to within 12 points of him. Other drivers to keep an eye on this week include Guy Ahlwardt, Tommy Fraser, Randy Brown and Doff Cooksey.

The last time the A Modifieds raced, Bobby Hogge IV scored a monumental 72nd career win, tying him with Scott Busby and JD Willis atop the all time win leaders board. With his third place finish that night, reigning Watsonville champion Nick DeCarlo moved to within two points of reigning Antioch champion Bobby Motts Jr for the lead. DeCarlo recently went to Watsonville and scored a feature victory there. He may be the driver to beat, but three-time feature winner Kellen Chadwick may have other ideas about that.

Motts, meanwhile, has thus far been shut out of the win column, but he has a pair of seconds and a pair of thirds among his best effort so far. The championship battle is very much between Motts and DeCarlo at this point. Meanwhile, Sean O'Gara only holds a 24 point lead over Chadwick in a close race for third. Rookie Buddy Kniss picked up another Top 10 finish last time out as he holds down fifth in the standings. Other drivers to watch for this week include Bobby Montalvo, David Zeiter, Trent Wentworth, Raymond Lindeman and Scott Busby.

Bob Newberry is off to a strong start as he sets his sights on his first Wingless Spec Sprint championship at the speedway since 2004. He now has a pair of firsts and a pair of seconds to his credit, but the most recent race saw him shut out of the Top 5. Newberry holds a solid 47 point lead over Shannon Newton in the championship race. Newton counts himself among the other feature winners so far this season.

It is very much a battle for Newton's second position in the standings as ageless veteran Roy Fisher is five points behind him and Brandon Burd trails by 15 tallies. Alan Miranda missed a race, but his second win of the season last time out has put him back to within 12 points of Burd for the fourth position. Six points behind Miranda you'll find division mainstay Rick Panfili. Panfili has had some rough luck so far this year, but he'll be out to turn it around this week. Other drivers to watch for include Scott Martin, James East and rookie McKenzie Newton.

Last Saturday night was a big night for the Garner family. Both Mark Garner and his son Billy Garner were feature winners. Mark Garner was picking up his second Limited Late Model win of the season after a thrilling duel with reigning champion Kimo Oreta. The battle is still close between these two as Garner leads by just 12 points.

Still hanging tough in the battle is Mike Walko. Walko picked up a Top 3 finish last time, which continues his streak of all Top 3 finishes so far. He only trails Oreta by 6 points and Garner by 18. Ryan Cherezian left the race track on a tow truck hook last week, dropping him a bit further back in the battle. Chad Hammer had an even worse night when he hit the Turn 1 wall with his rear end and rolled. Will the team be able to get the car repaired in time for this race? Drivers to watch for this week include the steady John Evans, Jon Haney and two time champion Mike Gustafson.

Last weekend, a rare occurrence transpired at the speedway. When Billy Garner scored his first career Hobby Stock win, he became the third generation of his family to win a Main Event at the speedway. His grandfather Jerry Garner and father Mark are also feature winners, and his father actually won another Main Event that night. The win for Billy Garner helped him maintain his hold on fourth in the standings, 32 ahead of the division's top rookie, John Wacht.

The two drivers chasing Garner at the checkered flag last week were Michael Cooper and Chris Sorensen. Having only earned one Top 3 finish in his previous six starts, Cooper was anxious to get his third win of the season. However, Garner forced him to settle for second ahead of four time winner and point leader Sorensen. Sorensen's point lead is now 76 ahead of Cooper. Cooper was able to move back into second in the standings by 29 ahead of reigning champion Cameron Swank.

There are several drivers hungry for their first victories, including Top 10 ranked Anthony Wellborn. Wellborn got off to a late start this season, but he is coming off of three straight Top 5 finishes. Other drivers to watch for this week include Joey Ridgeway, John Leach and Syd Smith Jr.

The B Modifieds will also be running their fifth Sharpshooter Tournament Race of the year. With Guy Ahlwardt, KC Keller, Trevor Clymens and Fred Ryland as the four winners so far, it's anybody's guess who might win this round. The best way to find out is by coming out for a great show at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds based facility. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.


Timmy Post Memorial Race Will Go On As Scheduled 
At Merced Speedway

Merced, CA...Just a week after the tragic news of the passing of third-year promoter Ed Parker, Merced Speedway announced that the Timmy Post Memorial race will go one as scheduled this Saturday night. During the week following the big Dwarf Car Nationals event, Parker suffered a heart attack. Though the community is still in mourning, it was decided that the races should go on as scheduled. It's exactly what Parker would have wanted.

Ed brought enthusiasm and a love for the sport with him in what he did at Merced Speedway. Whether it was the way he communicated and kept his racers informed, the big events that he promoted or the fact that he was frequently going live on Facebook with updates for the fans, Parker was already earning a reputation as one of the top short track racing promoters on the West Coast.

Special races are nothing new to the speedway. During Parker's run as promoter, there were a few special events added to the schedule to honor people who have helped make the speedway such a special place during its nearly 70 year run. This Saturday night will also be a special occasion.

The Timmy Post Memorial Race has always been something special for Merced Speedway racers and the people who knew him. Timmy grew up at the speedway and did various jobs until he died in a tragic auto accident on graduation night 1999. He was the son of longtime scorekeeper Kimberly Barcellos and grandson of long time promoters Chuck and Mary Lee Griffin. The race takes on even more poignant meaning as Chuck Griffin passed away during the past year.

One of the trademark races that Griffin promoted during his time running the speedway was the free admittance Fourth of July Fireworks Show. Generally, that event has been one of the biggest attended races at the speedway, and Griffin rounded up sponsorship to give it to the fans for free. The Timmy Post Memorial Race was created with the thought of making sure the racers who were supportive of the Speedway benefited with some extra purse money.

On Saturday night, both concepts will be combined as the fans get to watch this race for free and get the added bonus of a Fireworks Display. Featured divisions include the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and the California Sharp Mini Late Models. The event is being presented by Marjorie Mejia.

The IMCA Modified division has had three time champion Paul Stone visit the Winner's Circle two times so far, but the more consistent Darrell Hughes II leads the standings after five events. As the only driver with four Top 5 finishes, Hughes leads Brian Pearce by two points and Stone by three in a very close battle.

One-time winner and multi division champion Ramie Stone is still within striking distance, 22 points out of the lead and seven behind Jeff Streeter in the battle for fourth. All five of these drivers figure to be at the head of the pack in the battle for victory this week. Other drivers to watch for include Ryan Porter, Derek Nance, Troy Stone, Ricky Thatcher and current IMCA State point leader Shane DeVolder.

Consistency has also enabled Jeremy Hoff to lead the way in the IMCA Sport Modified championship race. We are five races into the season, and the past Antioch Speedway champion is still looking for his first win. He has 3 Top 5 finishes, putting him two points ahead of Danny Roe and five in front of Chris Falkenberg. All three drivers are still winless and hoping to get a victory in this big race.

The next three drivers in close contention are all feature winners this year. Two-time Hobby Stock champion Bruce Nelson has one win to put him six points out of the lead, while rising young star Tanner Thomas has two wins and is only eight points out. During the break, Tanner went to Antioch Speedway and picked up a victory there. His brother Chase Thomas is a one-time winner so far this year to put him 16 points out of the lead. Another Top 10 competitor, Tim Elias, recently won the Bo Hittson Memorial Race in Yreka, California. This division is so competitive that you never know who might win from week to week.

Despite failing to make the Top 5 for only the first time in seven races, Shannon Nelsen still clings to a slim five point lead over reigning champion Kodie Dean. Dean scored his fourth win of the season last time out and is putting the pressure on Nelson. Kristie Shearer also turned in a solid run last time and remains within 30 points of the lead. Robby Loquaci and Watsonville champion Robert Gallaher are other winners so far this year, and Austin Van Hoff, James Stockton, Mike Germait and 2016 champion Michael Shearer are just a few of the drivers looking to get their first wins of the season this week.

The California Sharp Mini Late Model race continues to be a close battle between Tim Crews, Riley Jeppesen and Carson Guthrie. About 10 points separate Crews from third place Guthrie, and Guthrie is the only one of the three without a win so far. Last time out, Jesse James Burks picked up his third win of the season, but he is still trying to make up ground after failing to start the season opening feature. Ian Shearer had his best finish of the year in third last time out as he is looking for his first career win.

Saturday night is a special night. The community mourns the loss of Promoter Ed Parker while they remember Timmy Post. The admission is free, the racing will be exciting and the show will end with a crowd-pleasing Fireworks Display. For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.


The Hardtops Are Coming To Orland Raceway

Orland, CA...Throughout the 1950s and  into the 1970s, Hardtop racing was featured at race tracks throughout California. The last track standing in the Hardtop movement was Vallejo Speedway, and it's division finally ended in 1979. The story of the division in California might have ended there if not for the vision of long-time promoters Mike McCann and Chuck Prather.

McCann, who eventually did promote Orland Raceway for a couple of seasons, was promoting Sunset Speedway in Banks, Oregon at the time. He started his own Hardtop division up there. In 2002, McCann and Prather headed up a group of drivers to make a special visit to California in September. The tracks they visited were Sacramento Raceway and Orland Raceway. The winner of both events was Steve Lemley. Incidentally, Lemley's winning car is now owned by Ken Clifford and driven by Jason Clifford.

After Prather started a Hardtop division and ran it at a few tracks in California during the 2003 and 2004 seasons, movements began in the Northern California and Southern California areas. Hardtop racing was alive and well. The California Hardtop Association has been competing for over a decade with their old 1940's Coupe and Sedan race cars.

Last season, Rich Hood invited the group for a pair of visits and the shows were so entertaining that the fans wanted more. Saturday night, they get their wish as the California Hardtops return along with the Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks and Micro Sprint divisions.

Jason Armstrong won the first Hardtop appearance last season ahead of Ron Ruiz and Ken Clifford. Armstrong had won a Pure Stock race at the speedway a year earlier and was looking forward to putting his Hardtop on the 1/5 mile dirt oval. Next time out, Jason Clifford set a good pace up front and scored the victory ahead of Dave Reed and Ken Retzloff.

The California Hardtop racers consider Orland one of their favorite tracks to visit. A field of 8 to 10 racers is anticipated, and the above mentioned drivers are all active this season. Others to watch for include Joe Shenefield, Roger MacShain, Dennis Armstrong and Dave Mackey.

The Pure Stock division has been giving the fans some great shows so far this season. Jeremy Langenderfer is the reigning champion, but he's far from having a slump so far as a three-time feature winner. His most recent victory came ahead of another past division champion, Paul Stevens. Stevens and Richard Vanderploeg are the other feature winners so far. The talent-laden field includes such noteworthy competitors as past champions Steve Martin, Brad Ray and Jerry Bartlett, Cody Bundy, Amanda McAbel and Ben Matlock.

The Mini Stock division has been very competitive this season with three winners in the four races held so far. Barbara Crain is the only two-time winner as double division racer Paul Stevens and reigning champion Tom Davis are also winners. It wasn't until the most recent race when Davis finally got his first victory of the season. These three are anticipated this week along with Sean Perry, Jason Libbee and two-time champion John Kirkpatrick.

BJ Martin has won championships in multiple 4-cylinder divisions at the speedway and he's also a 600 Micro feature winner this season. At the special winged and non winged 600 Micro event earlier this month, young Cody Gray picked up victories in both classes. Others on the roster include Jarrid Carter, Kyra Michelet and Tony Alosi.

James Barnes has won a pair of 250 Micro features as he leads the local chargers so far. Kylie Porath picked up a win in her one start. Other drivers on the roster this year include Ronnie Heyer, Pax Gonzales, Zach Webster and reigning champion Jackie Whitson Jr.

Saturday's program should be another good one. The California Hardtops have some nice looking machines and they put on a good show for the fans. The popular Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks and Micro Sprints make this a well-rounded program. For further information, find Orland Raceway on Facebook.


California Hardtops Prepare For A Two Race Weekend

Petaluma, CA...The California Hardtop Association is back and in full force this weekend with a two race weekend planned for the group. Saturday night, the group makes their first of two scheduled appearances at Orland Raceway. On Sunday, they make their first of two visits to Petaluma Speedway. These are two of the more popular tracks on the tour among the racers, and Petaluma is the site of their biggest turnout to date, 17 cars.

After their first visit to Orland Raceway last year met with rave reviews, the drivers were invited to be a part of their Battle Of The Axles race in October. The record shows the two feature wins were secured by Jason Armstrong and Jason Clifford. The win by Clifford was particularly impressive as the race went non stop. Dave Reed ran strong that night in second ahead of Ken Retzloff and Ron Ruiz. These three drivers have run strong this season as well.

In recent years, Armstrong has been the driver to beat. However, he has thus far been shut out of the win column. He'll be out to turn that around this week. Some of the drivers anticipated for the Orland race include "The Rocket Man" Ken Clifford, Roger MacShain, Joe Shenefield, Larry Wells, Jason and Dennis Armstrong and Mario Romano.

The Hardtop drivers always look forward to making visits to the 3/8 mile adobe oval in Petaluma. As it so happens, they were given two visits this year. The first is Sunday night. The second finds them as part of the Johnny Soares Classic on August 25th.

Jason Armstrong has run very impressively at Petaluma in recent visits and could very well be the driver to beat. However, as we've witnessed this year, other drivers have stepped up their game. Reed, Ruiz and Retzloff have added their names to win list this year. All three are anticipated at Petaluma along with Dave Mackay, Dan Williams, Spenser Nice and some of the aforementioned names.

It all adds up to an exciting weekend of California Hardtop racing.


Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Garners Win At Antioch Speedway, Ocean Speedway and Petaluma Speedway Reviews, More

First of all...

The DCRR Racing Media Books


Just A Kid From The Grandstands:  My Time In Auto Racing
Stories of my time in auto racing from the beginning to 2003
Available on Lulu in Paperback And Hard Cover

And


Don's California Racing Recollections:  Best Of The Blog And Beyond
Racing History, Stories, Statistics And Pictures
Available via print on demand at Lulu in Hard Cover or Paperback

If You Like Reading Our Articles
Support Us Via The Go Fund Me The Tip Jar HERE


Also...

DCRR Racing Media And PR Consulting  HERE

Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion Can Be Heard HERE


The DCRR Racing Radio Show

Did I say Prather?  Griffin. It's Chuck And Marylee Griffin. Derp!  Wish I could edit these shows.  Where's Joe Martinez when I need him ;) I need a vacation!





Garner And Wiesz Families Have Father-Son Night In Antioch Speedway Winner's Circle

Antioch, CA...June 23...It's a rare moment when you have a father and a son both scoring Main Event victories at Antioch Speedway. Saturday night, there were two occasions as Mark Garner and Billy Garner won their respective Main Events and Colby Wiesz and Ben Wiesz were winners in their Main Events. The Garner family has been competing at Antioch Speedway since the 1960s, going back to when Mark's father Jerry Garner was the NASCAR Stock Car State Champion in 1969.

Mark Garner is wheeling a Limited Late Model these days, and he had his hands full in outrunning reigning champion Kimo Oreta for the 20 lap Main Event win. After winning his heat race, Garner started back in the third row in the Main Event while Mike Walko set the early pace. Garner made his move into second on lap five and begin challenging Walko. Two laps later, Oreta was in third, and the battle was on. Garner made a low pass in Turn 3 on the ninth lap to gain the lead, and Oreta was second two laps later. Oreta made a Turn 2 pass on Garner for the lead as they worked lap 17, but his pass was negated when Chad Hammer spun for a yellow flag. The restart saw a red flag unfurl as Hammer clipped the Turn 1 wall with his rear end and rolled. He was uninjured. Garner led the restart and repelled Oreta's advances to score the victory as Walko, Hammer and Jon Haney rounded out the Top 5.

In the Hobby Stock division, Mark's son Billy Garner scored his first career 20 lap Main Event win. Newcomer Tom Cline led one lap before Garner raced by for the lead. Point leader Chris Sorensen and championship contender Michael Cooper settled into second and third a lap later. Garner had his hands full with those two drivers chasing him around the three-eighth mile clay oval. Cooper gained second on a lap nine restart, but Garner was making no mistakes ahead of him. Garner scored a well-earned victory as Cooper settled for a close second ahead of Sorensen, Matt Wacht and Anthony Wellborn.

Multi time Marysville Raceway Sprint Car champion Colby Wiesz returned and picked up the victory in the 20 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event. Incoming point leader Art McCarthy had the pole and was aiming for his first win of the season, but he was out of the event on lap three along with heat race winner Jacob Tuttle and Glenn Bryan. Wiesz had to battle recent Marysville winner Jake Haulot, but he gained the lead and brought it home to victory. Haulot settled for second ahead of Matt DeMartini, Jeffrey Strole and heat race winner William Fatu.

In the 20 lap Dwarf Car Main Event, it was Colby's son Ben Wiesz scoring the Main Event victory. Wiesz chased outside front row starter Lonnie Tekaat for 12 laps before making an inside pass on the backstretch to take over the lead. A lap 16 caution flag bunched up the field and allowed point leader Mike Corsaro a shot at the victory, but Wiesz was not to be denied as he took the checkered flag in first. Corsaro had a solid night in second, followed by David Rosa, Tekaat and Tony Carmignani.

Fred Ryland closed in on his 50th career Antioch Speedway win with a rather impressive 20 lap B Modified victory. Ryland had the lead from the start as point leader and previous winner Trevor Clymens had to start last. The battle was for second between Chuck Golden and Todd Gomez for several laps, but Gomez gained the position on a lap 12 restart. Clymens made an outside pass for third on lap 18. However, there was no catching Ryland as he won by a straightaway, followed by Gomez, Clymens, Golden and Randy Brown.

Next Saturday night will be the Firecracker 50 for the All Star Series B Modified division, and it will pay $500 to win. Also on the card will be the A Modifieds, Wingless Spec Sprints, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks. The B Modifieds will also have another Sharpshooter Tournament Race. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Unofficial Race Results
All Star Series
Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Jacob Tuttle, William Fatu. Main Event (20 laps)-Colby Wiesz, Jake Haulot, Matt DeMartini, Geoffrey Strole, William Fatu, David Dias, Tim Burcher, Art McCarthy, Glenn Bryan, Jacob Tuttle.

Limited Late Models
Heat Winner (8 laps)-Mark Garner. Main Event (20 laps)-Mark Garner, Kimo Oreta, Mike Walko, Chad Hammer, Jon Haney, Ryan Cherezian, Chris Long

B Modifieds
Heat winners (8 laps)-Trevor Clymens, Fred Ryland. Main Event (20 laps)-Fred Ryland, Todd Gomez, Trevor Clymens, Chuck Golden, Randy Brown, Kenny Shrader, Tommy Fraser, Doff Cooksey, Tim Roland, Kevin Brown DQ

Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Cameron Swank, Anthony Wellborn. Main Event (20 laps)-Billy Garner, Michael Cooper, Chris Sorensen, John Wacht, Anthony Wellborn, Breanna Troen, Tom Cline, Angela Brown, Cameron Swank, Jake Fletcher.

Dwarf Cars
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Josh Wiesz, Mike Corsaro. Main Event (20 laps)-Ben Wiesz, Mike Corsaro, David Rosa, Lonnie Tekaat, Tony Carmignani, David Michael Rosa, Mario Marquez, Chris Becker, Josh Wiesz, Charlie Correia.


Schank, Machado Win 
Petaluma Speedway Fairtime Races

Petaluma, CA...June 24...Terry Schank Jr made a late pass to win the 25 lap PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event Sunday evening at Petaluma Speedway. It was a special race held during the annual Sonoma-Marin Fair. Schank is a three-time Petaluma Speedway and Hunt Wingless Spec Sprint Series champion.

Reigning Winged Sprint Car champion Geoff Ensign set the early pace in the Brain Grosenheider car as Schank was second ahead of last week's Hunt Series winner, Bradley Terrell. The lead three ran closely at the front of the pack for most of the race. Schank finally made his winning pass on lap 20 and led the final five laps for a well earned victory. Ensign settled for second, followed by Matthew Haulot, Shayna Sylvia, Brent Steck, Scott Chapeta, Ryon Siverling, Eden McCormick, Jesse Love IV and Jason McIntosh.

It was Terrell turning the 3/8 mile clay oval with a time of 15.577 to set the fast time of the evening. Terrell, Ensign and Casey McClain each scored wins in their respective eight lap heat races, and Schank outran Ensign to win the six lap Trophy Dash.

Mitch Machado continues his match towards the Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stock championship as he won the 20 lap Main Event. Machado was the class of the field in leading all the way ahead of two-time champion Steve Studebaker. Another two-time champion, Shawn McCoy, made a lap 14 pass on Paul Hanley to take the third place position as Hanley settled for fourth ahead of Tim O'Hara, Austin Ohlinger, Snazzy Duckworth and Sid Hess. It was a clean sweep for Machado as he set the fast time of 17.379, won the six lap Trophy Dash and his eight lap heat race. Studebaker was the other heat winner.

The track will have another special event on Sunday, July 1st. The Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour, presented by Abreu Vineyards will be in town along with the California Hardtops. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.


Sanders Wins 33rd Annual 
Pombo/Sargent Classic At Ocean Speedway

Watsonville, CA...June 22...Justin Sanders won the 33rd running of the Pombo/Sargent Classic Friday night at Ocean Speedway. This King of the West/NARC Sprint Car Series event pays tribute to San Jose Speedway Hall of Fame racers Marshall Sargent and Al Pombo. Sanders becomes the fifth different winner in the eight Series races held so far.

Australian Jamie Cobby teamed up with car owner or Ted Finkenbinder for the first time in about 25 years and earned the pole with his victory in the six lap Trophy Dash. Cobby charged into the lead at the start of the 30 lap race. Cobby led the way throughout the first half of the race, but Sanders was giving him pressure as they caught traffic on lap 14. Contact sent Cobby spinning in Turn 2, and reigning Series champion Bud Kaeding was collected in the incident. The race was over for both drivers as Sanders led Colby Copeland and point leader Kyle Hirst on the restart. Copeland began to pressure Sanders in the waning laps, but he did a complete 360 in Turn 4 on lap 27. He kept going, but the caution flag flew anyway. Sanders led to a pair of late-race restarts to collect the win ahead of Hirst. Shane Golobic came from 12th starting to finish third, followed by Chase Johnson, DJ. Netto, Matthew Moles, Willie Croft, Jeremy Chisum, Copeland and Billy Aton.

A good field of 26 Sprinters came to compete, and Hirst set the fast time of 11.502 on the Tom Sagmiller prepared quarter-mile clay oval. Kaeding was a close second at 11.505. Cobby earned the pole for the feature with his six lap Trophy Dash win ahead of Sanders. Ten lap heat race wins were earned by Hirst, Copeland and Sanders. Chisum won the 15 lap B Main ahead of Aton and Taco Bravo Sprint Car point leader Koen Shaw.

Reigning IMCA Modified champion Nick DeCarlo returned and scored the victory in the 25 lap Main Event. DeCarlo had a pole position start for the race and led every lap. Alex Wilson ran second in the early stages before spinning to hand the position to Austin Burke. DeCarlo ran a fast pace and built a good lead over Burke. As DeCarlo went on to pick up the win, Troy Foulger moved the Bowers Racing Modified into second in the waning laps. Many time champion Bobby Hogge IV also made the pass on Burke before the checkered flag. Austin finished fourth head of brother Cody Burke, state point leader Shane DeVolder, Steven Hopf, Danny Wagner, Brian Cass and Wilson. DeCarlo and Hogge each won eight lap heat races.

Two-time IMCA Sport Modified champion Matthew Hagio won the 20 lap Main Event for his division. Hagio took the lead from pole sitter Jason Pugh on a lap three restart and led the rest of the way for the victory. KC Keller battled from ninth starting to get as high as second, but point leader Jim DiGiovanni made the move around him for the position on a lap nine restart to grab the finish. Keller settled for third, followed by Anthony Giuliani, Tanner Thomas, Pugh, Adrienne Frost, Jack Aguilar, Mark Squadrito and Dave Smart. Keller and Thomas won eight lap heat races.

Zach Price won the 20 lap South Bay Dwarf Car feature. The battle continues between Price and Gene "Punky" Pines for the championship. The two drivers started on the front row with Price coming out just ahead of Pires at the finish. Recent winner Terre Rothweiler finished a solid third, followed by Mark Biscardi, Eric Wiesler, Joe Barkett, Trafton Chandler, Kyle Jones, Alan Heeney and John Harris. Pires and Price won the eight lap heat races.

After a one-week break, the action resumes at Ocean Speedway on July 6th with the return of the Taco Bravo Sprint Cars. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, American Stocks and 4 Bangers will also be a part of the program. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.


Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 23, 2018
Pombo/Sargent Classic
King Of The West/NARC Sprint Cars
A Main
Kyle Hirst
Shane Golobic
Chase Johnson
D.J. Netto
Mathew Moles
Willie Croft
Jeremy Chisum
Colby Copeland
Billy Aton
Dustin Golobic
Kyle Offill
Koen Shaw
Kurt Nelson
Mark Barroso
Jenna Frazier
Jarrett Soares
Tanner Carrick
Marcus Dumesny
Gary Paulson
Jamie Cobby
Bud Kaeding

B Main
Jeremy Chisum
Billy Aton
Koen Shaw
Mark Barroso
Gary Paulson
Kyle Offill
Jenna Frazier
Nathan Rolfe
Bryan Grier
Richard Fajardo

IMCA Modifieds
Nick Decarlo
Troy Foulger
Bobby Hogge IV
Austin Burke
Cody Burke
Shane DeVolder
Stephen Hopf
Danny Wagner
Brian Cass
Alex Wilson
Raymond Keldsen
Todd Hermosillo
Robert Dias
Jeff McCoun
Randy Brown

IMCA Sport Modifieds
Matthew Hagio
Jim DiGiovanni
KC Keller
Anthony Giuliani
Tanner Thomas
Jason Pugh
Adriane Frost
Jack Aguiar
Mark Squadrito
Dave Smart
Steven Allee
Austin Williams
Charlie Hunter
Tim Ragsdale
Nick Tucker
Mike Kofnovec Sr
Austin Manzella

SBDCA Dwarf Cars
Zach Price
Punky Pires
Terre Rothweiler
Mark Biscardi
Eric Weisler
Joe Barket
Trafton Chandler
Kyle Jones
Alan Heeney
John Harris
Eddy Claessen
Mack Aceves
Greg McKenna
Brady Beck


Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results
PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprints
Results are not official
1     #1 Terry Schank  Jr.
2     #11 Bradley Terrell
3     #11j Jake Haulot
4     #9 Shayna Sylvia
5     #84 Brent Steck
6     #92z Scott Chapeta
7     #77s Ryon Siverling
8     #32b Eden McCormick
9     #38 Jesse Love IV
10     #33 Jason McIntosh
11     #73x Keith Calvino
12     #3r Bob Davis
13     #2 Kevin Box
14     #98 Geoff Ensign    
15     #38x Casey McClain        
16     #5150 Chet Wilson

Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks
Results are not official
1     #22m Mitch Machado        
2     #46 Steve Studebaker
3     #60 Shawn McCoy
4     #22 Paul Hanley
5     #27 Tim O'Hara
6     #85 Austin Ohlinger
7     #18 Snazzy Duckworth    
8     #51D Sid Hess

Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros
Results Unavailable


Santa Maria Raceway Unofficial Race Results June 23, 2018
IMCA RaceSaver 305 Sprints
Results are not official
1     #38 Kyle Rasmussen        
2     #75 Brendan Warmerdam
3     #45 Monty Ferriera
4     #35 Albert Pombo
5     #22 Mike Schott
6     #67 Vaughn Schott
7     #67G Grant Duinkerken
8     #5s Mauro Simone
9     #53 Michael Pombo
10     #9s Rick Bray
11     #99 Rob Solomon    
12     #12 Jacob Pacheco        
13     #14K Kevin MacIntosh

IMCA Modifieds
Results are not official
1     #20 Cody Burke        
2     #22D Ryan Daves
3     #44s Shane Devolder
4     #15B Brad Pounds
5     #25 Austin Burke
6     #111 Logan Drake
7     #24 Roger Holder
8     #44 Andrew Berry
9     #75 Brad Prows        
10     #4RX Chad Weber

Pro Stocks
Results are not official
1     #43K Dave King        
2     #21 Devon Crockett
3     #11x Tim Randolph
4     #66 Chad Schaffer
5     #21JT Justin Crockett
6     #68S Billy Simkins
7     #5N Frank Nyback
8     #50 Chris Smith    
9     #87 Chris Clinton
10     #20T Toby Randolph        
11     #11m Clay Daly        
12     #31T Tom Smith

American Stocks
Results are not official
1     #5 Sean Martin Sr    
2     #98 Gary Rayburn Jr
3     #42 Kevin Pritchard
4     #32 Jon Waterfiled    
5     #16 Ed Wyand
6     #55K Kristina McGeary        
7     #37 Jimmy Satlawa        
8     #77 Chris Anderson
9     #49J Justin Jackson        
10     #29 Bronson Van Fleet

Dwarf Cars
Results are not official
1     #14 Tommy Velasquez        
2     #41 Nick Velasquez
3     #48 Trent Morley
4     #00B Joe Barkett
5     #92N Jessica Clark
6     #18 Tom Morley
7     #91 Kody Cowan
8     #20 James Price
9     #28 Tony Pellegrino        
10     #65 John Harris
11     #88 Jeff Brink    
12     #45 Kory Cowan    
13     #6B Brian Barnhill    
14     #4 Mitch Caldwell
15     #93 Jason Horton    
16     #13 Ira Henry
17     #60 Tailer Morrison


Calistoga Speedway Unofficial Race Results
King Of The West/NARC 410 Sprints
Results are not official
1     #83 Kyle Hirst    
2     #21X Shane Golobic
3     #83SA Matt Dumesny
4     #29 Willie Croft
5     #0 Bud Kaeding
6     #68 Chase Johnson
7     #3C Tanner Thorson
8     #88N D.J. Netto
9     #37 Mitchell Faccinto
10     #14 Marcus Dumesny
11     #57 Dustin Golobic
12     #25 Bobby McMahan        
13     #28 Nathan Rolfe
14     #16A Colby Copeland
15     #18 Jenna Frazier        
16     #3F Jamie Cobb    

Civil War Series 360 Sprints
Results are not official
1     #5C Colby Copeland    
2     #56 Willie Croft
3     #21X Cole Macedo
4     #57 Shane Golobic
5     #3C Tanner Thorson
6     #31C Justyn Cox
7     #5K Kalib Henry
8     #69 Bud Kaeding
9     #63 Geoff Ensign
10     #57B Bobby Butler
11     #88 Koen Shaw
12     #P37 Matt Peterson
13     #9 Dustin Freitas
14     #77 Mike Benson
15     #4 Burt Foland Jr.
16     #52 David Lindt II       
17     #33W Tucker Worth    
18     #88B Bret Barney
19     #5 Collin Markle        
20     #11K Kenny Drew
21     #12 Nathan Schank    
22     #88N Sean Becker


Perris Auto Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 23, 2018
USAC/CRA Sprint
A Main
Results are not official
1     #23 Matt Stewart        
2     #5m Max Adams    
3     #42 RJ Johnson
4     #52v Trent Williams
5     #98v Verne Sweeney
6     #39 Jeff Dyer
7     #12b Joel Rayborne
8     #55 Tony Everhart
9     #90 Randy Waitman
10     #21 AJ Bender
11     #51x Austin Ervine
12     #4 Damion Gardner
13     #92 Jake Swanson
14     #19 Justin Grant
15     #91r Brody Roa
16     #2 Austin Williams
17     #44 Cody Williams
18     #02 Matt Rossi    
19     #5 Logan Williams
20     #5x Tom Malcom
21     #4G Chris Gansen
22     #34az Matt Mitchell

B Main
Results are not official
1     #21 AJ Bender
2     #5m Max Adams
3     #44 Cody Williams
4     #90 Randy Waitman
5     #02 Matt Rossi        
6     #55 Tony Everhart
7     #91r Brody Roa
8     #51x Austin Ervine
9     #39 Jeff Dyer
10     #12b Joel Rayborne        
11     #72 Gary Marshall Jr
12     #5t Tye Mihocko
   

The Editor's Viewpoint

It's the eve of the IMCA Wildwest Speedweek Series as I write this. This is kind of a big deal for the IMCA Modified class that encompasses several Oregon tracks and Siskiyou Motor Speedway in Yreka. At various times, Washington tracks have been involved as well. This year, they're going to run eight races in nine days and there are six different tracks involved in this.

One of the frustrations that I have with this whole series is the fact that Jerry Schram, the person who is in charge, seems a bit laxidasical when it comes to really promoting this thing. There isn't a lot of word out there early on about this thing. What I've observed is there's an announcement made back in January or February, and then everybody gets silent until about a week before it's about to happen.

Jerry's people didn't send all the information out to every race track on what the lineup was for all of this. The publicity is something that should be hit pretty hard. I observed a decrease in car count last year from the year before. I would put it at roughly a 25% decrease at Southern Oregon Speedway, and there was a drop off at Siskiyou Motor Speedway as well. Perhaps putting the word out earlier would help this?

We've already observed that this isn't strictly a series for Oregonians. There are drivers coming in from Washington and several coming from California and other states as well. The earlier you put the word out, the easier it will be for people to make plans to come run. If you're trying to get people to come out of state to race, the idea that they have a full week of races and can go ahead and make a plan to be gone for the week makes it a little bit more enticing, in my opinion.

I do this early, and perhaps if I add to this, there will be news that things looked better this year? I would hope so. The Speedweek concept is a good one. Actually, I think much of this stems from what California was dealing with the Sprint Cars. When NARC was a big thing, they hosted a pretty impressive Speedweek of their own that was mimicked up in Oregon. That particular Speedweek still exists, though it's a shadow of its former self. They are even doing a Speedweek for Liked Sprints this year, though I think they were a year or so premature in launching it. There's a story involved, but not in this column.

Actually, there is no reason why California couldn't have an IMCA Modified Speedweek of their own. There's certainly enough cars to support something like this. There is no shortage of tracks that would make great host tracks. It would be very easy to do it the same way they do it up here. Launch it on Friday and go all the way into the next Saturday with various tracks getting dates. Then again, that would require promoters to get along enough to make it happen.

I have been thinking a lot about where my mistake came in wanting to dive in and be so involved in the sport. Of course, when you're in your teens, you don't want to hear anything from nay sayers. You think you know everything. I was approaching this whole thing like it would be a career, and I didn't have one dime to really invest into this endeavor. Maybe I made enough money via magazine sales to buy a new computer or printer from time to time, but that was the extent of it.

So, all of the knowledge that I have accumulated through the years means very little. I might be able to analyze things pretty well and offer my insights, but I'm just some person on the sidelines who can say these things and then when they come to pass say, "See, I was telling you about this." Big deal.

The promoters that put the money in certainly don't want to hear from somebody who thinks they know this or not. They're investing their own money and taking the risks, so they want to be at the helm of their own ship, so to speak. I might get in their ear sometimes, but that's as far as it goes.

I could never have known that back then. All I thought was I could do a magazine and write about all the racers and help promote the sport. Little did I realize that I was building up a skill set that would not necessarily serve me well in life. So, while I sit here and look over the state of racing in 2018 and do my little media effort while helping a race track to an extent I probably never really had done before, it's still not serving me much in life.

They Catch 22 and all of this is if I were working the regular 40 hour grind, there would be no time for me to really have gotten where I have in the sport. It's only by luck that I made it this far. My dad played a big part because he allowed me to do this right up until I walked away the first time. It just so happens that having worked myself into the position I have up here in Medford, I have a seat in the room next to the table. Notice I didn't say at the table. But, it's been an education.

Racing could probably benefit on our level from more serious media efforts. I'm talking multimedia, printed media and the whole nine yards, done intelligently with a network of people involved and race tracks involved. Again, I'm talking about something that would cost money to do. There are certain things you can do on a shoestring budget, but when you talk about the bigger scope of things, it's a lot to be able to do on the cheap. You can't really pull it off.

What I speak of is a network of people with video cameras filing reports from race tracks. Actual quality Internet TV. We're talking racing coverage and racing talk shows. Broadcast, writers in the whole nine yards. If people's habits have changed to the point where they aren't going out to the race track, you have to bring the race track to them. I've been saying this all along, though I haven't really verbalized it this way before. Of course, race tracks aren't just going to willingly let you step in with cameras and offer their product without their piece of the pie. Just how much money is there to go around in such an endeavor? I don't know.

I'm really surprised that nobody has sat down and really taken a good look at this. It was some 18 years ago when Joe Martinez and myself started a rather impressive website that covered racing around California and surrounding states. We offered articles that we usually updated in a timely manner. Audio shows, audio calls of certain races and lots of stuff. We thought we had something that was worth something of value. We were mistaken. In the couple of years that we really hit it hard, not much came back our way. Nobody really followed our footsteps and tried to create such a site after us.

When you think about the internet and how much it's really taking over, it's really amazing that you don't have such a site in existence in 2018. You have mega companies out there handling people's websites and statistics, but you don't have anything like I'm talking about. Maybe people have crunched the numbers and realize there's no money involved? Maybe nobody's looked at all? I don't know the answer, but I know there is not the quality coverage out there that gets people excited about going to their various race tracks or investing any kind of money into it racing as a fan. It seems like something should have been attempted by now.

Before the internet, there were all be printed magazines. Racing Wheels was king, but there were others along with mine. And the guy who was writing so many of the articles that we read was Gary Jacob. Sadly, we lost Gary Jacob back in June of 2006. Nobody ever really stepped up after him to try and do what he was doing. You have two beer in mind, he worked a full-time job and loved racing so much that he made time for it even when he probably should have been sleeping. He traveled up and down the road to the tracks.

It's my honest opinion that Gary gave his life for the sport. In corresponding with his sister Nancy recently, she echoed my sentiment. He would have had it no other way. He cared that much about the sport, and he was probably like I was when I was really into it before I walked away. If I go, who's going to cover it? So, Gary just jumped in and did everything that he could.

It is my desire to see this man inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, which had their ceremonies Thursday night. Given his body of work as a racing reporter for over 30 years, he damn well deserves it. The leadership of the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame absolutely knows this. He covered tracks that they were involved with. I would like to see Gary inducted into any race track Hall of Fame that he had a hand in helping build up through his writing. Watsonville, Merced and Bakersfield come to mind.

To get back to why I was communicating with Nancy Jacob, I had this idea in my mind. I knew the vast amount of records that he kept. When I went to his house back in the mid-1990s to go to some races together, he had a wall lined with filing cabinets. Those were all of the Racing Wheels that he had going back to the 1960s, souvenir programs, other magazines and his writings. He had all of that.

I never gave it much thought when he passed away, which is kind of silly. Then again, I never thought that I was coming back to the sport at the time. I was done. I do regret that I was going to Antioch Fairgrounds to visit people outside the race track during 2006 and new Gary would be coming to the Late Model show that year. I didn't go to say hi to him as I was actually thinking of doing. And of course, he passed away not long after that, like within the week. You never get second chances.

So It goes that when he passed away, they were looking to get rid of his records to somebody who could take care of them. Don Low, who was the one taking notes for Gary at Rocky Hill Speedway, Bakersfield Speedway and other places down in that area, new nobody. So, that's where the story ends with all of the records. They were thrown out. My Hope was that they set up in his room as the family home was still there. I heard that Gary's mother had passed away last year, so I made the attempt to find out what happened with all of his stuff.

My belief is that with all of those records, you really could you make some really great history books, you could chronicle some of Gary's best writings. Unfortunately, all of those magazines are gone. Everything, thrown out. I came very close to losing everything that I had. That's what happens when you lose your home. I'm currently in possession of all of the Racing Wheels magazines and my magazines that I've accumulated through the years. I've even added more to my collection while up here. Only thing lacking right now are my old souvenir programs, which are in possession of my brother the last I heard.

So, at least I have records of Gary's writings from the mid-1980s through the end of Racing Wheels. About 20 years worth. At some point, I'd like to do something that honors him and let the stories be told in his own words as he wrote them. The main thing is, I want to see this man be honored for all that he did for the sport. He was one of the biggest Inspirations for me to get involved in the sport as a writer. The other one probably being Charlie Zeno, who wrote for the Contra Costa Times. I used to love reading Zeno's stories as a kid, but it was Gary's stories in Racing wh6eels that took me to the race track as it happened. He was that good.

I'd like to see him remembered with the honor of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. I'm not worried about any accolades for myself, as some people have suggested. It's not that big of a deal to me. I've been there and done that and probably will move on at some point when I'm able to do so. But, Gary never thought about walking away as far as I know. From the time he picked up a pan and started writing in the late 1960s all the way to the end, he was there. He deserves to be honored still, and putting him into a prestigious Hall of Fame such as the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame is exactly the way to do it.

It's Tuesday evening as I add a little bit more to this column. I'm sitting here watching Speed Shift and the Cottage Grove Speedweek race for the IMCA Modifieds, but only halfway paying attention. Actually, the people at Speed Shift do an excellent job with their internet broadcast. They are at the top of the game as far as I'm concerned.

Doesn't seem like I can keep on schedule to save my life, but in reality I'm actually probably doing pretty well getting out as much information as I am. Sunday found me watching Speed Shift to get an article together for Coos Bay Speedway and then watching live scoring for Petaluma Speedway. I'm happy to report that newspaper coverage was gained for both tracks, but again I had a late night into the early morning.

I look at the calendar and see three more months of a busy schedule doing this. I like to follow through on my commitments. I'm going to let my original statements on my future stand. I'm not even looking towards next year when it comes to any of this, but I am looking at finishing this season up as best I can. What amazes me is that I've gotten newspaper coverage for nine different race tracks, and in some cases multiple newspapers.

Speedweek turned out to be a bigger car count than we had last year in Medford. I think we had 10 more cars. I still think that Jerry is missing the boat on the way this thing is being promoted. I think if you put out a full media blitz a couple months before Speedweek, it would do much to increase the car count. People can plan a week's vacation and use it to go racing. As it is, there's pretty much a built-in following of drivers you know are going to be there from year to year, and that means 30 to 40 cars.

We had nearly 90 race cars in the pits at Medford. Did we run too much? Perhaps. We had less than 30 Modifieds last year, so another division was added to take up the slack. Really, if you have 35 race cars and you're running two sets of heat races, support divisions can be a minimum. The IMCA Modifieds are the show during Speedweek, and if you do too much, maybe it's over kill? I don't know.

What I do know is Southern Oregon Speedway is having its best season so far in recent years, although who knows from week to week if that can hold up. More cars are showing and more fans are coming out to watch, but it seems like it's more of a struggle keeping this thing together. We're doing our best, and I know I'm working hard with the media efforts. I don't get to see if anything I send to the TV channels gets on there, but I have had conformations of at least two occasions where this has happened so far this year.

In the media game, you do what you can to get the word out. You don't just rely on one thing. Facebook and the ability to boost your posts does help, but you go after media in all forms. Sometimes you get ignored, sometimes you don't. There are some areas where media outlets really want to be a part of things and get the word out. There are other outlets out there that are indifferent to racing from what I can see.

Unfortunately, one of those places is Antioch. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but you almost have to beg the newspapers to give you the time of day. I think that more can be done to generate excitement down there, but as I am in another state, I'm doing about as much as I can at the moment. I look at the grandstands from the live broadcast shots that people do on Facebook, and it makes me sad to realize that the potential of the track is not being fully reached.

This is not meant to be an attack on anybody. I know some people would seize on that comment to start bashing the promoter, but that's not my intent here. I just feel like more can be done to generate excitement, and I see the areas that need Improvement. I know that John covers the cost, but at some point, you want to get some return on your investment too, don't you? I sit here from where I'm at and think, is there something else that I could be doing to help?

So, there's this Pacific Sport Modified Challenge up here. This is a separate series outside of IMCA, but they use IMCA races and only allow IMCA sanctioned tracks, not that there are any unsanctioned tracks doing Sport Modified races up here anyway. But I've heard people talk about how they want to see another track or two up here running Sport Modifieds. Could Coos Bay Speedway be the next track?

Of course, right now Coos Bay is using a NASCAR sanctioning, but it's not unheard of for a NASCAR track to have another division that is sanctioned by another entity. Four Sport Modified drivers came in from the Antioch area on Sunday to support the NASCAR Sportsman Late Model show. Also, there was one Oregon racer. I just found it interesting that there were people from outside actually helping the Sport Modified cause in Oregon.

From my perspective, and I might offend some people by saying this, but it seems like the leadership of the PSM is sort of throwing themselves at the feet of one particular promoter while others don't seem as important. Again, this is my perspective. That promoter seemed to get upset when Sport Modifieds didn't turn out in droves for the races at Willamette Speedway last year, but as Cottage Grove Speedway decided not to run Sport Modified races on their two Speedweek dates, what did he expect?

I again heard people talking about how they need to have Sport Modifieds as part of Speedweek. I can certainly understand that, and I don't disagree with that notion. Actually, if you had Modifieds and Sport Modifieds at all Speedweek races, there would be no need for other support divisions. You'd be looking at 60 to 70 cars between both classes and a full program. Is it time to get serious about this?

I know California is leaving a golden opportunity on the table by not looking into doing a Modified Speedweek. There are plenty of tracks that would be ideal hosts, and you can even do the Modified and Sport Modified thing for such a Speedweek. It's interesting that you now have three Speedweek Series between the Modifieds, 360 Sprint Cars and Limited Sprints in Oregon, and California's only Speedweek that I'm aware of is the deal they do in September with USAC.

At any rate, the beat goes on. Another weekend of racing is ahead of me, and actually I need to get a few things done as I'm headed to the track on Wednesday morning. So on that note, I'll end this column. Until next time...

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Remembering Ed Parker, Plus, Antioch Speedway, Merced Speedway, Ocean Speedway, Petaluma Speedway, More

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The DCRR Racing Media Books


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In Memory Of Ed Parker

I woke up this morning to the news of the untimely passing of Ed Parker. I'm deeply saddened by this. Ed was one of the good promoters out there doing right by the sport. He's somebody that we cannot really afford to lose at this time.

I think that Ed and I may have had a few interactions back in 2015 when I was down at Chowchilla and Merced, but he hadn't become the promoter yet. In fact, when I heard he was one of the people interested in buying out John at Merced Speedway, I didn't take him seriously. It didn't help that I had certain people saying to me that he wasn't somebody capable of doing it.

It's not something that he ever did before. He raced the Little Truck division, which is a division that has had such an impact on racing in Merced that it's still being felt to this day, and the division hasn't been around for 17 years. When Ed decided he was going after this race track, he began formulating his plan. He was very serious. He was in constant communication with John as they negotiated their deal.

In the meantime, I was in the process of losing my home and hoping some last minute miracle could save it. John had me writing down at Merced and doing some announcing there and at Chowchilla. We started to see signs of racers coming back to the track during the last few races. I know that got Ed's mind working as he thought about the things that he could do to make things really pop at the track.

When I lost my home and was staying at my aunt's house, Dale Falkenberg informed me of an offer he had for me to announce. I even named my price, and Ed Parker didn't flinch. He wanted me to announce, and Dale was there singing my praises. If not for the fact that I needed more money to keep me located in California at the time, I would have gone to Merced. I said that the biggest thing that could have made it happen was if Chowchilla Speedway were still running that first year and I could get a job there.

Even though I relocated, I still wanted to help Ed in his effort to really turn things around. This is the biggest reason I am doing race review articles for the track that are getting published in newspapers. They currently have nothing out there talking about the great show that Ed has put together, and I thought that needed to change.

What I most admired about Ed Parker was his love of the sport and his genuine desire to do good things for that track. He was constantly working on ideas, and he surrounded himself with people of like mind who understood this sport. This is the key to why things have done so well there. I think it's important for a promoter to like what they're doing, even if it is a business where you're ultimately trying to make money. You could tell Ed loved what he was doing.

I sort of pictured him as the guy walking down the grandstands at the end of the night when pretty much everybody was gone. He would be pinching himself to see if this was real. I know he felt like a lucky man to be able to do what he was doing to help the racing community, and he liked to let everybody know what was going on. Ed would go live from the track every so often to let people know what was happening. Not many promoters would keep people in the loop the way he did.

I've always believed in race track unity and promoters working together. Probably a pipe dream, but darned if Ed Parker wasn't somebody committed to doing just that. I remember him lamenting the fact that he had tried working with everybody on his schedule prior to the 2017 season. He talked about all the stress, and I had to comment and tell him he did a good job with what he did. The promoters who wanted to work with him did. And to this day, Ed's schedule stayed off of certain race track's dates in an effort to work with them.

Ed built up a reputation as a racer's promoter. People wanted to go down there and race for him. He treated them with respect. This isn't any more obvious than when the track had over 100 race cars in the pits for the first time in who knows how long last year. This year, they even shattered that record with some 140 cars in the pits. This doesn't happen by accident. This happens because you had a guy in charge guiding the ship in such a way that people wanted to be a part of it.

Ed was also a man of his word. He told me before that he would help me out and send some money my way for the DCRR Media effort. I just liked hearing that he appreciated what I was doing, but darned if he didn't follow through on that and recently send me a few bucks that I could definitely use for things. I'm happy that I got an article on the Merced County Times front page about Ed with his picture. He deserved that kind of recognition for what he had done.

Merced Speedway is about community. Race Director Doug Williams knew that when he came to work with John before, but Ed continued to follow up and build on that theme. So, in addition to the Ted Stofle Classic and Legends Night that were there, you got the John Fore Jr Memorial, the return of the Timmy Post Memorial and the big race for Bill Egleston. Ed knew that it was the community that made all of this happen. All of the racers who have come and gone through the years.

What I hate to see is the negativity that got thrown at him, but it's a part of the game. I can tell you stories about what I've witnessed up here, but this column is not about that. Ed took it with a grain of salt, but he did listen to his racers. He changed the track configuration this year after going to different racing promoters events. Ed tried everything to make it work, but in the end, he listened to the racers who wanted it changed back.

During the break leading up to the big Dwarf Car Nationals, Ed had a crew out there putting the banking back in. He even told them in a live broadcast that they wanted it, so he was giving it to them. "I listen to my racers, " Ed proudly said. And damn it, he did. He was one of the good ones.

I won't knock any promoter who's out there risking their own money to keep a race track going. They all have my respect. Ed was one of those who went above and beyond, and I so very much appreciated and respected what he was doing. It wasn't just about maybe getting some money back in his investment. It was about making Merced Speedway better and making bigger shows than the race track has seen in many years. I can tell you this. In his short time as promoter, Ed accomplished all of that and more.

If you were on social media today, you saw the outpouring of emotion and love for Ed Parker. Everybody saw what he was doing. Everybody approved of what he was doing. Him being gone leaves a big hole in the racing community in Merced. I'm not sure what the future will be, but I can tell you that Ed would want things to continue on. I'm not going to comment on any of that in this column.

I can just tell you that I am proud to have had interactions with Ed Parker through the years on social media. I let him know in no uncertain terms that I supported him and continued to try and spread the word about what he was doing. And you know what Ed did? Aside from sending me some money, there has been a standing invitation for me to come to Legends Night. He even offered to pay my way down there, which was something I was thinking about doing this year.

It should serve as a stark reminder to people. Never take any day for granted. Never take anybody for granted that you care about. You may be seeing them today, but who knows about tomorrow? Tomorrow is uncertain. If you've got a chance to do something, don't hesitate. And don't forget to tell the loved ones in your life how much you love them.

I can tell you that when Ed's son Cody graduated, he let the world know how proud he was of him. I remember Cody making his first starts in a Hobby Stock at Chowchilla back in 2015. But Cody would also help work on the race track when Ed got it. Merced Speedway was very much a Parker family endeavor. And all I can add in closing is that my thoughts and prayers go out to Ed's family and close friends in their time of mourning.

Thank you Ed for all that you did to help make Merced Speedway a better place to race. You will be missed.



Limited Late Models Are Part Of Five Division 
Antioch Speedway Show Saturday Night

Antioch, CA...The All Star Series Limited Late Models return to Antioch Speedway as part of a five division program this Saturday night. The popular B Modifieds will be there along with the Winged 360 Sprints, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars. We're about at the halfway point of the season, but there's still plenty of racing to be seen on the John M Soares promoted 3/8 mile clay oval.

We pretty much expected the continuation of the battle between reigning champion, Kimo Oreta and Mark Garner for the Limited Late Model championship. To that extent, we certainly have not been disappointed. Both drivers have come out strong this season. Oreta became the first two-time winner of the season when he won the most recent race. His other starts have resulted in just one other Top 3 finish. Garner, meanwhile has done slightly better in preliminary action and has one first, one second and one third so far. He sits atop the point list by just eight points ahead of Oreta.

The driver in the middle of that battle is Mike Walko. Mike has all Top 3 finishes with one win, two seconds and two thirds. It's probably because his preliminary efforts haven't been so good that he trails Garner by eight points in the battle. Mike started his racing career at Antioch over 35 years ago. He has spent recent seasons competing at Marysville Raceway and was second in the standings last year. Also in the hunt is the fast pickup truck of Ryan Cherezian, who counts one second and one third as his best efforts so far. He is very much in the hunt for his first ever win in the division. Other drivers to watch for this week include Chad Hammer, John Evans, two-time champion Mike Gustafson and Jon Haney.

Last week, Trevor Clymens scored his fourth win in the last five races and fifth of the season. We've been saying that he has won more races at the speedway in the past three years than anybody else, and last week was his 20th B Modified win. Clymens holds a commanding lead in the championship battle with the race very much for second at this point. Rookie Ryan DeForest, who is a past Mini Truck competitor at the track, holds an 18 point lead over Tommy Fraser. Both are looking for their first wins.

Another driver looking to get his first Antioch victory is fourth place competitor Guy Ahlwardt. Guy won recently at Watsonville and is coming very close to getting a win at his home track. He trails DeForest by just 24 points in the battle for second. Another driver climbing the ladder very rapidly after a late start is Kenny Shrader. Shrader is 52 points out of second but still very much in the hunt. Other racers to watch for this week include Chuck Golden, Todd Gomez, Kevin Brown and past A Modified champion Aaron Crowell.

Art McCarthy has stepped into the Winged 360 Sprint point lead, but probably not the way he would have preferred. Two time winner Matt DeMartini missed the most recent race, and two-time reigning champion McCarthy is still looking for his first win of the season. It was Billy Aton winning last week in a short field of racers.

Tim Burcher is the unlikely second place competitor, but his lead over DeMartini is only four points with Aton six points back. Another driver who has just joined the battle at Antioch is Geoffrey Strole. Strole has been competing in Wingless competition with USAC in recent seasons, and he was the heat race winner last time out. The count was down noticeably last week, but it's hoped that such competitors as David Dias, Burt Foland Jr and Jacob Tuttle come back to race again this week.

In the Hobby Stock division, reigning champion Cameron Swank is on a roll. Swank won his third race of the past four weeks, and the previous three weeks of that streak have been all second place finishes. That's the good news. The bad news is Swank is trailing point leader Chris Sorensen by nearly 100 points. Sorensen has been off to an impressive start and has four feature victories to show for it in his car that came from the shop of Baker Motorsports. Chris finished second last week despite a spin earlier in the race. Meanwhile, Michael Cooper continues to struggle with just one Top 5 finish in his past six starts. Cooper was battling for the lead last time when he had to pit with a flat. He leads Swank by just 17 points in the race for second.

Fourth generation racer Billy Garner continues to do well. Billy has notched three Top 5 finishes in the last four races with a season high third during that time. He's closing in on his first career win, and that could happen this week. Newcomer Anthony Wellborn has been making waves with back-to-back Top 5 finishes as well. These two drivers will be hoping to win, but you can expect good competition from others, such as Anthony Vigna, Tanis Rangel, Breanna Troen and Joey Ridgeway.

It's not surprising to see David Michael Rosa shoot back into the second position on the standings. Winning two straight Main Events will do that for you. He still trails reigning champion Mike Corsaro by 52 points. Corsaro was leading midway through the most recent race when he pitted with mechanical issues. Rosa has the hot hand right now, but can he make it three wins in a row?

It's a close race for third in the standings as Mario Marquez leads ageless veteran Charlie Correia by 14 tallies. Street Stock legend David Rosa holds down fifth, two points ahead of Chris Mello and four in front of Troy Stevenson. All five of these racers are still looking for their first wins of the season. It should be a great race this week as Dwarf Car veterans Jerry Doty and Tony Carmignani are part of a field that also includes such racers such as Lonnie Tekaat, Chris Becker and Timmy Ryan.

Saturday night's five division All Star Series event should be a good one from start to finish. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.


Hogge wins Jerry Hetrick Memorial Race 
At Antioch Speedway

Antioch, CA...June 16...Bobby Hogge IV scored the victory in the 20 lap Jerry Hetrick Memorial A Modified race Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. The win was his 72nd at Antioch Speedway, putting him in a three-way tie with Scott Busby and JD Willis at the top of the All Time win list.

Kellen Chadwick started out strong in the race as he led Hogge and Nick DeCarlo early on through a pair of yellow flags during the first 10 laps. It was during the final five laps when things got interesting. The leaders caught slower traffic, and Hogge was running a fast high line. Hogge put his car up on the outside as he exited Turn 2 of the 18th lap and passed two slower cars while taking the lead from Chadwick. Once he got in front, Hogge led the final two tours of the three-eighth mile clay oval to collect the big win. Chadwick settled for second, followed by DeCarlo, Jeff Decker and Richard Papenhausen.

Trevor Clymens scored his 20th career All Star Series B Modified Main Event victory. The current point leader set the pace from the waving of the green flag. Meanwhile, rookie Brent Curran started 10th and steadily worked his way to the front. Curran took second from Kenny Shrader on a lap 16 restart and gave Clymens some pressure during the final laps. Clymens kept his cool and won ahead of Curran, Shrader, Chuck Golden and Kevin Brown.

Reigning Hobby Stock champion Cameron Swank won his third 20 lap Main Event. Joey Ridgeway set the early pace. Ridgeway got out of shape down the backstretch on lap 7, allowing Anthony Wellborn to race into the lead ahead of Michael Cooper. Cooper made a low pass in Turn 4 to take the lead from Wellborn on lap nine. Swank gained second on a lap 10 restart and made an inside pass on Cooper in Turn 4 a lap later to gain the lead. The two drivers exchanged the lead in Turn 4 during the next two laps, but Cooper ducked into the pits on lap 13 with a flat tire. Swank had the lead at that point and held off point leader Chris Sorensen the rest of the way for the victory. Ridgeway settled for third, followed by Wellborn and Billy Garner.

David Michael Rosa won his second straight Dwarf Car Main Event. Rosa had to start back in tenth as the previous winner. Mario Marquez was the early leader ahead of point leader Mike Corsaro. Corsaro took the lead on lap seven, but he slowed and retired from the race two laps later. This put Michael Curry into the lead ahead of Marquez. Rosa found his way into the Top 3 by lap 10 and made a pass on Marquez for second two laps later. Rosa passed Curry for the lead on lap 16 and pulled away from there to the victory. Curry settled for second, followed by Tony Carmignani, Chris Mello and Lonnie Tekaat

Billy Aton won the 20 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event. The 2016 champion bested a short field with point leader Art McCarthy finishing second ahead of heat race winner Jeffrey Strole and Tim Burcher.

Racing continues next Saturday night with the All Star Series Winged 360 Sprint Cars, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Unofficial Race Results
All Star Series
A Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Brian Cass, Bobby Hogge IV, Kellen Chadwick. Main Event (25 Laps)-Bobby Hogge IV, Kellen Chadwick, Nick DeCarlo, Jeff Decker, Richard Papenhausen, Brian Cass, Buddy Kniss, Bobby Motts Jr, Bobby Montalvo, Trent Wentworth.

B Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Brent Curran, Tommy Fraser. Main Event (20 Laps)-Trevor Clymens, Brent Curran, Kenny Shrader, Chuck Golden, Kevin Brown, Ron Brown, Nick Caughman Jr, Tommy Fraser, Joe Salvi, Ryan DeForest.

Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Billy Garner, Cameron Swank. Main Event (20 Laps)-Cameron Swank, Chris Sorensen, Joe Ridgeway Jr, Anthony Wellborn, Billy Garner, Syd Smith Jr, Anthony Vigna, Breanna Troen, Michael Cooper, Prestyn Corral.

Dwarf Cars
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Mike Corsaro, David Michael Rosa. Main Event (20 Laps)-David Michael Rosa, Michael Curry, Tony Carmignani, Chris Mello,  Lonnie Tekaat, Charlie Correia, Jerry Doty, Timmy Ryan, Chris Becker, Mario Marquez.

Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Heat Winner (8 Laps)-Geoffrey Strole.  Main Event (20 Laps)-Billy Aton, Art McCarthy, Geoffrey Strole, Tim Burcher.



Diatte, Kapaun Win Dwarf Car Nationals Events 
At Merced Speedway

Merced, CA...June 16...Ryan Diatte picked up the big win in the Western States Dwarf Car Association 30 lap Main Event for the Pro Division. It capped a two win weekend as he also won the Preliminary Feature on Friday night to put him into the Fast Dash. Diatte won the Fast Dash ahead of Ryan Winter.

With a pole position start for the 30 lap race, Diatte led from the outset. However, it was Jonathan Henry keeping it very close at the checkered flag. Tony Steffensmeier was third, followed closely by Derren Brown and Winter. After winning the 15 lap B Main, Cameron Diatte charged to a sixth place finish ahead of Mac Marmon, Danny Wagner, Darren Brent and Dustin Loughton. Cameron Diatte outran Michael "Spanky" Grenert and Brent to win the 15 lap B Main. 10 lap heat race wins went to Cameron Diatte, and Grenert.

Steven Kapaun had an impressive night in the Veteran Dwarf Car division. The Arizona visitor picked up the win in the 10 lap Fast Dash, followed by Mark Biscardi. The two then had a good race up front in the 20 lap feature race with Kapaun finishing just ahead of Biscardi for the victory. Tim Fitzpatrick out-dueled Scott Dahlgren for the third position. Buddy Olschowka was a solid fifth, followed by Kevin Bender, Mike Reeder, Jack Haverty, Wade Ehrlich and Dennis Hively. Olschowka won the 10 lap heat race.

Shawn Whitney bested a short field of Sportsman Dwarf Car competitors. After winning the 10 lap Fast Dash, Whitney outran Oregon racer Joe Sanders for the 12 lap Main Event win. Mike Clark was a solid third ahead of Eddie Claesson and Mack Aceves.

Reigning Hobby Stock champion Kodie Dean continues to close in on the point lead after his 20 lap Main Event triumph. This was his fourth win, and he used a pole position start to lead all the way. Robbie Loquaci kept it close in second. Rick Diaz and two-time champion Bubba Nelson came from the fifth row to finish third and fourth, respectively. Austin Van Hoff settled for fifth, followed by Kristie Shearer, John Hensley, point leader Shannon Nelsen, Cody Smiley and Jeff Lacy. Dean and Hensley won eight lap heat races.

Jesse James Burks captured his third California Sharp Mini Late Model feature win of the season. Burks out-dueled point leader Tim Crews to get the win. Ian Shearer was a season best third in a good battle with Carson Guthrie as Riley Jeppesen rounded out the Top 5 in the 15 lap race. Burks also won the six lap heat race.

Chris Birdsong won his second 12 lap Valley Sportsman Main Event. Birdsong picked up the win with Watsonville Speedway Hall of Famer Ray Johnson a few car lengths behind in second. Reigning division championship Jeff Bristow won a photo finish with point leader Jerry Cecil for third as Rick Elliott rounded out the Top 5. Birdsong also won the heat race.

Merced Speedway will go dark this Saturday night before returning for the annual Timmy Post Memorial race. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and California Sharp Mini Late Models will be competing that night. For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.



Diatte, Dahlgren Win Night #1 Of WSDCA Dwarf Car Nationals At Merced Speedway

Merced, CA...June 15...Ryan Diatte scored of the victory in the 20 lap Western States Dwarf Car Pro Main Event Friday night at Merced Speedway. Ryan Winter paced two laps before Diatte moved by for the lead. Jonathan Henry followed closely into second. Henry kept pace with Diatte, but Diatte would lead all the way to the checkered flag. Winter was a solid third, followed by Darren Brown, Danny Wagner, Tony Steffensmeier, Dustin Loughton, Mark Hanson, Mac Marmon and Chad Matthias.

The Pro division had 27 competitors for the first night of racing, and Zack Price won the first eight lap heat race ahead of Wagner. Winter won the second heat ahead of Brown and the third heat win went to Diatte in front of Henry. Steffensmeier had to win the 15 lap B Main to get into the feature, and he won the race ahead of Loughton, Gene "Punky" Pires, Darren Brent and Toby Brown.

A light turn out of Sportsman Dwarf Cars saw them combined with the Veteran Dwarf Car class. Scott Dahlgren won a good battle up front for the 20 lap feature win. Arizona racer Steven Kapaun set the early pace, but he surrendered the lead to Dahlgren on lap nine. A lap 15 restart allowed Mark Biscardi to charge into second ahead of Kevin Bender. Dahlgren led the rest of the way to win ahead of the Biscardi, Bender, Kapaun, Tim Fitzpatrick, Buddy Olschowka, Kevin Miraglio, Mike Reeder, Eric Weisler and Wade Ehrlich. Eight lap heat race wins went to Bender and Kapaun.

Shawn Whitney won the six lap Sportsman Dwarf Car heat race and then won the Main Event ahead of Mac Aceves, Eddie Claessen and Joe Sanders.

The Friday night preliminary races at the Nationals put the Top 10 finishers of the feature races automatically into Saturday's Fast Heat for the respective classes. That determines the first five rows of the Main Event. With 27 Dwarf Cars in the Pro class, Friday's Preliminary Feature is a pretty important race.


Terrell Wins Hunt Spec Sprint Series Race 
At Petaluma Speedway

Petaluma, CA...June 16...Bradley Terrell won the sixth round of the C&H Veteran Enterprises Hunt Wingless Spec Sprint Series Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. Terrell is a past Winged 360 Sprint Car champion at the speedway. Despite a late caution in the 25 lap event, Terrell held off Scott Hall for the win. The track's reigning Winged Sprint Car champion, Geoff Ensign, finished third, followed by Shawn Jones, three-time series champion Terry Schank Jr, Cody Spencer, Nick Larson, Trey Walters, Troy DeGaton and Alan Miranda.

The Hunt Spec Sprint Series brought 25 cars, and Ensign set the fast time at 14.639, beating the 15.063 of Spencer. Shayna Sylvia scored a popular victory ahead of Terrell in the six lap Trophy Dash. Dennis Furia Jr made it into the Main Event by winning the eight lap B Main, just ahead of Keith Calvino and Kaimi Moniz-Costa.

Tim Yeager scored his first win in the 25 lap McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modified Main Event. Many time champion Michael Paul Jr won a battle with point leader Jeff Faulkner to finish second. Reigning champion Oreste Gonella settled for fourth ahead of Mitch Machado, Anthony Slaney, Joel Myers, Ray Trimble, Chris Seweike and Justin Yeager. Tim Yeager and Paul won eight lap heat races.

Mitch Machado continued to roll in The Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stock division as he won his fourth 20 lap Main Event. Reigning division champion Matt While finished a strong second, followed by Steve Studebaker, Shawn McCoy, Sean Cook, Jim "Woody" Woodward, Austin Ohlinger, Sid Hess, Tim O'Hara and Snazzy Duckworth. Machado and Woodward were the eight lap heat races winners.

Dave Spindell won the 20 lap Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stock Main Event. Sean Hale was a strong second, followed by Richard Sklarski, Danny Manzoni and Tom Brown. Spindell and Randy Miramontez were the six lap heat race winners.

The next race will be part of the Sonoma-Marin Fair on Sunday as PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprints, Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks and Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros will be competing. For further information, go to you www.petaluma-speedway.com.



Point leader Shaw Wins Sprint Car Main At Ocean Speedway

Watsonville, CA...June 15...Point leader Koen Shaw scored the victory in the 30 lap Taco Bravo Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. It was the first win of the season for Shaw. Shaw led a pair of laps in the Main Event before DJ Netto went racing by on lap three. Justin Sanders gained second on lap six. Soon, Sanders began putting pressure on Netto for the lead, and he made the move into the top position on lap 22. It got a little bit too close for comfort moments later as the two leaders tangled on the backstretch, ending the race for both of them and putting Shaw into the lead. Two time Wingless Spec Sprint champion Ryan Bernal was second at that point, and he began to pressure Shaw for the lead in the waning laps. However, Shaw kept his cool and scored the victory ahead of Bernal, Kyle Offill, Tommy Tarlton, Cole Macedo, Brad Furr, Zane Blanchard, Von Schott, Jeremy Chisum and Jason Chisum.

Shaw started his night right by setting the fast time of 11.898 in the 20 car field. Tarlton had an 11.918 lap for second quick. Bernal, Netto and Sanders each won eight lap heat races. Tarlton outran Shaw to win the six lap Trophy Dash.

Incoming point leader Matt Kile won his third 20 lap American Stock Main Event. Kile led from the outset ahead of JC Elrod. Last starter Rob Gallaher made it up to 4th when the only caution flag of the race flew on lap 10. On the restart, Gallaher charged into second. However, Kile stayed smooth down the stretch and scored the victory ahead of Rob Gallaher, Joe Gallaher, Tony Oliveira, DJ Keldsen, Wally Kennedy, Elrod, Terry Traub and John Farrell. Eight lap heat wins went to Elrod and Rob Gallaher. The division had a rare opportunity to qualify on the clock, and Rob Gallaher set the fast time of 17.680.

Abigail Kennedy won her first 15 lap 4 Banger Main Event. Kennedy trailed incoming point leader Dakota Keldsen for four laps before taking the lead as Keldsen had problems. Keldsen began to make a charge back to the front down the stretch, and he gained second on lap 12. However, Kennedy had a big lead by the checkered flag. Nicole Beardsley made a last lap pass on Gary Smith for third. Bill Beardsley finished fifth, followed by Kate Beardsley, Ray Bunn and Justin Williams. Bunn and Smith each won six lap heat races.

Next week is the Pombo/Sargent Classic for the King of the West Sprint Cars. Also on the card will be the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and South Bay Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.


Langenderfer Wins Again At Orland Raceway

Orland, CA...June 16...Reigning Pure Stock champion Jeremy Langenderfer won the 20 lap Main Event Saturday night at Orland Raceway. This was the third win of the season for Langenderfer as he is making a strong bid to repeat as champion. 2015 champion Paul Stevens took up pursuit of Langenderfer and caught a break when a yellow flag flew with five laps to go. However. Langenderfer resumed his rapid pace and took the checkered flag about six car-lengths ahead of Stevens. Jason Matlock was a strong third. Thomas Pavlick won a  close three car battle for fourth ahead of Earl Adams and Cody Bundy.

Reigning Mini Stock champion Tom Davis was rather dominant in winning a majority of his division's Main Events last season, but he had been kept out of the winner's circle up until Saturday. He finally won his first 20 lap feature of the season, while Sean Perry and Paul Stevens won heat races.

Past Orland Wingless Sprint champion Tony Richards made his triumphant return with a win in the 20 lap Wingless Gas Sprint Main Event. He becomes the third different winner in the class this year. 2016 Mini Truck champion Dan Webster grabbed the victory in the 20 lap feature. James Barnes won the 20 lap 250 Micro Main Event.

The California Hardtops make their first appearance of the season at the next race on June 30th. Mini Stocks, Mini Trucks, 600 Micros and 250 Micros will also be competing. Find Orland Raceway on Facebook for further information.


Brown, Scruggs, Rayburn Win At Kern County Raceway

Bakersfield, CA...June 15...JD Brown picked up the win in the 20 lap Mod Lite Main Event Friday night at Kern County Raceway. Brown set a good pace out front, but Caden Cochrun kept it close as a race long second. Kenny Cochrun was the final lead lap finisher as Kyleigh Forster, Tristan Kanthack, Evan Berger and Zach Forster completed the finishing order. Zach Forster won the eight lap heat race but fell out early in the Main Event.

Evan Scruggs collected the victory in the 20 lap Hobby Stock feature. Scruggs took the checkered flag ahead of Cody Johnson. Tim Delsid picked up a third place finish ahead of Nicholas Johnson, Trevor Baker, Eric Cimental, Don Mead and Scotty Preast. Nicholas Johnson won the eight lap heat race.

Santa Maria Speedway regular Gary Rayburn Jr won the 25 lap American Stock Main Event. Dakota Brown was a strong second ahead of Brock Crawford, Jimmy Satlawa, Justin Jackson, Matthew Crawford, Michael Crawford, Teena Johnson, Wayne Dotson and Daryl Mealer. Eight lap heat race wins went to Michael Crawford and Dotson.

Tyler Blankenship won the 15 lap Sr Mini Dwarf Car Main Event. Trenton Eurto and Nathan Edwards had a good battle for second with Edwards coming out ahead of Eurto. Logan Miller and Connor Karsten completed the finishing order. Blankenship won the six lap heat race.

Adam Nohl won the Jr Mini Dwarf Car 15 lap Main Event. Nohl set the pace from the start, leaving a good three car battle behind him for second. Tristan Harrington held the spot for several laps, but Seth Hansen and Bransyn Speer both got by for second and third, respectively. Harrington settled for fourth ahead of Hayden Joplin and Ethan Johnson. Nohl won the six lap heat race.

Cade Lewis won the 20 lap Mini Mod Main Event. Tyler Blankenship led for three laps before mechanical issues ended his race and gave Lewis the lead. Lewis led the rest of the race with Cole Forster a close second and Nathaniel Edwards finishing third.

Racing returns to the dirt oval on July 13th with A Modifieds back in action along with B Modifieds, Pro Stocks, American Stocks and USAC Speed2 Midgets. For further information, go to www.kernraceway.com.





Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 15, 2018
Pro Dwarf Car
A Main
Ryan Diatte
Johnathon Henry
Ryan Winter
Darren Brown
Danny Wagner
Tony Steffensmeier
Dustin Loughton
Mark Hanson
Mac Marmon
Chad Matthias
Zach Price
Michael Grenert
Toby Brown
Brady Beck
Justin Yanez
Adam Teves
Jessica Clark
Camron Diatte
Darren Brent
Matt Sargent
Shane Youngren
Punky Pires
Anthony Pope
Mikie Clark

B Main
Tony Steffensmeier
Dustin Loughton
Punky Pires
Darren Brent
Toby Brown
Mark Hanson
Michael Grenert
Justin Yanez
Chad Matthias
Mikie Clark
Jessica Clark
Brady Beck
Chris Kress
Zack Albers
Devan Kammermann DNS

Sportsman Dwarf Car
Shawn Whitney
Mac Aceves
Eddy Claessen
Joe Sanders

Veteran Dwarf Car
Scott Dahlgren
Mark Biscardi
Kevin Bender
Steven Kapaun
Tim Fitzpatrick
Buddy Olschowka
Kevin Miragilo
Mike Reeder
Eric Weisler
Wade Ehrlich
Dennis Hively DNS


Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results June15, 2018
Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
Koen Shaw
Ryan Bernal
Kyle Offill
Tommy Tarlton Jr.
Cole Macedo
Brad Furr
Zane Blanchard
Vaughn Schott
Jeremy Chisum
Jason Chisum
Richard Fajardo
Jerry Bonnema
Glenn Bryan
Justin Sanders
D.J. Netto
Collin Markle
Gary Nelson Jr.
Bryan Grier
Kurt Nelson
Chris Nelson

American Stocks
Matt Kile
Rob Gallaher
Joe Gallaher
Tony Oliveira
DJ Keldsen
Wally Kennedy
JC Elrod
Terry Traub
John Farrell
Ken Winland DNS

Four Bangers
Abigail Kennedy
Dakota Keldsen
Nicole Beardsley
Gary Smith
Bill Beardsley
Kate Beardsley
Ray Bunn
Justin Williams



Kern County Raceway Unofficial Race Results June 16,2018
Mod Lites
JD Brown
Kaden Cochrun
Kenny Cochrun
Kyleigh Forester
Tristan Kanthack
Evan Burger
Zach Forester

Hobby Stocks
Michael Scruggs
Cody Johnson
Tim Delsid
Nicholas Johnson
Trevor Baker
Eric Cimental
Don Mead
Scotty Preast

American Stocks
Gary Rayburn Jr
Dakota Brown
Brock Crawford
Jimmy Satlawa
Justin Jackson
Matthew Crawford
Michael Crawford
Teena Johnson
Wayne Dodson
Daryl Mealer
Kris Broucaret
Miranda Scott
James Coots
JR Garcia

Sr Dwarf Cars
TYLER BLANKENSHIP
NATHAN EDWARDS
TRENTON EURTO
LOGAN MILLER
Conner Karsten

Jr Dwarf Car
Adam Nohl
SETH HANSON
BRANSYN SPEER
Tristen Harrington
Hayden Joplin
ETHAN JOHNSON

Mini Mods
Cade Lewis
Cole Forster
Nathaniel Edwards
Tyler Blankenship


Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 16, 2018
C And H Veteran's Services Hunt Wingless Spec Sprints
A Main
Results are not official
1     #11 Bradley Terrell        
2     #56 Scott Hall
3     #98 Geoff Ensign
4     #24 Shawn Jones
5     #1 Terry Schank Jr.
6     #7ej Cody Spencer
7     #24n Nick Larson
8     #1w Trey Walters
9     #39 Troy DeGaton
10     #11b Alan Miranda
11     #77s Ryon Siverling
12     #51 Greg DeCaires IV
13     #57n Dennis Furia Jr.
14     #32b Eden McCormic
15     #5 Kaimi Moniz-Costa        
16     #2 Kevin Box
17     #38 Casey McClain
18     #84 Brent Steck        
19     #9 Shayna Sylvia        
20     #92z Scott Chapeta    
21     #5150 Chet Wilson

B Main
Results are not official
1     #57n Dennis Furia Jr.
2     #73x Keith Calvino
3     #5 Kaimi Moniz-Costa
4     #77s Ryon Siverling
5     #11b Alan Miranda
6     #5150 Chet Wilson
7     #3r Bob Davis        
8     #17 Dan Younce
9     #02 Robert Floyd

McLea's Tires IMCA Modifieds
Results are not official
1     #17y Tim Yaeger        
2     #50 Michael Paul Jr.
3     #34j Jeff Faulkner
4     #23 Oreste Gonnella
5     #22m Mitch Machado
6     #4x Anthony Slaney
7     #18j Joel Myers
8     #37 Ray Trimble
9     #74s Chris Sieweke 
10     #2y Justin Yaeger
11     #01 Terry Kaiser            
12     #42b Tony Bernard

Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks
Results are not official
1     #22m Mitch Machado        
2     #3 Matt While
3     #46 Steve Studebaker
4     #60 Shawn McCoy
5     #11c Sean Cook
6     #49 Woody Woodward
7     #85 Austin Ohlinger
8     #51d Sid Hess
9     #27 Tim O'Hara            
10     #18 Snazzy Duckworth    

Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks
Results are not official
1     #13 Dave Spindell        
2     #32 Sean Hale
3     #999 Richard Sklarski
4     #m1a Danny Manzoni
5     #3r Tom Brown
6     #22z Sophie Shelley    
7     #81 Randy Miramontez
8     #88 Antonio Miramontez            
9     #25c Roberta Broze
10     #c4 Roy Dearing


Kings Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 16, 2018
SCCT Sprint Cars
A Main
DJ Netto
Justyn Cox
Colby Copeland
Ryan Bernal
Buddy Kofoid
Sean Becker
Collin Markle
Mitchell Faccinto
Kyle Offill
Tim Kaeding
Jace Vanderweerd
Justin Sanders
Cole Macedo
Steven Kent
Craig Stidham
Shane Hopkins
Landon Hurst
Tommy Tarlton
Chase Johnson
Vaughn Schott
Kyle Hirst 
Matt Dumesny
Willie Croft
andy forsberg

B Main
Justin Sanders
Shane Hopkins
Cole Macedo
Craig Stidham
Andy Gregg
Tony Gualda
Mathew Moles
Grant Duinkerken
Tucker Worth
Travis Coelho
Cole Danell
Zane Blanchard
Jared Faria
Ben Worth

C Main
Andy Gregg
Mathew Moles
Dustin Freitas
Albert Pombo
Tanner Boul
Klint Simpson
Jodi Robinson
Anthony Simone
Colby Johnson
Ryan Robinson DNS
Ryan Souza DNS

IMCA Stock Cars
Larry Thompson
Chett Reeves
Steve Streeter
Brock Hamilton
Ron Hurt
Chad Johnson
Preston Martin
Troy Patee
Alan Mendes
Shawn Schwartzenberger
Rod Bane
James Elliott
Renn Bane
Josh Nichols

Mini Stocks
Jason Cook
andrew boydstun
Paul Schwartzenberger
Gene Glover
kit murphy
Joshua Dysart
Helder Santos
Kristina Cole
Steve Porter
Garrett Spurgeon
James Smith DNS


Madera Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 16,2016
Late Models
Buddy Shepherd
Jason Aguirre
Dillon Tucker
Austin Herzog
Henk Gaalswyk Jr
Tyler Herzog
Mike Shapiro
Howard Holden
Joseph Reichmuth
Dean Gould
Eloy Bazan
Kent Cam
Zachary Cook
Matt Kutz
Aaron Mullins

Southwest Tour Trucks
Dustin Vandermooren
Jeremiah Wagner
Ronnie Davis
Ed Cutler
Barry Kelperis
Mike Kelperis
Derek Robertson
George Perret
Steve Reeves

Hobby Stocks
Jesus Hernandez
Chuck Dozhier
Jon Schlundt
Steve Schermerhorn
Verg Beatty
Thomas Suarez

Toyotas
Jillaun Holden
Jason Kerns
Mike Marley
J.J Brandsen
Thomas Magray
Manny Gonzales Jr
Wyatt Cantrell

MST
Shaun Reynolds
Patrick Geiger
Dave Lander
Bert Stephens
Ryan Reynolds
Dennis Brannon

Legends
Braden Rogers
Robert Czub
Cody Winchel
Chad Nascimento
Eddie Garone
Michael Ray
Keith Clement
Pete Soto
Matt Winfrey
Rob Nascimento
Kevin Travels
Mike Marley

Jr.Late Models Exhibition
Kabe McClenny
Calvin Hegje
Zachary Ginn


Stockton 99 Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 16, 2016
Tom Manning Memorial
BCRA Midgets
Chad Nichols
Jesse Love IV
Mark Maliepaard
David Goodwill
Maria Cofer
Cody Jessup
JR Williams

Gun Slingers Sprint Cars
Justin Kawahata
AJ Russell
Jerry Kobza
Chad Nichols
Gordon Rodgers
Alan Beck
Austin Carter
Audra Sasselli
Eric Humphries

USAC Speed2 Midgets
Adam Lemke
Cody Jessop
Joey Iest
Jonny Nichols

NCMA Sprint Cars
Denny Burrell
Rob Hammond
David Burchett
Andy Gleason 


Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 16, 2016
WSDCA Dwarf Car Nationals
Pro Dwarf Cars
A Main
Results are not official
1     #57B Ryan Diatte    
2     #63X Johnathon Henry
3     #3C Tony Steffensmeier
4     #11 Darren Brown
5     #4N Ryan Winter
6     #63 Camron Diatte
7     #17M Mac Marmon
8     #11DN Danny Wagner
9     #57T Darren Brent 
10     #22D Dustin Loughton
11     #74B Punky Pires
12     #69 Zach Price    
13     #2B Justin Yanez
14     #79R Mark Hanson    
15     #22R Zack Albers
16     #92N Jessica Clark
17     #28N Justin Winter    
18     #23R Matt Sargent
19     #12N Michael Grenert
20     #4B Allen Heeney
21     #5B Brady Beck        
22     #9R Chad Matthias
23     #42R Adam Teves        
24     #18O Shane Youngren

B Main
Results are not official
1     #63 Camron Diatte        
2     #12N Michael Grenert
3     #57T Darren Brent
4     #74B Punky Pires
5     #23R Matt Sargent
6     #18O Shane Youngren
7     #2B Justin Yanez
8     #28N Justin Winter
9     #22R Zack Albersn
10     #69 Zach Price
11     #92N Jessica Clark
12     #5B Brady Beck
13     #4B Allen Heeney
14     #75N Toby Brown
15     #20 James Price
16     #6 Chris Kress    
17     #22K Anthony Pope        
18     #18N Deven Kammermann

Veteran Dwarf Cars
Results are not official
1     #47A Steven Kapaun        
2     #66B Mark Biscardi
3     #14D Tim Fitzpatrick
4     #21N Scott Dahlgren
5     #63N Buddy Olschowka
6     #9N Kevin Bender
7     #72N Mike Reeder
8     #2J Jack Haverty
9     #53N Wade Ehlrich
10     #56N Dennis Hively     
11     #64B Eric Weisler    

Sportsman Dwarf Cars
Results are not official
1     #15N Sean Whitney            
2     #4S Joe Sanders
3     #4K Mike Clark
4     #12B Eddy Claessen
5     #23B Mack Aceves    

Hobby Stocks
Kodie Dean
Robbie Loquaci
Rick Diaz
Bruce Nelson
Austin VanHoff
Kristie Shearer
John Hensley
Shannon Nelson
Cody Smiley
Jeff Lacy
Race Shelton

Mini Late Model
Jesse Burks
Tim Crews
Ian Shearer
Carson Guthrie
Riley Jeppesen

Valley Sportsman
Vintage Modifieds
Chris Birdsong
Ray Johnson
Jeff Bristow
Jerry Cecil
Rick Elliot


The Editor's Viewpoint

I had the revelation this morning. The DCRR Media effort finds me writing as much content as I did back when I had the printed racing magazine. The only thing lacking now is the magazine, but I don't see how I could pull anything like that off without people working with me.

The biggest challenge is not enough time during the week to get it done. It can be challenging to do what I am getting accomplished given the fact that I'm on the road more going to the race track. Part of me would love to see a printed magazine in circulation. Though I don't really know how much longer I will continue the media effort, the idea of possibly getting something up and running intrigues me.

I can't really get into the story of the challenges that we face doing the race track up here. Generally speaking, things start getting put into place during the first year. You figure out the trouble spots and start dealing with them. The second year, you start adding some touches to your program. I can say, we did just that both years, and I am proud of what we have done so far. The second year didn't go easier. It was more challenging, but it pales in comparison to the things we've had to deal with this year.

I'd love to tell you some stories about all of that. I hesitate to do so at the moment. What I can say is that myself and Promoter Mike McCann have found ourselves doing a little bit more on race night than we have in the past. Things come up, and you need to jump in there and deal with them before they become problems. We work really hard to keep this all together.

Not only am I finding myself unable to enjoy the fact that we've had some good turnouts that have been well earned, I get very frustrated at some of the negativity thrown at us. It snaps you back into reality. "No happy moment for you, " I tell myself. "Get back to work." The whole idea for me is to help leave things better than they were when I got there. But I also understand something pretty clearly.

I have done a lot in the media effort here that really was never done up here before. I do not see somebody coming in after me and doing even half of what it is that I do. It's just too much work, and there aren't too many people who want to do what I do. And I can tell you, I don't blame them one damn bit. When it becomes work, people expect compensation. When there is no compensation, they will be less eager to jump in and do those things.

It all can get very frustrating at times, and it's hard to look back and see the accomplishments that have been made. There's just so much going on that isn't so great that you don't get to pat yourself on the back for the good things at all. The frustrating part is when you look and wonder if people realize how much work has been done and see the positive changes. Some people do. We get the comments. And believe me, for those trouble spots, the ones that people want to point out relentlessly, we know.

You want to do it seamlessly. There's a problem, you get in there and fix it, then you move on. Sometimes we do that, and other times it's not as easy as that. All aspects become a challenge. From what goes on in the booth to what's going on in the pits and on the race track to the concessions. There are stories that I can tell. It's all being logged and remembered for the book in the future.

Sometimes I want to start explaining things to people, but you can't sit down and engage everybody every time they have a criticism. And as Mike would say, everybody isn't expected to know all of the things that went on. They don't know what work went into it. All they know is the races are happening and they are there. It's not their job to know all of this. It's their job to be entertained.

I wonder though, how many armchair promoters would last very long dealing with what we're dealing with here? It's not an easy thing to run a race track in 2018. There are so many challenges that we face. It's not just the threats to the race tracks in some places, it's the work that needs to be done. It's managing numerous different situations and prioritizing what is most important in all of that.

And sometimes, it seems like the track is a bucket with a hole in it. Make that multiple holes. The water is the money, and the holes are the ways that that money disappears on you. For a promoter, that can get very challenging. You're not in this business to lose money. You might have a love of the sport, but you're not putting all the hours into this to lose money relentlessly.

So, you work on patching up as many of those holes as you can. Hopefully, you can get it to a point where more water is going into the bucket than is escaping. It's a never ending battle, and some weeks, that bucket will have less water than you started with. Water being money.

The writing is what I enjoy the most. I would much prefer to be writing articles and announcing races and doing that stuff. Even managing a website or doing souvenir programs isn't a problem. This is what I was brought up here for. Because of all of the other things that go on, I'm going beyond those duties. And the challenge is, those duties are expected of me. If the things that take my time away from that make it challenging, I have to find the time to get the other stuff done. Where does that leave my me time? What me time?

I never really minded giving up all of my personal time for the sport years ago, but I had the realization that I didn't necessarily want to keep doing that when I walked away in 2003. The fact is, I wasn't coming back. I was quite comfortable watching things from the sidelines when I felt like it and just living my life. I knew the work and the hours it took to maintain the media effort. Now, it's a whole new level. There is no me time. There is no personal life.

If you're going to do this, you have to be willing to make sacrifices. The biggest reason I sacrifice is I still have no home of my own, nearly three years after losing my home. I'm not even living near where I want to live. I'm not even in the same state. And all I can do is take what's in front of me and make the best of it. This is all I have done.

Being involved in the creative process is what keeps me going. I love writing. Although I would like to write about things other than racing too, I enjoy using my mind in that way to tell stories. Those are the moments I enjoy the most. I also enjoy announcing, which I unfortunately only get to do at the Outlaw Kart Track. There are reasons that I'm not announcing at the big track. It's not because I'm not good enough to do it, but rather it's because I'm needed at different places at different times. I know we've got a good announcer with Bryce, so I'm not worried about it.

For the next gig that I get, if it's not time for me to completely depart, I want to announce and write. I'm not even sure that the opportunity will come to me or that I will even search for it. I did say that prior to the season this would probably be my last. That is the goal, but I have racing projects on the agenda for the future regardless. There are books I want to release, but I have to make sure that I have a place to stay and the things needed to do what I want to do.

And this is the biggest reason I ended up at Southern Oregon Speedway. There were rumors going around that I snubbed other race tracks. That is a falsehood. The only offer I had back in California was an announcing gig at Merced Speedway that I was unable to accept due to the fact that I needed more money coming in. The other offer I had hoped for was not offered, and I know there are hard feelings there. When you don't know where you're going to live and you have an offer, even out-of-state, you do what you have to do.

I've often said since coming up here that had I known everything, I wouldn't have come. But how can you know those things? I say that while pointing out that we have good people here. The only thing left is to look at the situation and see how you can best help it. This is what I've done. We're just about halfway through the season, and the biggest goal in my mind is to see how we can maintain the bump in numbers that we've had so far. It's to figure out how we can patch up some of the issues and make things go smoother down the stretch.

I am delighted that Uncle Rich has come back. He has been so important to what we did during the first two years. His hours put in at that race track have made a difference. His presence on the pit board has made a difference. Just being my friend has been a difference maker for me. We have him back as we go into this weekend. It's Friday as I write this, but I am feeling pretty good about Saturday. I think things are going to be okay. I'll do my best to handle whatever is thrown my way.

I was leaving it open to add more to this column. I had something else to say. In light of the news of Ed Parker, I'll end it here. Until next time...