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
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
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
Shelby Wins Firecracker 50 At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...June 30...Reigning Chico and Marysville champion Philip Shelby made his first appearance of the year at Antioch Speedway and left with the $500 prize for winning the Firecracker 50 for the All Star Series B Modifieds Saturday night. The race was split into two 25 lap segments, and Shelby made his move into the lead at the start of the second half of the race. The division also ran it's fifth 12 lap Sharpshooter Series race with KC Keller grabbing his second win in that event.
Jimmy Ford had the front row of the B Modified race with Todd Gomez, and he set the early pace. Gomez took over on lap 7, and 2015 champion Fred Ryland settled into second on lap 10. Shelby was third on lap 15, and Ryland slipped past Gomez for the lead on lap 20. At the halfway break, Ryland led Shelby, Gomez, Brent Curran and Aaron Crowell.
On the start of the second segment, point leader Trevor Clymens got spun out. Another tangle involved third place Gomez for a yellow flag. On the restart, Shelby pressured Ryland hard and ended up making the pass for the lead. Once in front, Shelby would not relinquish the top spot as he led the rest of the way. Curran made a late pass on Ryland to take the second place finish as Ryland settled for third, followed by Kenny Shrader and Clymens.
Nick DeCarlo should find himself leading the A Modified point race following his fourth 20 lap Main Event win of the season. DeCarlo had to charge from the back of the pack as Bobby Montalvo led the race for eight laps. A tangle with another car resulted in Montalvo spinning, handing Buddy Kniss the lead. Kniss charged into Turn 1 and spun on the restart lap, putting DeCarlo in lead. DeCarlo led the rest of the way, and incoming point leader Bobby Motts Jr made a strong charge from outside the Top 5 in the final 10 laps to finish second. Danny Wagner, Eric Berendsen and Montalvo rounded out the Top 5.
Bob Newberry strengthened his hold on the Wingless Spec Sprint point lead with his third 20 lap Main Event victory. Kevin Box shared the front row with James East, and East charged into the lead. Box gained the lead on lap three when East went high in Turn 2, but McKenzie Newton lost a wheel on the back stretch for a red flag. This put East back in the lead, but Newberry made a Turn 2 pass on lap five to take over. Newberry continued to lead the way with Shannon Newton giving him a good battle all the way to the checkered flag. Brandon Burd was third ahead of Roy Fisher and Adam Teves.
Chris Sorensen had luck on his side in capturing his fifth 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event win. For 19 laps, rookie Haley Gomez was doing an exceptional job of leading the way. Sorensen battled from the back of the pack and gained second when Anthony Wellborn spun in Turn 4 on lap 18. Gomez had a big lead as she took the white flag. Unfortunately, she broke her steering racing into Turn 1 and spun. This handed the lead to Sorensen, who was happy to take the win, followed by Michael Cooper, Breanna Troen, Wellborn and the disappointed Gomez.
Mike Walko won his second 20 lap Limited Late Model Main Event. Walko is the only driver in the field with no finishes worse than third as he makes a strong bid to win the division championship. Walko had a front row start and charged until lead ahead of Jim Freethy. Heat race winner and incoming point leader Mark Garner spun in Turn 3 on lap six and would end up retiring from the race four laps later. A lap 14 yellow flag provided reigning champion Kimo Oreta the opportunity to make a move past Freethy for second on the restart. However, nobody would stop Walko as he won ahead of Oreta, Freethy and Paul Hanley.
Racing resumes next Saturday night with special $500 to win races for the All Star Series B Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. Also on the program will be the Wingless Spec Sprints, Limited Late Models and Dwarf Cars. There will also be a special Drone Air Race. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
All Star Series Antioch Speedway
Wingless Spec Sprints
Heat Winners (6 laps)-Scott Martin, Alan Miranda. Main Event (20 Laps)-Bob Newberry, Shannon Newton, Brandon Burd, Roy Fisher, Adam Teves.
A Modifieds
Heat Winners (6 laps)-Nick DeCarlo, Jeff Decker. Main Event (20 laps)-Nick DeCarlo, Bobby Motts Jr, Danny Wagner, Eric Berendsen, Bobby Montalvo.
B Modifieds
Heat winners (6 Laps)-Philip Shelby, Brent Curran, Trevor Clymens. Sharp Shooter Race (12 Laps)-KC Keller, Fred Ryland, Philip Shelby. Main Event (50 laps)-Philip Shelby, Brent Curran, Fred Ryland, Kenny Shrader, Trevor Clymens.
Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Michael Cooper, Cameron Swank. Main Event (20 Laps)-Chris Sorensen, Michael Cooper, Breanna Troen, Anthony Wellborn, Haley Gomez.
Limited Late Models
Heat Winner (6 Laps)-Mark Garner. Main Event (20 Laps)-Mike Walko, Kimo Oreta, Jim Freethy, Paul Hanley, Mark Garner.
Hughes, Thomas, Dean Win Timmy Post Memorial Races
Merced, CA...June 30...Point leader Darrell Hughes II scored his first 30 lap IMCA Modified Main Event win of the season Saturday night at Merced speedway. It was the annual Timmy post Memorial race, and the night also included a memorial lap for promoter Ed Parker, who passed away during the one break after suffering a heart attack. The event included a big fireworks show and offered free admission to the fans. Making that possible was the sponsorship of Margie Mejia.
Hughes had a second row start for the Main Event, and he battled pole sitter Ryan Porter early on. However, both Hughes and Paul Stone managed to get around Porter. Hughes held Stone off in the remaining laps for the $1,000 payday. Porter settled for third, followed by Troy Foulger, Kellen Chadwick, Brian Pearce, Troy Stone, Ramie Stone, Derek Nance and Jarod Fast. The 20 car field ran four eight lap heat races with wins being recorded by Jeff Streeter, Justin Villanueva, Paul Stone and Darrell Hughes II.
Tanner Thomas outdueled Jeremy Hoff to win his third 30 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Thomas had a pole position start and would charge into the lead. However, Hoff was pressuring Hughes hard for the lead before finally making a pass in Turn 2. Unfortunately, a Turn 4 crash forced a yellow flag and negated the pass as there is no racing to the yellow flag. Thomas was put back into the lead and held off the persistent Hoff for a hard-fought victory. Nick Tucker made his season debut in third, followed by Danny Roe, Andrew Peckham, Bruce Nelson, Mark Odgers, Tim Elias, TJ Etchison and Jatrod Mounce. Etchison won the 15 lap B Main ahead of Chase Thomas and Todd Burk. Roe, Nelson, Hoff, Tanner Thomas and Chris Falkenberg won the eight lap heat races as 26 drivers competed.
Point leader Kodie Dean won his sixth 30 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Dean chased Dexter Long for two laps before taking the lead on a lap three restart. Three time Watsonville champion Billy Nelson raced underneath Long in Turn 4 of the third lap moments before Long spun for a caution flag. For 27 laps, Dean repelled the advances of Nelson for the well earned victory. Robbie Loquaci finished third, followed by Cody Smiley, Kalob Shelton, James Stockton, John Hensley, Kristie Shearer, Long and Josh Hensley. There were three eight lap heat races with wins going to Long, Smiley and Shannon Nelson.
Tim Crews won his second 15 lap California Sharp Mini Late Model Main Event. The point leader also won the eight lap heat race and led every lap of the feature race in victory. Carson Guthrie settled for second, followed by Riley Jeppesen and Ian Shearer. Three-time winner Jesse James Burks was a Main Event scratch.
Next Saturday night is Ken Schrader Night, presented by VH Fresh. NASCAR star Ken Schrader will be strapping into an IMCA Modified to race with the locals. Also on the card will be the Winged 600 Micros and the Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.
Hirst Wins SCCT Sprint Car Race At Petaluma Speedway
Petaluma, CA...July 1...Kyle Hirst scored the victory in the 35 lap Sprint Car Challenge Tour Main Event Sunday night at Petaluma Speedway. Hirst is the reigning series champion, and entered the night just three points behind Tim Kaeding in a close championship battle. The win paid $2,500, and he became the seventh different winner in the seven races held so far.
Hirst set the pace from the start ahead of Kaeding. Kaeding was challenging Hirst early on and briefly took the lead during the first 10 laps. The race had two red flags during the final 15 laps. The first stoppage occurred on lap 24 when track regular David Lindt II flipped. Willie Croft flipped on lap 34, setting up a one lap shootout to the finish. However, Hirst maintained his lead for the final lap and scored the victory ahead of Kaeding, Tanner Thorson, Sean Becker, Justin Sanders, Tony Gualda, Shane Golobic, Matt Dumesny, Steven Tiner and Tanner Carrick.
There were 33 competitors for this race, and Cody Lamar, Bradley Terrell, Sanders and Dumesny picked up 10 lap heat race victories. Croft outran Hirst to win the six lap Trophy Dash. Kalib Henry sprinted to the victory in the 15 lap B Main, followed by Zack Linsky, Carrick and Chase Johnson.
Thirteen old-time race cars from the California Hardtop Association ran a support show with the Sprint Cars. Jason Armstrong took the lead a few laps into the race and held off Ron Ruiz for the 15 lap Main Event victory. Terry DeCarlo, Dave Mackay and Dave Reed completed the Top 5 at the checkered flag.
The next race will be on July 14th when the King of the West/NARC Fujitsu Sprint Car Series returns along with the Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks, General Hydroponic Dwarf Cars and Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Langenderfer, Crain, Ross Win Orland Raceway Features
Orland, CA...June 30...Jeremy Langenderfer continues to roll in the Pure Stock division at Orland Raceway. On Saturday night, Langenderfer came from the back of the pack after an early tangle with rival Paul Stevens and won his fourth Main Event of the season. Stevens was in close pursuit as he once again settled for second. A late tangle between Shannon Collins and Thomas Pavlik resulted in Pavlik falling back several spots and Collins finished third, followed by John Camper and Amanda McAbel. Steve Martin finished sixth and picked up one of the heat race wins. Langenderfer won the other heat.
Barbara Crain continued her impressive season in the Mini Stock division with her third 20 lap feature triumph. Les Fernandez raced into the lead and pulled ahead while reigning champion Tom Davis found his way into second by lap five. Davis reeled in Fernandez as they caught traffic on lap 10, and Crain was up to third by then. Fernandez got tangled with a slower car for a lap 13 yellow flag, putting Davis into the lead. Davis led through two more yellow flags, but Crain passed him for the lead at the white flag and went on to victory. Heat race wins went to Davis and Sean Perry.
After the California Hardtop Association decided to cancel on Friday due to the heat and a race they had scheduled for Sunday at Petaluma Speedway, management contacted the Mini Truck drivers to add them to the schedule at the last minute. This resulted in an entertaining and sometimes wild race, won by reigning champion Keith Ross. During the race, Jeff Bennett made contact with a back stretch infield field tractor tire and got the front end of his truck high in the air. He was uninjured in the incident. Pure Stock star Jeremy Langenderfer finished second, and Ross won the heat race.
Antonia Boscaci returned and won both the 600 Micro Main Event and heat race. Alex Forler grabbed the victory in the 250 Micro feature, while Pax Gonzalez won the heat race.
Racing continues on July 14th as the Wingless Gas Sprints are back in action. Pure Stocks, Mini Trucks and 250 and 600 Micro Sprints make up what should be another exciting night of racing. For further information, check out Orland Raceway on Facebook.
Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 30, 2018
IMCA Modifieds
Darrell Hughes II
Paul Stone
Ryan Porter
Troy Foulger
Kellen Chadwick
Brian Pearce
Troy Stone
Ramie Stone
Derek Nance
Jarod Fast
Tim Cecil
Justin Villaneuva
Randy Brewer
Bob Williamson
Ricky Thatcher
Ryan Larimer
Jeff Streeter
John Osgood III
John Pierce
Vincent DePalma DNS
IMCA Sport Modifieds
A Main
Tanner Thomas
Jeremy Hoff
Nick Tucker
Danny Roe
Andrew Peckham
Bruce Nelson
Mark Odgers
Tim Elias
T.J. Etchinson III
Jarrod Mounce
Chase Thomas
Andrew Odgers
Richard Ragsdale
Cody Parker
Chris Falkenberg
Todd Burk
Chuck Weir
Joe Salvi
Charlie Hunter
Travis Slayter
Mark Squadrito
Dale Grissom
B Main
T.J. Etchinson III
Chase Thomas
Todd Burk
Jarrod Mounce
Andrew Odgers
Travis Slayter
Joe Salvi
Tony Hornyack
Tony Peffer
Jason Womack
Mark Condell DNS
Hobby Stocks
Kodie Dean
Billy Nelson
Robbie Loquaci
Cody Smiley
Kalob Shelton
James Stockton
John Hensley
Kristie Shearer
Dexter Long
Josh Hensley
Shannon Nelson
Michael Shearer
Austin Van Hoff
Jill Merlan
Nick Lawrence
Race Shelton
Donnie Shearer Jr
Steven Rodgers DNS
George Silva DNS
Steven Torres DNS
California Sharp Mini Late Models
Tim Crews
Carson Guthrie
Riley Jeppesen
Ian Shearer
Jesse Burks DNS
Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results July 1, 2018
Elk Grove Ford SCCT Sprint Cars,Presented by Abreu Vineyards
A Main
Results are not official
1 #83 Kyle Hirst
2 #42x Tim Kaeding
3 #3c Tanner Thorson
4 #75 Sean Becker
5 #56 Justin Sanders
6 #7c Tony Gualda
7 #57 Shane Golobic
8 #83sa Matt Dumesny
9 #94 Steven Tiner
10 #83t Tanner Carrick
11 #4s Michael Kofoid
12 #22 Ryan Bernal
13 #5v Chase Johnson
14 #31c Justyn Cox
15 #x1 Andy Forsberg
16 #29 Willie Croft
17 #9L Cody Lamar
18 #7n Zack Lynskey
19 #93 Kalib Henry
20 #52 David Lindt II
21 #5c Colby Copeland
22 #33 Lucas Ashe
23 #3f Jamie Cobby
24 #43 Bradley Terrell
B Main
Results are not official
1 #93 Kalib Henry
2 #7n Zack Lynskey
3 #83t Tanner Carrick
4 #5v Chase Johnson
5 #32 Klint Simpson
6 #12j John Clark
7 #7h Jake Haulot
8 #38b Blake Carrick
9 #1r Jodie Robinson
10 #97 Shane Hopkins
11 #24 Justin Henry
12 #15 Ryan Souza
13 #15c Trent Canales
California Hardtops
Jason Armstrong
Ron Ruiz
Terry DeCarlo
Dave Mackey
Dave Reed
Roger MacShain
Joe Shenefield
Dennis Armstrong
Larry Wells
Ken Clifford
Steve Cloyes
Ken Retzloff
Doug Braudrick
Madera Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 30, 2018
Late Models
A Main
Matt Erickson
Jason Aguirre
Austin Herzog
Adam Lemke
Ryan Hart
Logan Zampa
Ross Strmiska
Ryan Philpott
Kayla Eshleman
Kolby Berry
Rick Thompson
Garland Tyler
Dillon Tucker
Tyler Herzog
Christian Roche
Racin Vernon
Henk Gaalswyk Jr
David Lewellen
Jarret Gilmer
Kyle Gottula
Blaine Rocha
Glen Cook
B Main
Kevin Thompson
Loren Kutz
Quintin Harris
Ross Strmiska
Kayla Eshleman
Rick Thompson
Jarret Gilmer
David Lewellen
Garland Tyler
Nick Grossi
Shelden Cooper
Howard Holden
Toyota Sedans
Jason Lawton
Barrett Sugden
Greg Tyler
Jillaun Holden
Thomas Magray
Kurt Davison
Kyle Labrie
Manny Gonzales Jr
J.J Brandsen
John Tevis Jr
Jerry Cantrell
Mike Marley
MST
Ryan Reynolds
Shaun Reynolds
Dave Lander
Bert Stephens
Zachary Cook
Dennis Brannon
Tim Pilcher
Patrick Geiger
John McCullum Jr
Mini Cup
Riley Massey
Kale McClenny
Aaron Thomas
Zachary Ginn
Aiden Phillips
Ethan Nascimento
Joseph Holiday
Skyler Meisenbach
Avery Vivian
51-Fifty Jr. Late Model
Jesse Love IV
Dylan Zampa
Tanner Reif
Tyler Reif
Kayla Eshleman
Austin Edwards
Lilly Mead
Kabe McClenny
Calvin Hegje
Hailey Liles
Olivia Manke
Austin Herzog
Ventura Raceway Unofficial Results June 30, 2018
FOCUS MIDGETS
1 33 Mike Leach
2 37 Randi Pankratz
3 11R Charlie Butcher
4 59 Jet Davison
5 26 Tim Foy
6 1 Phil Schack
7 73 Jimmy May NS
VRA SENIOR SPRINTS
1 66 Chris Meredith
2 2 Wally Pankratz
3 75 Bill Badger
4 5k Eddie Williams
5 16 Tom Stephens Sr
6 3G Greg Andrews
7 1 Tyler Hatzikian
8 2k Paul Merrick
9 45 Joey Bishop
IMCA MODIFIEDS
1 28 Trevor Fitzgibbon
2 09 Luis Espinoza
3 61 Donald Houghton
4 38 Dennis Eckert
5 08 David Phipps
6 55jr Jack Parker
7 17 Justin Miller
8 34 Scott Olsen
9 48 Chuck Costabile
10 11 Andrew Greiman
11 9c Corben Sabers
VRA PRO DWARF CARS
1 14 Tommy Velasquez III
2 93 Jason Horton
3 6 Tim Conley
4 69 Johnny Conley
5 41 Nick Velasquez
6 48 Trent Morley
7 45 Korey Cowan
8 91 Kody Cowan
9 4 Tommy Velasquez
10 18 Tom Morley
11 55 Mike Long
12 57 Jeff Hinz
13 28 Tony Pellegrino
14 88 Jeff Brink
USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CARS/VRA SPRINT CARS BATTLE AT THE BEACH
1. Austin Liggett
2. Ryan Timmons
3. Jake Swanson
4. Troy Rutherford
5. Kyle Smith
6. Shannon McQueen
7. Jeremy Ellertson
8. Tristan Guardino
9. Danny Faria Jr.
10. Tom Hendricks
11. Rick Hendrix
12. Steve Hix
13. Koen Shaw
14. Scotty Farmer
15. Britton Bock
16. Ryan Stolz
17. Joey Bishop
18. Austin Ervine
19. Ricky Lewis
20. Charlie Butcher
21. Kyle Edwards
22. Kaleb Montgomery
23. Brandon Wiley
The Editor's Viewpoint
I was on the verge of a rant on my Facebook page, but I thought better of this one. I needed to stop and think for a moment. Once again, the leader of a particular organization did something that I think was not only not in the best interest of the group, but it also wasn't in the best interest of racing or the particular race track that was affected.
Before I start saying what I'm going to say, I just want to make it clear. I'm not looking to bash this particular person. And I'm a big fan of the group that he represents. I just don't think this person should be representing the group. He has demonstrated repeatedly that he is lacking in leadership skills..
I look at the California Hardtop Association and see much potential. You have some very nice looking machines there that the racers take pride in maintaining. It's a throwback to days gone by. In my opinion, better days in racing. The days when the Hardtops or even my beloved Sportsman division reigned supreme. The fact that the California Hardtop Association even came into being is amazing.
I was there when the the first step was taken to get a Hardtop movement going in California. There was none back when 2000 came along. What you had was the group up in Canada that hit Washington for some races. You also had the Old Time Racers of Oregon that got started in the 1980s. Then, you had the Cascade Hardtop group that was founded by Mike McCann. Whereas the OTRO ran V6 engines, McCann opened it up to V8's. The OTRO pretty much frowns on the V8 engine and has a different way of doing things.
Anyway, Mike knew what it was he wanted, so he got the ball rolling. At Sunset Speedway, he started his own division and actively brought in cars for this thing. He had championship point racing and the whole nine yards. For a couple of years after he sold the place, the division continued, and Mike was looking to expand. While he was still running Sunset Speedway, he had an opportunity to come down to California in 2002. This is where I saw a little bit of history take place.
It just so happened to be my birthday weekend in September of 2002 when my friend Don O'Keefe Jr suggested we go to Sacramento Raceway. Ken Bonnema was getting into the Hardtop group. This was his "Hardtop Hunter" phase when he was actively finding cars and built a couple of cars himself. So Ken was racing, and I think Jim Booth was getting an opportunity to race as well. In any event, we went to Sacramento Raceway and I watched these guys race. They were going to go to Orland Raceway the next night, but I was going to Antioch Speedway.
The little bit of history that people may not remember is Steve Lemley won the Main Events at Sacramento and Orland. Steve was a Street Stock champion at Cottage Grove Speedway back in the days when Mike McCann promoted there. It just so happens that the car Steve drove was sold to Ken Clifford back in 2015. Jason Clifford has driven that car to a few victories in the last couple of years.
The history goes that one of the people that came with Mike that weekend, Chuck Prather, started his own Hardtop group that he ran at Orland, Sacramento and Roseville. When Chuck headed back to Oregon and bought Coos Bay Speedway, he brought those cars with him for a while. The Hardtops didn't quite work out at Coos Bay, so those cars were sold, but the seed has been planted. After Chuck walked away from his California effort, the California Hardtop Association was founded and there were also efforts being made to launch a similar group in Bakersfield. Bonnema settled on racing at Chowchilla Speedway, where he always had fun.
As I look back, this was started 16 years ago. I've watched the Bakersfield Hardtop group. They've been pretty simple on what they use for rules. Keep it basic, keep it fun. I commend those guys, because they get the spirit of things. They race out there and they're doing good numbers.
What's amazing about the Northern California effort is you have over 20 active race cars right now. That's a good thing. That shows how much people like this class. Contrary to what the supposed leader says, there is a tie to Vallejo Speedway Hardtops. People remember Vallejo Speedway, and that's one of the things that appeals to them when they attend the Hardtop races. Though many of the stars have passed away since then, their sons, or family members of crew still remember. It's what helps get interest in Hardtop racing in the Bay Area.
Conrad Cavallero founded the California Hardtop group with Mike McClure. There were some other people involved in the very early days, including Tommy Thomson, Dan Williams and Terry DeCarlo. These were the ones that gave this a fighting chance. Conrad was the president, and he may have made a mistake or two. But without him, I'm not sure the thing would have gotten started. There were always videos put up of the races, wherever they ran. They did car shows and those sorts of things, but eventually Conrad wore out his welcome.
What it boiled down to was a club takeover, and John Philbert ended up at the helm of the movement. Change was needed, and so change is what they got. But sometimes, you need to be careful what you wish for. John went about burning bridges with places like Antioch Speedway, where he did the double booking thing and dropped Antioch. Thing was, there weren't many promoters taking a look at the Hardtops in the early days of this revival. Promoter John M Soares was one of them.
Of course, one of the things that John insisted on, Soares I'm talking about, was letting a Late Model Hardtop run with the group. That is to say, there was a car with a Late Model chassis. It clearly didn't belong out there, but the driver was Larry Damitz. Larry raced Hardtops for 20 years, longer than most people that ever ran the Hardtops at Vallejo Speedway. Who's going to tell Larry he can't run? Nobody. The problem was, it's noticeable when you have this car out there whooping everybody's rear ends, and that made it easier for a segment to split off and say they didn't even want to run Antioch anymore. So, I understand some of the mentality there.
The other problem was Mike McCann established a good set of rules for this class. Eventually, rules went out the window and cars were built that weren't necessarily in the spirit of the rules. They look nice. They looked, from a person viewing from the grandstands, like Hardtops. But, they rendered the more authentic cars almost obsolete. You started to see the faster cars running over the slower cars. Not a good situation when you've got a class that was growing.
What you need at a time like this is leadership defining what the rules are and what will work and what won't work. What you didn't have was leadership. That's a big problem. It reminds me of a conversation I had with Mike Johnson after he was kicked out of the NCMA. He told me, as we were discussing how the group was growing, that the cars sell themselves. I think you have a similar situation here with Hardtops. They sell themselves. People like this class. I like this class.
But if you have a group that is now 10 years old, there ought to be clearly defined goals. There ought to be leadership. There really isn't any leadership. There are some people I believe have exhibited leadership skills in the group, and I'm not talking about the guy who calls himself president. There are people out there that try to spread the good faith. I'm talking about Ken Clifford, for one. There are people out there that work on cars to get them ready. I'm talking about Jason Armstrong. In fact, Jason has helped get them dates that they might not otherwise have.
So when I start to criticize this group, understand I'm more specifically criticizing the leadership of the group. What the membership has to understand is that this leadership is representing them, and they're doing them a disservice. You do not book race dates at race tracks and then cancel them because the temperature goes over 100 degrees. When a promoter is counting on you to show up, you need to show up.
The stage was set at Orland Raceway for the guys to come in there and really shine. This is what I don't think the leadership gets when they are booking dates. There are some things on the schedule that I think can really pop. The Chet Thomson Memorial at Antioch Speedway. The Johnny Soares Classic at Petaluma Speedway. The Tom Tilford Tribute at Placerville. The Ted Stofle Classic at Merced. You get to be a part of these dates, and they have meaning. It seems to me the leadership is more interested in booking quantity of dates than quality of dates. I don't know where 21 dates being booked this year was really a smart move to begin with. The rain came and took care of some of them and the leader canceling two for different reasons also shortened things a bit.
At Orland Raceway, when the Hardtops came last year, they were very popular with the fans. One of the selling points for the promoter, Rich Hood, booking them was that it was a different attraction for the fans, and they delivered some cars. The California Hardtops were basically going to be co-headliners on Saturday night. But, in typical inept leadership fashion, a date at Petaluma Speedway was booked on Sunday. It was already a bad situation for the group, because not everybody is up for a two race weekend. It means people have to make choices and one track suffers.
I had an inkling that this was coming. Orland Raceway is one of the tracks that I've helped with publicity, and knowing how important the Hardtops were to this date, they were a selling point in the article that I submitted. Complete with a little bit of history for how this group came about. Of course, I noticed the weather was 103 degrees, but it still hadn't dawned on me when I initially wrote the article that there was a Petaluma date looming on Sunday. I knew it, but for some reason it didn't register.
There are differences in the two dates. At Petaluma on Sunday, you have Sprint Cars headlining. If Hardtops are on the track, it's a time for the fans to go to the concession stand between Sprint Car races. Nobody's going to Petaluma Speedway to see Hardtops on Sunday. So, if Petaluma had been the date cancelled, hardly anybody in the grandstands would care. I don't say that to be negative, but just to point out that there's a big Sprint Car race happening on Sunday. That's why people are there. At Orland, people would actually come because the Hardtops are there. There's a difference in the way the division would be accepted.
Now, the Johnny Soares Classic happens at Petaluma. Why am I saying it wouldn't make a difference here versus there? Well, you have to remember that the longtime Petaluma Speedway promoter raced Hardtops and was a two-time champion with the Bay Cities Racing Association. There's a difference between that particular Petaluma date and the one on Sunday. Also, the Orland date was booked first.
The other thing is, who was contacted? Based on what I've seen, Orland Raceway was blindsided by this move. Not only that, they had given two of their regular classes the night off in anticipation of the Hardtops coming to town. It's a good thing that several of the racers in one of the track's divisions that was given the night off would still be able to come and give them something to watch. Otherwise, what was done was selfish and so short-sighted.
And I think that there are people in the California Hardtop Association that don't quite get it. You were booked to race at a track that wanted you. They were counting on you to deliver cars and be part of the show. They were going to treat you with respect, not as an afterthought. And I know several people in the group are probably shrugging and saying, "Hey, we're running Petaluma on Sunday."
You really need leadership that has respect for the promoters. This is not the first time that John Philbert has canceled on a race track at the last minute. He makes a habit of it. I can't even name all the times he's done that. He's one of the thing holding this group back. I don't say this because I enjoy putting the guy down. I don't say this because I want to hurt the group. I say this because I would like somebody in the group to realize what's going on and make a change for the better. If you have a leader who keeps doing this, eventually promoters are going to wise up and dump you. Would you like to have your car just sitting alongside your house, or would you like to go racing?
If you book a race at a race track, honor it. I know of no other traveling organization that pulls stunts like this. Rich Hood knew there was 100 degree plus weather awaiting him in Orland, and he intended to race. And if he intends to race, he counts on the divisions he's booked to be there. The locals are going to go racing. Why? It's summer, and they know it's going to be hot in the summer sometimes. That's what summer is all about.
Now, I know there are people who are aware of the poor leadership, which is why an attempt was made to found the Bay Area Hardtops. The problem is, that movement hasn't really gone anywhere because the leadership isn't really sure how to proceed with things. If you're going to be the leader, you have to have a game plan. And if you're going to represent a group, you have to have a consensus on what the group actually wants.
One of the things that doesn't happen with the Hardtops is phone calls from the leader keeping in touch with the base to find out who's going and who isn't. It's basically, "Here's your schedule, come race." And if the leader decides to pull the plug, you find out a couple of days beforehand. That leader doesn't even show up at every race. Is that what should be representing the California Hardtops?
Again, I'm not saying this because I want to be a jerk. I'm not saying this to get people in the group pissed off at me, and I'm sure a few people will be saying, "Where do you get off saying this?" Right? I'm just the editor of a racing news site with an opinion. I'm just somebody who's always been willing to jump in and fight for what it is I believe. If I have an idea, I'll do what I can to help it. If I see somebody else with an idea that I believe in and I can do anything to help, I will.
The media effort that I'm doing, for instance. There isn't a race track out they're paying me to do this. Only what I've been given via The Tip Jar has paid for the effort that I've done on broken down equipment, but I've done it for the love of the sport. I've done it to try and help put the word out on the sport. My point isn't to brag or anything, simply to say that I'm not just somebody with an opinion who rips on things just for the sake of doing it. I know the damage words can do to things. I don't say this lightly. I don't say this because I want to see the Hardtops end. I say this because I want to see them do better.
I know that nothing will probably change. It hasn't changed yet. There was an effort to bring about change in 2015. In fact, Mike McCann was willing to step in there and do what needed to be done. He facilitated the biggest race of the season for the group at Antioch Speedway that year. He did questionnaires and got driver input on where they wanted to go next. But, because John Philbert wanted to flex his muscles at Roseville, everything came to a halt. Mike got fed up with the BS he was dealing with, and he stepped away. Let John continue to guide the group, as he has done so poorly.
In fact, I would hasten to add that most of the good that has come out of that group has come because of what Ken Clifford does to spread the good will on Facebook and Jason Armstrong and the hard work he has put in. This was going on at a particularly difficult time for his family, and yet Jason was opening doors for the group..
What the Hardtop Association did was leave Orland Raceway high and dry. They were counting on cars to come up and give the fans a taste of something they don't usually see. What they got was a cancellation just a little over a day before the race was set to go. After the word had been put out in advertisement. It's not a lot different than what happened at Stockton earlier this year when they canceled. Stockton management had advertised the California Hardtops number two on the advertisement posters they put out.
Could you imagine the Bay Cities Racing Association promoting this way? Or the King of the West Series? Or the Civil War Series?
If heat is going to be an issue, then you need to study the weather patterns and book accordingly. Going to Orland in the summer might not be a good idea. Going to Marysville or Chico might be off the table as well. In fact, where can you go that it's not going to be a hundred degrees in the summer at some point? See how ridiculous it gets?
I'm of the opinion that too many dates were booked anyways. Based on the amount of support, most of the people have absolutely no interest in running asphalt. Sorry to break the news, but that's based on the numbers. So, those are five dates that weren't needed. You can go through very easily and trim things down.
Booking ought to be done in such a way as to present Hardtop racing in the best light. Booking ought to be done in a way that gives as many cars to the race track as possible on the dates booked. Booking ought be done in a way where it's intended that these dates will be honored unless the race track cancels the races. You need a leader who keeps in touch with the membership and knows who's coming. You need a leader that when they see a car hasn't been running for a while, then make a call to find out why.
I feel like this is all stuff that should be obvious. I don't even know why I should have to explain. And as I sit here on Friday night writing this, I know that Orland Raceway will have a race with the Mini Truck division being booked at the last minute to make up for what the California Hardtop Association did. I know that the group will not be at Orland. And most of the membership probably doesn't know what was done on their behalf.
I know some people will wonder what the big deal is. Isn't the Hardtop group a nostalgia act? Maybe. But they have something to offer the fans. I remember the race that Mike McCann got John Soares to book at Antioch in 2015? Robby Waldrop was driving Bill McLaughlin's Hardtop and he brushed the back wall. The thing was sparking and he wasn't letting off. He was racing hard for that second place finish. He was putting on a show for the fans too. The group actually had one heck of a race that night.
If it's just a little filler group that kind of slides into the pits and doesn't make too much noise, have at it. You can get away with canceling some dates that way. The track itself may book it and not care whether you're there or not. If that's what you want to promote, have at it. But if you want to be more than that. If you want to be a group worthy of being advertised as part of the show, you need start acting like a group that is worthy of that honor. Otherwise, don't be surprised if raced date opportunities start going away.
It's actually 4 in the morning as I'm adding these last bits to this particular column. Should be in bed right now, but I'm finishing up the newspaper portion of the racing media effort. On my schedule, Sunday is the day that I try to handle whatever needs to be taken care of for race review articles for the tracks in which I cover. I have to budget my time, and when Mike decides we're headed for the race track, I have to bend my schedule. I'm always adjusting my own schedule around his schedule, so I do the best I can to get my writing done.
I really am burning out on this whole process when I have quiet time to think about it. I made a commitment to get through the season, and that means I give it 100%. When I'm done with the season, I will look and see what I can actually do to bring about change in my life. Is it even possible? I have my doubts. I look around at the people who seem pretty depressed in life and they're on the verge of giving up, and I completely understand. If you're in a happy place in life, you probably don't get it. Not saying I'm going to give up, just that I feel hopeless in bringing about real change in my life. So, I cling to the thing that I've been doing for most of my life, racing.
There were a couple of people who told me they thought I was doing a good job up here. I had to shake my head. If you're talking about my writing effort, no way. I am not writing my best material right now. It's because I'm so stretched and handling other things that I can't do better. On race day, rather than get completely into racing reporter mode, I'm doing a few other different things to help make sure we have a smooth night. Therefore, I'm not really reporting about the racers as well as I could. I do the best I can. I understand that my effort is better than what has been here for a long time, but I also know what I'm capable of.
What I also know is that whether I want to be here or not, I'm here doing work for this race track. It needs everything I can give it to help get us through what has been a very trying and difficult season at times. In the midst of that, more racers and fans have been coming out during these first two months. It amazes me to see that, and I do take a lot of pride in the effort being put forth. I also know that I can't let up in the least, and I test myself in my ability to handle what I'm doing. I am doing the best that I can here. That's something I will take away from here when I leave in the future, whenever that might be.
In the end, you can do everything you want to do, but it's up to the racers to buy into the program and support it. It's up to the fans to decide this is worth their time and money. If you're presenting them with something good enough, they'll come. I hope that has been the case. I know what we've done here in the two-and-a-half years we've been here, and I know we've made improvements. I know there is plenty of room for improvement as well, but I know that I can only do so much. I can look myself in the mirror and know that I've done my best. That's all that really matters. It's all I have. I have my word and my integrity, even if I don't have much else in life.
I go back to my comments in this column. Do I really want to make those observations about the Hardtop group? It's not easy for me to be critical. Yes, I'm not a fan of the leader of that group, but that leader represents some people I do like. I just feel like sometimes you have to say things that might not be popular in order to get people to realize that there is a problem. You don't book a date with a race track and then cancel the way these guys have been doing for years. It's just not professional. They're looking at it purely through their own perspective and not from the perspective of the fans that they let down or the race track. And so, I put my words out here for consideration. Take it or leave it. It's just my opinion.
In closing, there's going to be a change at a race track that I care about soon. Change is inevitable. But the question is, what kind of change? It's easy for people to point fingers and put down the people who run these race tracks. They come out there with their agendas and if everything ain't perfect, you can see the criticism start to fly. The promoters are the ones taking the financial risk. They gain the rewards when times are good, they suffer the losses when they're not.
Also remember that a promoter goes through a great deal of stress in what they do. I'm not the promoter up here. I don't have the title of assistant promoter, but I feel like I've been doing those duties. I know the stress I am under. I know the stress the person I'm working with is under. People have no idea. And, I know that most promoters go through these things. It can get to you. I can't speak to what happened to Ed Parker, but I can say he probably did go through stress too. Is that a factor in things? Well, I don't know. I don't think the stress helped him.
The only reason I bring this up is to point out the other thing that promoters invest in this sport. It's not just their money and their time. They invest themselves. They eat and sleep this stuff. They worry if they've done enough. They worry if they're going to make ends meet. And, they're in it for the long haul. It is stressful.
So, when you have a promoter out there who has given years of their service, you have somebody who did it for the love of the sport. I can assure you, they're not making barrels full of money. Sure, they make money at times, but I can guarantee you they have lost money along the way. They're not buying some mansion on the hill on the backs of the racers and the fans.
Change is inevitable. I'm going to be cryptic about this, because the principal parties involved will make their announcements when the time comes. I myself don't know all of the details. I'm sure people are hearing the rumors. All of these race tracks will go through changes in promoters and the racers and the fans who go there on any given week. It's inevitable. I call each person that's been involved with working and competing at a race track a link in the chain of the history of that track. I'm a link in the chain. Any person who has done anything to help the sport is a link in the chain.
So, there will be another promoter at the helm of a track that I care about in the not-too-distant future. Will this make things better? Will it just make things worse? Obviously, with change comes excitement. People are optimistic and hopeful. People will sometimes get on board and roll with whatever comes their way for a while, good or bad. They will cut the new people some slack at first. But, eventually, the honeymoon is over. You don't have the hope for what that person will do. You have the reality of what it is. Will it be better?
The names I've heard all have merit to them. They've done good things through the years in the sport. I think that if any one of the names I'm hearing happens to be the person that steps up for that race track, things are going to be okay. There are a few different philosophies involved with these people. You might see things deemphasized or you might see some things emphasized more. But the thing is that racing will continue at that venue.
I'm sure I will have more to say on this subject. I know I will. I invested myself into the situation for a long time. I care deeply about that particular place and even the people in charge of it. That's all I have to say about the subject for now. I'm going to bed and will deal with editing this later. Until next time...
