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Newton, Oreta, Shrader, Decker, Sorensen Take
Antioch Speedway Wins
Antioch, CA...September 22...Shannon Newton won his third 20 lap All Star Series Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. Newton and point leader Bob Newberry battled it out early at the front of the pack while Alan Miranda worked his way up to the front in his search for his fourth victory. By lap 10, Miranda had found his way into the lead, and it looked like it might be his race to win. Working traffic on lap 17, Miranda went high and ended up getting into the wall exiting Turn 2 to end his race. Newberry gave it a good run on the restart, but Newton led the final three laps for the victory. Brandon Burd, Roy Fisher and Scott Martin completed the Top 5.
Kimo Oreta regained the Limited Late Model point lead with his sixth 20 lap Main Event win of the season. Despite starting in the back, Oreta found his way into second by lap three. Ryan Cherezian led the way in his El Camino as he continues to search for his first win. Cherezian led until pushing high exiting Turn 4 on lap 12, which allowed Oreta to slip underneath for the lead. Oreta stretched his advantage to over a straightaway at the checkered flag as Cherezian settled for second. Incoming point leader Mark Garner fell two points behind Oreta following his third place finish ahead of Mike Walko and John Evans.
Kenny Shrader scored his first career 20 lap B Modified Main Event win of the season. Schrader led from the start as Kevin Brown and Chuck Golden battled for second. Last starter and new champion Trevor Clymens came from the back to take third from Brown by lap nine. A lap 17 restart allowed Clymens the opportunity to take second from Golden. However, Shrader held off Clymens in the remaining laps for the satisfying win. Golden settled for third, followed by Kevin Brown and Randy Brown.
Jeff Decker is approaching his fourth Antioch Speedway DIRTcar Late Model championship following his season leading sixth 20 lap feature win. Decker took the lead early on and set a pace that saw him lap everybody except for second place finisher Richard Papenhausen by the waving of the checkered flag. Rod Oliver continues to hold a slim advantage over Papenhausen in the battle for second in the standings following his third place finish. Mike Hynes and John M Soares rounded out the Top 5.
Chris Sorensen locked up his second Hobby Stock championship following his seventh 20 lap Main Event win of the season. Looking for her first career win, rookie Breanna Troen led early on with Sorensen moving past James Thomson for second on lap four. An inside pass in Turn 2 of the ninth lap gained Sorensen the lead from Troen, and he pulled away during the second half of the race for the impressive victory. Troen settled for second, followed by Michael Cooper, Anthony Wellborn and Josh Leach.
For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
All Star Series Antioch Speedway
Wingless Spec Sprints
Heat winners (8 Laps)-Brandon Burd, Bryan Sperry, Shannon Newton. Main Event (20 laps)-Shannon Newton, Bob Newberry, Brandon Burd, Roy Fisher, Scott Martin, Rick Panfili, Jeff Lee, Mackenzie Newton, Anthony Horn, Alan Miranda.
Limited Late Models
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Kimo Oreta, Mark Garner. Main Event (20 laps)-Kimo Oreta, Ryan Cherezian, Mark Garner, Mike Walko, John Evans, Lori Brown, Chad Hammer, Mike Gustafson.
B Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Trevor Clymens, Chuck Golden. Main Event (20 laps)-Kenny Shrader, Trevor Clymens, Chuck Golden, Kevin Brown, Randy Brown, Matt Taylor, Ryan DeForest, Mike Mates.
DIRTcar Late Models
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Jeff Decker, Richard Papenhausen. Main Event (20 laps)-Jeff Decker, Richard Papenhausen, Rod Oliver, Mike Hynes, John M Soares, Kimo Oreta, David Newquist NS.
Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Chris Sorensen, Anthony Wellborn. Main Event (20 laps)-Chris Sorensen, Breanna Troen, Michael Cooper, Anthony Wellborn, Josh Leach, Ricky Foster, James Thomson, Joey Ridgeway Sr, Travis Tabucchi, Tyler Henrickson.
Hughes, Nelson, Dean Close Point Season
With Wins At Merced Speedway
Merced, CA...September 22...Darrell Hughes II wrapped up his championship season with his division-leading fifth 30 lap IMCA Modified Main Event win Saturday night at Merced Speedway. This was the Matt & Glass Cancer Fundraiser event, and they ran a championship night format that put the top point competitors out front in the Main Event lineup. Hughes started on the front row with Brian Pearce and would score his fourth straight Main Event win. Pearce used his season's best second place finish to wrap up second in the final standings. Passing honors went to DJ Shannon, who charged from tenth to finish third, followed by Ryan Porter, Ramie Stone, Jeff Streeter, Vincent DePalma, Bob Williamson, Chris Sieweke and Josh Combs. Stone won the four lap Trophy Dash.
Bruce "Bubba" Nelson won his second 30 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event of the season. After failing to finish the week before, Nelson slipped from first to third in the standings and needed a miracle to win the championship. Incoming point leader Jeremy Hoff charged into the lead at the start ahead of Danny Roe and Nelson. After a lap two yellow flag, the race ran smoothly until lap 25. The yellow at that point wiped out a nice lead for Hoff. On the restart, Hoff got a challenge from Nelson, and the two drivers ran side-by-side until Nelson drove by on the outside on lap 28 to take the lead. Roe also made a late move into second, but Hoff wrapped up the championship with a third place finish. Kelly Wilkinson finished fourth, and Andrew Peckham made a move from 14th starting to finish fifth, followed by Fred Ryland, Tanner Thomas, Brent Curran, Chase Thomas and Patty Ryland. Nelson also won the four lap Trophy Dash.
Kodie Dean successfully defended his Hobby Stock championship after winning his ninth 30 lap Main Event of the season. Dean won with Trophy Dash winner Austin Van Hoff finishing a very close second. Shannon Nelson will settle for second in points following her third place finish. Kristie Shearer finished fourth, followed by four time champion Raul Rodriguez Sr, Kalob Shelton, Chad Ragsdale, Josh Hensley, Cody Smiley and James Stockton.
Allen Neal won his second straight Mini Stock Main Event and used it to win the division championship. Neal started out leading the way ahead of Lee Ragsdale. As they worked lap eight, Jennifer Rodgers went by Ragsdale in Turn 1 to take second. Moments later, contact sent Ragsdale spinning. Tyler Jackson was put to the back of the pack for his part in the incident, but Ragsdale was never really able to recover and lost enough ground to lose the championship to Neal. It was still a good battle at the front as Neal won, followed by Rodgers, Jackson, Shawn DePriest, Dan Myrick, Ragsdale and Jerry Tubbs. Jackson won the four lap Trophy Dash.
Carson Guthrie closed the season with his first career 15 lap California Sharp Mini Late Model Main Event win. He will finish second in the points. Guthrie won with new champion Tim Crews not far behind in second. Riley Jeppesen settled for third ahead of Logan Clay and Ian Shearer.
After another week off to allow the locals to run the Pat Pettit Memorial Shootout at Watsonville, Merced Speedway will run the Third Annual John Fore Jr Memorial Dirt Track Nationals. This special non-point event will be a two-day show on October 5th and 6th. IMCA Modifieds will be there along with IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks. Over $15,000 in purse money will be on the line. For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.
Champions Sylvia, Machado End Petaluma Speedway
Point Season With Wins
Petaluma, CA...September 22...Shayna Sylvia put the exclamation point on her championship season with her second 25 lap PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event win Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. Sylvia started on the outside front row and proceeded to lead all the way for the win. Half a straightaway behind her in second was Casey McClain, followed by Nick Larson, Terry Schank Jr, Scott Chapeta, Bruno Bianchi, Dennis Furia Jr, Keith Calvino, Ryan Siverling and Bob Davis. Bradley Terrell paced the 16 car field in qualifying with a lap of 14.290. Eight lap heat race wins were recorded by Bianchi, Larson and Schank.
Mitch Machado wrapped up his Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stock championship season with a win in the 25 lap Main Event. All season long, Machado turned in a dominant performance with seven wins in his nine starts. Chasing him at the finish line was his closest rival, Steve Studebaker. About half a straightaway behind in third was Manny Avila, followed by Matt While, Shawn McCoy, Snazzy Duckworth and Tim O'Hara.
Young Cody Gray scored the win in the 20 lap Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micro Sprint Main Event. This was his first win of the season, and he will finish second in the standings behind new champion David Engstrom. Gray was chased by third generation racer Kyle Mentch in second. This was the first visit to Petaluma for Mentch. Nick Robfogel finished third, followed by Justin Adiego, Jim Weiler, Kyle Grissom, Amber Fields, Rick Alonso, Victor Guerra and Engstrom. Robfogel and Engstrom were the eight lap heat race winners.
David Spindell won the 20 lap Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stock Main Event, but the consistent Tom Brown won the championship. This was the fifth win of the season for Spindell, and Brown kept it somewhat close about a half-straightaway behind in second. Jeremy Tjensvold settled for third ahead of final lead lap finisher Sean Hale. Roy Dearing was fifth as Danny Manzoni, Trevor Rodriguez, Dominic Lopez, Sophie Shelley and Antonio Miramontez rounded out the Top 10. Spindell and Danny Manzoni were the six lap heat race winners.
With the point season over, the Adobe Cup has been split into two events next month. On October 6th, it's a $5,000 to win PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Car race. The Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks will race for $2,000 to win once again in the 2nd Annual Bob McCoy Memorial Race. On October 13th, the PitStop.USA.com Wingless Spec Sprints are back along with the General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars and the Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micro Sprints. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Kaeding Wins Sprint Car Feature At Ocean Speedway
Watsonville, CA...September 21...Bud Kaeding won the 30 lap Taco Bravo Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. The reigning NARC King Of The West Series champion set himself up in a good position to win by grabbing the pole with his six lap Trophy Dash victory ahead of Kurt Nelson. Kaeding raced into the lead at the start of the Main Event with Nelson in pursuit for the first seven laps. Brad Furr raced past Nelson for second on lap eight, and the series point leader ran closely with Kaeding for the remaining 22 tours around the Tom Sagmiller prepared quarter-mile clay oval. However, Kaeding kept his cool and recorded his third win of the season. Furr continued to close in on the Watsonville championship by finishing second, followed by Kurt Nelson, Jeremy Chisum, Koen Shaw, Jason Chisum, Scott Parker, Cole Macedo, Vaughn Schott and Chris Nelson.
Jeremy Chisum set the fast time of 11.797, beating the 11.903 effort of Tucker Worth. Kaeding won his eight lap heat race in front of Worth, while Kurt Nelson outran Parker to win the other heat race. Kaeding had the pole for the six lap Trophy Dash and led every lap to win ahead of Kurt Nelson.
Santa Rosa's Chris Sieweke made only his second appearance of the season and won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. Sieweke had the outside front row starting position and raced into the lead at the green flag, followed by Todd Hermosillo and Austin Burke. On lap nine of the non-stop race, Austin Burke and his point leading brother Cody Burke raced around Hermosillo and into the second and third positions. However, Sieweke set a good pace up front and kept the Burke brothers at bay for the impressive victory. Austin held on for second ahead of Cody. State point leader Shane DeVolder finished fourth, followed by Alex Wilson, Jim Pettit II, Bobby Hogge IV, Robert Marsh, Raymond Keldsen Jr and Gary Marsh. Eight lap heat race wins went to Austin Burke and Sieweke.
A last-lap mishap between the leaders handed Justin McPherson his first 20 IMCA Sport Modified win of the season. Looking for his second win, Igor Grandzuk raced into the lead from the outside front row starting position, followed by John Ferro. This was another Main Event that was destined to go without a yellow flag, and reigning Antioch Speedway champion KC Keller raced past Ferro for second on lap four. McPherson gained third a lap later. Keller closed in quickly on Grandzuk and spent the last half-dozen laps trying to find a way around. Grandzuk took the while flag a nose in front of Keller. Keller gained the lead on the last lap, but contact resulted in Grandzuk spinning. Keller crossed the line first, only to have the win handed to second.place finisher McPherson on a rough driving call. Anthony Giuliani ended up second, followed by Andrew Peckham, Adriane Frost, Austin Williams, point leader Jim DiGiovanni, Alex Bieser, Grandzuk, Keller and Steven Allee. Eight lap heat race wins went to Williams and Ferro.
JC Elrod won his fourth 20 lap American Stock Main Event of the season. Elrod had to battle point leader Matt Kile for most of the non-stop race. Elrod raced into the lead from the start with Kile in close pursuit. Gradually, the lead two cars pulled away from the rest of the pack. With Kile pressuring him all the way, Elrod drove a great race to earn the victory. Joe Gallaher was about a half-lap behind in third, followed by many time champion Sam Kennedy, DJ Keldsen, reigning champion Rob Gallaher, Adriane Frost, Jerry Skelton, George Fernandez and Kevin Counterman. Kile and Elrod recorded eight lap heat race wins.
Next Friday and Saturday night is the 8th Annual Pat Pettit Memorial Shootout Race, featuring IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and American Stocks. The Saturday portion of the show will pay $3,003 for the IMCA Modifieds in what will also be an All Star Series race. The Sport Modifieds will race for $1,003 to win and the Americans Stocks get a $503 first prize. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.
Championship Night Set For Saturday Night
At Orland Raceway
Orland, CA...While there are still two other races left on the schedule in October, this Saturday night will be Championship Night at Orland Raceway. It's the final opportunity for drivers to move up the point list for the 2018 season. Scheduled to compete on Saturday night will be the Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks, Mini Outlaws, Wingless Gas Sprints and 600 Micros.
Consistency has been the name of the game for 2015 Pure Stock champion Paul Stevens. Though reigning champion Jeremy Langenderfer has won a majority of the Main Events this season, Stevens has two wins and several second place finishes to his credit. He finished second to Langenderfer two weeks ago as Langenderfer is doing everything he can to keep the pressure on in this close battle. Jeremy already won the championship at Silver Dollar Speedway and would love to make it two titles in one season. Also in the hunt is 2016 champion Steve Martin, though he will need to come up big on Saturday night. Amanda McAbel has been having a good year in fourth while John Camper is in the battle for fifth with Marysville champion Shannon Collins and Thomas Pavlik.
The Pure Stocks aren't the only division putting on some great races every week. The Mini Stocks are also entertaining the crowd. Reigning champion Tom Davis made a move for the point lead last week with his second straight victory. He also capitalized on bad luck for both incoming point leader Barbara Crain and Sean Perry. Crain had problems with her car prior to the Main Event, and Perry was unable to get his car started as they had to push him off prior to the feature. Crain would certainly be a candidate for Most Improved Driver honors with her impressive four feature wins so far this year. Scott Camper, meanwhile, leads the rookies and is fourth in the standings ahead of the fast Ford Pinto of Jason Libbee, who enjoyed a strong third place finish last time out.
Keith Ross has won the lion's share of the Mini Truck Main Events, and his second straight championship seems a lock at this point. The battle is between 2016 champion Dan Webster and William Fogle for second. Webster has picked up a pair of feature wins this year and ran third in the most recent race to lead Fogle for second. Fogle got his first heat race win last time. Also in the mix is Tony Quinonez, who would love to add a feature victory at Orland to his win about a month ago in Hayfork. Rocky Wagner and Kevin Kualick are also in the Top 5 battle.
It seems like everybody in the Wingless Gas Sprint division is winning except for the two title contenders, Tanner Thomson and RJ Baker. Both drivers have finished as high as second. Last time out, Hobby Stock and Mini Truck star Jake Van Tol picked up a win, joining multi time champion Josh Jacobo, Chico champion Tony Richards and Josh Baker on the Winner's List. Jacobo seems to be a lock for third in the standings as Richards has climbed to fourth after a late start.
The 600 Micro class has run with wings and without this year, and Jake Fernandez and multi time Four Cylinder champion BJ Martin are still in the battle for the championship. Martin has won a pair of features this year, and even third place contender Jessica McManus is a Main Event winner this season.
Several positions throughout the standings in all classes will be decided on Saturday night. If you've been following the show this year, this is a race won't want to miss. The track will come back for the first two Saturdays of October with the special Battle Of The Axles races, which will offer increased purse money to various divisions. For further information, check out the Orland Raceway Facebook page.
Chet Thomson Memorial On October 6th
At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...Promoter John M Soares has decided to cancel the September 29th event at Antioch Speedway. As it was, he was making every effort to not book certain divisions against the Pat Pettit Memorial Shootout Race at Watsonville that is happening this weekend. Therefore, the A Modifieds and B Modifieds we're not scheduled. However, Hobby Stocks, DIRTcar Late Models and Dwarf Cars were booked.
There were Hobby Stock drivers who also wished to go compete in the Hobby Stock portion of the Watsonville program this weekend. Also, there were top drivers in the DIRTcar Late Models who also have Modifieds that also wanted to compete at Watsonville. Not wanting to have this conflict and hoping to work with the Pettit family on this special race, Soares decided to cancel his racing program for this weekend completely. Everybody is free to head on down to Watsonville to support the Pat Pettit Memorial Shootout Race in Watsonville this weekend without missing a show at Antioch
On October 6th, the Bay Area Hardtop division will be back in action for the 16th running of the Chet Thomson Memorial Race. Also on the card will be the point finale for the All Star Series Winged 360 Sprint Cars. Wingless Spec Sprints and Limited Late Models are also scheduled to compete that night.
In the 1960s, Vallejo Speedway was the place to be for Hardtop racing in the Bay Area. Many competitive racers entertained the crowd back in those days, including Larry Damitz, Gene Dudley, Rich Govan, Leroy Geving and Chet Thomson. All of them were champions, and it was seen as a big accomplishment to win those honors. Sadly, Thomson passed away just a year after his championship season. He was one of the more well-liked racers at the speedway, and the track decided to start running a Chet Thomson Memorial Race in his honor.
The race ran from the late 1960s to the track's final season in 1979. There aren't too many drivers who had their original Vallejo Speedway Hardtops 30 years later, but one such driver was Chet's son Tommy Thomson. Tommy was also a winner of the memorial race in the 1970s. His car was restored, and he was one of the original members of the Hardtop movement in the Bay Area that was restarted about 10 years ago.
It looked bleak for the Hardtop movement in Antioch, which was the track that gave them a home when the division was revived. In 2015, promoter Mike McCann spoke with Soares about having a big Hardtop show in August, and the result was 14 drivers coming to compete and the win being scored by Damitz ahead of Rob Waldrop. A year later, Thomson and Dave Mackey decided to bring back the Chet Thomson Memorial Race.
Again, 14 competitors showed up to run that first show in 2016, and Jason Armstrong scored the victory with Ken Retzloff borrowing a car and finishing second. The next year, it was a repeat of that 1-2 to finish with Armstrong again coming out on top. Both drivers are anticipated for this show. Mackey has been putting another motor together to return, and after making some changes with his car, Thomson is expected to make his first start of the season in his father's memorial race.
Terry DeCarlo has been running some Hardtop shows this year and is a feature winner. He drives a car with an body originally belonging to Southern Oregon Speedway Hall of Famer Harold Hardesty. Dan Williams, Steve Cloyes, Gene Haney and the Pat Hughes owned Hardtop are all expected to be on hand. Word is that John M Soares will be taking the wheel of the Hughes #100 Hardtop, originally piloted by Larry Damitz.
It's not known who all is coming in from the California Hardtop Association, but a few drivers to look for include Joe Shenefield, "Rocket Man "Ken Clifford, Dennis Armstrong, Ron Ruiz and Dave Reed. There's optimism in the air that the car count will achieve double digits for the big Hardtop event. The Thomson Memorial is one of the biggest shows for Hardtops on the schedule anywhere in the state.
Joining the Hardtops are for 360 Sprint Cars, but there's a question as to who might show up for this race. Last time out, reigning champion Art McCarthy blew a motor and lost his point lead to two-time feature winner Matt DeMartini. McCarthy may not have a motor for this race, and word is that DeMatrtini might race elsewhere for more money. If this turns out to be the case, Tim Burcher will be in a position to get the point lead. Burcher has made all the races as he gets comfortable driving a Sprint Car in his first full season. Other drivers who could be there for this race include David Dias, Jacob Tuttle and Jeff Strole.
The Wingless Spec Sprint season will come to a close with this final race, and Bob Newberry can feel Shannon Newton closing in on him in the battle. Newton scored his third feature win of the season last week, which was also the fifth straight race in which he finished second or better. Because of his strong start and the fact that he finished second once again last time, Bob Newberry can play defense. Unless he stumbles badly, Newberry should be able to pick up his second championship at Antioch Speedway. There is still the matter of bragging rights as others hope to vie for a feature win, and drivers to watch for include ageless veteran Roy Fisher, Brandon Burd, division mainstay Rick Panfili, rookie Mackenzie Newton and Alan Miranda. Miranda appeared to be well on his way to a fourth future win last time out when a tangle with a lapped car saw him hit the Turn 2 wall three laps from the finish.
The Limited Late Model division figures to go down to the final checkered flag at Fall Brawl on October 13th. Kimo Oreta is doing everything he can to secure his second championship and 7th at Antioch for the Sun Drop Racing Team. Oreta got the lead and set blistering pace in winning the most recent race by a straightaway. It was his division-leading sixth victory of the season. Three-time winner Mark Garner managed to get a third place finish behind the flying El Camino of Ryan Cherezian, but despite winning his heat race that night as well, Garner slipped to two points behind Oreta in the close battle. Mike Walko remains within striking distance after his fourth place finish, but he'll need a few things to happen to give him a real shot at the title. Joining these four drivers at the next race should be two-time feature winner Mike Gustafson, the steady John Evans, Chad Hammer and one-time champion Lori Brown.
The track will be dark on September 29th as officials get things ready for the October 6th event. It's an opportunity for fans to go check out the big show at Watsonville if they're so inclined. The big finish comes up in October with two consecutive nights of great racing at the speedway. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Madera Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 22, 2018
Race #8 MAVTV RPM Pro Late Models
Late Models
Matt Erickson
Blaine Rocha
Dillon Tucker
Jason Aguirre
Logan Zampa
Christian Roche
Ryan Hart
Rick Thompson
Jack Wood
Nick Grossi
Kevin Thompson
Shelden Cooper
Trevor Schlundt
Austin Herzog
Garland Tyler
Ross Strmiska
Tyler Herzog
Jarret Gilmer
Loren Kutz
J.J. Ferguson
Howard Holden
Jesse Love IV
Racin Vernon
Adam Lemke DNS
Jr Late Models
Dylan Zampa
Tanner Reif
Jesse Love IV
Kabe McClenny
Jay Julieson
Austin Edwards
Lilly Mead
Olivia Manke
Jesse Burks
Joey Iest
Tyler Reif
Calvin Hegje
Zachary Ginn
Hailey Liles
Toyota Sedan
Jason Lawton
Jillaun Holden
Kyle Labrie
Greg Tyler
J.J Brandsen
Kurt Davison
Damien Leininger
Manny Gonzales Jr
MST
Ryan Reynolds
Shaun Reynolds
Bert Stephens
Patrick Geiger
John McCullum Jr
Jason Kerns
Dennis Brannon
Dave Lander
Mini Cup/Bandolero
Hank Hall
Kale McClenny
Joseph Holiday
Jayce McArthey
Kenna Mitchell
Ethan Nascimento
Aaron Thomas
Riley Massey
Zachary Ginn
Aiden Phillips
Rebecca Dubie
Santa Maria Raceway Unofficial Race Results September 22, 2018
Pro Stocks
Devon Crockett
Justin Crockett
Tim Randolph
Frank Nyback
Jerry Stewart
Matt Mayo
Chris Clinton
Dave King Jr
Clay Daly
IMCA RaceSaver 305 Sprint Cars
Grant Duinkerken
Mauro Simone
Rick Bray
Albert Pombo
Rob Solomon
Kyle Rasmussen
Jacob Pacheco
Michael Pombo
NMRA TQ Midgets
Anthony Lopiccalo
Jason Arnolde
Kevin Kale
West Evans
Donald Brasher
Ace Kale
Taelor Janes
Scott Niven
American Stocks
Sean Martin Sr
Justin Jackson
Ryan Taylor
Hailey Wyand
Nick Verbryke
Kristina McGeary
Jon Waterfield
Ed Wyand
Gary Rayburn Jr
Gregg Teller
Kevin Pritchard DNS
Mini Stocks
Levi Burgett
Aaron Calvert
Jaryd Padgett
Justin Jackson
Joel Chavez
Steven Ragsdale
David Kavanagh
Zach Chavez
Megan Burgett
Bill Barnhill
Butch Headrick
Aryton Headrick
Jarod Pack
Sr Mini Dwarf Cars
Alysa McChristian
Zach Chavez
Trenton Rickel
Joshua Chambers
Corben Kuma
Dylan Cherry
Jr Mini Dwarf Cars
Seth Hanson
Adam Nohl
Tristen Harrington
Landon King
Bransyn Speer
TJ Claborn
Perris Auto Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 22, 2018
Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #4 Damion Gardner
2 #91r Brody Roa
3 #2 Austin Williams
4 #21 AJ Bender
5 #42 Danny Faria Jr
6 #5m Max Adams
7 #5 Logan Williams
8 #44 Cody Williams
9 #5x Tom Malcom
10 #4G Chris Gansen
11 #98 Verne Sweeney
12 #28m Matt McCarthy
13 #72 Gary Marshall Jr
14 #51 Austin Ervine
15 #12b Joel Rayborne
16 #39 Cal Smith
17 #92 RJ Johnson
18 #51t Eddie Tafoya
Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 21, 2018
Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
Bud Kaeding
Brad Furr
Kurt Nelson
Jeremy Chisum
Koen Shaw
Jason Chisum
Scott Parker
Cole Macedo
Vaughn Schott
Chris Nelson
Richard Fajardo
Gary Nelson Jr
Ricky Brophy
Tucker Worth
Evan Bonnema
Glenn Bryan DNS
IMCA Modifieds
Chris Sieweke
Austin Burke
Cody Burke
Shane DeVolder
Alex Wilson
Jim Pettit II
Bobby Hogge IV
Robert Marsh
Raymond Keldsen Jr
Gary Marsh
Todd Hermosillo
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Justin McPherson
Anthony Giuliani
Andrew Peckham
Adriane Frost
Austin Williams
Jim DiGiovanni
Alex Bieser
Igor Gandzuk
KC Keller
Steven Allee
Charlie Hunter
John Ferro
Travis Meyerhoff
Kiely Ricardo
American Stocks
JC Elrod
Matt Kile
Joe Gallaher
Sam Kennedy
DJ Keldsen
Rob Gallaher
Adriane Frost
Jerry Skelton
George Fernandez
Kevin Counterman
Chris McCabe
Terry Traub DNS
Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 22, 2018
Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros
Cody Gray
Kyle Mentch
Nick Robfogel
Justin Adiego
Jim Weiler
Kyle Grissom
Amber Fields
Rick Alonso
Victor Guerra
David Engstrom
Jack Clark
Jason McIntosh
Jamie Faulkner DNS
Brian Slubik DNS
PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprints
Shayna Sylvia
Casey McClain
Nick Larson
Terry Schank Jr
Scott Chapeta
Bruno Bianchi
Dennis Furia Jr
Keith Calvino
Ryan Siverling
Bob Davis
Eden McCormick
Angelique Bell
Chet Wilson
Bradley Terrell
Kevin Box
Jake Haulot
Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stock
David Spindell
Tom Brown
Jermy Tjensvold
Sean Hale
Roy Dearing
Danny Manzoni
Trevor Rodriguez
Dominic Lopez
Sophie Shelley
Antonio Miramontez
Randy Miramontez DNS
Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks
Results are not official
1 #22m Mitch Machado
2 #46 Steve Studebaker
3 #07 Manny Avila
4 #3 Matt While
5 #60 Shawn McCoy
6 #18 Snazzy Duckworth
7 #27 Tim O'Hara
DNS #11c Sean Cook
Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 22, 2018
Matt & Glass Cancer Fundraiser
IMCA Modifieds
Darrell Hughes II
Brian Pearce
D.J. Shannon
Ryan Porter
Ramie Stone
Jeff Streeter
Vincent DePalma
Bob Williamson
Chris Sieweke
Josh Combs
Ray Mayer
John Osgood III
Ricky Thatcher
Randy Brewer
Mitch Enos
Monty Tomlinson
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Bruce Nelson
Danny Roe
Jeremy Hoff
Kelly Wilkinson
Andrew Peckham
Fred Ryland
Tanner Thomas
Brent Curran
Chase Thomas
Patti Ryland
Cody Parker
Mark Squadrito
Joe Salvi
Jason Womack
Dale Grissom
Tony Hornyack
Tim Ragsdale
Austin Williams
Hobby Stocks
Kodie Dean
Austin Van Hoff
Shannon Nelson
Kristie Shearer
Raul Rodriguez Sr
Kalob Shelton
Chad Ragsdale
Josh Hensley
Cody Smiley
James Stockton
Mike Germait
Race Shelton
Allen Neal
Mini Late Models
Carson Guthrie
Tim Crews
Riley Jeppesen
Logan Clay
Ian Shearer
Mini Stock
Allen Neal
Jennifer Rodgers
Tyler Jackson
Shawn DePriest
Dan Myrick
Lee Ragsdale
Jerry Tubbs
The Editor's Viewpoint
Well, I'm sitting here on Friday gathering my thoughts before Championship Night at Southern Oregon Speedway. This closes the book on our third year at this track. I'm proud to have been a link in the chain, as I say. You know, other people got things going and people came and went during that time. You come along and do what you can to make a difference and hope that the people who follow you will continue that trend. Keep this thing going. I'm very proud of the work we put into this place in our three years, and I know things have come a long way from when we got here. It's on the up turn.
This time next week, I will be in California. It's going to be a bit hectic this next week. Go to the races on Saturday, do my media day on Sunday, try to finish things up for here on Monday and get things ready on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I'm on the train. I will be in California through October 14th, and I am very much looking forward to it.
I wanted to make another observation before I go on to other things. My media effort. I've had a few people point out where mistakes have been made and how things could be better and all of that. What you must understand is each one of these tracks that I have been covering should have media people there on the scene doing that. I've done what I call my Gary Jacob effort. I've tried to put the word out in the printed media outlets that will take the word. I take the information made available to me and put something out there. Every little detail of each race is not mentioned in these articles. It's just not possible to do that. I can't give my Gary Jacob style article for every track.
I understand a person's frustration because every detail isn't in the article. I'm sorry. I volunteer my time. Sunday can be a bit difficult because I am exhausted from the weekend as it is. But I have a deadline to make, and this can lead to late nights and early mornings when there are several tracks that need to have articles written for them. I need my information, and I need it now. Some information is more readily available for tracks than others. A couple of tracks are barely getting by.
You're never going to make everybody happy. That's just the way life is. When I walked away from the sport in 2003, the very loud negative people were a factor in why I did so. I wasn't thinking about the silent majority who appreciated the efforts. When you're a promoter of a race track, the loud negative people can sometimes overshadow the silent majority who appreciate what you're doing. You need to be careful about that. the problem is, we're all human. Negativity gets you down. It's human nature. You can walk away, jump into the negative spiral and throw it back at them or do your best to just let it go.
At Orland, I know the Turner family put in 10 years. That track had a revolving door promoter situation, and I won't deny what Paul and Carol Turner did. But in the end, the negativity got to them. The last year or two, they were throwing it back. You have to be careful about that. When you get to that point, it's time to go. What ended up happening in Orland was more of the revolving-door promoter situation. Now, you have Rich Hood and what I see as a turnaround. There are things that probably could be done to help this track, but the main thing is that Rich and his staff have righted the ship. It's getting better. Stability.
Media does matter in what you do at a race track. There are several ways to pull this off, but at the very least, you have or you should have articles on your web page after each race. Maybe even an article hyping the next race. You try to get that into different printed media outlets or racing news sites online too, because the more people who know about it, the better.
When I started my little online effort in 2015, it was Antioch, Merced and Chowchilla. I threw in Rocky Hill Speedway because there wasn't anybody doing it. By the way, somebody please open that track again. I threw in Orland, because it's Orland. I just care about that place. I was looking to help tracks that didn't have anybody doing it. That was my reasoning behind that.
This year, there are tracks that I'm covering that should have somebody there doing it. They're big enough. They have enough going for them right now. They're not the little track struggling. They have a history. I basically started doing Watsonville on my blog on a somewhat regular basis because of live scoring and the fact that I'm sitting here bored on a Friday. So I could put something together. But Watsonville needs a writer. Watsonville has a young up-and-coming scribe who can handle that. His name is Sean Stanish.
Now, I would much rather slink back into the background on Watsonville. Maybe I cover it for my blog only, or maybe I have Sean sending me articles and I post them on the blog as another place for people to read his writings. I hope Watsonville hires him or somebody because the Register Pajaronian and the Sentinel will definitely print articles for that track. They want to cover racing as they have done for years. I guess there's the appeal of covering Watsonville, Petaluma, Merced and Antioch because those four tracks meant so much to me as I was coming up in the sport. By the way, Petaluma Speedway should have a writer too.
The reason I do what I do is to give just a little bit of color. Even if I don't have every description of every race, you can say if this was that driver's best finish, if it helped them in the points or whatever. You're giving some color to what that race meant. Obviously, if you're there in person, you can write when the pass was made for the lead and other interesting things. You still have to be brief when you're doing a newspaper story versus the Gary Jacob style story that can cover a lot more. I do my best. I'm proud of my effort. It's largely volunteer, and I would suppose things are going to change next year. Either with me even being involved in the sport or what sort of load I put upon myself.
As I've been doing this media effort, the thought occurs to me that a printed publication could be started again. The possibilities are the revival of my own magazine or maybe even talking to the man who owns Racing Wheels and putting that back together again. But, it's something that I wouldn't want to put completely on my shoulders. I'm only one person and I'm not as young as I once was. I have some energy to do things, but having one or two other people working with me who share this enthusiasm would probably go a long ways towards the realization of a printed magazine. Could such a thing work in 2019? I believe so if it's planned smartly. But, who knows?
The blog has come a long way from when I was just using it to put my memories out there from the past. Since late 2014, I've been covering the current sport and not so much nostalgia. I added the Jefferson Blog in 2016 to cover a specific area, and it's done pretty well. But again, there are weeks when I've covered 12 or 13 race tracks here. 12 or 13 race tracks would make a nice magazine, in my opinion. But would I want to write all of the articles? No. There are so many good writers out there, and what we need to get back to is the idea that racing journalism matters. Weekly articles matter. Is there a market for this? I would hope so, but who knows?
So when I look at the future of racing at Southern Oregon Speedway, I am optimistic. I don't think there was a lot to be hopeful for at the end of 2015. John Skinner was just going through the motions to get through his 20th year in the hopes that he would be rewarded for getting it that far. It didn't quite work out for him, and there were nights when it probably would have been better to refund everybody their money and give up. I will give him credit for going through that year. The problem was, there wasn't a lot of positivity going around heading into 2016.
When Mike McCann stepped into the picture, he proclaimed that this was "The New Beginning" for this race track. That meant that things weren't going to be done the way they were before. For some people, the change came as a shock. A few people were dragged kicking and screaming. But, what they got was consistency. The way the track was prepared, the way the pay scale was dealt with and all of that was the same every week. You knew what you were getting when you came to Southern Oregon Speedway. There was no favoritism going on. There was consistency. You even got media effort out of the track such as never before. New things were added to the program.
The critics were still there. People being negative and running us down. In fact, it frequently happened at the end of what we thought were good nights, so you were left not feeling so good about what you thought you had accomplished. But through it all, people were talking about next week. People are talking about next year. They want to come back, because they know things have gotten better. They know that while we're not where we need to be, things are better. There is hope for the future of Southern Oregon Speedway. I'd like to believe that I have helped bring that about. I'm very proud of my work here, and there are several people here that I have enjoyed interacting with.
I'm not exactly sure what's going on at Antioch Speedway right now. What matters to me is that the race track continues. There isn't this call for the track to be closed or for the property to be used for something else. Other tracks in the area have faced a threat. We're lucky with Antioch Speedway. I know there are many voices calling for change right now. I hear them. The fairgrounds is looking at the bottom line. How much money can they make. They want more money, and they're getting quite a bit as it is.
It's a scary time because with change you need to be sure that the next person coming in can meet the demands. There's a whole drama that still needs to play out, and I'm just going to leave it at that for now. One of the big reasons I supported John in the very beginning was because change was needed. He brought change that I think made things better in those early years for sure. Right now, he represents the stability of the fairgrounds getting money out of the property. My concern when they start looking at change being needed is that they do their homework and understand the business that goes on. Not just the money that they're getting, but how it's possible. People might promise certain things they can't deliver, but John has. He runs a very big schedule to give the fairgrounds the money that they get.
I would worry about somebody coming in there that is unproven and untested simply because when they realize the high demands, what are they going to do? Can they pay the bills? And if it gets too expensive and they shut down, then what? But I also don't believe an untested entity will be what replaces what we have now. An untested entity might be rattling the cages and getting the attention, but if things open up to bidders, I believe somebody with experience will look. I also believe that the contract said an option for five more years. So, I do believe John has a leg to stand on here in this fight. There's more to this battle. I need to wait and see before commenting otherwise, but I support racing at Antioch Speedway.
There was a rumor that cropped up here recently about the possibility that a race track could be built out in Byron. You know, if you go back to the 1990s, there was a rumor about a proposed NASCAR track out there. Never went anywhere. We're talking about property by the airport. It's my understanding that permits are either there now, or it wouldn't be hard to get the permits to do the building. You're not talking about a heavily populated area, so it's a possibility. The real question is, if somebody were to build a race track out there, can that be supported in 2019?
These days, we have to fight for every car we can get and whatever attendance we can get. It's not a given. It's a struggle from week to week. Adding a new race track to the equation might not be a smart move. Of course, they said the same thing about Chowchilla. Chowchilla served to revive racing in the Merced area when things were really on the downturn, but we're 20 years down the road on this one. It's a different time.
I really think there are things that we can do to turn Antioch Speedway around that won't take a lot of effort to do. Starting with the scheduling and what is booked and how often. Special nights on the schedule. Things like that. There are things that can be done, because there are people who want to go racing. But, it's going to be a week-to-week process. Have a good night this week? Don't get too cocky. Next week is not guaranteed. It can be stressful looking at things this way, but it's necessary to go out there and really work for the turnaround.
By about mid October, if my calculations are correct, the 2018 media effort will be complete. Looks like the final races will happen on the weekend of the 13th and 14th of October at tracks that we've been covering. I really do wish I could go to Lemoore on the 14th rather than catching the train back up here. Dan Myrick and the Central Valley Mini Stocks have gone above and beyond in supporting this effort, and it is so greatly appreciated. The little bit of support that we've gotten via The Tip Jar has made a big difference to me. It's enabled me to do a few things that I needed to take care of for myself that I might not have otherwise.
I love the idea of doing Mini Stock racing on a smaller track. When I saw this happen at Stockton Delta Speedway in the 1990s, I was hooked. And these guys do a good job at Lemoore. I really wanted to make a Hornet race happen on the smaller track up here, but the division was facing a bit of attrition by the time we were going to try and run something for them. It was better to just end the season. Still would be something I'd like to see.
But Dan isn't just doing this Mini Stock thing at Lemoore as a novelty. He's put a lot of effort into this. He's put a lot of himself into this. He's done promotional things like getting the Legends of Kearney Bowl guys to put their cars on display. He's working on getting other classes to be a part of this. He is constantly thinking about how he can make this thing better. It's a good thing and he has a lot he can be proud of. He's also got some good racers out there who have been very supportive from the get-go.
I will be covering this event, even if I'm writing the article on the train coming back up. And it's still my hope at some point to make it down there to witness a race in person.
I'm not 100% sure what the plans will be for next year. I know that when I walk away from this sport, I'm walking away. I will become a nostalgia writer again and work on that sort of thing. There are history books I'd like to do, but I certainly can't do that work when I'm concentrating on the current effort. It takes everything out of me to do what I do.
This off season, there are two books on the drawing board. One of them is the nearly completed sequel to Just A Kid From The Grandstands. If I put this one out, it's the final racing autobiography book that I'm doing. I want to move on from that approach. There is the Race Track Almanac that I want to put together, and I'll leave out the details of what I'm talking about until production begins. There is also Best Of The Blog And Beyond Volume 2. That book is basically already written and would be a sort of yearbook covering racing from 2015 to 2018. The weekly recaps and that sort of stuff would be in there. It's not as high on the priority list, however.
Because I don't know exactly what is up next for me, I can't say for sure things are happening or not. I have a mind to do the sequel to my autobiography because it is done for the most part, but time will tell. Through it all, however, the blog will remain for me to post whatever is up next.
But it's important for me to say that I appreciate each and every one of you who have read the articles posted here. I appreciate those who have shared links and those who have added to The Tip Jar. My trip down to California would not be possible without the support of Paul Gould Photography of Antioch Speedway and the track's webmaster, Mike Kord. They've basically paid for this trip. And Rick and Diana Panfili have offered the place to stay once again.
Going back to Antioch and actually watching races there for the first time since 2015 will be a breath of fresh air for me. This is the place of my youth. Though the racing isn't what it once was, it's still like Hallowed Ground to me. It's important. I almost feel like before I walk away from the sport, there are some things that need to be done here first.
One of my concerns is honoring the history of this race track. I have something that I've been hinting at for a while, but everything is up in the air at the moment. I don't have everything lined up the way I would like. Being as how it is getting closer to the day it was supposed to happen, I'm not sure where that leaves things. I'm not sure about a lot of things right now. I just feel like there are things I'd like to do to help the cause before I walk away. Where the opportunity will present itself is another matter. We'll just see what happens.
On that note, I'm going to end a rather long column. Until next time...
