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Decker, DeCarlo, Walko Win At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA... August 11.. Point leader Jeff Decker won his third DIRTcar Late Model Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. Decker chased two-time champion Richard Papenhausen for a majority of the race before gaining the lead with five laps to go.
Decker started on the front row with Papenhausen in the second row. Papenhausen sprinted into the lead with Decker in pursuit. It was a lap 15 yellow flag that provided Decker his opportunity. Papenhausen got just a little bit out of shape entering Turn 3, and Decker raced underneath him in Turn 4 to get in the lead. Once he was out in front, Decker led the rest of the way for the victory. Papenhausen settled for second, followed by Rod Oliver, Paul Guglielmani and Mike Hynes
Point leader Nick DeCarlo won his fifth All Star Series A Modified Main Event of the season. Dwarf Car champion Danny Wagner set the early pace ahead of Raymond Lindeman. The lead duo ran that way until a lap 14 yellow flag waved for David Zeiter. On the restart, DeCarlo got around Lindeman for second, and DeCarlo made an inside pass in Turn 4 a lap later to take the lead from Wagner. Moments later, Wagner slowed for a caution flag. DeCarlo led the restart and went on to victory, followed by Lindeman, Buddy Kniss, Wagner and Bobby Motts Jr.
Mike Walko stayed in championship contention with his fourth Limited Late Model feature win of the season. Walko led from the start, pursued early on by two-time champion Mike Gustafson. Mark Garner stalled in Turn 4 for a lap one caution flag. Garner made a charge back towards the front and took second from Gustafson on lap 16. Garner was pressuring Walko for the lead, but he got out of shape in Turn 3 on the final lap, allowing point leader Kimo Oreta to race by for the position. Walko stayed smooth down the stretch and was rewarded with the victory. Oreta settled for second, followed by Garner, Ryan Cherezian and John Evans.
Point leader Trevor Clymens continued his march towards the championship with his division-leading sixth 20 lap B Modified feature win of the season. Clymens raced into the lead at the start ahead of Tommy Fraser. Fraser surrendered second to Ryan DeForest, only to gain it back when DeForest spun for a lap six caution flag. The battle was for second, and Nick Caughman Jr briefly took the position from Fraser on lap 10. Fraser moved by in Turn 1 a lap later and took up pursuit of Clymens. However, Clymens was not to be denied as he won, followed by Fraser, Doff Cooksey, Caughman and DeForest.
Michael Cooper won his fifth Hobby Stock Main Event of the season. Rookie Breanna Troen had the pole for the race and set the early pace as Cooper ran closely behind. On lap 12, Cooper made his winning pass. Point leader Chris Sorensen also managed to get by for second, but he was no match for Cooper. Troen settled for third, followed by Josh Leach and Cameron Swank.
All Star Series racing will continue next Saturday night with the Winged 360 Sprint Cars back in action. The A Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars will also be in action. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
All Star Series Antioch Speedway
DIRTcar Late Models
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Rod Oliver, Jeff Decker. Main Event (20 laps)-Jeff Decker, Richard Papenhausen, Rod Oliver, Paul Guglielmoni, Mike Hynes.
A Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Bobby Motts Jr, Eric Berendsen. Main Event (20 laps)-Nick DeCarlo, Raymond Lindeman, Buddy Kniss, Danny Wagner, Bobby Motts Jr.
Limited Late Models
Heat Winner (8 laps)-Mark Garner, Mike Gustafson. Main Event (20 laps)-Mike Walko, Kimo Oreta, Mark Garner, Ryan Cherezian, John Evans.
B Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Chuck Golden, Nick Caughman Jr. Main Event (20 laps)-Trevor Clymens, Tommy Fraser, Doff Cooksey, Nick Caughman Jr, Ryan DeForest.
Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Frank Furtado, Josh Leach. Main Event (20 laps)-Michael Cooper, Chris Sorensen, Brianna Troen, Josh Leach, Cameron Swank.
Winged Sprint Cars, Modifieds Part Of Five Division Lineup At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...It's the beginning of the stretch run in the Antioch Speedway championship battles, and there are still some very close point races. Saturday night, the close Winged 360 Sprint Car championship battle continues. We also have good races happening in the All Star Series Limited Late Model and A Modified divisions. Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars will make this an exciting program.
There are some key dates remaining on the Speedway calendar, and this includes the annual Chet Thomson Memorial Race set for September 8th. The Bay Area Hardtops revived this race, which was on the Vallejo Speedway schedule throughout the 1970s before the track closed. There is every indication that the Hardtops will get a better turnout this year than last. There is also Late Models, A Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Dwarf Cars and Hobby Stocks that night, and management added a new twist to the Hobby Stock race for that September 8th event.
Rules have been adjusted as a way to attempt to accommodate drivers who compete at other tracks. The Hobby Stocks will be having a 50 lap Main Event. The field, based on 20 cars, will receive a minimum of $125 to start the Main Event, and the winner will pick up a $1,000 payday. Entry is $100 for car and driver, and it is hoped that the Hobby Stock division will grow to need a B Main that night
The big nights continue a week later with the Third Annual John Soares Sr Memorial Top Dog Race. The September 15th race will feature Late Models, A Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars. The significance of the Late Models being on the card is that Soares was the last Bay Area promoter who still held onto a Late Model division when the other tracks dropped the class. The Dirt Modifieds are significant because they were the featured division in his Top Dog race at Petaluma Speedway that would attract over 60 cars. Furthermore, the elder Soares was the promoter responsible for bringing the Modified class to the West Coast in 1987.
Another highlight coming up on the schedule will be the October 13th season finale, which is the Fall Brawl. The A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars will all be competing that night as the track closes the curtains on the 21st season of promotion under the Oval Motorsports banner and 58 continuous seasons of operation for the track itself.
This Saturday night, the Winged 360 Sprint Cars are sure to feed the fans need for speed. This season has been an interesting one. Because Antioch Speedway pays a nice purse for this division, young, up-and-coming competitors come out for a try at their first career wins. One such driver who got the job done last time out was Petaluma Speedway regular William Fatu. While reigning champion and current point leader Art McCarthy still searches for his first win of the season, both 2016 champion Billy Aton and Matt DeMartini are two-time winners. McCarthy has two third place finishes and collected his second runner-up finish at the most recent event, giving him a 22 point lead over DeMartini. It's been said that the road to the All Star Series Winged 360 Sprint Car championship at Antioch Speedway goes through McCarthy, and that continues to be the case this year.
This is still pretty much the rookie season for Tim Burcher, and he's been at every race to hold down third in the standings, 20 ahead of Aton. Burcher still find himself fighting various mechanical issues, but he continues to come back with enthusiasm to give it a shot each race. Aton is only leading last season's top rookie, Jacob Tuttle, by seven points in the race for fourth. Tuttle is looking for his first win, but he has two seconds. David Dias and Jeff Strole are other drivers to watch for this week.
In the A Modified division, it's a two-car battle between Nick DeCarlo and Bobby Motts Jr for the championship, and DeCarlo is giving every indication that he wants to make Antioch the third different track in which he's won a championship in this class. Last week, DeCarlo survived a crash on his way to the front and went on to pick up his division-leading fifth Main Event win of the season. It didn't look like the win would be his. Once again, two-time Dwarf Car champion Danny Wagner led several laps before problems took him out of the lead. DeCarlo's rival, reigning champion Bobby Motts Jr, lost laps in the pits, but he managed to get a fifth place finish. DeCarlo now leads Motts by 12 points, and Motts may need to get his first win of the season to have any shot at DeCarlo.
Second and third place last week were season best efforts for Raymond Lindeman and rookie Buddy Kniss. Kniss has been showing noticeable improvement with each start as he continues to make his laps. The young third-generation competitor could very well be further up in the standings, but he's an aspiring baseball player who is missing races periodically to compete in various tournaments. Still, he loves to fill his need for speed at the track whenever possible. Kniss trails Bobby Montalvo by 12 points in the race for fourth, while Sean O'Gara is 42 points ahead of Montalvo in third. Other drivers to watch for this week include David Zeiter, Anthony Slaney and Shawn DeForest.
The most exciting battle taking place at the speedway right now is happening in the Limited Late Model division. Only four points separate point leader Mark Garner, Kimo Oreta and Mike Walko in an intense battle. Walko leads the division with four victories and has finished no worse than fourth in the 11 races held so far. Last week, he had to withstand some serious pressure from Garner who came back from an early yellow flag to hold second until bobbling in the final turn and surrendering the position to Oreta.
With both Garner and Oreta claiming three wins each, the only other driver to notch a victory so far this year is two-time champion and division all-time win leader Mike Gustafson. Fourth-ranked Ryan Cherezian is hoping that maybe he'll be the next driver to get a win. He has a solid hold on fourth in the standings and is 44 points behind Walko. There continues to be a close battle for fourth between John Evans and Gustafson. Gustafson trails by 29 points.
The Hobby Stock division continues to see the big three play their game of divide and conquer the wins. Last week, it was Michael Cooper adding his fifth win for the season, which matches reigning champion Cameron Swank and is one behind the current point leader, Chris Sorensen. Cooper didn't gain much ground in the standings as Sorensen finished second in last week's Main Event, meaning Sorensen holds a 98 point advantage over Cooper. Cooper is only 37 points ahead a Swank in a closer battle for second.
Once again, Breanna Troen led some early laps before settling for her third third place finish. With those results, she has now taken the lead in the rookie battle by 12 points ahead of John Wacht and is fourth in the standings. Meanwhile, another rookie, Anthony Wellborn, continues to climb up the ladder and is only 43 points behind Wacht for fifth. Troen and the consistent Wellborn seem to be leading the list of drivers who could be in line to become the next feature winners, and Josh Leach was looking good last week as well in his Top 5 finish. Other drivers to watch for this week include Haley Gomez, Ed Letterman, Angela Brown and Sid Smith.
In the Dwarf Car division, Mike Corsaro is looking for his first feature win since the sixth race of the season. Corsaro has still been very consistent with four second place finishes in the last six races, which keeps him 70 points ahead of David Michael Rosa in the championship battle despite the fact that Rosa has scored his three wins during that time period.
Mario Marques is a one-time winner this year and is only 24 points behind Rosa in the race for second. He leads two-time Street Stock champion David Rosa by 52 points. The elder Rosa is still looking for his first win of the season, and other drivers in the hunt include Chris Becker, Troy Stevenson, 2010 champion Jerry Doty and Tony Carmignani. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Birdsong, Van Hoff Win Legends Night Features
At Merced Speedway
Merced, CA...August 11...Chris Birdsong won his fourth Valley Sportsman Main Event Saturday night at Merced Speedway. It was Legends night, which pays tribute to the great racers who have competed at the speedway since 1950. Reigning champion Jeff Bristow led the first two laps before being passed by point leader Jerry Cecil. Birdsong was running strong, and he made his winning pass on the inside in Turn 2 of the seventh lap. Once Birdsong got the lead, he left the battle for second as he sped to the checkered flag. Cecil held off the constant pressure of Bristow to get the runner-up finish. Two-time champion Mike Friesen finished fourth, followed by Eric Seeley, Jeff West, Erv Eldridge, Jeff Amos and Rick Elliott. Cecil outran Bristow to win the six lap heat race.
Austin Van Hoff won his first 25 lap Hobby Stock Main Event of the season. Van Hoff had been running strong in recent races, and to get this win, he had to beat point leader Kodie Dean. Dean chased Mike Germait for two laps before getting around in Turn 2 of the third lap. Van Hoff made the pass for second in Turn 4, and the battle was on for the lead. Van Hoff was pressuring Dean hard until making an inside pass for the lead on lap seven. Dean ran with Van Hoff for the next half-dozen laps. But as the race wore on, Van Hoff pulled away just a little bit to a satisfying victory. Dean settled for second, followed by Kristie Shearer, Germait, John Hensley, Race Shelton, Shannon Nelson, James Stockton and Bubba Nelson. Van Hoff and Shannon Nelson won the eight lap heat races.
Bobby Michnowicz won the 25 lap BCRA Midget Lites Main Event. It was the Wayne Albright Memorial Race, and several racers, including Michnowicz, came up from the Southern California area's California Lightning Sprints organization to compete. Front row starter Brent Sexton set the early pace and was looking good until he spun for a lap eight caution flag. Hunter Kinney inherited the lead at that point, but Michnowicz raced around him on the restart. Another restart a few laps later provided multi-time BCRA Midget Lites champion Doug Nunes the opportunity to race by Kinney for second. However, he was no match for Michnowicz, who scored the victory. Kenny settled for third, followed by Bradley Dillard, Dakota Albright, Steve Brown, Danika Jo Parker, Sexton, Eric Greco Jr and Aiden Lange. They ran three eight lap heat races with wins going to Albright, Brown and Parker.
Point leader Tim Crews won his third 15 lap California Sharp Mini Late Model Main Event of the season. Crews had the lead from the start and held off Logan Clay throughout the race for the win. Ian Shearer held off Riley Jeppesen in a good battle for third as Carson Guthrie settled for fifth.
The event, which was sponsored by Merced Elks Bingo, also included the appearance of several beautiful Legends of Kearney Bowl Super Modifieds. They ran a couple of exhibition races.
Next week, the IMCA Modifieds are back along with the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.
Ed Parker Tribute Set For This Saturday Night
At Merced Speedway
Merced, CA...This Saturday night, Merced Speedway returns to action with a very special evening for the racing community. It's the Ed Parker Tribute. The IMCA Modifieds will be back along with the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks. There will be extra money on the line in all classes. Even though this should attract bigger car counts in all four divisions, people will hopefully remember what this evening is truly about.
Ed Parker was perhaps the best promoter in California at the time of his passing. There were many reasons for that to be the case. Ed really cared about what he did and how things went at that race track. He cared about the people. He also realized that Merced Speedway is a community, and it stretches back all the way to 1950. Special events honoring the track's heritage are sprinkled throughout the season.
Another thing Ed endeavored to do that other promoters aren't as willing to do was work with other promoters. When a race track had a big date that he was scheduled on top of, Ed was willing to entertain moving that date to work with the other track. He maintained a good working relationship with Watsonville promoter John Prentice and actually stayed dark to support two big Watsonville dates. Ed was the kind of promoter that racing needs now more than ever. Promoters need to concentrate on what works best at their own race track, but they also need to realize that there are other race tracks out there as well. Ed understood that it can benefit all tracks when they work together.
When the previous management was ready to leave, Ed was concerned about Merced Speedway. He wanted things to continue. People might not have taken him seriously when he said he was putting together a deal to take over as promoter, but he was. Ed put together the perfect plan and made the deal. In each of the three seasons in which he was the promoter, there was noticeable Improvement in car count.
This year was Ed's biggest year yet for the track. On one occasion, there were 140 plus cars in the pits, which is a record car count for the track. Merced's pits don't quite fit that many cars, and this was one of those occasions where they parked some cars in the parking lot. People wanted to race at Merced Speedway, and Ed was a big reason why. He was one of those people who listened to his racers and also tried to make things better.
Not everything that he tried was successful, but he was also willing to admit mistakes and correct them. When he changed the configuration of the track, there were critics. During the week off leading up to the Dwarf Car Nationals, Ed had a crew at the track reshaping the surface in a manner the racers wanted. He even did what he was known to do. He got on Facebook with a live update and proclaimed, "You wanted it, you got it. I listen to my racers."
Sadly, it wasn't long after the Dwarf Car Nationals event when Ed suffered a heart attack and passed away. It was a loss that has shaken the Merced Speedway racing community to its core. One of the ways we move ahead from a moment like this is to pay tribute to the man himself. Thus, the special weekend in honor of Ed Parker. We will remember him fondly and do what it is he wanted us to do at Merced Speedway. We will go racing on Saturday night.
The IMCA Modified division will be racing for $1,200 to win with a minimum of $200 to start. The extra money should boost the car count considerably. Third generation competitor Darrell Hughes II finds himself in the lead over Brian Pearce by 21 points. Hughes is a Main Event winner this year, while Pearce has been hanging in there through consistency. Closing in on Pearce little by little is four time champion Ramie Stone. Stone is a Main Event winner this year and is only 13 points behind Pearce.
Exactly who might show up is still subject to speculation, but racers from the Watsonville and Antioch areas are among those anticipated. When they get there, they will have to do battle with the likes of one time winner Ryan Porter, Justin Villanueva, Troy Stone, Jeff Streeter, Derek Nance, Jarod Fast and two-time reigning champion Randy Brown.
The IMCA Sport Modified division is now being led by two-time Hobby Stock champion Bruce "Bubba" Nelson and Danny Roe in a tie. Nelson is a one-time winner this year, while Roe is still looking for his first win. Past Antioch Speedway champion Jeremy Hoff is just two points behind the lead duo, and he is looking for his first win as well. The driver with three wins finds himself 11 points out of the lead. That would be second generation competitor Tanner Thomas, who is having an impressive season that has also found him winning a Main Event at Antioch Speedway. Tanner's brother Chase Thomas is just 13 points behind him in fifth.
This race will be paying $800 to win with a minimum of $100 to start, and this means there could be some big names coming from Watsonville, Antioch and even the Bakersfield area. Some of the drivers anticipated this week include Chris Falkenberg, Jarrod Mounce, Cody Parker and one-time winners Kelly Wilkinson and Chuck Weir.
It took 11 starts, but Chowchilla resident Austin Van Hoff finally grabbed his first Hobby Stock Main Event win of the season last week. To do it, he had to hold off fellow Chowchilla resident and current point leader Kodie Dean. Dean has been dominating the Winner's Circle with seven victories, and he certainly made Van Hoff work for the win. The consistent Shannon Nelsen had only her third non Top 5 finish in 11 starts, allowing third-ranked Kristie Shearer to use her third place finish to gain a little bit of ground. The Hobby Stock class is competing for $600 to win and $60 to start, and word is that there are some Watsonville stars looking to come in and stake their claim on the prize money. Among the local competitors to watch for will be one-time winner Robbie Loquaci, 2016 champion Michael Shearer, John Hensley, Mike Germait, Caleb Shelton and Race Shelton.
The Mini Stock division normally competes for trophies, but this time they get a $150 first prize. The division has done very well this year and is averaging 20 cars per race. At the top of the leader board after seven events is Allen Neal, who leads second generation racer Lee Ragsdale by five points. Both Neal and Ragsdale are searching for their first wins of the season. In fact, only one driver in the Top 10, fifth place Shawn DePriest, has won a Main Event this year. Tyler Jackson is third in the standings, 19 points out of lead and 12 ahead of Jennifer Rodgers. Other drivers to watch for this week include Bryant Desaire, Jason Belton Jr, Joe Terry and Devin Belton.
Saturday night is a special night where we remember a good man and one of the best promoters California has seen in recent years, Ed Parker. Four divisions will be competing for extra money, and this is one of those shows you won't want to miss. For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.
Freitas, Sieweke, Studebaker Win
Petaluma Speedway Features
Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. Freitas becomes the sixth different winner this season. After winning his heat race, Freitas had a good battle up front with Silver Dollar Speedway star Kalib Henry for the win. It was close all the way, but Freitas prevailed at the checkered flag. Brett Rollag finished a strong third, followed by Colby Johnson, Jake Haulot, Colby Wiesz, Norm Johns, William Fatu, John Clark and Bob Davis.
Chase Majdic bested the 17 car field in qualifying with a quick lap of 13.324. Haulot was second quick at 13.415. Eight lap heat race wins were recorded by Freitas, Henry and Rollag.
Chris Sieweke recorded his first 25 lap McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modified Main Event win of the season. Sieweke gained the lead from Mitch Machado on lap 3 as Machado stalled in the second turn. Reigning champion Oreste Gonella quickly settled into second and began a race long effort to try o overtake Sieweke. However, Sieweke ran a good line and maintained his pace for a hard-fought victory. Gonella maintained his effort to repeat as champion with a strong second place finish. David Spriggs was a season-best third, followed by Joel Myers, Freddie Plourde III, Tony Bernard, Justin Yeager, Danny Potts, Michael Paul and Machado. Eight lap heat race wins went to Sieweke and Gonella.
Two-time champion Steve Studebaker stayed in the championship hunt with his second Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stock Main Event win of the season. Studebaker set a blistering pace up front and won by over half a lap ahead of reigning champion Matt While. Mitch Machado had his worst finish of the season in third, followed by Austin Ohlinger, Sean Cook, Snazzy Duckworth, Shawn McCoy, Tim O'Hara and Erick Veeninga. Studebaker and Ohlinger won the six lap heat races.
Reigning champion Dave Mosier won an eventful 20 lap General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Car Main Event. Brandon Gentry led from the start through several yellow flag periods. On lap 13, Matt Hagermann made a backstretch pass on Gentry to gain the lead. Hagermann and Gentry got a little too close in the race for the lead on lap 15, and Mosier raced by Gentry for second. A lap later, Mosier made a high pass around Hagermann in Turn 2 to grab the lead. With three more late-race caution flags, time expired on lap 20. Mosier was the winner, followed by Gentry, Hagermann, Scooter Gomes, Ben Wiesz, Carol Mendenhall, Marty Wiesler, Danny Marsh, Tommy King and Trevor Mendenhall. Mosier won his eight lap heat race, and the Wiesz brothers, Ben and Josh, won the other two heats.
Racing resumes next Saturday night with PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars, General Hydroponics Dwarf Cars, Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros and Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks all competing on the 3/8 mile clay oval. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Furr Maintains Point Lead With Sprint Car Feature Win
At Ocean Speedway
Watsonville, CA...August 10...Brad Furr won the 30 lap Taco Bravo Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. The win was Furr's third of the season, and he carried a slim two point lead over fifth place finisher Koen Shaw going into the night. The race was destined to go non stop, and Furr wasted little time getting the lead from pole sitter Mitchell Faccinto. Furr stretched his lead to about a straightaway over Faccinto before the checkered flag waved. Justin Sanders maintained his championship hopes with a solid third place finish ahead of Ryan Bernal, Shaw, Kurt Nelson, Jason Chisum, Jeremy Chisum, James Ringo and Bryan Grier.
Faccinto bested the 16 car field in qualifying with a quick lap of 11.684. Furr's 11.755 was good enough for second quick. Sanders won the first eight lap heat race ahead of Jeremy Chisum, and Tucker Worth outran Jason Chisum to win the second heat. The heat winners and Top 2 qualifiers ran a six lap Trophy Dash to set the first two rows of the Main Event. Faccinto won that race, just ahead of Furr.
Alex Wilson won his first 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event of the season. The 2015 State champion won a good battle with Austin Burke to claim the victory. Past Street Stock star Jeff McCoun piloted the Jim Pettit car to a third place finish, followed by Raymond Keldsen Jr and point leader Cody Burke. Wilson won the eight lap heat race.
Rob Gallaher won the 20 lap American Stock Main Event. This was the third win of the season for the reigning division champion. JC Elrod and point leader Matt Kile continued their intense battle from last week's Mike Cecil race and also ran closely with Gallaher to finish second and third, respectively. D.J. Keldsen was solid fourth, followed by Joe Gallaher, Terry Traub, Jimmy Bowman, Tony Oliveira, Tom Cline and Mark Reist. Kile won his eight lap heat race by a half-lap ahead of Traub, and Rob Gallaher won a closer battle with Elrod in their heat race.
Point leader Gene "Punky" Pires won the 20 lap South Bay Dwarf Car Main Event. Pires started on the front row with pole sitter Joe Barket, but Barket fell out before the finish. Pires and Kyle Jones had an intense battle in the waning laps, and Pires beat Jones back to the checkered flag in a photo finish. Mark Biscardi was third, followed by Ryan Amlen, Eric Weisler, Mack Aceves, Barket, Chris Dorto, Justin McKenna and Trafton Chandler. Eight lap heat wins were recorded by Zach Price and Pires.
The ladies took their turn behind the wheel in the Police N Pursuit division, and Chei Romel won the ten lap Main Event by a wide margin. Romel represented the California Highway Patrol. Franni Morasci drove the San Jose Police Department entry to a second place finish, followed by Cheryl Weir, Nancy Iler, Sharon Hohmann and Kristen Jensen. Iler was the five lap heat race winner. Over $600 in donations was raised through the Police N Pursuit division to go to the Special Olympics.
Racing continues next Friday night with the Taco Bravo Sprint Cars back in action. IMCA Sport Modifieds return along with the American Stocks and South Bay Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.
Kids Bike Night Highlights Saturday Program
At Orland Raceway
Orland, CA...Saturday night is another special night of racing at Orland Raceway. It's the annual Kid's Bike Night. In addition to doing several bike giveaways, the track will have bike races for kids in three different age groups. Trophies will be awarded to the winners. The Pure Stocks will be back for another run on the one-fifth dirt oval. Other divisions competing include the Mini Trucks, Wingless Gas Sprints and 250 and 600 Micro Sprints.
Despite grabbing his division leading fifth Main Event victory last time out, Jeremy Langenderfer finds himself running third in a close three-car championship battle. The reigning champion trails 2015 champion Paul Stevens by 15 points. Stevens has almost all Top 3 finishes, including one win. Running second and in search of his first win of the season is 2016 champion Steve Martin. Martin is only eight points out of the lead. Amanda McAbel is working on another Top 5 point effort. She's leading a three-car race for fourth in the standings. After his second place finish last time out, Shannon Collins is 14 points back, while the steady John Camper is 18 points out. Collins will be in Marysville trying to protect his lead there, giving Jason Matlock and one-time winner Thomas Pavlik a chance to gain valuable ground on him.
Keith Ross is well on his way to repeating as Mini Truck champion. Ross has won four Main Events, including the most recent one, and this gives him a 63 point advantage over the consistent William Fogle. Fogle is still searching for his first win, and he may need it to hold onto second. 2016 champion and two-time winner Dan Webster is only one point behind Fogle. Rookie Tony Quinonez has an eight point lead over Rocky Wagner for fourth. Kevin Kualuk and Justin Vance are also drivers to watch in the battle for a win this week.
There is another close championship battle happening in the Wingless Gas Sprint division. Tanner Thomson holds a slim two point advantage over RJ Baker. Both drivers are still in pursuit of their first wins, and Thomson came very close at the County Fair race as he lost a photo finish to Josh Tucker. Two-time winner Josh Jacobo has a good hold on second as three-time winner Tony Richards and two-time winner Tucker make up the balance of the Top 5 in the standings.
The Mini Stock championship race takes a break, but they return on September 1st. Following his second win of the season, reigning champion Tom Davis only trails four-time winner Barbara Crain by two points. Sean Perry is ten points back in third. The two Micro Sprint classes are competing this week, and there's a close battle in the 600 Micros. The consistent Jake Fernandez leads two-time winner BJ Martin by 16 points. Martin has won championships in three different 4 Cylinder classes at the track through the years. Jessica McManus has a ten point lead over Jeremy Wilson and a 14 point advantage ahead of one-time winner Antonia Boscacci. Meanwhile, James Barnes used his third win of the season in the most recent race to build a solid 43 point lead over Pax Gonzalez in the 250 Karts. The steady Ronnie Heyer, Michael McCarthy and Zack Webster round out the Top 5 going into Saturday.
Orland Raceway is about family, and Kid's Bike Night has become a proud tradition in which the racers step forward to sponsors bike giveaways and nice trophies for the bike race winners. Add in the five division racing lineup, and this is a show you won't want to miss. For further information, look up Orland Raceway on Facebook.
Baronian Scores Fourth Central Valley Mini Stock Win
At Lemoore Raceway
Lemoore, CA...August 12...Greg Baronian won the 25 lap Central Valley Mini Stock Main Event Sunday afternoon at Lemoore Raceway. This was his fourth win of the season, and double points were on the line. As his brother Rod Baronian had problems early on, Greg Baronian will emerge with a nice point lead. He set a rapid pace up front and clocked in with the quickest Main Event lap of 14.600 in winning by nearly a straight away over a season-best second place finish for Darren Wilson. Scott Glenn was a strong third, followed by Brent Myrick, Jeff Durant, Ben Davis, Chuck Doglione, Dick Adams, Jennifer Corder and Dan Myrick.
The afternoon started with the 14 competitors doing time trials on the 1/5 mile dirt oval. Greg Baronian had the quickest lap of 15.256, beating the 15.633 of Ryan Doglione. Jennifer Corder won the four lap Trophy Dash ahead of Rod Baronian. Eight lap heat race wins went to Greg Baronian, Rod Baronian and Chuck Doglione.
The next race is set for Sunday September 9th as only two events remain on the calendar. CVMS leadership is already in the early planning stages for the 2019 season, and it's looking good. For further information, go to www.centralvalleyministocks.com.
Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 11, 2018
Hobby Stocks
Austin Van Hoff
Kodie Dean
Kristie Shearer
Mike Germait
John Hensley
Race Shelton
Shannon Nelson
James Stockton
Bruce Nelson DNS
Mini Late Models
Tim Crews
Logan Clay
Ian Shearer
Riley Jeppesen
Carson Guthrie
BCRA Midget Lites
Bobby Michnowicz
Doug Nunes
Hunter Kinney
Brad Dillard
Dakota Albright
Steve Brown
Danika Parker
Brent Sexton
Eric Greco Jr
Aiden Lange
Terry Bergstrom
Rex Jorn
Grant Sexton
Adam Teves
Brandon Leedy
Dean Alexander
Jeff Griffin
Marshall Sexton
Scott Hunter
Michael Tobiason DNS
Valley Sportsman
Chris Birdsong
Jerry Cecil
Jeff Bristow
Mike Freisen
Eric Seely
Jeff West
Erv Eldridge
Jeff Amos
Rick Elliot
Charles Mart DNS
Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 10, 2018
Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
Brad Furr
Mitchell Faccinto
Justin Sanders
Ryan Bernal
Koen Shaw
Kurt Nelson
Jason Chisum
Jeremy Chisum
James Ringo
Bryan Grier
Gary Nelson Jr
Richard Fajardo
Tucker Worth
Eli Deshaies
Glenn Bryan
Wayne Katen
IMCA Modifieds
Alex Wilson
Austin Burke
Jeff McCoun
Raymond Keldsen Jr
Cody Burke
American Stocks
Rob Gallaher
JC Elrod
Matt Kile
DJ Keldsen
Joe Gallaher
Terry Traub
Jimmy Bowman
Tony Oliveira
Tom Cline
Mark Reist DNS
Police n Pursuit
Charli Romel
Frannie Morasci
Cheryl Weir
Nancy Iler
Sharon Hohmann
Kristen Jensen DNS
South Bay Dwarf Cars
Punky Pires
Kyle Jones
Mark Biscardi
Ryan Amlen
Eric Weisler
Mack Aceves
Joe Barket
Chris Dorto
Justin McKenna
Trafton Chandler
Zach Price
Brady Beck DNS
Madera Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 11, 2018
PCS Late Models
Carlos Vieira
Jason Romero
John Moore
Cole Moore
Matt Scott
Matt Wendt
Jacob Smith
Tyler Herzog
Mike Beeler
Dave Byrd
Mike Ray
Michael Hite
360 Super Modifieds
Donnie Large Jr
Lance Jackson
Donnie Large
Ed Rodriguez
Western US Midgets
Adam Lemke
Joey Iest
Johnny Nichols
Ethan Lesser
Bryant Bell
Legends
Colton Page
Eddie Garone
Braden Rogers
Jordan Fisher
Keith Clement
Matt Winfrey
Bredan Ruzbarsky
Sheldon Crouse
Chad Nascimento
Josh Ayers
Jason Figura
Kevin Travels
Heather Hadley
Cody Winchel
Rob Nascimento
Pete Soto
Michael Ray
Madera Hobby Stocks
Chuck Dozhier
Steve Schermerhorn
Jesus Hernandez
Howard Holden
Thomas Suarez
Ivan Scorsur
Craig Tatum
MST
Shaun Reynolds
DJ Lander
Patrick Geiger
Dennis Brannon
Zachary Cook
Bert Stephens
Jim Rodwick
Ryan Reynolds
Santa Maria Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 11, 2018
Race #10 - Bud Stanfield Memorial
USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #73 Ryan Bernal
2 #3c Tanner Thorson
3 #15T Tristan Guardino
4 #8 Danny Faria Jr
5 #83 Austin Liggett
6 #7 Shannon McQueen
7 #13 Trent Carter
8 #88K Koen Shaw
9 #72 Ryan Stolz
10 #87 Ricky Kirkbride
11 #57 Steve Hix
12 #67 Britton Bock
13 #51 Austin Ervine
14 #5J James Herrera
15 #10J Jordan Linson
16 #29T Ryan Timmons
17 #97 Matt Day
18 #3 Kalab Montgomery
USAC Midgets
Results are not official
1 #25 Damion Gardner
2 #4D Robert Dalby
3 #73x Ryan Bernal
4 #57 Maria Cofer
5 #9d Michael Faccinto
6 #2 Robby Jossett
7 #7R Clayton Ruston
8 #77 Daniel Anderson
9 #20 CJ Sarna
10 #8 Randi Pankratz
11 #3c Tanner Thorson
12 #28 Alex Schutte
13 #24x David Prickett
14 #7 Shannon McQueen
15 #63 Frank Guerrini
16 #31 Kyle Beilman
17 #73 Dylan Ito
IMCA Modifieds
Results are not official
1 #25 Austin Burke
2 #20 Cody Burke
3 #111 Logan Drake
4 #41 Danny Lauer
5 #22D Ryan Daves
6 #28 Trevor Fitz
7 #31 Steve Greenland
8 #25J Danny Cavanagh
9 #4RX Chad Weber
Hobby Stocks
Results are not official
1 #91 Scotty Preast
2 #81x Jacob Jones
3 #8 Tom Grizincic
4 #87 Matt McEwan
5 #19 Pat Fausel
6 #55M Mack McGeary
7 #3 Taelor Janes
8 #18A Aaron Bruce
9 #9.75 Eddie Williams
10 #51 Mike Keebler
11 #42 Kevin Pritchard
12 #15F Markus Frazier
13 #56 Greg Noah
14 #13c Michael Smith
15 #118 Robby Cervantes
16 #15C Chris Whitford
17 #13 Raymond Shoemaker
18 #43 Sam Garvin
19 #7 Sheldon Bailey
20 #45 Christina Garvin
Mini Stocks
Results are not official
1 #77 Aaron Calvert
2 #38 Justin Jackson
3 #43P Jarod Pack
4 #5 Zach Chavez
5 #5M Steven Ragsdale
6 #46 David Kavanagh
7 #23c Chris McElreath
8 #89 Megan Burgett
9 #10 Butch Headrick
10 #0 Dave King
Dwarf Cars
Results are not official
1 #14 Tommy Velasquez
2 #48 Trent Morley
3 #91 Kody Cowan
4 #41 Nick Velasquez
5 #92N Jessica Clark
6 #00B Joe Barkett
7 #18 Tom Morley
8 #6B Brian Barnhill
9 #2 Lonnie Tekaat
10 #4 Mitch Caldwell
11 #13 Ira Henry
12 #60 Tailer Morrison
13 #05V Angel Figueroa
14 #20 James Price
15 #45 Kory Cowan
16 #77 Kris Konner
Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 11, 2018
PitStopUSA.com Winged Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #20c DJ Freitas
2 #93 Kalib Henry
3 #27 Brett Rollag
4 #38 Colby Johnson
5 #7h Jake Haulot
6 #21w Colby Wiesz
7 #32 Norm Johns
8 #6 Will Fatu
9 #12j John Clark
10 #25d Bob Davis
11 #9n Chase Majdic
12 #52 DayDay Lindt II
13 #88 Bret Barney
14 #101 Klint Simpson
15 #91ri Eli Deshaies
16 #3t Nicholas Ringo
McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modifieds
Results are not official
1 #74 Chris Sieweke
2 #23 Oreste Gonnella
3 #5 David Spriggs
4 #18j Joel Myers
5 #89 Freddie Plourde
6 #42b Tony Bernard
7 #2y Justin Yaeger
8 #23x Danny Potts
9 #23m Michelle Paul
10 #22m Mitch Machado
11 #34j Jeff Faulkner
12 #50 Michael Paul
Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks
Results are not official
1 #46 Steve Studebaker
2 #3 Matt While
3 #22m Mitch Machado
4 #85 Austin Ohlinger
5 #11c Sean Cook
6 #18 Snazzy Duckworth
7 #60 Shawn McCoy
8 #27 Tim O'Hara
9 #25 Erick Veeninga
General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars
Results are not official
1 #23r Dave Mosier
2 #31r Brandon Gentry
3 #59r Matt Hagemann
4 #66r Scooter Gomes
5 #57n Ben Wiesz
6 #11r Carroll Mendenhall
7 #46r Marty Weisler
8 #27r Danny Marsh
9 #78r Tommy King
10 #13r Trevor Mendenhall
11 #2j Jenna Perkins
12 #43r Michael Williams
13 #9r Chad Matthias
14 #2r Kylee Johnson
15 #03r Mike Affonsov
16 #55n Josh Wiesz
17 #18 Devan Kammermann
18 #34r Sam Borland
The Editor's Viewpoint
Deadlines make things a challenge when doing this media effort. Back when I ran the printed magazine, my deadline was Wednesday by noon. That's when I had to make everything happen. Not only was I printing the magazine that day, but I also had to get it mailed out so that people would have copies by Friday. I didn't want my magazines getting out next Monday because the news I had within the pages would be a little bit too old.
It went from a hand written magazine in the very early days to typewriter and word processor and eventually computer. It evolved over time. I learned some things. Sometimes people gave me helpful advice that improved the way it looked. I think it must have been around 1991 or so when it became more of a challenge to get these things printed.
This is all described in my book, Just A Kid From The Grandstands, so I'll be brief. I typed these columns out on 11 x 17 paper. It had to be precise in exactly how wide and how long these columns were on those pages. I would then reduce them so that they would fit on half of a side of a page. This way I would have two columns per page. I fit more content on the pages that way. With a very wordy Pit Stops column with lots of quotes, plus Gary Jacob sending me so much content it would make your head spin, I struggled to fit as many articles in those pages as I could.
The official size of the magazine, as I declared it, was 16 pages. If I went beyond 22 pages, it became more expensive to mail. Gary Jacob tested that many times, I can guarantee you. Now, the time spent at the printer just reducing the columns, getting that laid out and then printing the original page that was to be printed as a magazine page took at least an hour to an hour and a half. I had to do that before I could then print the magazines, which took another hour and a half minimum.
This is just a printing time. After I was done with that, I had to collate the pages into booklets, staple them, put the labels on them for mailing and stamp them and then head to the post office. I had to get all of that done by 5 o'clock. I did all the work pretty much by myself. I never did learn to type in class, but I've developed a two-finger style that gets things done pretty quickly. People are surprised when they see me type. Bear in mind that I was also going over tape-recorded interviews that I had done, which took several hours on Sunday. It's what made Pit Stops such a popular column
The interesting thing about those days is I really seemed to have the energy to jump in and do this stuff. Not only was I getting stuff out on time, there were many times when I would go to the printer and mail things out on Tuesday. I liked getting everything done quicker, even if it meant doing a lot in a three-day span, late nights and all of that, because then I had an extra day to relax. That went on for quite some time, and things got easier when I didn't have to do all of that layout stuff at the printer. I got the computer, the publisher program and could even email them the magazine for printing. They put it into the machine and it came out stapled and ready to go.
I fast forward to the media effort of 2018. There is no printed magazine. The Jefferson and DCRR Blogs are my magazines. If I did decide to ever bring a printed magazine back, I know there would be a lot of work. I also doubt that I would be doing a weekly magazine unless I was able to afford a staff. In other words, that probably wouldn't happen as I'm not flowing with money. I can't afford to do what I'm doing these days as I don't have a lot of money coming in for all the work that I do. And, I don't have the energy I once had.
When I come in off of a weekend of racing, I'm pretty well exhausted on Sunday. That's media day for me. I don't have to put the time in for the track up here, so I use those hours to do the media effort for the other tracks that I cover. Problem is, I run out of gas early. It's about 8 at night, and I'm laying down for a nap for a few hours. Next thing you know, I'm up at midnight or 1 in the morning to get things done, and I'm not stopping even when the sun is peeking through the window. This won't continue beyond this season, but I'll finish this season. Anybody who knows me knows that I finish what I start.
It's a lot of work to do this stuff. I had been removed from it for 12 years, so these past few years have been a reminder of the work that I used to put in. Especially this year, where I've added more than I probably should have. What's the point of doing all of this? I just want to spread the word for the race tracks and help get people interested again. I'd like to be financially rewarded for the work I do, but it's always been the case that there isn't much reward for it. One of the reasons I chose to walk away, among others, was that there wasn't enough reward for the work put in.
The history and legacy of this could take on a bigger role in the future. I'm still here remembering things, and I talk to people who remember the past as well. This Saturday night, I'm doing something to honor a history that means a lot to many people in Southern Oregon. This will be the second Southern Oregon Racing Hall Of Fame night. Coming up here, I was keen on establishing this event, and it just so happened that Mike is somebody who appreciates the history of the sport as well. We spent the first year getting things established. Then, we created this Hall Of Fame night, and it went pretty well.
I know people want to debate all of that, and I'm really not interested in that debate. The Hall of Fame is the race track you go to where the memories are created. Sadly, the old Medford race track is no more. Ashland Speedway is no more. There were a couple of other tracks in the area. But, Southern Oregon Speedway is still here to continue the legacy of racing in the area. That's the Hall of Fame.
Sure, some sort of monument can be created. If somebody has the money, they can go buy a building and put things in there for people to go and view. People can organize a pre-race picnic or a gathering at some venue the night before to do the inductions. Things like that can happen. The important part is that people start getting honored and presented awards and recognition that they are members of the Hall Of Fame. People like to complicate things more than they need to. If the money is not there to do all these other fancy things, do you let that keep you from doing anything at all?
We had several people from the past return to the race track for the first time in years to watch our first group of inductees get honored back in 2017. For the occasion, Curt and Denny Deatherage created three display boards that had clippings and pictures from the old Medford race track. People went there and enjoyed looking at all that stuff and remembering. Or maybe they were there just getting a glimpse of the history. A night like this serves to remind people that the history of racing goes back many years. It also serves to remind people of some of the great people that the fans came to cheer for those many years before. It does matter, although sometimes I have my doubts.
Who will continue this tradition in the years to come? That I don't know. What I endeavor to do at any place I go is organize as much of the history as I can for the records so that I can tell the story of the past and incorporate it into what we're doing now. There aren't a lot of people out there doing it the way I do, and maybe I'm just being a little bit romantic about the whole idea of the sport? I don't know. I can only tell you that the way I do it comes from the heart. It's what drove me to ever be involved in the first place.
Southern Oregon Speedway has a very special night. Hall of Fame night should be something that grows and becomes more important to the track. The place needed something when we came up here. Quite frankly, as nice as it might appear on the outside, the track was on life support. It's getting better, but there's a long ways to go to continue this recovery. The better numbers that we're seeing now can fall by the wayside very quickly. You can't take any good night for granted that you're going to have that every week, because there's any number of factors that will come and wipe it out. So you use events like this, and the upcoming R Charles Snyder Salute, too build up the momentum.
I can tell you that I have put many hours into my effort here, and when I factor in my media effort and the other things I do, this has left me with almost no time at all for myself. I know that I've given everything I have to the sport since coming back. It didn't go exactly as I had planned, but I've certainly made the best of it. I certainly feel as if I made a difference up here. It's something I am proud of.
I still look down south with concern at both Antioch Speedway and Merced Speedway. I know the people in Merced are still hurting. They're going to have the Ed Parker Tribute race this week, and it should do okay. But they are mourning the loss of their leader. The place will go up for bid, and who knows what's going to come of that? If they don't bring in the sort of passion and love for the sport that Ed had, will things start to slide backwards? Who will step up? I have a few ideas, but I guess time will tell. I can only hope for the best. I'm glad to see that people have stepped in to make sure that this season went on as scheduled while they figure out a solution for the future. That gives Merced Speedway a fighting chance.
Drama at Antioch Speedway doesn't seem to be anything new lately. There's a lot happening at the place, and I'm still trying to make sense of the things that I'm hearing. Obviously, we're looking at management that will be retiring in the not too distant future. Whether that happens now or a few years from now, it's coming soon. Will they be able to hand pick a successor or will whatever has been established here be wiped clean when somebody new comes along? These are questions that are being addressed right now.
It hasn't been an easy time for current management. Given the things going on with the family, I'm amazed that they haven't just walked away now. This is because there's still a passion for the sport that drives them to keep trying, even when they have critics saying some of the most dreadful things about them. They move on. And the one thing about it is the bills need to be paid. There are many bills that need to be paid to keep that place going. The Antioch Fairgrounds is not the cheapest place to run a race track. The price tag is rather high, and it will be high for the next person who steps forward. That's the reality they face.
A few of the things that you might think a promoter would have going for them there is the location for one. You've got a big population in the area to try to convince to come give that race track a chance. You've got several different ways to reach the people, and in 2018, it's not just one way that you can rely on to do it. So, when you look at the numbers attending, you definitely can see that the track is under-performing. Why? That's the question. Lack of putting the word out? Lack of promotional effort? Lack of a desire from area racers to support that race track? It's a combination of things, and it will take a change in the attitude coming from up top to change things.
Whether the management in place now can turn things around might be a bone of contention with some people. There are people who say that it won't happen until new management comes. Personally, I think that change in the way the place is run doesn't necessarily mean that management needs to change. However, management will be changing sooner or later. Time catches up to us all. That's just reality.
And when you're talking about a promoter who's been in the game for 21 years, just at this race track, you have to ask yourself a question. What do they have to prove? I'll name him. What does John have to prove? When he came in, there were some good years in the beginning. During his time as promoter, he also stepped forward and saved Merced Speedway from closure. I'm not going to name all of the things that he's done, but they're there for people to see. The good and the bad. What does he have to prove? My answer, nothing. He could leave tomorrow and know that he did good for that place.
The question that people will have to seriously think about is who can step up and follow him? Who can pay the bills consistently and keep that track going? Remember, there's a high price tag. Changes will be needed, but what sort of changes will work? Certainly, you need to create race track awareness and all of that, but you also need to make this the place that racers want to go to again. Racers who have cars parked alongside their homes sometimes get in the habit of not wanting to race anymore. What are you going to do to get them back or at least sell their cars to people who do want to race? It's going to take a lot of work.
And believe me, I understand the work that goes into that. I've had a crash course in it up here. I came to a race track that was at its lowest point ever. It almost didn't exist in 2015. Attendance was terrible, car count was lousy but the promoter paid the bills to keep it open all the way to the end of the season. We had to do everything that we could to entice people to come back and give it a chance again. Have we done everything we could?
I think the numbers have increased, but could they be better? All I know is we have worked very hard in many different aspects to get what we've gained as we near the conclusion of our third year. I know the work that the person coming in to follow up the previous management at a venue that has seen its better days has to do.
I'll boil it down to this. The important thing is that the show continues on. Whoever is at the helm is the one that is responsible for giving the fans a place to go and enjoy a race on a Saturday night. They are the ones responsible for giving the racers a fair and safe environment to come compete. Right now, they've got a good man at the wheel. Who will take the wheel when he leaves? We better give some thought to that.
Right now. They better be sitting down and really thinking about this. They better be dotting all the I's and crossing all the t's. They better be ready for the unknown to come and screw up their plan and make them think on the fly. Because a lot of things come up that you don't even expect. This is what John has had to deal with in 21 years, and the show is going on as scheduled. Love him or hate him, at least he's giving you a place that you can be passionate about, for or against.
I know it wears you down. I know how worn down I feel at the moment, and things are going to change on my end. I'm struggling to get through the rest of this year, and I'll find the way to do it. Then, we'll look at what's going on and if I'm even going to continue next year. And if so, how? And these are also the sorts of questions being asked at certain race tracks. This offseason can be interesting on a few different fronts. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. On that note, I'll end this column. Until next time...
