The DCRR Racing Media Books
Just A Kid From The Grandstands: My Time In Auto Racing
Stories of my time in auto racing from the beginning to 2003
Available on Lulu in Paperback And Hard Cover
Available on Lulu in Paperback And Hard Cover
And
Don's California Racing Recollections: Best Of The Blog And Beyond
Racing History, Stories, Statistics And Pictures
Available via print on demand at Lulu in Hard Cover or Paperback
Available via print on demand at Lulu in Hard Cover or Paperback
If You Like Reading Our Articles
Support Us Via The Go Fund Me The Tip Jar HERE
Also...
DCRR Racing Media And PR Consulting HERE
Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion Can Be Heard HERE
DeCarlo Wins Chet Thomson Memorial At Antioch Speedway
Nelson, Teves, Garner, Troen, Brown Are Winners
Antioch, CA...October 6...Kurt Nelson won the 20 lap All Star Series Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. He became the eighth different winner of the season. The race got off to an ugly start with two yellow flags and a red flag before a lap was completed. In the red flag incident, Matt DeMartini attempted an inside pass on Tyler Brown in Turns 3 and 4 and ended up going in too hard and flipping. DeMartini will still win the championship. Art McCarthy set the pace for five laps before his motor started losing power. Nelson assumed the lead at that point, followed by Brown. Nelson would lead the rest of the way for the win. Brown finished a strong second ahead of 2015 champion Shawn Arriaga, Joey Ancona and Jacob Tuttle.
Adam Teves won his first career 20 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event. Teves had a front row start for the Main Event and led Rick Panfili early. A lap six caution flag changed the race when point leader Bob Newberry, Shannon Newton and Panfili were all eliminated in a Turn 4 crash. Newberry will still win the championship. Teves led two time champion Billy Macedo on the restart. Macedo's race ended on lap 16 as Bryan Sperry took up pursuit of Teves. However, Teves built a straightaway advantage for the win. Sperry settled for second ahead of Keith Calvino, Brandon Burd and Mackenzie Newton.
Mark Garner won his fourth 20 lap Limited Late Model Main Event of the season. Garner set the pace from the start ahead of Mike Gustafson. On a lap 10 restart, contact sent Gustafson spinning in Turn 1 for another yellow flag. Incoming point leader Kimo Oreta settled into second on the next restart. However, Garner ran smooth during the second half of the race for the satisfying victory. Oreta finished second ahead of Ryan Cherezian, Chad Hammer and Gustafson.
Terry DeCarlo won the Chet Thomson Memorial 20 lap Hardtop Main Event. Dave Mackey had a front row start and led the first half of the race with DeCarlo providing constant pressure in second. DeCarlo made contact with Mackey entering Turn 1 on lap 11 and backed off. DeCarlo got sideways in Turn 4 and Mackey made contact. Moments later, Steve Cloyes hit the stalled Mackey to end Mackey's race. DeCarlo led the restart with Kimo Oreta in close pursuit. Despite Oreta's best efforts to get by, DeCarlo held him off for a hard earned victory. Previous Thomson Memorial winner Jason Armstrong was a strong third ahead of Ken Retzloff and Ron Ruiz.
Rookie Breanna Troen won her first career 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Troen was pressured early by Josh Leach, but Leach spun in Turn 4 for a lap ten caution flag. Anthony Welborn took up pursuit of Troen on the restart, but Troen was running smooth and consistent laps. New champion Chris Sorensen moved up to make this a three car battle in the waning laps. Troen took the checkered flag just ahead of Welborn, Sorensen, Leach and Bob Brown.
Toby Brown won the 20 lap Dwarf Car Main Event. The race got off to a rocky start with two yellow flags before one lap was even scored. David Michael Rosa was an early second, but fifth row starter Mike Corsaro made an inside pass in Turn 1 on lap five to take over the position. Corsaro reeled in Brown and spent the final laps trying to get underneath him for the lead. However, Brown stayed cool under pressure for the well earned win. Corsaro settled for second ahead of Jerry Doty, Rosa and Mario Marques.
Racing resumes next Saturday night with Fall Brawl/Hall Of Fame Night at the races. In addition to All Star Series A Modified, B Modified, Limited Late Model, Hobby Stock and Dwarf Car racing, the track will be inducting new members into the Antioch Speedway Hall Of Fame. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
All Star Series Antioch Speedway
Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Burt Foland Jr, Matt DeMartini. Main Event (20 Laps)-Kurt Nelson, Tyler Brown, Shawn Arriaga, Joey Ancona, Jacob Tuttle, David Dias, Ricky Brophy, Steve Jaquith, Art McCarthy, James Ringo.
Wingless Spec Sprints
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Brandon Burd, Shannon Newton. Main Event (20 Laps)-Adam Teves, Bryan Sperry, Keith Calvino, Brandon Burd, Mackenzie Newton, Shane Speed, Richard Otterstrom, Billy Macedo, Rick Brophy, Roy Fisher.
Bay Area Hardtops
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Jason Armstrong, Ron Ruiz. Main Event (20 Laps)-Terry DeCarlo, Kimo Oreta, Jason Armstrong, Ken Retzloff, Ron Ruiz, Doug Braudrick, Tommy Thomson, Joe Shenefield, Ken Clifford, Dave Mackey.
Limited Late Models
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Kimo Oreta, Mark Garner. Main Event (20 Laps)-Mark Garner, Kimo Oreta, Ryan Cherezian, Chad Hammer, Mike Gustafson, John Evans, Michael Burch.
Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Chris Sorensen, Bob Brown. Main Event (20 Laps)-Breanna Troen, Anthony Welborn, Chris Sorensen, Josh Leach, Bob Brown, Angela Brown, Michael Cooper, Chris Brown.
Dwarf Cars
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Mike Corsaro, David Rosa. Main Event (20 Laps)-Toby Brown, Mike Corsaro, Jerry Doty, David Michael Rosa, Mario Marques, Troy Stevenson, Jesse Pfieffer, Chris Becker, Roberto Monroy, David Rosa.
Fall Brawl/Hall Of Fame Night Set For
Antioch Speedway On Saturday
Antioch, CA...Antioch Speedway is set to have one of their biggest events of the year this Saturday night. It's time once again for Fall Brawl. The five division program will feature the All Star Series A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars. Also on Saturday will be the track's first Hall of Fame Night in its 57 year history.
It will be a historical night of sorts. On the side of the main grandstands, there will be some display boards showcasing clippings from the history of the speedway. During intermission, there will be 10 Hall of Fame inductions. Leading the 2018 class will be founding promoter John P Soares and current promoter John M Soares. The two have combined for over 40 years of promoting the speedway. John M Soares also ranks third on the Speedway's all-time Sportsman Main Event Winner's List with 20 victories. Three of the greatest Sportsman drivers of all time, Gary Pacheco, JD Willis and Bill Brown, will also be inducted. Two of the track's top Stock Car stars of the past, Dean Cline and Willie Myatt, will be inducted. Stock Car racer/Push Buggy driver Chuck Smith gets the nod this year along with longtime announcer John Myers. Years ago, track maintenance man and one of the speedway's original Hardtop drivers, Harvey Mason, was inducted when the family seating section was named in his honor. On Saturday, his family will officially be presented with a Hall of Fame plaque.
Nick DeCarlo has been having a storybook season in the All Star Series A Modified division. DeCarlo has won seven Main Events and finished second four times, giving him a 40 point advantage over reigning champion Bobby Motts Jr. Motts finally won his first Main Event of the season last time out after finishing second five times prior. The championship race is between these two drivers. DeCarlo is on a good pace to win this championship, which would put him in elite territory. He would be the only driver to win A Modified titles at Antioch, Watsonville and Petaluma.
Sean O'Gara is set to once again finish third in the standings. He's made most of the races this year and finished as high as third three times, and his position is pretty much clinched. This leaves the battle for fourth between past champion Kellen Chadwick, Bobby Montalvo and newcomer David Zeiter. Only six point separate the three drivers. Chadwick has run a hit-and-miss schedule, but when he's been there, he's been very fast. He has five wins and three seconds among his best efforts so far. If he's there on Saturday, he is sure to be a threat to win. Other drivers to look for include rookie Buddy Kniss and his father Chester Kniss, Raymond Lindeman, Trent Wentworth and Anthony Slaney.
With seven feature wins and three second place finishes, Trevor Clymens has already wrapped up his second B Modified championship in the past three years. The battle right now is between Chuck Golden and rookie Ryan DeForest for second in the standings. While DeForest is a Main Event winner this season, Golden has finished as high as third twice. The most recent Main Event winner, Kenny Shrader, holds down fourth in the standings. Another one of the feature winners this season, Tommy Fraser, is currently fifth. These five drivers are anticipated this week, and other drivers to watch for include Todd Gomez, Kevin Brown, Randy Brown and Matt Taylor.
The closest battle at the speedway is in the Limited Late Model division. After picking up his fourth feature win of the season last time out, Mark Garner and reigning champion Kimo Oreta are tied for the lead. Oreta is a six-time winner this year and picked up his fourth second place finish last week aboard the Sun Drop Racing #15 car. Due to a prior family commitment, four-time winner Mike Walko was absent last week, allowing Ryan Cherezian to move two points ahead of him in the race for third. Cherezian earned his fifth third place finish of the season last week. He has two seconds, but he is still looking for his first win of the season. Other drivers to watch for this week include two-time winner Mike Gustafson, Chad Hammer and John Evans.
Chris Sorensen has already clinched his second Hobby Stock championship. Last week, he earned his 20th Top 3 finish in third. He's also a seven-time winner. Five-time winner Michael Cooper has clinched second in the standings, and seven-time winner Cameron Swank will finish third. This season's likely "Rookie Of The Year", Breanna Troen, won her first career Main Event last week after a good battle with her closest rival in the points, Anthony Welborn.
Welborn and Josh Leach are one-time winners this year. Leach finished fourth last week to keep him just two points behind Welborn in a closer battle for fifth. These drivers are anticipated this week, and other racers to watch for include Haley Gomez, Joey Ridgeway, Angela Brown, Bob Brown and Syd Smyth.
After making a nice charge from the back of the pack last week to finish second in the Main Event, Mike Corsaro has successfully defended his Dwarf Car championship. Corsaro's car was not ready, so he borrowed his brother's car for the night. This was his sixth second place finish of the season, and he won his four Main Events during the first five races of the season. Four-time winner David Michael Rosa holds second by 32 points ahead of one-time winner Mario Marques. Rosa's father, two-time champion David Rosa, is 26 points behind Marques in the race for third. Other drivers to watch for this week include Chris Becker, 2010 champion Jerry Doty, Troy Stevenson and Timmy Ryan.
Fall Brawl will offer an exciting night of racing for the fans. The fact that the track will be honoring some of the greats from the past by inducting them into the Hall of Fame will make this a night you won't want to miss. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Ryland, Dotson Win John Fore Jr Memorial Race
At Merced Speedway
Merced, CA...October 5-6...2017 champion Fred Ryland won the 50 lap John Fore Jr Memorial IMCA Sport Modified race Saturday night at Merced Speedway. This was the second straight win in the big memorial race for Ryland, and he collected $2,000 for the victory. Two-time IMCA Modified champion Randy Brown was doing a three division effort, and he jumped into the Tim Elias car for the Sport Modified portion. Brown set the pace at the start ahead of 2014 State champion Nick Spainhoward and Ryland. The Top 3 remained the same until Ryland finally made his move on Spainhoward for second on lap 20. By then, Brown was nearly a straightaway ahead, but the complexion of the race changed when a yellow flag flew on lap 22. Brown suddenly headed for the pits, putting Ryland into the lead ahead of Spainhoward and Andrew Peckham. Ryland took command on the restart and steadily pulled away from the pack as the final 28 laps went without a yellow flag. Peckham took second from Spainhoward on lap 30, but he was over a straightaway behind Ryland at the checkered flag. Spainhoward settled for third, followed by Nick Tucker, Kenny Shrader, Jeremy Hoff, Tanner Thomas, Paul Stone, Kevin Johnson and Jack Aguiar.
The two-day format called for two sets of heat races on Friday night with the points determining who ran the qualifier. Nine lap heat race wins were earned by Spainhoward, Johnson, Tanner Thomas, Brown, Brent Curran and Peckham. The Top 6 finishers in the qualifier would earn starting spots in the first three rows of the big money show on Saturday. Spainhoward won that 15 lap event ahead of Brown, Johnson, Ryland, Peckham and Curran. The finishes in nine lap heat races on Saturday determined the rest of the Main Event starting order, and Tucker, Shrader and Aguiar won those races.
Ethan Dotson picked up the big $2,000 victory in the 50 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. Dotson led from the outset, but he had plenty of pressure throughout the race from 2018 State champion Shane DeVolder and four-time Antioch Speedway champion Troy Foulger, who both finished within a second of him at the checkered flag. Randy Brown finished fourth, followed by new champion Darrell Hughes II, Bobby Hogge IV, Ryan Porter, Paul Stone, Jim Pettit II and Austin Grabowski.
On Friday, Dotson was the only driver to win both of his nine lap heat races as Foulger, Hogge, Brown and DJ Shannon were the other winners. The nine lap distance is significant as that was the car number of John Fore Jr. Dotson won the 15 lap qualifier to earn the pole for Saturday's big race. Shannon finished second, followed by Stone, Hogge, DeVolder and Brown. Saturday's nine lap heat race wins went to Foulger, Josh Combs and Pettit.
Two-time Sport Modified champion Rick Diaz drove one of the FND Motorsports entries to the big $1,000 victory in the 40 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Two-time Modified champion Randy Brown led the race early ahead of Bakersfield stars Chad Johnson and Nicholas Johnson. Nicholas Johnson took over second on lap 17 as Diaz was already in fourth from 11th starting. Brown's lead came to an abrupt end when he slipped off the groove in Turn 2 on lap 20 with a flat tire. Nicholas Johnson had the lead as Diaz moved by Chad Johnson for second on lap 26. Two laps later, Nicholas Johnson slowed as he went down the backstretch with a flat tire and Diaz gained the lead. Diaz held off Cody Johnson over the remaining laps for the win. Bruce Nelson charged to a third place finish, followed by Brown, Marc Key, Austin Van Hoff, Michael Scruggs, Donnie Shearer, Nicholas Johnson and Chad Ragsdale.
Friday night heat race wins or recorded by Brown, Nelson, Cody Smiley, Nicholas Johnson, Kodie Dean and Austin Van Hoff. The Top 12 point earners from the heat races ran a qualifier with the Top 6 finishers grabbing the first 3 rows for Saturday's Main Event. Cody Johnson won that 15 lap race ahead of Brown, Dean, Nicholas Johnson, Van Hoff and Raul Rodriguez. The rest of the drivers ran heat races on Saturday to determine the rest of the Main Event lineup. Those nine lap wins went to Nelson and Key.
Dakota Keldsen won the 25 lap Mini Stock Main Event and the $300 prize that came with it. Keldsen was driving a car with a paint job reminiscent of his uncle Lloyd Keldsen Jr, who recently passed away. Keldsen had the pole for the Main Event and steadily pulled away to win by over half a lap ahead of three-time champion Chris Corder. Jerry Tubbs finished third, followed by Jarrod Mounce, Lee Ragsdale, Jennifer Rodgers, Abigail Kennedy and Shawn DePriest.
The four nine lap heat races on Friday were won by four different drivers as Keldsen, Kennedy, Corder and DePriest took their turns in the winner's circle. Keldsen won the 15 lap qualifier ahead of DePriest, Corder and Lee Ragsdale. Kennedy won the Saturday night heat race.
The big two-day blowout event concludes the 2018 season. Stay tuned for more information on the future of Merced Speedway. You can find the track at www.racemerced.com.
Scelzi Wins Sprint Car Finale, Furr Is Champion
At Ocean Speedway
Watsonville, CA...October 5...Dominic Scelzi won the 30 lap Ocean Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. Scelzi was making just his third appearance of the season in a winning effort. After finishing third in the Main Event, Brad Furr wrapped up his third Sprint Car championship. Kurt Nelson started on the outside front row of the Main Event and raced into the early lead ahead of Jeremy Chisum and Furr. Furr and Scelzi both raced pass Chisum for second and third on lap six. Furr was running closely behind Nelson until making the pass for the lead on lap 11. However, Scelzi followed closely into second and slipped past Furr for the lead on lap 13. Justin Sanders settled into third on lap 15, and he took second from Furr on lap 26, just before the second and final yellow flag waved. Scelzi led the restart and rebuffed Sanders' every effort for the impressive victory. Furr settled ,for third, followed by Bud Kaeding, Nelson, Michael "Buddy" Kofoid, Kyle Offill, Jeremy Chisum, Jason Chisum and Danny Faria.
They were 21 Sprint Cars, and Furr set the quickest lap of 11.489, beating the 11.589 effort Scelzi. They ran three eight lap heat races, and Nelson, Jeremy Chisum and Tucker Worth scored the wins. Chisum continued a strong preliminary effort by holding off Nelson to win the six lap Trophy Dash.
TJ Etchinson III scored his first 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event win of the season. He was racing in memory of his father, longtime Watsonville racer Tim Etchison Jr, who recently passed away. Etchison had the lead from the start. After a yellow flag on lap one, the final 19 laps went all green. Igor Grandzuk provided some pressure early on, but Etchison pulled away just a little bit as the race hit the midpoint. Etchison went on to score the emotional victory, followed by Grandzuk, Anthony Giuliani, Justin McPherson, new champion Jim DiGiovanni, Adriane Frost, Doug Hagio, Mike Kofnovec Sr, Duane Bieser and Charlie Hunter. The two eight lap heat race wins were scored by Grandzuk and Austin Williams.
Shawn Jones won a thrilling 20 lap South Bay Dwarf Car Main Event battle with Terre Rothweiler. It was a battle between past champions, and Rothweiler led the early goings with Shawn Jones and Kyle Jones in close pursuit. As the non-stop race hit the midway point, Jones was still glued to the rear bumper of Rothweiler. They took the white flag in a near dead heat, and Shawn Jones made his winning pass on the final lap. Rothweiler settled for second, followed by Kyle Jones, Mark Biscardi, Ryan Amlen, Gene "Punky" Pires, Trafton Chandler, Eric Wiesler, Brian Barnhill and Brady Beck. Rothweiler and Kyle Jones won eight lap heat races.
JC Elrod won his fifth 20 lap American Stock Main Event of the season and used it to secure second in the final point standings. Chris McCabe had a front row start and set the early pace with Elrod and new champion Matt Kile in close pursuit right behind him. The only yellow flag of the race flew on lap seven. On the restart, Elrod began his duel with McCabe for the lead. Elrod led lap eight, McCabe led lap nine and Elrod regained the lead for good on lap ten. Kile gained second on lap 11, but Elrod pulled away just a little bit by the waving of the checkered flag. McCabe settled for third, followed by multi-time champion Sam Kennedy, Joe Willoughby, DJ Keldsen, John Farrell, Terry Traub, Jerry Skelton and Kevin Counterman. McCabe and Kile won their respective eight lap heat races.
For news on Ocean Speedway, go to www.racepmg.com.
Thorson Grabs $5,000 Prize In Adobe Cup
At Petaluma Speedway
Petaluma, CA...October 6...Tanner Thorson came out the big winner in the 30 lap PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. This was the 7th Annual Adobe Cup, and Thorson earned $5,000 for his win. Thorson put himself in a good position to win it when he was one of the Top 8 qualifiers after heat races and then timed second quick in the special qualifying session.
Thorson shared the front row with 2017 champion Geoff Ensign and raced into the lead ahead of Ensign and Sean Becker. Becker took over second on a lap three restart with Kalib Henry following closely into third. There was only one more yellow flag on lap seven, and Thorson, Becker and Henry ran closely at the front of the pack. Henry slipped past Becker for second on lap 27 and began to put the pressure on Thorson for the lead. However, Thorson just managed to hold off Henry at the checkered flag. Becker settled for third, followed by Justyn Cox, new champion Jake Haulot, Justin Sanders, Billy Aton, Andy Forsberg, Colby Johnson and Norm Johns.
There were 28 competitors for the big money show, and they each ran two 10 lap heat races to determine points for who would run the qualifying session. The first round of heat races were won by Ryan Bernal, Ensign, Eli Deshaies and Haulot. Becker, Aton, Thorson and Klint Simpson won the second round of heats. Ensign had the quickest qualifying lap at 12.242 to grab the pole for the big money race. Thorson was second quick at 12.258. Justin Sanders won the 12 lap B Main ahead of Chase Majdic, DJ Freitas, Wayne Katen and John Clark.
Mike Learn picked up the $2,000 win in the 35 lap Bob McCoy Memorial Race for the Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks. Richard Workman returned to his former home track and set the early pace ahead of Steve Studebaker and Learn. Learn and Richard Brace Jr both got by Studebaker for second and third on lap six, and a caution flag waved a lap later. On the restart, Learn charged past Workman for the lead. Workman held second until being passed by new track champion Mitch Machado on lap 14. Brace quickly took over the third spot. Learn set a rapid pace during the second half of the race and won by nearly a straightaway ahead of Machado, Brace, Studebaker, Tim O'Hara, Workman, Ryan Peter, Gary Newman, Bill Hall and Manny Avila.
Cabinets Plus put up $100 prizes for the heat race winners, and Learn and Marysville champion Chris Warner picked up those wins. Learn got the $100 bonus money for setting the quick time at 17.667 with Warner second quick at 17.728. Learn also received an additional $100 bonus from Cabinets Plus as the driver with the fastest lap in the Main Event. He was the only driver to crack the 16 second barrier at 16.924.
Next week is the second part of the Adobe Cup. The PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprints will be competing. There will be twin 25 lap Main Events for the General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars. The Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros will round out the program as the season comes to a close. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Pure Stocks To Headline Battle Of The Axles Finale
At Orland Raceway
Orland, CA...Orland Raceway will bring the 2018 season to a close this Saturday night with the second part of the Battle Of The Axles event. Last season, promoter Rich Hood added the special two weekend show to the schedule as a way to reward all of the track's regular divisions with extra money purses. This Saturday's race will feature Pure Stocks, 600 Micros and a Destruction Derby.
Last Saturday night, the special event featured the Mini Stock, Mini Truck, Wingless Sprint and 250 Micro divisions. Several drivers came to do battle for the extra money. $500 to win prizes were on the line in the two 4 Cylinder classes as well as the Sprint Cars. Tony Richards outran a field that included multi-time champion Josh Jacobo and Josh Tucker to earn the $500 payday. This was also the fifth win of the season for Richards, who is a past champion at the speedway and the reigning Chico Wingless Sprint Car champion.
In the Mini Stock division, new champion Tom Davis ended his season on a high note with the big $500 victory. Davis outran a field that included this year's point runner-up Barbara Crain and third ranked Jason Libbee as well as past champion John Kirkpatrick.
Olin Crain, Tony Quinonez and past champion Ross Vige were among the Mini Truck competitors out to do battle for the $500 payday last week However, when the checkered flag flew, it was 2016 champion Dan Webster scoring his fourth win of the season. Kylee Porath earned the $300 win in the 250 Micro division.
Once again, the Pure Stocks will compete for the $1,000 to win prize this Saturday night. Last year, the lure of the big money brought 29 competitors from several other tracks in the area. Past Placerville champions Dan Jinkerson and Scott Grunert both gave a good accounting of themselves. Jinkerson led the race before encountering problems. Grunert had to win the B Main before charging to a second place finish ahead of Susanville champion Richard Longacre.
However, when the checkered flag flew, it was Paul Stephens collecting the $1,000 victory. Stephens was the 2015 track champion. He also won this year's title after a good battle of 2017 champion Jeremy Langenderfer. Other drivers anticipated for the big show include such local standouts as 2016 champion Steve Martin, Amanda McAbel, John Camper, Thomas Pavlik and new Marysville champion Shannon Collins. There aren't many races all year long in the state of California that offer a $1,000 to win prize for the Pure Stocks, so this race should again be well supported
The 600 Micro Sprint division will be running for extra money in both the winged and wingless categories. One of the big stars this season was multi-time winner BJ Martin. Martin has won mutiple championships at Orland Raceway through the years before getting into the 600 Micro class. Martin finished second this year to new champion Jake Fernandez. Jessica McManus, Jeremy Wilson and Antonia Boscacci have been other stars of the show this year. Last season's Battle Of The Axles Wingless 600 win went to Martin ahead of Cody Gray and Colby Gregg. Gray was a Main Event winner earlier this season. The winged portion of the special show last year went to Justin Stetch ahead of past Orland champion Jeromie Crismon and BJ Martin.
The Battle Of The Axles event on Saturday will conclude with a big Destruction Derby. Last season, it was Hayfork visitor Donny Case picking up the $1,000 win as local star Dave Emery and Rick Craemer finished in the place and show positions.
This Saturday's Battle Of The Axles show will be the last opportunity to check out an event at Orland Raceway for 2018. It's been an exciting season at the 1/5 mile dirt oval, and this is sure to be a show you won't want to miss. For further information, go to the Orland Raceway Facebook page.
Mod Lites Join Mini Stocks In Season Finale
At Lemoore Raceway
Lemoore, CA...The Central Valley Mini Stock season finale will take place at Lemoore Raceway this Sunday afternoon. Joining them for the show will be the California Mod Lites. CVMS leadership is looking for new ways to add excitement to the show, and this is the first ever appearance of the Mod Lites on the 1/5 mile dirt oval.
The Mod Lites are similar to the Dwarf Cars in engine rules. They run the Eastern Style Modified body on their cars and compete at other tracks in the area, including Hanford, Bakersfield and Kern County. The division has also served as a way to get younger drivers up from the Outlaw Kart levels and onto the bigger tracks.
It's been an exciting season for the Mini Stocks with lots of great racing. Seven races into the season, Greg Baronian has won nearly everything. Unless he has any major issues, Baronian will win the 2018 championship. He enters Sunday's show with 513 points. In fact, his closest competitor is 65 points behind him.
The battle is close for second place between Dan Myrick and Ryan Doglione. After his latest Top 5 finish, Myrick leads by just four points. Both drivers are hoping to score their first feature wins with the series to close out the season. Jeff Durant is on a pace to finish fourth in the standings. He leads Rod Baronian by 26 points.
The Mini Stocks have been holding steady on car count and putting on a good show each week. CVMS leadership is hard at work planning out next season, which includes trying to keep the rules in line with the area tracks and adding dates at other tracks for the 2019 schedule. Other drivers to watch for on Sunday include Scott Glenn, Brent Myrick, Darren Wilson, Ben Davis, Dick Adams, Chuck Doglione and 2017 champion Danny Myrick.
Both the Mini Stocks and Mod Lites will run a program which includes time trials on the clock, Trophy Dashes, heat races, Semi Mains if necessary and Main Events. It will be a fun afternoon at Lemoore Raceway once again. For further information, go to www.centralvalleyministocks.com.
Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 6, 2018
Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
Dominic Scelzi
Justin Sanders
Brad Furr
Bud Kaeding
Kurt Nelson
Michael Kofoid
Kyle Offill
Jeremy Chisum
Jason Chisum
Danny Faria Jr
Tucker Worth
Koen Shaw
Vaughn Schott
Evan Bonnema
Jake Haulot
James Ringo
Bradley Dillard
Nathan Schank
Wayne Katen
Richard Fajardo
Gary Nelson Jr. DNS
IMCA Sport Modifieds
T.J. Etchinson III
Igor Gandzuk
Anthony Giuliani
Justin McPherson
Jim DiGiovanni
Adriane Frost
Doug Hagio
Mike Kofnovec SR
Duane Bieser
Charlie Hunter
Austin Williams
Jason Womack
Austin Manzella DQ
American Stocks
JC Elrod
Matt Kile
Chris McCabe
Sam Kennedy
Joe Willoughby
DJ Keldsen
John Farrell
Terry Traub
Jerry Skelton
Kevin Counterman
Tony Oliveira
South Bay Dwarf Cars
Shawn Jones
Terre Rothweiler
Kyle Jones
Mark Biscardi
Ryan Amlen
Punky Pires
Trafton Chandler
Eric Weisler
Brian Barnhill
Brady Beck
Dan Zuger
Mack Aceves
Robert Reed
Eddy Claessen
Joe Barket
Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 6, 2018
John Fore Jr. Memorial Dirt Nationals
IMCA Modifieds
Ethan Dotson
Shane DeVolder
Troy Foulger
Randy Brown
Darrell Hughes II
Bobby Hogge IV
Ryan Porter
Paul Stone
Jim Pettit II
Austin Grabowski
Jerry Flippo
Scott Foreman
Billy Wilker
Ramie Stone
Rob Robles
Jeff McCoun
Monty Tomlinson
Danny Cavanagh
Josh Combs
Troy Stone
D.J. Shannon
Mitch Enos
Vincent DePalma
Ray Mayer DNS
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Fred Ryland
Andrew Peckham
Nick Spainhoward
Nick Tucker
Kenny Shrader
Jeremy Hoff
Tanner Thomas
Paul Stone
Kevin Johnson
Jack Aguiar
Brent Curran
Cody Parker
Randy Brown
Mark Squadrito
Domossie Scoggins
Chase Thomas
Tim Ragsdale
Ryan Bledsaw
Tony Hornyack
Richard Ragsdale
Wayne Dotson
Troy Foulger
Scott Savell
Tim Rolan
Joe Salvi DNS
Hobby Stocks
Rick Diaz
Cody Johnson
Bruce Nelson
Randy Brown
Marc Key
Austin Van Hoff
Michael Scruggs
Donnie Shearer Jr
Nicholas Johnson
Chad Ragsdale
Raul Rodriguez Sr
Josh Hensley
Kodie Dean
Jimmy Bowman
Race Shelton DNS
Mini Stock
Dakota Keldsen
Chris Corder
Jerry Tubbs
Jarrod Mounce
Lee Ragsdale
Jennifer Rodgers
Abigail Kennedy
Shawn DePriest
Darrin Chavez DNS
Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 5, 2018
IMCA Modifieds
Ethan Dotson
D.J. Shannon
Paul Stone
Bobby Hogge IV
Shane DeVolder
Randy Brown
Ryan Porter
Jim Pettit II
Troy Foulger
Darrell Hughes II
Vincent DePalma
Scott Foreman
IMCA Modifieds
Nick Spainhoward
Randy Brown
Kevin Johnson
Fred Ryland
Andrew Peckham
Brent Curran
Nick Tucker
Tanner Thomas
Kenny Shrader
Chase Thomas
Jack Aguiar
Wayne Dotson
Hobby Stocks
Cody Johnson
Randy Brown
Kodie Dean
Nicholas Johnson
Austin Van Hoff
Raul Rodriguez Sr
Josh Hensley
Marc Key
Race Shelton
George Silva
Bruce Nelson
Cody Smiley
Mini Stock
Dakota Keldsen
Shawn DePriest
Chris Corder
Lee Ragsdale
Jennifer Rodgers
Jarrod Mounce
Abigail Kennedy
Jerry Tubbs
Darrin Chavez DNS
Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 6, 2018
PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars
A Main
Results are not official
1 #3c Tanner Thorson
2 #93 Kalib Henry
3 #88n Sean Becker
4 #31c Justyn Cox
5 #7h Jake Haulot
6 #56 Justin Sanders
7 #26 Billy Aton
8 #x1 Andy Forsberg
9 #38 Colby Johnson
10 #32 Norm Johns
11 #1d DJ Freitas
12 #9n Chase Majdic
13 #49 Mike Monahan
14 #6 Will Fatu
15 #99 Wayne Katen
16 #101 Klint Simpson
17 #27x Shane Hopkins
18 #12j John Clark
19 #43 Bradley Terrell
20 #63 Geoff Ensign
21 #1s Nathan Schank
22 #52 David Lindt
B Main
Results are not official
1 #56 Justin Sanders
2 #9n Chase Majdic
3 #1d DJ Freitas
4 #99 Wayne Katen
5 #12j John Clark
6 #6 Will Fatu
7 #24 Travis Henry
8 #1s Nathan Schank
9 #52 David Lindt
10 #25b Chet Wilson
11 #75 Brian Boswell
12 #28 Roberto Kirby
13 #9f Dustin Freitas
Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks
Results are not official
1 #11h Mike Learn
2 #22m Mitch Machadlo
3 #401k Richard Brace Jr
4 #46 Steve Studebaker
5 #27 Tim O'Hara
6 #48 Richard Workman
7 #83 Ryan Peter
8 #73 Gary Newman
9 #17 Bill Hall
10 #07 Manny Avila
11 #71 Jason Palmer
12 #4t Brent Lawrence
13 #60 Shawn McCoy
14 #3 Matt While
15 #7 Chris Warner
Madera Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 6, 2018
MavTV LOpen Late Models $10,000 To Win
Logan Zampa
Matt Erickson
Jesse Love IV
Buddy Shepherd
Blaine Rocha
Garland Tyler
Dillon Tucker
Ryan Hart
Randy Hedrick
Kolby Berry
Racin Vernon
Anthony Guaimano
Chris Scribner
Eric Holmes
Austin Herzog
Jarret Gilmer
Christian Roche
Carlos Vieira
Cole Moore
Rick Thompson
Tyler Herzog
Trevor Huddleston
Nick Grossi
Adam Lemke
Jagger Jones
Ross Strmiska
B-Main
Travis Milburn
Trevor Schlundt
Shelden Cooper
Doyle Moen
David Lewellen
J.J. Ferguson
Kevin Thompson
Mike Shapiro
Dean Thompson
Trevor Huddleston
Tyler Herzog
Jarret Gilmer
Chris Scribner
Eloy Bazan
Lexi Gay
Cole Potts
Lucas Oil Modifieds
Justin Johnson
Kyle Tellstrom
Cody Kay
Scott Winters
Dylan Cappello
Taylor Miinch
Blake Rogers
Aaron McMorran
Terry Deal
Michael Mitchell
Aaron Coonfield
Chris Cook
Eddie Secord
Victor Machado
William Guevara
Tyler Herzog
Mark Allison
Doug Carpenter
Sierra Furia
Jeremy Kay
Dave Arce
Ryan Schartau
Jr Late Models
Jesse Love IV
Anthony Guaimano
Kabe McClenny
Jesse Burks
Jay Juleson
Lilly Mead
Tanner Reif
Austin Edwards
Dylan Zampa
Olivia Manke
Jody Moen
Hailey Liles
Kyler Berry
Tyler Reif
Joey Iest
Mini Cups/Bandoleros
Kercie Jung
Seth Wise
Riley Massey
Ethan Nascimento
Kale McClenny
Joseph Holiday
Aiden Phillips
Kenna Mitchell
Rebecca Dubie
Kern County Raceway Unofficial Race Results October 6, 2018
NARK/King Of The West Fujitsu Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #21X SHANE GOLOBRIC
2 #29 WILLIE CROFT
3 #37 MITCHELL FACCINTO
4 #88N DJ NETTO
5 #68 CHASE JOHNSON
6 #3 CRAIG STIDHAM
7 #41S DOMINICK SCELZI
8 #10 MATTHEW MOLES
9 #0 BUD KAEDING
10 #88V JACE VANDERWEERD
11 #5H COLE MACEDO
12 #00 JASON STATLER
13 #98 SEAN WATTS
14 #28 NATHAN ROLFE
15 #18 JENNA FRAIZER
16 #57 DUSTIN GOLOBRIC
17 #16A KOLBY COPELAND
18 #83 KYLE HIRST
IMCA RaceSaver 305 Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #67G GRANT DUINKERKEN
2 #38 KYLE RASMUSSEN
3 #18 GRANT CHAMPLIN
4 #7Z ZANE BLANCHARD
5 #99 ROB SOLOMON
6 #35 ALBERT POMBO
7 #2 BROOKLYN HOLLAND
8 #22 MIKE SCHOTT
9 #71M JESSE MACK
10 #45 MONTY FERRIERA
11 #5 MAURO SIMONE
12 #9S RICK BRAY
13 #4X RICHARD WEDDLE
14 #10F JARED FARIA
15 #55 TONY EVERHART
16 #31H PHIL HEYNEN
Mod Lite
Results are not official
1 #16 RONNIE WILLIAMS
2 #11 Zach Forester
3 #4 ANTHONY BALCAZAR
4 #14 JD Brown
5 #88 Jacob Diamond
6 #23K KADEN COCHRUN
7 #12 Jeff Thompson
8 #17 TIM VARNEY
9 #9 Tristan Kanthack
10 #34 BRANDON BUSENBARK
11 #40X DEREK ROSSE
12 #24C KENNY COCHRUN
13 #8 Danny Valdez
Mini Stock
Results are not official
1 #6 Andy Boydstun
2 #66 Chris Rutledge
3 #77 Matt Herod
4 #777 Clinton Massey
5 #70 ROY MAYNARD JR
6 #15 Shawn Schwartzenberger
7 #32X JASON COOK
8 #9 Gene Glover
9 #5T DAVID WOLFORD
10 #1D JAIME TORRES
11 #72 James Coots
12 #38cc Michael Conway
13 #23W LEA ANDERSON
14 #25A GARY ANDERSON
15 #11 Ken Shugarts
16 #18W DAVID WALLER
17 #00 Kit Murphy
18 #33 DESTINY JOPLIN
American Stock
Results are not official
1 #15D Dakota Brown
2 #316 Kenny White
3 #47 BROCK CRAWFORD
4 #24 Teena Johnson
5 #46 TRENTON MILLARD
6 #58T TROY THOMAS
7 #23 Kylie Conway
8 #25 KODY SLY
9 #73 ROBERT GUESS
10 #24D Daryl Mealer
11 #38cc James Coots
12 #27 TARA CHILDRESS
Ventura Raceway Unofficial Race Results October 6, 2018
VRA Sprint Cars
1 24 Guy Woodward
2 55 Kyle Smith
3 77 Chris Tramel
4 15 Rick Hendrix
5 45 Joey Bishop
6 96 Charlie Butcher DNS
7 98 Jeremy Ellertson DNS
VRA Dwarf Cars
1 69 Johnny Conley
2 14 Tommy Velasquez III
3 93 Jason Horton
4 41 Nick Velasquez
5 18 Tom Morley
6 4 Tommy Velasquez II
7 58 Tim Morse
8 91 Kody Cowan
9 88 Jeff Brink
10 11 Zach Curnel
11 28 Tony Pellegrino
12 25 Shane Linenberger
13 38 April Banuelos
14 0 Brad Curnel
15 45 Korey Cowan
16 55 Mike Long
17 6 David Conley DNS
18 57 Jeff Hinz DNS
Focus Midgets
1 11r Keoni Texeira
2 1 Randi Pankratz
3 59 Jet Davison
4 26 Tim Foy
5 33 Mike Leach Jr.
6 37 Wally Pankratz
Congratulations to Mike Leach Jr on the Focus Midget 2018 Championship.
VRA Hobby Stocks
1 16 Tom Stephens Jr
2 52 Tom Stephens Sr.
3 7 Mike Stanford
4 6 Heath Morton
California Lightning Sprints
1 73x Aiden Lange
2 21k Bobby Michnowicz
3 8g Eric Greco
4 45 Cody Nigh
5 91 A.J. Bender
6 14 Jarrett Kramer
7 4 Jeffrey Dyer
8 31 Bruce Douglass
9 7 Pat Kelly
10 44 Brent Sexton
11 37 Dominic Del Monte
12 2r Robb Pelmear
13 7f Frank Ditmar
14 42 Jon Robertson
15 17 Dale Gamer
16 44g Grant Sexton
17 2j James Turnbull II
Santa Maria Raceway Unofficial Race Results October 6, 2018
USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #29T Ryan Timmons
2 #15T Tristan Guardino
3 #13 Trent Carter
4 #8 Danny Faria
5 #57 Steve Hix
6 #34 Sterling Cling
7 #92 Kyler Shaw
8 #88K Koen Shaw
9 #67 Britton Bock
10 #7 Shannon McQueen
11 #5J James Herrera
12 #87 Ricky Kirkbride
13 #51 Austin Ervine
14 #39E Kyle Edwards
15 #5 Tye Mihocko
16 #3 Tyler Most
17 #11 Troy Rutherford
18 #14 Tom Hendericks
19 #33B Brandon Wiley
20 #83 Austin Liggett
21 #72 Ryan Stolz
22 #16J Bill Jones
USAC Midgets
Main Event
Results are not official
1 #9d Michael Faccinto
2 #28 Alex Schutte
3 #57 Maria Cofer
4 #71s Cody Swanson
5 #73x Jake Swanson
6 #4D Robert Dalby
7 #9F Frankie Guerrini
8 #24x David Prickett
9 #20 CJ Sarna
10 #7 Michelle Decker
11 #31 Kyle Beilman
12 #77 Daniel Anderson
13 #1P Terry Nichols
14 #15 Ashley Hazelton
15 #73 Buddy Kofoid
16 #2 Robby Jossett
IMCA Main Event
Results are not official
1 #30s Doug Hagio
2 #04M Austin Manzella
3 #30 Donny Hampl
4 #48 Mike Dean
5 #4X Bones Schuyler
6 #P51 Parker Maccianti
7 #51v Vaughn Vondera
8 #7-7 Aaron Farrell
9 #3 Dylan Potter
10 #15F Markus Frazier
11 #34 Robbie Claborn
12 #13M Matt Mayo
NMRA TQ Midgets
Results are not official
1 #21 Anthony Lopiccalo
2 #37 Chuck West
3 #36 West Evans
4 #22 Paul Sanders
5 #20 Taelor Janes
6 #59 Scott Niven
7 #2P Jason Arnolde
8 #55 Dave Lambert
Hobby Stocks
Results are not official
1 #8 Tom Grizincic
2 #118 Robby Cervantes
3 #81x Jacob Jones
4 #3 Taelor Janes
5 #91 Scotty Preast
6 #87 Matt McEwan
7 #55M Mack McGeary
8 #51 Mike Keebler
9 #19 Pat Fausel
10 #9.75 Eddie Williams
11 #18A Aaron Bruce
12 #00 Seth Cannaday
13 #15C Chris Whitford
American Stocks
Results are not official
1 #98 Gary Rayburn Jr
2 #414 Ryan Taylor
3 #114 Rich Denman
4 #57 Gregg Teller
5 #5 Sean Martin Sr
6 #49J Justin Jackson
7 #84 Hailey Wyand
8 #42 Kevin Pritchard
9 #32 Jon Waterfield
10 #16 Ed Wyand
11 #37 Jimmy Satlawa
12 #55K Kristina McGeary
The Editor's Viewpoint
It's certainly been a roller coaster ride this year. This trip back to California nearly turned into disaster. I had no idea where I was going to stay when I got here. My arrangements were set for after October 4th. When I was unable to do the Orland part of my trip due to a mix-up in the arrangements of where I was going to stay, I knew that if I didn't take off that day, the trip might not happen. I had an hour to go get on that train. I took a leap of faith.
It was certainly an adventurous first day back, but it came to a nice conclusion when Dana Craig offered me a place to stay for the week. Dana has certainly been one of the biggest supporters of my effort and a good friend through the years. His mother was the same way. Anna Temple was my first regular customer for my magazine. When I was shy about even letting other people look at those magazines, she was the one who kept telling me I needed to have confidence in myself and sell them.
I came down here with two specific goals in mind. I wanted to see my old friends and watch a couple of races at Antioch Speedway. I also wanted to get this Hall of Fame thing started after over 20 years of discussion on the subject. There were other hopes that I had in regards to this trip, but as my life has gone a certain way, I'm learning not to get my hopes up too high. Things are certainly encouraging right now, but I'm saddened by the news I was given yesterday.
Donna Soares passed away. She and John had been married for 57 years. Right out of high school, they got married. They have been together through it all. Though I knew her health wasn't good, I had hopes that she would somehow pull through and be back with John at the track again. I didn't get a chance to see her this time, but I am very grateful for the opportunity to talk with her last year at the banquet. It was a discussion I had very much wanted to have with her after I had to abruptly leave California when I lost my home.
Donna was the one keeping the office going. We always had a good conversation or two on race day, and if I wasn't in a good mood, that usually cheered me up. It's hard for me to imagine her not being there. I know others have stepped forward to help keep things running for John.
There was a time back when John and Donna first got Antioch Speedway that my sister and I were both doing what we could to help. My sister and Donna got along very well, and she would sometimes make trips out to the track during the week to help Donna with things. I think the big comfort I take through all of this is that she is no longer suffering. She will be dearly missed.
This is the way it is with the racing life. Those who have lived it understand. Those who make that 100% level of commitment know what it takes. John and Donna have made such a commitment to the sport. I've heard the things said through the years. With Donna, there's been nothing but love shown to her from the community. That makes me smile.
John has sometimes been made out to be the bad guy. Sometimes you look at a decision that was made and wonder. Maybe it looks bad from the outside or maybe it wasn't the best decision possible? But whatever the case, John has been guiding this ship for 20 years and doing the best he can. He does it because he cares about racing and this track and even the future of the sport.
I've always had a great deal of respect for John and his father for what they have brought to racing. You have to have that person running the show behind-the-scenes. They have to keep their eyes on a lot of different things that you may not even realize. If they are effective in what they do, you don't realize. You're there to see a show, be entertained and go home. Then, you're back next week. That's what John strives for.
There also hasn't been a lot of praise shown to him, and you can say that about a lot of promoters. It can be a thankless job. Usually, thank you comes in the form of people paying their money and watching the races every week. Many times they aren't very vocal about it. They get vocal when something didn't happen the way they wanted. So, you have to be prepared to be hit with negativity. You remind yourself why you're doing this and keep moving ahead.
I will be honest with you. When John got that track, we heard many people talk about how we were going to fail. It's not NASCAR anymore. There was an attack on us before we even had our first race. All we did was rally together behind John and make it happen. The numbers in the pits rose substantially. Even the stands were doing well. And during those first three or four years, I thought that John was doing the type of effort that was worthy of praise from his peers. "Promoter Of The" Year comes to mind. That never came. I did award him with the "DCRR Award Of Excellence" one year.
I've heard some people say that nothing was ever done by him of any measure. They weren't paying attention. Purses increased in those early years. Point fund money went through the roof. I mean, come on. $2,500 to win the Pure Stock championship? Yeah, he did nothing. Whatever. The pits were improved. A pit concession booth was built. Pit restrooms. Improved lighting. Improved fencing. That's just for starters. Yeah, he did a lot for that place, and numbers went up. But negativity can sometimes be louder than the positivity.
With his father, you pretty much knew that Pops was going to roll with it. He had been there and done that. He knew what was good for the sport, and he was going to do it. Most of the people who understood what it took understood how lucky they were to have him running Antioch back in those days and Petaluma as well. Pop's cared about this sport. He was old school. John cares as well, and he comes from that same old school. I'm grateful we've had him to guide the ship through the rough patches.
So, I came down here with something in mind. It's time to start the Hall of Fame. There was a long internal debate. I was up in Oregon at the time. Could I really pull this off? I saw the blueprint at Southern Oregon Speedway when Curt and Denny Deatherage brought their Historical Night idea from Cottage Grove to Southern Oregon Speedway. They did it just right with the display boards of clippings through the years and Hall Of Fame inductions during intermission.
I have bigger ideas for how to do this, but the thought was, could I get it started? I saw the opening. There were actually three races still going on in Antioch after my season was done. It could be possible. But, I'm not exactly flowing with money here. I struggle. Usually, the donations I get through this blog are what keep me going. However, Paul Gould and Mike Kord both stepped forward and sponsored the train ticket down. So, Hall Of Fame Night was possible. I realized this as we were on our one-week break in July. The ticket had already been paid for too.
I had an idea of who to induct, and I was working on gathering my clippings for the display boards. I had discussions over who should be inducted. But let me tell you something. This is not my Hall Of Fame. This is Antioch Speedway"s Hall Of Fame. Though I have other ideas of who should go in, I do believe that we need to put a committee together of three to five people to go over things. It's not just about who the greatest racers were, but people behind the scenes as well. What I am doing is trying to establish something. Sometimes, it takes one person to do that, but it takes a team effort to really make it special.
I already had a mind to put John and his dad into the Hall Of Fame. Between the two of them, they have run Antioch Speedway for 40 years. That's just part of their accomplishments in the sport. Pops is the founding promoter of the speedway. John is the current promoter and also had a nice list of accomplishments through the years. He very much deserves this Acknowledgement. I still believe John is worthy of being put into the West Coast Stock Car Hall Of Fame, given his body of work. With who runs that organization, I don't know if this will ever happen. But, I'm not going there right now.
Three of the greatest Sportsman drivers of all time, and three people I would put on our Mount Rushmore of Antioch Speedway, Gary Pacheco, Bill Brown and JD Willis, are going in. Two of our greatest Stock Car drivers, Willie Myatt and Dean Cline, are going in. As a racer and the man with those neat push buggies that he built, Chuck Smith is going in. As the man who announced probably longer than anybody in speedway history, John Myers is going in. And, we are going to acknowledge with a plaque presentation Harvey Mason. He was inducted years ago, but the plaque presentation was never made.
Obviously, you can look at the list and ask why this person or that person wasn't included. I asked it myself. There were a couple of names I felt belonged in this first class. But you want to know what the neat thing is? There's always next year. We have many, many great people to induct into the Hall of Fame. I'd like to keep the list at five to seven per year. I'd also like to move the date to another night when it can be really about Antioch Speedway and its history. But, October 13th had to be the night this time just to get it started.
The other question was the Hall Of Fame awards. I was trying to take up a collection to help make this happen, and that was going nowhere. Then, I had somebody volunteer their services. They were going to do some really neat laser on marble creations. Then, the laser machine got hit by lightning. So, Hall Of Fame Night was in jeopardy once again. I'd have been hard-pressed to be able to get plaques, and decent plaques at that. Then, another sponsor stepped forward to cover this thing. They just wanted to see it happen. So, our first Hall Of Fame will happen. I need to finish up some things and get ready to do it, and though I'm nervous, I'm excited about this whole thing.
But like I said, the Hall Of Fame idea is going to be a community effort. It will take a little bit of money to make it happen in the future. And if we make it a little bit bigger, such as a gathering the night before or a picnic in the park at the fairgrounds before the races, it will take a little bit more money. It's all in what we want to do. That's why I believe a committee should probably be formed around this. Maybe we create an Antioch Speedway Alumni Association. People not tied with the current situation. This is about honoring the past and celebrating it in a way that it deserves. It is about helping the race track on that particular night by getting more people to come out.
I have ideas, but I'm only one person. I have an idea of a few people that I will probably be discussing this with in the future. For now, I want to make this first night special. I'm doing my best. I still have to worry about where my future is going to be. That's the ever-looming question in my life. I'm just living in the moment right now and doing this. There are some good prospects ahead.
While I was talking with John about this and other things last Saturday, he informed me that there will be one more race left on the schedule on October 20th. It sounded like there would be a $1,000 to win A Modified race. It sounded like the B Modifieds would be racing along with the DIRTcar Late Models, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars. I also heard that Wade isn't going to be there to announce. Of course, my trip back up happens on October 14th. I might stick around a little bit longer to help this night, but I'll need to make arrangements very soon. So, I'm not sure what's going to happen on that front.
I am sure that after the 20th, that puts a close to our racing media effort for 2018. It has been a lot of work doing that. I've had many people help me with information. I've had some great photographers help me so that we could get in the newspapers, including Paul Gould, Christina Meeds and L&J Photography. I'm very proud of what was accomplished this year with 10 different race tracks getting into at least one newspaper in their area. Was everything perfect? No. A few people have reminded me of that, but most people understand what it is I've been trying to do here and what I've had to work with.
One of the things John and I have discussed was the possibility of bringing Racing Wheels Magazine back to life again. There's a lot of work that needs to go into making that happen. I have an idea that it needs to still be in newspaper form, but I need to know what the cost factor would be. I have a few ideas to pursue for that, if I do undertake this challenge. I also don't want to go it alone. I need one or two good people with me on this. I have people in mind, but this is assuming a few things right now that I don't know for sure.
The problem with what I do is it takes a big toll on me. I've always been one of those people who dives in 100% in my racing endeavors. And sometimes, a personal life falls by the wayside. This has happened these last three years, and I haven't exactly been a very happy person as a result. Part of that stemmed from location. I can't readily just go do something else as I'm not close to anything. Being in this area, it shouldn't be as difficult to take a day away from racing. Don't talk about racing, go do something completely different. So, a change in my location could make things possible.
You have to ask yourself if a printed publication can work in 2019. Personally, I believe it can. But, I also believe that sending articles to newspapers matters. Of course, printed media isn't the only thing you need to do to help get the word out and get people coming to the track. It's a part of the overall effort. And these days, you use every tool at your disposal to do it. You work hard for each week's success and get back to work because next week isn't guaranteed.
There are some interesting things happening in the sport right now that I wanted to comment on. There could be changes going on at other tracks. I was pleased to see a dozen Hardtops at Antioch, eight of which you could consider Bay Area Hardtops. I've had people say they wish the Sportsman division was at Antioch. I do too, but we need people to build those cars. Anybody want to step up on that? We have Hardtops now. I thought they had a good showing for themselves on Saturday night. There's more I could say, but I'm running out of room in how long I wanted this column to be.
I know that I would have the 2019 schedule at Antioch Speedway not put too much of a burden on any one division. Give every division enough nights off so that when they are booked at the race track, they give us the biggest car counts possible. With the Hardtop division looking a little bit better, they might be able to at least give a half a dozen to 10 cars if they were out there once a month. Are 4 Bangers doable in 2019? Of course, this is all stuff that John is looking at. Believe me, John's looking at a lot of different things, and his mind is always on the future of things.
You're going to hear a lot of rumors, but eventually the truth and the facts prevail. The important thing is that the show goes on in 2019, wherever that show might be. It looks like we're going to see Rocky Hill Speedway come back in the future, which I'm excited about. I'm hopeful that somebody will bid for the track in Susanville and keep it going. We saw Orland Raceway on the brink, and that race track is getting better. Even Hayfork is giving it a good run. More tracks means the fans in those areas get an opportunity to see the thing that we love so much, the great sport of auto racing.
I could go on and on here, but I'm going to end this column. Until next time...
