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$5,000 To Win Modifieds, $2,000 To Win port Modifieds

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Point Leaders Kniss, Newton, Fraser Win 

At Antioch Speedway

Antioch, CA...July 13... Buddy Kniss won the 20 lap All Star Racing Series A Modified Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. Kniss is the current point leader, and this was his second win of the season.

Sean O'Gara raced into the early lead ahead of Kniss, but an inside pass on the front stretch of the third lap put Kniss into the lead. As Kniss began to pull away, O'Gara found himself in a battle with Anthony Slaney and Justin Yeager for the second position. Slaney took second on lap seven, but O'Gara regained the position on lap nine. Danny Wagner was pressuring O'Gara for second when a yellow flag waved on lap 14. On the restart, reigning champion Nick DeCarlo moved into second and began to challenge Kniss. The battle went on all the way to the checkered flag, but Kniss held off DeCarlo for the impressive win. Wagner settled for third, followed by O'Gara and Bobby Motts Jr.

Shannon Newton won his sixth 20 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event. Newton is the current point leader, but he trailed two-time champion Dan Gonderman at the start. Gonderman was doing a good job of leading the way until he caught slower traffic on lap seven and went to the bottom groove. Newton put his car up on the outside as they exited Turn 4 on the eighth lap and raced past Gonderman for the lead. Newton seemed to have control from there, but a scary moment happened on lap 14 when he made contact with a slower car and did a complete 360 in Turn 4. He recovered in fourth as Gonderman took the lead. However, as the leaders came around in Turn 4 again, there was a crash. Scoring went back a lap and restored Newton to the lead. Newton led the rest of the way for the win as Gonderman settled for another second place finish, followed by reigning champion Bob Newberry, Dustin Maibes and Rick Panfili.

Tommy Fraser won his fifth 20 lap B Modified Main Event. The current point leader raced into the lead at the start as front row starter Tommy Clymens Jr got sideways exiting Turn 4 and was clipped by brother Trevor Clymens. Kevin Brown was an early second ahead of Trevor Clymens, and the yellow flag waved on lap five. Fraser continued to lead Trevor Clymens on the restart. Fraser ran a smooth race and brought it home to victory ahead of Trevor Clymens, Brown, Cameron Swank and Brent Curran.

James Thomson won his first career 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. 2008 champion Megan Ponciano and Jeff Betancourt shared the front row of the race, and Ponciano jumped into the early lead. Thomson quickly struck to second, and Ponciano and Thomson pulled ahead from the pack just a little bit. Josh Leach battled Betancourt before Leach took over the third position on lap seven. Leach began to reel in the lead duo rather quickly. Following a yellow flag on lap eight, Leach moved into the second spot. He attempted to make an inside pass on Ponciano as they exited Turn 2, but they hooked bumpers. Thomson raced around the incident to gain the lead with Ken Johns settling into second. During the final half of the race, Thomson steadily pulled away from the rest of the pack, and he took a checkered flag a half-lap in front of everybody else. Johns held off Betancourt for a best career second place finish. Contact sent Will Buirch spinning from fourth in the final turn as Jacob Mallett Jr and Tyler Henrickson completed the Top 5.

Scott Dahlgren won the abbreviated 10 lap Dwarf Car Main Event. This was his fourth win of the season. David Rosa led a lap before contact between Dan Wagner and Rosa sent Rosa hard into the Turn 2 wall. He was okay, but both drivers were out of the race. Two-time reigning champion Mike Corsaro took the lead on the restart ahead of David Michael Rosa. Following another yellow flag on lap five, Dahlgren made a strong move and had the lead by the completion of the sixth lap. Corsaro held second until he headed out the pit exit at full speed on lap nine. Track officials thought there might have been a crash in the exit lane and threw a yellow flag. Dahlgren led Devan Kammerman on the restart, but when contact sent Chris Becker into the Turn 4 wall, the race was ended at 10 laps on a time limit. Dahlgren won ahead of Kammermann, Troy Stevenson, Mario Marques and Roberto Monroy.

Next week, the DIRTcar Late Models are back along with the Limited Late Models, B Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Bay Area Hardtops. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Unofficial Race Results

All Star Series Antioch Speedway

A Modifieds

Heat Winners (8 laps)-Bobby Motts Jr, Danny Wagner. Main Event (20 laps)-Buddy Kniss, Nick DeCarlo, Danny Wagner, Sean O'Gara, Bobby Motts Jr, Jake Dewsbury, Kimo Oreta, Bobby Montalvo, Anthony Slaney, Justin Yeager.

Wingless Spec Sprints

Heat Winners (8 laps)-Shannon Newton, Dan Gonderman. Main Event (20 laps)-Shannon Newton, Dan Gonderman, Bob Newberry, Dustin Maibes, Rick Panfili, Keith Calvino, Peter Carlotto, Mackenzie Newton, Jeff Scotto, Cameron Martin.

Dwarf Cars

Heat Winners (8 laps)-Scott Dahlgren, Danny Wagner. Main Event (10 laps)-Scott Dahlgren, Devan Kammermann, Troy Stevenson, Mario Marques, Roberto Monroy, Travis Day, Mike Corsaro, Chris Becker, David Michael Rosa, David Rosa.

Hobby Stocks

Heat Winners (8 laps)-Jeff Betancourt, Megan Ponciano, Dalton Jewell. Main Event (20 laps)-James Thomson, Ken Johns, Jeff Betancourt, Jacob Mallett Jr, Tyler Henrickson, Will Buirch, Adam Kujala, Madison Motts, Brianna Troen, Angela Brown.

B Modifieds

Heat Winner (8 laps)Tommy Clymens Jr. Main Event (20 laps)-Tommy Fraser, Trevor Clymens, Kevin Brown, Cameron Swank, Brent Curran, Tommy Clymens Jr, Dennis Gilcrease.

Late Models Return To Antioch Speedway Saturday Night

Antioch, CA...All Star Racing Series action continues this Saturday night at Antioch Speedway with another five division lineup on the quarter-mile clay oval. The DIRTcar Late Models are back for their fifth event of the season, and the exciting Limited Late Models return for their seventh race. Also competing will be the B Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and the Bay Area Hardtops.

Antioch Speedway is currently the only track in California offering a full Late Model program. So far, the division has been dominated by two-time Antioch champion Richard Papenhausen, who has won all four races. The show usually goes something like this. Somebody gets into the early lead, and Papenhausen quickly finds his way into second. He runs for a few laps behind the leader until he finds his opening. Once he gets by, Papenhausen moves on to the victory. The lone exception was the night Bobby Hogge IV showed up in one of the Paul Guglielmoni cars and led several laps before a mechanical issue sent him pit side and gave the win to Papenhausen.

Holding down second right now is last season's championship runner-up, Rod Oliver. Oliver is one of four different drivers to have a second place finish this year, and he trails Papenhausen by 32 points. Only eight points behind Oliver is another driver with one second place finish and one third, Kimo Oreta. It's a close battle for second as Mike Hynes is only 10 points out. Hynes has finished as high as third twice.

The season has been one of mechanical issues for past Modified champion Rob Norris, but he had encouragement last time out as he finished fourth. He'll be hoping to step up his challenge this time, and other drivers to watch for this week include Dennis Souza, Paul Guglielmoni and Danny Malfatti. Guglielmoni finished second last time out.

The Limited Late Model division has reached double-digit car counts in their last two races, and the racing has been very entertaining at the front of the pack. Last time out, it was Chris Long getting his first win aboard the John "The Bear" Keith owned car. He was chased across the line by Jim Freethy, who now has two firsts and four second place finishes in his six starts. However, Freethy has absolutely no breathing room as Kimo Oreta has been very consistent with three wins and three thirds and a strong preliminary effort. Oreta is only two points behind Freethy, and the championship will likely be decided between these two.

There is also a close race going on for third in the standings right now, led by Michael Burch by nine points in front of Chad Hammer. Burch has picked up a pair of fourth place finishes in his last three starts with a season-high third, which matches the best finish of the year for Hammer. Both drivers are hoping to get their first win in this class.

Two-time division champion Mike Gustafson has had some bad luck this year, but he does have a season-high second place finish. Another driver looking good last time out was past Figure 8 and Super Hobby Stock champion Jimmy Robbins, who finished a close fourth. These drivers could be there this week, and others to watch for include Mike Walko, John Evans and Ryan Cherezian.

The B Modified championship battle continues to be close. Tommy Fraser served notice to the rest of the competition when he won the season opener that he was ready to make a serious challenge for the title. Last week, he matched Brent Curran with his fifth feature win of the season, giving him a 14 point lead over Curran.  Curran has certainly battled through some adversity this year, but he has looked good after getting over his rough start of the first two weeks. This battle looks like it should go all the way to the end of the season

Another battle that continues to be close is for third. After his second third place finish of the year last week, Kevin Brown holds a four point lead over the top rookie in the field, Cameron Swank. Swank had a second and third during the first three weeks of the season, but he's been shut out of the podium since then. Both drivers are looking for their first wins. Tommy Clymens Jr won his heat race last week, and he too is hoping to get a feature victory this week. Other drivers to watch for include two-time reigning champion Trevor Clymens, Dennis Gilcrease and Mark Garner.

The Hobby Stock division saw a rarity last week when Top 3 point competitors Chris Sorensen, Breanna Troen and Josh Leach failed to get Top 5 finishes. Leach had been challenging Megan Ponciano for the lead when the two hooked bumpers and ended their run at the front. Sorensen continues to lead the division with five wins and five seconds, giving him a 46 point lead over Troen. Troen had all Top 5 finishes in the first 11 races and was the only driver who could make that claim. She leads three-time winner Leach by just six points in a closer battle for second.

Despite being spun from a Top 5 run on the last lap last week, Will Buirch continues to lead the rookie race by 30 points over Ken Johns. However, Johns has been coming on strong lately with season-best third and second place finishes in the last two weeks. Could a win be next for him? James Thomson looked very impressive in winning his first career feature last week, which could give hope to hard charges like Jeff Betancourt, Jacob Mallett Jr and Dalton Jewel that they could be next. Betancourt has a pair of third place finishes in the last three races, while Mallet and Jewel have also had Top 5 success recently. Other drivers to watch for this week include Tyler Henrickson, Lori Brown and Angela Brown.

The Bay Area Hardtops round out the field, but just who might show up is anybody's guess. The rival California Hardtop Association had already booked a date prior to Antioch booking this race, meaning there's not likely to be any visitation from the Sacramento area competitors. However, it's possible we could see such hard chargers as Dave Mackey, Kimo Oreta, Terry DeCarlo and Doug Braudrick. With their old 1930s and 1940s Coup and Sedan race cars, the Hardtops are some of the nicest looking cars at the speedway, and it's hoped that there will be enough cars to give the fans a small taste of those glory days of the 1950s and 1960s.

Stock Car minded fans will enjoy this week's show with Late Models and Limited Late Models along with Hobby Stocks on the card. The B Modified championship battle makes it that much more enticing. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Howard Kaeding Classic Set For 

Ocean Speedway This Weekend

Watsonville, CA...This Friday and Saturday night will be one of the biggest events of the season at Ocean Speedway. Sprint Car fans will want to be in Watsonville for the annual Howard Kaeding Classic event. Sprint Cars will headline both nights, starting with the Taco Bravo vs Civil War Sprint Car Series race on Friday night. The IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Ocean Midgets are running in support. On Saturday night, it's the NARC/King of the West Fujitsu Winged 410 Sprint Cars, joined by the IMCA Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and South Bay Dwarf Cars. The action will be intense on the fast quarter-mile clay oval.

Al's Roofing is presenting the Howard Kaeding Classic this year, and there is a huge purse on the line for the King of the West Series Sprint Cars. The winner will pocket $5,000, second place will receive $2,500 and all racers taking the green flag in the Main Event will receive a minimum of $800. That kind of money should ensure a field of well over 20 racers, meaning that you will have to earn your way into the Main Event.

This season, the King of the West NARC Sprint Car Series has been very competitive. There have been eight races held so far, and six different drivers have taken their turn in the winner's circle. Only 2015 Watsonville champion Justin Sanders and Dominic Scelzi have won two races this year. It's been a very unpredictable season for the KWS Series, which is now in its 35th season. At Petaluma last week, fourth-generation racer Chase Johnson got his first win of the season ahead of the surprising Billy Aton. At Stockton on June 22nd, Sean Watts notched his first career win. Other winners so far this year include Colby Copeland and Rico Abreu.

The championship battle is close with Ryan Bernal leading DJ Netto by just one point. Only 15 points out of the lead is Dominic Scelzi with Willie Croft trailing by 17 points. Ocean Speedway point leader Bud Kaeding is just 27 points back. Winning the Howard Kaeding Classic isn't just about making a move up in points, however. A win in a race like this is a season maker, and everybody's clamoring to earn the bragging rights. Some of the other drivers to watch for this week include Geoff Ensign, Nathan Rolfe, Kenny Allen, Tim Estenson and newly crowned WST Sprint Car Speedweek champion Mitchell Faccinto.

The Friday night race will pit the Civil War Series Sprint Car drivers against the track's Taco Bravo Sprint Car division. With three wins in his seven starts, Bud Kaeding leads the way in the standings. The surprising James Ringo slipped past three-time reigning champion Brad Furr last week by just six points to take over second. Ringo trails Kaeding by 67 points. Beating Kaeding will be very difficult as he's usually right in the hunt for victory or finishing second if he does get beat.

Jeremy Chisum continues to hold down fourth in the standings by 11 points over Jake Andreotti. Andreotti had his season-best third place finish last time out. There should be a strong field of Sprint Cars on Friday with the potential need for a B Main once again. Others to watch for include Justin Sanders, Jason Chisum, Koen Shaw, Jayson Bright, Kurt Nelson and reigning Civil War champion Cole Macedo.

The IMCA Sport Modifieds get to run on Friday night, and they've been having a good battle at the top of the point list. Seven races into the season, the Top 3 drivers in the standings account for six victories. A pair of victories each have been earned by Adriane Frost, State point leader Guy Ahlwardt and Jarrod Mounce, who won the Bill Egleston Memorial race this year. Frost is only 11 points ahead of Ahlwardt and 12 in front of Mounce. These drivers may be the ones to beat this week, but hard chargers such as Justin McPherson, Max Baggett, Charlie Hunter, Austin Williams and Randy Miller could make a play for the victory as well.

The Ocean Midgets division continues to gain momentum. David Prickett has been running at both Ocean Speedway and Ventura Raceway as he continues to try to help this class grow. He won the most recent race at Ventura last week. At Watsonville, he has won three of the four races to give him a 28 point advantage over the consistent Randi Pankratz. Pankratz has a solid hold on second in the standings on the strength of three Top 5 finishes. She had a third at Ventura last week. Some of the racers helping grow this division include Jackson Dukes, Greg Edenholm, Jessica Swanson and Rickey Sanders.

Not to be overlooked on Friday and Saturday night is the Hobby Stock division. At the top of the list, you'll find a battle between the Gallaher family. Past champion Rob Gallaher leads his father Joe Gallaher by just 14 points. Rob tops the field with seven Top 5 efforts and four victories, while Joe has picked up a pair of recent victories out of his five Top 5 efforts. These two drivers are the ones to beat, but past champion Wally Kennedy remains in the hunt, 25 points behind Joe Gallaher. Kennedy has five Top 5 finishes to lead DJ Keldsen by just six points. Both Kennedy and Keldsen have come close to victory, and they're hoping it will be their turn this week. Others to watch for include Nick Triolo, Bobby Huckaby Jr, Jerry Skelton and Tony Oliveira. With a pair of races this weekend, the standings could be shaken up.

The IMCA Modifieds are back on Saturday night to help round out what should be a thrilling program from start to finish. Reigning champion Cody Burke is a two-time winner and leads his brother Austin by just one point in a very close battle. Also very much in contention is past champion Jim Pettit II. Pettit is a one-time winner this season and is just nine points out of the lead, nine ahead of many time Late Model champion Jeff Decker. While these drivers may lead the charge on Saturday night, others to watch for include Robert Marsh, Brian Cass, Anthony Copeland, Anthony Giuliani and Raymond Keldsen Jr. Two-time winner Bobby Hogge IV and Merced Speedway Point leader Troy Foulger are two others who could make an appearance on Saturday night.

Also on the card on Saturday night will be the South Bay Dwarf Cars. Past champion Shawn Jones has been on a roll lately with three victories. Though he's not in championship contention, he is nonetheless a threat to win any time he's there. With three wins to get the season going, Mark Biscardi is a contender this year, along with reigning champion Gene "Punky" Pires, Ryan Amlen and Marty Weisler. Biscardi won the recent Redwood Dwarf Car feature at Petaluma Speedway. These top contenders will certainly be fast this week, and others to watch for include multi-time champion Terre Rothweiler, Trafton Chandler, Eddie Claessen and Barry Waddell.

The Howard Kaeding Classic at Ocean Speedway is just one of those events that you don't want to miss. It is two nights of great racing from start to finish. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.

Dominic Scelzi Makes Victorious First Appearance 

At Ocean Speedway

Watsonville, CA...July 12...Dominic Scelzi won the 30 lap Taco Bravo Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. This was his first visit of the season and a nice tune up for the two-day Howard Kaeding Classic event set for next weekend.

Scelzi put himself in the perfect position to win by holding off three-time reigning champion Brad Furr to win the Trophy Dash. Scelzi raced into lead at the start of the Main Event ahead of Furr, but Cole Macedo took over second on lap three. On a lap five restart, Jake Andreotti settled into the third position, and point leader Bud Kaeding gained fourth on lap 10. Kaeding began his move forward by taking the third position on a lap 21 restart, and he got by Macedo for second on a lap 27 restart before a final yellow flag waved on lap 28. This gave Kaeding a shot at his fourth win of the season, but Scelzi continued his flawless performance by leading the final two laps for the victory. This would be Kaeding's third runner-up finish of the year. Andreotti enjoyed his best finish of the year in third, while Jerry Bonnema made a charge from 13th starting to finish fourth. Jason Chisum finished fifth, followed by James Ringo, Jayson Bright, Keith Day Jr, Zane Blanchard and Macedo.

There were 19 Taco Bravo Sprint Car competitors for this show, and Ringo set the quick time standard of 11.711 on the Tom Sagmiller prepared quarter-mile clay oval. Tucker Worth was second quick at 11.750. Andreotti, Worth and Macedo each won eight lap heat races, and Scelzi picked up the six lap Trophy Dash.

Bobby Hogge IV took full advantage of his front row start to win his second 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. Hogge had the lead from the waving of the green flag with Jeff Decker in close pursuit. Merced Speedway point leader Troy Foulger moved into third on a lap 13 restart. There were five yellow flags during the second half of the race, but Hogge maintained his lead each time the race resumed and brought it home to a satisfying win. Decker settled for second, followed by Foulger, Jim Pettit II, Cody Burke, Austin Burke, Duane Orsburn, Jake Dewsbury, Gary Marsh and Robert Marsh. Pettit and DeCarlo won their respective eight lap heat races.

Shawn Jones won his third straight 20 lap South Bay Dwarf Car Main Event. Two-time champion Terre Rothweiler led the first five laps before a yellow flag waved. Jones was running second, and he took the lead from Rothweiler on the restart with reigning champion Gene "Punky" Pires moving into second. Another yellow flag waved on lap eight. Jones maintained his advantage on the restart with Rothweiler reclaiming second. Championship contender Mark Biscardi moved into third on lap 10. Biscardi used a lap 16 restart to move into second with Pires following into third. Biscardi kept it close, but he was unable to make a move on Jones for the win. Pires settled for third, followed by Rothweiler, Eric Weisler, Trafton Chandler, Jimmy Damron, Barry Waddell, Mac Aceves and Lonnie Tekaat. Eight lap heat race wins went to Rothweiler and Jones.

DJ Keldsen scored the victory in the 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event. This was the 2016 champion's second win of the season in the Lloyd Keldsen Jr Tribute car. Keldsen started back in the fourth row and worked his way to the front of the pack to battle pole sitter Abigail Kennedy and Nicole Beardsley before taking the lead. Keldsen went on to victory from there with Nicole Beardsley a season-best second ahead of Kennedy, point leader Kate Beardsley, Bill Beardsley, Ray Bunn, Alex Fernandez, Tony Gullo and Steven Ragsdale. Keldsen also won the eight lap heat race in front of Kennedy.

Dan Anderson won the 15 lap Police N Pursuit Main Event. This was the Task Force Racers Representative's first win of the season. Representing the San Benito Sheriff's Office, Roy Iler charged into the lead when the green flag waved. Anderson was an early second, but he was passed by AJ Waltrip of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office on lap four. Iler seemed to have things well in hand, but problems arose on lap 13, opening the door for Waltrip and Anderson to race by. Anderson kept the pressure on Waltrip and made a last-lap pass for the surprise victory. Waltrip settled for second, followed by John Hohmann, Steven Fernandes, Adam Rikalo, Pat Sullivan, Iler, Tony Weir and Kyle Doris. Anderson won the eight lap heat race.

Next weekend is a big double header. On Friday night, it's Night #1 of the Howard Kaeding Classic, featuring The Taco Bravo vs Civil War Sprint Car race. The Ocean Midgets will be running in support along with the IMCA Sport Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. Night #2 of the Kaeding Classic on Saturday features the King of the West/NARC Fujitsu Winged Sprint Cars along with IMCA Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and South Bay Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.

USAC Western Midgets Come To Petaluma Speedway 

On Saturday Night

Petaluma, CA...After last week's exciting King of the West Sprint Car race, Petaluma Speedway has another big race planned for the 3/8 mile adobe oval this Saturday night. This will be the lone appearance of the USAC Western States Midgets Tour. Also competing will be the PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks and the Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros.

This is the fifth round of the Western States Midgets season, and this will also be the fifth different track for the group. After Ben Worth won a thriller at Bakersfield, reigning West Coast 360 Sprint Car champion Austin Liggett picked up wins at Merced and Santa Maria before Robbie Josett won the most recent show at Ventura last month. Not surprisingly, Austin Liggett leads the standings by 22 points over the consistent Cory Elliott. Robert Dalby, Shannon McQueen and David Prickett make up the Top 5 in the standings at the moment. Other hard chargers from the group include CJ Sarna, Cody Swanson, Jake Swanson and Randi Pankratz.

Though the BCRA/POWRI Midgets aren't officially on the schedule, it's possible that a few of the racers from that group might show up in support of this program. Robert Carson leads both the Dirt and Overall Series standings with Liggett second in the Dirt Series ahead of Marvin Mitchell and Alex Schutte. Mitchell and Schutte are two others who could make an appearance this week.

We haven't seen a recent point standings update for the PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars. John Clark was the last driver listed as the point leader by 26 points ahead of Brent Bjork and Joel Myers Jr. Bjork actually has three Top 5 finishes and a win, but he has started just three of the five races. Clark has started all five.

Chase Johnson counts himself as a two-time winner this year and past champion Bradley Terrell has a win as well. Clark was recently seen in Oregon running the entire Speedweek tour there as he continues to get as much lap time as he can. He's hoping that will serve him well as he tries to make a serious championship run this year. Other drivers to watch for this week include Colby Johnson, reigning champion Jake Haulot, David Lindt II and Angelo Cornett.

The Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stock point list hasn't been updated since May, but we pretty much know that Jeremy Tjensvold and teammate Tom Brown are running high in the standings. Brown is the reigning champion and looking to become the first driver in over a decade to win a second title in this division. Brown has won the last two events, the recent one by straightaway and the one before that in photo finish fashion, both ahead of Tjensvold. Tjensvold kicked off the season with an impressive four-straight wins. These two drivers are certainly the ones to beat, but other drivers hoping to finally add their names to the winner's list includes Roy Deering, Sophie Shelly, Connor Manzoni, Danny Manzoni, Roberta Broze, Darien Balestrini and Antonio Miramontez.

Not to be forgotten in the lineup is the Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micro division. They've generally been delivering anywhere from a dozen to 16 cars, and they get around the track pretty well. As of mid June, Nick Robfogel was listed as the leader in the standings by one point ahead of Justin Adiego and 14 over one-time winner Kyle Grissom. Robfogel is a two-time winner, but it was Koen Shaw winning the most recent race. Some of the drivers to watch for in this competitive field include Rob Brown, Carroll Mendenhall, Sam Borland, Cody Gray and Brian Slubik.

A good turnout of Midgets is anticipated for this lone USAC appearance of the season, and the local Winged Sprint Car division always puts on a good show. This is sure to be another night at Petaluma Speedway that you won't want to miss. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.

Johnson Wins King Of The West Sprint Car Race 

At Petaluma Speedway

Petaluma, CA...July 13...Chase Johnson scored the victory in the 30 lap NARC/King of the West Fujitsu Winged 410 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. Johnson became the sixth different winner in the series this year aboard the Shawn Thomas owned sprinter.

Incoming point leader Ryan Bernal was on a quest to get his first win of the season, and he sped into the early lead ahead of Billy Aton and Johnson. Working traffic on lap 12, Bernal got caught up in a Turn 4 incident for a yellow flag. This put Aton into the lead ahead of Johnson. Aton was doing a good job of setting the pace until a yellow flag flew on lap 19 for Jenna Frazier. On the restart, Johnson made a move on Aton and ended up taking the lead. Johnson pulled away a little bit from there for a well-earned victory. Aton settled for a series-best second place finish, followed by Willie Croft, Dominic Scelzi, Bud Kaeding, DJ Netto, Kyle Offill, Jonathan Allard, Geoff Ensign and Bernal.

Bernal turned the 3/8 mile adobe oval with a fast time of 12.894, beating the 12.937 effort of Kenny Allen. Kaeding won his 10 lap heat race ahead of Klint Simpson, and the other heat race wins went to Croft and Allard. Bernal won the six lap Trophy Dash ahead of Aton.

Point leader Mitch Machado won the 20 lap Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stock Main Event. The combination of Machado and Baker Motorsports has proven to be a winner, and this particular win was the seventh straight for Machado. It tied him with Mike Learn for the track record in consecutive victories. Championship contender Steve Studebaker led the first five laps before surrendering first to Machado. Reigning IMCA Modified State champion Shane DeVolder moved into second on lap six and took up pursuit of Machado. However, Machado was clocking the fastest laps of the race and set a rapid pace in scoring the victory. DeVolder settled for second, followed by Gary Adams, Matt While, Studebaker, Manny Avila, Shawn McCoy, Paul Hanley, Tim O'Hara and Austin Ohlinger. The two eight lap heat race wins went to DeVolder and Machado.

Reigning Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stock champion Tom Brown won his second-straight 20 lap Main Event. Darien Balestrini led a pair of laps before point leader Jeremy Tjensvold raced by for lead. Brown followed him into second and the battle was on. On the ninth lap, Brown raced past his teammate to take the lead and began to pull away from there. Brown won by about a straightaway ahead of Tjensvold. Roy Dearing Jr finished third, followed by Balestrini, Sophie Shelley, Antonio Miramontez, Randy Miramontez and Austin Lodin. Brown and Tjensvold won their respective eight lap heat races, and Jason Grover scratched prior to the Main Event.

South Bay Dwarf Car star Mark Biscardi made a visit and won the General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Car 20 lap feature. Marcus Hardina paced the first seven laps, but Biscardi motored by to take the lead on lap seven. Hardina kept pace with Biscardi but was unable to make the move. Biscardi was the happy winner ahead of Hardina, Chad Mathias, reigning champion Scooter Gomes, Garrett Brady, Matt Hagermann, Mark Hanson, Mike Affonso, Carroll Mendenhall and Sam Borland. Eight lap heat race wins went to John Peters, Hardina and Biscardi.

Racing returns this Saturday night with PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars, BCRA/USAC Western States Midgets and the Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.

Hunt Wingless Spec Sprints 

Make Lone Merced Speedway Appearance

Merced, CA...Merced Speedway will be coming off of the one-week break  following the successful Fourth of July weekend special. This Saturday"s offering will include the Hunt Wingless Spec Sprint Series. The IMCA Sport Modifieds will be there along with the Hobby Stocks and the California Sharp Mini Late Models.

In the years that followed the successful launching of the Wingless Spec Sprint division at Antioch Speedway in 1999, there were attempts to bring all of the racers together in one special series. About 10 years ago, it finally happened with the formation of the Hunt Wingless Spec Sprint Series. These are Sprint Cars that run 360 cubic inch cast iron motors, which has made it possible for racers who might other not race Sprint Cars to do it on a reasonable budget. Prior to the Spec Sprint division launching, Merced Speedway had a decade-plus run with their own Winged Limited Sprint/Cal Mod effort.

The Hunt Series generally brings anywhere between 15 and 25 cars on any given weekend. Jake Morgan got off to a strong start with a pair of victories. Reigning champion Shawn Jones stopped Morgan's win streak at two, but Morgan finished second behind Jones at the recent event in Stockton. This has enabled Morgan to maintain a 603-597 lead in a very close point battle. Scott Chapetta currently holds third in the standings 545-540 in another good race with last season's championship runner-up, Troy Degaton. Boy Moniz is only 10 points behind Degaton and leads Alan Miranda in a closer battle for fifth, 530-526.

Dwarf Car fans are familiar with Jones. He's won championships with both the South Bay and Nor Cal Dwarf Car groups and has won several big Dwarf Car Nationals events. Over the past few seasons, he had been competing occasionally in the Spec Sprint division, but he set his sights on the Hunt Series title last year and emerged victorious. Some of the other stars of the group to watch for this Saturday night include three-time series champion Terry Schank Jr, Tim Sherman Jr,, Cody Fendley, Angelique Bell and Cody Spencer.

The IMCA Sport Modified point race is being led by past champion Fred Ryland following his win on Fourth of July weekend. Ryland has five Top 5 efforts so far, which gives him a 10 point advantage over two-time winner Kelly Wilkinson. These two seem to be pulling away from the rest of the pack just a bit, while State point leader Guy Ahlwardt runs third, 25 points back and 11 ahead of Patti Ryland.

The Sport Modified division has been very competitive this year with four winners in five races. Some of the drivers looking for their first win this weekend include Nick Tucker, 2018 point runner-up Danny Roe, Chuck Weir, reigning champion Jeremy Hoff and Tanner Thomas.

The Hobby Stock battle has gotten just a bit closer following the most recent event. 2016 champion Michael Shearer recently picked up his sixth Top 5 finish in six races, moving him to within eight points of leader Shannon Nelson. Nelson hasn't finished outside of the Top 10 so far and has two wins to her credit, while Shearer is still looking for a victory.

Rookie Allen Neal is holding on to third in the standings. The reigning Mini Stock champion leads Donnie Shearer by 11 points and Austin Van Hoff by 17. The season has been a mixed bag for Van Hoff, who only has one Top 5 finish so far. He'll be looking for the win this week, and other drivers to watch for include Timmy Crews, Kristie Shearer, Race Shelton and multi-time champion Raul Rodriguez Sr.

This is the third season for the Mini Late Model class, which was brought to the speedway as a way to bring new racers up from the Outlaw Karts. These scaled-down versions of Late Models run 600cc motors. The driver to beat continues to be reigning champion Timmy Crews. Crews has won four of the five races so far, giving him a 23 point advantage over Logan Clay. Though Clay has all Top 5 finishes, he is still looking for his first win. He is 11 points in front of Riley Jeppesen in a closer battle for second. These three drivers run strong, and other drivers to watch for this week include rookie competitors Kaylin Lopez, Jeremiah Enriquez and Kennzzie Brown along with Ian Shearer and Carson Guthrie.

The Hunt Wingless Spec Sprint Series puts on a good show everywhere they go, and Saturday night should be no exception. It's a four-division lineup that definitely offers a nice variety for the fans to enjoy. For further information, go to www.mercedspeedway.net.

Ladies Night And B Modifieds Scheduled For Orland Raceway

Orland, CA...Saturday night is another special show at Orland Raceway. It's also Ladies Night, meaning ladies get in for free. The popular B Modified division makes their second and final appearance of the season along with the Wingless Spec Sprints, Pure Stocks, Mini Trucks and 250 Wingless Micros. There will also be a Powder Puff race.

Orland Raceway fans don't get an opportunity to see the B Modifieds very often. They make just two unsanctioned appearances on the 1/5 mile dirt oval. Several venues up and down the West Coast have an IMCA Sport Modified division, which was introduced as a more cost-effective way to get racers into the Modified division. When they made their first appearance during the Glenn County Fair earlier this year, they had a crowd-thrilling race.

Tyler Rodgers emerged with the victory as Jimmy Ford and local ace Jake Van Tol had a spirited battle to the line for second. Fans have been asking to see more B Modified races at the speedway, and how things go on Saturday night could go a long way towards getting more dates for the class in the future.

The Wingless Spec Sprint division has proven to be very entertaining this year. Despite winning four times, past track champion Tony Richards still trails the consistent Denny McNary, though it continues to get closer each week. Last time out, it was Josh Tucker collecting his second win of the season. There's been some great racing all year long with drivers such as division newcomer Jeremy Langenderfer, RJ Baker, Jerry Douglas and Gregory Gebhardt in the field.

Reigning Pure Stock champion Paul Stephens may have gotten off to a slow start, but he's been rapidly climbing up the point ladder. He won the most recent race. The battle at the top has been between the consistent Phil Spencer and multi-time Mini Truck champion Keith Ross. Both drivers have also scored wins this year as has Wes Smock. They may be the drivers to beat this week, but other competitors such past champion Steve Martin, Jason Matlock, Maurice Murrell, John Camper and James Taylor will certainly make things interesting.

The Mini Truck wins seem to be getting divided up between 2016 champion Dan Webster and Zack Webster. Last time out, it was Dan Webster claiming his third victory of the season. Zack is a little bit further up in the standings as he battles James Wooddell and Kalvin Kvalvik for the point lead. There are still several competitors running strong and In contention this season, including William Fogle, Dan Libbee, Beau Chandler and Anthony Esquivelle.

Ladies Night at Orland Raceway is sure to be a good show with the lineup that is scheduled to compete. For further information, go to the Orland Raceway Facebook page,

Cross Wins Central Valley Mini Stock Race 

At Madera Speedway

Madera, CA...July 13...Joshua Cross won the 25 laps House of JuJu Central Valley Mini Stock Main Event Saturday night at Madera Speedway. This was the lone appearance for the CVMS at Madera, and they were honored to be a part of the Gerhardt Classic event. Cross is the current point leader at Stockton 99 Speedway.

Cross was fortunate enough to have the pole for the Main Event, and he would lead every lap. This left the battle for second between a pair of Stockton area competitors, Joseph Reichmuth and second-ranked Stockton point runner Joey Flowers. Flowers held second for a lap before Reichmuth raced by for the position. However, Flowers stayed close behind and managed to briefly take second on lap 21. Reichmuth regained the position a lap later and would finish there as Cross won ahead of Reichmuth and Flowers. Reigning CVMS champion Greg Baronian finished fourth as point leader Dan Myrick settled for fifth. Making up the balance of the Top 5 were Ryan Blank, Gene Glover, Jeff Durant, Danny Myrick and Clinton Massey.

There were 17 competitors for this race, and Cross was the only 17 second qualifier with a lap of 17.833. Reichmuth was second quick at 18.301. They ran three six lap heat, and Cross outran Baronian to win the first heat. Glover held off Blank to win the second heat, and the final heat race win went to Flowers in front of Ryan Doglione.

The Central Valley Mini Stocks will be at Keller Auto Speedway for their next event on August 10th. For further information, go to www.centralvalleyministocks.com.


Bakersfield Speedway Unofficial Race Results July 13, 2019
IMCA RaceSaver 305 Sprints
Brooklyn Holland
Rob Soloman
Cole Danell
Kyle Rosmussen
Grant Champlin
Micahel Pombo
Chris Ennis
Rick Bray
Lance Jackson
Connor Danell
Mauro Simone
Ryan Delisle

IMCA Sport Modifieds
Kevin Johnson
Michael Johnson
Jason Nation
Jack Aguiar
Gavyn Manning
Guy Ahlwardt
Tyler Blankenship
Brylon Holder
Gary Dutton 
Cale Kanke
David Pearson
Daniel West
Jason Pugh
Tina Pounds

Mini Stocks
David Wolford Jr
Clint Duncan
Steve Porter
Joe Rogers Jr
Andy Boydstun
Jose Rosales
Mason Conway
Sherry Duncan
Nicholas Surber
Doug Irby
Brandon Wolford
Joe Robinson
Matt Herod
Shawn Schwartzenberger DQ

American Stocks
Brock Crawford
James Coots
Clay Waters
Kody Sly
Troy Thomas Jr
Josh Yadon
Marc McCaslin
Steven Amick
Robert Guess
Nick Coffman
JD Mealer
Daryl Mealer
Brian Childress
Tara Childress
Dakota Brown DNS

Outlaw Karts
A Main
Riley Clem
Jake Lyon
Joey Brasil
Ryan Bonner
Tyler Blankenship
Levi Smith
Chris McKellar
Tommy Rosenberger
Bryce Cooper
Tailer Morrison
Robert Gordon
Russel Smith
Kevin Wageman
Chris Ennis
Seth Wise
Gerald McKellar

Outlaw Karts 
B Main
Levi Smith
Robert Gordon
Seth Wise
Tailer Morrison
Bryan Watson
Zach Hanes
Kyle Rasmussen DNS

Intermediate
Jett Yantis
Taylor Whitefield
Cade Lewis
Brady Hearron
Kennedy Cotton
Kylie Wilkinson
Seth Hanson

Box Stock
Jett Yantis
Wyatt Webb
Tristen Harrington
Brayden Jamar
Nathan Nohl

Beginner Box Stock
Emma McKellar
Paislee Black
Blake Watson
Khloe Cotton


Madera Speedway Unofficial Race Results July 13, 2019
Gerhardt Classic
BCRA/POWRi Midgets
Jesse Love IV
Dylan Nobile
Cody Gerhardt
David Goodwill
David Prickett
JR Williams
Jerome Rodela
Mark Maliepaard
Robert Carson
Annie Breidinger DNS

House Of JuJu CVMS Mini Stocks
Joshua Cross
Josph Reichmuth
Joey Flowers
Greg Baronian
Dan Myrick
Ryan Blank
Gene Glover
Jeff Durant
Danny Myrick
Clinton Massey
Brent Myrick
Darren Wilson
Randy Brown Sr
Chris Corder
Lindsey Myrick
Ryan Doglione

NCMA Sprints
Justin Kawahata
Denny Burell
David Burcett
Robb Hammond

Western US Midgets
Joey Iest
Derek Loweree
Joseph Holiday
Johnny Nichols

Challenge Cup
Buddy Shepherd
Justin Funkhouser
Thomas Martin
Matt Erickson


Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results July 12, 2019
Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
Dominic Scelzi
Bud Kaeding
Jake Andreotti
Jerry Bonnema
Jason Chisum
James Ringo
Jayson Bright
Keith Day Jr
Zane Blanchard
Cole Macedo
Jeremy Chisum
Brad Furr
Richard Fajardo
Tucker Worth
Ryon Nelson
Joey Ancona
William Camara
Kurt Nelson DNS
Steve Jaquith DNS

IMCA Modifieds
Bobby Hogge IV
Jeff Decker
Troy Foulger
Jim Pettit II
Cody Burke
Austin Burke
Duane Orsburn
Jake Dewsbury
Gary Marsh
Robert Marsh
Nick DeCarlo
Anthony Giuliani
Trevor Fitzgibbon
Brian Cass
James Alaga
Raymond Keldsen Jr DNS
Jerry Movrich DNS

Four Bangers
DJ Keldsen
Nicole Beardsley
Abigail Kennedy
Kate Beardsley
Bill Beardsley
Ray Bunn
Alex Fernandez
Tony Gullo
Steven Ragsdale

Police n Pursuit
Dan Anderson
A.J. Waltrip
John Hohmann
Steven Fernandes
Adam Rikalo
Pat Sullivan
Roy Iler
Tony Weir
Kyle Dorris

South Bay Dwarf Cars
Shawn Jones
Mark Biscardi
Punky Pires
Terre Rothweiler
Eric Weisler
Trafton Chandler
Jimmy Damron
Barry Waddell
Mack Aceves
Lonnie Tekaat
Keith Costas
Ryan Amlen
Eddy Claessen
Joe Barket
Mike Farrell


Perris Auto Speedway Unofficial Race Results July 13, 2019
CRA/USAC Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1     #4 Damion Gardner        
2     #51 RJ Johnson
3     #12 Stevie Sussex
4     #5X Tommy Malcom
5     #50 Charles Davis Jr
6     #92 Austin Williams
7     #4G Chris Gansen
8     #16 Mike Martin
9     #28M Matt McCarthy
10     #29T Ryan Timmons
11     #57 Steve Hix
12     #12B Joel Rayborne
13     #52V Trent Williams
14     #44 Cody Williams    
15     #6 Bill Rose
16     #35 Eric Englert    
17     #Y69 Randy Waitman        
18     #91R Brody Roa
19     #98 Verne Sweeney            
20     #34AZ Jake Swanson            
21     #51T Eddie Tafoya
22     #90 Matt Stewart        
23     #21 AJ Bender
24     #39 Jeff Dyer


Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results July 13, 2019
NARC/King Of The West Fujitsu Winged 410 Sprint Cars
Chase Johnson 
Billy Aton
Willie Croft
Dominic Scelzi
Bud Kaeding
DJ Netto
Kyle Offill
Jonathan Allard
Geoff Ensign
Ryan Bernal
Sean Watts
Kenny Allen
Nathan Rolfe
Richard Brace Jr
Jenna Frazier
Klint Simpson
Tim Estenson

Lumberjack's Restaurant Super Stocks
Mitch Machado
Shane DeVolder
Gary Adams
Matt While
Steve Studebaker
Manny Avila
Shawn McCoy
Paul Hanley
Tim O'Hara
Austin Ohlinger
Bill Cornwell

General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars
Mark Biscardi
Marcus Hardina
Chad Matthias
Scooter Gomes
Garrett Brady
Matt Hagemann
Mark Hanson
Mike Affonso
Carroll Mendenhall
Sam Borland
Tom VanTuyl
Brandon Gentry
Shiloh Borland
Darren Fridolfs
Jamie Faulkner
Shiloh Borland
Jordan Souza
Eddy Claessen
John Peters
Adam Freitas
Mike Dahle

Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks
Tom Brown
Jeremy Tjensvold
Roy Dearing
Darien Balestrini
Sophie Shelley
Antonio Miramontez
Randy Miramontez
Austin Lodin

The Editor's Viewpoint

I'm here on a Friday night at the DCRR news desk. I almost had a day off this week, but it didn't quite work out that way as I had to put a few racing related things together today. This included the flier for the big R Charles Snyder Salute IMCA Modified/IMCA Sport Modified race that's happening at Southern Oregon Speedway on August 31st and September 1st. Same big money being offered as last year, and it should be a heck of a show.

Inevitably, in our trips back and forth to the race track, Mike and I have the same conversation during the year. Seems that the Outlaw Kart track is always booked on top of the Can-Am Challenge Hardtop race at Douglas County Speedway. We've both talked about wanting to go check that race out. Mike's been there, and it's a pretty big deal. I would say it may be the biggest Hardtop race on the West Coast, and certainly in Oregon and California combined.

The date was looming this weekend, but I pretty much knew when I woke up on Sunday morning that I really just wanted to relax by the time today came around. Well, as relaxed as I can be considering there was still racing related stuff that needed to be done. Nothing too serious, but enough to take a few hours of my time. There's always something to do. I also notice that when I say it will just take a little bit of time, those projects tend to take hours. Maybe I just don't have it the way I used to, or maybe I'm just burning out. I don't know. I just do the best I can to get things done.

So, I find myself having been in Oregon for over three years now, and yet I haven't made any appearances at any other track other than Southern Oregon Speedway. I'm really not that far away from Cottage Grove Speedway, and yet I've only been to the track to check things out. I haven't witnessed a race there yet, and I doubt I will. The best I can say is I walked the site of the old Roseburg Speedway and took pictures and video footage. Fortunately, I still have all of that for a later posting. I'm not as lucky when it comes to Eugene Speedway where all of those pictures and video clips I took in my lone visit there are on a corrupted SD drive from my old phone. I haven't thrown that SD drive out as I hope maybe something can be recovered. Wishful thinking, I suppose.

We're getting things ready for the final push up here. The flier being released for the big R Charles Snyder race was one step, but we still have to get the flier ready for the $4,000 to win Cottonwood Classic Late Model race that comes on August 24th. People want to know about this race, because it sounds like we could have a huge turnout. I'm certainly hopeful as I believe the Medford area has needed a show like this for a while. I also believe there's potential for other big things to happen at that race track, but I'll leave that for a future discussion.

The other discussion that Mike and I have had is about putting together a list for the committee to consider when it comes to inducting the third class into the Southern Oregon Racing Hall of Fame. I have some of that history at my disposal, though not nearly as much as I'd like. I think we've got a pretty good group of nominations for this year's class. I came up to Oregon thinking that when we started this thing, Bruce Rayburn and Jimmy Walker Jr needed to go in. Rayburn went in last year, and I hope Jimmy gets in this year.

When you say Southern Oregon racing, you're not just talking about Southern Oregon Speedway. You're not just talking about the old Medford Raceway at the Posse Grounds. There are other track locations in the Medford area that existed, Ashland Speedway and, dare I say it, the tracks in Klamath Falls. All classified as Southern Oregon as far as I'm concerned, although I'm sure the Medford history is what will take priority in these early years of the Hall of Fame. Southern Oregon Speedway isn't really being recognized quite yet, but I think that'll start to happen in the next few years.

It was a no-brainer to me to see this start to happen. Yes, I don't know much about the history that happened up here, and I wasn't here. However, people were here, and it's significant to them. So, just getting this thing started was important to me. The late Curt Deatherage and his brother Denny Deatherage helped us get the ball rolling, and the committee was established last year of three people who have been around the racing scene here for years. Mike and I have representative votes, but the committee really takes this whole thing. As I understand it, it may completely be in their hands next year.

I think we've done what we set out to do. The Hall of Fame has begun, and it's up to the Medford racing community to build this and turn it into what they will. This could become a situation where there's other gatherings off the track, and of course there are those display boards showing all of the old clippings. Curt and Denny did the first four of them, and I haven't heard if Danny was doing a new one. I'm assuming that as Southern Oregon Speedway takes its one week break on July 27th, I'll be gathering information for clippings not just for Antioch Speedway, but for Medford as well. It won't be a problem, although the boards I put together won't be as fancy and well-constructed as what Curt and Denny did. It will still serve a purpose.

The Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame process has gone a little bit longer then it did last year, but for good reason. Even though I was unable to get the committee together in the way I wanted, I nonetheless had input from most of the people I had spoken with about being on the committee. I feel that this was very important as I had a list in mind when I started. By communicating with different people, the list changed and evolved.

We're talking about a 59 season history at Antioch Speedway, and there are a lot of people worthy of being inducted. The first year saw me choosing to focus on the first 20 years as there were people I felt were very important in getting inducted before we opened things up to the 1980s. We've opened it up the 1980s this year, and the 1990s will be open next year as we're now 20 years removed from that decade. I think it's time.

I wanted to have a list of 10 people. The reason I wanted to keep it at 10 is because I don't want to go overboard and induct so many people that it dilutes the product. The problem was, as the suggestions came in and everything continued, I realized that 10 wasn't going to do it this time. I decided that since we're coming up on the 60th season of the track next year, we'll make an exception this time. It's not just the great racers that are being inducted. As I sit down to write this, there are four people who played various parts behind the scenes that are getting in this year as well.

The standard response that I'm bracing for is one where people say, why wasn't this person inducted or wasn't why wasn't that person. I admit, there are Hall of Fame situations that have caused me to react in a similar way. However, I feel pretty good about the group of 14 that are being inducted, plus the addition of Gary Jacob. Gary wrote about Antioch Speedway just about every year during his 30 year career, though there weren't too many seasons where he came to Antioch on any sort of regular basis.

However, I consider it a great travesty that a Hall of Fame that should be inducting him continues to ignore him. I understand the work and effort that goes into being a highly dedicated racing journalist, perhaps better than most. The media effort that I've undertaken here has been exhausting, and I push myself to do more. This was Gary Jacob for years, and he had a 40 hour a week job. Plus, he generally traveled up and down the road to three different tracks every weekend, and it didn't matter how far he had to go to do that.

I believe Gary gave his life to the Sport as he certainly wasn't doing much else during racing season but covering one race or another. He is certainly Hall of Fame worthy, and the fact that I'm including him at Antioch is something I don't think most people who have been around the sport for a long period of time will disagree with.

To see to it that the induction of Gary Jacob didn't impact the regularly scheduled Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame decisions, I decided that he was a plus one. This meant that however many people would be inducted into the Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame, Gary would be included among them. Originally, that would have been 10 plus one, but it evolved into 14 + 1. Media plays an important part in the sport, despite what some people seem to think these days.

I'm not really sure how much longer I want to continue to fight the battle I'm fighting as it feels like an uphill battle to me and stressful, not to mention not very rewarding. But back in the day, media people were pretty well-respected. It is also for that reason that I believe the time is right for Charlie Zeno to be inducted into the Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame. Charlie's involvement in racing media stretched back from the 1970s until he walked away in retirement at the end of the 1993 season. He was a good man, and his articles appeared in not just the Contra Costa Times but other newspapers as well as racing publications.

The purpose of me writing this column wasn't to make a formal introduction of each person that's going into the Hall of Fame. Rather, I just wanted to talk a little bit about the process. The list is set, and I have endeavored to get input from as many different people as I could. This is the imperfect way of doing it, though slightly better than it was done last year. Last year, I simply wanted to get something started and then establish the infrastructure around that to make it even better.

One factor I hadn't counted on in trying to improve this thing this year was the fact that I didn't relocate to the Antioch area as initially anticipated. I had plans for how this was going to work, and there would have been a committee established to oversee the induction process and who should actually get in. When I didn't make it down there and things started picking up in the Medford area, I kind of let things fall by the wayside for just a bit. However, I looked around and saw that nobody was attempting to pick the ball up in Antioch.

There was quite a bit of positive buzz in Antioch after we did the first one. Though there were a few critics in the midst as there always is, most people saw what was done and were happy that the history of the track was beginning to be acknowledged. I didn't want to see this thing not continue this year, despite the fact that I am not down there. Therefore, the effort required me beginning the process from Medford once again.

I've said this before, but it's been a disastrous season for the media effort. We're far more productive this year in terms of getting the word out for various tracks than we have been in past years. We're also working harder and stressing out that much more. We're also not being rewarded as much as we were last year, which wasn't much then either. However, it's much less now. Given all of those challenges, I've taken on the task of making sure that the awards are bought and paid for so that they can be presented on October 5th at the Hall of Fame ceremony at Antioch Speedway. I've done so even though I don't know if I will either be able to make it down there or have a place to stay. It's a leap of faith, almost the same as I did last year.

I chose October 5th for a couple of reasons. We're already remembering Donna Soares and how important she was to the speedway for the last 20 years. I know this has been a very difficult year for John to do this without the woman who has been by his side for the last 50 years. I can't even begin to imagine what he's gone through. The racing community also grieves as Donna was an important part of this track. Most everybody out there had positive memories of Donna, and I know everybody's wanting to be there at this race for that reason alone.

Another reason for the date was because John Myers, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year, will be there for Pete's car show once again. John has a knowledge of the history of the race track, and should I not be there to oversee the awards, I know he can do it justice. Even if I am there, I want him out there with me for the presentations.

The Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame is not my Hall of Fame in the sense that it belongs to me. It's my Hall of Fame in the sense that it is the Antioch Speedway community's Hall of Fame, and I'm a part of that community. It's everybody's Hall of Fame. I'm going to do what I can to make sure things are taken care of. The awards are the priority, and if I'm able to get a ticket down there and back and have a place to stay, you'll see me there in September. That's all I know. Once I know the awards are secured and a ceremony can go on, I'm happy if nothing else happens for me. It's okay if I don't make it down there.

Make no mistake, I want to be there for the last three races of the season to spend time with my friends. If you want to help me out in the Hall of Fame effort, and if you would like to see me down there to oversee things, the best suggestion I can give you is to go to that red text at the top of this blog post that says The Tip Jar and donate to the cause. The price tag isn't going to be cheap to do all of this, so I can use all the help I can get. Regardless, Antioch Speedway will have a Hall of Fame again this year, but your support in this endeavor is appreciated.

I've had the realization for quite some time that winning a championship in local racing these days means almost nothing to many racers. It's kind of sad when I say that, because I remember the day when drivers ran hard all year long, competing 24-26 times a year just to get those honors. Shoot, you had drivers running every week just to make it into the Top 20 in the standings. Yeah, those were the days. These days, you have a hard time getting a driver to make every race when you only schedule their division 12 times.

I'll be honest with you, as I sat on the sidelines kind of keeping an eye on the sport during the decade I was away, I'd monitor places like Antioch and watch as drivers one by one missed races. Then, you could count on one or two hands how many drivers raced every race in every division total for the whole season. That's how much the sport has changed in the last 25 years.

When I talk about booking a lighter schedule at a race track, with maybe 16 to 20 total races, there's reason for that. Racers can only afford to race so much these days. The ones who want to race more or are really gung-ho will often take their show on the road and skip local races occasionally. So, if the track happens to be dark, those guys are going somewhere else anyway. The other reason I talk about booking lighter schedules is people's budgets.

I've come to realize that you're talking about for trip to the race track for a family. You want them to come watch every race, right? You have to consider that people have more bills and bigger bills these days. For instance, higher cable and cell phone bills. Now, a family of four might budget going to the races four times a month, and it's over $200 out of their budget. These days, people need that $200 for other things too. Let's not forget that if you have a $200 monthly entertainment budget, there are other things competing for that money besides going to the races, which is another subject entirely.

What you'll see some tracks do is come up with specialty nights to get people through the gates. Suddenly, you've got Kids Night where kids under 12 get in for free. You might have a Veterans Night where veterans get in for free. You might have a Ladies Night where ladies get in for free. You get the picture, right? Tracks are trying to figure out ways to get people to come in, and when they're giving too much away, it affects the bottom line of the track. But, you have to figure out a way to get people to come, because not everybody can afford to attend every race during the season in 2019.

It's part of what is wrong with the sport these days and the obstacles we face in trying to keep these race tracks open. You're trying to keep racers coming back every race to put on a show so that fans want to come out and pay their hard-earned dollars to come watch. If you don't have enough cars, fans start to lose interest. If you run too many times for certain divisions, your car count is guaranteed to go down. If you book certain divisions on top of other track's big shows, you're going to suffer through low car counts that way as well.

But to bring this topic back on point, I'm sitting here at the desk monitoring a couple of tracks so that I can get articles together for the blog. Friday night is not an off night for me. If there's other tracks running races and I can keep track of them, even via the Internet, I'll do it. I'm looking at Silver Dollar Speedway, which used to be one of the places to be when it came to Winged Sprint Car racing in California. Everybody wanted to go race there on Friday night. Of course, I'm remembering the John Padjen days. That's not to say they haven't had some big turnouts with the current management, because they have.

What amazes me is that the Winged 360 Sprint Car championship at Silver Dollar Speedway is not a title that people are racing hard to win. It's not something that seems like people in 2019 are really jonesing for. Case in point, we've watched the rise of Chelsea Blevins in recent races, and she entered tonight's race as the points leader. I saw her on social media debating if she wanted to come tonight or go elsewhere. She's the point leader in a position to win a championship, something that used to mean so much once upon a time, and she's casually talking about skipping the race like the title means nothing at all.

I'm probably romanticizing things a little bit, and I'm not trying to judge her or any other racer who decides they don't want to win a championship while they are leading the points. I know how hard drivers used to fight to get into the lead, and back in those days, they'd have to be sick or have some big problem keep them from being at the race track the next week. These days, you have some racers who can take it or leave it, and you have some drivers who end up winning a championship by default.

I guess it kind of struck me that there was a time when that Sprint Car championship meant something at Silver Dollar Speedway, and there were many good drivers who raced hard week in and week out that never earned those honors. Now, you have a driver sitting on top of the point list talking about how they're going to go run somewhere else because winning that title didn't really mean that much to them after all. Forget the fact that she would be the first lady driver in Silver Dollar Speedway history to win a Winged Sprint Car championship. It means nothing in 2019. So, the point lead will drop to another driver after tonight.

It's one of the challenges I have when it comes to writing weekend preview articles for any of the tracks I cover. You can't tell people in an article that this person is guaranteed to show up this week, unless they've told you personally. As I witnessed this last week at Southern Oregon Speedway, even when they tell you they're coming, they may be full of it. They may be lying. They may not show up because they have something come up at the last minute. Whatever the case.

When you write a preview article, the point is to give people an idea of who might be coming in the various divisions that are featured that night. When I can't tell everybody for sure who is coming, I'm left making vague and general statement such as, "other racers to watch for," and leaving it at that. Or I might talk about what that driver did last week and how they rank in the points, but I won't tell you that they will be there for sure. That's how you have to preview a race these days.

I'm seeing things going on in the sport that just make me sad as I fight to try and help race tracks. And, I wonder how much longer I even want to do that. I'm sure that I'm not alone in that sentiment. Some of the good promoters, those who have been around for a while, probably ask themselves the same question when they go through those weeks where the numbers are less than desired. Sure, the big nights rejuvenate them a little bit, but there's a lot of nights that don't live up to expectations. When you have enough of those, there's that question. How much longer?

What it really comes down to is that we are very fortunate in 2019 to have as many race tracks open as we do. Yes, we don't see the car counts we used to. Or, you might get 60 total cars in the pits, and it took you five divisions to do that, rather than one or two. You take that ten car division, split it into two five car heat races, a Dash and a Main Event and you make it work. That's just how it is these days. What alternative do we have? You put the key in the gate, walk away and close the track forever?

I guess it kind of hit me tonight as I looked at the one driver who decided that the point championship wasn't that important to them. Point championship racing really isn't that important anymore, although we go through the motions of keeping track of points and crowning champions at the end of the season. That's not to say the driver getting the big trophy at the end of the year isn't proud and doesn't deserve to be. It just says that the times have changed that much. If you have a budget, can afford to be out there every week and are pretty good behind the wheel, chances are you'll win a title just by being there consistently.

That seems like kind of a downer note to close this column with, and I have a few other observations I can make here. However, I'd like to get this post up on schedule. So, on that note, I'll end it here. Until next time...