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Ryland Wins $1,000 Prize in Hobby Stock 50 Lapper
At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...September 8...Fred Ryland returned to Antioch Speedway in a Hobby Stock built specifically for the special race and ended up winning the 50 lap Main Event. Ryland is a past Hobby Stock and B Modified champion at the track The race paid $1,000 to win and was divided into two 25 lap segments.
Ryland worked his way from the sixth row into third by lap 13. On lap 15, Ryland made a strong inside pass in Turn 4 and took the lead from Jon Haney. Haney retired from second on lap 22 as Ryland led Cameron Swank and Brad Myers at the halfway break.
Ryland turned in a rather dominant performance during the second half and led by as much as a straightaway before caution flags erased the lead on multiple occasions. Myers took second from Swank on a lap 42 restart, but he was no match for the flying Ryland. Swank settled for third, followed by Dave Hill and Jimmy Robbins.
There were 25 Hobby Stocks for this show, which meant they would run a 12 lap B Main. Chris Long led all the way for the win. Jimmy Robbins came from last starting to finish second ahead of George Silva.
Kellen Chadwick scored his fifth 20 lap All Star Series A Modified Main Event win of the season. Chadwick made the last minute decision to go racing after watching the IMCA Nationals online earlier in the afternoon. He started back in 10th and methodically worked his way to the front. He scored the victory with Raymond Lindeman a season-best second. Point leader Nick DeCarlo came from the fifth row to finish third ahead of Bobby Motts Jr and Josh Combs.
Point leader Jeff Decker scored his fifth DIRTcar Late Model 20 lap feature win of the season. Most of the race was led by two-time champion Richard Papenhausen. A lap 19 yellow flag gave the point leader Decker one more shot at Papenhausen. As they entered the final turn, Decker got a good run on the inside as Papenhausen went just a little bit high. There was contact exiting the final turn, and Decker beat Papenhausen to the checkered flag for the win. Kimo Oreta had a season-best third place finish, followed by Mike Hynes and Rod Oliver.
Mike Gustafson won the 20 lap Limited Late Model Main Event. This was the second win of the season for The two-time division champion. Gustafson led from the start, and only a lap two yellow flag slowed the pace. Mike Walko ran a close second for much of the race as reigning champion Kimo Oreta battled Chad Hammer for third. Oreta finally gained the position on lap eight and reeled in the lead two cars as they were in traffic during the final three laps. However, Gustafson was just a bit quicker as he held off Walko and Oreta for the victory. Mark Garner recovered from an early crash to finish fourth, followed by John Evans.
David Michael Rosa continued his breakout season with his fourth 20 lap Dwarf Car Main Event victory. He and his father, two time Street Stock champion David Rosa, won heat races and started back in the fourth row. It turned out to be a battle of the Rosa's with David Michael just beating David back to the line for the win. Point leader Mike Corsaro continues his march towards a second straight championship as he finished third, followed by Mario Marques and 2010 champion Jerry Doty.
Next week is the John Soares Sr Memorial Top Dog Race, featuring the All Star Series A Modifieds, DIRTCar Late Models, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars. The race pays tribute to the track's founding promoter, who ran the speedway for its first 20 seasons. For further informatio9n, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
All Star Series Antioch Speedway
Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Jon Haney, Fred Ryland, Dave Hill, Lonnie Leonard. B Main (12 Laps)-Chris Long, Jimmy Robbins, George Silva. Main Event (50 Laps)-Fred Ryland, Brad Myers, Cameron Swank, Dave Hill, Jimmy Robbins, Chris Sorensen, Michael Cooper, Chris Brown, Jim Brookshire, Anthony Wellborn.
A Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-David Zeiter, Nick DeCarlo. Main Event (20 Laps)-Kellen Chadwick, Raymond Lindeman, Nick DeCarlo, Bobby Motts Jr., Josh Combs, Sean O'Gara, Bobby Montalvo, Anthony Slaney, David Zeiter, Kyle Brown.
DIRTcar Late Models
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Jeff Decker, Kimo Oreta. Main Event (20 Laps)-Jeff Decker, Richard Papenhausen, Kimo Oreta, Mike Hynes, Rod Oliver, Dennis Souza, John M Soares.
Limited Late Models
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Mike Gustafson, Kimo Oreta. Main Event (20 Laps)-Mike Gustafson, Mike Walko, Kimo Oreta, Mark Garner, John Evans, Tim O'Hara, Lori Brown, Chad Hammer, Ryan Cherezian.
Dwarf Cars
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-David Michael Rosa, David Rosa. Main Event (20 Laps)-David Michael Rosa, David Rosa, Mike Corsaro, Mario Marques, Jerry Doty, Troy Stevenson, Roberto Monroy, Chuck Conover, Giovanni Bertoli, Jesse Pfieffer.
Race Honoring Antioch Speedway Founder
Set For Saturday Night
Antioch, CA...Antioch Speedway has a special night of racing planned this Saturday night. It's the Third Annual John Soares Sr Memorial Top Dog Race. The event honors the founding promoter of Antioch Speedway and West Coast Stock Car Hall of Famer. The father of current promoter John M Soares Jr opened the track for weekly racing in 1961 and continued to manage it until the end of the 1980 season.
The Top Dog moniker for the name comes from the big race that the elder Soares introduced to the Petaluma Speedway program in the 1990s. That race attracted more than 60 competitors on some occasions as one of the biggest Modified shows in California. The All Star Series A Modifieds will be featured this Saturday night along with the DIRTcar Late Models, Hobby Stocks, Limited Late Models and Dwarf Cars.
Soares Sr was the last promoter in Northern California to hold on to his Late Model division, and when the more recent Petaluma Speedway promoter Rick Faeth dropped the class in 2014, Soares Jr swooped in and brought the class to Antioch.
The driver who has won two of the last three Late Model championships is current point leader Jeff Decker. Decker has won five of the seven Main Events held so far, but his most recent win came with a bit of controversy. He made his move underneath race long leader Richard Papenhausen as they ran through the final turn. Decker saw the opening on the inside as Papenhausen went high. However, the two drivers made a bit of contact down the front straightaway as Decker beat Papenhausen back to the line for the win.
Decker's win gave him a 42 point advantage over Rod Oliver, who bears the distinction of being the only driver other than Decker to have all Top 5 finishes in the seven races held so far. Decker has not finished worse than second, while Oliver had his worst finish in fifth last time out. Papenhausen moved just a bit closer to Oliver with his second place finish and now trails by 24 points. However, Papenhausen would probably be further up the ladder had he not missed a race.
Last week, Kimo Oreta had his second third place finish of the season, and he is only 10 points behind Papenhausen in the race for third. These four are anticipated this week along with Mike Hynes, Dennis Souza, Rob Norris, Paul Guglielmoni and John M Soares.
Nick DeCarlo continues to close in on the A Modified championship. Following his division leading 12th Top 3 finish of the season, DeCarlo now holds a 46 point advantage over reigning champion Bobby Motts Jr. Motts has been running strong lately, DeCarlo has been just a bit faster and always manages to finish just ahead of him at the checkered flag. DeCarlo is closing in on the Antioch championship, which would place him in elite territory as the only Modified driver to win championships at Antioch, Watsonville and Petaluma.
Sean O'Gara has a solid hold on third in the standings, and Bobby Montalvo finds himself in a battle to hold on to fourth. With his fifth feature win of the season last time out, Kellen Chadwick has moved to within striking distance at 48 points behind Montalvo. Chadwick would be a threat, but whether he decides to run the rest of the season remains to be seen.
As more money is likely to be on the line, Kellen's appearance this week is a possibility. Closer to Montalvo in fifth is rookie David Zeiter. Zeiter is just four points behind Montalvo. A week after getting his first Top 5 finish, David won his first heat race last week. Raymond Lindeman had his best finish in second last time and will be somebody to watch in the battle for victory. Other drivers to watch for this week include Trent Wentworth, Danny Wagner, Anthony Slaney and Josh Combs. There's likely to be a few surprise visitors this week as well.
The Limited Late Model championship continues to be an intense battle at the top between reigning champion Kimo Oreta and Mark Garner. Last week, Garner got caught up in another driver's spin and spent the rest of the race playing catch up. It was two-time division champion Mike Gustafson snagging his second win of the season, but he had Mike Walko and Oreta close behind him at the finish line. Oreta used his effort to gain a two point lead over Garner. The pressure is definitely on. Though Walko has been very consistent this year, he finds himself 16 points behind Oreta.
Ryan Cherezian had a disappointing outing last time as he was eliminated early. He none-the-less has a solid hold on fourth in the standings. He has five Top 3 finishes in his El Camino and seems poised to get his first win at anytime. Other drivers to watch for this week include fifth-ranked John Evans, Chad Hammer and Lori Brown.
Chris Sorensen resumes his march towards his second Hobby Stock championship this week. Sorensen is a fixture in the Top 3 in the Main Event most weeks with a division-leading 17 Top 3 finishes to his credit. Six of those are wins, but he trails reigning champion Cameron Swank in that category as Swank has won seven times. Sorensen is 160 points in front of Swank and about ready to clinch the championship. Only eight points behind Swank is five-time winner Michael Cooper in a closer battle for second.
In fourth we find the battle for top rookie honors. Brianna Troen currently holds the position, 31 points ahead of Anthony Wellborn. Wellborn won the most recent point event. Troen has logged several laps in the lead in the Main Event, but so far her three third-place finishes are her best efforts. She counts herself at the head of the group knocking on the door to their first victories. Another driver to watch is Josh Leach, who has finished in the Top 3 in three of the last five point races. Other drivers to look for this week include John Wacht, Haley Gomez, Anthony Vigna and Syd Smyth Jr.
Though David Michael Rosa notched his fourth Main Event win of the season last time out in a good battle with his father David Rosa, reigning Dwarf Car champion Mike Corsaro holds a 102 point lead. The younger Rosa, who would certainly be a good pick for Most Improved Driver this year, leads Mario Marques by just 30 points in the battle for second in the standings. Two-time Street Stock champion David Rosa has now finished in the Top 3 in three of the last four races, but he's still looking for his first win of the season. Other drivers to watch for this week include Chris Becker, 2010 champion Jerry Doty, Troy Stevenson, Timmy Ryan and Chuck Conover.
The John Soares Sr Memorial Top Dog Race should be a good show from start to finish. It's likely that we'll see a few surprise visitors in the field this week to make things even more interesting. For further informatio9n, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Fan Appreciation Night At Orland Raceway This Saturday
Orland, CA...The green light has been given by the Glenn County Fairgrounds, and that means that Orland Raceway will return to action this Saturday night. It will be a night the fans won't want to miss. In addition to the popular Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks, Mini Trucks, Micro Sprints and California Hardtops competing on the 1/5 mile dirt oval, it's also Fan Appreciation Night.
Promoter Rich Hood introduced this night back in 2016 as a way for the fans to get to mingle with their favorite drivers. The cars are all on display behind the main grandstands and fans get to hang out and get autographs and pictures of the drivers. It's one of the most popular events on the schedule.
There are just two point events remaining on the schedule, and 2015 Pure Stock champion Paul Stevens took a big step towards adding another big trophy to his mantle. Stephens won the most recent Main Event. He leads 2016 champion Steve Martin and reigning champion Jeremy Langenderfer in the battle. Langenderfer just notched his first Hobby Stock championship at Silver Dollar Speedway, while Orland Raceway 2017 runner-up Shannon Collins locked up the Marysville Raceway Hobby Stock title. All four of these drivers are anticipated in what should be a hotly-contested battle this Saturday night. Other drivers to watch for this week include Amanda McAbel, John Camper, Thomas Pavalik and Ben Matlock.
Despite winning four Main Events this season, the surprising Barbara Crain finds herself in a very close Mini Stock title chase with reigning champion Tom Davis and Sean Perry. Davis picked up his second feature win at the most recent race to stay within a few points of Crain. If Davis were to win this, it would be his third Orland championship. Perry will be out to beat his two rivals for his first win of the season, and other drivers to watch for include Jason Libbee, Scott Camper and two time champion John Kirkpatrick.
By contrast from the other two divisions, Keith Ross appears to be well on his way to repeating as the Mini Truck champion. This leaves the battle on the track to keep Ross from winning, and long-time Orland racer Olin Crain denied Ross those honors last time out with an impressive feature win. The Crain truck now has two wins with teammate Jeff Bennett winning the other race. 2016 champion Dan Webster has picked up a pair of victories this year but is not in title contention as he has missed races. William Fogle holds down second in the standings and is looking to get his first win. Other drivers to watch for include recent Hayfork feature winner Tony Quinonez, Kevin Kualick and Rocky Wagner.
Though both drivers are currently without a win, Tanner Thomson and RJ Baker continue to battle it out for the Wingless Gas Sprint championship. Both drivers have been staunch supporters of the program this year and have finished as high as second. The most recent win was earned by Jake Van Tol, who also picked up the win in the first Sport Modified visit to the track earlier this season. Chico champion Tony Richards has notched three victories so far, while Josh Tucker and multi-time champion Josh Jacobo are also two time winners.
The absence of James Barnes at the most recent event enabled Pax Gonzalez to move into the lead in the 250 Micro Sprint standings. Barnes, who has won multiple times this year, remains second as Ronnie Heyer and Michael McCarthy battle for third. Both divisions have been offering some great racing all season long.
A scheduling snafu resulted in the California Hardtop division not making it to their originally scheduled first visit. Many of the racers were disappointed as they enjoy coming to Orland. These beautiful race cars are a throwback to the days of the 1950s and 1960s when Ford and Chevy Coupes and Sedans ruled the raceways. Last season, Jason Armstrong and Jason Clifford took their turns leading the pack to victory. Both drivers could be making appearances this weak, and others to watch for include Ken Clifford, Ron Ruiz, Joe Shenefield, Mario Romano and Ken Retzloff
Fan Appreciation Night should be a great night from start to finish. You get to meet your favorite drivers and then watch them battle it out for position on the race track. For further information, go to the Orland Raceway Facebook page.
Baronian And Clark Win At Lemoore Raceway
Lemoore, CA...September 9...Greg Baronian took a big step towards the Central Valley Mini Stocks championship with another win in the 25 lap Main Event Sunday afternoon at Lemoore Raceway. Baronian has been unstoppable in winning all but one of the races held so far this season. Baronian led the race from the start, leaving the battle between Brent Myrick and Dan Myrick for second.
As Baronian pulled away just a little bit, Brent was holding off every attempt by Dan to get around for second. Baronian took the checkered flag nearly a straightaway ahead of Brent Myrick as Dan Myrick ran right behind in third. Ryan Doglione made a move around Chuck Doglione with three laps to go and ended up fourth. Scott Glenn and Ryan Blank were the final lead lap finishers in the Top 7. Jeff Durant, Lindsey Brown and Dick Adams took checkered flag as they made up the remainder of the Top 10.
Baronian got off to a strong start in qualifying as he beat a 15 car field with a lap of 14.898 on the 1/5 mile dirt oval. Randy Brown Sr was second quick at 15.631. Baronian continued his momentum by beating Brown by a straightaway to win the four lap Trophy Dash. However, Darren Wilson beat Baronian back to the line in their eight lap heat race to prevent a clean sweep. Brown won the second heat in front of Chuck Doglione, and Ryan Doglione outran Scott Glenn to win the final heat race.
Mikey Clark made history as the first driver to win a 20 lap Dwarf Car Main Event at Lemoore Raceway. Clark made the trip all the way from Vancouver, Washington to race after being a part of the big Dwarf Car show in Chico the previous two nights. He led the race from the start with John Harris running closely with him during the first 10 laps. As the race went on, Clark stretched his lead to a straightaway over Harris. Becca Clark finished third, followed by Tailer Morrison and Steven Spears.
Mikey Clark was also the fast qualifier with a lap of 13.767, beating a 13.991 of Harris. Clark continued his clean-sweep effort by winning the ten lap heat race ahead of Harris.
The Central Valley Mini Stocks will run their final point event on Sunday, October 14th. The Dwarf Cars have been invited back to be a part of that show. For further information, go to www.centralvalleyministocks.com.
Roa Wins Sprint Car Speedweek Race At Ocean Speedway
Watsonville, CA...September 7...Brody Roa scored the victory in the 30 lap Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. This was the fifth round of the Bullet Impressions California Sprint Week Series, and Roa used the win to take the lead in that series. He started on the pole for the Main Event and did an impressive job of leading all 30 laps for the win. Past Ocean Speedway Spec Sprint champion Ryan Bernal and Chase Johnson both moved up from the fourth row to challenge Roa in a close battle before settling for second and third, respectively. Max Adams finished fourth, followed by Austin Williams, Danny Faria Jr, Jake Swanson, Cody Williams, Damion Gardner and Logan Williams.
Austin Williams bested the 19 car field in qualifying with the only 12 second lap of 12.955. Gardner was second quick at 13.049. They ran three 10 lap heat races with wins recorded by RJ Johnson, Jake Swanson and Brody Roa.
Reigning American Stock champion Rob Gallaher drove to his fifth 20 lap Main Event win of the season. Gallaher had a front row start for this race, but he still had to deal with the late race pressure of point leader Matt Kile, who sped from 12th starting to finish a very close second. Jerry Skelton finished third, followed by Joe Gallaher, Adriane Frost, Chris McCabe, Terry Traub, DJ Keldsen, multi-time champion Sam Kennedy and Tony Oliveira. The second place finish for Kile kept him 44 points ahead of Gallaher, who only leads JC Elrod by three points in a closer race for second. Eight lap heat race wins went to Chris McCabe and Elrod.
Kate Beardsley won her second 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event. In the process, she won the track's closest championship battle by one point ahead of Abigail Kennedy and eight in front of Dakota Keldsen. Ray Bunn and Chuck Kessinger battled early, but it wasn't long before Kate Beardsley and Nicole Beardsley found their way into first and second. Kate drove a great race and held off Nicole for the win. Kessinger settled for 3rd, and Bunn was disqualified from fourth in post race tech, elevating Kennedy into fourth, followed by Tom Summers, Jake Gardiner, Keldsen, Amber Rendon and Bill Beardsley. Summers and Kate Beardsley won the eight lap heat races.
Representing the Task Force of California, Jason Kelly won his first 15 lap Police N Pursuit Main Event. This was only his second start of the season. Kelly had his hands full holding off the challenge of Jessie Mueller, who was representing the California Highway Patrol. Mueller gave it a good effort in his bid for his third win, but he came up just short at the checkered flag. Roy Iler was about a half-lap behind in third, followed by Cliff Sloma and John Hohmann. Six lap heat race wins went to Iler and Mueller.
The next race is on September 21st, and it will feature the Taco Bravo Sprint Cars along with IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and American Stocks. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.
Pounds Wins SoCal Super Nationals At Kern Raceway
Bakersfield, CA...September 7...Brad Pounds drove to his third 25 lap A Modified Main Event win Friday night at Kern Raceway. This was the Second Annual SoCal Super Nationals, and the Bakersfield Speedway point leader led all 30 laps ahead of Robby Sawyer. Steve Noland finished third, trailed closely by Cody Burke and track point leader Shane DeVolder. DeVolder also leads the IMCA State of California point race. Troy Morris Jr settled for sixth, followed by Ryan Daves, Austin Burke, Michael Scruggs and Dex Morris. Daves and Pounds were the eight lap heat race winners.
Garrett Jernigan won the 25 lap B Modified Main Event. Jernigan set a rapid pace, and the only driver close to him was track point leader Gary Dutton, who settled for second. Kevin Johnson was a solid third, followed by Gavin Manning, Michael Johnson, Nick Spainhoward, Anthony Giuliani and Matt Mayo. Johnson and Spainhoward won their respective eight lap heat races.
Richard Souza won the 20 lap Bakersfield Hardtop Main Event. Souza had a close battle at the front of the pack with Matt McCaslin and James Bradburn as the three drivers ran within a second of each other. However, Souza prevailed ahead of McCaslin and Bradburn. Tyler Weeks was a solid fourth, followed by Tom Dugan, Jason Stanphill, Brandon Stanphill, Jesse Dobbins, Kelly Mason and Jason Denman. the Hardtops matched the A Modifieds with the high car count of the night at 12, and eight lap heat race wins were recorded by Mason and Matt McCaslin.
Nicholas Johnson won the 25 lap Hobby Stock Main Event by about half a straightaway ahead of Cody Johnson. Don Mead was nearly a half-lap behind the winner in third, followed closely by Justin Gonzalez. Tim Delcid finished fifth as Eric Cimental, Marcus Wankum, Matt Wankum and Nick Spainhoward completed the finishing order. Cimental and Nicholas Johnson were the eight lap heat race winners.
Adam Lemke continues to dominate the USAC Speed2 Midget division. Lemke won the 20 lap Main Event ahead of Ashley Heredia and Elvis Rankin. Tyler Slay finished fourth, followed by Joey Iest. Slay also won the eight lap heat race.
The final race of the year for the dirt track happens on October 6th with the return of the NARC/King of the West Fujitsu Winged Sprint Car Series. Also on the card that night will be American Stocks, Mini Stocks and Mod Lites. For further information, go to www.kernraceway.com.
Five Division Show At Merced Speedway Saturday Night
Merced, CA...After a two-week break, Merced Speedway is back for their final two point events of the season. This Saturday night, the IMCA Modifieds are headlining the show along with the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks and California Sharp Mini Late Models.
Darrell Hughes II has been on fire lately. After scoring back-to-back victories and increasing his advantage to 29 points over Brian Pearce, Hughes went to Medford, Oregon and scored a $2,500 second place finish in the R Charles Snyder Salute. The third generation racer is looking forward to finishing up a successful title run, but he knows he needs to stay focused for these final two races. Pearce is still looking for his first win, but his four Top 5 finishes have helped put him in second.
If not for missing a race, multi-time champion Ramie Stone could very well be in the heat of the battle. As it is, he has used five fifth place finishes and a win to move to within nine points of second place Pearce. Stone has looked good lately and is a threat to get the win this week. Two-time winner Paul Stone, Troy Stone, Ryan Porter, Justin Villanueva and Jeff Streeter are among the others to watch for this week.
Bruce "Bubba" Nelson leads the way in the IMCA Sport Modified division, but it's a little too close for comfort for the two-time Hobby Stock champion. Nelson has one feature win this year and leads six-time Top 5 finisher Jeremy Hoff by just five points in a tight race. Still within striking distance, 11 points out of the lead, is Danny Roe. The Thomas brothers, Tanner and Chase, make up the remainder of the Top 5. Both have won at Merced this year, and Tanner has done it three times. He looked impressive last week in Medford as he came from the back of the pack to finish seventh in the Main Event. Making the Top 10 on a roster of over 50 competitors was quite an achievement.
Kelly Wilkinson looked impressive last time out in getting his second win of the season. He'll be out to go for win #3 this week, and other drivers to watch for include Cody Parker, Mark Squadrito, Jarrod Mounce and Chuck Weir.
The Hobby Stock division also has a close battle for the championship. Reigning champion Kodie Dean has to be wondering what he has to do to break away from Shannon Nelson in the title chase. Dean has won eight of the 13 races, but both he and Nelson have earned 10 Top 5 finishes. Nelson is still looking for her first win since 2015. An equally close battle is taking place for third as Kristie Shearer leads Austin Van Hoff by 14 points. Van Hoff has won two of the last three races. Other drivers in the hunt for victory include John Hensley, 2016 champion Michael Shearer, Mike Germait, Robbie Loquaci and Kalob Shelton.
Lee Ragsdale gave it a great effort last time out before finishing second in the Main Event. With seven Top 5 finishes, he has moved into a four point lead over Allen Neal in the Mini Stock championship battle. Tyler Jackson is only 14 points out in third. Only Jackson has won a Main Event of these three competitors. Shawn DePriest was the winner the last time, and he'll be out to make it three for the season this week. Other drivers to watch for include Jennifer Rodgers, three-time champion Chris Corder, Kevin Lockerby and Jason Belton Jr.
The California Sharp Mini Late Models will be joining the other four divisions this week and next week as they crown their first champion. With three wins this year, Tim Crews now has a two point advantage over Carson Guthrie, who has yet to get a win. One-time winner Riley Jeppesen, Ian Shearer and five-time winner Jesse James Burks are other drivers to watch for this week.
Saturday night should be an exciting show from start to finish. A week from Saturday, the point campaign will end with the Annual Matt & Glass Cancer Fundraiser event. For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.
Santa Maria Unofficial Race Results September 8, 2018
Sprint Cars
Trent Carter
Brandon Wiley
Kalab Montgomery
Matt Day
James Herrera
Jordan Linson
Ryan Stolz
Dwarf Cars
Brandon Wylie
Kory Cowan
Kody Cowan
Trent Morley
Ira Henry
Mitch Caldwell
Tailer Morrison
Tom Morley
Brady Beck
Lonnie Tekaat
Jonathan Henry
Trevor Fitz
Jessica Clark DNS
Hobby Stock
Tom Grizincic
Jacob Jones
Taelor Janes
Seth Cannaday
Scotty Preast
Robby Cervantes
Eddie Williams
Mack McGeary
Aaron Bruce
Mike Keebler
Chris Whitford
American Stock
Gary Rayburn Jr
Justin Jackson
Ryan Taylor
Sean Martin Sr
Jimmy Satlawa
Nick Verbryke
Hailey Wyand
Chris Anderson
Kevin Pritchard
Ed Wyand
Kristina McGeary
Jon Waterfield
Gregg Teller
USAC Speed2 Midgets
Tyler Slay
Adam Lemke
Elvis Rankin
Lemoore Raceway Unofficial Race Results September 9, 2018
Central Valley Mini Stocks
Results are not official
1 #11 Greg Baronian
2 #68 Brent Myrick
3 #18X Dan Myrick
4 #27 Ryan Doglione
5 #5X Chuck Doglione
6 #67 Scott Glenn
7 #56 Ryan Blank
8 #0 Jeff Durant
9 #1 Lindsey Brown
10 #73 Dick Adams
11 #17 Darren Wilson
12 #04 Destiny Carter
13 #82 Randy Brown Sr
14 #ONE Rylee Schlessinger
Dwarf Car
Results are not official
1 #4K Mikey Clark
2 #65 John Harris
3 #9 Becca Clark
4 #60 Tailer Morrison
5 #5E Steven Spears
All American Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 8, 2018
Late Models
JM Environmental Highline 150
Results are not official
1 #22 Buddy Shepherd
2 #42 Matt Erickson
3 #8 Jason Romero
4 #71 Kyle Gottula
5 #77 Michael Mitchell
6 #18 Jack Wood
7 #52 Ryan Philpott
8 #14 Travis Milburn
9 #16L David Lewellyn
10 #61 Shannon Mansch
11 #6 Cameron Legue
12 #5 Chris Scribner
13 #27 John Moore
14 #97 Shane Butler
15 #29 Randy Hedrick
16 #51 Racin Vernon
17 #26 James Vermillion
18 #20 Cole Moore
Limited Modified Feature
Results are not official
1 #05 Cory Englehardt
2 #47 Josh Blackwood
3 #37 Sierra Furia
4 #34 Ralph Bailey
5 #04 Cole Brown
6 #65 Niles Strever
7 #43 Nick Lyons
8 #32 Tyler Mullican
9 #55c Tyler Caturegli
Super Stock A&B Feature
Results are not official
1 #59 Andrew Peeler
2 #98 Byron Gonzales
3 #27 Dan Farrington
4 #3 Chris Paulson
5 #77 Erick Ray
6 #10 Tony Latimer
7 #9 Tony Ramazzotti
8 #16 Nathan Hickok
9 #99 Dave Deni
10 #22 James Shelton
11 #15x Hailey Liles
12 #28 Timm Williams
13 #15 Ericka Ray
14 #64 Blake Disoma
15 #69 Wayne Hickok
Mini Cup/Bandolero Feature
Results are not official
1 #04 Billy Ray
2 #1 Jayce McArthey
3 #7 Kenna Mitchell
4 #07 Hannah Ray
5 #32 Sadie Krug
Kern Raceway Unofficial Race Results September 7, 2018
SoCal Super Nationals
A Modifieds
Results are not official
1 #15B Brad Pounds
2 #198 Robby Sawyer
3 #17N Steve Noland
4 #20A Cody Burke
5 #44s Shane DeVolder
6 #07x Troy Morris Jr
7 #22D Ryan Daves
8 #25 Austin Burke
9 #91 Michael Scruggs
10 #07 Dex Morris
11 #72 Austin Grabowski
12 #20 Austin Rodarte
B Modifieds
Results are not official
1 #4 Garret Jernagan
2 #G6 Gary Dutton
3 #20S Kevin Johnson
4 #51G Gavin Manning
5 #22C Michael Johnson
6 #40 Nick Spainhoward
7 #15G Anthony Giuliani
8 #M13 Matt Mayo
Hardtops
Results are not official
1 #7 Richard Souza
2 #9 Matt McCaslin
3 #3 James Bradburn
4 #46X Tyler Weeks
5 #32 Tom Dugan
6 #14 Jason Stanphill
7 #63 Brandon Stanphill
8 #66 Jesse Dobbins
9 #45 Kelly Mason
10 #00 Jason Denman
11 #102 Darren Dadey
12 #26 Anthony Moss
Hobby Stocks
Results are not official
1 #1N Nicholas Johnson
2 #11 Cody Johnson
3 #99 Don Mead
4 #0 Justin Gonzales
5 #41 Tim Delsid
6 #99c Eric Cimental
7 #91 Marcus Wankum
8 #56 Matt Wankum
9 #7 Nick Spainhoward
USAC Speed2 Midgets
Results are not official
1 #41 ADAM LEMKE
2 #5 ASHLEY HAZELTON HEREDIA
3 #54 Elvis Rankin
4 #15 Tyler Slay
5 #17 Joey Iest
Kings Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 8, 2018
IMCA RaceSaver 305 Sprint Cars
Blake Robertson
Grant Duinkerken
Zane Blanchard
Brendan Warmerdam
Albert Pombo
Brooklyn Holland
Jared Faria
Grant Champlin
Rob Solomon
Michael Pombo
Kyle Rasmussen
Rick Bray
Vaughn Schott
Blaine Fagundes
Mauro Simone
Phil Heynen
Richard Weddle
mike schott
Lance Jackson
Benjamin Catron
Chris Ennis
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: September 8, 2018
1. Jace Vander Weerd
2. Damion Gardner
3. Danny Faria Jr.
4. Brody Roa
5. Jake Swanson
6. Austin Williams
7. Max Adams
8. Cody Williams
9. Chris Gansen
10. R.J. Johnson
11. Koen Shaw
12. Logan Williams
13. Cal Smith
14. Joel Rayborne
15. Shayna Sylvia
16. Ryan Bernal
17. Geoff Ensign
18. Chase Johnson
19. Austin Ervine
Final Speedweek Points
1-Roa-426
2-A.Williams-406
3-Gardner-377
Faria-377
5-Bernal-375
6-Adams-337
7-C.Williams-323
8-C.Johnson-322
9-L.Williams-302
10-R.J.Johnson-297
Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 7, 2018
American Stocks
Rob Gallaher
Matt Kile
Jerry Skelton
Joe Gallaher
Adriane Frost
Chris McCabe
Terry Traub
DJ Keldsen
Sam Kennedy
Tony Oliveira
Devon Sanders
Wally Kennedy
George Fernandez
JC Elrod DQ
John Farrell DQ
Four Bangers
Kate Beardsley
Nicole Beardsley
Chuck Kessinger
Abigail Kennedy
Tom Summers
Jay Gardner
Dakota Keldsen
Amber Rendon
Bill Beardsley]
Ray Bunn DQ
Police n Pursuit
Jason Kelly Task Force, CA
Jesse Mueller California Highway Patrol, CA
Roy Iler San Benito SO, CA
Cliff Sloma Capitola Police Department, CA
John Hohmann Scotts Valley Police Department, CA
Steven Fernandes Santa Clara County Sheriff, CA
Kyle Dorris San Jose Police Department, CA
Chris Murphy California Highway Patrol, CA
Scott Morasci San Jose Police Department, CA
Darren Thompson San Benito Sheriff's Office, CA
Derrick Boler San Jose Police Department, CA
USAC/CRA 410 Sprints
Brody Roa
Ryan Bernal
Chase Johnson
Max Adams
Austin Williams
Danny Faria Jr
Jake Swanson
Cody Williams
Damion Gardner
Logan Williams
Billy Aton
Koen Shaw
Geoff Ensign
R.J. Johnson
Chris Gansen
Shayna Sylvia
Joel Rayborne
Austin Ervine
Austin Liggett
Ventura Raceway Unofficial Results September 8, 2018
VRA Sprint Cars
1 15 Rick Hendrix
2 27 Tyler Hatzikian
3 45 Joey Bishop
4 39E Kyle Edwards
5 98 Jeremy Ellertson
6 13 Bruce Douglass
7 55 Kyle Smith
8 81m Rick Haugh DNS
VRA Dwarf Cars
1 14 Tommy Velasquez III
2 41 Nick Velasquez
3 57 Jeff Hinz
4 93 Jason Horton
5 55 Mike Long
6 58 Tom Morse
7 6 Tom Conley
8 69 Johnny Conley
9 28 Tonny Pellegrino
10 25 Shane Linenberger
VRA SENIOR SPRINTS
1 66 Chris Meredith
2 13 Bruce Douglass
3 27 Tyler Hatzikian
4 5k Eddie William
5 5j Joey Bishop
6 3g Greg Andrews
7 81m Rick Haugh
8 1 William Holmes
9 2 Wally Pankratz
10 16 Tom Spephens Sr
FOCUS MIDGETS
1 33 Mike Leach
2 5 Ashley Hazelton-Heredia
3 26 Tim Foy
4 37 Mike Leach Sr
5 1 Wally Pankratz
VRA HOBBY STOCKS
1 52 Ricky Lewis
2 16 Tom Stephens Jr
3 7 Mike Stanford
4 31 Alyssa Smith
5 6 Heath Morton
The Editor's Viewpoint
There's no doubt about it. One of the go to divisions in racing these days is the Sprint Cars. It's kind of interesting to me to notice that there are still those people who are wings only and don't appreciate a good wingless race. It's made things frustrating up here as we have attempted to start a big Wingless Sprint Car event at the end of August. This year, even with $3,500 on the line, we only drew a 10 car field.
Part of the problem with that had to do with the fact that the locals don't want to take their wings off and give it a try. There's also a little bit of a political issue with the lone wingless group from the Northern Oregon area that seems to want to refuse to give us the time of day. There's a long story behind that. Southern Oregon Speedway promoter Mike McCann actually started the Wingless Sprint Car movement in Oregon when he began the Double Shot Series. When he moved on from that, it got really political, and a few people took issue with him. Despite overtures, they don't even want to book a date here. A few people from back in the day still come down for this race at our track.
I don't know what it is about the desire not to take a wing off your car. Maybe it's a crutch? You feel safer with the wing if you roll or something? I don't know. We had a nasty flip last year with Winged Sprint Car star Kyler Barraza. When he flipped, his car caught on fire. It really scared the heck out of him, and I can't blame him for that. We can talk about the fact that his car was towed off the track before that crash and he probably shouldn't have been sent back out by his crew to finish that race, but what's done is done. So, Kyler doesn't want to run wingless anymore, and his crash actually scared David Hibbard out of coming back again.
So, to make a long story short, it seems like our effort to start a Wingless Sprint Car movement in Southern Oregon has hit a roadblock. Despite that, our race sponsor, Herz Precision Parts, still wants to be a part of this thing in 2019. We've discussed the possibility of just starting a Wingless Sprint division up here, but the problem boils down to not enough people to run wingless to even give it a try. We're talking maybe 4-6 locals wanting to run wingless and we could do something once a month or so. They're not having it.
What we have up here is a Limited Sprint division. We started things off in 2016 with an open set of rules that allowed as much as 410 Sprint Cars, if somebody was so inclined to come run for $700 to win. This wasn't going to happen, but some of the 360 guys pitched a fit. Mainly, they were pitching a fit because we weren't offering $1,000 to win. All we ask is that you take a look at the grandstands and tell us where we can afford to pay $1,000 to win in any division as a regular occurrence. Things were run so far down on the racing program here that the money isn't there because the crowd isn't there. Even three years into this deal, we struggle sometimes to bring the crowd back.
The Sprint Car division in our first year was something that forced us to go into Tom Cruise mode from Jerry Maguire. You know, when he was getting fired. "Who's coming with me? Come on, who's coming with me?" We would basically have to beg people to come race just to get four or five cars. I know I didn't want to go through that in 2017, and neither did Mike.
David Hibbard pitched the idea of going to the Limited Sprint rules, which upset a couple of the people who did support us in the first season. I don't blame the people for getting upset because they supported, but we didn't get more support. To save Winged Sprint Car racing, we tried something else.
Here's the problem. With it came the request for $1,000 to win. For a while there, David was willing to sponsor us. He did so behind the scenes, not even asking for acknowledgement. Like any promoter would be concerned, what happens when your sponsor leaves and people expect $1,000 to win? Well, for the last few races, this division has gone unsponsored, and it still pays the hefty price tag. Look at the grandstands. Does this division warrant $1,000 to win? That's the problem.
It's sort of like what I was telling everybody that first year. When we can get the crowd up, purse can be adjusted. It takes a lot of money to run a race track, as anybody who has promoted can tell you. It's not cheap. So, you have to pay accordingly to what you're getting in attendance.
Here's the problem we have with our Sprint Car division. We are getting better. I don't think we've dropped under 10 cars for any race this year. The problem is, we still pay a high purse, and the drivers we have in this class are mostly new names. It's nice to have new drivers moving up, because I think it gives hope for the future of Sprint Car racing in Oregon, which really needs it. Problem is, the money is not really there for this.
When John Skinner ran this race track, it was all about Modifieds. The world revolved around Modifieds. Any of the regular classes out there knew that if there was a big race, the money generally went to the Modifieds. There was a Sprint Car class that existed, but it certainly wasn't something that was pushed by Skinner. And as a result, it never took off. This was at a time when you had some names that were familiar with racing fans and the class could have been cultivated. Skinner made it all about the Modifieds. He never had a regular Late Model class or Street Stocks when he opened the place, and that's another bone of contention I have. But that's for another subject.
We found ourselves trying to establish a Sprint Car effort with a better movement than the track has ever had before. Problem is, the only time the fans have really responded to Sprint Car racing up here is when it's been a big race, especially when the World of Outlaws come to town. Believe me, we tried to get an Outlaw date, but there was none available. We've looked at other avenues, but the price tag is much higher than we can afford. The Speedweek Sprint Car Series up here is a shadow of its former self and we took a bath when we ran it in our first year. So, this is what we have. Our regular Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car Series.
The problem is we have to shell out $1,000 to win and a minimum of $200 to start for this class. We pay this to drivers the fans aren't as familiar with, and people aren't flocking to watch. This leaves a hard decision to be made, and I know what I'd do. I don't think I could pay these guys this money given the lack of fan support we get. The money simply is not there. We put the money up in part because we hoped the drivers from Cottage Grove would come down, and we get a myriad of complaints from the prima donnas up there as to why they can't come race. Truthfully, I don't think they want to travel here. That's just my opinion.
They pay $500 to win at Cottage Grove and they aren't budging even when they get 20 cars. So, who's the idiot here? Us for paying as much as we are or Cottage Grove? Cottage Grove is the Sprint Car Mecca of Oregon, and Mike McCann is the promoter who made it happen. He's trying to do the same thing at Southern Oregon Speedway, but it's been a struggle. And he's actually heard this little ditty from a few people. They have much more fun going to Cottage Grove to race for $500 to win than $1,000 to win at Southern Oregon Speedway. Yeah, they said that. To me, it's time to give them a pay cut. Until you prove yourself, $500 to win. It's what they do at Cottage Grove.
We struggle up here in part because of the fact that it's all about the Modifieds. If it's a big IMCA Modified race, they come. But if it's a regular IMCA Modified race, it could be 50/50. We can't just run big Modified races every week of the season, so what now? We start establishing a Sprint Car class and a Late Model class, but this is a process. We have to get the fans used to this stuff, and that takes time. How much time do we need? The turnaround is three years into it, and we're definitely seeing progress, though we're not where we should be. In a couple of years, maybe we'll be there? But is a $1,000 to win Winged Sprint Car show going to get us there?
Don't misunderstand me, I do see the value in this division. Because of the youth movement, it has a real chance to be big. But, you also have to book it accordingly. You can't run them 15 or 18 times a year. Just like the IMCA Modifieds, much more than a dozen times and your car count will suffer. So you have to rotate nights where it's about the IMCA Modifieds or it's about the Sprint Cars.
As the Late Models grow, they can become a part of the discussion. The good part about IMCA Modifieds and Late Models is they are at $500 to win now. I think that's where the Sprint Car division needs to be. If we were popping a big crowd when we had Sprint Cars, it would be different. Otherwise, that big purse comes out of the promoter's pocket, not the attendance from the fans. You can't keep doing that. I wouldn't.
Sprint Cars are big. There's no getting around that. Back in 1999, Antioch Speedway started Wingless Spec Sprints. It's now in its 20th season. I remember it well, because Don O'Keefe Jr and myself were the ones doing the legwork and guiding this class from the moment it was decided to be a part of the roster through the first full season. It's because of that effort that I believe it got the fighting chance it needed and took off at other places as well as Antioch. And it's nice to know that Antioch still has it on the roster as a means to get new drivers into Sprint Car racing.
With a class like the Spec Sprints, which runs a 360 cubic inch cast iron motor and is self starting, you can pay $500 to win no problem. You get a good car count, and you see a return at the gate. Well, it was bigger back then than it is now. Racing is suffering all around, but Spec Sprints still have their seat at the table via the C&H Veteran's Services Hunt Series, which is capable of bringing 20 plus cars to the track.
There's another argument that has been made in Northern California, and I've been paying attention. I think it's a pretty good idea. It's better than what they pulled at Chico, which was the put wings on the Spec Sprints, and call them Econo Sprints. All that did was divide the Spec Sprint car count, and that forced the promoter at the two tracks to drop Spec Sprints from one of the shows in favor of Econo Sprints and drop the Econos at the other track in favor of Spec Sprints. Not a smart move, and he has a history of not smart moves at both tracks in the past few years, in my opinion.
Wingless 360 Sprint Car races have started popping up in Northern California sporadically. It's about time. The division does pretty well in Southern California, and there's no reason it couldn't do well in Northern California. The resourceful promoter or driver organization could cobble together an 8 to 10 race series pretty easily and begin a serious movement for this class. I know that Ricky Brophy and Shawn Arriaga were working on something. One of their concerns was that most of the tracks, other than Antioch, have let their Spec Sprint division get out of hand. Why not just go with a Wingless 360 class? I don't think it would be difficult to get Watsonville, Petaluma, Placerville and maybe even Antioch on board for some dates, and there you go. The only thing I would caution is that we don't let this destroy the Spec Sprint division, because it's still here. But then again, racing always goes in cycles. About a 15 to 20 year run and we change divisions. The only oddball in that scenario is the Modifieds, and they have cycled down to Sport Modifieds with E Modifieds waiting in the wings.
There's no doubt that Sprint Cars have a seat at the table. They are one of the most reliable classes in the game right now. Them and the Modifieds are the two divisions that usually get the big shows. We keep hoping for something out of the Late Models, but it only exists because a few promoters aren't giving up on it just yet, including Antioch. Street Stocks evolved into Super Stocks or Limited Late Models, and their numbers have seen better days. Hobby Stocks are still doing decently, and I'm surprised nobody has really taken a look at the IMCA Stock Car, even if doing it without an IMCA sanctioning. The problem would be that you couldn't run the Camaros and Firebirds that are still left against these metric cars, but eventually it will get to a point where those cars are gone. We can't afford to exclude cars from the field these days. We need every car we can get.
It's kind of a challenge as a promoter to figure out what you're going to run and when. That's why it's good that we have so many divisions at Southern Oregon Speedway to shuffle around and keep the numbers up in the pits while giving divisions the night off. Antioch does pretty much the same thing, though I wish they would put some thought into it. That is to say, don't book on top of big shows when you can avoid it and don't book Hobby Stocks or B Modifieds to death as tends to happen there.
The problem John has at Antioch is the purse doesn't come cheap for him either. In fact, I think he's paying a lot more than we are because he has Winged 360 Sprint Cars and full-on Late Models, and the Modifieds and Spec Sprints aren't super cheap either. He's doing this because the price to get in as a fan means you need to give them something special too. While Oregon has tracks that will run both the Winged Sprint Cars and Late Models on the same night at times, I think Antioch and Placerville may be the only two doing it in California. Placerville has their own Crate Late Model class that is doing slightly better than Antioch in car count.
Only two more weeks left and the Southern Oregon Speedway season is done. I'm sure to have a few things to say about that when we bring down the curtain, but I'm gathering my thoughts. They may just go into the book I'm working on, but a few might trickle into this column in the future. The trip will take me down to Orland and eventually Antioch Speedway. I'm looking forward to being at both places, although my concerns for Antioch have me interested in going all the way down there in the beginning. My train ticket goes all the way to Martinez, but I'm getting off at Chico. Plans can change if I think it's necessary to do so.
The plans right now call for something very special at Antioch Speedway on the night of Fall Brawl 2018. I've been working on this idea for the last couple of months. Truthfully, it's been on my mind for over 20 years, and I just feel it's time to start it now. I don't want to make this about me. I have witnessed some idiot on Facebook, whose name I will leave out, making another track's effort all about himself. I don't want this to be about me. I just have to start it to get it going, but it's my hope that others are going to join in and this will be a committee effort in the future. It just takes one person to step up and get started and get other people going. That's the way these things are done.
What the hell am I talking about? I'm talking about the Hall of Fame. Through the years, Antioch Speedway has had some great racers. They've also had some great car owners, officials and people behind the scenes who have made the place so special. Isn't it time we start honoring and acknowledging them? That's what this is all about. I've made a list and have nine inductees going in this year as of now. I'm going to make more announcements later, but at least I can tell you this much. The Hall of Fame at Antioch Speedway is about to begin. I have always said that I would like to see this happen before I ever walk away. The time is now to get it started.
There's a lot of drama regarding Antioch Speedway that I can't get into right now. Things are going to happen this week, and questions will be answered as to the future. I'll have more to say on that at a time in the not-too-distant future. For now, I'm just keeping an eye on things. The most important thing that matters is that the bills continue to get paid and that the track continues to hold races. Everything else is just chatter at this point.
And I guess this column is just chatter as well. So on that note, I'll end this. Until next time...
