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Lucky #7 For Humphries, DeCarlo And Clymens
At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...September 1...Saturday night was another occasion for exciting All Star Series Racing at Antioch Speedway, and the #7 came into play in four of the Main Events. Eric Humphries was the seventh different winner in the nine Winged 360 Sprint Car races held so far this season. A Modified point leader Nick DeCarlo won his seventh Main Event of the season, and new B Modified champion Trevor Clymens also won for the seventh time this season. Rookie Anthony Wellborn became the seventh different Hobby Stock feature winner. Past Dwarf Car champion Kevin Miraglio was also a Main Event winner.
Chowchilla's Eric Humphries made his first appearance of the season and left with the victory in the 20 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event. Humphries and Gary Nelson Jr were the eight lap heat winners to earn front row starting positions for the feature. Unfortunately, Nelson hurt a motor in the process to scratch for the night. Incoming point leader Art McCarthy also blew a motor in his heat race to end his night early. Humphries looked impressive in his winning effort. Matt DeMartini used his second straight second place finish to move into the point lead. Tyler Brown had at third place finish in his first visit of the season as Jacob Tuttle and Jeff Strole rounded out the Top 5 at the checkered flag.
In the A Modified 20 lap feature, Nick DeCarlo and Sean O'Gara found themselves starting in the fourth row after winning their eight lap heat races. Mike Karinen and Danny Wagner had front row starts and battled early. Unfortunately, Wagner's bad luck continued as he and Karinen were out of the running on lap 13. DeCarlo made his way to the front of the pack and scored the satisfying victory. Reigning champion Bobby Motts Jr started 12th and made his way to second by the waving of the checkered flag. O'Gara finished third, followed by Thomas Martin and David Zeiter.
Trevor Clymens had a front row start for the B Modified race and would score the 20 lap Main Event victory. Watsonville point leader Jim DiGiovanni won the heat race and was the closest challenger to Clymens in second. Kevin Brown earned a season best third place finish, followed by Chuck Golden and Shawn DeForest.
It was another rookie, Anthony Wellborn, grabbing his first career 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event win. Point leader Chris Sorensen started back in eighth and made his way to second to present a challenge to Wellborn. However, Wellborn drove a great race and earned his first win. Sorensen settled for a division leading eighth runner up finish. Josh Leach, Phillip Oreta and Jimmy Robbins rounded out the Top 5. Reigning champion Cameron Swank and rookies Haley Gomez and James Thomson were the other heat winners.
Kevin Miraglio and Danny Wagner were eight lap Dwarf Car heat winners. They started on the front row of the Main Event, setting up a battle of past champions. Unfortunately, Wagner's luck in this division was no better than his A Modified luck as he was out after three laps. Last season's second ranked driver, Devan Kammermann, started back in the sixth row and made his way through the pack to challenge point leader Mike Corsaro for second. He would gain the position. However, Miraglio collected the feature win ahead of Kammermann. Corsaro settled for third, followed by Toby Brown and a season best fifth place finish for Timmy Ryan.
Racing continues next week with the $1,000 to win 50 lap open comp Hobby Stock show. Also competing will be the DIRTcar Late Models, All Star Series A Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
All Star Series Antioch Speedway
Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Gary Nelson Jr., Eric Humphries. Main Event (20 Laps)-Eric Humphries, Matt DeMartini, Tyler Brown, Jacob Tuttle, Jeff Strole, David Dias, Tim Burcher, Art McCarthy DNS, Gary Nelson Jr DNS.
A Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Nick DeCarlo, Sean O'Gara. Main Event (20 Laps)-Nick DeCarlo, Bobby Motts Jr, Sean O'Gara, Thomas Martin, David Zeiter, Raymond Lindeman, Danny Wagner, Mike Karinen, Doff Cooksey, John MacDougall.
B Modifieds
Heat Winner (8 Laps)-Jim DiGiovanni. Main Event (20 Laps)-Trevor Clymens, Jim DiGiovanni, Kevin Brown, Chuck Golden, Shawn DeForest, Kenny Shrader, Randy Brown.
Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Cameron Swank, Haley Gomez, James Thomson. Main Event (20 Laps)-Anthony Wellborn, Chris Sorensen, Josh Leach, Phillip Oreta, Jimmy Robbins, Travis Tabucci, Chris Long, Joey Ridgeway Sr, Tyler Hendrickson, John Wacht.
Dwarf Cars
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Danny Wagner, Kevin Miraglio. Main Event (13 Laps)-Kevin Miraglio, Devan Kammermann, Mike Corsaro, Toby Brown, Timmy Ryan, Mario Marques, David Rosa, Jerry Doty, Chris Becker, Giovanni Bertoli.
Hobby Stock Open Comp Race Highlights
Antioch Speedway Program
Antioch Speedway Program
Antioch,
CA...Antioch Speedway has another big program on tap this week. A 50
lap Open Comp Hobby Stock race for $1,000 to win is scheduled for
Saturday night. Also competing will be the DIRTcar Late Models, All Star
Series A Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks. The Chet
Thomson Memorial Hardtop race that was scheduled has been moved to
October 6th as an increase in Hobby Stock Car count is expected for the
bigger money.
It
wasn't too many years ago when management had scheduled a few 100 lap
Hobby Stock races. Drivers have been asking for a special show, citing
the good Hobby Stock turnouts at surrounding area tracks. After taking
all of that into consideration, promoter John M Soares put the special
show on this week's card a little over a month ago. There have been
inquiries from drivers from Merced, Watsonville and other tracks.
We've
also seen past champion Brad Myers come out and start racing again
along with longtime Street Stock and Figure 8 racers Jimmy Robbins and Bob Brown.
Robbins is a past Super Hobby Stock and Figure 8 champion. Brown has looked good in his two starts this year. It's not
often that the Hobby Stock racers get an opportunity to race for a
$1,000 prize, and it's expected that there will be so many cars that the
track will even need to run a B Main
All
season long, it's been difficult for anybody to get a win with point
leader Chris Sorensen, reigning champion Cameron Swank and Michael
Cooper gobbling up a majority of the victories. A win here would be the
biggest of either of these guy's careers. Swank tops the leader board was
seven victories, while Sorensen has six and Cooper has five. Of the
local drivers, these three are the favorites to get the win. The other
victories so far this year have been earned by Chris Long, Billy Garner,
John Wacht and Anthony Wellborn.
We've
yet to see any confirmations as to who might show up from out of town,
but past Antioch IMCA Sport Modified and reigning Watsonville Hobby
Stock champion Rob Gallaher is a possibility. Another driver from the
Watsonville area who's been known to travel and pick up wins is
three-time Watsonville champion Billy Nelson. Long time Merced racer and
car owner Dale Falkenberg has indicated the possibility of bringing a
couple of cars. Drivers are coming from out of town, but we'll have to
wait and see who that might be.
We
haven't seen Top 3 2017 competitor Chris Bennett very often this year.
He has a second place finish this year and could be back this week
looking for a win. Other locals to watch for include Breanna Troen,
Frank Furtato, Haley Gomez, Anthony Vigna, Josh Leach and Ed Letterman.
Despite
winning four times this year, three-time DIRTcar Late Model champion
Jeff Decker hasn't really pulled away from Rod Oliver in the points
standings. Oliver has been consistent with six Top 5 finishes this year
and is still within 32 points of Decker. He is also currently second in
points at Marysville. However, Richard Papenhausen is closing in just a
little bit on Oliver despite missing a race. Papenhausen is 28 points
behind and has two wins and three second place finishes in his five
starts.
Last
season's top rookie, Kimo Oreta, is only 12 points behind Papenhausen
in fourth. Oreta'a top finish so far is a third place finish, and he is
just two points ahead of Mike Hynes. Hynes has picked up three Top 5
finishes in the last four races to make a bit of a move up the point
ladder. Other drivers to keep an eye on this week include Dennis Souza,
two-time Late Model champion Paul Guglielmoni, Rob Norris and John M
Soares.
The
closest battle at the track continues in the Limited Late Model
division this week. The Sun Drop Racing Team has somewhat cornered the
market in this division with six championships in the last seven
seasons. The legendary Larry Damitz has won it five times. When he
passed away it, three-time Hobby Stock champion Kimo Oreta took the
wheel and won the championship last year. Oreta and Mike Walko top the
field with four feature wins each, but it's three-time winner Mark
Garner leading the standings by two points over Oreta and 16 over Walko.
One of the keys to Garner's success this year has been his ability to
win most of his heat races, which equates to six points for every win.
His bad luck in the Main Event has made it a struggle to keep his two
rivals at bay.
The
El Camino of Ryan Cherezian is fourth in the standings, 38 points
behind Walko as Ryan eyes a potential podium season. Ryan has earned
three third place finishes in the last five races and has a season-high
second place finish, but he's still looking for his first win. Other
drivers to watch for this week include John Evans, Chad Hammer and Mike
Gustafson.
As
of this writing, we haven't seen the new point list yet, but A Modified
point leader Nick DeCarlo should have increased his 30 point lead over
Bobby Motts Jr following his seventh Main Event win of the season. It
won't be too many points as Motts picked up his fifth second place
finish. He's still looking for his first win, and time is running out on
his bid to repeat as champion. The consistent Sean O'Gara snagged his
third third place finish of the season at the most recent race to
maintain his third place ranking.
With
Bobby Montalvo missing last week, David Zeiter used his fifth place
finish to close to within two points of Montalvo in the battle for
fourth. Zeiter has just been plugging along and slowly creeping up the
point list. Michael Salazar and John McDougall were both welcome sites
in the pits last week, but unfortunately their Main Events ended early.
Other drivers to watch for this week include Raymond Lindeman, Danny
Wagner and Doff Cooksey.
Last
week's Dwarf Car Main Event wasn't the prettiest site with a lot of
yellow flags and an early end, but point leader Mike Corsaro none the
less scored his seventh Top 3 finish in the last eight races. He's been
shut out of the win column since the fourth point race of the season,
but his lead over David Michael Rosa should be about 100 points when the
standings are updated. It was not a good night for Rosa, who ended up
12th, but the three-time feature winner should still be clinging to a
slim lead over one-time winner Mario Marques in the race for second in
the standings. Other racers to watch for include David Rosa, 2010 champion Jerry Doty, Chris
Becker, Giovanni Bertoli and Roberto Monroy.
The
Hobby Stocks will have their night to shine this week. This five
division lineup is sure to entertain the crowd. All five classes will be
back again next week as the track honors its founding promoter with the
John Soares Sr Memorial Top Dog Race. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Bernal Wins Third Round Of Sprint Car Speedweek
At Petaluma Speedway
At Petaluma Speedway
Petaluma,
CA...September 3...Ryan Bernal won the third round of the Amsoil
USAC/CRA Sprint Car Speedweek Series Monday night at Petaluma Speedway.
Bernal started on the front row of the 30 lap race and proceeded to lead
the entire distance. The race had a red flag on lap three when Cody
Swanson flipped. Bernal continued to set the pace ahead of Danny Faria
Jr and local star Chase Johnson. Johnson surrendered third to Austin
Williams on lap 16. The race had a yellow flag on lap 20, and a final
yellow flag for Johnson on lap 23. On the restart, Williams moved by
Faria for second and put the pressure on Bernal for the lead. However,
Bernal was up to the task as he won the battle. Faria settled for third,
followed by Damion Gardiner, Brody Roa, Cody Williams, Chris Gansen,
Logan Williams, Max Adams and Geoff Ensign.
There
were 22 competitors, and Gardiner set the quick time of 14.311, beating
the 14.358 effort of Gansen. 10 lap heat race wins went to Bernal,
Adams and Roa.
Tim
Yeager recorded his second McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modified 25 lap
Main Event win of the season. Yeager was leading Michelle Paul when a
lap 15 caution flag came out. Championship hopeful Jeffrey Faulkner settled into second on the restart with Oreste Gonella following into
third. Gonella moved by Faulkner for second on lap 23 and put the
pressure on Yeager. While Yeager was able to win, Gonella used his
second place finish to clinch the track championship. Faulkner settled
for third, followed by Jeff Thomas, Michelle Paul, Danny Potts, Tony
Bernard, Justin Yeager, Duane Orsburn and Mitch Machado. Eight lap heat
races were won by Chris Sieweke and Tim Yaeger.
Mitch
Machado recorded his seventh Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stock Main
Event win of the season. In the process, he wrapped up his championship
effort. All season long, two-time champion Steve Studebaker has been
battling Machado, and he settled for a close second in both the Main
Event and the point standings. After winning a heat race, Shawn McCoy
was a solid third at the checkered flag, followed by Tim O'Hara, Austin
Ohlinger, Matt While, Snazzy Duckworth, Sean Cook, Manny Avila and Erick
Veeninga. Machado was the other eight lap heat race winner.
the
next race on the schedule is set for Saturday, September 22nd. The
PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprints will be back along with the
Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks, Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros and
Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Central Valley Mini Stocks Return With Dwarf Cars
To Lemoore Raceway Sunday
Lemoore, CA...The Seventh event for the Central Valley Mini Stocks will be happening this Sunday afternoon at Lemoore Raceway. However, this time they will be bringing an added attraction to the program. An invitation was extended to the Dwarf Car drivers to come race on the one-fifth mile dirt oval. Drivers from multiple groups will be coming to town on Sunday.
After winning the most recent event, Greg Baronian leads his brother Rod Baronian by 47 points in the Mini Stock championship battle. Only this race and the October race remain on the schedule. Rod is not a comfortable second in the standings as Dan Myrick is trailing him by just 12 points. Myrick has a win at Merced this year, but he's looking for his first CVMS win of the season. Ryan Doglione is just two points behind Myrick, while Jeff Durant is 12 points behind.
Three Merced area racers, Jennifer Corder, Shawn DePriest and Destiny Catrter, are anticipated in Sunday. Corder is a past point runnerup at her home track, and she won the CVMS Trophy Dash last time out. DePriest is a two time Merced winner this year. Carter will be racing in memory of her mother Dawn Carter, who passed away three years ago Sunday. Other drivers to watch for this week include Ben Davis, Scott Glenn, Brent Myrick, Darren Wilson and Chris Goldsmith. Glenn was a season best second last time out.
The Dwarf Cars are a poular division at several venues throughout California, and several drivers are anticpated from as far south as Barona and as far north as Sacramento. The smaller cars resemble the old Hardtop division that once ruled the racing scene in the 1950s and 60s. The cars use motorcyle engines and get aroud the track rather quickly. The fans will be in for a special treat on Sunday. CVMS President Dan Myrick has indicated that he would like to include other divisions when the group races, and the Dwarf Cars are welcome to be a part of the show.
It should be a great afternoon for a race on Sunday. For further information, go to www.centralvalleyministocks.com or check out the groups Facebook page.
Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 3, 2018
Amsoil CRA/USAC Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #73 Ryan Bernal
2 #2 Austin Williams
3 #42 Danny Faria
4 #4 Damion Gardner
5 #91 Brody Roa
6 #44 Cody Williams
7 #4g Chris Gansen
8 #5 Logan Williams
9 #3t Max Adams
10 #56 Geoff Ensign
11 #92 RJ Johnson
12 #2r Richard Brace Jr
13 #3F Shayna Sylvia
14 #28m Matt McCarthy
15 #12j John Clark
16 #24n Nick Larson
17 #68 Chase Johnson
18 #34ax Ricky Brophy
19 #45 Gary Paulson
20 #34az Jake Swanson
21 #56j Shawn Arriaga
McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modifieds
Results are not official
1 #17y Tim Yaeger
2 #23 Oreste Gonnella
3 #34j Jeff Faulkner
4 #07 Jeff Thomas
5 #23m Michelle Paul
6 #23x Danny Potts
7 #42b Tony Bernard
8 #2y Justin Yaeger
9 #0 Duane Orsburn
10 #22m Mitch Machado
11 #74 Chris Sieweke
12 #50 Michael Paul
Lumberjack's Restaurant Super Stocks
Results are not official
1 #22m Mitch Machado
2 #46 Steve Studebaker
3 #60 Shawn McCoy
4 #27 Tim O'Hara
5 #85 Austin Ohlinger
6 #3 Matt While
7 #18 Snazzy Duckworth
8 #11c Sean Cook
9 #07 Manny Avila
10 #25 Erick Veeninga
Calistoga Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 1-2, 2018
Louie Vermeil Memorial
Amsoil CRA/USAC Sprint Main Sunday
Results are not official
1 #16A Colby Copeland
2 #91r Brody Roa
3 #68 Chase Johnson
4 #2 Austin Williams
5 #73 Ryan Bernal
6 #42 Danny Faria Jr
7 #56 Geoff Ensign
8 #83 Austin Liggett
9 #44 Cody Williams
10 #88 Jace Vanderweerd
11 #3f Max Adams
12 #92 RJ Johnson
13 #5 Logan Williams
14 #4G Chris Gansen
15 #7n Zack Lynskey
16 #28m Matt McCarthy
17 #3T Shayna Sylvia
18 #35 Cody Jessop
19 #24 Nick Larson
20 #51 Austin Ervine
21 #34AZ Jake Swanson
22 #4 Damion Gardner
23 #2R Richard Brace Jr
Amsoil CRA/USAC Sprint Main Saturday
Results are not official
1 #4 Damion Gardner
2 #42 Danny Faria Jr
3 #73 Ryan Bernal
4 #2 Austin Williams
5 #3f Max Adams
6 #91r Brody Roa
7 #92 RJ Johnson
8 #83 Austin Liggett
9 #5 Logan Williams
10 #28m Matt McCarthy
11 #44 Cody Williams
12 #56 Geoff Ensign
13 #88 Jace Vanderweerd
14 #8 Johnathon Henry
15 #26 Billy Aton
16 #34AZ Jake Swanson
17 #4G Chris Gansen
18 #3T Shayna Sylvia
19 #2R Richard Brace Jr
20 #51 Austin Ervine
21 #68 Chase Johnson
22 #7n Zack Lynskey
23 #35 Cody Jessop
24 #16A Colby Copeland
25 #24 Nick Larson
USAC Midgets Sunday
1. Shane Golobic
2. Michael Faccinto
3. Ryan Bernal
4. Alex Schutte
5. Robby Josett
6. Robert Dalby
7. David Prickett
8. Ronnie Gardner
9. C.J. Sarna
10. Johnathon Henry
11. Marvin Mitchell
12. Randi Pankratz
13. Kyle Beilman. NT
USAC Midgets Saturday
Results are not official
1 #17w Shane Golobic
2 #68 Ronnie Gardner
3 #28 Alex Schutte
4 #9F Robby Jossett
5 #24x David Prickett
6 #78 Marvin Mitchell
7 #17G Dustin Golobic
8 #9d Michael Faccinto
9 #20 CJ Sarna
10 #8 Randi Pankratz
11 #31 Kyle Beilman
12 #3C Tanner Thorson
13 #3f Johnathan Henry
14 #73 Ryan Bernal
15 #2 Max Adams
16 #4d Robert Dalby
Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 3, 2018
Amsoil CRA/USAC Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #73 Ryan Bernal
2 #2 Austin Williams
3 #42 Danny Faria
4 #4 Damion Gardner
5 #91 Brody Roa
6 #44 Cody Williams
7 #4g Chris Gansen
8 #5 Logan Williams
9 #3t Max Adams
10 #56 Geoff Ensign
11 #92 RJ Johnson
12 #2r Richard Brace Jr
13 #3F Shayna Sylvia
14 #28m Matt McCarthy
15 #12j John Clark
16 #24n Nick Larson
17 #68 Chase Johnson
18 #34ax Ricky Brophy
19 #45 Gary Paulson
20 #34az Jake Swanson
21 #56j Shawn Arriaga
McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modifieds
Results are not official
1 #17y Tim Yaeger
2 #23 Oreste Gonnella
3 #34j Jeff Faulkner
4 #07 Jeff Thomas
5 #23m Michelle Paul
6 #23x Danny Potts
7 #42b Tony Bernard
8 #2y Justin Yaeger
9 #0 Duane Orsburn
10 #22m Mitch Machado
11 #74 Chris Sieweke
12 #50 Michael Paul
Lumberjack's Restaurant Super Stocks
Results are not official
1 #22m Mitch Machado
2 #46 Steve Studebaker
3 #60 Shawn McCoy
4 #27 Tim O'Hara
5 #85 Austin Ohlinger
6 #3 Matt While
7 #18 Snazzy Duckworth
8 #11c Sean Cook
9 #07 Manny Avila
10 #25 Erick Veeninga
The Editor's Viewpoint
Well, we did it. I'm pretty excited about what we were able to accomplish at Southern Oregon Speedway this last weekend. Three years into the run of KJE Enterprises and Mike McCann as the promoter at Southern Oregon Speedway, and we had our biggest night. This was also the biggest car count the track has seen in well over a decade. We work very hard for the success we get, and there were lots of people who stepped forward to help this weekend as well.
Travis Snyder wanted to see the R Charles Snyder Salute be a big success. This race is for his father, and he came on to sponsor it last year and this year to keep the IMCA Modified pay out as well as it was. His friend Travis Hoppes. I refer to these two guys as the Travis's, but Mr Hoppes has been a good supporter of racing and sponsored many different people. He worked very hard to bring in more sponsorship that helped increase the IMCA Sport Modified payout to the biggest on the West Coast.
Steve Kerstulovich worked with the people in his group to pay lap money for the IMCA Sport Modifieds. They handled all that, so the track really didn't know who was doing what to give them the appropriate thanks. Claudia Linker handled bringing in some more sponsorship money for the race and the official lap money for both divisions. We knew that if you led a lap in either Main Event, you got $10 for that lap. It could add up very quickly, as Bobby Hogge IV and Guy Ahlwardt both found out.
I also want to thank Daren Ricks Campbell for the work that he put into spreading the word on social media. I understand how much of a difference that makes. I work social media with what I do, and I know the difference it makes for Southern Oregon Speedway. It also helps me when I put blog posts out there. When people see the link there, they check things out. Daren has a nice racing media effort going on Facebook. I didn't particularly care for the way he was treated by a certain photographer at our track when I thought I had things sorted out there. But, that just shows what a great person Daren is that he didn't escalate the situation. Had anything been pointed out to me, I was in no mood to be diplomatic. I wanted Daren to be able to go where he needed to be to do what he does. But, Daren didn't want to cause a scene.
Before I move on to thoughts of this race track, I speak of people like Daren and how important they are. We can put cold hard statistics out there every week via MyLaps or whatever platform, but it takes people inspiring imaginations over what all of that means. You need writers. Daren wants to do this stuff, and I'm not sure how much longer I do. I want people like him to have a part in this sport. My frustration with track management at some places is that they don't understand the value. Or, they don't want to open up their wallets to the writer even when it's noticeable that their efforts are helping. I know because I've seen it my whole life, and it adds to the regrets I have sometimes when I look at the negative side and why I ever got involved in the first place. But I know the difference it's made, and I would hope that Daren gets taken care of and gets the opportunity he deserves.
We're not done. Or at least ways, let me put it this way. The effort to turn Southern Oregon Speedway around is not done. No way. There is way too much stuff to do. I can tell you this much. It's draining. I think I've aged five years this year. I have unusual sleeping patterns, and I'm not getting out and exercising the way I want to. I want to get away from the desk and the computer, and I can't. It's that much work between the extra effort I put in here and the media effort. But it has to be done.
What some of the critics don't seem to understand about that race track is we didn't create the mess that was left there. We tried to do something to make it better. Now, I won't even dog the effort that was there before us. I understand some of the things you go through trying to make a race track work. Regardless, we didn't create the issues. We came in and handle the situation that was handed to us.
From 2016 to 2018, you would have to be blind or not paying attention to not realize realize that Southern Oregon Speedway is on the road to recovery. But it needs more. It needs much more. We have stopped the decline and begun the Improvement in numbers. The numbers are not where Mike or myself would like to see them after three years. Or, I should say, where you would think they should be after three years. However, they are better. It's my belief that if we continue on this path and make the necessary adjustments, you're going to see more Improvement in those numbers. It's just going to take that kind of effort.
I'm going to throw some things out here on what I would do. Booking 101. Not my decision to make, but things that I would do. Working relationships with other tracks. I hear that a lot, and I do like track unity. On this past weekend, I heard from people wanting to work with Yreka. Here's the thing. I can see efforts being made down there to work with Southern Oregon Speedway, but Yreka also needs to get their house in order. They need to be able to offer something when you talk about tracks working together. Southern Oregon Speedway can definitely help Yreka. There are more divisions and more cars. Yreka needs to bolster their racing program.
I had a good conversation with somebody, and they agreed. They spoke of the Street Stock division and a half a dozen cars in the area and how they should be brought back. They spoke of the Jefferson State Jalopies. And other things. I spoke to one team as they were leaving that I thought it was really good of Yreka to not book on top of this race. However, had they considered running a race on Friday night, they might have actually had a better show than usual. Missed opportunity? I spoke to another person how Yreka should have had a flier put together for the Rod Restad Memorial race. Pass it out to a pit area that had over 90 combined IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sport Modifieds. If you're offering something they want, you may get more cars out of this group and have an even better show to close the season. I've learned that one reason the flier may not have happened is because Yreka has moved their date from September 22nd to the 23rd so as not to conflict with Southern Oregon Speedway.
I spoke to somebody about the need of possibly having the Siskiyou County Motorsports Association hire a General Manager for a three year deal. Set up what it is you want out of that, something that will benefit the SCMA and also give the General Manager an opportunity to gain for the work put in. When you've got somebody in there trying to promote and having something to gain as well, you might get more of an effort. They need more cars. They need more divisions so that they can rotate these classes and not put the burden on the same two divisions every week. They might also consider Friday nights as a night to race instead of Saturday night. Perhaps a Sunday afternoon thrown in here or there.
I don't think it's out of the ordinary to think that the two tracks should work together. They are the two closest neighbors and can benefit each other. The Southern Oregon Speedway roster is getting better over these past couple of years, but it's a slow increase. They need to start taking steps in Yreka to do the same. Then, I think something could happen. There haven't been too many efforts made in the past to work together. Do I think a series will be worked out between the two tracks in 2019? Probably not. But, if the right steps were taken, you never know. You'll get more potential play between these two tracks than you might between Cottage Grove and Southern Oregon Speedway as you don't tend to see as many drivers traveling down from The Grove to race in Medford.
But back to this track, there's a reason you have all of the divisions you have. You need to rotate classes and give drivers a break. It's been proven in the numbers. Sure, we saw a good start with our Hornet division, for instance. By the time we get to race #9 and 10, cars are worn out and car count has gone down. So, would booking the Hornets 14 or 15 to times be a good idea? Probably not. You get to about a dozen race dates, and classes start to suffer. I don't like having so many divisions, but in 2018, this seems to be what we have to do.
I think I would like to see one or two more IMCA Modified and IMCA Sport Modified dates, but no more than that. I would also consider that points could be kept for Southern Oregon Speedway using the track's system, while also having the IMCA point system. This way, you have a different championship going on. The local point race could be given a night off on Speedweek or the R Charles Snyder Salute. I had local teams telling me they thought these were disruptive races to the track's own championship and guess what? I agree. Albert Gill made it through and unless something bad happens, he'll win his third championship. But he lost out the year before. There's just that much competition coming up for the R Charles Snyder Salute.
The momentum killer for this race track is July. We got off to a pretty good start this year. Momentum was in our favor. June offered up the Rodger Haudenshild Tribute Race and Speedweek, and all appeared to be good. Then, we hit the brick wall known as July. It hurt. Then, you get into August and try to reestablish momentum, and that didn't go as well as I would hope. Some of the opinions I'll offer here might be unpopular, but here goes.
July needs to get going with something big. I don't know about having a Fireworks Display if the area is going to have other places with Fireworks Shows. Seems counterproductive, and it's not cheap. We are already adjusting ticket prices enough as it is to pay for other things, this would be another night where that would have to happen. I'm not in favor of that. But, having a Firecracker Challenge race would not be a bad idea.
I look at the fact that the IMCA Modifieds are doing pretty well with three big races and wonder. All of this talk about the IMCA Sport Modifieds. What if we gave the Firecracker Challenge night to them? Not even having the Modifieds that night. Maybe the Late Models are there that night and our Four Cylinder classes? But, a special extra lap, extra money race with more stakes to it. You need to do something to keep the momentum going, and that seems like a winner. Then, knowing that you might take a hit in the month, I might want to consider showcasing something else that doesn't get an opportunity. Perhaps we run a show that features the Outlaw Pro Stocks? Have the Four Cylinder classes, the Dwarf Cars and that kind of thing, and maybe doing something fan-friendly that night? The way that track is laid out, it's very tough to do meet-and-greets or autograph sessions. Kind of frustrating.
By my way of thinking, the Outlaw Pro Stocks simply have to be put back on the schedule. They offer too much to not have them there, and they have been a part of this race track since it was opened. Some very big names have come and gone in this division. Now, Sunday was not a pretty night, but it wasn't that pretty for the Sport Modifieds either. However, if you cut their race for the same reason you cut the Pro Stocks, there's going to be a mutiny in the grandstands. Just saying. We just rolled with it, and I agree with that decision. I didn't agree with the early checkered in the Pro Stocks, but I also don't like keeping the fans in the grandstands later than we did on Sunday.
Still, the strongest car counts we have right now are the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Outlaw Pro Stocks, Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars and even the IMCA Modifieds are having a better year. Everything else is a work in progress. The Sprint Car class is growing with the younger talent that's come up from the Outlaw Kart track and the Late Models are a work in progress. Something big can happen for the Late Models in the future, but it has to be something that's deserving. You almost have to sit down and work out something with "The Don" of the promoters in Oregon, Jerry Schram.
Now, we have been paying the Sprint Car division pretty well. They run on a Limited Sprint set of rules, but they are paid very well. In fact, twice as well as what the class gets at Cottage Grove. Yet, everybody sings the praises of The Grove and tells us how they'd rather go there. I don't know if people are looking up in the grandstands. You see, we said the same thing to the 360 Sprints very early on when they were wanting their $1,000 to win race. Do you see those empty seats? How can we afford that kind of purse? Work with us and put on the show you say you're capable of, and that will change. Then, David Hibbard came along and supported the show with sponsorship, not even looking for any credit for it.
If it were my decision, and it might be an unpopular one, I would think long and hard about paying the Limited Sprints the same purse they get at Cottage Grove with a few specials that pay what they're getting now. Why? The money isn't there. The attendance hasn't gone up well enough to justify the increase that they're getting and the place isn't so cheap to run. To make everything work, we have to work our rear ends off.
The Southern Oregon racing fans have been groomed on the IMCA Modified division. It's expected. With the Sprint Cars and Late Models, you just have to keep plugging away and gets the fans more excited about them. The Late Models were never really pushed other than special shows up here, which you can say the same for the Sprint Cars. And in the case of the Sprint Cars, we're introducing new talent. Cottage Grove is doing the same. There's something happening with this division that can help save Winged Sprint Car racing in Oregon, but it's a work in progress. You need to get the fans excited about putting down their money to come out to watch these younger drivers.
When I talk about the momentum killer of July, I understand that we're probably going to have to go dark twice. Once for the County Crossings Music Festival and once for the Jackson County Fair. You can try running against both, but it won't go well for you. I would consider running something with the other classes that don't get the headlines very often and see what happens, but I'm not sold on that idea.
In Oregon, some of these tracks are trying what they call Fast Fridays. $5 Fridays. But they are in positions where they have a built-in crowd base and can pull these things off. I'm not as convinced that we could do that. However, drivers are also clamoring for playdays. They want their practice laps. What if the track did something different? What if there was a practice/race. You might have open practice for multiple classes while also scheduling a couple of regular divisions. Usually, divisions that aren't featured as much. Mini Stocks, Hornets, Late Model Lites or whatever. Perhaps something could be worked out there where the fans even got in on a discounted ticket and watched some racing and some practice on a Friday night? This is a thought in progress.
When we hit August, we're going with a big Dwarf Car event. The Western States Dwarf Car Nationals. There isn't a bigger Dwarf Car event on the West coast. I'm frustrated with the Oregon Dwarf Car racers not really working together, but then they went and surprised me the next week when the drivers came down from the North and gave us another 40 car show a week after the Nationals. There's something there that perhaps the groups in Oregon might work together on. It has to do with the Speedweek idea.
That brings me back to the Nationals . The downside to Dwarf Car racing is that none of these groups promote themselves with fan interaction in mind. They don't really let you know what's going on with their point standings. They don't let you know who their stars are and it's very difficult for the fans to get into them. If you're one of the family members or friends, sure. But a lot of fans don't go to a race to watch the Dwarf Cars. The Dwarf Cars just happen to be the division they leave going, "that was a pretty good race." So how big of a selling point is the Dwarf Car Nationals to Southern Oregon Speedway? Can you put people in the stands?
We've been forced to add other divisions to the show to get a few more people in the seats. The addition of Sprint Car racing on the Saturday portion of the show is what really saved things. Do we need a Dwarf Car Nationals at Southern Oregon Speedway? It's nice to see the pit area filled with cars, but in terms of selling tickets to the fans, you're not kicking August off with something getting the momentum back. So, that was difficult. We moved Hall of Fame night back a week from last year, which meant that we were coming in with another untested entity, our Ironhead Nationals Sprint Car race. About the only event in August that I am excited about is Hall of Fame Night, and I wonder if that might be the way to start August? Everything else is open for assessment, in my opinion.
The Herz Precision Parts Cascade Wingless Sprint Car Challenge Race didn't do so badly in terms of fans, but it's a challenge. Let's face it, the people in Medford don't know much about Wingless Sprint Car racing. If it doesn't have a wing, they're not really into it. They want World of Outlaws, and the reality is, we tried to give that to them this year. We couldn't get a date. The Winged 360 Sprint Car Speedweek thing has almost played itself out and has a hefty price tag for what they deliver. There are other avenues to explore, and feelers were put out. That's all I can say about that.
So, August is a work-in-progress, and things need to be scheduled there to get the fans into it again. We're also dealing with the smoke and the hottest month of the year. That leads me to fan comfort. I sometimes wonder what John Skinner was thinking when he built this place when I look at some of the flaws in the design. We set the fans in the sun on hot concrete and start racing at 7 in the evening. Start later? How late do we want the fans to be there? We're trying to get the thing done by 11, and given the conditions we've dealt with regarding the "clay" that we were donated, racing conditions aren't as ideal as they have been. Then again, we're actually hearing praise over the racing surface despite the fact that there is much more carnage on the race track than we've had in the previous two seasons.
We have a winner to start the month of September. The community has rallied behind the R Charles Snyder Salute, and I'm excited about that. What I'd love to end the season with is a big Late Model show the way there used to be, and the time may come. There are tweaks that we can make on the schedule, but the main thing to me is we also need to bring the Pro Stocks back in and get a little bit more Modified and Sport Modified racing going. And no, both divisions do not have to be on the schedule on the same night. It just worked out that way this year, but I don't think that's necessary. In fact, I think it would be better if that weren't the case all the time.
I still look at the lack of a Street Stock division in bewilderment. And I know, I'm probably beating a dead horse. I understand the Iron Giant Series could be taking their show on the road a little bit more, and there's potential for two visits to Medford from them. I still say that if there were a half a dozen locals willing to get out there and race again, something could be restarted. But that's up to the local people. I heard a couple of Mini Stock teams speak of wanting cars for this class, so if something were to get started, there's potential for more.
About the only other thing I can look at here is IMCA Stock Cars. Oregon will probably end up going in that direction, because Willamette Speedway has started a class. Jerry owns three tracks, so it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where this thing is going. They had 10 IMCA Stock Cars last week. We're not muscling a Street Stock division out of the picture in Medford the way Jerry could be doing at Willamette. There isn't a Street Stock division, because none was ever really cultivated since Southern Oregon Speedway opened. Clean slate.
Am I going to sing the praises of IMCA? No. In fact, I'd be more inclined to give NASCAR a try. I've made no secret of this. However, I'm also somebody that will listen to the racers. If they want a sanctioning body that doesn't really offer much of a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and they're willing to bring the cars, go for it. IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sport Modifieds. Could IMCA Stock Cars be next? This also falls in line with the whole idea of a dancing partner down south in Yreka. Could both tracks start a class and run them on different nights?
A lot of what I'm looking at up here is the fine-tuning that needs to be done with the momentum that's being established. Some of it has to do with the personnel in place to do things, which I won't get into any specific details. Things need to be done in various areas, and we've done our best to compensate for the shortcomings and keep the show going. I think we've done okay in that regard, but it definitely takes a toll on you. Is everything perfect? No. Is everything where we'd like it to be at this point? No. Is everything overall better for the show than it was 3 years ago? Yes. I'm proud of that fact.
But as I look at the future, I can clearly see that there is much more work that needs to be done. And I don't think it's going to be an easy road either. It seems like with the good that we get up here, there's a lot of negative associated with it. But overall, when you have a quiet moment to look back and reflect on things, you realize that the hard work has seen some success.
I'll leave the speculating about my future to another time. It's late Monday night as I write this, and I'm just going through this now to get on to the next thing. Lots more to do as we have a two race weekend coming up again. I'm overwhelmed and humbled by the people who have come up to me and thanked me for what I do. I'm nobody special. I just do what I do and move on to the next thing. But I do like to see people enjoying the show, and I take it to heart when everything isn't working the way I'd like to see it going. I know we can do better, and we're not quite hitting the mark yet.
We have three races left to go on the big track as and two races left to go on the little track. The early National Weather Forecast called for possible rainouts at least once, but the forecast backed off. So, I spent the better part of a few hours working up an update for one more souvenir program printing. I wasn't going to do that, but I figure we'll give them something new and see how that goes. Even that has been a struggle. I haven't accomplished what I'd like to have accomplished with the programs in my three years doing it here, and yet, we had a 50% increase from the first year to the second year and could potentially see a 33% increase from the second year to the third year in sales. Progress.
And of course, none of this happens without the great support of the fans and the racers who come out there and take a chance that they're going to have fun. Hopefully, we send them home happy most of the time. If not, it's back to the drawing board to figure out what to do. But, we've just about made it through this season. I'm sometimes amazed I'm still going at this point. But I am very proud of the effort that I put forth, even if I'm not really a very happy person these days.
I will be heading down to California only a few days after we run our last race. I probably could benefit from a week's rest, and I should have done that. The only reason I didn't was because there was an opportunity to get in another race and check out another situation. Another race? Wasn't I talking about walking away? Yes, and that still might happen. However, I want to go see a track that I haven't set foot on in all of these years. That's why Orland Raceway was chosen. Plans are always fluid, and that can change, but right now that's where I'm headed.
The track very much on my mind is Antioch Speedway. It's mainly because I'm worried about people down there that I care dearly about, and I miss my friends. I had hoped that as I was writing this column I would be able to make the big announcement, but as everything isn't 100% lined up, I get to wait another week. Playing things very close right now, which has me nervous.
John took the requests into account and has moved the Chet Thomson race off of September 8th. The October 6th race that was already on the schedule for the Hardtops will now be the race honoring Chet. It was easier to make this move because of the big $1,000 to win Hobby Stock race set for this week. I still haven't heard who all is coming, but after seeing 17 cars show up last Saturday, I'm still confident there will be enough cars for a B Main and the purse will be paid as advertised. John's usually very good about that, and the track needs a good night. They'll be running the race honoring his dad the week after, and I'll be down there for the Fall Brawl to end the season.
Seeing so many of my old friends come up here for the visit for the R Charles Snyder Salute reminds me of how much I miss everybody. I had many good conversations again, although I definitely wore myself out walking back and forth for two nights. As I feel like I'm gaining too much weight these days, I'm grateful for the exercise. I'd certainly be walking a lot more if I could get away from the desk.
The only way to get away from the desk is to finish up the work that I'm doing. So on that note, I'm going to end this column. Until next time...
