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Late Models, Wingless Spec Sprints Highlight
Antioch Speedway Program
Antioch Speedway Program
Antioch, CA...Antioch Speedway closes August with a five division lineup that brings the speed and excitement to the fans. Back as part of the All Star Series racing program this week will be the sixth round of racing for the DIRTcar Late Models. Wingless Spec Sprints continue their 20th season at the speedway, and the A Modifieds return along with the B Modifieds and the Hobby Stocks.
The score in the win column shows three-time reigning DIRTcar Late Model champion Jeff Decker leading two-time champion Richard Papenhausen three wins to two. Last time, Papenhausen seemed to have the win in hand when he got just a little out of shape exiting Turn 4 in the latter stages of the race and watched Decker go racing by for the lead and victory. Since Papenhausen missed a race earlier this year, it's Rod Oliver giving chase to Decker in the second point position. Decker leads him by 20 points. Oliver has two thirds and three fourth place finishes, but he'll need some wins if he really hopes to overtake Decker in the battle.
With his second place finish last time out, Papenhausen moved into third in the standings, six ahead of the tied Kimo Oreta and Mike Hynes. Oreta does have a third place finish to his credit, and Hynes scored his second fifth place finish last time out. These five are anticipated this week along with Dennis Souza, Paul Guglielmoni and Tyler Lightfoot.
Bob Newberry set out to win his second Wingless Spec Sprint championship at his home track and third of his career, and he's on a good pace to accomplish his goal. Going into Saturday night, Newberry holds a 37 point advantage over Shannon Newton. Newton has done his best to keep the pressure on Newberry as he won his second Main Event last time out to go with three second place finishes. However, the consistent Newberry has won four times this year with two seconds. This is not a time to get complacent for Newberry, as his DNF at the recent race only served to remind him that it can all slip away from him quickly if he's not careful.
Ageless veteran Roy Fisher is holding on to third by an eight point margin over Brandon Burd. Both drivers are still looking for their first wins of the season and have finished as high as third. Burd has one third place finish, while Fisher has three. There's also a battle for fifth involving Scott Martin and division mainstay Rick Panfili. Panfili put himself back in contention with his season-best second place finish last time. He trails Burd by 20 points. These six racers are anticipated this week along with Makenzie Newton, James East and Kevin Box.
Nick DeCarlo is in danger of hitting the afterburners in the A Modified division, which is bad news for Bobby Motts Jr. Motts, who is the reigning A Modified champion, knows he needs to win. Last time, he led much of the race before problems in traffic enabled DeCarlo to slip by and steal his division-leading sixth win of the season. This has given DeCarlo a 22 point advantage going into this race. Motts now has four second place finishes, but he desperately needs a win.
Meanwhile, Sean O'Gara used his third place finish last time out to build his advantage over Bobby Montalvo in the race for third to 92 points. The battle for fourth is still close as Montalvo leads rookie Buddy Kniss by just eight points and four-time winner Kellen Chadwick by 14. Last time Kniss competed, he earned his season-best third place finish, but his lead over David Zeiter in the rookie race is 38 points. Other drivers to watch for this week include Raymond Lindeman, Carl Berendsen II and Trent Wentworth.
Recently, Tommy Fraser got himself a new car, and it served him well in a second place B Modified feature finish. With the division off last week, he impressed with a fourth place finish in the A Modifieds. Tommy is hoping to get a feature win, but the road to victory in the B Modified division goes through runaway point leader Trevor Clymens, who has won six times. A good finish this week will clinch Clymens his second championship in the last three years.
This means the battle is for second, and rookie Ryan DeForest leads Chuck Golden by 28 points. DeForest is a Main Event winner this year, and Golden has finished as high as third. Fraser holds a 31 point advantage over Kenny Shrader in the race for fourth. These five are anticipated this week along with Nick Caughman Jr, Doff Cooksey, Todd Gomez and Kevin Brown.
The race for points in the Hobby Stock division seems to be going Chris Sorensen's way so far. Sorenson leads Michael Cooper by 104 points in his quest for his second division championship. The real question is who will win the battle for the most feature victories? After reigning champion Cameron Swank got the win last week, he has matched Sorensen's when total at six, and Cooper is one behind them with five. Cooper also leads Swank by 29 points in the battle for second.
The other story continues to be the question of who will be the next driver to get a Main Event win other than the Top 3? Last time out, Haley Gomez led several laps before finishing a season-best third. She finds herself in familiar territory with Brianna Troen, who led several laps the previous week before getting her third third place finish. Troen also tops the rookie board by 50 points ahead of John Wacht.
Wacht finds himself in the company of Billy Garner as the two drivers who have managed to wrestle feature wins away from the Top 3. Josh Leach has been on a bit of a roll lately with three straight Top 5 finishes as he climbs up the Top 10 point ladder along with Anthony Wellborn. These two drivers could strike for a victory this week, and other drivers to watch for include Anthony Vigna, Ed Letterman and Frank Furtado.
There's plenty of excitement as Antioch Speedway wraps up the hot month of August with one final Saturday night offering before heading into the big month of September. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Foland, DeCarlo, Oreta Win Antioch Speedway Features
Antioch, CA...August 18...Burt Foland Jr won his first All Star Series Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event at Antioch Speedway Saturday night. Foland has had five second place finishes in the last two years. This time, he used his outside front row start to bolt into the lead at the green flag and score the impressive victory. Only championship contender Matt DeMartini could manage to stay on the lead lap in second. Jacob Tuttle had a mishap lining up for the Main Event and failed to make the start. Meanwhile, incoming point leader Art McCarthy tore off his front end in a crash involving Jeff Strole. David Dias had his best finish in second, followed by Tim Burcher.
Nick DeCarlo maintained his point lead with a division-leading sixth 20 lap Dirt Modified Main Event victory. The race was destined to go non-stop, and DeCarlo moved quickly into third from his fourth row starting spot. DeCarlo made a move around second place Sean O'Gara by lap seven and set his sights on race long leader and championship rival Bobby Motts Jr. Motts caught a pair of slower cars on the 18th lap. He attempted a move around one of them exiting Turn 2 on the high side, but the car pushed into his path, allowing DeCarlo to race by for the lead. DeCarlo led the final two laps to win, followed by Motts, O'Gara, Tommy Fraser and Carl Berendsen II.
Reigning champion, Kimo Oreta notched his fourth 20 lap Limited Late Model Main Event win of the season. Oreta bolted out to the lead at the start as heat race winner Mark Garner tried to get around the El Camino of Ryan Cherezian for eight laps. Once Garner gained second, he found himself trailing Oreta by a straightaway in the non-stop event. Oreta lapped fifth place finisher Mike Walko with two laps to go as he won convincingly. Garner settled for second, followed by Cherezian and Chad Hammer.
Reigning champion Cameron Swank scored his sixth 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event win of the season. Earlier this year, rookie Haley Gomez led 19 and a 1/2 laps before spinning. This time, she had a front-row start and enjoyed several side-by-side laps with Swank before he moved by for the lead. Swank went on to win and point leader Chris Sorensen also got by Gomez for the second place finish. Gomez settled for a season-high third place finish, followed by Michael Cooper and Josh Leach.
Jerry Doty won his first 20 lap Dwarf Car Main Event of the season. Doty is the 2010 champion, and he won the race from second starting. Reigning champion and current point leader Mike Corsaro picked up his fifth second place finish of the season. David Rosa, Toby Brown, David Michael Rosa and Chuck Conover completed the lead lap finishing order.
Next Saturday night, the All Star Series Wingless Spec Sprints and DIRTcar Late Models return to the lineup along with A Modifieds, B Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
All Star Series Antioch Speedway
Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Heat Winner (6 Laps)-Art McCarthy. Main Event (20 laps)-Burt Foland Jr, Matt DeMartini, David Dias, Tim Burcher, Art McCarthy, Jeff Strole, Jacob Tuttle.
A Modifieds
Heat Winners (6 laps)-Nick DeCarlo, Michael Paul Jr. Main Event (20 laps)-Nick DeCarlo, Bobby Motts Jr., Sean O'Gara, Tommy Fraser, Carl Berendsen II, Michael Paul, Trevor Clymens, Chuck Golden, Jay Bryant, Kevin Brown.
Limited Late Models
Heat Winner (6 laps)-Mark Garner. Main Event (20 laps)-Kimo Oreta, Mark Garner, Ryan Cherezian, Chad Hammer, Mike Walko, John Evans.
Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (6 laps)-Cameron Swank, Chris Sorensen. Main Event (20 Laps)-Cameron Swank, Chris Sorensen, Haley Gomez, Michael Cooper, Josh Leach, Anthony Vigna, Mike Matheson, Brianna Troen, Frank Furtato, Ed Letterman.
Dwarf Cars
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Mike Corsaro, David Rosa. Main Event (20 Laps)-Jerry Doty, Mike Corsaro, David Rosa, Toby Brown, David Michael Rosa, Chuck Conover, Chris Becker, Jessie Pfeiffer, Mario Marques, Timmy Ryan.
Merced Speedway Enters Stretch Run With Three Events Left
Merced, CA...Ed Parker would have been proud of Merced Speedway's racers last Saturday night. Roughly 100 competitors packed the pits in a race that paid tribute to the late promoter. This Saturday night, there is an exciting five division offering for the fans to enjoy, headlined by the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks and the Valley Sportsman division. There's not much time left for drivers to make their moves in the championship battles.
In the IMCA Modified division, third generation racer Darrell Hughes II made a big statement last week in winning the 51 lap Main Event. Not only was it good enough for a $1,200 first prize and not only did it come ahead of perhaps the best driver running in the division these days, Bobby Hogge IV, it also gave Hughes a 28 point lead over Brian Pearce in the championship battle. Hughes knows that he can't get too comfortable with three races remaining, but if he can keep his nose clean, the championship is his to win.
While Hughes is a two-time winner, the consistent Pearce is still looking for his first win of the season. With seven Top 10 finishes, Pearce is in the midst of a career-best effort and leads Ramie Stone by just eight points in a close battle for second. Last week, the four-time champion Stone ran as high as second before finishing third. Ramie is a one-time winner this year and seems poised to add another victory to his totals. There are some good racers who call Merced Speedway home, and other drivers to watch for this week include multi-time champion Paul Stone, one-time winner Ryan Porter, Troy Stone, Justin Villanueva, Derek Nance and Jeff Streeter.
Last week was not the best of nights for any of the IMCA Sport Modified championship contenders. At the end of the night, one-time winner Bruce "Bubba" Nelson still maintained a slim four point lead over Jeremy Hoff and a six point advantage over Danny Roe. This is a battle that looks like it could go down to the wire, and Hoff and Roe are hoping that they can notch a victory before the season is done. While Nelson has won a pair of championships in the Hobby Stock ranks, Hoff is a past Antioch Speedway Sport Modified champion. Roe has done an exceptional job this year, and he's just happy to be out there competing after having suffered a heart attack a year ago.
The Thomas boys didn't have the best of nights last week. Despite the fact that he is a three-time winner, Tanner Thomas dropped to 24 points behind Nelson after a disappointing performance. Brother Chase Thomas, who is a one-time winner, is seven points behind Tanner. One-time winner Kelly Wilkinson will be out to get another win this week, and other racers to watch for include Jarrod Mounce, Cody Parker and Chuck Weir.
Much like the IMCA Sport Modified race, the Hobby Stock championship battle may just go down to the wire. It's remarkable to think that after seven feature wins, anybody could be close to reigning champion Kodie Dean. Dean was running second last week when another car ran over his right side during a caution period and forced him to make a pit stop. Meanwhile, Shannon Nelson rebounded with her ninth Top 5 finish. Despite the fact that she is still searching for her first feature win since 2015, the wife of two-time champion Bubba Nelson is only six points out of the lead. To beat Dean, she may need that win.
Kristie Shearer matches Dean and Nelson with 12 Top 10 feature finishes so far, and that has her 18 points ahead of Austin Van Hoff in the race for the final podium position. Van Hoff has gotten hot lately. After finishing second three races ago, the second generation racer has rattled off back-to-back victories, including his career-best performance in the Ed Parker Tribute race last week. Austin comes into Saturday night as perhaps the driver to beat. Other drivers to watch for include one-time winner Robbie Loquaci, John Hensley, 2016 champion Michael Shearer, Mike Germait and Kalob Shelton.
Continuing the trend of close battles, it's a three-car championship race right now in the Mini Stock division. Lee Ragsdale and Allen Neal come into Saturday night in a tie for the lead. Neither driver has a win yet, but Ragsdale has six Top 5 finishes to five for Neal. After getting his first win last Saturday night, Tyler Jackson is now within 12 points of the lead in third. It seems as if any one of the three could win this championship.
The Mini Stock division has seen an influx of new racers and the best car count the division has ever had at the speedway. Several drivers are very much in contention for the victory, including one-time winner Sean DePriest, who finds himself 13 points behind Jennifer Rodgers in the race for fourth in the standings. Other drivers to watch for this week include Bryant Desaire, Jason Belton Jr and Joe Terry. After being absent in recent weeks, three-time champion Chris Corder returned last week. If he's back this week, he'll certainly present a challenge to the other drivers in the quest for victory.
A victory is the only thing eluding Watsonville speedway Hall of Famer Jerry Cecil in the Valley Sportsman division this season. The four-time Watsonville champion sat atop the all-time winner's list in the Sportsman division when it was dropped at his home track following the 1981 season. It was Jeanie Canapa Reveal who convinced Jerry to come out of retirement and race at Merced a couple of seasons ago. At Legends Night, Jerry looked very impressive in earning his season-best second place finish. Going into Saturday's season finale, he leads Rick Elliott by 15 points. It seems likely that by just taking the Main Event green flag, Cecil will win the Sportsman division championship.
If not for missing a race, second generation racer Chris Birdsong might be the driver sitting atop the point list. Chris has done a good job of piloting the Rod Poor Tribute Car that was built by his father, the late Kenny Birdsong. He has three wins behind the wheel of that car and one in the Jeff Bristow 2017 championship car. This gives Birdsong a solid hold on third in the standings, 16 behind Elliott in the race for second. These three drivers are anticipated this Saturday night along with Eric Seeley, Jeff West, Bristow and two-time champion Mike Friesen.
Merced Speedway will be going on a two-week break after this race, and this loaded five division lineup will give the fans a nice fix to tide them over until racing resumes on September 15th. With the championship battles heating up in several classes, you won't want to miss the show. For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.
Hughes, Tucker, Van Hoff Win Ed Parker Tribute Races
At Merced Speedway
At Merced Speedway
Merced, CA...August 18...Saturday night was the Ed Parker Tribute race celebrating the life of the popular promoter, who passed away earlier this year. There were three 51 lap Main events as Ed was 51 years old. Wins in those races were recorded by Darrell Hughes II (IMCA Modifieds), Nick Tucker (IMCA Sport Modifieds) and Austin Van Hoff (Hobby Stocks). Tyler Jackson won the Mini Stock feature. 100 competitors signed in to race in the four division program.
Point leader Darrell Hughes II scored the $1,200 win in the 51 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. Ryan Porter had a front row start and led the first 12 laps. Hughes started back in eighth and had worked his way into second by lap 10. Hughes managed to slip underneath Porter for the lead in Turn 4 of the 16th lap, and Porter spun in Turn 2 a lap later for a yellow flag. At that point, Bobby Hogge IV was running third behind Ramie Stone, but Hogge passed Stone for second on lap 22. For the final 29 laps, Hughes had to deal with the constant pressure of Hogge, who was looking for any mistake to capitalize on. However, Hughes drove a flawless race and scored perhaps his biggest ever win, followed by Hogge, Ramie Stone, State point leader Shane DeVolder, Justin Villanueva, Troy Foulger, Derek Nance, Brian Pearce, Paul Stone and Jarod Fast.
The 27 car field ran five eight lap heat races, and Nance, Porter, Foulger, Hughes and Villanueva scored the wins. Multi-time track champion Paul Stone won the 15 lap B Main ahead of Jeff McCoun and Bob Williamson.
Nick Tucker scored the $800 victory in the 51 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Tucker came from the third row to take the lead from pole-sitter Mark Squadrito. As the race wore on, 15th starter Nick Spainhoward found his way up to second. Spainhoward made his presence known, but Tucker stayed cool for the big win. Squadrito settled for third, followed by reigning champion Fred Ryland, Kevin Johnson, Kelly Wilkinson, point leader Bruce Nelson, Brent Curran, Jeremy Hoff and Philip Shelby.
The 30 car field ran five eight lap qualifying heat races with wins being scored by Tanner Thomas, Chase Thomas, Nelson, Hoff and Tucker. Ryland won the 15 lap B Main ahead of Tony Peffer and Dave Smart.
Austin Van Hoff scored the victory in the 51 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Van Hoff had the pole position and raced into the early lead ahead of point leader Kodie Dean. When a lap 19 caution flag waved, a car drove over the right side of Dean's car, doing extensive body damage. Dean had to pit, but he returned for the restart. Van Hoff led Syd Finn and 2015 champion Kevin Joaquin on the restart. They ran in that order until Joaquin made a Turn 4 pass on Finn to gain second on lap 38. However, nobody was stopping Van Hoff from scoring the $600 victory. Joaquin settled for second, followed by Finn, Shannon Nelson, 2016 champion Michael Shearer, Robbie Loquaci, Caleb Shelton, Mike Germait, Garrett Corn and DJ Keldsen. Joaquin, Donnie Shearer, Dean and Finn won the eight lap heat races.
Tyler Jackson won his first 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. Jackson had a pole position start and looked good leading most of the way as Shawn DePriest moved in to challenge from the third row. DePriest was going for his second win, but couldn't quite make his move as he settled for second ahead of Lee Ragsdale, Kevin Lockerby, Jennifer Rodgers, Kelly Lopez, Tracy Glass, Allen Neal, Dakota Keldsen and Chris Corder. Lockerby, Keldsen and DePriest were the eight lap heat race winners.
Next weekend will be a five division program featuring the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks and the Valley Sportsman division. After that, the track goes dark for two weeks before returning on September 15th. For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.
Furr, Grandzuk, Elrod Win At Ocean Speedway
Watsonville, CA...August 17...Brad Furr took another step towards the championship with his win in the 30 lap Taco Bravo Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. It was the fourth win of the season for Furr as he continues to close in on his third championship. 2016 Antioch Speedway champion Billy Aton picked up the win in the six lap Trophy Dash to grab the pole position, but it was Justin Sanders racing into the lead from the start. Sanders led Aton throughout the first half of the race, and a red flag flew on the 15th lap when Kurt Nelson rolled his car in Turn 2. Sanders continued to lead on the restart, and third row starter Furr began to make his move from fourth to challenge Sanders. Working the 27th lap as the leaders negotiated slower traffic, Furr slid underneath Sanders in the third turn and emerged out of Turn 4 with the lead. Furr led the final laps for the impressive win. Sanders settled for second, followed by Ryan Bernal, Aton, Kalib Henry, Colby Johnson, Jeremy Chisum, Koen Shaw, Jason Chisum and Gary Nelson Jr.
There were 22 Sprint Cars on hand as some drivers were looking for a final tune up before next week's 58th running of the Johnny Key Classic. Sanders pulled out as a 16th driver and set the fastest qualifying lap of 11.646. Furr came out on the track next and was second quick at 11.664. The three eight lap heat race wins were recorded by Aton, Jarrett Soares and Ryan Bernal. Aton outran Sanders to win the six lap Trophy Dash.
We haven't seen Igor Grandzuk much this season, but he made his third appearance on Friday night and impressed with his first 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified feature win. Grandzuk made his way from the fourth row to take the lead from Antioch Speedway point leader Trevor Clymens. Fifth row starter Anthony Giuliani made his way into second, but Grandzuk had a good enough lead by then to score the victory. Giuliani settled for second, followed by Clymens, point leader Jim DiGiovanni, Jarrod Mounce, Travis Meyerhoff, Mike Kofnovec Sr, Steven Allee, Austin Williams and State point leader Austin Manzella. Williams and Manzella won their respective eight lap heat races.
JC Elrod picked up the win in the 20 lap American Stock Main Event. This was the third win of the season for Elrod, who took the lead from Jerry Skelton. Elrod pulled away just a little bit, and Skelton managed to hold off point leader Matt Kile for the second place finish. John Farrell finished fourth, followed by Rob Gallaher, Terry Traub, DJ Keldsen, Larry Robertson and Ed Letterman. Kile and Joe Gallaher were the eight lap heat race winners. Gallaher beat John Farrell by about a straightaway, but he suffered a mechanical issue in the process to end his evening.
Shawn Jones scored an impressive win in the 20 lap South Bay Dwarf Car Main Event. The 2011 Champion started back in 11th and made his way to the front of the pack. When he got there, he had to pass point leader Gene "Punky' Pines to get the lead. Pires managed to hold off Ryan Amlen for the second place finish in a close battle. Kyle Jones finished fourth, followed by Joe Barkett, Zach Price, Eric Weisler, Justin McKenna, Mack Aceves and Biscardi. Amlen and Kyle Jones we're the eight lap heat winners.
Next week is one of the biggest races of the season at the speedway. Its the 58th Annual Johnny Key Classic for the Taco Bravo Sprint Cars. IMCA Sport Modifieds will be back along with the American Stock and South Bay Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.
Simpson Wins, Haulot Sprint Car Champion
At Petaluma Speedway
Petaluma, CA...August 18...Klint Simpson scored his third PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event victory Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. With a fifth place finish, Jake Haulot wrapped up the 2018 championship. Incoming point leader Brett Rollag got caught in a three-wide battle on the back straightaway that saw his front end get run over as he flipped to end his night before one lap had been completed.
Chase Johnson led Simpson on the restart, and Colby Johnson settled into third on lap three. Chase Johnson had Simpson running closely behind him as they worked slower traffic on lap 12. Chase Johnson made contact with a slower car on the back straight away just enough to get him sideways and allow Simpson to race by for the lead. Colby Johnson also got by for second. Colby Johnson started looking to the inside of Simpson for the lead on lap 15, but when they caught slower traffic, Simpson made some good moves to put some distance between the two. A lap 22 caution flag gave Colby Johnson one more shot at Simpson, but Simpson held him off for the hard-fought victory. Chase Johnson settled for third, followed by Bradley Terrell, Jake Haulot, Lucas Ashe, John Clark, Shawn Arriaga, Roberto Kirby and William Fatu.
Simpson was the quickest of 17 drivers in qualifying with a lap of 13.081 on the 3/8 mile clay oval. Norm Johns timed in at 13.192 to be second quick. Rollag won the first of three eight lap heat races ahead of Simpson. Shawn Arriaga outran David Lindt II to win the next heat and Chase Johnson beat Jake Haulot in the final heat race.
Dave Spindell won the 20 lap Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stock Main Event. This was the fourth win of the season for Spindell, and he gained the lead with a Turn 4 pass on Jeremy Tjensvold. From there, Spindell led the rest of the way in victory. Tjensvold settled for second, followed by point leader Tom Brown, Danny Manzoni, Simone Chrisman, Randy Miramontez, Kelly Campanile, Roberta Broze, Antonio Miramontez and Sophie Shelley. Eight lap heat race wins were recorded by Spindell and Brown.
David Engstrom maintained his point lead with his third 20 lap Santa Rosa Auto Body Micro Sprint Main Event win. Nick Robfogel provided the challenge from his second row starting position, but he had to settle for second behind the flying Engstrom. Brian Slubik was third, followed by George Nielson, Carroll Mendenhall, Kyle Grissom, Cody Gray, Sam Borland, Adam Johnson and Victor Guerrera. Engstrom also won his eight lap heat race as Gray and Robfogel were the other heat race winners.
Adam Teves won his first 25 lap General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Car Main Event of the season. Point leader Dave Mosier had the pole and led early as Teves came from the third row to make his move on Mosier for the lead. Teves went on to win with Marty Weisler also getting by Mosier for second. Mosier settled for third, followed by Mark Hanson, Chad Matthias, Scooter Gomes, Brandon Gentry, Carroll Mendenhall, Matt Hagerman and Tommy King. Mosier, Marcus Hardina and Zach Albers captured the eight lap heat race wins.
Next week is a special night as it's the 7th Annual Johnny Soares Classic. The race pays tribute to the long time Petaluma Speedway promoter and features a 50 lap Main Event for the Hunt Wingless Spec Sprint Series. There will also be a Western States Dwarf Car Regional event, hosted by the local Redwood Dwarf Car Association. California Hardtops will also be in action. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
California Hardtops Come To Petaluma Speedway
For Johnny Soares Classic
For Johnny Soares Classic
Petaluma, CA...It's one of those events that the California Hardtops drivers circle on their calendar. This Saturday night is the 7th Annual Johnny Soares Classic at Petaluma Speedway, and the California Hardtops are honored to be a part of the schedule. It's of significance to the Hardtop division as Soares, who promoted Petaluma Speedway for many years, won the first two BCRA Hardtop championships. it also begins a stretch of exciting events where the Hardtops are also scheduled for the Chet Thomson Memorial at Antioch Speedway on September 8th.
In recent weeks, the Hardtops were at Stockton 99 Speedway, where Dave Stewart and Tom Grady are the most recent winners. Grady got his win ahead of Joe Shenefield. They were back on the dirt at Chico last Friday night, and things weren't so pretty this time around.
In the heat race, Dennis Armstrong was lapping a slower car, but that car clipped his rear end and caused him to spin. Running not far behind Armstrong, Rhett Lang hit Armstrong at speed, ending the night for both. It was an unfortunate ending for Armstrong, who won the most recent Placerville race. Five drivers lined up for the Main Event, and it was Ken Retzloff making up for the dropped driveline at Placerville with a Main Event win ahead of Orland Raceway star Mario Romano, Shenefield, Ken Clifford and Ron Ruiz.
When the Hardtops roll into Petaluma Speedway, double-digit car count is anticipated. This is because there should be good support coming from the Bay Area contingent as recent Antioch winner Terry DeCarlo, Doug Braudrick, Dave Mackay and Dan Williams are anticipated. The fact is, Petaluma is one of the most popular dirt tracks for the drivers as the weather is cool and the track usually stays hooked up.
Jason Armstrong was the recent winner and generally finds Petaluma Speedway to his liking. Dave Reed has run strong there in recent races as has Ruiz. The Hardtops look good at Petaluma Speedway. Other drivers to watch for include Larry Wells, Joe Hopp, Steve Cloyes and Spenser Nice.
Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 18, 2018
PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #101 Klint Simpson
2 #38 Colby Johnson
3 #5v Chase Johnson
4 #43 Bradley Terrell
5 #7h Jake Haulot
6 #33 Lucas Ashe
7 #12j John Clark
8 #56 Shawn Arriaga
9 #28 Roberto Kirby
10 #6 Will Fatu
11 #3a Ricky Brophy
12 #25b Chet Wilson
13 #9 Dustin Freitas
14 #1s Nathan Schank
15 #32 Norm Johns
16 #27 Brett Rollag
17 #52 David Lindt
General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars
Results are not official
1 #42r Adam Teves
2 #46r Marty Weisler
3 #23r Dave Mosier
4 #79r Mark Hanson
5 #9r Chad Matthias
6 #66r Scooter Gomes
7 #31r Brandon Gentry
8 #11r Carroll Mendenhall
9 #59r Matt Hagemann
10 #78r Tommy King
11 #27r Danny Marsh
12 #43r Michael Williams
13 #34 Sam Borland
14 #08r Adam Freitas
15 #71p Steven Peters
16 #21r Marcus Hardina
17 #2r Kylee Johnson
18 #22r Zack Albers
19 #15r Adam Johnson
Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros
Results are not official
1 #29 David Engstrom
2 #3r Nick Robfogel
3 #121 Brian Slubik
4 #23 George Nielson
5 #10 Carroll Mendenhall
6 #5 Kyle Grissom
7 #04 Cody Gray
8 #31 Sam Borland
9 #4 Adam Johnson
10 #22 Victor Guerra
11 #2j Jenna Perkins
12 #53 Justin Adiego
13 #7j Jim Weiler
14 #8 Michael Brian
15 #16 Jason McIntosh
16 #41s Jack Clark
17 #00 Scott McIntosh
Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks
Results are not official
1 #13 Dave Spindell
2 #3xr Jeremy Tjensvold
3 #3r Tom Brown
4 #m1a Danny Manzoni
5 #7 Samone Chrisman
6 #81 Randy Miramontez
7 #2 Kelly Campanile
8 #25c Roberta Broze
9 #88 Antonio Miramontez
10 #22z Sophie Shelley
Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 18, 2018
Ed Parker Tribute
A Modifieds
A Main
Darrell Hughes II
Bobby Hogge IV
Ramie Stone
Shane DeVolder
Justin Villaneuva
Troy Foulger
Derek Nance
Brian Pearce
Paul Stone
Jarod Fast
Jim Pettit II
Tim Cecil
Chester Kniss
Monty Tomlinson
Jeff McCoun
Alex Stanford
Vincent DePalma
Chris Crompe
Bob Williamson
Troy Stone
Ryan Porter
Jeff Streeter
B Main
Paul Stone
Jeff McCoun
Bob Williamson
Monty Tomlinson
Jarod Fast
Jim Pettit II
Chester Kniss
Ricky Thatcher
John MacDougall
John Osgood III
Mitch Enos
Gary Marsh DNS
IMCA Sport Modifieds
A Main
Nick Tucker
Nick Spainhoward
Mark Squadrito
Fred Ryland
Kevin Johnson
Kelly Wilkinson
Bruce Nelson
Brent Curran
Jeremy Hoff
Phillip Shelby
Andrew Peckham
Tony Peffer
Danny Roe
Chase Thomas
Jarrod Mounce
Cody Parker
Dave Smart
Patti Ryland
Jason Pugh
Tanner Thomas
Austin Manzella
Justin McPherson
Tim Ragsdale DNS
B Main
Fred Ryland
Tony Peffer
Dave Smart
Justin McPherson
Phillip Shelby
Jarrod Mounce
Jason Pugh
Austin Williams
Tim Ragsdale
Anthony Giuliani
Todd Burk
Jeff Tuttle
Neill Barcellos DNS
Dale Grissom DNS
Travis Slayter DNS
Hobby Stocks
Austin Van Hoff
Kevin Joaquin
Syd Finn
Shannon Nelson
Michael Shearer
Robbie Loquaci
Kalob Shelton
Mike Germait
Garrett Corn
DJ Keldsen
Kodie Dean
Kristie Shearer
Danny Holcomb
Craig Tatum
William Kennedy
Brandon Pugh
Race Shelton
John Hensley
Cody Smiley
Donnie Shearer Jr DQ
Mini Stocks
Tyler Jackson
Shawn DePriest
Lee Ragsdale
Kevin Lockerby
Jennifer Rodgers
Kelly Lopez
Tracy Glass
Allen Neal
Dakota Keldsen
Chris Corder
Troy Tatum DNS
Bryant Desaire DNS
Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 17, 2018
Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
Brad Furr
Justin Sanders
Ryan Bernal
Billy Aton
Kalib Henry
Colby Johnson
Jeremy Chisum
Koen Shaw
Jason Chisum
Gary Nelson Jr
Jerry Bonnema
James Ringo
Eric Humphries
Bryan Grier
Chris Nelson
Zane Blanchard
Wayne Katen
Jarrett Soares
Vaughn Schott
Kurt Nelson
Glenn Bryan
Richard Fajardo
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Igor Gandzuk
Anthony Giuliani
Trevor Clymens
Jim DiGiovanni
Jarrod Mounce
Travis Meyerhoff
Mike Kofnovec Sr
Steven Allee
Austin Williams
Austin Manzella
Charlie Hunter
American Stocks
JC Elrod
Jerry Skelton
Matt Kile
John Farrell
Rob Gallaher
Terry Traub
DJ Keldsen
Larry Roberson
Ed Letterman
South Bay Dwarf Cars
Shawn Jones
Punky Pires
Ryan Amlen
Kyle Jones
Joe Barket
Zach Price
Eric Weisler
Justin McKenna
Mack Aceves
Mark Biscardi
Trafton Chandler
Stockton 99 Unofficial Race Results August 18, 2018
SWT Main
Results are not official
1 #43 Derek Thorn
2 #05 Eric Schmidt
3 #75 Jeremy Doss
4 #48 Ricky Schlick
5 #51 Carlos Vieira
6 #27 John Moore
7 #71 Kyle Neveau
8 #66 Jeff Bischofberger
9 #88 Jason Gilbert
10 #86 Tim Spurgeon
11 #2 Craig Raudman
12 #18 Jack Wood
13 #20 Cole Moore
14 #21 Blaine Rocha
15 #16 Jacob Gomes
16 #7 Michael Sandoval
17 #24 Scott Sanchez
18 #12 Greg Potts
19 #1 Matthew Wendt
20 #31 Eric Nascimento
21 #44 Bob Lyon
Perris Auto Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 18, 2018
USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #2 Austin Williams
2 #5m Max Adams
3 #44 Cody Williams
4 #42 Danny Faria Jr
5 #91r Brody Roa
6 #5x Tom Malcom
7 #92 RJ Johnson
8 #12 Danny Sheridan
9 #4G Chris Gansen
10 #5t Tye Mihocko
11 #23 Matt Stewart
12 #90 Randy Waitman
13 #98 Verne Sweeney
14 #51 Austin Ervine
14 #14 Wayne Rowett
15 #72 Gary Marshall Jr
16 #4 Damion Gardner
17 #12b Joel Rayborne
18 #21 AJ Bender
19 #02 Matt Rossi
20 #52v Trent Williams
Keller Auto Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 18, 2018
King Of Kings Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #88N DJ Netto
2 #37 Mitchell Faccinto
3 #21X Cole Macedo
4 #3 Craig Stidham
5 #10 Mathew Moles
6 #88V Jace Vanderweerd
7 #7Z Zane Blanchard
8 #94W Ben Worth
9 #2 Brooklyn Holland
10 #67 Vaughn Schott
11 #75 Brendan Warmerdam
12 #25F Kyle Shearing
13 #7 Steven Kent
14 #10X Anthony Simone
15 #12P Scott Parker
16 #33W Tucker Worth
17 #9S Landon Hurst
18 #3T Kaleb Montgomery
19 #99T Tanner Boul
20 #6C Travis Coelho
21 #67G Grant Duinkerken
Mini Stocks
Results are not official
1 #32X Jason Cook
2 #777 Clinton Massey
3 #15 Paul Schwartzenberger
4 #6 andrew boydstun
5 #88 Joshua Dysart
6 #9 Gene Glover
7 #0 Jeff Durant
8 #00 kit murphy
9 #3X Steve Porter
IMCA Stock Cars
Results are not official
1 #45 Troy Patee
2 #22 Rod Bane
3 #1 Alan Mendes
4 #17 Ron Hurt
5 #15 Shawn Schwartzenberger
6 #13 Renn Bane
7 #11 Brock Hamilton
8 #10T Larry Thompson
9 #11P Preston Martin
10 #99 Josh Nichols
Kern Raceway Unofficial Race Results August 17, 2018
Pro Stock Motor City Throwdown
Pro Stock
Clay Daly
Brady Bell
Devon Crockett
Justin Crocket
Tim Randolph
Chris Smith
Paul Banghart
Dana Boatwright
Dave King Jr
Wayne Coffman
Steve Worstell
Tina Bell
Frank Nyback
Matt Mayo
Dakota Schweitzer
Trevor Hidalgo
Billy Simkins DQ
A Modifieds
Shane DeVolder
Steve Noland
Danny Lauer
Trevor Fitz
Troy Morris Jr
Michael Scruggs
Karl Noland
B Modifieds
Gary Dutton
Kevin Johnson
Nick Spainhoward
Cale Kanke
American Stock
Dakota Brown
Justin Jackson
Teena Johnson
Daryl Mealer
Steven Amick
Caitlynn Guess
Jimmy Satlawa
Thorson Wins Tyler Wolfe Memorial
At Silver Dollar Speedway
Chico, CA...August 17...Tanner Thorson won the 25 lap Sprint Car Main Event Friday Night at Silver Dollar Speedway. The Winged 410 Sprint Cars were given the honor of competing for the $5,000 first prize being offered up in memory of Wolfe, who was the youngest Sprint Car champion in the track's history. King Of The West point leader Kyle Hirst sprinted into the early lead. Thorson quickly struck to second and spent several laps trying to make his move on Hirst. As they worked lap 11, Thorson made an inside move in Turn 3. Hirst slipped off the groove. When he came back down, he was in the path of reigning track champion Andy Forsberg. The two cars crashed, ending the race for both. Thorson led the rest of the way with 2016 champion Sean Becker providing late pressure. Reigning King Of The West champion Bud Kaeding finished third ahead of Colby Copeland, Michael Ing, Mason Moore, Shawn Conde, Richard Brace Jr., Peter Pauslon and Brent Bjork.
Forsberg bested the 16 car field in qualifying with a quick lap of 11.501 for the $500 bonus being offered from Kyle Larson Racing. Thorson was second quick at 11.602. Ing outran Kaeding to win their eight lap heat race, and Becker held off Thorson to win the other heat.
Corey Hall continued his march towards the Street Stock championship with a domimant performance in the 20 lap Main Event. Hall won by about a straightaway. Reigning champion Phil Marino held second until spinning with a flat tire on lap 11. Previous winner Brent Lawrence finished second ahead of Richard Workman, Fritz Zanker, Travis Moore, Luke Warmeater, Gary Newman, Marino and Ken Micheli. Marino outran Hall to win the eight lap heat race.
Nick Vidovich scored the victory in the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Reigning champion Kyle Allen led most of the first half off the race before being passed by Vidovich on lap ten. Vidovich led the rest of the way with Allen not too far behind in second. James West crossed the line in third, only to be disqualified in post race tech. This moved Marysville point leader Shannon Collins into third, followed by Collin Ferguson, Earl Adams, Jim Brookshire, Mel Byers and incoming point leader Jeremy Langenderfer. Langenderfer won the first heat race ahead of Brookshire, and West outran Allen to win the second heat.
Casey McClain won the 15 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event. McClain also won the eight lap heat race. Three-time Hunt Series champion Terry Schank Jr kept the Main Event close before settling for second. Tony Richards successfully defended his championship with a solid third place finish, followed by Brett Youngman, Bruno Bianchi and Brian Grosenheider.
Next week, the Winged 360 Sprint Cars and IMCA Sport Modifieds return along with the Street Stocks and Hobby Stocks. It's the final point race of the season and four champions will be crowned. For further information, go to www.silverdollarspeedway.com.
The Editor's Viewpoint
I've come to the conclusion that I don't much care for the IMCA lineup procedure. There are several reasons. I'm not crazy about the idea that they don't award points for heat races and don't acknowledge Trophy Dashes. What the hell are you racing a heat race for? It's just my opinion, but heat race points should go into the championship consideration. I recall in 1994 when the grand American Modified championship was won by Tim Stratmeyer at Antioch Speedway. Tim didn't dominate the Main Events by any means, but he did so well in heat races that he pulled the surprise championship upset on Scott Busby. Heat race points should count.
IMCA also has this convoluted invert formula. If you get three heat races, it's the Top 4. If you get two heat races it's the Top 5. You go by point averages, but if you miss two straight races, you don't have a point average. If they want tracks to do this crap for them, they should send them a chart. I actually think it's kind of funny that you're basically paying IMCA money to use their lame-ass system. Then, you get drivers bitching to IMCA when everything doesn't go exactly as they want. IMCA offers basically very little at the end of the rainbow rather than something more significant, such as NASCAR offers. What does the champion at the track get? A hardy handshake and a pat on the back and maybe a couple hundred bucks.
Now, I know I'm probably pissing people off who swear by IMCA. To me, IMCA basically got California by default when NASCAR stopped giving a damn about the little tracks. I give them credit for a good ruleset, to a point. I say to a point, because really you need to think about this. If the IMCA Modifieds were so good and so economical as IMCA preached for years, why did we need to have Sport Modifieds? Why are E Modifieds waiting in the wings?
We keep reinventing the wheel with Modified racing, and quite frankly, it's not the best racing you get at the race track. I have a lot of respect for people in the class and there are some people who do know how to handle their race cars and do a great job, but crash fests happening every week in the Sport Modifieds are boring and turn the fans off. The Modifieds seem to have gotten over these issues, but the Sport Modifieds are another story.
So, up here, as car count has grown, we're hearing how this Sport Modified deal is the next best thing. The greatest thing since sliced bread. Look at all the cars they have. That's great, but could you guys try racing without running into each other every other lap? I'm of the opinion that one of the things that hurts the ability to draw fans is crappy racing, and the one division that consistently seems to have all the crashes up here is the Sport Modifieds. The Dwarf Cars are no picnic either. I know this comes with having more cars on the track.
At least with the Dwarf Cars, I can point out that they have some young new drivers just getting started. They are on the border of the B Main, but for whatever reason, club leadership seems content to put 22 of those cars on the track. Personally, I'd go old school like we did it back in the 1970s and early 1980s. 18 cars in the Main Event. If you bring 22 cars, you're going to have to B Mains. Fans want to see smooth racing. Crashes happen, but it shouldn't be the norm that we have crash fests every week.
Hall of Fame Night up here went pretty well as far as the ceremony went. I ended up emceeing the event as Bryce was off in Hawaii having fun. When you honor the great's, you need to do a good job of it. Medford racing history is not something I'm well-versed in. I've taken a crash course in it over the last few years, because I'm one of the people who has pushed to honor the greats with this Hall of Fame Night. I did the best I could, and the crowd seemed really into it. I think we hit the right combination with who we put in.
Of course, there's the big question. Why wasn't Jimmy Walker inducted? There were two names I knew of when I came up here that absolutely were two of the greatest. We inducted Bruce Rayburn last Saturday night. I'm happy about that. Jimmy Walker missed the cut. We had a committee basically making all of these decisions, and even my appeal to Mike to add Jimmy as the sixth inductee was declined. When you talk about the 1990s, his numbers were right up there along with Dave Duste's. I'm not for a moment suggesting Dave didn't belong in there, but in Walker you had a driver who won championships at The Posse Grounds, Yreka and Southern Oregon Speedway. There was a time where this guy was unbeatable. Wait until next year? Most likely.
People are always going to wonder why so and so didn't get inducted or whatever. There's always next year. I'm very proud of the group of racers that we put in this year and last year, and I keep looking down south. This needs to happen in a few places, and I'm about ready to make a big announcement on that subject. I'm heading down to California at the end of September.
So, that went pretty well, but there were lots of headaches during the night in regards to the divisions. Some of the biggest crying and sniveling that I saw came with the IMCA Sport Modifieds and their lineups. I had one idiotic argument from a driver who didn't even make the invert wondering how the other two drivers he competes with in points did? Well, genius, they had Top 4 finishes and you did not. Therefore, they made the invert and you did not. Not that hard to figure out. Finish higher in your heat race and you won't have to worry about it, okay?
Nights like Saturday night remind me why I'm burning out and getting tired of the whole process. It takes a heavy toll on you when you're handling several different duties to make sure things go smoothly. It makes it worse when you get all the complaining and sniveling going on. We're up here struggling to get everything that we can get, and believe me when I say we earn the good that we get. We just don't get to enjoy it very much because there's always something negative that brings it down. We're on a good pace in our third year of the turnaround.
I still keep looking at the car count situation and remembering what my thoughts were when the season started. We're missing a division. We're missing a very vital division that could be producing the car count we need the most. I'm talking of the Outlaw Pro Stock Association. We do get to see the Pro Stock Association as part of the R Charles Snyder Salute coming up on Labor Day Weekend.
When I get back to the sanctioning body stuff, I just have my doubts when it comes to IMCA. I know they've got a good set of rules, but the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for the drivers is lacking. I look over at NASCAR and what they're offering the racers at Coos Bay, and it's impressive. You're going four divisions deep and having a point fund for the Top 10 drivers. Their fourth division gets $500 for the championship. The main division gets $3,000 for the championship and the second division gets $1,000.
I understand that trends have moved away from the short track when it comes to NASCAR. I trace the beginnings of that to the time when John M Soares got Antioch Speedway back in 1998. He was vilified for withdrawing from NASCAR, but between the very high sanctioning fees and NASCAR's emphasis on the Cup Series and deemphasis on the Weekly Racing Series, many tracks abandoned them.
It was about four or five years ago when they started asking tracks if they wanted to come back in. John himself told me a story of their attempt to recruit Antioch around 2014. He looked at it and entertained the idea before declining. I wonder what would happen if a movement began to bring tracks back into NASCAR? Coos Bay was hoping for a dancing partner when they came in, although the fact that they are the only Oregon track in NASCAR means their track champions get to compete for the State championship as well. But you don't want to go alone. When you buy that NASCAR license, you like to know that it's good for other places.
That's the problem with getting into NASCAR in 2018. Number one is you might be the only track that gives that driver a place to run. Secondly, if everybody around you is running another sanctioning body or not at all, they suddenly have to pay a license fee to come race with you. NASCAR has offered what they call one night NASCAR licenses, which people have used for visits to Coos Bay. I can't see anybody in Oregon following Coos Bay unless it were Southern Oregon Speedway, which appears unlikely.
To me, a sanctioning body is useful for a good rule set and good point fund money for the drivers at the end of the season. As much as I bashed NASCAR for taking money out of our local tracks back in the day, you can't argue with the money the drivers won for the track championships and the money they competed for to be in the Top 10 in the Regional points. There could be something there, but I'm going to ask the same question I asked earlier this year. Who wants to be the first dirt track in California to jump in?
I look at Antioch Speedway with interest. Some people think that they killed the whole NASCAR thing when they pulled out in 1998. What would happen if they were the first dirt track to join? Who gets the $3, 000 championship, A Modifieds or Late Models? You'll go down the line to offer point fund money to the B Modifieds and Limited Late Models, but even the fifth division gets something out of it, which would be Hobby Stocks. Could be an interesting proposition, but somehow I don't see it happening. On the other hand, you never know?
IMCA is the big deal. People swear by it. I just don't see much reward at the end of the season in track championships for the hassle you have to go through for lineup procedures and all of that stuff. That's just me. I won't argue that it's better than nothing. I won't argue that they have a good set of rules, although I still say if they controlled the Modified division properly, we wouldn't be seeing Sport Modifieds now. I was against adding that class on the West Coast eight years ago, and I only begrudgingly accept the division now because it's gained cars. However, it's divided the car base and cut out the need for B Mains most of the time for the A Modifieds.
I'd be much happier with a track that had three solid divisions and maybe a rotating fourth class. This was what we had at Antioch Speedway prior to John taking over. You want to have bigger car counts in fewer classes versus fewer cars in many classes. The question is, how do you get it back in 2018? I wish there was an easy solution. There really doesn't seem to be.
The best way tracks can serve themselves is to run a 12 to 14 race schedule for each class. Don't overbook divisions and give them an opportunity to get maximum support when they're scheduled. But, if you're only running 12 to 14 races per class and you need to fill 22 to 26 dates, you need more divisions. Therefore, a track almost has to have six or eight divisions unless they're willing to only run 12 to 14 dates. When I look at the Antioch Speedway schedule, the main complaints I have are 2 particular points.
I believe the Hobby Stock and B Modified divisions were booked too heavily. The car base in both of those classes is there, and it's my belief that Antioch could have seen bigger car counts in both classes had they stuck to a 12 to 14 race schedule. Also, you need to pay closer attention to the big dates surrounding the track that your locals want to go to. In other words, booking the main classes that run on the Mike Cecil Memorial at Watsonville is not a good move. You would hope that in doing that and working with other tracks, they'd be more willing to work with you when you have big races. That's the theory. But, we don't have Barkhimer or Clapp controlling that, and it's every promoter for themselves these days
Antioch Speedway has struggled to even hit 50 cars these past couple of weeks for their five division show. Some of that is racer fatigue. You run too many nights in certain classes, and drivers just don't race. The fact that the B Modifieds were dropped and then added back to the schedule lowered car count there. Now you have drivers that would much rather wait and run elsewhere.
I think a change in the way the program is run might help generate interest again. For one thing, adding Trophy Dashes for all of the classes again. I say Trophy Dashes, but for years, Antioch was handing out plaques to the winners. That's just fine, because fans still like watching the fast drivers compete for something else. Speaking of which, you could throw time trials into the mix. Maybe you're not qualifying everybody due to weather conditions and the way it affects the track, but picking a division, generally one of the faster classes, could make things interesting. Then you take the top qualifiers and put them in the Dash versus the top heat race finishers. If you're worried about it being a drag on the program, take the Top 4 feature finishers from the race before and automatically put them in the Trophy Dash the next race. Then, start your night off with Trophy Dashes. There's ways to make this happen.
I think there are many things that need to be looked at when it comes to generating interest again. The cars are out there to be had. The fans are out there to be had. What they're saying now by their absence is they're just not interested in what's being offered. So, you've got to work on getting them interested again. Driver outreach and fan outreach. Race track awareness. Changing the way you do things in racing procedure. Scheduling. The whole thing. Antioch has some good races coming up in September, so I'm hoping for the best.
In fact, Antioch will be honoring their founding promoter with the John P Soares Sr Top Dog Race on September 15th. Petaluma Speedway has the Johnny Soares Classic coming up on Saturday. This is the seventh annual event, and it features the Hunt Wingless Spec Sprint Series. Pretty neat to see that 20 years later, this division gets big races. Last I heard, it's $1,200 to win and 50 laps. The Hardtops will be a part of this show, and they also have a Western States Dwarf Car Regionals event, hosted by the local Redwood Dwarf Car Association. This Saturday night should be a really good show at Petaluma.
if you find Winged Sprint Cars more to your liking, Watsonville has the 58th running of the Johnny Key Classic, paying $5,000 to win. This is the big one for the Winged 360 Sprint Cars. Bigger purse and the honor of adding your name to a winner's list that has some of the best of all time. I'm sure Watsonville will do well with their show.
We've been up here in the midst of a run of big races, and the stretch of big shows will include the R Charles Snyder Salute on Labor Day Weekend. I'm up here in the R Charles Snyder Memorial Race Tower as I write this, and I'm so proud that we've been able to have this race honoring the local DJ and longtime announcer. We paid $5,000 to win the IMCA Modified Main Event last year, and that again will be the case
This year. because of the sponsorship effort being brought in, I'm told that it's $2,000 to win the IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. The pits will be packed with the two Modified classes, and we're going to add the Dwarf Cars for good measure as well as a Sunday visit by the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks. The pits will probably be fuller than they have been in years. We already had our biggest car count earlier this year in ten plus years.
It's gratifying to know that through all of the stress and hard work, we've seen a turnaround in attendance and driver support. Although, as we've gone later in the season, there's a little bit of driver fatigue and fan burn out. The smoke in the air and the July break served to do nothing but kill that momentum.
You try to get it back before the season's over and end on a solid note. I still see that there is work to be done, but if we were to continue along with our overall game plan and get a few more good people in key places, this thing can really take off.
I've talked about my burn out and my frustrations here, but there are so many good people that I've met here that have made it fun. Whenever I do walk away, those are the people who I will miss. Those are the people who come out here for the right reason and have fun. And it's been a pleasure just associating with them.
I'm still looking at the calendar and can't wait until the end of September when I embark on my trip down to California. I'm about ready to put something big out there, but I need to make sure all the details are handled first. It's sort of a dream come true. I don't even know where my future is in the sport or if there will be one beyond the next year or so, but there is one thing I'd like to have a hand in getting started, whether I continue to be involved or not. So, I'm hoping to be able to make this announcement soon. Then, there's more work to be done.
I can ramble on and on all day, but I think I've said enough. Until next time...
