Antioch Speedway, Ocean Speedway, Merced Speedway, Orland Raceway, More

First of all...

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

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

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

The DCRR Racing Radio Show

Alternative Link HERE

Hall Of Fame Night Comes At Antioch Speedway 

On October 13th

Antioch, CA...There's a long and storied history to Antioch Speedway.  The track has been open for weekly racing during the late spring, summer and early fall months for 57 years since it opened in 1961.  Before that, the track ran several races during 1952 and 1953.  The original promoters were John P Soares and Jerry Piper, and they worked under Bob Barkhimer's California Stock Car Racing Association.  It was eight years later when Soares was tabbed to run the track again for Barkhimer under the NASCAR banner.

The elder Soares had less than a dozen cars for the first race in 1961, but he had a full pit by the end of the season.  In those days, a promoter had to try many different things to entice the fans to come watch.  Thrill Shows, Special Powder Puff Races for the ladies and long distance races were some of the things promoted back then.  It worked well.  The grandstands were frequently packed with spectators, and there would be over sixty cars in the old Hardtop Auto Claimer class.

John P Soares guided the track for 20 seasons before retiring at the end of the 1980 season to focus on Petaluma Speedway, a track he promoted for 23 more seasons after Antioch.  The track went from featuring the Hardtops to the winged Sportsman class, to Late Models and eventually Modifieds.  There have been many other divisions that have competed on the clay oval.  In 1998, John M Soares followed in his father's footsteps as he promoted the speedway under Oval Motorsports.

The younger Soares, now 76, has seen it all in his time.  Like his father, he was a championship winning driver who won races on the NASCAR Cup circuit, built winning race cars and has excelled at track preparation.  Combined, both Soares men have promoted Antioch Speedway for 40 years.  Given the history of the race track, it was only a matter of time before people would start being inducted into the Antioch Speedway Hall Of Fame.  That time is now.

The occasion will be Fall Brawl on October 13th.  This is the season finale for the track, and its expected to attract some top notch competitors to the speedway for a run at the money.  It will also serve as an historical night of sorts.  On the concessions stand side of the main grandstands, there will be boards on display featuring clippings of several racing articles and pictures from through the years.  As this event grows, more boards will be added.  As a bonus, long time announcer John Myers will be there to announce.

Heading up the 2018 Hall Of Fame class with be John P Soares and John M Soares.  Without the vision of the elder Soares, the track may not have made it through the challenging early seasons.  So beloved was he that when he retired from Antioch in 1980, several top Antioch racers followed him to Petaluma Speedway a year later.  The younger Soares ranks third on the Sportsman division All Time winner's list with 20 victories.  Getting a win in that class was not easy with the competition  level as high as it was.  John won his first race in 1965, and he managed to win races in the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s.  He's the only driver in track history to accomplish that.

Perhaps the greatest Sportsman driver of all time was "The Mighty Mite" Gary Pacheco.  Gary won three championships in a four years span and 30 Main Events at Antioch.  He's the All Time winner in that division. 

Another of the greats was Bill Brown.  He's the patriarch of one of the three Brown families that has been a part of the speedway for decades.  He was a two time track champion with 19 Sportsman wins.  Sons Dale and Keith and grandson Keith Jr. have all raced at the speedway and won Main Events.  The Brown family is third only to the Hogge family and the Perry family in feature wins at Antioch.

When it comes to who the greatest of all time was, JD "Ubetcha" Willis will get the vote of many.  His 72 career wins at the speedway is the most all time in a three way tie with Scott Busby and Bobby Hogge IV.  JD was consistently winning from the time he started in Stock Cars in 1968 through his final race in a Modified in 2004.  He won five track championships.

Championships were not the main goal for Dean "The  Blinker" Cline.  Having fun and winning races were the goal.  Dean built winning cars and twice sold them while leading the points, rather than winning those championships.  He won over 40 Main Events through the years and one championship.  His son Lance picked up his knack for building race cars and was known for building championship caliber cars as well.

Willie "The Silver Fox" Myatt was another driver who built winning cars.  He won a a Stock Car championship in the 1970's before moving up to the Sportsman division where he won multiple races.  In the 1980's, he returned to Stock Cars and continued to win.  His sons, Jeff Skaggs and Vince "Ratsoe" Skaggs, picked up his love of racing and got their own cars.

Chuck Smith was a top competitor in the Stock Cars in the 1970's.  He won races there and in later years in the Enduro class.  However, Chuck may be better known for his custom built push buggies that he's been building since the 1980's.  Chuck was a fixture at the speedway for many years pushing cars and helping keep the show running.  His wife Sharon, who sadly has since passed away, was a scorekeeper at the track for years, and son Ellis Smith raced Street Stocks.  As you can see, family is a very important part to what keeps racing going at Antioch Speedway.

One of the people announcing the show for years was John Myers.  John announced longer than anybody in the track's history at nearly 20 years.  He gave several drivers nicknames for the fans to identify with and had popular catch phrases that the fans sometimes chanted along with.  To many, he was the voice of Antioch Speedway, but he also spent time as a track official and worked on various pit crews before grabbing a microphone.

The Speedway has inducted two people into the Hall Of Fame.  Darryl Shirk was inducted after he passed away in 1999.  His wife Emily was presented with an award.  Harvey Mason was also inducted.  Harvey was one of the original local drivers on the 1961 roster.  He moved on to track maintenance and was known for providing smooth, hooked up racing surfaces for the drivers.  He served as assistant manager for several years as well.  The Family Section was named after him, but the Mason family was never presented with a Hall Of Fame award for Harvey.  That will happen on Saturday.

These ten people will be honored for their contributions on October 13th as the track has its final race of the season.  It will begin a new tradition at the speedway that will honor those who have helped make the track such a special place through the years.  For fans who want to get a taste of history to go with a great night of racing, the Fall Brawl season finale will be a race you won't want to miss. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Chet Thomson Memorial Hardtop Race 

Set For Antioch Speedway

Antioch, CA...All Star Series racing action continues at Antioch Speedway this Saturday night with a four division lineup on the schedule. Originally scheduled for early September, the Chet Thomson Memorial Hardtop Race was moved to this Saturday night to encourage a higher car count. Joining the Hardtops will be the popular All Star Series Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Wingless Spec Sprints and Limited Late Models. Management also just announced that the Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars have been rescheduled from last week to make this a six division program.

The Chet Thomson Memorial Hardtop Race began as a special event at the old Vallejo Speedway. Thomson was a Hardtop champion in the 1960s. Just a couple of years after his championship season, he passed away. This race was held in his honor and continued from the late 1960s to the final season at the track in 1979. It was Chet's son Tommy Thomson and Dave Mackey who brought the race back to the Antioch Speedway schedule in 2016.

California Hardtop star Jason Armstrong was the winner of the first Antioch race with Ken Retzloff driving a borrowed car to a second place finish. A year later, the Top 2 positions were the same with Armstrong holding off Retzloff once again. Both drivers are feature winners on the Hardtop circuit this year and are two favorites to get the win again this year.

Another driver to watch for will be Terry DeCarlo. Terry raced Hardtops at Vallejo Speedway in its final seasons and picked up a feature win at Antioch this year in a car with the body that was originally on a Harold Hardesty Hardtop raced at Medford Raceway in the 1960's. Speaking of division originals, Tommy Thomson still has the car that he raced at Vallejo Speedway and won with. He's been making preparations to make the car faster when he returns on Saturday night. There are some good competitors anticipated this week, including Dave Mackey, Ron Ruiz, Dave Reed, Ken Clifford, Dennis Armstrong and Dan Williams.

The Sprint Car point race has three drivers with a mathematical shot at the championship going into Saturday night. Leading the charge with two feature victories is Matt DeMartini. DeMartini holds a 23 point lead over reigning champion Art McCarthy, who is still searching for his first win of the season. However, there was some doubt as to whether McCarthy would be ready for this race after blowing a motor and losing the point lead at the previous event. Running third as an unlikely division championship contender is Tim Burcher. Burcher is basically a rookie in this division and has made every race. However, he's had a mixed bag of results. He trails DeMartini by 40 points and will be eliminated by DeMartini merely starting the final race. Other drivers to watch for this week include last season's top rookie, Jacob Tuttle, David Dias and Jeff Strole.

Bob Newberry is knocking on the door to his second Wingless Spec Sprint championship at Antioch Speedway. Newberry got off to a strong start this season with his four feature wins happening in the first seven races. Shannon Newton has had the hot hand of late with two wins and three second place finishes in his last five starts. Newberry's lead over Newton going into the finale is 33 points, meaning unless he stumbles badly, he should be able to win the championship. However, it's still not over yet.

27 points behind Newton is Brandon Burd. The past Chowchilla Speedway champion has yet to win this season and has finished as high as third three times in the last five races. Other drivers to watch for this week include ageless veteran Roy Fisher, Scott Martin, division original Rick Panfili and Mackenzie Newton.

The closest championship battle at the speedway is happening in the Limited Late Model division. Kimo Oreta scored his sixth feature victory of the season last time out. Despite being the leader in feature wins, he only ended up with a two point lead after that night. Mark Garner finished third at the last race and is a three-time winner. He's been very tenacious in the championship battle as the second-ranked competitor, and his knack for winning heat races has served him well so far. Still hanging in there in the championship race in third is four-time winner Mike Walko. Walko trails Oreta by 28 points.

Ryan Cherezian has been having one of his best seasons yet in his fast El Camino. Though he hasn't won the Main Event yet, he has come close with two seconds and four thirds. Other drivers to watch this week include fifth ranked John Evans, two-time winner Mike Gustafson, Lori Brown and Chad Hammer.

After scoring his seventh Main Event win of the season last time out, Chris Sorensen has clinched his second Hobby Stock division championship. Sorensen was a frequent Top 3 finisher all year long in what has been a marathon season, and his advantage over second place is now well over 100 points. Second place has been a nip and tuck battle between Michael Cooper and reigning champion Cameron Swank. After his back-to-back third place finishes, however, Cooper now has a 50 point lead over Swank. Swank is a seven-time Main Event winner, while Cooper has five victories this season.

This season has seen several new drivers join the Hobby Stock ranks, and as they've gained experience, they have risen to the top. In recent weeks, rookies Anthony Wilburn and Josh Leach have won Main Events, and top rookie Breanna Troen recently finished a career-best second. Troen leads the rookie race by 91 points ahead of Leach. The Hobby Stocks are on the card for the final two races of the season, and other drivers to watch for this week include Haley Gomez, John Wacht, Anthony Vigna, Joey Ridgeway and Syd Smyth Jr.

The makeup race gives the Dwarf Cars two more races to go this season, but reigning champion Mike Corsaro can clinch another title simply by starting this week's Main Event. Corsaro hit the ground running this year with four victories in the first five races, but he's been held winless since then. He would love to get back into the Winner's Circle this week. However, the Rosa family has been running very strong lately.

Second-ranked David Michael Rosa recently won his fourth Main Event of the season, and his father, two-time Street Stock champion David Rosa, won the most recent race. The younger Rosa has a 34-point lead over Mario Marques in the race for second in the standings, and Marques only leads the elder Rosa by 18 points in a much closer battle for third. Other drivers to watch for this week include Chris Becker, 2010 champion Jerry Doty, Troy Stevenson, Timmy Ryan and Giovanni Bortoli.

The Hardtops will give the fans a good look at the style racing that headlined many race tracks in the 1950s and 1960s with their Coupe and Sedan race cars. With Sprint Cars and Limited Late Models on the card, it should be an entertaining show. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Chet Thomson Memorial Winners: Julian Castro (1967), Jim Kaiser (1968), John Viel (1969), Phil Pedlar (1970), PHil Pedlar (1971), Leroy Geving (1972), Larry Damitz (1973), Larry Hall (1974), Laney Westbrook (1975), Laney Westbrook (1976), Tommy Thomson (1977), Augie Fonseca (1978), Skip Brown (1979), Jason Armstrong (2016), Jason Armstrong (2017) 

John Fore Jr Memorial Race Closes Merced Speedway Season

Merced, CA...There's just one event left on the 2018 schedule at Merced Speedway, and it is a big show. This Friday and Saturday night, the track will have the Third Annual John Fore Jr Memorial Dirt Track Nationals. Four divisions will be competing during the weekend, including the IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks.

This race was added to the 2016 schedule after John Fore Jr died in an unfortunate work-related accident in March of that year. Fore competed in the Sport Modified division and was a Top 5 driver and "Rookie Of The Year" award winner. He was also a beloved member of the racing community. The track decided to have a special race for the Sport Modified division. The first race was won by Bakersfield area competitor Clint Reichenbach, and the race was won by Fred Ryland last season.

When promoter Ed Parker was booking the 2018 schedule, he had plans to make this event bigger and better than before. It was decided to add the IMCA Modifieds to the program. There will be a special two day format in which the drivers will do a pill draw on Friday for their qualifying heat races. They run two sets of heat races with their lineup from the first heat race inverted for the second heat race. Finishing and passing points will be scored, and the Top 12 point earners from the heat races will run a qualifier on Friday night. The Top 6 finishers in those races will line up in the first three rows of Saturday's big money Main Events.

The drivers will be competing for bigger prize money. The IMCA Sport Modifieds and IMCA Modifieds will be racing for $2,000 to win. The Hobby Stock racers will get a $1,000 first prize and the Mini Stocks, which normally do not even run for a purse, will get $300 to win. Because of the increased purse money, car count is expected to grow in all divisions.

Parker booked this race to make it possible to get some of the top drivers from Watsonville and Bakersfield to come to town for the money. Merced Speedway stayed off of the big events for the other two tracks at the end of the season to allow all three tracks to have a shot at a big show.

Two drivers leading the charge in the IMCA Sport Modifieds will be the previous two winners, Ryland and Reichenbach. In fact, Ryland also has a Hobby Stock that he will likely bring to Merced as well. New Merced Speedway champion Jeremy Hoff will be out to get the win as well as division runner-up Danny Roe. After winning the point season finale, Bruce Nelson is another driver who hopes to make a run for the big money. Hard-charging teen competitors Tanner Thomas and brother Chase Thomas are two others who could bring home the money. Tanner picked up three feature wins at Merced this season.

Top drivers from Antioch, such as Trevor Clymens, Todd Gomez and Guy Ahlwardt, are also expected. Clymens has just recently secured his second Antioch championship in the past three seasons. Hard chargers from Bakersfield, such as Kevin Johnson and Nick Spainhoward, are also anticipated for the race.

The IMCA Modifieds are also expected to have a huge turnout. After picking up four consecutive feature wins to end the season, Darrell Hughes II wrapped up his first career championship at Merced Speedway. He may head into this race as the driver to beat, but other hard chargers such as Bobby Hogge IV, Antioch Speedway champion Nick DeCarlo, four-time Antioch champion Troy Foulger and Bakersfield star Robby Sawyer are expected to come to town. Local stars Ramie Stone, Paul Stone and Ryan Porter are other track regulars who should be strong contenders for the win.  It should be a star-studded field of IMCA Modified competitors.

For the fans of fendered racing, the Hobby Stock division should not disappoint. With nine feature wins this season, Kodie Dean wrapped up his second consecutive Merced Speedway championship. He and fellow Chowchilla resident Austin Van Hoff may be the top track regulars with the best shot at winning. From the Watsonville area, three-time champion Billy Nelson and two-time champion Rob Gallaher are both anticipated. It's not often that the Hobby Stock division gets a $1,000 to win race anywhere, and that is sure to attract some fast runners. Fred Ryland had a car built specifically for the $1,000 to win race held recently at Antioch Speedway, and he won that race in dominant fashion.

After winning the Merced Speedway Mini Stock championship with his second victory of the season, Allen Neal hopes to bag the winner's prize in their special race. Lee Ragsdale will be looking for a bit of redemption after an unfortunate incident cost him a shot at the championship at the last race. Three-time champion Chris Corder is expected to field a fast car for this show, and Watsonville stars Dakota Keldsen and Abigail Kennedy are two others anticipated for the big money. Central Valley Mini Stock star Dan Myrick could be another contender for the win.

Merced racing fans will take note that this is the last opportunity to check out a race on the oval track this year. For those who didn't quite do well in the points, this is the one to go out on. A win in this race is almost on the level of winning a track championship. For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.

DeCarlo Goes Flag To Flag For 

Pat Pettit Memorial Shootout Win At Ocean Speedway

Watsonville, CA...September 29...Nick DeCarlo scored an impressive victory in the 8th Annual Pat & Jim Pettit Memorial Shootout Race Saturday night at Ocean Speedway. DeCarlo led all 38 laps of the IMCA Modified feature to pocket $3,003 in winnings. The memorial lap prior to the Main Event took on even more special meaning as the Pettit family is mourning the passing of Jim Pettit Sr. Mr Pettit supported racing at Watsonville for many years as a sponsor of race cars and racing events.

DeCarlo had a front row spot for the Main Event and set the pace at the start ahead of Brian Pearce. However, Troy Foulger moved around Pearce for second on lap four. State point leader Shane DeVolder settled into third, but he lost the spot to a Turn 2 pass by Bobby Hogge IV on lap 14. The final 31 laps of the race ran without a yellow flag, and Foulger and Hogge ran closely behind DeCarlo as they negotiated slower traffic. Foulger made a last turn attempt to get by on the inside of DeCarlo, but DeCarlo prevailed at the checkered flag. Hogge settled for third, followed by DeVolder, Ryan McDaniel, Jim Pettit II, Clint Reichenbach, Kellen Chadwick, Andy Obertello and Darrell Hughes II.

There were 57 IMCA Modifieds on hand for Saturday's show, and they ran eight eight lap heat races with the Top 2 transferring into the Main Event. Wins were recorded by DeVolder, Jeff Decker, Foulger, Brian Cass, Robert Marsh, DeCarlo, Pearce and Danny Wagner. The rest of the drivers were split into three 12 lap B Mains with only the Top 2 drivers getting transfers into the big money Main Event. Ryan Porter won the first B Main ahead of Chris Crompe and Bobby Motts Jr. Obertello won the second B Main ahead of McDaniel and Tim Balding. Chadwick won the final B Main ahead of Hughes and Austin Burke.

Brent Curran won the 26 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. The win earned him a $1,003 payday. Aaron Crowell led the race in the early goings ahead of point leader Jim DiGiovanni. Curran finally made a pass on the backstretch on lap eight to take over second, and he made a low pass in Turn 4 of the 13th lap to grab the lead from Crowell. Friday night winner Kevin Johnson made a Turn 4 pass on lap 15 to gain second and pressured Curran the rest of the way. However, Curran came out ahead at the checkered flag, followed by Johnson, Brian Cooper, Andrew Peckham, KC Keller, Crowell, DiGiovanni, Chris Falkenberg, Les Friend and Fred Ryland.

There were 37 IMCA Sport Modifieds for this show, and they ran six eight lap heat races. Wins went to Falkenberg, Tanner Thomas, Keith Brown Jr, Cooper, Friend and Nick Tucker. The Top 3 finishers in each heat race earned Main Event starting births. The remainder of the field ran one of the two 12 lap B Mains. Only the Top 2 would transfer from there, and Peckham won the first B Main ahead of Cale Kanke and Charlie Hunter. Anthony Giuliani outran Ryland and Justin McPherson to win the second B Main.

Billy Nelson won an exciting 26 lap American Stock Main Event. The three-time champion collected $503 for his win after a thrilling late-race battle with JC Elrod. Multi-time champion Sam Kennedy paced the field for four laps before an inside pass on the front stretch gained point leader Matt Kile the lead. Nelson made an inside move around Kennedy for second on lap six and began to pressure Kile before making his pass on the inside in Turn 4 on lap 10. Nelson seemed to have things in hand, but JC Elrod moved into second on lap 23. Elrod made an outside pass on the backstretch on the 24th lap to take the lead from Nelson, but he got way up in the marbles exiting the final turn, allowing Nelson and Rob Gallaher to race by for the Top 2 positions. Elrod settled for third, followed by Kile, Joe Willoughby, Bobby Huckaby Sr, Kennedy, Austin Van Hoff, Jack Van Hoff and Chris McCabe.

The American Stocks had 30 cars and ran four qualifying heat races with the Top 4 transferring into the feature. Winners of those eight lap races included Cameron Swank, Kile, Kennedy and Adriane Frost. The rest of the field ran a 12 lap B Main with the Top 6 transferring into the Main Event. DJ Keldsen led flag to flag to win the race, followed by Mike Calhoun, Kodie Dean, Austin Van Hoff and Kristie Shearer.

Next Friday night will be Championship Night at the speedway. The final race of the season will feature the Taco Bravo Sprint Cars, IMCA Sport Modifieds, American Stocks and South Bay Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.

Hogge Wins Opening Night Of 

Pat Pettit Memorial Shootout At Ocean Speedway

Watsonville, CA...September 28...Bobby Hogge IV made an impressive drive from deep in the pack to win the Friday night portion of the Jim & Pat Pettit Memorial Shootout Race at Ocean Speedway. Hogge pocketed $1,003 for his impressive drive from 16th starting to the victory in the 33 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. Brian Cass had a front row start and led the first seven laps before being passed by Nick DeCarlo on a lap eight restart. Cass came roaring back into the lead with an outside pass in Turn 4 on lap 10. it wasn't until lap 17 when DeCarlo again moved by on the inside in Turn 4 to take the lead. Hogge finally managed to move into third on lap 23. Hogge made an outside pass on the backstretch on lap 25 to take second from Troy Foulger and hounded DeCarlo until finally moving by on the outside on lap 29 to gain the lead. Once he got the lead, Hogge led the rest of the way for the impressive victory. DeCarlo settled for second, followed by Foulger, Jim Pettit II, Darrell Hughes II, Cass, Cody Burke, Albert Gill, Anthony Copeland and Todd Hermosillo.

There were 55 IMCA Modifieds in the pits, and the six eight lap heat race wins went to Bobby Montalvo, Andy Obertello, Hermosillo, DJ Shannon, Nick DeCarlo and Cass. The Top 3 drivers transferred directly into the Main Event, while the rest of the field had to run one of the two 12 lap B Mains to earn a starting spot. Only the Top 2 finishers would make it into the Main Event, and Hughes won the first B Main ahead of Gill and Jeff Decker. Alex Wilson won the second B Main ahead of Kellen Chadwick and Austin Burke.

Kevin Johnson won the 23 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Guy Ahlwardt charged into the lead at the start with Brian Cooper running closely behind. Cooper got his car on two wheels in Turns 1 and 2 on lap eight and lost some ground to Ahlwardt. Following a lap 16 yellow flag, Cooper lost power on the restart as his race came to an abrupt end. Ahlwardt led the restart as Kevin Johnson made a pass on the outside in Turn 4 to take second from Cody Parker. Johnson kept working the outside line and finally made a move around Ahlwardt in Turn 4 on lap 21. Johnson led the final two laps for the win, followed by Ahlwardt, KC Keller, Andrew Peckham, Fred Ryland, Parker, Aaron Crowell, Anthony Giuliani, Nick Tucker and Brent Curran.

There were 34 IMCA Sport Modifieds in action, and eight lap heat race wins went to Gomez, Peckham, Ahlwardt, Cooper, Johnson and Giuliani. the Top 3 finishers in the heats made it into the Main Event, while everybody else had to run the 12 lap B Main to try to make their way into the show. Ryland won that race ahead of Mike Medel, Chase Thomas and Curran.

Two-time reigning American Stock champion Rob Gallaher won the 23 lap American Stock Main Event. Through a pair of early yellow flags, Wally Kennedy led the way, but he surrendered the lead to Fred Ryland on a lap four restart. Ryland was pursued early on by Terry Campion, but Campion rode the back wall on lap 10 and lost some ground to the leader. Gallaher began to make his move during the final five laps of the race, slipping past Campion on the backstretch on lap 18 for second. Two laps later, Gallaher made a pass on the backstretch and took the lead from Ryland. Gallaher went on to score the victory, as Ryland settled for second. Billy Nelson finished third, followed by Campion, point leader Matt Kile, Bruce Nelson, multi-time champion Sam Kennedy, Mike Calhoun, Bobby Huckaby Sr and Kevin Joaquin.

The 34 car field ran four eight lap heat races, and wins were scored by Campion, Ryland, Vernon Silva and JC Elrod. The Top 4 finishers of the heat races made it into the Main Event, while everybody else had to run the 12 lap B Main. Bruce Nelson won that race, followed by Huckaby, Dakota Keldsen and Calhoun.

Langenderfer Wins Battle, Stevens Wins War At Orland Raceway

Orland, CA...September 29...Saturday night was Championship Night at Orland Raceway. There were still a few close championship battles to be determined as five divisions competed on the 1/5 mile dirt oval.

The Pure Stock battle has been back and forth between reigning champion Jeremy Langenderfer and 2015 champion Paul Stevens. Langenderfer, who recently won the Hobby Stock championship at Silver Dollar Speedway, did everything he could on Saturday night to repeat as the Orland champ. Langenderfer joined Marysville champion Shannon Collins as a heat race winner on the night. However, Stevens chased Langenderfer across the line in second in their heat race. Come Main Event time, Langenderfer again ran strong to post his seventh feature win of the season. However, Stevens wrapped up the championship by finishing second ahead of Collins and Thomas Pavalik.

Only seven points separated reigning champion and incoming point leader Tom Davis from Barbara Crain in a close Mini Stock championship battle. Davis was riding a two race win streak, and he made it three in a row with his victory ahead of Crain. Les Fernandez finished third. Davis wrapped up the season championship, and both he and Crain were four time feature winners.

Keith Ross has already wrapped up the Mini Truck championship, but there were still Main Event bragging rights on the line. 2016 champion Dan Webster scored his third feature win of the season with William Fogle in pursuit in second. These two drivers had a good battle going on for second in the point standings, but Webster will come out just ahead in that race. Kalvin Kvalvik settled for third in the Main Event, followed by Tony Quinonez and Dan Libbee.

Chico champion Tony Richards won his fourth Wingless Gas Sprint Main Event of the season. Nathan Johnson was a season-best second, followed by Kyle Pendergrass, Tanner Thomson and RJ Baker.

Jake Fernandez wrapped up the 600 Micro Sprint championship with his first Main Event win of the season, and Loni Talley drove the Jeremy Langenderfer car to a win in the special Powder Puff race. That race consisted of cars from the Pure Stock, Mini Stock and Mini Truck divisions.

Next weekend will be the first of two special events, which are being billed as the Battle Of The Axles. This Saturday night's race will include the Wingless Gas Sprints, Mini Stocks, Mini Trucks and 250 Micro Sprints. The next special event will be on October 13th and will feature the Pure Stocks, 600 Micros and a Destruction Derby. For further information, check out the Orland Raceway Facebook page.

Battle Of The Axles Round #1 Set For 

Orland Raceway On Saturday

Orland, CA...Orland Raceway is preparing for the first of two special October events that are billed as the Battle Of The Axles. These two nights of racing will feature extra cash prizes for the various divisions in competition. The first Saturday night special is this weekend and will feature the Wingless Sprint Cars, Mini Stocks, Mini Trucks and 250 Micros.

The Wingless Sprint Car show last year opened up to allow the Wingless Spec Sprints to compete, and that brought Tony Richards to the big show. it was an interesting event where Richards appeared to have the fastest car, but he was having a challenging time in the turns. It was multi-time champion Josh Jacobo who won the big race last season ahead of Jeremy Wilson and Josh Tucker. Both Jacobo and Tucker were two-time feature winners this season, while Richards won four of the last five races of the season. Other drivers to watch for this week include RJ Baker, Tanner Thomson, Nathan Johnson and Kyle Pendergrass.

The extra purse money for last season's event brought out big fields in the Mini Stock in the Mini Truck divisions. Olin Crain came to town with his eyes on winning both Main Events. He nearly had the Truck win before problems arose later in the race. That opened the door for 2016 champion Dan Webster to hold off current champion Keith Ross for the impressive victory.

Crain settled for sixth in the Truck race, but he scored an unlikely win in the Mini Stock show. After race long leader Jimmy Ford encountered another car as he was headed for the white flag, Crain emerged with the lead and unlikely victory ahead of current champion Tom Davis and Shawn Merritt. Both the Mini Truck and Mini Stock fields included drivers from the Susanville, Hayfork and the Marysville areas last year.

There are several Orland regulars who would like to take their turn in the Winner's Circle, and when it comes to the Mini Stock class, four-time winner Barbara Crain could lead that charge. Crain finished a strong second in the standings this year and has shown that she can run wheel-to-wheel with Davis. Sean Perry, Jason Libbee, Scott Camper and John Kirkpatrick are other Mini Stock stars to keep an eye on.

All season long, Tony Quinonez has been flirting with victory in the Mini Truck division, and his time may come this Saturday night. Another driver to keep an eye on is William Fogle, who finished a solid third in the standings as he continues to contend for his first win. Kalvin Kvalvik and Rocky Wagner are other drivers to watch in the battle for Truck supremacy.

In the 250 Micro class, having wrapped up the 2018 championship, Pax Gonzales has his eyes on the big win this Saturday night. Gonzalez won a nip-and-tuck battle with multi-time feature winner James Barnes for the championship as the steady Ronnie Heyer finished third. All three drivers would have to be considered threats in the battle for victory. Last season, it was a battle of the Whitsons out front as 2017 champion Jackie Whitson Jr outran his father for the win.

After this exciting evening of racing, Battle Of The Axles Night #2 will happen on October 13th. This special event will feature Pure Stocks, 600 Micros, winged and wingless, and a Destruction Derby to close the evening. At last season's Battle Of The Axles, a season-high 29 Pure Stocks came to do battle with new track champion Paul Stevens emerging with a $1,000 victory. For further information, go to the Orland Raceway Facebook page.


Madera Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 29, 2018
SPEARS Southwest Tour
Results are not official
1     #16 Jacob Gomes    
2     #21 Blaine Rocha
3     #2 Craig Raudman
4     #75 Jeremy Doss
5     #05 Eric Schmidt
6     #66 Jeff Bischofberger
7     #20 Cole Moore
8     #37 Keith Spangler
9     #51 Carlos Vieira
10     #31 Eric Nascimento Jr.
11     #18 Jack Wood
12     #27 John Moore
13     #88 Jason Gilbert
14     #1 Matthew Wendt
15     #24 Scott Sanchez
16     #48 Ricky Schlick
17     #44 Bob Lyon            
18     #71 Kyle Neveau        

Hobby Stocks
Howard Holden
Jesus Hernandez
Steve Schermerhorn
Richard Herzog

USAC Speed2 Midgets
Toni Breidinger
Joey Iest
Adam Lemke
Elvis Rankin
Johnny Nichols

Legends
Colton Page
Peter Soto
Chad Nascimento
Cody Winchel
Matt Winfrey
Eddie Garone
Kevin Travels
Pete Pierce
Keith Clement
Dave Tooker
Jason Figura
Heather Hadley
Jadon Fisher
Mike Marley
Bredan Ruzbarsky


Kings Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 29, 2018
King Of Kings Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Cole Macedo
Jace Vanderweerd
Scott Parker
Steven Kent
Mathew Moles
Craig Stidham
Tucker Worth
Ben Worth
Zane Blanchard
Vaughn Schott
Nathan Rolfe
Eric Humphries
Kaleb Montgomery
Tanner Boul
Landon Hurst
Cole Danell
Michael Pombo
Mauro Simone
Travis Coelho
Anthony Simone
Steve Jaquith

IMCA Stock Cars
Chad Johnson
Larry Thompson
Brock Hamilton
Alan Mendes
Troy Patee
Ron Hurt
Preston Martin
Rod Bane
Shawn Schwartzenberger
James Elliott
Josh Nichols
Renn Bane
Cody Johnson

Mini Stocks
Jason Cook
Paul Schwartzenberger
andrew boydstun
Joshua Dysart
Clinton Massey
Larry Rameriz
Helder Santos


Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 29, 2018
8th Annual Pat Pettit Shootout Night #2 | Watsonville, CA
IMCA Modified All Star Tour
A Main
Nick Decarlo
Troy Foulger
Bobby Hogge IV
Shane DeVolder
Ryan McDaniel
Jim Pettit II
Clint Reichenbach
Kellen Chadwick
Andy Obertello
Darrell Hughes II
Danny Wagner
Robert Marsh
Albert Gill
Chris Sieweke
Tim Yaeger
Brian Cass
Jeff Decker
Chris Crompe
Brian Pearce
Anthony Slaney
Ryan Porter
Alex Wilson

B Main 1
Ryan Porter
Chris Crompe
Bobby Motts
Dylan Thornton
Mike Salazar
Mitch Enos
Tim Cecil
Mitch Machado
Raymond Lindeman
David Zeiter
Jarod Fast
Kyle Bryan
Michael Paul Jr DNS
John MacDougall DNS

B Main 2
Andy Obertello
Ryan McDaniel
Tim Balding
Steven Noland
D.J. Shannon
Todd Hermosillo
Anthony Copeland
Mark Carrell
Mike Slaney
Gary Marsh
Jeff McCoun
Buddy Kniss
Jeff Streeter
Robert Montalvo    DNS

B Main 3
Kellen Chadwick
Darrell Hughes II
Austin Burke
Trent Wentworth
Duane Orsburn
Stephen Hopf
David Spriggs
Cody Burke
Justin Yaeger
Freddie Ploudre
Robby Sawyer
Raymond Keldsen Jr
John Pierce

IMCA Sport Mods
A Main
Brent Curran
Kevin Johnson
Brian Cooper
Andrew Peckham
KC Keller
Aaron Crowell
Jim DiGiovanni
Chris Falkenberg
Les Friend
Fred Ryland
Kenny Shrader
Cale Kanke
Keith Brown Jr
Anthony Giuliani
Tanner Thomas
Tom Fraser
Patti Ryland
Nick Tucker
Todd Gomez
Cody Parker
Michael Medel
Danny Roe

B Main 1
Andrew Peckham
Cale Kanke
Charlie Hunter
Guy Ahlwardt
Dwayne Short
Ryan DeForest
Jeff Tuttle
Adriane Frost
Steven Allee
Austin Williams
Tony Peffer

B Main 2
Anthony Giuliani
Fred Ryland
Justin McPherson
Trevor Clymens
T.J. Etchinson III
Tim Ragsdale
Chase Thomas
Joe Salvi
Travis Slayter
Rusty McMillan
Chuck Golden

American Stocks
A Main
Billy Nelson
Rob Gallaher
JC Elrod
Matt Kile
Joe Willoughby
Bobby Huckaby Sr
Sam Kennedy
Austin Van Hoff
Jack Van Hoff
Chris McCabe
Mike Calhoun
Cameron Swank
Wally Kennedy
Vernon Silva
Joe Gallaher
Bruce Nelson
Adriane Frost
Kodie Dean
Jerry Skelton
Fred Ryland
Kristie Shearer
DJ Keldsen

B Main
DJ Keldsen
Mike Calhoun
Kodie Dean
Jack Van Hoff
Kristie Shearer
Wally Kennedy
Cody Lesch
Terry Traub
Haley Gomez
Tom Cline
Larry Roberson
Kevin Joaquin
Quintin Harris DNS


Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 28, 2018
8th Annual Pat Pettit Shootout Night #1
IMCA Modifieds
A Main
Bobby Hogge IV
Nick Decarlo
Troy Foulger
Jim Pettit II
Darrell Hughes II
Brian Cass
Cody Burke
Albert Gill
Anthony Copeland
Todd Hermosillo
Alex Wilson
Tim Yaeger
Robert Montalvo
Kellen Chadwick
D.J. Shannon
Anthony Slaney
Jarod Fast
Shane DeVolder
Jeff Streeter
Robert Marsh
Andy Obertello
Tim Balding

B Main 1
Darrell Hughes II
Albert Gill
Jeff Decker
Chris Sieweke
Danny Wagner
Duane Orsburn
Michael Paul Jr
Dylan Thornton
Jeff McCoun
John MacDougall
David Zeiter
Mark Carrell
Trent Wentworth
Raymond Lindeman
Gary Marsh
Mitch Machado
Tim Cecil
Terry Decarlo Sr DNS
James Alaga DNS

B Main 2
Alex Wilson
Kellen Chadwick
Austin Burke
Freddie Ploudre III
Clint Reichenbach
Mike Salazar
Buddy Kniss
Raymond Keldsen Jr
Mitch Enos
Kyle Bryan
John Pierce
Mike Slaney
Bobby Motts Jr
Brian Pearce
David Spriggs DNS
Jake Dewsbury DNS
Chester Kniss DNS    -   
Justin Yaeger DNS

IMCA Sport Modifieds
Main Event
Kevin Johnson
Guy Ahlwardt
KC Keller
Andrew Peckham
Fred Ryland
Cody Parker
Aaron Crowell
Anthony Giuliani
Nick Tucker
Brent Curran
Cale Kanke
Justin McPherson
Chase Thomas
Igor Gandzuk
Michael Medel
Adriane Frost
Trevor Clymens
Patti Ryland
Kenny Shrader
Todd Gomez
Jim DiGiovanni
Danny Roe
Brian Cooper

B Main
Fred Ryland
Michael Medel
Chase Thomas
Brent Curran
Tom Fraser
Kenny Shrader
Austin Williams
Ryan DeForest
Rusty McMillan
Charlie Hunter
Steven Allee
Travis Slayter
Tony Peffer
Chuck Golden
Dwayne Short
Jeff Tuttle DNS

American Stocks
A Main
Robert Gallaher
Fred Ryland
Billy Nelson
Matt Kile
Bruce Nelson
Sam Kennedy
Mike Calhoun
Bobby Huckaby Sr
Kevin Joaquin
Vernon Silva
Wally Kenned
Terry Traub
Haley Gomez
Jack Van Hoff
Joe Willoughby
Chris McCabe
Dakota Keldsen
Dave Hill
JC Elrod
Quintin Harris
Austin Van Hoff

B Main
Bruce Nelson
Bobby Huckaby Sr
Dakota Keldsen
Mike Calhoun
Dave Hill
Haley Gomez
Jerry Skelton
Joe Gallaher
Cameron Swank
Larry Roberson
DJ Keldsen
Tom Cline
Kristie Shearer
Cody Lesch
Kodie Dean
Ken Ellison
Adriane Frost
Kevin Counterman

The Editor's Viewpoint

It's certainly a crazy time in racing right now and a lot of questions are going to be answered here during the offseason. So much stuff has come across my desk in the last month that I'm still trying to make sense of it all. I just know that regardless of whether or not I am involved with this sport, I want racing to continue at as many different venues as possible. That is my stance as it always has been.

Commenting on some of the things that I'm hearing right now just isn't possible. The one thing is you hear lots of rumors. Rumors only serve to cloud up what the facts actually are. So, when you try to make observations on things and only have some of the information, you're not doing a service to the discussion. For that very reason, I'm choosing to keep my thoughts to myself on certain matters.

I might have had second thoughts about coming down to California. As I do this column, I'm in Concord, which is my old home town. I wasn't set to come down to Antioch until October 4th. However, I noticed that in the scheduling I would have an opportunity to make a visit to Orland Raceway on September 29th if I left earlier. Since I have been covering Orland Raceway for quite some time now and have yet to visit the place, I wanted to finally put some faces to the names. I was very much looking forward to that trip.

It was about an hour before I was set to go to the train station when I heard that part of my plan wasn't going to be able to happen. I wasn't going to be able to make my stop in Orland due to the fact that I wouldn't have been able to stay anywhere. Now, it was too late for me to do much with my ticket that would go all the way to Martinez. I would have lost out on that. It looked like it was either leave now and take my chances or cancel the trip all together.

There was just one problem. I didn't know where I was going to be going once I got to the Martinez station. Needless to say, it was an adventure. I stressed out for most of the day, and I came very close to sleeping in a park for the night while I figured out what I was going to do next. And actually, it was going to be pretty simple. What I was going to do next was plan to go back to Oregon. I've been having a bad feeling about certain things for a while now, and obviously walking around for most of the day without a place to stay will only make that worse.

I got to ride BART for a little bit. I finally checked out the new BART extension in Antioch. It was when I came back to Concord when I found out that I would have a place to stay after all. Leave it to Dana Craig to invite me to his home. Through the years in my racing endeavors, it's been Dana and his mother, Anna Temple, who have been very supportive of my efforts. When I was ready to give up on writing, Anna was the one that encouraged me to keep doing what I was doing. Weather through buying me a laptop so I could keep writing, buying me a website or giving me a place to stay for a few days, Dana has always been a good friend.

I was looking at the possibility of going to a race at Antioch Speedway on the 29th, but John canceled that show. It was really the right thing to do. There were only three divisions on the schedule to begin with as he was trying not to book divisions that conflicted with the Pat Pettit Memorial Shootout Race at Watsonville. The problem was, there were drivers in the other divisions that wanted to go too. John finally decided that in the interest of working with the Pettit family, it would be better to go ahead and drop the race. I heard it said that the race would be rescheduled, but I'm not sure if that's an official word or not.

The October 6th and October 13th races are the two on the schedule that I had been planning to attend. I wanted to see the Chet Thomson Memorial race, but scheduling never allowed me to do that. I'm a fan of the Hardtop division, and it just so happened that this race ended up being rescheduled for October 6th this year. That was further incentive for me to come on down. Plus, I'm curious how the Limited Late Model championship is going to go down between Mark Garner and Kimo Oreta. It's been a really good battle there. It's just going to be nice to see everyone again.

I've been working on a plan to begin the Antioch Speedway Hall Of Fame. This is not something that I want to do all my myself. I just thought it might be necessary to be the one to start it. I don't want to be the leader of the Hall Of Fame or for people consider this to be my Hall Of Fame or any of that. What I would like to see happen would be a panel of people who have been around for awhile. Maybe three or five people that could go through names and decide who should go in each year. They can also decide on what could be done for the Hall Of Fame.

The model I was using was something created by Curt and Denny Deatherage at Cottage Grove Speedway. The Deatherage family are the historians of Oregon racing. They created Historical Night at Cottage Grove as a way to honor the history of that track and give the fans an idea of just how long that place had been around. One of the things they did was create display boards with clippings and photos, and each year they add a new board. I believe there's a dozen or more boards there now. It's really neat to see. And, all the greats are being inducted into the Hall of Fame each year. In fact, Southern Oregon Speedway is following that same model. We started the Hall of Fame up there two years ago, and the Deatherage family helped us get it started.

It's no secret that I intended to start an Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame back in 1999. The list of inductees that I had stalled at the desk of the promoter. I wasn't married to the idea that everybody on the list had to go in, but what I needed to know was if there was a problem, what changes needed to be made. At the time, I had it set up to do a Hall Of Fame picnic before the races, such as the Bay Cities Racing Association does on their Hall Of Fame night. A picnic could be a possibility for future Hall Of Fames, or renting a hall and doing something the night before. Whatever would be discussed by the committee.

As I said, I don't want to be the person in charge of doing everything. I'm up in Oregon making these plans. Can it happen? Well, I don't have the budget for that. I had a sponsor who was going to volunteer some very nice plaques, but because his equipment got affected by a lightning strike, he was unable to do that. I have another sponsor that stepped forward and said they wanted to do this. So, the awards are there.

My plan right now is to head into Antioch on Monday to see about what the cost would be for the plaques and what sort of style I can get for what budget. I then let my sponsor know and we decide from there. Do I follow through with this? My heart tells me yes, but everything else is telling me that this might not be the right time to do this. This was part of the plan, and the other part of the plan wouldn't take that much to do.

When I made the decision a couple of months ago to push for this Hall Of Fame idea, I started copying various clippings from Antioch Speedway from the 1960s through the 1990s. In fact, I even have clippings from the 1950s. There would be three or four display boards to start with, lined up along the main grandstands. Basically, I was following the Deatherage plan as this has worked well at two tracks.

So basically, you need plaques and you need to make sure the inductees or family members can be there to accept them. You do the ceremonies during the intermission so as not to slow the program down too much. The intended night for this would be October 13th. That's Fall Brawl, and it's a big night for the track. You're not trying to drag the program down with what you do, but rather you're trying to enhance it a little bit more.

The other thing is very seriously, how many people have any idea how long Antioch Speedway has been in operation? The track has been having racing seasons since 1961. That makes 57 years of racing, not counting the two years in the 1950s. In that time, there have been many exciting happenings, controversial times and just memorable moments. Many great drivers have come and gone through the years, and they have inspired the next generation to go racing. It all matters. At least, that's what my heart is telling me.

So I sit here on Sunday thinking to myself, do I push for this? The plaques can be gotten, the display boards can be created and it looks like the inductees or family members could be there. Part of me is ready to go ahead and admit defeat on this once again. Still another part, and I don't know really where this comes from, is telling me to go ahead and follow this thing through. See where it can go. I don't know.

I have a list of 10 drivers to be inducted this year. The thing about a Hall of Fame is there's always next year too. When you don't hear the name that you think should be in there, there's always next year. There are so many deserving racers and people behind the scenes who have made the place so special. And eventually you'll get around to every one of them.

Is Fall Brawl the night to do this? In my opinion, no it isn't. At least ways, it's not the regular night to have this. The reason I chose to start here was because we could at least get it going now. Establish that it exists and build from there. There are some dates on the schedule that would make better candidates for this event. A memorial night like the Larry Damitz Memorial or Jerry Hetrick Memorial comes to mind. Or, the Chet Thomson Memorial event. The point is, it can be moved around to a night that works better for the speedway in the future. It's about getting it started and establishing something that will be good for the track. At least that's how I see it.

So, who do you put into the Hall of Fame in the first year? Well, I always had a vision of putting the founder of the track in there. John P Soares ran this track for 20 seasons. It seems a no-brainer to put him in. I Look to his son, John M Soares, and think that after 21 seasons of promoting this race track, his accomplishments on the track as a driver, his successful endeavor in building winning race cars and so on, he belongs there as well.

I envision a Mount Rushmore of Antioch Speedway. These are the early greats of the track. And on that you have Gary Pacheco. With 30 Sportsman Main Event wins and three championships in four seasons, how can you not see him as the greatest Sportsman driver ever? One of the drivers who ran wheel-to-wheel with him and picked up two championships and 19 feature wins along the way was Bill Brown. He certainly belongs there. Then, you have 72 time Main Event winner JD Willis. Some people call him the greatest racer of all time at the speedway, and I wouldn't dispute that.

There's Dean "The Blinker" Cline. Winner of over 40 Main Events in his career. The only reason he is not more decorated as a champion was because he chose to sell his car twice when he was leading the point race rather than win the championship. There is Willie "The Silver Fox" Myatt. Stock Car champion of the 1970s, top Sportsman runner and feature winner in that class. One of the more respected racers at the speedway.

We have our member-at-large category. Well, Chuck Smith raced and won Stock Car races and Enduro races through the years, but he's also well known as the guy who built all those push buggies and helped keep the program going for years with those vehicles pushing the cars off the track. There's also the guy who announced longer than anybody as far as I know in speedway history, John Myers. Though he was inducted into the Hall Of Fame, the family was never presented with the induction award. So, it's time that Harvey Mason was acknowledged officially for all of the things he did for the speedway through the years with track maintenance, assistant track manager and being one of the first local racers in the 1960s.

That was where I started with this list. Obviously, you can see somebody should be there or whatever, but that's what next year is all about, right? I can name you 20 names without even blinking of people who belong in the Hall of Fame. It's time to celebrate the tradition of Antioch Speedway, and that's what this is all about. And again, I sit here on Sunday thinking to myself, is it time to do this? Should I jump in? I would really love to make this happen, and most everything needed to get it started is in place. The bad part about the whole thing is we really could have used more time in putting this out there. One of the reasons to do this is to get people to come out to the race track and see.

With what's going on in my life these days, perhaps worrying about any of this is the least of my concerns? I'm still not in a very solid position in my life, and what I learned when I got down here was just how close I am to the streets. I don't say that to be dramatic, but it is a very real reality that I could be facing. Through the years, it's always seemed like I put my racing dreams ahead of everything else, and while it may have helped the sport here and there, it wasn't advancing my own life. But on the other hand, as I don't see myself ever being a race track promoter, this is the final statement that I could make. Establishing a Hall Of Fame for others to maintain.

One of the people I believe to be an Antioch Speedway Hall of Famer is Jim Pettit II. His three championships and 46 career Late Model feature wins are second to none. Jim has had a tough year this year with the loss of his father, Jim Pettit Sr. Now, Mr. Pettit is another person that could be considered for a Hall of Fame, especially Watsonville's. When you look back at the things that he did for that race track, sponsoring big races and many cars through the years, without question Mr Pettit would be worthy of being a Hall Of Fame member at Watsonville Speedway, or as they call it these days, Ocean Speedway.

This last weekend was the 8th Annual Pat & Jim Pettit Memorial Shootout race at Watsonville, and they had 120 cars on Friday and 130 on Saturday. Great turnouts all the way around, and the racing was top-notch. This was something I'm sure would have brought a smile to both Mr Pettit and Mrs Pettit as they both loved that race track. It also serves as a reminder to people who may not remember. Watsonville is a Stock Car track.

When I say that, I don't slight Sprint Car racing in the least. I believe Sprint Car racing has a place in Watsonville and has done good things for that track. My main concern is that Stock Car racing doesn't get lost in the shuffle. We've watched the Street Stock, Limited Late Model and Crate Late Model divisions all go away in a short span, and the American Stock division was on the chopping block before it was saved. Two of the biggest races the track has every year are the Pat Pettit Memorial Shootout and the Mike Cecil Memorial Race. Modified and American Stock drivers from all over want to be a part of that show.

Things continue to move ahead at Watsonville, and I give credit to John Prentice and his team for making that happen. I understand one thing. It's not easy to be the promoter of a race track. There are so many things that come up that test your patience and resolve, and you just meet them head-on and move on to the next thing. John Prentice has battled through adversity in the recent years, but he still stands fighting for that race track and doing good things for both Modified racing and Sprint Car racing.

A lot more can be said, but I think I've probably said enough for today. I have things to work on here if I'm going to make them .. And if they don't, my apologies. I will just do the best that I can. Until next time...