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Kniss Grabs First Career Victory At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...April 13...Buddy Kniss picked up his first career All Star Series A Modified 20 lap Main Event win Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. The athletic high school student balances his sports time between playing baseball and getting behind the wheel of an A Modified. After grabbing his best career finish in second the week before, the third generation racer took it up a notch.
Kniss didn't waste much time getting the lead. He began to pull away just a little bit as Danny Wagner and Brian Pearce enjoyed a good battle for second. During the final five tours, past champion Kellen Chadwick slipped by the dueling cars and into second. However, he was no match for the flying Kniss, who scored the popular victory. Wagner settled for third, followed by Pearce and Buddy's father, Chester Kniss.
Shannon Newton turned in another dominant performance in winning his second straight 20 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event. Rick Panfili had a front row start and led the early laps before being passed by Newton. As Newton pulled away, Panfili had his hands full trying to keep the other drivers at bay. With just a few laps to go, Adam Teves made an outside pass on Panfili in Turn 4 to claim second. However, Shannon Newton had checked out on the field for the impressive victory. Cameron Martin also made a late pass for third as Panfili settled for fourth ahead of Mackenzie Newton.
Reigning champion Trevor Clymens won the 20 lap B Modified Main Event. In doing so, he tied 2015 champion Fred Ryland atop the career win leader board in this division with 22 victories. After a couple of early incidents that would eliminate Mark Garner and Brent Curran, Clymens grabbed the lead ahead of rookie Cameron Swank. The second half of the race went relatively smooth, and Trevor Clymens was never seriously challenged as he won ahead of Swank, Nick Caughman Jr, Chuck Golden and Tommy Clymens Jr.
Reigning champion Chris Sorensen won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Past champion Brad Myers got back behind the wheel of the #33 car and took the lead early lead with Sorensen in close pursuit. An issue with traffic in Turn 2 on lap eight cost Myers the lead as Sorensen gained the position. A couple of late restarts enabled Myers to move into second and take one last shot at Sorensen. However, Sorensen was up to the challenge and picked up the win ahead of Myers, Breanna Troen, Philip Oreta and Jake Fletcher.
Racing resumes next Saturday night with the DIRTcar Late Models making their first appearance of the season in the All-Star Series lineup. A Modifieds, B Modifieds and Wingless Spec Sprints round out the four division event. The track will also be celebrating Easter with a special Easter Egg Hunt for the children in the infield during intermission. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
All Star Series Antioch Speedway
A Modifieds
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Brian Pearce, Buddy Kniss. Main Event (20 Laps)-Buddy Kniss, Kellen Chadwick, Danny Wagner, Brian Pearce, Chester Kniss, Terry DeCarlo, John MacDougall, Sean Wilson, Gary Hetrick, Dylan Schriner.
Wingless Spec Sprints
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Roy Fisher, Shannon Newton. Main Event (20 Laps)-Shannon Newton, Adam Teves, Cameron Martin, Rick Panfili, Mackenzie Newton, Kevin Box, Roy Fisher, John McCann, Jeff Scotto.
B Modifieds
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Mark Garner, Chris Sieweke. Main Event (20 Laps)-Trevor Clymens, Cameron Swank, Nick Caughman Jr, Chuck Golden, Tommy Clymens Jr, Haley Gomez, Keith Steinmetz, Kevin Brown, Dennis Gilcrease, Jason Womack.
Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Chris Sorensen, Josh Leach, Brad Myers. Main Event (20 Laps)-Chris Sorensen, Brad Myers, Brianna Troen, Philip Oreta, Jake Fletcher, Will Buirch, Tyler Finklea, John Wacht, Josh Leach, Luke Brignoli.
Late Models Return, More Modifieds At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...The fourth round of All Star Series racing returns to Antioch Speedway this Saturday night. It's a special evening that will include an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids in the infield during intermission and a special remembrance lap for long time racer Cecil Henry, who passed away on St Patrick's Day this year. Featured divisions on the night include the return of the DIRTcar Late Models, along with A Modifieds, Wingless Spec Sprints and B Modifieds.
The DIRTcar Late Models give Antioch Speedway something unique to California. The track is currently the only venue in the state of California offering a championship season for the popular class of cars. Unlike the state of Oregon, it has come down to where Promoter John M Soares is the only one willing to give full Late Models a place to race on the dirt.
This is also the sixth straight season for the class since it was revived in 2014. The two big stars during that time are Jeff Decker and Richard Papenhausen. Decker has gotten so hot that he has won back-to-back championships and the lion's share of the Main Events. He is also the 2007 and 2015 Antioch Speedway champion, making him the only four-time Late Model title winner in the speedway's long history. Papenhausen is a two-time champion who becomes a threat to Decker in the point race should he run the full season.
Some of the top supporters of the speedway in recent seasons include Top 5 ranked racers Mike Hynes and Kimo Oreta, past Dirt Modified champion Rob Norris and Dennis Souza. All four of these drivers would love to beat the two big stars to notch their first career Late Model wins, but doing so won't be easy. Papenhausen and Decker are truly a force at the speedway anytime they are there.
Following his first career feature victory last week, teen racer Buddy Kniss has taken over the point lead in the A Modified division. The Kniss team probably wasn't even talking about points coming into the year, but after three events, Buddy leads two-time Dwarf Car champion Danny Wagner by eight points in a close race. After winning the first two races of the season, reigning champion Nick DeCarlo missed a race and fell back 44 points behind Kniss. He is currently being challenged by Kellen Chadwick, who is just eight points behind him.
Chadwick, who is a past title winner in this class and also a winner of the prestigious Wild West Speedweek Series a few years back, had a disappointing season opener, but he was the one chasing Kniss across the line last week for a second place finish. Second is not something Chadwick is thrilled with as a five-time winner last season, and he'll be going for his first win of the year when he returns to the track. Other drivers to watch for include rookie Frank Furtado, Gary Hetrick, Gregg Allen McElhaney, John MacDougall and Terry DeCarlo.
The Richard Basden team has been a force in Wingless Spec Sprint racing since getting involved in the class back when the CSRA was sanctioning races at the Sacramento Raceway dirt oval. They've teamed up with Shannon Newton in recent years, and Newton mounted a serious challenge for the Spec Sprint championship last year before finishing second to Bob Newberry. This season, Newton has turned in dominant performances in winning the first two features.
There are several newcomers in this class this year, but division original Rick Panfili and ageless veteran Roy Fisher are bringing their experience advantage to the table. These are the two chasing Newton as both are just four points out of the lead. Fisher has won races in the past, but Panfili is looking for his first career win. He led several laps last week, and Fisher finished second in the season opener. Mackenzie Newton is currently fourth after a strong rookie season last year. Other drivers in the field include Kevin Box, Cameron Martin, rookie Jeff Scotto and rising young star Adam Teves. Teves finished second in his season debut in the Lloyd Beard Special last week.
The B Modified division has been a test of patience for the racers. To say there has been carnage so far is an understatement. Just surviving to get to the checkered flag may put you in a good position to win. However, they all know the man you need to beat to get those wins. Two-time reigning champion Trevor Clymens picked up his 22nd career win in this division last week, tying him with 2015 champion Fred Ryland atop the Winner's List in this class. After his second place finish last week, rookie Cameron Swank sits six points ahead of Clymens. Swank is the 2017 Hobby Stock champion and has looked good in his B Modified effort so far.
Kevin Brown, season opener winner Tommy Fraser and Tommy Clymens Jr are doing well as a Top 5 drivers in the standings so far. The carnage has taken its toll on 2018 Limited Late Model champion Mark Garner and Brent Curran, who both watched the finish from the sidelines last week after a lap two accident that they got caught up in. Curran also didn't finish the season opener and is currently assessing whether he will continue to make a run at Antioch points. Both drivers have proven that they can get it to the Winner's Circle in recent seasons, and they are both threats to win any time they are at the track. Nick Caughman Jr, rookie Keith Steinmetz, Jason Womack and Dennis Gilcrease are others to watch for.
The program should kick off with a memorial lap for the man they called The Wild Irishman, Cecil Henry. Henry raced in the Hobby Stock division when it first began, winning several Main Events and finishing second in points in the first season. After running Dirt Modifieds for a while, he moved into Limited Late Models and was Top 5 ranked in that class. He passed away on St Patrick's Day this year, and some of his fellow racers want to pay respects to him with a lap in his honor to get the night's program started.
With an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids and a great lineup of racing on the card for the night, Antioch Speedway will be a fun place to be this Saturday night. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Johnson, Hogge, Frost Open Ocean Speedway Season
With Victories
Watsonville, CA...April 12...Chase Johnson won the 30 lap Taco Bravo Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. After three rainouts, this was the 60th season opener for the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds race track. Chase made it a Johnson 1-2 finish at the front of the pack with younger brother Colby finishing second.
Reigning Petaluma Speedway champion Jake Haulot had the pole for the feature, but he would soon be overtaken by second row starter Chase Johnson. Shortly thereafter, third row starter Colby Johnson moved by for second. The race ran very rapidly with a red flag slow down on lap 12 when Kurt Nelson flipped. Fortunately he wasn't injured. Chase Johnson picked up where he left off on the restart by leading Colby Johnson all the way to the checkered flag. Haulot settled for third, followed by Kaleb Montgomery, Jeremy Chisum, Koen Shaw, John Clark, Billy Aton, Wayne Katen and Jason Chisum.
The 19 competitors qualified on the clock, and Colby Johnson set the fast time at 11.936, beating the 11.969 of Tucker Worth. There were three eight lap heat races with Clark out running Chase Johnson to win the first one. Kurt Nelson battled Worth to pick up the win in the second heat, while Haulot outran Montgomery to claim the third heat victory. Haulot also won the six lap Trophy Dash ahead of Clark.
Bobby Hogge IV won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. From his front row start, Hogge set a rapid pace in the lead and led all the way for the impressive victory. Robert Marsh took up pursuit of Hogge early on, but reigning champion Cody Burke made a move up from the fourth row to challenge and eventually pass Marsh for second. Burke made his presence known to Hogge as they battled for a bit, but Hogge would prevail at the checkered flag. Marsh settled for third, followed by Brian Cass, Austin Burke, Jeff Decker, Raymond Keldsen Jr, Anthony Copeland, James Alaga and Jim Pettit II. Anthony Slaney won the first of two eight lap heat races ahead of Hogge, while Cody Burke outran Decker to win the other heat.
Adriane Frost won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Frost had the lead from the outset and led through a pair of yellow flags during the first 10 laps. Randy Miller slipped past Austin Williams for the second position on a lap 11 restart. However, Frost gradually pulled away to a good advantage by the waving of the checkered flag. Miller settled for second, followed by Williams, Billy Robertson, Kelly Campanile, Steven Allee, Charlie Hunter, John Ferro and Max Baggett. It was Miller winning a close battle with Frost in their eight lap heat race, while Robertson won his heat ahead of Allee.
JC Elrod collected the victory in the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Elrod and multi-time champion Rob Gallaher shared the second row, but they were soon out front battling for the lead. Elrod was the only driver to break into the 16 second bracket in the Main Event, but he still had to deal with Gallaher. Gallaher made his way by Elrod and for the lead. However, Elrod charged back to the front on lap 14 and led the rest of the way in victory, Rob Gallaher ended up second, followed by DJ Keldsen, Quentin Harris, Terry Traub, Wally Kennedy, Dustin Nelson, Joe Gallaher, Long and Nick Triolo. Elrod outran Skelton to claim the first eight lap heat race win, while Rob Gallaher led Long for the 1-2 finish in the other heat.
Dakota Keldsen scored the victory in the 15 lap Four Banger Main Event. Keldsen and Nicole Beardsley shared the front row of the race, and Keldsen moved into the lead from the start. He set a good pace in the event that was only slowed by a lap seven yellow flag. Third row starter John Grilli worked his way up to make a move around Beardsley for second. However, it was Keldsen prevailing ahead of Grilli, Nicole Beardsley, Kate Beardsley, Bill Beardsley, DJ Harrington, Luke Babcock, Ryan McClelland and Nate Teramo. McClelland won the first eight lap heat race ahead of Keldsen, and Babcock outran Nicole Beardsley to win the other heat.
Racing resumes next Friday night with the Ocean Sprints headlining Special Olympics Night. Joining them on the card will be the South Bay Dwarf Cars, Midgets and Police N Pursuit cars. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.
Special Olympics Night Set For Ocean Speedway This Friday
Watsonville, CA...Ocean Speedway kicked off their 60th season in style Last Friday Night with a crowd-pleasing five division program that kept the fans entertained from start to finish. It was highlighted by a crowd-pleasing show by the Ocean Sprints, Presented By Taco Bravo. The Sprint Cars will be a part of this show, joined by the South Bay Dwarf Cars, USAC Speed2 Midgets the Police N Pursuit cars.
Nobody in California seems to have a show quite like the Police N Pursuit. Drivers representing several different Bay Area law enforcement teams compete about once a month. They even run with their Police lights lit. However, these drivers aren't just about racing, they also like to do things to give back to the community. In this case, the group is behind a successful Special Olympics Night fundraising effort that happens at Ocean Speedway each year. The goal is to raise money for a worthy cause.
On the track, these drivers are having fun and putting on a show for the fans. Last year, Chris Murphy was the championship winner by just a point ahead of Roy Iler and nine ahead of John Hohmann. Murphy represents the California Highway Patrol, while Iler represents the San Benito Sheriff's Office. Hohmann is part of the Scotts Valley Police Department. Any given race will have a dozen or so drivers from different law enforcement units. The Police N Pursuit division also gives law enforcement officers the opportunity to show that there are real human beings behind the badge who are just like everybody else.
The open wheel themed night will include the Ocean Sprint Cars, and the season opener was an opportunity for the Johnson brothers from Penngrove to put on a show at the front of the pack. The two are the great-grandsons of Bay Area Hardtop legend Johnny Franklin. Chase Johnson runs all different forms of Sprint Cars and even Midgets, and younger brother Colby has been rapidly climbing the ladder as one of the top drivers at Petaluma Speedway.
Locally speaking, the Chisum team has been fielding multiple cars for the past couple of years. Jeremy Chisum gave a great accounting of himself with a Top 5 performance in the opener. He's hoping to make a move up and compete for a feature victory. Last season's runner-up, Koen Shaw, had a Top 10 effort, as did possible point runners Billy Aton, Wayne Katen and Jason Chisum. The absence of three-time reigning champion Brad Furr and Justin Sanders creates the real possibility that we could see a first-time champion in the division this year. It's a competitive group, and several drivers are capable of winning.
The South Bay Dwarf Cars have been a part of the Ocean Speedway program for about two decades. Gene "Punky" Pires was a three-time winner last season and managed to pick up the championship after a good battle with Zach Price. Pires is a longtime supporter of the group and may be the driver to beat again this year. However, he can expect some stiff competition from the likes of past champion Mark Biscardi, Eric Weisler, Justin Yanez and Ryan Amlen, among others.
After talking with longtime racing official Mike McCluney, Promoter John Prentice decided to give the USAC Speed2 Midgets an opportunity to gain some traction at Ocean Speedway. The division has been a part of racing in California for about a decade, but it has struggled to gain counts, unlike its Washington counterpart that generally produces car counts in the 20s. McCluney has witnessed the success of the Northwest Focus Midget group and is hoping to follow some of their blueprint in building their presence in California.
During the offseason, McCluney was involved in testing the cars. Jimmy May was turning laps at Ventura Raceway, and he was part of an eight-car field that was at Ventura last week. He picked up a heat race win before having problems and ending up fifth in the Main Event. David Prickett, who is anticipated on Friday, finished second, right behind Tyler Edwards. Another driver anticipated for this show is Randi Pankratz. Pankratz has been a supporter of the Ventura effort in recent years.
What McCluney was able to accomplish after consulting with the promoters at Watsonville and Ventura was the schedule that enables drivers to travel back and forth without missing races. For the most part, they are not racing both tracks on the same weekend. Prentice and McCluney are optimistic that they can build something with this Midget effort in Watsonville, giving the fans another exciting type of racing to enjoy.
Friday night racing at Ocean Speedway has been a great tradition for many years, and the fans have enjoyed many great shows. This open wheel special will also be for a good cause as they raise money to support the Special Olympics. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.
Machado A Double Winner At Petaluma Speedway
Petaluma, CA...April 13...In one of the wildest nights seen at Petaluma Speedway in a long time, reigning Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stock champion Mitch Machado brought it home a double winner Saturday night. Machado won in the BMR Motorsports Super Stock entry earlier in the evening and then came back to win the 25 lap McLea's Tires IMCA Modified feature. Machado didn't even make an appearance in the Top 5 until during the second half of the Modified race, but he found himself in contention with a few laps to go.
Early on in the IMCA Modified feature, it was multi-time champion Michael Paul Jr and reigning champion Oreste Gonella battling fiercely for the lead. Gonella won last year's title without winning a feature, and he finally wrestled the lead away from Paul on lap six. Gonella was doing well until his race came to an abrupt end for a lap 11 yellow flag. Paul resumed command ahead of Tim Yeager on the restart, but he encountered problems to end his bid for a win on lap 22. Suddenly, Anthony Slaney led Machado. Machado maneuvered past Slaney on the white flag lap and then held him off for the final lap to collect an unlikely victory. Tim Cecil finished third ahead of Terry Kaiser, Paul, Justin Yeager, Tim Yaeger, Gary Zwicker, Raymond Lindeman and Ray Trimble. Trimble and Paul were the eight lap heat race winners.
Machado's Main Event luck started in The 25 lap Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stock race, where he looked impressive in victory. He led the race from the start ahead of Tim O'Hara, but O'Hara surrendered second to last season's point runner-up, Steve Studebaker, on lap four. Machado continued to lead Studebaker and O'Hara through a pair of yellow flags, but O'Hara had problems on lap 18 as the yellow flag waved. This was the final slow down of the race, and Machado continued to lead Studebaker on the restart. Machado brought it home to a satisfying victory ahead of Studebaker, Gary Adams, Manny Avila, Austin Ohlinger, Sean Cook, O'Hara, Snazzy Duckworth, Dave Spindell and Matt While. There were two eight lap heat races with O'Hara winning the first one ahead of Cook. Machado outran two-time champion While to win the other heat.
Bradley Terrell won the PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprint 25 lap Main Event. Terrell set the pace from the start with Sprint Car veteran Sparky Howard an early second. Howard got passed by Hawaii native Boy Moniz on lap 11, but Terrell already held a straightaway advantage by then. Dennis Furia Jr was holding down third until being passed by reigning champion Shayna Sylvia on lap 17. Sylvia got by Moniz, but the lead was pretty much insurmountable by then as Terrell was setting a very rapid pace. Terrell won by a half-lap ahead of Sylvia, Moniz, Furia, Howard, Cody Fendley, Angelique Bell, Chet Wilson, Marcus Smith and Travis DeGaton.
Sylvia bested the 18 car field in qualifying with a quick lap around the three-eighth mile adobe oval of 15.163. Terrell was second quick at 15.201. Terrell outran Moniz to win the first of three eight lap heat races. Sylvia finished ahead of Scott Chapeta in the second heat, while Furia outran Fendley to win the final heat.
Kyle Grissom won the 20 lap Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micro Main Event. Grissom was wheeling one of the two Arolo Company Pump & Well owned entries, the other being driven by teammate Justin Adiego. After gaining the lead on lap three, Nick Robfogel seemed to have things well in hand. Adiego settled into second, but he surrendered the position to Grissom on lap eight. Unfortunately for Robfogel, his run came to an end on lap 14. This also put Grissom into the lead. Grissom led the restart and held off a late surge by Brian Slubik for the victory. Adiego finished third, followed by Jamie Faulkner, Sam Borland, Rob Brown, Daniel Dickinson, Robfogel and Angel Cappas. Cappas won an eight lap heat race in front of Victor Guerra. Robfogel scored a win in his heat, followed by Carroll Mendenhall. Grissom won the final heat race ahead of Adiego.
Next Saturday night, racing continues with the PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars and Wingless Spec Sprints along with the General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars and the Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Petaluma Speedway Fans Ready For
Open Wheel Excitement Saturday Night
Petaluma, CA...Petaluma Speedway had a successful season opener last weekend after rain hadn't been kind to their practice sessions or their two previously scheduled races. Promoter Rick Faeth is hoping to build on that momentum this Saturday night as the PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars and Wingless Spec Sprints will be racing along with the Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks and the Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks.
Last Saturday night's Cabinets Plus of Santa Rosa event turned out to be an historical night at the speedway. The community was in mourning as we lost Harvey Balestrini Sr and Jane Machado during the offseason. Machado is the wife of longtime Petaluma Speedway racer Mitch Machado, and some are saying that Jane was looking out for him when he picked up not one but two Main Event victories. In addition to driving the BRC Motorsports Super Stock to victory, he also scored an unlikely win in the McLea's Tires Service IMCA Modified race.
Machado is the reigning Super Stock champion and looked faster than ever in posting his win last week ahead of multi-time champion Steve Studebaker. It seemed like a flashback to last season as Studebaker was usually shadowing Machado at the finish line then too. These two stalwarts of the division go back to the 1980s at the speedway as does division Ironman Shawn McCoy. Other drivers who will be hoping to knock Machado off of the perch include Gary Adams, Manny Avila, Sean Cook, Tim O'Hara and Snazzy Duckworth.
In the PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars, a few drivers have been so anxious to get some races into the books that they've headed to other venues. Reigning champion Jake Haulot and John Clark have both done well in Marysville in recent weeks, while Colby Johnson pursued his brother Chase Johnson in second last week at Watsonville. Johnson, Haulot and Clark could be three of the big players in the Winged Sprint Car ranks this year. Other drivers to watch for include hard-charger Klint Simpson, Roberto Kirby and David Lindt II.
Bradley Terrell has won the Winged Sprint Car title at Petaluma Speedway in the past, but he hasn't claimed those honors in the wingless ranks. He finished second with several feature wins last year, and might have won it all had he made every event. To show how tough he is, Terrell won the season opener in dominant fashion ahead of last season's champion Shayna Sylvia. These two drivers figure to be at the forefront of the battle.
However, Hawaii native Boy Moniz was in second for several laps last week before settling for third. Moniz sort of came out of nowhere at the end of 2017 by winning his only start at Antioch Speedway. He hasn't raced that much, but he's been fast when he's been out there. Another driver looking to get his first win in the class is Dennis Furia Jr, who finished fourth last week. 2017 champion Ryon Siverling, Scott Chapeta, Sparky Howard and Angelique Bell are other drivers to watch for this week.
Tom Brown won the Mini Stock championship last season. His closest rival, Dave Spindell, won over half of the Main Events, but now it appears as if he is the latest driver making the move up from this class into the Super Stocks. This could open the door for Jeremy Tjensvold to make a play for the championship. Tjensvold made his debut halfway through the season and was a feature winner last year. Another driver who could be a threat for the title is Danny Manzoni, who finished third last season. There are some good drivers in the field, including the team of Antonio Miramontez and Randy Miramontez, Roy Deering, Sophie Shelly and Roberta Broze.
Now that the Petaluma Speedway season has begun, there are some great events lined up all the way through the beginning of October, including Saturday's big four division program. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Jones Wins Dwarf Car Nationals, Peckham, Wilkinson
Win Sport Mod Races
Win Sport Mod Races
Merced, CA...April 12-13...Over 60 Dwarf Cars flocked to Merced Speedway for the Third Annual Dwarf Nationals. The event is hosted by the South Bay Dwarf Cars under the Western States Dwarf Car Association banner and runs a program that breaks the division down into three different groups. Drivers from various associations from throughout the western states made this a true All Star Dwarf Car event.
The headlining group of Dwarf Cars was the Pro Division. Shawn Jones divides his racing time between Dwarf Cars and Wingless Spec Sprints and is a champion in both divisions. Jones started in the third row of the Main Event and worked his way to the front, where he battled Ryan Winter for the 30 lap victory. Nevada's Joe Frock finished third, followed by South Bay competitor Terre Rothweiler and Michael Grenert.
Friday night winner Derren Brown won the Fast Dash to earn the pole for the feature, but he fell back to a seventh place finish in that race, right behind Oregon star Camden Robustelli. Grenert won the 15 lap B Main ahead of Southern California star John Isabella and Mac Marmon.
Kevin Bender won the 20 lap Veterans Dwarf Car Main Event. Bender finished second behind Mark Biscardi in the 10 lap Fast Dash. Second row starter Eric Weisler proved to be the closest threat to Bender in the end, but he settled for second ahead of Scott Dahlgren.
Lonnie Tekaat was the only driver with a perfect weekend as he won both the Preliminary Feature on Friday and Saturday's 20 lap Sportsman Main Event. Tekaat had a disappointing effort in the Fast Dash, won by Mike Affonso. He started back in the fourth row and charged forward to take the win. John Damron finished second ahead of Garrett Brady.
The Friday night portion of the Nationals ran a full program with the Preliminary Features designed to take the Top 10 drivers into the Saturday night Fast Dash. The Dash determined the first five rows of Saturday's Main Event. Southern California star Darren Brown won the 30 lap Pro Feature ahead of Nevada's Joe Frock, Ben Haney, Ryan Plexico and Ryan Winter. With 27 cars in that group, they also ran a 15 lap B Main, won by Camden Robustelli ahead of Michael "Spanky" Grenert and Ben Wiesz.
Scott Dahlgren picked up the 20 lap Veterans Preliminary Feature win for the older drivers, followed by Kevin Miraglio and Buddy Olschowka. For the newer drivers to Dwarf Car racing, it was Lonnie Tekaat winning the Sportsman 20 lap Preliminary Feature ahead of Tom Weglin and Taylor Hanson.
The IMCA Sport Modifieds joined the Dwarf Cars on both evenings. On Saturday night, it was front row starter Andrew Peckham winning what turned out to be a rapidly paced 25 lap Main Event. 2016 champion Fred Ryland came from the third row to challenge Peckham before settling for second ahead of Bruce Nelson, Nick Tucker, KC Keller, Kelly Wilkinson, Patti Ryland, Keith Brown Jr. Danny Roe and Tim Elias.
With a strong turnout of 26 competitors, Tanner Thomas had to win the 12 lap B Main ahead of TJ Etchison III, Brown and Paul Espino to make it into the show. Eight lap heat race wins were earned by Guy Ahlwardt, Peckham, Tucker and Fred Ryland.
The Sport Modifieds also had a 26 car turn out on Friday, and Kelly Wilkinson won the 20 lap Main Event from his pole position start. Nick Tucker earned a second place finish ahead of Patti Ryland, Tanner Thomas, 2015 State champion Fred Ryland, Tim Elias, Chuck Weir, Guy Ahlwardt, Keith Brown Jr and Bruce "Bubba" Nelson.
Nelson earned his feature start by winning the 12 lap B Main in front of Garrett Jernagan, Danny Roe and Michael Johnson. Thomas, Brown, Fred Ryland and Andrew Peckham were the eight lap heat race winners.
The IMCA Modifieds ran a 25 lap Main Event on Friday night, and two-time champion Randy Brown came from the third row to win that race ahead of Ryan Porter, reigning State champion Shane DeVolder, Jesse James Burks, season opener winner Troy Foulger, Ethan Dotson, Kellen Chadwick, Paul Stone, Ramie Stone and Derek Nance. It was Burks and Porter picking up their respective eight lap heat race wins.
Rounding out Saturday's program was the season debut of the California Sharp Mini Late Models. Timothy Crews battled fellow front-row starter Riley Jeppesen to win the 15 lap Main Event. Logan Clay finished third, followed by Kaylin Lopez and Rodger Guthrie. Kennzzie Brown was a Main Event scratch in her division debut, and Jeppesen won the six lap heat race.
The USAC Western States Midgets are coming to town next Saturday for an exciting show that will also include the IMCA Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.mercedspeedway.net or the Merced Speedway Facebook page.
First Annual Easter Egg Spectacular
At Merced Speedway Saturday Night
Merced, CA...This Saturday night will be one of the many special attractions being offered throughout the season at Merced Speedway. USAC Western States Midgets will be in town for their first of two scheduled appearances. There will also be an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids. It's all part of the First Annual Easter Egg Spectacular, Presented By Advanced IPM. Joining the Midgets on the program will be the Inside Lines IMCA Modifieds, FND Motorsports Hobby Stocks and the Mini Stocks.
The United States Auto Club remains one of the top Sprint Car and Midget promotions in the United States. The Western States Midgets division offers up some of the best racing you're going to find in California. The group tours several different venues, but they have enjoyed making visits to Merced Speedway in recent years. Generally, they bring a field of anywhere from 15 to 20 cars, and there are some really good drivers within their ranks.
At their season opener in Bakersfield two weeks ago, Ben Worth won a thriller. After leading early, he found himself having to play catch-up during the final 10 laps of the race. He moved in to battle Jake Swanson and Michael Faccinto before picking up the impressive win. All three drivers led laps during that race, and all three are anticipated this Saturday night. This is one of those shows that you don't want to miss as other competitors such as Alex Schutte, Cory Elliott, Shannon McQueen, Robert Dalby, David Prickett and Marvin Mitchell are anticipated.
The Inside Lines IMCA Modified division has had some unexpected talent invading for the first two races. At the head of the pack is four-time Antioch Speedway champion Troy Foulger, who won the season opener in impressive fashion. Foulger drives the fast Bill Bowers owned Modified and has become one of the drivers to watch anytime the money is on the line. At the most recent race, however, two-time champion Randy Brown reminded everybody that he's still a force to be reckoned with at Merced Speedway as he won the race. The standings reflect a tie between Foulger and Brown heading into their third event.
Two other drivers in close pursuit, Ethan Dotson and past Antioch Speedway champion Kellen Chadwick, may not be anticipated this week, but they are players anytime they are in town. Locally, fourth-generation racer Ryan Porter is somebody hoping to make a play for wins and a potential championship. He currently finds himself 10 points out of the lead, two ahead of multi-time champion Paul Stone and 4 ahead of another multi time champion, Ramie Stone. DJ Shannon, Jesse Burks and Ricky Thatcher are other drivers to watch for this weekend.
After back-to-back Hobby Stock championships, Kodie Dean has made his debut in the IMCA Sport Modifieds. This has left the rest of the pack scrambling to see who can stake their claims on this season's FND Motorsports Hobby Stock championship. One driver who has finished as high as second in the standings and is poised to make a run is Chowchilla's Austin Van Hoff. Van Hoff was a multi time feature winner last season. The consistent Shannon Nelson finished second in the standings last season and is another driver to contend with. Likewise there's past division runner-up Kristie Shearer, who ranked among the Top 5 last season. There are some great racers in the Hobby Stock division, including 2016 champion Michael Shearer, Donnie Shearer, Robbie Loquaci, Mike Germait and Kalob Shelton.
The Mini Stocks make their second appearance of the season, and second-year racer Jennifer Rodgers is hoping to cross the finish line first to grab her second victory. She was elevated from second to a win in the opener after the winner was disqualified in post-race tech. Rodgers still did an excellent job of holding off hard chargers like Shawn DePriest and multi-time champion Chris Corder, who finished second and third, respectively. The Mini Stocks had a strong turnout for their first race, and drivers to watch for this week include last year's runner-up, Lee Ragsdale, Jennifer Corder, Lucy Falkenberg and Tyler Post.
The racing on the track will be exciting, and the kids will have the opportunity to get a nice Easter treat with the Easter Egg Hunt happening during intermission. It's another fine example of the great things happening out at Merced Speedway this year. For further information, go to www.mercedspeedway.net.
Late Pass Nets Scelzi $10,000 Asparagus Cup Win
At The Stockton Dirt Track
Stockton, CA...April 12...Giovanni Scelzi scored an impressive victory at the opening night of the Asparagus Cup Friday night at the Stockton Dirt Track. Scelzi moved past race long leader Mitchell Faccinto on the 28th lap to put the Gary Scelzi owned entry into the Winner's Circle. This was also an Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour, Presented By Abreu Vineyards, sanctioned event. The rich purse guaranteed a minimum of $800 for each of the starters of the 30 lap Main Event.
After finishing second to Ryan Robinson in the Trophy Dash, Faccinto put himself into a nice position on the front row of the Main Event. He raced into the lead ahead of Scelzi and Robinson at the start. Shane Golobic took over third on a lap seven restart, and the red flag flew on lap 10 for B Main winner Andy Forsberg. Faccinto continued to lead Scelzi and Golobic on the restart. A final yellow flag slowed the pace on lap 18. Scelzi continued to pursue Faccinto on the restart while Golobic, Tim Kaeding and Rico Abreu filled out the remainder of the Top 5. It was a two-car battle at the front of the pack, and Scelzi was persistent. He made his winning move in traffic on lap 29, which was essentially a $7,500 pass as second place would win $2,500. While Scelzi claimed the rich victory, Faccinto settled for second, followed by Golobic, Tim Kaeding, Abreu, Kyle Hirst, Bud Kaeding, Tony Gualda, DJ Netto and Robinson.
There were 37 competitors for the Friday portion of the big two-day event. They ran qualifying within their groups to determine the heat race lineups. The fastest time overall was turned in by Group 2 competitor Golobic at 13.916, beating the 13.958 effort of Hirst, who ran in Group 1. Tanner Carrick won the first ten lap heat race ahead of Bud Kaeding. Robinson outran Golobic to claim the second heat race, while Colby Copeland bested Scelzi to win the third heat. Willie Croft outran Justyn Cox to win the final heat. The Top 4 finishers of the 15 lap B Main made it into the Main Event. It was Forsberg winning that race, followed by Justin Sanders, Oregon competitor Garen Linder, Abreu and Logan Seavey.
Scelzi Ends Perfect Weekend With $15,000 Asparagus Cup Win At The Stockton Dirt Track
Stockton, CA...April 13....Giovanni Scelzi wrapped up a perfect weekend with a rich victory in the 30 lap Sprint Car Challenge Tour, presented by Abreu Vineyards, Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at the Stockton Dirt Track. This was the final night of the Asparagus Cup event, and the win paid Scelzi an impressive $15,000 aboard the Gary Scelzi owned Sprinter. This follows his victory on Friday night, which paid $10,000, making this an amazing $25,000 weekend for the team.
After winning the Trophy Dash, Colby Copeland had hoped that he had the right spot on the pole for the Main Event. Copeland paced the race for seven laps. Scelzi ran second until making his move around Copeland for the lead on lap eight. A yellow flag on lap 11 slowed the pace. Scelzi resumed command ahead of Copeland and Tim Kaeding on the restart. The lead three ran that way until Kaeding made the pass on Copeland for second on lap 19. Kyle Hirst raced by Copeland for third on lap 27. Kaeding tried to make a challenge, but Scelzi was just too tough to beat on this weekend as he went on to a satisfying and very lucrative victory. Kaeding settled for a $3,000 second, followed by Hirst, Copeland, Tony Gualda, Bud Kaeding, Ryan Bernal, Shane Golobic, Rico Abreu and Justyn Cox.
There were 36 competitors for the big show, and they all qualified among their heat race groups. The Top 2 qualifiers came in the first group as Willie Croft set the standard at 14.149, besting that 14.189 of Scelzi. The two fast qualifiers had to run the same heat with Croft outrunning Scelzi to win that 10 lap race. Gualda bested Andy Forsberg to win his heat race, while Logan Seavey outran Lucas Ashe in the third heat. Bernal won the final heat race ahead of Copeland. The 15 lap B Main win went to Mitchell Faccinto ahead of Golobic, Garen Linder, Sanders and Tanner Carrick.
Next up for the Sprint Car Challenge Tour is their first visit of the year to Petaluma Speedway on April 27th. The next race at the Stockton Dirt Track takes place on the May 25th. It's the Annual Jimmy Sills Classic race, featuring Winged 360 Sprint Cars and BCRA Midgets. You can find out more about the Sprint Car Challenge Tour by going to www.sprintcarchallengetour.com and you can find out more about the happenings at the Stockton Dirt Track by going to www.stocktondirttrack.com.
Daly, Nation, Grizincic Open Santa Maria Raceway Season With Feature Wins
Santa Maria, CA...April 13...Clay Daly picked up the 25 lap Western Pro Stock Main Event victory Saturday night at Santa Maria Raceway. This was the season opener for the track, and Daly left little doubt who was going to win. After a complete restart, Daly charged into lead in what was to be a non-stop event ahead of Tim Randolph. The lead duo ran that way for the entire distance, and Randolph was the only driver remotely close to Clay, nearly a straightaway behind at the checkered flag. Chad Schaffer would finish third, ahead of Frank Nyback, Billy Simkins, Justin Crockett, Chris Smith, Paul Miller, Chris Clinton and Ryan Smith.
Daly gave indication of things to come when he set the quick time in qualifying with a lap of 17.313, beating the 17.658 effort of Jerry Stewart. Daly won his heat race with a last-lap pass on leader Ryan Smith. Dave King Jr bested Simkins to win the other eight lapper.
Cody Burke won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. He led the race from the outset ahead of Dylan Thornton. However, Austin Burke passed Thornton for second on lap three. There was a yellow flag on lap 12, but Cody continued to lead his brother Austin Burke on the restart. It was Cody Burke scoring the win just ahead of Austin Burke, Thornton and Brad Prows. Danny Cavanagh and Steve Streeter were Main Event scratches. Cody Burke outran Thornton to pick up the eight lap heat race victory.
Levi Burgett won the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. Burgett had the lead from the start with Zach Chavez chasing him until being passed by Jaryd Padgett on lap four. Through three yellow flags during the final 10 laps. Padgett held second on each restart, but he was unable to make the challenge on the winning car of Burgett. Chris McElreath finished third, followed by Chavez, Jarod Pack, Bill Barnhill, Butch Headrick, Ally Thornton, James Herrera and Justin Gangolff. Burgett won the first of two eight lap heat races in front of Chavez. Barnhill outran McElreath to win the second heat.
Jason Nation won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. It was Parker Maccianti leading the race for three laps before being passed by Mike Dean. Dean led Markus Frazier on a lap eight restart, but Nation passed Fraser for second on lap ten. A yellow flag waved moments later, and Nation took the lead from Dean on the restart with Kevin Johnson moving into third. Johnson slipped past Dean for second late and would finish there as Nation picked up the victory. Dean settled for third, followed by Maccianti, Austin Ruskauff, Brian Baker, Robbie Claborn, Aaron Farrell, Frazier and Todd Carlock. Maccianti outran Ferrell to win their eight lap heat race. it was Johnson outrunning Dean to claim the second heat race win.
Reigning champion Tom Grizincic rolled to an impressive victory in the 2O lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Grizincic led from the start with Scotty Preast moving into second on lap three. Taylor Janes settled into third on lap seven. A late yellow flag on lap 16 allowed Preast one more shot at it, but it was not to be. Grizincic brought it home to a satisfying win ahead of Preast, Janes, Mike Keebler, Aaron Bruce, Sean Martin Sr, Pat Fausel, Pat Martin and Matt McEwan. Keebler battled Preast to win the first eight lap heat race, while Grizincic outran McEwan to claim the second heat victory.
Enduro veteran Rich Denman picked up the win in the 20 lap American Stock Main Event. Justin Jackson charged into the early lead with Denman in fourth. Denman took third from Dale Sylvester on lap three and made a pass around Jimmy Satlawa to gain second on lap four. Denman began to close in on Jackson and caught him by lap 14. He made his winning pass on lap 15. From there, Denman went on to victory with Jackson settling for second, followed by Dale Sylvester, Satlawa, Gregg Baker, Nicholas Verbryke, Hailey Wyand and Kevin Pritchard. Ed Wyand didn't start due to mechanical issues. Jackson picked up a heat race win ahead of Sylvester. It was Satlawa winning the other eight lap heat in front of Verbryke.
Next up at Santa Maria Raceway is a visit by the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars and USAC Western States Midgets on April 27th. Joining them on the program will be the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Dwarf Cars and NMRA TQ Midgets. For further information, go to www.santamariaraceway.com.
Moles A Double Winner In Dixon Speedway Opener
Dixon, CA...April 13...Mitchell Moles made a surprise visit to Dixon Speedway for their season opener on Saturday night and left town with feature wins in two of the classes. Moles won the 25 lap Super 600 Micro feature. He then proceeded to remove his wing and pick up another victory in the 25 lap Wingless 600 Micro Main Event. Moles was coming off of a double podium night in both classes at the Annual Jett Bowl Classic in Lemoore last weekend.
The Wingless 600 race was led early by Danny Carroll ahead of Brandon Shaw. Brandon Carey was an early third, and Moles settled into fourth on lap four. Moles took third from Carey a lap later and quickly moved past Shaw for the second spot. Shaw's run in the Top 3 ended as the yellow flag waved on lap 12. Carroll continued to lead Moles and Dan Mognaga on the restart. Moles continued to pressure Carroll until making the winning pass on lap 16. Mognaga followed him closely into second. One final yellow flag on lap 22 would not stop Moles. He led the restart and the remaining three tours for the well-earned victory. Mognaga finished second, followed by Carroll, Carey, Randy Sims, Adam Kaeding, Tucker LaCaze, Isac Johnson, Cameron Paul and Harlee Aguilera.
The Wingless Micros had an impressive 29 car field, and Moles set the fast time standard at 10.885, beating the 10.968 effort of Carey. Moles won his heat race by a good margin ahead of Carroll. The second 10 lap race went to Carey ahead of Blake McGourty, and Magnoga won the final heat in front of Kaeding. The eight lap Trophy Dash went to Carroll ahead of Shaw. LaCaze won the 12 lap B Main ahead of Justin Stretch and Aguilera.
Moles had a front row start for the Super 600 feature and jumped out to the lead at the green flag ahead of Colton Huelsmann. Moles would lead every lap, leaving the battle for second. By lap eight, he held a straightaway advantage over Huelsmann, but a lap 11 caution flag erased that. Ricky Sanders took the second position from Huelsmann on the restart. He held that position through one more yellow flag and followed the flying leader Moles to the checkered flag. Reigning division champion Kyle Mentch finished third, followed by Blaine Baxter, Hayden Saich, Jason Chapman, Blake Bower, Huelsmann and JJ Bright.
There were 14 competitors in the Super 600 class, and Huelsmann topped the qualifier's list at 10.137, beating the 10.176 of Mentch. There were two 10 lap heat races, and Bower managed to hold off Moles to win the first one. The second heat race victory went to Saich as Mentch finished second. Eight lap Trophy Dash honors went to Moles ahead of Blaine Baxter.
Matthew Tatoole scored the win in the 20 lap 600 Restricted Micro Main Event. Tatoole started on the front row and raced into the lead ahead of Ashton Torgerson and Jeffrey Pahule. Izaac Sharp settled into third on lap five and managed to grab second from Torgerson on lap nine. Devon Courtnier was holding down fifth at the time and made a move past Pahule for fourth on lap 15. Sharp had problems on the last lap, allowing Courtnier to grab the second position.. Tatoole did well in leading every lap as he won ahead of Courtnier, Torgerson, Pahule, Brandon Riveira, Sharp, Hailey Wood, Logan Penman, Becca Clark and Austin Wood.
In qualifying, Wood set the fast time at 10.960 as the only driver to break into the 10 second bracket. Riveira was second quick at 11.003. The 16 competitors ran a pair of 10 lap heat races, and the first win went Tatoole ahead of Pahule. Wood outran Torgerson to claim the second heat race victory. Six lap Trophy Dash honors went Tatoole ahead of Torgerson.
Brody Rubio turned in a dominant performance in sweeping the Jr Sprint action. Rubio won the 20 lap Main Event by over half a lap ahead of Makayla Tatoole. Cynric Vo finished third, and Peyton Whitehouse was a scratch. Tatoole was second to Rubio in every event. Rubio set the fast time of 13 458, beating a 13.498 of Tatoole.
Micro Sprint racing resumes at Dixon Speedway on Saturday, April 27th. For further information, go to www.dixonspeedway.net.
Sprint Cars Take Center Stage
At Orland Raceway Saturday Night
Orland, CA...There's a bit of excitement in the air at Orland Raceway after two events have made it into the record books. The local Wingless Sprint Car class has gained some momentum this year with some new drivers joining the field. This Saturday night, they will be back in action, joined by the growing Crate Sprint division that is featured at Marysville Raceway. Pure Stocks, Mini Trucks and Micro Sprints will complete the program.
After disappointment at the season opener left him watching the Main Event from the sidelines, past Wingless Sprint champion Tony Richards returned with a vengeance at the most recent race. Richards dominated the Main Event in victory, leaving a good battle for second, won by newcomer Denny McNary. Richards seems to be the driver to beat, but McNary, Paul Stevens, Jerry Douglas, Josh Tucker and multi-time champion Josh Jacobo are some of the drivers looking to get the win this week.
Jeremy Langenderfer seems to be bouncing around from division to division this year. He is off to a strong start in the Mini Stock class. He's also accomplished quite a bit in the Pure Stocks, including championships at Orland and Chico. Jeremy's latest endeavor is moving up into the Wingless Sprint division at the most recent race. He's hoping to put the sponsorship together that can help him get through the end of the season.
If you're looking for some Winged Sprint Car racing, the Crate Sprints are coming to town. Much like the concept behind the Wingless class, the Crate division is designed to go a little bit easier on the driver's pocketbook than the Winged 360 Sprint Cars seen at other venues. The hot driver at Marysville so far this year with three wins is Darren Johnson. He won the most recent race at Marysville, but Brett Youngman seems to be gaining ground. Drivers like Mike Sayre, Cameron Haney Jr and Jeff Macedo are helping this division enjoy its best season so far.
Keith Ross may have switched from Trucks to Pure Stocks, but he is still doing what he did in the other class. Ross has won back-to-back Main Events and is making a good case for himself as the potential champion this season. However, Phil Spencer has done well so far with a pair of Top 3 finishes. Spencer will be looking to get himself into the winner's column this week, and other drivers hoping to do well include past champion Steve Martin, John Camper and Thomas Pavlik.
With Ross moving up from the Truck division, we have a battle going on between the Webster's. Zack Webster kicked the season off with a feature win a few weeks ago, but Dan Webster is hoping to get into the win column this week. Dan is a past champion in this class. William Fogle is hungry to get his first feature win, but there are a slew of talented drivers also hoping to contend for wins, including Kalvin Kvalvik, Dan Libbee and Bo Chandler.
The Micro Sprints will round out the five division program. Pax Gonzalez was the winner of the most recent race and the reigning series champion. Past champion Jess Garland, Alex Fowler and Ronnie Heyer are others to watch for this week.
The fendered race cars have been the staple classes at Orland Raceway for many years, but the fans are going to get to see some open wheel racing this Saturday night as well. It should make for a thrilling program from start to finish.
House of JuJu CVMS Mini Stocks Set For Round #2
At Keller Auto Speedway
Hanford, CA...The House of JuJu Mini Stock Series is ready for action once again. Saturday night, the group will be heading for Keller Auto Speedway for their first of five scheduled point events there. In their third year, CVMS President Dan Myrick has upped the stakes by landing some great sponsorship from House of JuJu in Morro Bay and Clovis. The end result is the drivers are competing for $5,000 in championship point fund money.
It's unheard of to see a Mini Stock championship be worth $1,000 to the champion, but that's the case for the group this year. Myrick was pleased to announce earlier this year that everybody in the Top 10 in the standings will receive point fund monies. Furthermore, because he has initiated a one race throwaway rule, drivers who may have missed the opener can still bring their Mini Stocks down to Hanford and join the series.
The Mini Stocks are anticipated to bring anywhere as from 15 to 20 cars for this show. In the season opener at Lemoore a month ago, Darren Wilson managed to bring home the victory ahead of Shawn DePriest and Ryan Blank. DePriest was left trying to make the big decision of which track to go to as he is in the points at another track, but he just declared that he will be in Hanford for this show.
One of the appeals to this Mini Stock group is the fact that it's one of the most affordable forms of racing a new driver can get into. Myrick and friends have helped other racers into this group in the past couple of years and still track down cars for new drivers to join the fun. Knowing that drivers are still on a budget, he wanted to keep that in mind when booking the new schedule, while still getting the drivers races outside of Lemoore. Hanford fit the bill just perfectly. In addition to the above named drivers, Myrick himself is anticipated along with Jeff Durant, Steve Durant, Brent Myrick and Benji Davis, among others.
If you're wanting to see a great night of racing this Saturday night, Keller Auto Speedway is going to be the place to be. Not only will the Mini Stocks be there, but the King Of Thunder Sprint Cars will be headlining the show. Hanford and Tulare have worked closely to create a very exciting Winged 360 Sprint Car Series that the drivers in the area are getting behind. It's an all star lineup of some of the best drivers in the area.
So far, DJ Netto and Mitchell Faccinto are the Main Event winners in the two Sprint Car events held at Hanford, while Faccinto also grabbed a victory at Tulare. These two drivers should be front and center for the Saturday night show, and other fierce competitors, such as Danny Faria Jr, Zane Blanchard, Scott Parker, Tucker Worth and Jace Vanderweerd are anticipated. They get a good turnout of Sprint Cars, and this is definitely worth the price of admission.
Also on the card are the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars. The group travels to several venues and was recently at Merced Speedway. Grant Champlin picked up the win over reigning champion Grant Duinkerkin. After two events in Hanford, Mike Schott holds a tie with Champlin for the lead, one point ahead of feature winner Kyle Rasmussen and four ahead of Brooklyn Holland. Michael Pombo holds fifth. Zane Blanchard has been running Winged 360 Sprint Cars, but he is a feature winner in this class this season.
The IMCA Stock Cars are growing in California, but Hanford is where the division got its start over a decade ago. It was Brock Hamilton winning the championship for the track last season by just three points ahead of Alan Mendes and 15 over Preston Martin. Troy Patee won the two previous championships, while Ron Hurt was the 2015 title winner. Both drivers are still among the roster. Generally speaking, they bring anywhere from eight to a dozen cars, and it's a good show as the look of these cars sets them apart from the Hobby Stock class that other tracks have, not to mention having them under IMCA sanctioning..
It's going to be an exciting four division program this Saturday night. For further information on the race track, go to www.racekingsspeedway.com and for further information on the mini stock group, check out www.centralvalleyministocks.com.
Madera Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 13, 2019
Madera Late Models
Austin Herzog
Tyler Herzog
Henk Gaalswyk Jr
Trevor Schlundt
Joey Brasil
Del McIntosh
Elliott Stjerne
Zachary Cook
Aaron Mullins
Eloy Bazan
Joseph Reichmuth
Kent Cam
Jeremy Davis
Loren Kutz
North State Modifieds
Randy Houston
Jason Phlipot
Cameron Austin
Darrin Sullivan
Brian Collins
Darrin Knight
Ian Elliott
Robbie Knittel
Rich Cobb
Keith Bloom Jr
Dave Campbell
Rick Avila
Donovan Cox
Kris Price
Sal Lopez
North State Hobby Stocks
Howard Holden
Steve Schermerhorn
Chuck Dozhier
Triston Hansen
Mikala Stearns
Rodney Tripp
Richard Herzog
JoJo Stearns
Chuck Aguirre
MST
Ryan Reynolds
Bert Stephens
Shaun Reynolds
Patrick Geiger
Kyle Labrie
Dennis Brannon
Rian Bowman
Toyota Sedans
Jason Lawton
Josh Cross
J.J Brandsen
Thomas Magray
Bakersfield Unofficial Race Results April 13, 2019
IMCA Modifieds
Cody Laney
Robby Sawyer
Jerry Flippo
Troy Morris Jr
Chad Reichenbach
Robbie Witwer
Ryan Daves
Michael Scruggs
Kollin Hibdon
Donald Scott
Logan Drake
Brad Pounds
Kyle Heckman
Chris Crompe
Robert Sanders
Ethan Dotson
Steve Noland
Troy Morris III
Karl Noland Sr
IMCA Stock Cars
Larry Thompson Jr
Chad Johnson
Cody Johnson
Wayne Dotson
Preston Martin
Ron Hurt
Troy Patee
Brock Hamilton
Jayden Schweitzer
American Stocks
Miranda Scott
Tyler Johnson
Troy Thomas Jr
Josh Yadon
Brock Crawford
Colby Ward
Cayden McCaslin
Robert Guess
Antony Sly
Ryan Little
Steven Amick
James Coots
Andrew Johnston
Clay Waters DNS
Tara Childress DNS
Mini Stocks
David Wolford
Andy Boydstun
Chris Rutledge
Misty Warren
Carter Cherry
Parker Cherry
Mark Wolford
Paul Johnston
Clinton Massey
Chris Settlemire
Mason Conway
Matt Herod
Steve Porter
Brandon Wolford
Clint Duncan
Gene Glover DNS
Santa Maria Raceway Unofficial Race Results April 13, 2019
Western Pro Stocks
Clay Daly
Tim Randolph
Chad Schaffer
Frank Nyback
Billy Simkins
Justin Crockett
Chris Smith
Paul Miller
Chris Clinton
Ryan Smith
Dave King Jr
Jerry Stewart DNS
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Jason Nation
Kevin Johnson
Mike Dean
Parker Maccianti
Austin Ruskauff
Brian Baker
Robbie Claborn
Aaron Farrell
Markus Frazier
Todd Carlock
Orion Messina
Dylan Potter
Hobby Stocks
Tom Grizincic
Scotty Preast
Taelor Janes
Mike Keebler
Aaron Bruce
Sean Martin Sr
Pat Fausel
Zak Martin
Matt McEwan DNS
IMCA Modifieds
Cody Burke
Austin Burke
Dylan Thornton
Brad Prows
Steve Streater DNS
Danny Cavanagh DNS
American Stocks
Rich Denman
Justin Jackson
Dale Sylvester
Jimmy Satlawa
Gregg Baker
Nicholas Verbryke
Hailey Wyand
Kevin Pritchard
Ed Wyand DNS
Mini Stocks
Levi Burgett
Jaryd Padgett
Chris McElreath
Zach Chavez
Jarod Pack
Bill Barnhill
Butch Headrick
Ally Thornton
James Hererra
Justin Gangolff
Megan Burgett
Alexa Hererra
Tim Claborn DNS
Stockton Dirt Track Unofficial Race Results April 13, 2019
2nd Annual Asparagus Cup Night #2
Elk Grove \Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour, Presented By Abreu Vineyards
A Main
Giovanni Scelzi
Tim Kaeding
Kyle Hirst
Colby Copeland
Tony Gualda
Bud Kaeding
Ryan Bernal
Shane Golobic
Rico Abreu
Justyn Cox
Willie Croft
Justin Sanders
Logan Seavey
Kalib Henry
Cole Macedo
Lucas Ashe
Mitchell Faccinto
Sean Becker
Kyle Offill
Tucker Worth
Garen Linder
D.J. Netto
Andy Forsberg
Cody Lamar
B Main
Mitchell Faccinto
Shane Golobic
Garen Linder
Justin Sanders
Tanner Carrick
Jason Statler
Ryan Robinson
Geoff Ensign
Brent Bjork
Jake Wheeler
Joey Ancona
Art McCarthy
Colby Johnson
Caden Sarale
Steven Kent
Stockton Dirt Track Unofficial Race Results April 12, 2019
2nd Annual Asparagus Cup Night #1
Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour, Presnted by Abreu Vineyards
Main Event
Giovanni Scelzi
Mitchell Faccinto
Shane Golobic
Tim Kaeding
Rico Abre
Kyle Hirst
Bud Kaeding
Tony Gualda
D.J. Netto
Ryan Robinson
Jason Statler
Tanner Carrick
Justin Sanders
Nathan Rolfe
Geoff Ensign
Cole Macedo
Blake Carrick
Sean Becker
Kyle Offill
Colby Copeland
Justyn Cox
Andy Forsberg
Willie Croft
Garen Linder
B Main
Andy Forsberg
Justin Sanders
Garen Linder
Rico Abreu
Logan Seavey
Ryan Bernal
Caden Sarale
Brent Bjork
Lucas Ashe
Jake Wheeler
Joey Ancona
Cody Lamar
Steven Kent
David Lindt II
Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 12, 2019
Ocean Sprints, Presented by Taco Bravo
Chase Johnson
Colby Johnson
Jake Haulot
Kaleb Montgomery
Jeremy Chisum
Koen Shaw
John Clark
Billy Aton
Wayne Katen
Jason Chisum
Danny Malfatti
Bradley Dillard
Chris Nelson
James Ringo
Kurt Nelson
Joel Myers
Eli Deshaies
Richard Fajardo
Tucker Worth DNS
IMCA Modifieds
Bobby Hogge IV
Cody Burke
Robert Marsh
Brian Cass
Austin Burke
Jeff Decker
Raymond Keldsen
Anthony Copeland
James Alaga
Jim Pettit II
Kyle Bryan
Anthony Slaney
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Adriane Frost
Randy Miller
Austin Williams
Billy Robertson
Kelly Campanile
Steven Allee
Charlie Hunter
John Ferro
Max Baggett
Hobby Stocks
JC Elrod
Rob Gallaher
DJ Keldsen
Quintin Harris
Terry Traub
Wally Kennedy
Dustin Nelson
Joe Gallaher
Dexter Long
Nick Triolo
Jerry Skelton
Ryan Muller DNS
Four Bangers
Dakota Keldsen
John Grilli
Ryan McClelland
Nicole Beardsley
Bill Beardsley
DJ Harrington
Kate Beardsley
Luke Babcock
Nate Teramo DNS
Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 12, 2019
IMCA Modifieds
Randy Brown
Ryan Porter
Shane DeVolder
Jesse Burks
Troy Foulger
Ethan Dotson
Kellen Chadwick
Paul Stone
Ramie Stone
Derek Nance
Bob Williamson
Tim Cecil
Jeff Streeter
Ricky Thatcher
D.J. Shannon
IMCA Sport Modifieds
A Main
Kelly Wilkinson
Nick Tucker
Patti Ryland
Tanner Thomas
Fred Ryland
Tim Elias
Chuck Weir
Guy Ahlwardt
Keith Brown Jr
Bruce Nelson
Kevin Johnson
Kodie Dean
Andrew Peckham
Paul Espino
Tyler Thomas
Danny Roe
Michael Johnson
Garrett Jernagan
B Main
Bruce Nelson
Garrett Jernagan
Danny Roe
Michael Johnson
Paul Espino
Tyler Thomas
Joe Salvi
Tony Hornyack
Jeremy Hoff
Dwayne Short
Tony Peffer
Frank Cefaliello Jr
Pro Dwarf Car
1-Brown.D
2-Frock.J
3-Haney.B
4-Plexico.R
5-Winter.R
6-Swanson.J
7-Loughton.D
8-Jones.S
9-Rothweiler.T
10-Robustelli.C
11-Pires.P
12-Peters.B
13-Rodriguez.T
14-Matthias.C
15-Peters.C
16-Marmon.M
17-Grenert.M
18-Wiesz.B
19-Amelin.R
20-Ernst.B
21-Isabella.J
22-Wiesz.C
B Main
1-Robustelli.C
2-Grenert.M
3-Wiesz.B
4-Rothweiler.T
5-Ernst.B
6-Swanson.J
7-Loughton.D
8-Amelin.R
9-Rodriguez.T
10-Wiesz.C
11-Weisz.J
12-Wren.S
13-Leiby.T
14-Whitney.S
15-Curry.M
Veterans Dwarf Car
1-Dahlgren.S
2-Miragilo.K
3-Olschowka.B
4-Weisler.E
5-Fitzpatrick.T
6-Krempp.J
7-Biscardi.M
8-Bender.K
9-Hay.F
10-Sciarani.G
11-Confer.P
12-Reeder.M
13-Ehrlich.W
14-Sandoval.B
15-Conover.C
16-Kapaun.S
17-Quilty.B
18-klaussen.E
19-McQuary.R
Sportsman
1-Tekaat.L
2-Weglin.T
3-Hanson.T
4-Brady.G
5-VanTuyl.T
6-Damron.J
7-Affonso.M
8-Reed.M
9-Stevenson.T
10-Nester.S
11-Souza Price.J
12-Kozinski.R
13-Aceves.M
Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 13, 2019
IMCA Sport Modifieds
A Main
Andrew Peckham
Fred Ryland
Bruce Nelson
Nick Tucker
KC Keller
Kelly Wilkinson
Patti Ryland
Keith Brown Jr
Danny Roe
Tim Elias
Chris Falkenberg
Tanner Thomas
Jarrod Mounce
Jeremy Hoff
T.J. Etchinson III
Guy Ahlwardt
Dave Smart
B Main
Tanner Thomas
T.J. Etchinson III
Keith Brown Jr
Paul Espino
Jeremy Hoff
Jarrod Mounce
Tony Peffer
Kodie Dean
Dwayne Short
Tony Hornyack
Tyler Thomas
Kelly Campanile
Frank Cefaliello Jr
Chuck Weir
Tim Rolan
California Sharp Mini Late Models
Timothy Crews
Riley Jeppesen
Logan Clay
Kaylin Lopez
Roger Guthrie
Kennzzie Brown DNS
Pro Dwarf Car
Main Event
1-Jones.S
2-Winter.R
3-Frock.J
4-Rothweiler.T
5-Grenert.M
6-Robustelli.C
7-Brown.D
8-Isabella.J
9-Pires.P
10-Weisz.J
11-Haney.B
12-Marmon.M
13-Amelin.R
14-Leiby.T
15-Wiesz.B
16-Loughton.D
17-Plexico.R
18-Peters.B
19-Matthias.C
20-Whitney.S
21-Winter.J
22-Swanson.J
23-Ernst.B
24-Rodriguez.T
B Main
1-Grenert.M
2-Isabella.J
3-Marmon.M
4-Whitney.S
5-Weisz.J
6-Pires.P
7-Amelin.R
8-Leiby.T
9-Wiesz.B
10-Matthias.C
11-Peters.B
12-Rodriguez.T
13-Ernst.B
14-Winter.J
15-Johnson.B
16-Curry.M
17-Wren.S
Veterans Dwarf Car
1-Bender.K
2-Weisler.E
3-Dahlgren.S
4-Krempp.J
5-Reeder.M
6-Olschowka.B
7-Confer.P
8-Hay.F
9-Quilty.B
10-Kapaun.S
11-McQuary.R
12-Zuger.D
13-Sandoval.B
14-Sciarani.G
15-Ehrlich.W
16-Conover.C
17-Biscardi.M
18-Fitzpatrick.T
19-klaussen.E
20-Miragilo.K
Sportsman Dwarf Car
1-Tekaat.L
2-Damron.J
3-Brady.G
4-Aceves.M
5-VanTuyl.T
6-Nester.S 7
-Stevenson.T
8-Hanson.T
9-Kozinski.R
10-Reed.M
11-Souza Price.J
12-Weglin.T
13-Affonso.M
14-Monroy.R
Unofficial Petaluma Speedway Race Results April 13
PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprints
Bradley Terrell
Shayna Sylvia
Boy Moniz
Dennis Furia Jr
Sparky Howard
Cody Fendley
Angelique Bell
Chet Wilson
Marcus Smith
Travis Degaton
Scott Chapeta
Alan Miranda
Ryon Siverling
Keith Calvino
Rick Holbrook
Jessica Walker
Bob Davis
Matt Stewart
McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modifieds
Mitch Machado
Anthony Slaney
Tim Cecil
Terry Kaiser
Michael Paul Jr
Justin Yaeger
Tim Yaeger
Gary Zwicker
Raymond Lindemann
Ray Trimble
Derek Nance
Oreste Gonnella
Jay Learn
David Spriggs
Lumberjack's Restaurant Super Stocks
Mitch Machado
Steve Studebaker
Gary Adams
Manny Avila
Austin Ohlinger
Sean Cook
Tim O'Hara
Snazzy Duckworth
Dave Spindell
Matt While
Shawn McCoy
Paul Hanley
Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros
Kyle Grissom
Brian Slubik
Justin Adiego
Jamie Faulkner
Sam Borland
Rob Brown
Daniel Dickinson
Nick Robfogel
Angel Cappas
Carroll Mendenhall
Ventura Raceway Unofficial Race Results April 13, 2019
VRA Sprint Car
Rick Hendrix
Bruce Douglass
Tanner Boul
Kyle Smith
Tyler Edwards
Brent Owens
Ricky Lewis
Joey Bishop
Charlie Butcher
Senior Sprints
Bruce Douglass
Danny Parrish
Chris Meredith
Bryan Drollinger
Wally Pankratz
Greg Andrews
Paul Mircik
Mike English
Mark Shepard
IMCA Modifieds
Ryan Lauer
Aaron Rodarte
Terry Hershberger
Danny Lauer
Dennis Eckert
Jack Parker
Andrew Greiman
Brandon Jennings
Austin Grabowski
Kevin Hocking
Trevor Fitzgibbon
VRA Dewarf Car
Trent Morley
Johnny Conley
Nick Velasquez
Tom Morley
Tim Conley
Brad Curnel
Tommy Velasquez III
Jason Horton
Zach Curnel
Tim Morse
Bill Vint Jr
Korey Cowan
Jeff Brink
Kody Cowan
Tony Margott
Kevin Calvo
Eric Moore
Hobby Stock
Alyssa Smith
Chris Whitford
Ricky Lewis
Ryan Changus
Wayne Heurung
Ricky Roberts
Tom Stephens Jr
Christina Garvin
Sam Garvin
Focus/Western Midget
Tyler Edwards
David Prickett
Randi Pankratz
Dylan Ito
Jimmy May
Steve Durant
Jackson Dukes
Tim Foy
Dixon Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 13, 2019
Winlgess 600 Micros
Mitchel Moles
Dan Mognaga
Danny Carroll
Brandon Carey
Randy Sims
Adam Kaeding
Tucker LaCaze
Isak Johnson
Cameron Paul
Harlee Aguilera
Kelvin Lewis
Chris Parmley
Angelina Dempsey
Norman Harley Rose
Taylor DeCarlo
Blake McGourty
Jacob Tuttle
Justin Stretch
Jaedon Gatewood
Brandon Shaw
Eathan Lanfri
Anthony Kessler
B Main
Tucker LaCaze
Justin Stretch
Harlee Aguilera
Taylor DeCarlo
Jaedon Gatewood
Charlie Kight
Chuck Patterson
Chuck Peevyhouse
Derrick Patterson
Brett McColloch
Dominic Martinez DNS
600 Super Micros
Mitchell Moles
Ricky Sanders
Kyle Mentch
Blaine Baxter
Hayden Saich
Jason Chapman
Blake Bower
Colton Huelsmann
JJ Bright
Keith Nance DNS
Jessica McMannus DNS
Jackie Whiteson Jr. DNS
James Robinson DNS
Restricted Micros
Matthew Tatoole
Devon Courtnier
Ashton Torgerson
Jeffrey Pahule
Brandon Riveira
Izaak Sharp
Hailey Wood
Logan Penman
Becca Clark
Austin Wood
Sage Bordenave
Braden Streuter
Rylee Whitehouse
Thomas Vo
Colin Kirby
Austin Taborski DNF
Jr Sprints
Brody Rubio
Makayla Tatoole
Cynric Vo
Peyton Whitehouse DNS
Irwindale Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 13, 2019
LKQ Pick Your Part Late Models
Main Event #1
Blaine Perkins
Ryan Vargas
Jace Jones
Lawless Alan
Nick Joanides
Trevor Huddleston
Dylan Garner
Andy Allen
P.J. Hernandez
Rodney Peacher
Jim Wulfenstein
Takuma Koga
Glenn Schwenger
Dean Thompson
Kevin Furden
Lucas McNeil
Main Event #2
Trevor Huddleston
Ryan Vargas
Jace Jones
Blaine Perkins
Nick Joanides
Andy Allen
Lucas McNeil
Dylan Garner
Jim Wulfenstein
Glenn Schwenger
Takuma Koga
Dean Thompson
Rodney Peacher
P.J. Hernandez
Lawless Alan
Spec Late Models/Race Trucks
Lucas McNeil
Andrew Porter
Dennis Arena
Kenny Smith
Andy Partridge
John Watkinson
Troy Andersen
L.J. Billings
Ed Cutler
Jacob McNeil
Jason DeLong
Enduro
Eddie Howell
Robert Rice
Dewitt Jones
Bory Molina
Rodney Argo
Bobby Ozman
Mike McIntyre
Ian Rotundo
Chris Voight
Brad Stellman
Rick Conti
Kirk Kubik
Robert Salcido
Joseph Bereiter
Cheryl Hyland
Todd Paperny
Super Stocks
Rich DeLong III
Jason DeLong
Jerry Toporek
Mark Whitson
Harry Michaelian
Rich DeLong
Legends
Darren Amidon
Christian McGhee
Ricky Schlick
Tyler Hicks
Chad Schug
Stephen Brucker
Mike Vanderlip
Cameron Breault
Jakob Ulrich
Christen Bazen
Orange Show Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 13, 2019
Modifieds
Mod Feature
Results are not official
1 #44F Stewart Friesen
2 #20H Brett Hearn
3 #2A Mike Gular
4 #4B Andy Bachetti
5 #115 Kenny Tremont
6 #17Z Brian Krummel
7 #43 Jimmy Horton
8 #1D Tyler Dippel
9 #33.3 Tommy Meier
10 #17 Matt Janiak
11 #93x Craig Mitchell
12 #44 Anthony Pereggo
13 #4v Billy VanInwegen
14 #J17 Jeff Heotzler
15 #3m Sam Martz
16 #5L Danny Creeden
17 #244 Chris Whitehead
18 #220 John Ferrier
19 #33 John Lieto
20 #97 Jerry Higbie
21 #10 Rich Eurich
22 #J7 Brendan Finley
23 #21 Gary Edwards
24 #88 Steve Dodd
25 #793 Jerry Higbie
Consi #1
Results are not official
1 #14S Austin Smith
2 #15m Dan Morgiewicz
3 #77 Jimmy Johnson
4 #11 Daryl Ford
5 #20s Cole Strangle
6 #5J Jake Mason
7 #7L Jordan Lawarence
8 #33 Willis Mann
9 #5W Rob Wosyluk
10 #24B Peter Schwartzott
Consi #2
Results are not official
1 #22 Nick Plumstead
2 #4A Kenny Ryder
3 #75 Mike Bull
4 #77J Jeff Higham
5 #18M Ryan Macartney
6 #3P Patrick Murphy
7 #46 Arron Doolittle
8 #9L Jimmy Leiby
9 #40 Eric Avernego
10 #26jbb Bob Jashembowski
11 #24F Ken Ferrier
12 #4RJ RJ Smith
13 #25J Jason Armstrong
14 #143 Scott Zehnacker
15 #395 Jake Bedell
Consi #3
Results are not official
1 #85 Justin Gozzi
2 #1X Christian Rumsey
3 #5 Ryan Neiger
4 #10T Tighe Sherlock
5 #27R Kyle Redner
6 #22F Billy Fiske
7 #24D Brian Durbin
Street Stocks
Results are not official
1 #8 Bobby Sleight Jr
2 #77S Joe Sheffold
3 #M1 Jim Maher
4 #75 Ray Tarantino
5 #777 Emerson Cargain Sr
6 #45 Jim Hajkowski
7 #20 Tommy Pickle
8 #53 Rob Taylor
9 #171 Walt Henry
10 #1V Mike Vigiletti
11 #377 Emerson Cargain Jr
12 #32 Charlie Donald
13 #9 Dan Maher
14 #92 Paul Maiolo
15 #07 Ryan Modiano
16 #115 Bob Miller
17 #3C Cody Clark
18 #49 Ron Constable
19 #16 Kyle Welch
20 #4 Dave VanSise
21 #31 Jack Decker
22 #4Sr Pat Bruno
23 #30J Jared Palmer
The Editor's Viewpoint
The constant struggle that I have in this media effort that I make is getting motivated. When I was doing this stuff years ago, I could get going, and I didn't stop until the job was done. I might be slow to motivate sometimes, but once I got in the zone, I was totally into it. Things got done. I can go a whole day lately and be barely motivated. I'll do stuff, but I'm drained. I drag ass all day. As an example, while I sat here at the desk on Saturday night covering all the tracks through computer scoring, I was in the zone and stayed up later working on things. I didn't want to stop.
Sunday was the opposite. I was barely there. Then there were the distractions that changed what my routine would have been. The problem is, since I do the newspaper media effort and have to get everything done by the time I go to bed, it made for a late night.
Because of that, I ended up staying up until 4 in the morning on Monday to make sure certain articles made it to media outlets. If you don't get it into their email box by the time they go to the office to check on Monday morning, you're late. Therefore, I have to keep going as long as it takes to make sure whatever tracks I cover are covered.
There is also the frustration of trying to get race results. One place in particular, that was so much better before, isn't. I would rant about that, because it is frustrating, but I'm just going to leave it at that. The effort I make to get the word out for the tracks on my list also depends on me getting information in a timely manner. When it doesn't happen, that does make me stay up later.
Some tracks just don't post results or have changed their systems to services that you have to pay for now. Some tracks just don't understand why this stuff is important. It makes it more of a challenge when I want to help. Hence, the saying I use from the Tom Cruise movie Jerry Maguire, "Help me, help you." It's kind of a joke, but it isn't. Here's the important part in all of this. I am not being paid by any race track to do this. I don't have a salary. I am fortunate enough to have a roof over my head, which is nice. But I am essentially broke.
When I say support the effort if you can by donating to The Tip Jar, it's basically those tips that keep this effort going. I'm not suggesting people need to pay me a dime, because they're still going to get the articles that I put the effort into as long as I am able to. But some support will certainly motivate me to keep working hard knowing that I get a little bit of money. It takes care of essential needs or just having a day to myself and being able to afford to do something. You do keep me going when you help via The Tip Jar
I will be year-to-year until I walk away from the sport I unless something dramatically changes. Whether it's me being hired at a race track and drawing a salary that can help me or building up something independently that is viable. That's the only thing I can think of that will keep me going. Aside from that, I'm not going to last that much longer doing this the way I do it. However, the 2019 season is started and I intend to go all the way to the end of the season. I will give it my best effort.
I just feel much different than I did. Even a couple of years ago, I still was motivated. I can point to a few things that have changed that are causing this, but it's certainly not a good way to live. It's not healthy. I understand that. Perhaps it's the part of me that doesn't care and will just keep pushing myself that keeps me going, but it was also a factor in why I walked away before. Too much energy into something that didn't quite reward me the way I had hoped. I do everything I can to help, but sometimes it feels as if it doesn't really come back my way. Look at it this way, I put a full-time effort into it, so it's basically a job. It has always has been that when I've been involved in the sport. But, it's a non-paying job.
I walked many miles everyday for several years prior to coming back to the sport. When I got up to Oregon, I figured out something useful that could keep me walking. I would be able to dictate into my phone. It wasn't perfect, and it still isn't, but you get the thoughts down and can fix it through editing. The problem is, when you're using a phone without any phone service, you're not going to be very effective. It becomes much more gibberish, so you've wasted your time. You got a good walk, which ideally I need to be doing right now, but you didn't get work done. I loved the idea that back in 2016 I could multitask. Get a good walk in everyday and get rough drafts for a few articles done. The only thing I can do now to be on my feet is dictate into the phone at the house, where I am within Wi-Fi range. It's still not really getting out and walking.
I can hear it now You don't have a phone that has service? Nope. Honestly, I wouldn't have a smartphone at all if I didn't need it for racing. Maybe a dumb phone, but I kind of like the idea of being outside among people and unplugged from the internet. Remember when it used to be that way? The good old days. I'm not making enough money to be able to afford a phone service, and the only thing I could do was buy a phone without the service. It's a cheap phone, but when I'm within Wi-Fi range, I can work social media at a race track. I can also use it when I'm within range to dictate my thoughts and work on articles that way. You would think it's actually quicker doing that, but it's not. The advantage is that you can at least move around on your feet.
To be honest with you, I'd love to have a phone with service. I don't know why these stupid speech to text programs don't work unless you have an internet connection, but that's the way it is. Aside from being able to be out and talk on the phone if needed, it would allow me to take walks and work on articles while I'm out and about. I could multitask. Get my fat ass outside for some exercise and work on articles. Because I'm broke, and for some reason banging my head against the wall working on this media effort as hard as I do, I just have to make do with what I have. Therefore, no phone service and the feeling that I'm being chained to a desk until everything gets done. Anyway, I just wanted to give you an update.
The media effort goes on regardless. If you want to help, check that red text with the link below (The Tip Jar) and support the cause. Or share the link of these articles. If you support me, I'll do my best to help support racing at whatever place I can that needs the help. You know what you've gotten from DCRR Racing Media for these past four years especially. You know what I did with my magazine for almost 20 years. You know that I will do my best. That's the only commitment that I can make to you. All I have is my word. I don't have much else.
I talk about the state of the sport in this column. We look at things that are going on now and talk about some of the things that can begin to make the sport better. We talk about the good things that are happening these days. I guess that's just the way I'm hardwired. Since I live the sport during the week and don't unplug the way a lot of others do, I'm always looking at trends and potential directions that things can go.
However, at the heart of the sport are the moments that make special memories for the fans. Antioch Speedway had such a moment Saturday night. Buddy Kniss won his first career A Modified Main Event. The people who have been coming out to the track over the last four or five years have watched this kid as he has went from Dwarf Cars to Limited Late Models and into Modifieds.
Buddy has come a long way. What's also nice is that he's a good kid and the kind of person you want to see doing good out there. The family has been involved in the sport for several years. Buddy's grandfather ran in the Sportsman division back in the 1970s. His father has raced in several divisions. In fact, he finished a few positions behind Buddy in the Main Event. When Buddy got the win, everybody got to see that special moment in the Winner's Circle.
Out at Petaluma Speedway, we had one of those moments you don't see there very often. You don't see it anywhere very often. Has this happened at Petaluma Speedway? I don't know. We had a double division feature winner. Mitch Machado won both the Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stock Main Event and the McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modified race. While the Super Stock win wasn't too much of a surprise, the way he got the win in the Modified race was. It was one of those moments where things happened and suddenly he found himself in a position to get the win.
During the offseason, Mitch and his family were dealing with tragedy. His wife Jane passed away. It has been suggested that she happened to be looking down on him when this history making moment was made. You have to know that she would have been so proud of him in that moment.
Mitch is one of those drivers who's been around for a long time, going back to the 1980s. He's never been one of those serious point chasing guys, but one of those guys that goes out there and has fun. He has certainly won his share of races, and last season was a championship year for him. Him winning the Main Events in both classes was another one of those special moments.
I have to remind myself as I sometimes get frustrated with the state of the sport. These are the things that matter. The things you don't see very often. The good people getting wins. The special moments that keep us coming back for more. I'm of the opinion that the sport isn't what it once was, but there are still some special things happening that make it worth being involved.
In Yreka, some people have been saying that there needed to be a change in leadership at the track. The revolving-door promoter situation necessitated the local racer's association taking charge. Had it not been for them, the gates may very well have closed. The association has been a part of racing at that Speedway for some 20 years, but the fairgrounds wanted to look and see if there was any other way they could run things. Kevin Barba answered the call. A year earlier, he had been the president of the association, and he's been around at other race tracks as well.
He didn't get the keys to the gates until March 1st, and he had lots of work to do to get things going. Of course, he also had to battle the weather. The weather made it questionable as to whether or not they would even be able to attempt to open last Saturday. Kevin just did what he did. He and his crew worked hard. When the weather broke, he knew it was time to go racing last Saturday night. That was the good news.
The bad news might have some people talking. Opening day jitters happen. The program was delayed just a bit waiting for the safety people to arrive, but that was fine. The idea that they had a car count somewhere in the area of 50 cars was a positive. In recent years, we haven't seen too many nights where the pits did that well. This is one of the tasks that Kevin has taken on. How can he increase the car count? In doing so, how can he also increase the fan attendance? The two go hand in hand.
When the show got going, the fans were treated to plenty of excitement. Everything seemed to be going well, and it was a moment for Kevin and the team to feel good. This is just the beginning of good things. The one thing you don't want to see happen is bad crashes. During the IMCA Sport Modified feature, a car rolled on the front straightaway. He wasn't injured, and they got the race going again. The next crash saw a car taking out a section of the front straightaway fence on the grandstand side.
This is something you don't want to see happen. Yreka has actually had a few scary moments like this in recent years. There was a similar frontstretch crash that occurred a year ago. these kinds of things can have serious consequences. At the old Roseburg track, for instance, a car crashed into the crowd and there were fatalities. Nothing like that happened this time, and thankfully, nobody was injured.
Unfortunately, there was some serious damage done to the safety fence, and it just wasn't possible to continue racing. Something similar to this happened in the past, and races continued. At the time, I wondered how the powers-that-be would let that happen. You risk some serious bad things happening when you do something like that. You're dealing with safety regulations and insurance. Nobody wants to see the show stop when everybody's paid to watch it and the drivers have paid to be there to compete.
The thing is, Kevin is trying to set a new precedent at the track. This includes a serious commitment to safety. Running the program the right way. What ended up happening was the show was stopped with two other Main Events left to run. It was definitely the right call to make. I know some people might not be happy about that, and some people might be pointing fingers here or there. Things just happen sometimes that are out of your control.
You can talk about safety and pointing fingers at the track itself, but something like this can happen in even the most ideal of situations. You may think that you have your bases covered, but then you find out that the right scenario takes place that brings it all to a halt. That's what happened this time. Kevin made the right call. Safety first. It hurt to do this in light of the fact that this race had a good turnout and it hasn't been so easy to bring those kinds of numbers in during the past few seasons
Here's the thing to think about. What people did see was a crash, but also a commitment to safety. The driver was checked on and okay. Everything was cleaned up. Drivers know that all the precautions are being taken care of. This is a plus. Kevin will take a look at everything that happened and see if there's anything that can be done differently or what can be learned from the whole situation.
When you move into the position of promoter for the first time, you have a lot to learn. People can tell you from their experience what can happen, but it's a whole other thing to be the one in charge making those decisions yourself. You know that there's a possibility for anything to happen. As you're on the job, you learn so much and have so many things thrown at you on any given week. It was definitely a crash course for Kevin, but he also knew coming into this deal that it wasn't going to be easy.
This is just one of those times when the best course of action is for the community to rally behind the race track. There's another race on the schedule this week and a season ahead. There will be plenty of opportunities to do some great things this year and beyond. I'm also very thankful that nobody was seriously injured.
I would strongly urge Kevin to take a good look at what he has for his schedule. I know he's been busy doing so many different things at the track, but clarifications are needed on certain weeks as to whether there are other divisions that should be on the schedule that night. We had an instance this week where people didn't know if it was IMCA Modifieds or Mini Stocks with the IMCA Sport Modifieds. Turns out all three are running. I still feel he needs to move the Rod Barba Memorial to August 30th, Friday night. This way he has a chance to catch the drivers coming up for the big show in Medford, rather than going head-to-head with some of the divisions running in Medford on Saturday.
I also feel like he needs to take the initiative and begin starting one or two new divisions that will become championship divisions at Yreka. Whether that would be the revival of the Street Stocks, the Jalopies, a Hornet division or whatever, he needs to develop some stuff in house. Looking North is only going to get you so much support, unless you move to Friday night racing instead of Saturday.
Also, get in touch with the 10 or so IMCA Modified drivers who still have cars in the area and find out what it's going to take to get them to support. I'm disappointed that there were six drivers on hand last week with only two of them being Yreka area cars. I know the track can do better than that. Perhaps Kevin will be turning his attention to these things, but just getting the show up and running has been the priority. Despite the way the show ended, there's a lot they can be proud of. You've got to start someplace.
The thing about racing is we might sometimes get desensitized to the fact that there is a risk involved. You'll see crashes every week, and when cars are even destroyed, we're usually seeing drivers emerge unscathed. That's because of the things that we've learned in this sport through the years that translate into better safety precautions for the racers and the facility itself.
We can be so desensitized to that that we just assume everytime something happens that everybody is going to be okay. Thankfully, that is the case in most instances. But we should never take it for granted. Racers should always respect their environment and their fellow racers and race each other the way they would like to be raced. In the heat of the moment, our emotions can get the better of us. We're only human. But we should always strive to be our best in these competitive situations.
What happened in Yreka was just one of those racing deals. The two safety measures were tested. Thankfully, the people were protected and the racers were protected. Racing will go on in Yreka. There is a commitment to do things better and create a first-class racing operation, and these things do take time to come together.
I've learned so much more in the last few years due to my involvement with Mike McCann at Southern Oregon Speedway. I've learned a lot through the years as it is, but I've gotten to see more of the ins and outs and the things that you have to do to make a racing program successful. When you get into the first year of one of these deals, you're always going to have those moments that test you. Actually, you can have that happen in any given year, and there are some interesting stories I would love to tell.
We had a disastrous night in our first season in 2016. It happened at the Roger Haudenshild Tribute race when we had a big car count and one of our better fan turnouts of the year. Everything seemed to be going in our favor, but it quickly got out of control. Some of it was crashing and issues that delayed the program, but some of it was also self inflicted by the way we were handling things. I certainly learned a couple of things that I applied to what I did in the future. Mike learned from it as well.
One thing I learned is a lesson that I think is very important. We can't take any week for granted and assume that if it's going well we will have that every week. Those numbers were pretty darn nice, and we were only a few races into the season. Hey, we're turning it around. Watch out!
The cold hard slap of reality hit back. There was some negative backlash towards us on the internet and in certain social circles. You've got to be prepared for those kinds of things. The next week, our car count dropped dramatically to the lowest point we've ever seen in our run. The attendance dropped as well.
It's similar to what Yreka had In that you came out of the gate with some good numbers. People were watching to see what they could do, and things got going okay. They may have been thinking, "Hey, we got this." Then, other things happen that serve to remind you that you are not there yet. You can get there. We are three years along in the turnaround effort at Southern Oregon Speedway, and we're still not there yet. We're just better than we were in probably the last eight or ten years. That's how low the track was when we got there.
It's a job promoting racing. You may think you have something that works, and it might work for a while. It might be something you can come back to, but you have to try other things too. You have to maintain. You don't want to overextend yourself, but you do have to take risks at times. This leads to lots of stress. Am I doing it right this time? Should I have done that instead? It's been a very interesting journey.
I really didn't want to come to Oregon from my Bay Area home. I'm still a Californian at heart, but there have been some positives. The racers and the people at Southern Oregon Speedway are pretty cool and from a professional standpoint, I've gotten the opportunity to do more than ever before. To see things start to turn around and go well makes me feel good in knowing the role that I played in helping it along. I'm very proud of the effort here of Mike and the people that I've worked with and even the racers who have gotten on board and given us a chance.
The fourth year at Southern Oregon Speedway under Mike McCann will introduce Cory Penfold and his team. Cory will be announcing, and he has a team that'll be working with him. It will involve him doing social media stuff and some writing as well. Cory already has a show that he runs on Spreaker Radio under his Moxie Media And Promotions group.
Last week, Mike and I went to do his show. As I've been trying to work on the website project for Southern Oregon Speedway and need to finish up the souvenir program for printing, I was reluctant to go. Even for a few hours, I didn't want to leave. I'm trying to finish some things up that I feel are very important and need to be done, but I also didn't want to send Mike in there alone. I went in support, but I ended up on the show with him.
Like another promoter in the game that I greatly respect down in Antioch, Mike has been around for a long time. Cory pointed out that Mike has had a hand in running most of the tracks in Oregon at one time or another. He's put a few on the map too. It's been a career in Oregon stretching back to 1985 with breaks here and there. He started promoting earlier than that on the Micro Sprint level. Mike has seen it all and done it all.
What we were doing on this particular show was talking about what we've been through in the past three years and what we've got planned for this year. Things have been put in motion, and it seems to be going well. It seems to be going better at this time heading into the season than we've ever experienced in our time here. This is that point when you have to remember not to get overconfident. Things can happen, and you can't take the good signs as an indication that everything is there now. It isn't.
Cory has a neat set up there for his show. I've never really gotten into the live thing. I've always done what I've done on the cheap with my DCRR Racing Media effort. I didn't have the money, and it taught me to make do with what I did have. I could still get on the internet with a show, and I've been doing that on and off for the last 21 years. I could still do a printed magazine, which I did for nearly 20 years. I had a small budget and managed to make it last for as long as I did. You find a way. I probably put my own life in a bad spot, but with the media effort I have pretty much done what I wanted to do.
I'm not really sure where I am going sometimes when I sit down and write these columns. I don't intend to go on so much. That's my curse. I want to do a brief column and end up writing much more. I want to do a brief audio show and end up taking an hour. Not sure why that is. I am trying to teach myself to be more focused. Then again, I'm not sure how much gas I have in the tank. It's definitely testing me. When I get in the mood, I'm good. Today was a good day in which I got quite a bit accomplished. But it's the idea of getting myself fired up to a point where I want to really jump into it. It's not coming as easy as it used to.
I don't know what else I really need to add to this column other than to say that racing season will have good times and bad times, but it's the people involved who make it special. There's always a chance that things will get better, even at places that seem too far gone or just hopeless. If the people believe in it and rally behind it, it can get better. It takes the whole community getting behind it, not just looking at the guy in charge or whomever and saying, "You have to make it all happen." Nope, we all do.
For the 2019 season, I'm going to do my best to cover what I can cover. I've had a few frustrations come my way, but I am also still helping get the word out. I'm very proud to know that we got coverage in at least five newspapers at five different race tracks this past week. Printed media is another place to get the word out. You're not getting fans if you don't get the word out. Let them know. It's still one of the best forms of entertainment that you can find for the money on a Friday or Saturday night.
You watch close, side by side racing. There's fender slamming and door slamming, spinouts, crashes, dramatic finishes and happy moments like the ones I mentioned above. There are good conversations with your friends between races and before the show. There's a lot more to it than just watching cars go around in circles, and the ones who are out there every week know that. It's a way of life. We need to take a break from our troubles time and again, because life isn't just about the money that you earn. It's about the journey, the memories, the happy times and family and friends.
In editing this column, I do want to talk about two people I've enjoyed working with at Southern Oregon Speedway. Uncle Rich and Bryce Burtner. Both were on board with us when we started this journey in 2016. Mike had an opportunity to change directions with announcing. Cory has come in and there are some things he's doing that weren't being done before. I understood the decision as there are other things that are happening here too that you may hear me commenting about in the not too distant future. Having Cory involved, in my opinion, will help the track grow.
I'll be honest with you. In 2015, John M Soares had me announcing races at Merced Speedway later in the season as well as some races in Chowchilla. There had been talk about me possibly announcing at Antioch in 2016, which was something I was keen on doing. In the offer I got from Mike to be at Southern Oregon Speedway, I didn't hear anything about me announcing at the big track. I was a bit displeased by that, and it was a factor in why I didn't immediately tell Mike yes. From Mike's perspective, he was protecting me from an environment that he worried might not be friendly towards me. Also, as I got involved, it became apparent that I would need to be outside the booth at times.
The other thing I was thinking before coming up here was, who the hell is this Bryce guy? The competition level starts to rise just a bit. It shouldn't have. I want to say that Bryce has been there trying to make a difference. He's been pretty steady in doing what he does up there, has a good rapport with the fans and the racers and had the unenviable task of succeeding a legend in the announcing booth when he took the microphone from R Charles Snyder. I've always enjoyed working with him and his easy going attitude. He's been somebody that I've leaned on during race night a little bit as well as his father-in-law. I just want to say that he's played a role in an our efforts to turn the show around, and it's been appreciated.
Competition between us? Nope. When Bryce has had to handle other commitments, it got to the point where he would ask me before he asked anybody else to substitute for him. He knew I was doing the Kart track and enjoying that. He knew I wanted to announce. He knew I could announce. Frankly, I think he was surprised that I wasn't gunning for his job. Maybe I could have gotten it, but I feel very strongly that it's been as it needed to be. I needed to do a few other things that I think have helped keep things going. It was also comforting to know that Bryce could do what he was doing and would say what needed to be said. I will miss working with him and it's been a pleasure.
Uncle Rich was down in the trenches with Mike and myself. When I say Uncle Rich, he had suggested I could call him uncle when we met that first day. I have had eight uncles in my life that I remember, but none of them have felt like family the way he has. He has made the decision to move on after three years, and I totally understand. He's been down there doing anything that needed to be done. He was there during the week doing things that needed to be done when we weren't even at the track.
There are people that see his gruff exterior and his sarcasm and might misunderstand. It's my opinion that he has a heart of gold and would do anything for his friends. He'd give the shirt off his back for his friends. There were many times when we confided in each other about this or that, and it kept us going during times that weren't so easy as we got started back then. I don't think it's an understatement to say, especially during those first two years, that we might not have made it if not for him. I'm not even sure how much our paths will cross in person at this point, but he is one of those people that I will say touched my life. My life is better for having known him.
On that note, I'm going to end this column. I've said enough. Until next time...
