First of all...
The DCRR Racing Media Books
Just A Kid From The Grandstands: My Time In Auto Racing
Stories of my time in auto racing from the beginning to 2003
Available on Lulu in Paperback And Hard Cover
Available on Lulu in Paperback And Hard Cover
And
Don's California Racing Recollections: Best Of The Blog And Beyond
Racing History, Stories, Statistics And Pictures
Available via print on demand at Lulu in Hard Cover or Paperback
Available via print on demand at Lulu in Hard Cover or Paperback
If You Like Reading Our Articles
Support Us Via The Go Fund Me The Tip Jar HERE
Also...
DCRR Racing Media And PR Consulting HERE
Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion Can Be Heard HERE
The DCRR Racing Radio Show
Backup Link HERE
Fraser, Sorensen Win Larry Damitz Memorial Event
At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...April 27...Tommy Fraser won the Larry Damitz Memorial event for the All Star Series B Modifieds Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. This was his second win of the season, and it paid $1,000. Kevin Brown led the opening lap before Fraser went racing by on the inside down the backstretch. Previous winner Brent Curran had found his way into fifth by lap six, and a lap nine yellow flag for Haley Gomez in Turn 2 bunched the field. On the restart, Trevor Clymens found his way into second, but a yellow flag waved a lap later for point leader Cameron Swank. On this restart, Curran made a big move from fourth into second behind the flying Fraser. During the final 10 laps and through one more yellow flag slow down, Curran hounded Fraser relentlessly in his bid to overtake him. However, Fraser remained cool under pressure and scored the big win, followed by Curran, Todd Gomez, Kenny Neu and Swank.
Chris Sorensen won his second straight 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was nearly a replay of the previous race as past champion Brad Myers set the early pace ahead of Breanna Troen. Sorensen had to work his way up from the fifth row. Myers was in traffic a few laps into the race, and traffic aided Sorensen on lap 10 as he moved from fourth to second. Sorensen quickly reeled in Myers and made an inside pass in Turn 4 on lap 14 to claim the lead. A yellow flag bunched the field on lap 16. However, Sorensen continued to lead all the way to the checkered flag. Myers settled for second, followed by Josh Leach, Troen and Jeff Betancourt.
Richard Papenhausen won his second 20 lap DIRTcar Late Model Main Event. It was Shawn DeForest setting the early pace ahead of Papenhausen. Papenhausen continued to pressure DeForest until making a low pass in Turn 4 on lap eight to gain the lead. From there, Papenhausen pulled away from the pack for the impressive win. DeForest settled for second ahead of Rod Oliver, Mike Hynes and Kimo Oreta.
Kimo Oreta battled Dave Mackey to win the Bay Area Hardtop race. Oreta was driving the #100 car that had been driven to several victories by Damitz in this division.
Racing returns next Saturday night with an All Star Series line-up that will include the A Modifieds, Wingless Spec Sprints, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
All Star Series Antioch Speedway
B Modifieds
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Brent Curran, Trevor Clemens. Main Event (20 laps)-Tommy Fraser, Brent Curran, Todd Gomez, Kenny Neu, Cameron Swank, Keith Steinmetz, Trevor Clymens, Tommy Clymens Jr, Haley Gomez, Kevin Brown.
Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (6 laps)-Chris Sorensen, Josh Leach, Ricky Foster. Main Event (20 laps)-Chris Sorensen, Brad Myers, Josh Leach, Breanna Troen, Jeff Betancourt, Will Buirch, Ken Johns, Judy Allison Arth, Jacob Mallett Jr, Don Phillips.
DIRTcar Late Models
Heat Winner (6 Laps)-Richard Papenhausen. Main Event (20 Laps)-Richard Papenhausen, Dennis Souza, Rod Oliver, Mike Hynes, Kimo Oreta, John Soares, Rob Norris DNS.
A Modifieds Back In Action
At Antioch Speedway Saturday Night
Antioch, CA...It's been an exciting season so far at Antioch Speedway. Five races have been held so far, and we enter May with a four division All Star Series program that will feature the A Modifieds, Wingless Spec Sprints, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks.
It's possible that nobody predicted that Buddy Kniss would be leading the A Modified point race four races into the season, but that is the case. Kniss won the third race, which came on the heels of a then career-best second the week before. He was after two in a row last time out, but the loose set up got away from him in Turn 4 as he spun. Rather than draw a yellow, Kniss got going and managed to charge to a third place finish. Coupled with the terrible luck of Danny Wagner, Buddy now holds a 28.point advantage in the standings.
Wagner is focusing this season on his Modified effort, but that took a hit when he dropped a driveline not once, but twice last time out. Wagner was unable to make a lap in the Main Event before his night was over. The good news came last week at Placerville Speedway, where he scored a $1,500 victory in the Main Event ahead of an all star lineup of racers. Reigning champion Nick DeCarlo was back after missing a race, but he too fell out of the event early. He finds himself 32 points behind Wagner in the third position. It was Chester Kniss, winning the most recent race. These four might be at the head of the pack of potential winners this week, but others to watch for include Sean Wilson, top rookie Frank Furtado and Greg Alan McElhaney.
Shannon Newton is hitting on all eight cylinders in the Richard Basden owned Wingless Spec Sprint. Newton has won the first three Main Events of the season, and he's done so in dominant fashion. Because the car count has not been as good as desired, his lead isn't as big as you might think. Coming off of his second runner-up finish last time out, ageless veteran Roy Fisher is only 14 points behind, while division mainstay Rick Panfili trails Fisher by 10 markers.
At the most recent event, Panfili had mechanical issues all night, but he still managed to get to the finish line. Mackenzie Newton is only eight points behind Panfili. These four are anticipated this week. After another Top 3 finish in the Lloyd Beard Special, Adam Teves should be on hand along with rookie Jeff Scotto and Kevin Box.
Mike Walko led several laps in the season-opening Limited Late Model Main Event, but his bid to win the race was thwarted by 2013 champion Jim Freethy. There was a close three-car battle at the front of the pack in that race with 2017 champion Kimo Oreta driving the Sun Drop Racing #15 car to a third place finish. These three drivers have established themselves as the major players in the championship race.
Michael Burch is back this season along with rookie Mario Passantino and the steady John Evans. Unfortunately for this trio, they all fell out early in the season opener. They'll be out to turn their luck around this week, and other drivers to look for include two-time champion Mike Gustafson, Ryan Cherezian, Jimmy Robbins and Lori Brown.
The Hobby Stocks produced an impressive 19 car field last week, and the Main Event only had one yellow flag. Again, we saw a battle between two-time reigning champion Chris Sorensen and Brad Myers. Again, Sorensen prevailed for his second victory of the season. He now holds an 18 point lead over last season's top rookie, Breanna Troen. Troen has picked up three consecutive Top 5 finishes, but she'll need to familiarize herself with the Winner's Circle if she hopes to beat Sorensen for the championship. Also, she is only four points ahead of Josh Leach, who won the season opener.
The return of Myers for the past two races has made things very interesting. Despite missing the season opener, he's only two points behind this season's top rookie, Philip Oreta, in the battle for fifth. Myers has to be a bit frustrated at the fact that he's settled for second twice, knowing he's had a winning car. Will three times be the charm for him? There are some good drivers and some new drivers in the division this season, and others to watch for include Top 5 ranked Will Buirch, Luke Brignoli, Ricky Foster, Ken Johns and John Wacht.
There's been some great racing at Antioch Speedway so far, and Saturday's program should offer more of the same. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Golobic Wins Sprint Car Challenge Race
At Petaluma Speedway
Petaluma, CA...April 27...Shane Golobic had a bit of luck on his side in winning the 35 lap Sprint Car Challenge Tour, presented by Abreu Vineyards, Main Event Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. Piloting the Matt Wood Racing Sprinter, Golobic spent several laps chasing down Geoff Ensign and then capitalized on the moment leader Chase Johnson hooked a rut in Turn 4 to score the $3,100 victory.
Golobic and Kalib Henry brought the field to the green flag, and Henry led a lap before Kyle Offill spun for a yellow flag. Golobic took the lead on the restart, only to surrender the position to a low pass in Turn 2 a lap later by Ensign. Ensign was doing a good job of working the lower grove, but when they hit slower traffic in Turn 2 on lap 16, Golobic motored by on the outside to take over first.
A yellow flag on lap 30 presented Johnson an opportunity. On the restart, Johnson charged past Golobic for the lead. Things were looking good for Johnson until he hooked a rut exiting Turn 4 on the 32nd lap. This was all it took for Golobic to race by for the lead and the victory. Johnson settled for second, followed by Ensign, Henry, Tim Kaeding, Tony Gualda, Colby Copeland, Sean Becker, Kyle Hirst and Justin Sanders.
There were 27 entries for the big Sprint Car race, and the drivers qualified with their heat race groups. Ensign had the fastest overall lap on the three-eighth mile adobe oval with a quick time of 12.772. Justyn Cox was second quick at 12.810. Hirst won the first 10 lap heat race in front of Sanders. Offill won the second heat ahead of Kaeding, and the third heat win went to Willie Croft ahead of Andy Forsberg. It was Golobic holding off Becker to win the final heat. Golobic also won the six lap Trophy Dash with Henry following in second. Cole Macedo won the 10 lap B Main ahead of Colby Johnson and Dustin Freitas.
Nick Robfogel rebounded from his bad luck in the opener by winning the 20 lap Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micro Main Event. In a close race to the checkered flag, Robfogel managed hold off young Cody Gray for the impressive victory. Kyle Grissom was a close third. Justin Adiego settled for fourth, followed by Carroll Mendenhall, Sam Borland, Rob Brown, Jason McIntosh, Brian Slubik and Jenna Perkins. Robfogel won his eight lap heat race by a comfortable margin ahead of Mendenhall, while Adiego outran Slubik to win the other heat.
Racing returns next Saturday night with the PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars and Wingless Spec Sprints headlining the program. Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks and Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks will also be in action. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Sprint Cars Headline Four Division Program
At Petaluma Speedway
Petaluma, CA...The fans at Petaluma Speedway have witnessed some great racing so far, and we're only a month into the season. On Saturday night, the popular PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars and Wingless Spec Sprints are both in action. Also on the card will be the Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks and the Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks.
Last time out, fourth-generation racer Chase Johnson scored an impressive victory in the Winged 360 Sprint Car feature. It looked early on as if third-generation racer Shawn Arriaga would get the win aboard the Lathrop family entry. Arriaga had set the fast time and won his heat race, but the best the past champion could do was pursue Johnson to the checkered flag. Johnson has been off to a good start and recently won a Main Event at Ocean Speedway as well.
John Clark has made appearances at Marysville and Ocean Speedway this year and looked good there. He finished third in the most recent race with David Lindt II in tow. However, a driver getting noticed for his best effort to date was second-generation racer Ricky Brophy. It's been a long road to becoming more competitive for Brophy, who is now in his third season in the division. Brophy held off William Fatu in a good battle to win his first career heat race and followed that up with a fifth in the Main Event. He's now feeling as if he's finally competitive. He'll be hoping to take it up another notch next time out, and other drivers to watch for include Colby Johnson, Brett Rollag, Norm Johns and reigning champion Jake Haulot.
Bradley Terrell is firmly established as the driver to beat in the Wingless Spec Sprint class. Terrell has not only won both Main Events, but he's done so in dominant fashion. He finds himself as the early leader in the standings, chased by Hawaii native Boy Moniz and second-generation star Dennis Furia Jr. These two drivers may be the most likely to beat Terrell, but other drivers hoping to make a challenge include past Chico champion Angelique Bell, reigning champion Shayna Sylvia, Sprint Car veteran Sparky Howard and Travis DeGaton.
Reigning Super Stock champion Mitch Machado looked impressive in winning the season opener in the Baker Motorsports entry. Machado won the lion's share of the races last season and figures to be tough to beat again this year. Once again chasing him across the line in the opener was two-time champion Steve Studebaker. Studebaker is hoping to evict Machado from the Winner's Circle this week. Other drivers hoping to rise to the occasion include two-time champions Matt While and Shawn McCoy, Gary Adams, Manny Avila, Austin Ohlinger, Sean Cook and Snazzy Duckworth.
Jeremy Tjensvold opened the Mini Stock season with an impressive victory. He won the race by a wide margin ahead of Roy Dearing and reigning champion Tom Brown. Jeremy made his division debut late last season and was a winner then as well. He's hoping to be a player in the championship battle. Another driver looking good was Roberta Broze. She won her heat race and finished fourth in the Main Event ahead of the Bill Manzoni. The Manzoni family has three cars this year with Connor Manzoni and last year's third-ranked competitor, Danny Manzoni, behind the wheel. Others to watch for this week include Sophie Shelley and Randy and Antonio Miramontez.
This lineup offers some of the best racing you're going to find in the Bay Area. The numbers have been up at Petaluma Speedway so far in both the pits and the grandstands. Fans know when they come to Petaluma Speedway they're going to get a great show. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Two In A Row For Kaeding, Pettit Back In Winner's Circle
At Ocean Speedway
Watsonville, CA...April 26...Bud Kaeding won his second straight 30 lap Ocean Sprint Car Presented by Taco Bravo Main Event Friday night Ocean Speedway. Kaeding had to deal with five yellow flags, but each time he managed to keep the Brent Kaeding owned Sprinter in the lead.
Reigning champion Brad Furr led two laps before surrendering the position to Kaeding. Justin Sanders followed into second. The first yellow flag waved on lap six. Sanders only briefly took the lead from Kaeding before he moved back in front. From there on, Kaeding made all the right moves and kept Sanders behind him for the well-earned victory. Furr settled for third, followed by Cole Macedo, Blake Carrick, Jeremy Chisum, Jason Chisum, Kyler Shaw, Koen Shaw and Kurt Nelson.
There were 18 Sprint Cars in action, and Furr set the fast time of 12.718 on the quarter-mile clay oval. Kaeding was second quick at 12.741. The first of three eight lap heat races was won by Carrick ahead of Furr. Jason Chisum outran Kaeding to win the next heat, and multi time BCRA Midget Lites champion Bradley Dillard won his first Sprint Car heat ahead of Sanders. Kaeding secured the pole for the Main Event by outrunning Furr to win the six lap Trophy Dash.
Jim Pettit II won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. The Winner's Circle at Watsonville is not unfamiliar territory for the past champion, but it's been a while since Pettit had been there. He started on the front row of the feature and led Anthony Copeland in the early going. A string of yellow flags waved from lap four through lap 10, but Pettit remained in the lead. Dylan Thornton took second from Copeland, but he surrendered the position to Brian Cass on lap 10. Pettit had built nearly a straightaway lead when a lap 20 yellow flag for Anthony Giuliani erased his advantage. He continued to lead Cass on the restart, and Thornton took second from Cass on lap 23. However, Pettit was not to be denied as he brought it home to a satisfying win, followed by Thornton, Austin Burke, Cass, Jeff Decker, Raymond Keldsen Jr, Todd Hermosillo, Copeland, Giuliani and Kyle Bryan. Pettit won his eight lap heat race ahead of Decker, while Austin Burke outran Thornton to win the other heat.
Rob Gallaher went flag to flag to win the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Gallaher may have led from the start, but he still had to deal with four yellow flag periods bunching up the field. Jerry Skelton held the second position through the first eight laps of the race before he saw his race come to an end for a lap eight caution flag. Joe Gallaher took up pursuit of his son on the restart, but he brought out a yellow flag on lap 10. DJ Keldsen didn't make an appearance in the Top 5 until the lap 11 restart as Rob Gallaher continued to set the pace. Bobby Huckaby Sr was in second, but Keldsen took the position on lap 16. However, Gallaher led the remaining laps and withstood a late threat from Keldsen to win. Huckaby Sr settled for third, followed by Joe Gallaher, Tony Oliveira, Wally Kennedy, Devon Sanders, Ryan Muller, Nick Triolo and Bobby Huckaby Jr. Joe Gallaher won the first eight lap heat race ahead of Skelton, and Oliveira outran Huckaby Sr to win the other heat.
Mark Biscardi won his second straight 20 lap South Bay Dwarf Car Main Event. Eric Weisler led the first two laps before Biscardi went racing by for the lead. Recent Merced Dwarf Car Nationals winner Shawn Jones was third on lap five and took second from Weisler on lap six. A yellow flag flew on lap 12, and Ryan Amlen moved into second behind Biscardi on the restart. Biscardi led the race through one more yellow flag on lap 14 and brought it home to victory ahead of Amlen, Weisler, Jones, Gene "Punky" Pires, Barry Waddell, Eddie Claessen, Keith Costas, Mike Ferrell and Dan Zuger. Jones won his eight lap heat race ahead of Pires, while Biscardi outran Amlen to win the other heat.
John Grilli won the 15 lap Four Banger Main Event. Grilli started in the third position and quickly moved into lead over Ryan McClelland. Third row starter Tony Gullo was in third by lap seven and made a move past McClelland for second two laps later. Gullo began to pressure Grilli for the lead. However, Grilli remained cool and took the checkered flag ahead of Gullo, Nicole Beardsley, Kate Beardsley, Bill Beardsley, McClelland and Chuck Kessinger. McClelland won the eight lap heat race ahead of Kate Beardsley.
Next Friday night, the Ocean Sprint Cars return along with the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.
Sprint Cars, Modifieds Highlight Friday Night Show
At Ocean Speedway
Watsonville, CA...The racing season is in high gear at Ocean Speedway with some big races coming up this month, including the Second Annual Bill Egleston Memorial on May 17th. Before we get there, however, there's an exciting program lined up for this Friday night. The Ocean Sprint Cars, presented by Taco Bravo, are back for their fourth event of the season. Joining them on this action-packed card will be the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Hobby Stocks.
A look at the top of the Sprint Car point list after three events finds something very interesting. The brother team of Jeremy Chisum and Jason Chisum rank first and second, respectively. Both have all Top 10 finishes in their three starts, and Jeremy has made one appearance in the Top 5. Jeremy leads Jason by 17 points, while last season's point runner-up, Koen Shaw, is 27 points out in third. All three of these drivers would love to jump start their season with a feature win, but the competition is very tough.
Fourth ranked Kurt Nelson and fifth-ranked James Ringo are within 38 points of the leader, but the driver in sixth is climbing the ladder at a rapid pace. He's Bud Kaeding. The third-generation leadfoot has driven his father Brent Kaeding's #69 car to back-to-back feature wins, but his late start leaves him 134 points out of the lead at the moment. Only seven points behind Kaeding is 2015 champion Justin Sanders, while three-time reigning champion Brad Furr is 13 points arrears of Kaeding. All three drivers missed the season opener, but anything can happen between now and the final race of the season.
Jim Pettit II reminded everybody that he still knows how to bring his IMCA Modified to the Winner's Circle. Last time out, the past champion won his first feature in the past few seasons. It's early yet, and Pettit trails the tied Brian Cass and Austin Burke by just three points. Many time Late Model champion Jeff Decker is tied with Pettit for third, while reigning champion Cody Burke and Raymond Keldsen Jr are tied for fifth, five points out of the lead. It's a competitive field of IMCA Modifieds, and drivers like past champion Robert Marsh, Anthony Copeland and Kyle Bryan are still threats to win. You also know that on any occasion in which multi-time champion Bobby Hogge IV is in town, he is a threat to win. Hogge won the first race of the season.
The IMCA Sport Modifieds are excited to make their second appearance of the season. Adrianne Frost won the season opener ahead of Randy Miller and Austin Williams. Frost and Williams are expected to be regulars in the field and may be the early favorites in the championship chase. Rookie Kelly Campanile acquainted yourself well with the division by getting a Top 5 finish in her first start. She hopes to get a win at some point this year, and other drivers to watch for include Stephen Allee, Charlie Hunter, John Ferro and Billy Robertson.
Anytime the Hobby Stocks are on the card, you know you're in for an exciting race. Past champion Rob Gallaher collected the win last time out ahead of DJ Keldsen. As you might expect, Rob Gallaher leads the standings ahead of Keldsen. Keldsen is just 10 points behind the point leader, while Joe Gallaher is 14 points back after his latest Top 5 finish. These three drivers will be tough to beat on race night, and others to watch for include season opener winner JC Elrod, past champion Wally Kennedy, Jerry Skelton, Nick Triolo and ageless veteran Tony Oliveira.
Ocean Speedway continuous a great tradition of Friday night racing in its 60th consecutive championship season. This weekend's show is one you won't want to miss. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.
Nelson, Kinney Win At Merced Speedway
Merced, CA...April 27...Shannon Nelson won the 25 lap FND Motorsports Hobby Stock Main Event Saturday night at Merced Speedway. This was Fan Appreciation Night, and Nelson had finished second in the previous Main Event. On this occasion, she chased pole-sitter Raul Rodriguez Sr for four laps before making an inside pass to take the lead. Austin Van Hoff was running strong and slipped past Rodriguez for second a lap later. For several laps, Van Hoff tried to find a way underneath Nelson for the lead. Unfortunately, his bid to take the lead ended with a flat tire on lap 22. Nelson scored the victory ahead of Rodriguez, Domossie Scoggins, Mike Germait, Michael Shearer, Allen Neal, Donnie Shearer, Kristie Shearer, Timmy Crews and previous feature winner on Dexter Long. Rodriguez, reigning champion Kodie Dean and Nelson were the eight lap heat race winners.
Scott Kinney won the 25 lap BCRA Midget Lites Main Event. The past champion had the pole for the race and looked impressive in victory. Jimmy Riddell finished second, followed by Chase Gaal, Dakota Albright, Jacob Williams, Adam Teves, Danika Jo Parker and Brandon Leedy. Kinney and Jeff Griffin were the eight lap heat race winners.
Timmy Crews won his second-straight California Sharp Mini Late Model 20 lap Main Event. The eight car turnout was the biggest for this division since it began in 2017. Crews won from the outside front row with IMCA Sport Modified star Bruce Nelson not far behind in second. Logan Clay, Kaylin Lopez, Carson Guthrie, Riley Jeppesen, Jeremiah Enriquez and Kennzzie Brown rounded out the finishing order. Jeppesen won the eight lap heat race.
Reigning Valley Sportsman champion Jerry Cecil won the 15 lap Main Event. Rick Elliott finished second and Chris Corder was third. Eric Seeley and Jesse James Burks were Main Event scratches. Cecil won the eight lap heat race.
Next weekend is a big three-day event at the speedway. The Malicious Monster Truck Tour, presented by Freitas Auto Wreckers, comes to town for two nights of entertainment. They will be at the speedway on Friday and Sunday. There will be a racing program on Saturday, presented by Big O Tires. IMCA Modifieds are back In action along with Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks and the Valley Sportsman division. For further information, go to www.mercedspeedway.net.
Monster Trucks, Racing On Tap
At Merced Speedway This Weekend
Merced, CA...S&S Motorsports has an exciting weekend of activity planned for Merced Speedway. Coming to town is something the fans don't very often get a chance to see. It's the popular Malicious Monster Truck Tour, and they will be appearing on both Friday and Sunday. On Saturday night, racing will take place on the quarter-mile clay oval, featuring IMCA Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks and the Valley Sportsman division.
The Malicious Monster Truck Tour makes visits to several different venues up and down the West Coast throughout the year. They have a reputation for providing one of the best shows the fans will see. These ground-pounding, high-flying, gargantuan trucks offer the thrills and excitement that keeps fans young and old entertained all night long.
About a half-dozen vehicles, including Rock Star, California Kid, Identity Theft, Spitfire and Honda Generators High Voltage, will be competing in various events on the obstacle course as they crush cars beneath them and lift off and get plenty of airtime. There will also be ride along Monster Trucks for the kids to enjoy. If you've ever watched Monster Trucks put on a show on television, it doesn't compare to watching it in person. The Malicious Monster Truck Tour does not disappoint when they come to town. Helping make this show possible was event sponsor Freitas Auto Wreckers.
In recent seasons, Merced Speedway has had some of the best IMCA Modified racing in the state. That has certainly continued to be the case this season after three races. The Main Event glory has been divided amongst four-time Antioch Speedway champion Troy Foulger, two-time Merced champion Randy Brown and DJ Shannon as all three have a victory to their credit. Shannon won the most recent race in impressive fashion, but Foulger currently holds a four point advantage ahead of Brown in the early point season chase. Foulger continues to wheel the Bowers Racing Modified and has emerged as one of the top racers in the state.
Foulger and Brown are not alone in the hunt. Only 11 points out of the lead is multi-time Merced Speedway champion Paul Stone, who sits just one point ahead of Ryan Porter and eight ahead of DJ Shannon. These five drivers are capable of winning on any given occasion. Other drivers to keep an eye on are multi-time champion Ramie Stone, Jesse James Burks, Ricky Thatcher and Harley Turner.
The Hobby Stock division is producing some close and exciting racing at the front of the pack. Shannon Nelson came up just short in the championship battle last season in second, and she's doing everything she can so far to improve her point status. Coming off of an impressive win ahead of multi-time champion Raul Rodriguez last week, Nelson now holds a 13 point advantage over 2016 champion Michael Shearer. Shearer has a pair of Top 5 finishes, and only Nelson can join him in making that claim coming into this week. Season opening winner Dexter Long had a rough going last week. He put his car on its lid in his heat race and then ended up a disappointed tenth in the feature.
Domossie Scoggins had everybody taking notice last week with his impressive third place finish. He is one of the newcomers to the field this year, but he looked like an old pro as he battled sometimes three-wide on his way to the front of the pack. Other drivers out to make a run for the money this week include Donnie Shearer, Mike Germait, Kristy Shearer and 2018 Mini Stock champion Allen Neal. Austin Van Hoff looked like he might be a threat to win last week before a flat tire sent him pit side. He's had a disappointing start to his season, but he's capable of turning it around with a victory and will be a driver to watch this week.
The Mini Stocks are two races into the season, and Jennifer Rodgers leads the pack on the strength of her feature win at the opener. However, the company behind her lets her know that staying there will not be easy. Just one point behind her is three-time champion Chris Corder, while last season's point runner-up Lee Ragsdale is just six points back. These two are looking for their first win of the season, and it could happen on Saturday night. Lucy Falkenberg has been knocking on the door to victory for over a year, and she emphatically kicked it in with an impressive win last time out. She'll be going for two in a row, and others to watch for this week include Shayla Gould, Jerry Tubbs, Austin Sprague and Tyler Post.
Corder will have himself a busy night as the Valley Sportsman division is also on the card this week. We are two races into the season, and he finds himself in a tie with Rick Elliott for the point lead. Reigning champion Jerry Cecil joined Chris Birdsong on the winner's list with his victory last week. It's hoped that these drivers will all be there, and others to watch for include two-time champion Mike Friesen, Eric Seely and Jeff West.
With Monster Trucks on Friday and Sunday and a great lineup of racing on Saturday night, Merced Speedway is the place you want to be this weekend. For further information, go to www.mercedspeedway.net.
Loughton, Sanders, Torgerson Win At Dixon Speedway
Dixon, CA...April 27...Michael Laughton won the 25 lap Wingless 600 Micro Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Dixon Speedway. Laughton was chased across the finish line by Danny Carroll. Blake McGourty won a close battle with Kelvin Lewis for the third position as Jonathan Henry, Angelina Dempsey, Blake Parmley, Ethan Lanfri, Chris Parmley and Robbie Lewis completed the Top 10, all on the lead lap. Loughton was the fast qualifier on the one-fifth mile dirt oval with a lap of 11.091. Robbie Lewis was second quick at 11.250 and also won the eight lap Trophy Dash ahead of Laughton. There were three 10 lap heat races, and Carroll outran Laughton to win the first one. The second heat victory went to Robbie Lewis ahead of Dempsey, and McGarity won the third heat in front of Randy Sims.
Ricky Sanders won the 25 lap Super 600 Micro Main Event. Sanders benefited from the mechanical misfortune of Kyle Mentch seven laps from the finish. Mentch was still able to limp to the finish line for a sixth place finish, and Sanders held off fast qualifier Blake Bower for the victory. Ashton Torgerson was a solid third, followed by Frank Camacho II and Blaine Baxter. Tony Alosi finished seventh as John Bordenave, Mike Barnes and Jimmy Katarzy completed the Top 10. Bower set the fast time of 10.501, just beating the 10.517 of Mentch and the 10.518 of John Bordenave. Mentch won the six lap Trophy Dash ahead of Bower. The first 10 lap heat race win went to Barnes ahead of Bower, and Torgerson won the second heat by half a straightaway in front of Camacho.
Ashton Torgerson won the 20 lap Restricted Micro Main Event. Torgerson was chased closely by Jeffrey Pahule at the checkered flag. Previous winner Matthew Tatoole was a solid third ahead of Isabella Barnes, Bekka Clark, Sage Bordenave, Bryant Bell, Riley Whitehouse, David Camacho and Colin Kirby. Tatoole set the fast time of 11.148, beating the 11.208 of Torgerson. The six lap Trophy Dash win went to Torgerson ahead of Tatoole. There were two ten lap heat races with Bordenave outrunning Barnes to win the first one. Pahule claimed the honors by a straightaway in front of Clark in the second heat.
Brody Rubio won the 20 lap Junior Sprint Car Main Event. The small, but competitive field of racers finished within a straightaway of each other as Rubio won ahead of Logan Taylor, McKayla Tatoole, Kellen Harper, Payton Whitehouse and Hayden Stepps. Whitehouse won the four lap Trophy Dash ahead of Rubio. Rubio won the 10 lap heat in front of Whitehouse. Stepps was the fast qualifier with a lap of 13.941. Whitehouse turned second quick time at 13.973.
The Micro Sprint Car program returns to action on May 11th with the four divisions again competing. For further information, go to www.dixonspeedway.net.
Good Battle Developing In Pure Stocks At Orland Raceway
Orland, CA...Orland Raceway has their fourth event of the season lined up this Saturday night. Fans have been witnessing some great things so far on Rich Hood's 1/5 mile dirt oval, and they have a good show on tap for this week. The Pure Stocks are back along with the Mini Trucks, Mini Stocks and the two Micro Sprint divisions.
There's a different look at the top of the Pure Stock point list after three races, but the battle is as close as it was last season. Having won another Mini Truck championship last season, Keith Ross has set his sights on the Pure Stock crown. He's off to a great start with three wins in a row. However, he hasn't put too much distance between himself and second place. Newcomer Phil Spencer has finished second in all three races and beat Ross to win their heat race last time out. Spencer will be trying to snap Ross's win streak, and he won't be alone.
Past division champion Steve Martin is currently third in the standings, but he's not having the season he'd have hoped for so far. He has won many Main Events at the speedway in the past, but he's coming off of a fifth place finish last time out. He's hoping this will be his week. Other drivers to watch for include reigning champion Paul Stephens, Thomas Pavlik, John Camper and James Taylor.
With his second straight win, Zack Webster has firmly established himself as the driver to beat in the Mini Trucks. However, William Fogle is looking better than he's been in recent seasons. Fogle finished second last time out and won the Main Event in his visit to Hayfork the week before. Fogle wants to win in front of the home fans this week, and other drivers hoping to knock Webster off of his pedestal include James Woodell, Dan Libbee, Kalvin Kvalvik and Beau Chandler.
Thomas Davis entered the season as the driver to beat in the Mini Stock class. He's already got one win, but his bid to repeat was thwarted by longtime speedway competitor Kevin Pendergrass last time out. With a pair of Top 3 finishes to his credit, Jeremy Langenderfer is also in the hunt as just three points separate Davis and the other two in the hotly-contested championship chase. These three lead the division into Saturday night, joined by past champion John Kirkpatrick, Scott Camper, Jason Libbee and Rich Innes.
It's not often that we see both the 600 Micros and 250 Micros on the same night, but they are both on the card this Saturday. Pax Gonzalez is the reigning 250 Micro champion and enters the night as the point leader following his second place finish behind Mike McCarthy last time out. Past champion Jess Garland, Lester Elsey and Ronnie Heyer are others anticipated this week. Rising young star Cody Gray won the 600 Micro race last time in front of Jessica McManus and past champion Jeromie Crismon. Can he get two in a row?
The five division lineup should be a good one. Things are just getting interesting at Orland Raceway, and the best Is yet to come. For further information, go to the Orland Raceway Facebook page.
Santa Maria Raceway Unofficial Race Results April 27, 2019
USAC West Coast Sprints
Austin Liggett
Michael Faccinto
Kaleb Montgomery
Tristan Guardino
JJ Ringo
Cody Fendley
Brandon Wiley
Hannah Mayhew
Steve Hix
Gage Rucker
James Herrera
DJ Johnson
Austin Ervine
Koen Shaw
Ricky Kirkbride
Kyle Edwards
Slater Helt
Ryan Stolz
Cody Majors
Ryan Timmons
Troy Rutherford
Trent Carter
USAC Western States Midgets
Austin Liggett
Robert Dalby
Chase Stockon
Cory Elliott
Shannon McQueen
Cody Swanson
Kyle Beilman
David Prickett
CJ Sarna
Dylan Ito
Gage Rucker
Mike Leach
Marvin Mitchell
Tyler Edwards
Terry Nichols
Jackson Dukes
Randi Pankratz
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Clay Daly
Aaron Farrell
Markus Frazier
Orion Messina
Kyle Wood
Mike Dean
Austin Ruskauff
Robbie Claborn
Kevin Johnson
Hobby Stocks
Tom Grizincic
Scotty Preast
Chris Whitford
Jacob Jones
Mike Keebler
Aaron Bruce
Taelor Janes
Zak Martin
Matt McEwan
Sheldon Bailey
Chris Anderson
Hailey Wyand
Greg Baker
Pat Fausel DNS
Dwarf Cars
Brandon Wylie
Jason Horton
Nick Velasquez
Tommy Velasquez
Brian Barnhill
Tom Morley
Tony Pellegrino
Jessica Swanson
Tony Margott
Kobe Kerns
Kody Cowan
Mitch Caldwell
Jeff Brink
Thomas Velasquez
Danny Valdez
Kory Cowan
NMRA TQ Midgets
Anthony Lopiccalo
Bruce Hiroshima
Ace Kale
West Evans
Scott Niven
Kevin Kale
Paul Sanders
Dave Lambert
Donald Brasher
Kern County Raceway Unofficial Race Results April 27, 2019
Salute to the American Trucker 1/2
NASCAR Late Models
Feature #1
DEREK THORNE
BLAINE PERKINS
DYLAN GARNER
LUCAS MCNEIL
PAUL EBERSBACHER
JUSTIN WESTMORELAND
TANNER WATTENBERGER
JACE JONES
DEAN THOMPSON
JOSH DAVIS
Feature #2
DEREK THORNE
DYLAN GARNER
BLAINE PERKINS
PAUL EBERSBACHER
TANNER WATTENBERGER
JACE JONES
LUCAS MCNEIL
JUSTIN WESTMORELAND
JOSH DAVIS
DEAN THOMPSON
Modifieds
JIM COFFEY
ED COFFEY
ANTHONY BARKET
JOHN COMPTON
BRADY MELO
KEN HOOBERY
ERIC BRUST
BROCK MELO
JACK PATTON
RYLEY MILLARD
LLOYD WREN
Super Stocks
CHRIS DALTON
GENE FIFE
GREG PUSKARICH
RON CROSS
KENNY HARRISON
RON CHRISTY
ERIC BRUST
BRADY MELO
Legend Cars
BRADEN ROGERS
COLTON PAGE
EDDIE GARONE
JOSH AYERS
CHRISTIAN BAZEN
DAVID WILLEY
Sr Mini Dwarfs
ADAM NOHL
BRADY WATTS
Jr Mini Dwarfs
STEPHEN BAZEN
CADEN CORDOVA
BRODY WELTE
HAYDEN JOPLIN
NATHAN NOHL
Stockton 99 Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 27, 2019
North State Modifieds
Darrin Knight
Cameron Austin
Jason Philpot
Robbie Knittel
Dustin DeRosier
Ian Elliott
Keith Bloom Jr
Darrin Sullivan
Rich Cobb
Sal Lopez
Rich Avila
Donovan Cox
Buzz Devore
John Baker
Gunslinger Sprint Cars
Dillon Tucker
AJ Russell
Gordon Rogers
Justin Kawahata
Justin Segura
Austin Carter
BCRA/POWRi Midgets
Mark Maliepaard
Chad Nichols
Frankie Guerrini
JR Williams
Robert Carson
Bakersfield Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 27, 2019
IMCA Modifieds
Clint Reichenbach
Ethan Dotson
Logan Drake
Dylan Thornton
Trevor Fitz
Jerry Flippo
Bryan Clark
Cody Laney
Robby Sawyer
Kollin Hibdon
Brad Pounds
Ryan Daves
Michael Scruggs
Robbie Witwer
Donald Scott
Chad Reichenbach
Karl Noland Sr
Hobby Stocks
Dylan Wilson
Nicholas Johnson
Stephen Johnson
Tyler Bannister
Trevor Baker
Michael Scruggs
Jerry Flippo
Don Mead
Joe Baker
Justin Gonzalez
Colby Quinton
Wayne Dotson
Raymond Noland Jr
Kevin Collier
Matt Sweeney
Aaron Stewart
Kevin Irwin
Kasey Collier
American Stocks
Brandon Ratcliff
Daryl Mealer
Miranda Scott
Jr Garcia
Josh Yadon
Colby Ward
Robert Guess
Andrew Johnston
Tyler Johnson
James Coots
Steven Amick
Ryan Little
Kenny White DQ
Mini Stocks
Gene Glover
David Wolford
Clint Duncan
Matt Herod
Andy Boydstun
Shawn Schwartzenberger
Parker Cherry
Candy Noland-Soares
Paul Johnston
Brandon Wolford
Bobby Cook
David Waller
Mason Conway
Gary Anderson
Mark Wolford
Chris Rutledge
Clinton Massey
Steven Lawler
Outlaw Karts
Levi Smith
Kruz Griffith
Bryan Watson
Bryce Cooper
Jacob Hughes
Tony Banks
Tailer Morrison
Riley Clem
Isaiah Wolden
Zach Hanes
Tommy Rosenberger
Tate Sanders
Russel Smith
Gerald McKellar
Jake Lyon
Lane Sanders
Rowdy Sneed
Kyle Griffith
Intermediate
Jett Yantis
Cade Lewis
Tyler Blankenship
Ryan Bonner
Brady Hearron
Riley Hoffman
Kennedy Cotton
Trenton Rickel
Cole Forster
Box Stock
Jett Yantis
Wyatt Webb
John McKinley III
Seth Hanson
Tristen Harrington
Trenton Rickel DNS
Beginner Box Stock
Khloe Cotton
Emma McKellar
Paislee Black
Blake Watson
Madera Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 27, 2019
MavTV Late Models
Racin Vernon
Logan Zampa
Austin Herzog
Carlos Vieira
Ross Strmiska
Dylan Zampa
Matt Erickson
Tyler Herzog
Tanner Reif
Jason Aguirre
Ryan Hart
Kolby Berry
Tim Skoglund
Micheal Mitchell
Toni Breindenger
Erik Woods
Eric Nascimento
Glen Cook
Rick Thompson
Tim Furin
Joey Brasil
Shelden Cooper
Christian Roche
Eric Holmes
Jr. Late Models
Tanner Reif
Jay Juleson
Joey Iest
Tyler Reif
Jake Bollman
Seth Wise
Kabe McClenny
Jadan Walbridge
Kercie Jung
Kale McClenny
Robbie Kennealy
Patrick Mullins
Lilly Mead
Olivia Manke
Kyler Berry
Hobby Stocks
Mikala Stearns
Triston Hansen
Steve Schermerhorn
Manny Gonzales Jr
JoJo Stearns
Toyota Sedans
Jason Lawton
Jillaun Holden
J.J Brandsen
Bandoleros
Dylan Baptista
Riley Massey
Trenton Eurto
Ethan Nascimento
Nathaniel Edwards
Kenna Mitchell
Joey Kennealy
JJ Mullins
Dixon Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 27, 2019
Wingless Micros
Michael Laughton
Danny Carroll
Blake McGourty
Kelvin Lewis
Jonathan Henry
Angelina Dempsey
Blake Parmley
Eathan Lanfri
Chris Parmley
Robbie Lewis
Justin Stretch
Jaedon Gatewood
Taylor DeCarlo
Chuck Patterson
Matt Santana
Allen Sheridan
Randy Sims
Clayton Harris
Derrick Patterson
Austin Stone DNS
Christian Harris DNS
Super 600's
Ricky Sanders
Blake Bower
Ashton Torgerson
Frank Camacho II
Blaine Baxter
Kyle Mentch
Tony Alosi
John Bordenave
Mike Barnes
Jimmie Katarzy
Keith Nance
Jackie Whiteson Jr
Jason Chapman DNS
Darrell Busby DNS
Restricted 600 Micros
Ashton Torgerson
Jeffrey Pahule
Matthew Tatoole
Isabelle Barnes
Becca Clark
Sage Bordenave
Bryant Bell
Rylee Whitehouse
David Camacho
Colin Kirby
Austin Taborski
Jr Sprints
Brody Rubio
Logan Taylor
Makayla Tatoole
Kellen Harper
Peyton Whitehouse
Hayden Stepps
Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 27, 2019
Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour Presented By Abreu Vineyards
A Main
Results are not official
1 #17w Shane Golobic
2 #24 Chase Johnson
3 #44 Geoff Ensign
4 #63 Kalib Henry
5 #42x Tim Kaeding
6 #7c Tony Gualda
7 #5c Colby Copeland
8 #88n Sean Becker
9 #94 Kyle Hirst
10 #4sa Justin Sanders
11 #29 Willie Croft
12 #21 Shane Hopkins
13 #56 Cole Macedo
14 #27 Brett Rollag
15 #x1 Andy Forsberg
16 #2k Kyle Offill
17 #12j John Clark
18 #6 Will Fatu
19 #43 Bradley Terrell
20 #5v Justyn Cox
21 #38 Colby Johnson
22 #38b Blake Carrick
23 #9L Cody Lamar
24 #9f Dustin Freitas
25 #83t Tanner Carrick
B Main 1
Results are not official
1 #56 Cole Macedo
2 #38 Colby Johnson
3 #9f Dustin Freitas
4 #43 Bradley Terrell
5 #46jr Joel Myers
Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros
Results are not official
1 #3r Nick Robfogel
2 #04 Cody Gray
3 #5k Kyle Grissom
4 #53 Justin Adiego
5 #11 Carroll Mendenhall
6 #31 Sam Borland
7 #8r Rob Brown
8 #33 Jason McIntosh
9 #5 Rick Alonso
10 #121 Brian Slubik
11 #2j Jenna Perkins
12 #11a Amber Fields
13 #00 Scott McIntosh
14 #41s Jack Clark
Tulare Thunderbowl Unofficial Race Results April 27, 2019
King Of Thunder Winged Sprints
Results are not official
1 #37 Mitchell Faccinto
2 #0 Bud Kaeding
3 #83 Dominic Scelzi
4 #7 Steven Kent
5 #88N D.J. Netto
6 #33 Tucker Worth
7 #67V Danny Faria
8 #7Z Zane Blanchard
9 #12P Scott Parker
10 #67G Grant Duinkerken
11 #81 Brendan Warmerdam
12 #3 Craig Stidham
13 #10F Jared Faria
14 #82J Steve Jaquith
15 #45 Monty Ferriera
16 #88A Joey Ancona
17 #09S Geoffrey Strole
18 #67 Vaughn Schott
IMCA RaceSaver 305 Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #38 Kyle Rasmussen
2 #22 Mike Schot
3 #53 Michael Pombo
4 #99 Rob Solomon
5 #5S Mauro Simone
6 #2 Brooklyn Holland
7 #18S Lance Jackson
8 #63 Ryan Delisle
9 #64C Ricky Saldate
10 #18 Grant Champlin
IMCA Stock Car
Results are not official
1 #1C Chad Johnson
2 #111 Cody Johnson
3 #06B Kris Broucaret
4 #45 Troy Patee
5 #10T Larry Thompson
6 #13 Renn Bane
7 #84T Tanner Lorenzo
8 #11P Preston Martin
9 #0 Brock Hamilton
10 #22 Rod Bane
Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 27, 2019
Hobby Stocks
Shannon Nelson
Raul Rodriguez Sr
Domossie Scoggins
Mike Germait
Michael Shearer
Allen Neal
Donnie Shearer
Kristie Shearer
Timothy Crews
Dexter Long
Austin Van Hoff
Kodie Dean
Race Shelton
Kalob Shelton
George Silva
Troy Tatum
BCRA Midget Lites
Scott Kinney
Jimmy Riddell
Chase Gaal
Dakota Albright
Jacob WIlliams
Adam Teves
Danika Jo Parker
Brandon Leedy
Jeff Griffin DNS
Josef Ferolite DNS
Hunter Kinney DNF
Aiden Lange
Valley Sportsman
Jerry Cecil
Rick Elliot
Chris Corder
Eric Seely DNS
Jesse Burks DNS
California Sharp Mini Late Models
Timothy Crews
Bruce Nelson
Logan Clay
Kaylin Lopez
Carson Guthrie
Riley Jeppesen
Jeremiah Enriquez
Kennzzie Brown
Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results April 26, 2019
Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
Bud Kaeding
Justin Sanders
Brad Furr
Cole Macedo
Blake Carrick
Jeremy Chisum
Jason Chisum
Kyler Shaw
Koen Shaw
Kurt Nelson
Jake Andreotti
Jayson Bright
Bradley Dillard
Eli Deshaies
Ryon Nelson
James Ringo
John Clark
Richard Fajardo DNS
IMCA Modifieds
Jim Pettit II
Dylan Thornton
Austin Burke
Brian Cass
Jeff Decker
Raymond Keldsen Jr
Todd Hermosillo
Anthony Copeland
Anthony Giuliani
Kyle Bryan
Cody Burke
James Alaga
Robert Marsh
Hobby Stocks
Rob Gallaher
DJ Keldsen
Bobby Huckaby Sr
Joe Gallaher
Tony Oliveira
Wally Kennedy
Devon Sanders
Ryan Muller
Nick Triolo
Bobby Huckaby Jr
Jerry Skelton
Kevin Counterman
Mike Calhoun
Four Bangers
John Grilli
Tony Gullo
Nicole Beardsley
Kate Beardsley
Bill Beardsley
Ryan McClelland
Chuck Kessinger
South Bay Dwarf Cars
Mark Biscardi
Ryan Amlen
Eric Weisler
Shawn Jones
Punky Pires
Barry Waddell
Eddy Claessen
Keith Costas
Mike Farrell
Dan Zuger
Chris Dorto
The Editor's Viewpoint
Once things get going, it gets to be very hectic around here. I find myself going from one thing to the other, and it doesn't calm down until Thursday, if I'm lucky. On one hand, I don't mind occupying my mind with whatever the latest news is, but on the other, I'd certainly like to be getting out for walks. The weather has been beautiful in Oregon for the past week or so. This also means that more race tracks are opening up here.
It was nice to see everybody again when Southern Oregon Speedway had the practice last Saturday. Interestingly enough, we've never had a preseason practice since Mike McCann became promoter in 2016. Every one of them has been rained out, and we certainly hear about it. Drivers want to get back out there to see how their cars are running. I'm told that back not too many years ago, there used to be monthly practice sessions. On one hand, I get why drivers want to do that. On the other, I worry about people using up their equipment in midweek practice and not being ready for race day as a result.
From a race track standpoint, you like doing things like this if you can get the interest. It's a source of revenue for the speedway. You get to practice the cars, and the track isn't really operational as far as the grandstand side is concerned. Any money you can make might seem like pure profit, but needs of the race track end up taking that money as the season goes on. Some tracks won't open the grandstands for what they say are insurance reasons, but we had ours open. I don't think too many fans came out, but for those die-hard fans, it gets them more excited about coming out and watching a race. I say you open the grandstands up unless you're talking about some expenses you don't want to incur. I suppose every track is different about that.
I almost felt useless on Saturday. As I've said, being the broke reporter, I don't have mobile phone service. The track wasn't set up for internet, which means I was flying blind. There wasn't too much that I needed to do, but others were different. Cory Penfold of Moxie Media was giving the PA system a good looking over. He will be announcing this year, and he had three others with him. I had listened to the PA earlier, and things seemed fine. Then again, I'm not a sound expert. Corey managed to get more out of it and is very excited about coming out for the season opener and announcing this year. The team was even making use of the drone and getting a lay of the land. This will offer some great footage as the season goes on.
The track got to test a few things at practice, so that is also a positive. Most race tracks these days are on electric scoring. I know Mike is old school and is only begrudgingly going along with it. We've had our issues with the whole MyLaps system, but what was interesting was to see our returning scorekeeper Nicole working with Kelly. They had the computer up and running, which means it will be ready for the opener. If we had a stable internet situation going, I would put us on Race Monitor. People like watching scoring in live time. If I have the basic hotspot capabilities, we'll at least upload the results right after the races.
It's the exciting time that we live in. Between Racievers, apps telling you what your lineups are and digital scoring, it helps eliminate some of the human equation. Is that a good thing? Good or bad, that's what's happening. It is nice to know that for years we've gotten by without any of that stuff. I just wonder as we get more acclimatized to all of this stuff, could we even handle going back to the way it was anymore?
Back in those days, you had more cars, and yet they scored the races by hand and the on track officials managed to communicate well enough with the racers to line them back up. I realize I'm becoming a relic, because I kind of see the merits of the old ways too. It's just another expense that the track and even the racers pay in the digital age.
It looks like Southern Oregon Speedway will have the opener on Saturday, and there's five divisions. Understanding a little bit more about what the promoter goes through, you're definitely wanting to come out of the gate strong. I know Oregonians are hardy people. You could be on the verge of rain, and they're still showing up with rain gear to watch at Cottage Grove Speedway. They want to see it. However, the Medford crowd is a little bit different. Give them gloomy skies and a little bit of cold, and they're not coming out. We witnessed that at our season opener in 2017, but Mike is consistent. If there's a chance to have the race, he will generally have it. He just doesn't want to try to have a race if there's a real threat of rain or we have unsafe conditions for the drivers.
Sunny skies and warm or mild weather can help get you a good start. I was worried about how things would go last year, but we came out pretty strong compared to recent seasons. We seem to be getting things in place. I'm mixed about that as there were many places that I jumped in and did things, but I look around and realize that if I'm not around here, things will go just fine. I am almost not needed. There are mixed emotions because you want to be needed.
There were moments last year where things would have turned out differently had I not been there, which I may share in the next book I put out. Mike has had a good offseason in putting the personnel in place, and I think it's a good thing. I've seen him stressed out a little bit over how things have gone in the last few years, and he deserves to have a smooth-running ship in his fourth season of running this track.
You never know how you're going to do from week to week. You hope for the best. I have watched races via live statistcs, viewed videos and looked at pictures. It's a mixed bag at some of the tracks. Some places are doing better than others, but most places aren't doing what they did 25 or 30 years ago. You have to make the best of it and make adjustments here and there as needed. The most successful promoters are the ones really paying attention and trying little things. They stay engaged. It's a never-ending process. Just because you had a good week this week doesn't guarantee you that it will be good next week.
If it's not good, the track could close down. There are places, call them racing graveyards, that still exist in Oregon. It's not the most populated state when it comes to outdoor racing venues. Roseburg, for instance, has a long racing past. They compete at Douglas County Speedway at the fairgrounds these days, but once there was the Roseburg Speedway. Believe it or not, you can still see the remains of that facility. The property it sits on is a field with blackberry bushes and trees. They've cut a road through part of what used to be Turns 3 and 4, and one of the booths used in the pits still stands. The paved track still lives, though nowhere near the condition it used to be in. They stopped racing on it back in the 1960s, but there is a decade-long history prior to that.
Some say that old track is cursed. A car crashed into the grandstands and killed some people. This happened after the track was paved. That meant the track was higher, but the front wall managed to get lower with the pavement being laid out. You can still see the bent pole from the fencing. Before it was paved, there was an accident in which somebody was run over by the water truck. Neither one of these situations closed the track, but eventually they couldn't keep up with the times. It's interesting that the track was intact and no road was built anywhere on it until sometime after 1994. Even now, the property is big enough that a slightly smaller track could be built there. One of the things about Oregon is zoning issues, and I don't know that it's zoned for a race track or not.
The guy I work with, Mike McCann, always looks at these kinds of things. I suppose that's what a longtime promoter does. A racer might look at trends and race cars and what to get next. A promoter might look at different places and wonder if it will work where they are at. Mike will look at venues that are just sitting there. What can be done there now that it's been closed? There are other places sitting out there in Oregon that could come to life again one day. I wrote about this on the Jefferson Racing blog last year. Will there ever be another new outdoor racing venue for big cars? This would be track #10. In my opinion, it's very possible, and it's just a matter of where.
Just on the other side of the Oregon border is Siskiyou Golden Speedway. Kevin Barba has entered his first year as promoter there, and he's already had a crash course in things that promoters have to deal with. He's been transparent with his community over things, such as getting a beer license and how the process went in regards to repairing the front straightaway fencing after the season-opening crash. I think he realizes the work it's going to take to turn around the program there.
It's not just a snap of the fingers and you're there. I've always appreciated that people have kept that track open, but the difference in philosophy between promoter and association is a promoter will have to run it like more of a business and therefore better be making the right decisions. An association is more concerned with just keeping the gates open.
The difference in philosophies boils down to a promoter knows they're going to have to try different things if the show isn't going well. Want to boost crowd attendance or car count? They're going to have to make additions and adjustments. An association may just try to maintain what they have at least. It's not as geared towards growth. Generally, your more successful programs will come when they have a promoter who is risking money and is also concerned about making things better. If it's purely about money, you might still do okay, but you stand a better chance of being successful and well-liked when you show that you care about the community that you're dealing with.
I've liked some of the things that I'm hearing from Kevin, and other things I think can be improved upon. I still say the track needs to concentrate on building the local car count up or it will bite them in the rear end. Where I think relationships have been frosty between Yreka and the track closest to them on the Oregon side is where it comes to the belief that one track is getting more from the other. I have researched the history a little bit, and what it comes down to is something that promoters don't like.
You have the established tradition. Drivers get unhappy with that place, for whatever reason. There is a track not far away that they can go to. Therefore, drivers are always threatening to walk away, even if it might damage the home track in the long run. This has been going on between Medford and Yreka for years. Promoters like Dennis Huth and John Skinner have dealt with it. Some would say they caused the problems that led people down south, and others would see it differently. I can recall the situation between Merced and Chowchilla when I was announcing at both tracks. And yes, you had drivers fleeing from one track to go to the other. The grass Is always greener, or so they say.
I'm a dreamer or an idealist. Whatever you want to call it. I look at Yreka and Medford and see potential, but I also see where Yreka needs to strengthen their program for a partnership to really be possible between the two places. There's been lots of work done in building a program in Medford that was very far down in 2015. It's involved adding new divisions and investing money. I know there's people that go around cursing Mike McCann and what he does, but the fact is he has invested money in what is happening out there. When you do that and you start to see a growth in car count, you do become a bit protective.
I don't think Mike is going around saying these are his cars. He understands that you have to earn those cars coming to your track. I always got a kick out of some of his stories about other promoters. One such story involved a legendary Oregon promoter who was even known to stand in front of his racers at a pit meeting and say those are his cars and they are not to go anywhere else. Yeah, it happened. What's interesting, is most of those drivers actually obeyed him and stayed local. That promoter was an inspiration towards this little animated racing promoters series I've been working on. Some of the stories about that particular promoter are comedic gold, and yet they really happened.
Anyway, Yreka has potential. They need to add other locally-based divisions to the roster. Right now, there's only two classes that are regular, the IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks. That's just a fact. The track is taking a look at IMCA Modifieds and getting them back more. I still believe a key to that is getting the information on who has raced out there from the area over the last five or six years and contacting them. Several of those drivers still have cars, so why are they not racing there? Can they be enticed to return? I just think they need to look at having more classes to rotate.
A stronger Yreka that has better car count and can actually send drivers up north would be one that the other track might be more inclined to work with. Partnerships work better when both tracks have something to offer and gain from the deal.
Even in 2019, however, it's not always that simple. Promoters do get protective of what they have in their area. Some might get creative and make rules where their drivers can't go out of town and be competitive or are too fast and therefore illegal at other tracks. It's a frustrating thing to look at. I fought hard for the track unity cause prior to walking away from the sport at the end of the 2003 season. In the end, I understood that it wouldn't happen because too many egos are involved. In this case, egos of the promoters.
I understand why. Promoters have investments, and their investments might suffer if drivers start thinking that the grass is greener somewhere else. You see some tracks where drivers from that area are now racing more often at other venues. Some of this has to do with drivers being bounty hunters. The local regular purse isn't enough, but there are enough big money purses being offered elsewhere that they'll just hit those races. A track may pay $1,000 or more to win. They gain the cars that week. When it goes back to the regular purse, you find out who's really in your corner and who isn't.
I don't necessarily believe a sanctioning body is the answer, although let's be honest. Most of the tracks running Modifieds and Sport Modifieds are sanctioned by IMCA. The racers like it because they know their car is legal wherever they go. There are things I don't think are spectacular about IMCA sanctioning, but it offers stability in the ruleset. Therefore, most tracks find it easier to go there.
IMCA is more than just Modifieds, but on the West Coast, it's basically the Modifieds that are the classes being sanctioned for the most part. There is a budding 305 Winged Sprint Car class that runs in the southern half of California. There are also a few places running Stock Cars. Most tracks don't bother with IMCA Sport Compacts, because they can just run their own Hornet class and not have to give any money to IMCA. To me, that makes sense, although I've heard people at the Medford track suggest IMCA would be better. You're never going to see that happen under the current promoter, and I actually agree with him on that.
I also don't think the drivers have it so bad as a local Hornet class that is unsanctioned. For three years, the division languished. It was on the schedule in 2013, and I don't know if an actual race was ever held. I've seen no evidence. The next two years, they did have championship points, but there were never more than a half-dozen cars at the track. This is because the class wasn't promoted. We came in, offered a purse, trophies, all of the stability drivers were looking for. It's growing because of that. Sanctioning didn't do that, promoting did.
But Oregon is opening the door to IMCA Stock Cars. I found the decision to go there to be just a little bit ignorant, and a promoter got butthurt because the Street Stock drivers took issue with changes in rules that he was coming up with. This led to the impressive Iron Giant Street Stock Series. There isn't anything with this division that compares on the West Coast. California doesn't even have Street Stocks anymore for the most part, but Hobby Stocks. Those are evolving, and the people throwing money at their cars will probably kill that class too eventually. Promoters just don't say no. Oregon has held onto to a true Street Stock division for years.
The promoter decided last year to bring IMCA sanctioning to the Stock Car class. Obviously, as Camaros and Firebirds have gone away, you're getting metric cars. That's what IMCA is all about. If enough promoters stand behind this thing, the IMCA Stock Cars will win out in the end, and Street Stocks will fade. It's not going to happen overnight, but there are two tracks in Oregon running them now. I see the good and bad in the whole thing. The IMCA Stock Cars actually look pretty nice, but again you're getting into a situation where all cars look alike.
This is one of my problems with the sport. Everything looks so cookie cutter. Nothing really inspiring the hearts and minds. Yeah, Modifieds rule the roost, and they're not going away anytime soon. However, those cars pretty much look alike. Nobody even paints their race cars anymore. They get wraps. Just losing that little bit sucks, in my opinion. Yes, some of the wraps look really nice, but that's not the point. There's something to be said about really nice paint jobs. Again, I readily recognize that I'm a relic that will fade away. So be it.
You have Modifieds that all look alike, Sprint Cars that all look alike and if we go down the IMCA Stock Car path, those cars will all look alike too. Street Stocks or Hobby Stocks as they are still have cars that look a little bit different. You might have Camaros and Firebirds, but the Monte Carlo is out there. Or a Nova or a Chevelle. You get my point.
As a kid growing up, I caught the last few years of the Sportsman division. Every car didn't look the same. You had Camaros and Pintos and Gremlins and Vegas. The cars had personality. Same goes for the old Super Modifieds. The Hardtops even had a uniqueness to them. I think there's something to be said about that. Fans start getting used to the fact that cars look a little bit different. It gives them variety.
Mike and I have talked about the Super Modified revival that has happened in California. Used to be I would read articles talking about Jim Perry and his cars. Legends of Kearney Bowl was formed. I totally respect what these guys do. I would never want anybody to try to change them. If they want to spend six or seven days out of the year putting their cars on display and only doing exhibitions on the track, God bless them for it. Obviously it's worked, because people have continued to build cars and grow this group. I can see where the old guard might resent people coming in there and trying to make them race. It isn't going to happen. It doesn't need to. Frankly, I like that these guys go to rest homes and put their cars on display for the older generation to have a day looking back fondly at the past. I totally respect the Legends of Kearney Bowl.
That being said, I believe that if it was done right, Super Modifieds could race again. You obviously want to handle safety first. Things have changed, and you want to make sure the drivers are safe. It can be done. I think one of the reasons an attempt to bring racing back to these cars failed is because a certain individual was pushing for it. Frankly, though those people are respected by some, there are others that believe they're only out for their own special interest. Because of that, nobody jumped on the bandwagon. They remain an exhibition group. It wouldn't take much to make it racing, but you have to have a game plan and the right leadership.
Leadership is something that is lacking in certain nostalgia driven groups. However, I want to take issue with a comment that appeared on one of my social media posts. Antioch Speedway had three cars for their first scheduled Hardtop race. To say I'm greatly disappointed in that turnout is an understatement. The Bay Area contingent should have done better, and they flat-out failed. This is because there is no Bay Area leadership. I've seen people pointing a finger towards the northern group, and I think that the only thing they should point to is the one they look at in the mirror.
I am no fan of the leadership of the California Hardtop Association. He's an absentee leader. He's a leader in name only. He is a reason this thing is not as big as it could be. He's a reason why it will never get any better for as long as he is in charge. He is somebody I won't name as I don't want to give him credit for being a leader, and yet I have to acknowledge that he's supposedly the leader. I'm not going to blame him for what happened at Antioch Speedway Saturday night, because it's not the responsibly of him or his group to support Antioch Speedway. As a courtesy, he's put the Antioch dates on his schedule, but it's this simple.
The Bay Area Hardtop group was formed out of as desire to breakaway. They weren't happy with this leader. I applauded the move. You don't like the way it's being run and you don't want to try for a hostile takeover as was done in that group before? Start a new group. Here's the problem. You must have a leader and have a game plan. There are 10 Bay Area Hardtops, and only three showed up at Antioch Speedway. I'm sorry, but that is totally unacceptable. If you can't do a better job than that, then you don't have a group. They are just Hardtops being scheduled to run, and whoever shows up shows up.
I wouldn't suggest that I expected 10 Bay Area Hardtops to come out. That would mean that everybody on the roster shows up, and that rarely happens in any class these days. However, if you can't field a half-dozen of your people, then you have failed. Maybe somebody wasn't manning the phones and letting the racers know? Maybe the racers just don't care enough to show up? I don't know. I don't care. I do care about the class, but it gets harder to speak up for the validity and the worthiness of this group when nobody leads it. Opportunity after opportunity comes and goes at Antioch, and most of the time they just bring a few cars. There is no Bay Area Hardtop leadership. There are good guys in the group, but there are no leaders that I have seen.
Antioch Speedway was all about the B Modifieds and the Hobby Stocks last Saturday night. What I'm noticing is because John has given divisions nights off, they are responding with more cars so far. The most overworked classes on the roster in recent years have been Hobby Stocks and B Modifieds. Both are doing pretty well so far, and that's a good thing. Numbers are down in the pits just a little bit in other classes. These two divisions have been the MVPs of the show so far. Even the A Modifieds have had their moments.
When John started the season, he only had four divisions booked for each race. Because the fairgrounds has slapped him with the 10 pm curfew time, he thought it best to book four divisions and make sure everything was good. Everything is more than good right now. A fifth division probably would have worked. I detest having too many divisions, but I'm a realist. In 2019, many tracks need five, sometimes six divisions. It's about getting car count, and if only a few divisions aren't doing it, add more. Bills have to be paid. A show has to be given to the fans. I lament the end of the days when you could get 60 cars in the pits with two divisions.
Regardless, John has rotated divisions for years and has generally been running five classes. By the time we get to Memorial Day Weekend, Antioch goes back to five divisions again. I think it will help make for better shows for the fans, and that's a good thing. There are some divisions that need to dig deeper and get those numbers up. I think the rule sets are good for the most part, so it's just about drivers and their desire to race.
I was a little bit disappointed that the Larry Damitz Memorial race wasn't dressed up just a little bit. That is to say, what's special about the race? Most of the time that you do a memorial race, somebody's getting extra laps. It's known in advance that this is a big show for that class. Really, what was special about this race was the fact that Larry was being remembered. Was he being remembered? As I wasn't there, I don't know how much he was mentioned on the PA system other than maybe a few times saying this was the Larry Damitz Memorial race. Who was Larry? Yes, a lot of fans know, but you get new fans each year. Ever think about telling them about him?
It's been done in the past where you have a special night honoring somebody, but the racing isn't that much bigger. You're not adding laps. You might not even pay more. The Mr Dirt Vern Willhoite night at Merced Speedway went on for years. I don't think they usually did more than run double points on those nights. Vern should be in the Merced Speedway Hall Of Fame when it opens. That is, if it ever opens. He was a championship-winning driver at that track going back to the 1950s and even after that. He won countless races. In those days when they held the race for Vern, I know Johnny Sass told people a little bit about him and had something about him in the programs.
The Jerry Hetrick Memorial race is coming up next at Antioch. What's special about that race? I know that they've paid the Modifieds more money, but it's sort of a secret. You might want to let people know what it is to win. When the race comes, you might want to let people know a little bit about Jerry too. I don't say that to be negative or to belittle Antioch. I am pretty happy to see that the season has gone off pretty well so far after what was a late start, and John and his crew deserve some praise for that. But, let's establish some momentum people. Let's build this up. We've picked up from where we were last year. Let's move forward and make it better. At least, that should be the thought process.
Other than that, there's not a lot that needs to be discussed in this column that's already gone on too long. I haven't been going out to any race tracks on Saturday night because the season hadn't started, but now I'm going to be somewhere on Saturday night. Looks like that will be Medford until I hear otherwise. As always, I'm going to do my best. It's really all I can do.
There are some good things on the horizon. I think Yreka has a nice show planned for this Saturday night. The Billy Geyer Memorial race should see a car count into the 20s, and realistically it could be in the 30s. This would make this Pro Stock event one of the biggest shows of the year in Yreka. A lot of work has been done for this Tri State Pro Stock Series, and Calculated Comfort and First Class Auto Glass have come on as sponsors for the division. Saturday's race is $2,000 to win, and there's going to be some drivers coming to town to try and take the cash. Who will win?
Petaluma Speedway will be running both of their regular Sprint Car classes this week. The Wingless Spec Sprints are off to a really good start so far. As I said, you want to start strong. The reason being, we start to see a bit of a decline in July and August, so you want those numbers to be good at the start. It helps weather the storm when the numbers go down a little bit. Speaking of numbers going down, the Sprint Car Challenge Tour had less than 30 cars at Petaluma last week. Is it leveling off? A lot of money is being paid to these drivers. In this case, Shane Golobic won over $3,000.
One might look at the Civil War Series and think this is their opportunity to regroup. They laid an egg at the Sherm Toler race at Marysville. What were there, five cars? Six cars? For the purse they were being paid, that's greatly disappointing. I do understand that they were running under threat of rain, and the weather hasn't been kind to Marysville this year. There have been two times when they loaded the pits and the grandstands and attempted to run, only to be rained out during the program. That's never a good thing. This is why some promoters will just cancel before even making an attempt if the forecast doesn't look good.
After Antioch Speedway has its first All Star Series Winged 360 Sprint Car show on May 25th, they have a Civil War Sprint Car Series race scheduled the next week. I have many questions in my mind regarding that date. First of all, will it happen? Sprint Cars will be there, but a lot of people who have seen the way John Soares works with John Prentice have to be wondering. This could be a defining moment in the history of the Civil War Series. And by defining moment, it could be the moment people look at each other and say, it's over. Personally, I don't want to see the Civil War Series end because of the lengthy history it has going back to the early 1990s. It matters. At least it should. I'm not even picking a side in that battle between them and the Sprint Car Challenge Tour. This is beyond that.
What it's about is survival of the series and giving the racers another opportunity to win a little bit more money than normal. Where John Soares fits into this is he can be a hero in helping this show happen, but John Prentice needs to put his promoting hat on and round up the troops. If there are less than 10 cars at this Antioch show and it does remain Civil War, that won't be good. On the other hand, have a decent showing, and maybe there's a chance that this thing can still fight for survival. I hope the date stays on the schedule, because I'm curious how it will go.
Antioch did have two All Star Series IMCA Modified shows on the schedule at one point. Unfortunately, the dates were pulled. When John Prentice negotiated for them, he was dealing with the Jeremy Prince camp, who thought they would ultimately end up with the Speedway. Maybe Soares was a little bit offended that Prentice would go to Prince to get those dates? That could be. The All Star Series will generally bring more cars, because it's a slightly bigger purse and has an air about it that it's bigger than your normal Modified race. It would have been a good thing for the series and Antioch Speedway for the dates to happen.
In my opinion, Antioch would have had a car count in the twenties, which would have doubled what they get now. John made the decision he thought was best, and I won't knock him from that. I'll just say I was disappointed that he chose to do that. Still comes down to the fact that you're a promoter and you're investing your own money, and you do what you think is right.
What I found interesting was Placerville Speedway decided to have a big IMCA Modified and Sport Modified weekend as part of the Tilford Tribute last week. Placerville hasn't been running Modifieds on any sort of regular basis, but there was an opening for them on this date with the Sprint Cars being sent to Petaluma. Scott Russell isn't afraid to have one or two Stock Car themed races at his track per season. What surprised me was this was not an All Star Series event. Most of the players in that game were there. Then again, if you're going to get the players without working with the other promoter, what would you do? From a dreamer and track unity standpoint, I would have worked with the series. But I can see Scott Russell laughing at me as he counts the money. Who's right?
In the end, promoters do what they think is best for business. Racing goes on, and we either support it or we don't. I suppose I'm supporting it, because here I am continuing the blog. Anyway, as I have much work to do before I can go to bed, and I have articles to send out to the media outlets, I'm going to end this column. Until next time...
