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Spec Sprints, Limited Late Models Back In Action 

At Antioch Speedway

Antioch, CA...There's been plenty of excitement happening at Antioch Speedway throughout the month of August. We're heading down the stretch run of the championship season, and there are still some things left to be decided. This Saturday night, the Wingless Spec Sprints return along with the Limited Late Models, B Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. It should be another good show on the 3/8 mile clay oval.

Following his division leading seventh feature victory in the Richard Basden owned car, Shannon Newton has stretched his lead to nearly 100 points over Rick Panfili. He appears to be headed for the Wingless Spec Sprint championship. An interesting battle has developed for second as second year racer Mackenzie Newton has gotten on a little bit of a roll lately. She has picked up back-to-back career best third place finishes and was a heat race winner last time out. She now trails division original Panfili by just 14 points. Panfili had a stretch of four-straight Top 5 finishes, but his last two starts haven't gone as well.

Keith Calvino had a season best second place finish last time out. This helped move him to within 28 points of rookie Jeff Scotto for the fourth position in the standings. Scotto has certainly had an eventful season, but he continues to give it has best each week. One-time winner Dustin Maibes, also a rookie in the field this season, is 33 points behind Scotto. Other drivers to watch for include two-time champion Dan Gonderman, who has a feature win and two seconds to his credit this year, Cameron Martin and Troy Ferry.

It has been a nip and tuck battle for the Limited Late Model championship all season long. Following his division leading fifth win in the Sun Drop Racing #15 car last time out, 2017 champion Kimo Oreta took a six point lead over 2013 champion Jim Freethy. Amazingly, Freethy has two wins and seven second place finishes, which includes six in a row. Because he won the most recent race, Oreta has the honor of starting at the back of the pack this week.

Even with two hard chargers like Oreta and Freethy in the pack, others have broken through to get victories. Two drivers who have won features in the last four events are Chris Long and Chad Hammer. Unfortunately for Long, he is also dealing with motor issues in the John Keith owned car. Hammer got the win two weeks ago and he has managed to take over third in the standings by 32 points over Michael Burch. Burch enjoyed his best finish of the season last time out with his second third place effort. Others to watch for this week include the steady John Evans, two-time division champion Mike Gustafson and Jeff Kendrick.

The B Modified division is being led by Tommy Fraser. Tommy has been very consistent this season, and he served notice to the competition at the season opener when he earned his first of six feature wins. He won the most recent race last week to go along with four second place finishes. Fraser now leads Kevin Brown by 62 points. Brown, meanwhile, has been on a bit of the roll lately. He has racked up six-straight Top 5 finishes and eight in his last nine starts, which also includes his first career victory two races ago. Brown has pulled 26 points ahead of rookie Cameron Swank in the race for second.

At the moment, Swank isn't in immediate danger of losing either his top rookie status or third in the standings. He has had one second place finish so far this year, but he is still looking for his first win. Fourth ranked Brent Curran racked up six feature wins before stepping out of the action. He has since sold his car and has a new one on the way. Curran is only two points ahead of rookie Tommy Clymens Jr and four ahead of two-time reigning champion Trevor Clymens in the fourth place battle. Trevor has a pair of victories this year, while his brother Tommy is looking for his first win. Tommy has finished as high as second this year. 

Chris Sorensen suffered a rare DNF last week. In this case, it happened when officials saw a crash in Turn 2 and deemed Sorensen responsible, giving him a black flag. The point leader and two-time reigning champion leads the division with six feature wins and six second place finishes. With Sorensen off the track, second ranked Breanna Troen scored her third runner-up finish of the season to move to within 32 points of the lead. There is still a bit of work to be done for Troen, but the battle isn't over just yet. Troen also leads Josh Leach by 34 points in the race for second.

Leach had been in a bit of a slump prior to last week. For four-straight weeks, he watched the finish of the Main Event from the sidelines, and he needed something to go his way. Last week, Leach started on the pole and led all the way for his fourth win of the season.  Meanwhile, it's getting a bit closer in the rookie battle and for fourth in the standings as Will Buirch holds a slim 12 point advantage over Ken Johns. Johns has a bit of momentum going his way with five straight Top 5 finishes, including a second and two thirds. Buirch has been running strong, but his Main Event luck hasn't been holding up so well. He'll be hoping to turn things around this week. Others to watch for include Jacob Mallet Jr, Jeff Bentancourt, Dalton Jewell and Philip Oreta.

With the open wheel excitement of the Wingless Spec Sprints and the close battle going on in the Limited Late Models, not to mention the always thrilling B Modifieds and Hobby Stocks, Saturday should offer another entertaining show. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

DeMartini, Pearce, Fraser Win At Antioch Speedway

Antioch, CA...August 17...Matt DeMartini won the 20 lap All Star Racing Series Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. This was the first win of the season for the reigning track champion. DeMartini had a front row start for the Main Event and charged into the lead ahead of two-time champion Art McCarthy. McCarthy held second until an inside pass in Turn 2 of the seventh lap gained Peter Paulson the position. The race had a red flag on lap 12 as previous winner Danny Wagner flipped his car in Turn 3. He was not injured, but he was out of the event. DeMartini maintained command on the restart and brought it home to victory ahead of Paulson, McCarthy, Jacob Tuttle and Justin Bradway.

Brian Pearce won the 20 lap A Modified Main Event. This was his first win of the season, and he became the eighth different winner. Kimo Oreta and Sean O'Gara shared the front row of the Main Event, and Oreta charged into the lead at the waving of the green flag. A low pass in Turn 4 of the third lap gained Pearce second from O'Gara. Oreta was doing a great job of leading the way until he bobbled in Turn 4 on lap 10. This allowed Pearce and Raymond Lindeman to race underneath him for the first and second positions. Wagner made an inside pass on Oreta in Turn 2 a lap later, and Oreta spun in Turn 1 for a 14 yellow flag. Wagner charged into second behind Pearce on the restart and a battle begin. When Pearce bobbled in Turn 4 of the 16th lap, Wagner made contact. This resulted in Buddy Kniss making contact with Wagner as Wagner stalled on the front straightaway for a yellow flag. Both Wagner and Kniss had too much damage to continue. Pearce led the restart and held off Lindeman for the victory. O'Gara settled for third ahead of Oreta and Kniss.

Tommy Fraser won the 20 lap B Modified Main Event. This was the sixth win of the season for the current point leader. Fraser had the outside front row starting position and charged into the lead at the start ahead of Jimmy Ford. Scott Savell gained the second position just before a lap three yellow flag waved for Mark Garner in Turn 2. Fraser continued to lead Savell on the restart, and Phillip Shelby gained fourth on the eighth lap. Shelby made an inside pass on the front stretch on lap 10 to take third from Cameron Swank before another yellow flag waved. Shelby would charge past Savell for second on the restart as Trevor Clymens also got past Savell for third. A yellow flag for Kevin Brown on lap 14 set the stage for Clymens to make a move around Shelby for second on the restart. The lead three competitors ran close at the front of the pack, but Clymens slipped off the groove in Turn 4 on lap 16 to hand second back to Shelby. Fraser held off a serious challenge from Shelby for the hard earned victory. Savell made a late pass around Clymens for third as Brown finished fifth.

Josh Leach won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was his fourth win of the season. Leach had the pole for the Main Event and charged into the lead at the start ahead of Madison Motts. An inside pass in Turn 3 of the fifth lap gained Jacob Mallett Jr the second position. Leach had a comfortable lead when a yellow flag flew after nine laps as Will Buirch and Ricky Foster tangled in Turn 2. Track officials assigned Chris Sorensen the blame for the incident and black flagged him from the event. Leach continued to lead Mallet on the restart, but Breanna Troen made an inside pass in Turn 4 a lap later to take over second. Troen closed in immediately on Leach and begin to pressure him for the lead. However, Troen nearly spun in Turn 2 on lap 16. Leach had a decent lead again and led the rest of the way for the win. Troen settled for second ahead of Mallet, Johns and Motts.

Scott Dahlgren won the 20 lap Dwarf Car Main Event. This was the fifth win of the season for the current point leader. The race was restarted after a tangle in Turn 2 that involved the drivers who started in the first two rows. Suddenly, Dahlgren found himself on the pole for the complete restart, and he charged into the lead ahead of teammate Devan Kammermann. After a yellow flag on lap two, the rest of the race went non-stop. Dahlgren again led Kammermann and two-time reigning champion Mike Corsaro on the next restart. As Dahlgren ran strong at the front, Corsaro managed to challenge Kammermann a few times during the race. However, Dahlgren would score the victory. Kammermann took the checkered flag just ahead of the trio of Corsaro, Travis Dutra and David Michael Rosa.

Racing continues next Saturday night with the Wingless Spec Sprints and Limited Late Models back in action along with the B Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Unofficial Race Results

All Star Series Antioch Speedway

Winged 360 Sprint Cars

Heat Winner (6 laps)-Jacob Tuttle. Main Event (20 laps)-Matt DeMartini, Peter Paulson, Art McCarthy, Jacob Tuttle, Justin Bradway, Danny Wagner, Tim Burcher.

A Modifieds

Heat Winner (6 laps)-Sean O'Gara. Main Event (20 laps)-Brian Pearce, Raymond Lindeman, Sean O'Gara, Kimo Oreta, Buddy Kniss, Danny Wagner, Bobby Motts Jr.

B Modifieds

Heat Winners (6 laps)-Jimmy Ford, Tommy Fraser. Main Event (20 laps)-Tommy Fraser, Philip Shelby, Scott Savell, Trevor Clymens, Kevin Brown, Cameron Swank, Jason Womack, Tommy Clymens Jr., Ty Bickford, Jimmy Ford.

Hobby Stocks

Heat Winners (6 laps)-Breanna Troen, Will Buirch. Main Event (20 laps)-Josh Leach, Breanna Troen, Jacob Mallet Jr, Ken Johns, Madison Motts, Philip Oreta, Will Buirch, Jeff Bentancourt, Judy Arth, Ricky Foster.

Dwarf Cars

Heat Winners (6 laps)-Mike Corsaro, David Michael Rosa. Main Event (20 laps)-Scott Dahlgren, Devan Kammermann, Mike Corsaro, Travis Dutra, David Michael Rosa, Dennis Gilcrease, Troy Stevenson Jr., Mario Marques, Chris Becker, Roberto Monroy.

Sprint Cars, Modifieds Headline 

Petaluma Speedway Show Saturday Night

Petaluma, CA...After last week's big Johnny Soares Classic for the PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprints, it's the PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Car division's time to shine this Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway as they return for their ninth event of the season. Also back in action will be the IMCA Modifieds, General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars and Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks.

Consistency has been the key for John Clark. Clark has six Top 10 finishes in eight starts, including four Top 5 efforts. He has a 72 point lead over one-time winner Brent Bjork. Though Bjork tops the list with five Top 5 efforts, he's also missed three races. His lead over Joel Myers Jr is just 10 tallies with Shawn Arriaga 11 points back in what is a closer battle for second. Even two-time winner Colby Johnson is in that chase, just 17 points out of second. Arriaga is piloting the Lathrop Racing Sprint Car, but he started deep in the hole after he had a second place finish taken front him at the season opener in post race tech.

Arriaga, who is a past champion at the speedway, seems to be coming on strong lately with a pair of seconds and one third in his last three starts. The last three races also included a pair of victories for Colby Johnson, which put him back into the point battle. Other stars to watch for this week include reigning champion Jake Haulot, Nathan Schank, Brett Rollag, Angelo Cornett and Brett Barney

The last time the IMCA Modifieds were in action, it was multi time champion Michael Paul Jr pocketing $1500 for his impressive win in The Top Dog Nationals. We haven't seen an updated point list, but Paul should make a move into second in the standings behind new leader and reigning champion Oreste Gonella. Gonella had second for much of the race before being overtaken on the last lap by reigning State champion Shane DeVolder. Mitch Machado had gotten off to a good start this season, but bad luck in the latest race caught him.

Terry Kaiser also looked good in the latest race as he finished fourth ahead of Trevor Brady. This was the first Top 5 finish of the year for Brady and the third for Kaiser, but because Kaiser missed one race, he's not in the championship hunt. It's a pretty competitive field of racers, and you never know who might win from week to week. Some of the stars to watch for this week include Justin Yeager, Gary Zwicker, Jay Learn, Tim Yeager and Ray Trimble.

In the Mini Stock division, the battle continues between Jeremy Tjensvold and reigning champion Tom Brown. Tjensvold kicked the season off with three-straight wins before Brown got on a roll with three wins of his own. However, teammate Tjensvold finished second in each event and came back strong last week with his fourth win of the season. Only a few points separate these two in favor of Tjensvold as Brown attempts to become the first driver in this division to become a two-time champion in over a decade. Some of the other stars to watch for this week include Sophie Shelly, Antonio Miramontez, Darien Balestrini, Jason Grover, Roy Dearing and Danny Manzoni.

There were an impressive 24 competitors on hand for the most recent Dwarf Car show last week, and 2016 Antioch Speedway champion Kevin Miraglio became the first two-time winner of the season.  Marcus Hardina again had to settle for second at the most recent race. He now has four runnerup finishes in his six starts, but when he hasn't been finishing strong, he's had a pair of really bad nights which has him battling just to make it into the Top 5 in the standings.

Chad Matthias started the season off with a feature win and has been the leader ever since. He likely maintained that status with his fifth place finish last week, but third place finisher Mark Hanson is keeping it close. Hanson also has a feature win this season. There are some good racers in the group, and some of the stars to watch for this week include reigning champion Scooter Gomes, Matt Hagermann, John Peters, Mike Affonso, Sam Borland and Brandon Gentry.

Saturday's program has lots of speed and excitement lined up for the fans to enjoy. The season is heading down the stretch run, and there are some close championship battles to be decided. This should be a another good show. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.

Fendley Wins Johnny Soares Classic At Petaluma Speedway

Petaluma, CA...August 17...Cody Fendley scored the victory in the 50 lap Johnny Soares Classic for the Hunt and PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprint divisions Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. The big event pays tribute to the Hall of Fame promoter who ran Petaluma Speedway for four decades. This was the second win of the season for Fendley.

Hunt Series championship contender Jake Morgan shared the front row with Jimmy Christian and bolted into the lead at the waving of the green flag. Unfortunately, Morgan's run at the front came to an abrupt end on the 14th lap as reigning Hunt Series champion Shawn Jones was eliminated as well. Trevor Schmid inherited the lead at that point with Fendley running in second. Fendley made his big move into the lead on lap 20 as eighth starter Adam Christian settled into third. Fendley set a good pace during the second half of the race and led by nearly a straightaway over Schmid by the time the checkered flag fell. Adam Christian finished third, followed by Boy Moniz, Josh Young, Dennis Furia Jr, Matt Stewart, Tim Sherman Jr, Jimmy Christian and Sparky Howard.

There was a strong turnout of 28 competitors for the biggest Spec Sprint race of the year, and Jarrett Soares was the only driver to crack into the 14 second bracket with a lap of 14.999, beating the 15.333 of Fendley for quick time. They ran four eight lap heat races, and the wins went to Moniz, Jones, Jimmy Christian and Morgan. The final starting spots in the Main Event were determined by the eight lap B Main, and Soares found himself in this race after a bad heat race. Soares took the lead at the start and won ahead of Tony Bernard, Josh Young and Keith Calvino.

Kevin Miraglio won the 20 lap General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Car Main Event. Miraglio had the pole for the race, but John Peters led a pair of laps before Miraglio gained the lead on lap three. Championship hopeful Mark Hanson came from the fourth row to take the lead from Miraglio on lap six. This battle continued with Miraglio making the pass to briefly regain the lead on lap eight, but Hanson was back in front on lap nine. Hanson led the way until the final lap when Miraglio and Marcus Hardina were both able to get by for the first and second positions. Hanson settled for third, follow by Garrett Brady, Chad Matthias, John Peters, Mike Affonso, Danny Marsh, Trevor Mendenhall and Shawn McCoy.

The Dwarf Cars had a strong 24 car turn out for this race, and the four six lap heat race wins were earned by Matthias, Hanson, Brandon Gentry and Hardina.

Jeremy Tjensvold impressed with the 20 lap Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stock Main Event win. This was the fourth victory of the season for the current point leader aboard his fast Ford Pinto. Roy Dearing led a pair of laps before being overtaken by past champion Austin Ohlinger. Ohlinger's lead was short lived as Tjensvold gained the lead on lap four. Tjensvold would go on to victory with championship contender Tom Brown finishing second ahead of Ohlinger, Dearing, Darien Balestrini, Cody Bolles, Sophie Shelly, Aiden Avila, Ben Baxmen and Randy Miramontez. The six lap heat race wins went to Tjensvold and Brown.

Nick Robfogel won the 20 lap Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micro Main Event. This was the fourth win of the season for Robfogel, who is chasing Justin Adiego in a close championship battle. Looking for his second win of the season, Kyle Grissom paced two laps before Robfogel went charging by. Robfogel stretched his advantage over Grissom to nearly half a lap by the time the race finished. Adiego continued his consistent season with a third place finish, follow by Anton Gianini, George Nielson, Sam Borland, Victor Guerra, Jeromie Charon, Amber Fields and Carroll Mendenhall. The six lap heat race wins went to Robfogel and Adiego.

Racing continues this Saturday night with the PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars back in action along with McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modifieds, General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars and Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.

Sprint Cars, Modified Classes Part Of Five Division Show 

At Ocean Speedway

Watsonville, CA...Following last weekend's big Johnny Key Classic Sprint Car race, Ocean Speedway roars to life again this Friday night with a special five division lineup. the Ocean Sprint Cars, presented by Taco Bravo, are back. Joining them will be the IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sport Modifieds along with the Four Bangers and the South Bay Dwarf Cars. This will be the last opportunity to check out a race at the quarter-mile clay oval for about a month, as the speedway will go dark until September 20th.

As 2015 champion Justin Sanders was making his fourth win of the season the big Johnny Key Classic last weekend, Bud Kaeding had his first non Top 5 finish of the season in sixth. Kaediing has racked up mostly first and second place finishes and has a commanding 145 point lead in the championship chase. As he appears to be headed for the championship aboard his father Brent Kaeding's #69 Sprinter, the battle continues to be for second. The surprising James Ringo has used his four Top 5 finishes to hold a 26 point advantage over Koen Shaw. Shaw didn't seem to be in the hunt, but he has creeped up the point ladder and is only 26 points behind Ringo in the battle for second. He moved past Jake Andreotti for third, but there is still plenty of opportunity for drivers to make a move.

Only 21 points separate third place Shaw from sixth place Kurt Nelson, who is the only driver beside Kaeding in the Top 6 with a feature win. Andreotti is just 17 points behind Shaw and two ahead of Jeremy Chisum, who holds fifth in the standings after last week's disappointing effort that saw him miss the Main Event. Some of the other stars to watch for this week include Jayson Bright, three-time reigning champion Brad Furr, Richard Fajardo and Jerry Bonnema.

We are 11 races into the season, and the Burke brothers are battling fiercely for the IMCA Modified championship. Reigning champion Cody Burke has a pair of victories, but he and his brother Austin are tied for the lead. Austin is still looking for his first win, but he has six Top 5 finishes and leads the division with 11 Top 10 efforts. Also in the championship hunt is Jim Pettit II, who trails by just 10 points in third. Pettit is also a feature winner this year. Jeff Decker, meanwhile, is a solid fourth and after five Top 5 finishes is looking for his first win of the season. Perhaps that could happen this week? Other stars of the competitive Watsonville field include Robert Marsh, rookie Anthony Giuliani, Anthony Copeland and Raymond Keldsen Jr.

Second-generation racer Jarrod Mounce has put a little bit of distance between himself and Adriane Frost in the IMCA Sport Modified championship battle, but his 25 point advantage is still not too comfortable to relax. Both drivers have picked up a pair of victories, but the consistent Mounce leads everybody in the division with 12 Top 5 finishes in his 12 starts. 22 points behind Frost is Justin McPherson, who is still looking for his first win of the season and is the only driver in the Top 5 without a win. Bakersfield's Kevin Johnson is a two-time winner, while three-time winner Guy Ahlwardt is the State point leader and rounds out the Top 5. Because there were two occasions when Ahlwardt had to choose between Watsonville and Merced, he has fallen out of the championship chase. Ahlwardt is in the title hunt at the other track, but his Friday night is open this week should he choose to come to Watsonville. The numbers are up in this division this season, and other stars to watch for include Charlie Hunter, Max Baggett, rookie Kelly Campanile, Stephen Allee and Randy Miller.

The Beardsley family continues to occupy the podium in the Four Banger division. Reigning champion and point leader Kate Beardsley leads the charge with 10 Top 5 finishes and a four point advantage over Nicole Beardsley, who has nine Top 5 finishes so far. 2017 champion Bill Beardsley is 46 points out of the lead, but all three family members are still searching for their first win. Holding down fourth with three victories to his credit is rookie John Grilli. He is within 27 points of Bill Beardsley for third in the standings and holds a 20 point advantage over one-time winner Ryan McClelland. These five racers are anticipated this week, and others to watch for include two-time winner Dakota Keldsen in the Lloyd Keldsen Jr Special, Tony Gullo, Roy Iler and Jeff Finsand.

The points haven't been made available for the South Bay Dwarf Car division as the association keeps their own tabulations and hasn't released them to the public. It's likely that three-time winner Mark Biscardi is leading the charge. Biscardi got on quite a roll to start things off before past champion Shawn Jones interrupted a three-race winning streak with three wins of his own. The most recent win was earned by Ryan Amlen, who should also be ranking well in the standings. Reigning champion Gene "Punky" Pires should also be doing well as he has been somewhat consistent, and other stars of the group to watch for this week include past champion Terry Rothweiler, Eric Weisler, Eddy Claessen and Trafton Chandler.

For fans wanting to get one more dose of exciting racing action in Watsonville, this will be your last opportunity for another month. With the Sprint Cars and the two Modified classes competing, there should be plenty of excitement. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.

Sanders Wins 59th Annual Johnny Key Classic 

At Ocean Speedway

Watsonville, CA...August 17...Justin Sanders scored an impressive victory in the 50 lap Johnny Key Classic for the Civil War Series Winged 360 Sprint Cars Saturday Night at Ocean Speedway. This was also the fourth win of the season for Sanders. It was also his second Key Classic win, and it earned him $5,000

The stage was set for a big night for Sanders as he earned a front row start in the feature by finishing second to Ryan Bernal in the six lap Trophy Dash. Sanders motored ahead at the start of the race with Shane Golobic settling into an early second. Five-time Chico champion Sean Becker moved up to battle Golobic for the second position. Becker was finally able to settle the matter for second on lap 15 as 12th starter Colby Copeland and 13th starter Rico Abreu found their way into the Top 5. Copeland took over the third position on lap 23, and at the halfway break, Sanders was leading Becker, Copeland, Abreu and Golobic.

Sanders maintained command as the second half of the race began, but an intense duel ensued between Copeland, Abreu and Becker for the second position. Copeland was able to gain the position for good with Abreu following into third. However, Sanders set a rapid pace at the head of the pack and was not to be denied the impressive victory. Copeland was second ahead of Abreu, Golobic, Becker, track point leader Bud Kaeding, Chase Johnson, Ryan Bernal, DJ Netto and Mitchell Faccinto.

28 of the best Sprint Car racers in the state qualified on the Tom Sagmiller prepared quarter-mile clay oval. Faccinto's 11.490 was just a bit quicker than the 11.499 of Golobic to set the fast time standard. Eight lap heat race wins went to Johnson, Kaeding, Becker and Bernal. A 12 lap B Main was run to set the final starting positions in the 22 car feature race. Chelsea Blevins won that race ahead of Jason Chisum, Bradley Dillard and Jerry Bonnema.

Andy Obertello won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. This was the First win of the season for Obertello, who has run a limited schedule this season. Obertello had the pole position for the rapidly run race and charged into the lead. Past track champion Nick DeCarlo quickly assumed the second position and was the main driver providing Obertello a challenge for most of the race. Obertello stayed cool under pressure and took the checkered flag just ahead DeCarlo. Austin Burke was a solid third ahead of point leader Cody Burke, Jeff Decker, Jim Pettit II, Todd Hermosillo, Jerry Movrich, Jeff McCoun and Steven Streeter. Decker and Anthony Giuliani were the eight lap heat race winners, but Giuliani retired from the Main Event after one lap.

Dennis Simunovich won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. This was his second win of the season. He started back in the fourth row and quickly worked his way up to battle Justin McPherson for the lead. Simunovich gained the lead and pulled away just a little bit from McPherson. McPherson held off a determined Andrew Peckham for the second place finish. Kevin Johnson finished fourth, followed by point leader Jarrod Mounce, Randy Miller, Adriane Frost, Markus Frazier, Charlie Hunter and Kelly Campanile. Johnson and Mounce won their respective eight lap heat races.

The racing will continue on Friday night as the Taco Bravo Sprint Cars return. The action packed lineup will also include the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Four Bangers and South Bay Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.

Foulger, Ahlwardt Win At Merced Speedway

Merced, CA...August 17...Troy Foulger charged to victory in the 30 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Merced Speedway. This was the division leading fifth win of the season for Foulger aboard the Bowers Racing Modified as he closes in on the championship. The early stages of the race saw Robby Jeppesen and Billy Wilker battling for the lead before Alex Stanford got by. Foulger made a charge from the fifth row to battle Stanford before taking over the lead. Foulger went on to the impressive win with Stanford a strong second, followed by Wilker, Jeppesen, State point leader Trevor Fitzgibbon, Robert Marsh, Jesse James Burks, Ray Mayer, Monty Tomlinson and Justin Villanueva. The eight lap heat race wins were earned by Stanford, Wilker and Fitzgibbon.

Guy Ahlwardt won the 25 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. This was the first Merced win for Ahlwardt, who has a big lead in the State point race. Ahlwardt and point later Fred Ryland have high point averages, which put them back in the fifth and sixth rows, respectively, for the start. They made a mad dash to the front of the pack, where they battled Bruce "Bubba" Nelson and Nick Tucker. Both drivers got by, and Ahlwardt held off the challenges of Ryland for the impressive victory. Ryland maintained his point lead with a second place finished, follow by Nelson, Tucker, KC Keller, Chase Thomas, Kelly Wilkinson, Patti Ryland, Chuck Weir and Kodie Dean. The eight lap heat race wins were earned by Tucker, Ahlwardt and Weir. Patti Ryland won her second straight 12 lap B Main ahead of Wilkinson, Dean and Doff Cooksey.

Rick Elliot won the 20 lap Valley Sportsman Main Event. This was the second win of the season for Elliott as he holds a commanding lead in the championship battle. Elliott and heat race winner Gary Hildebrand started in the third row of the feature race. They both managed to get around Dwayne Short, who was going for his third-straight win. Elliott took the checkered flag ahead of Hildebrand, Short, two-time champion Mike Friesen, reigning champion Jerry Cecil and Jeff West.

Riley Jeppesen won the 12 lap California Sharp Mini Late Model Main Event. This was the second win of the season for Jeppesen, and it came after he held off point leader Timmy Crews for the victory. Logan Clay finished third, follow by Carson Guthrie and Ian Shearer. Jeppesen also won the eight lap heat race.

After a week off to allow the local competitors to compete in the Highway 99 Series race down at Bakersfield, racing resumes on August 31st. Management just announced the $1,500 to win race for the IMCA Sport Modifieds that night. Also competing will be the Mini Stocks, Valley Sportsman division and California Sharp Mini Late Models. For further information, go to www.mercedspeedway.net.

Richards, Smock, Kvalvik Win On Kids Bike Night 

At Orland Raceway

Orland, CA... August 17...Tony Richards won the 20 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Orland Raceway. This was Kids Bike Night at the races, and the track gave away 44 bikes to some lucky kids. Richards has won a majority of the Spec Sprint Main Events, but because he failed to start the season opening race, he has been playing catch up with point leader Denny McNary for the entire season. Richards came into the night trailing McNary by 39 points, and that margin threatened to get worse after more mechanical issues sidelined him from his heat race. The team went back and got his backup car for the Main Event.

Richards then made a charge from the back to the front of the pack and scored yet another impressive feature victory. His win came ahead of Gary Paulson, who was making his first start of the season. Paulson and McNary won their respective heat races, and McNary kept the point damage to a minimum as he scored another good finish in third. Rookie Jeremy Langenderfer finished fourth, followed by Tyler Rockwell, Josh Tucker, James Taylor, Ryan Owens, Cassie Amore and Ed Butterfield.

After missing the previous race, Wes Smock returned to action and recorded his fifth 20 lap Pure Stock Main Event win of the season. His win came ahead of fellow heat race winner Kevin Pendergrass, who finished second in the feature race. Reigning Marysville champion Shannon Collins scored a solid third place finish ahead of championship contender Phil Spencer, 2017 champion Jeremy Langenderfer, John Camper, James Taylor, point leader Keith Ross, reigning champion Paul Stephens and Steve Martin. Ross carried a 14 point lead over Spencer going into the night. The other eight lap heat race wins went to Langenderfer and Stephens.

Kalvin Kvalvik won the 20 lap Mini Truck Main Event. This was the second win of the season for the current point leader. Kvalvik scored the win ahead of his closest championship contender, William Fogle. Anthony Esquavelle was a solid third, followed by Cindy Wagner, Rick Etchison, James Woodell, Tony Quinones, Dan Libbee and Dan Webster. Etchison and Webster won their respective heat races, but Webster was out of the Main Event early.

Tom Davis continued his march towards a third-straight Mini Stock championship by winning the 20 lap Main Event. Davis has won most of the Main Events this season and is showing no signs of slowing down. During the off week, Davis went to Susanville and scored his fourth win there. Shasta Speedway racer Dusty Hills made his first visit of the year and matched Davis with a heat race victory. However, Hills proved to be no match for Davis as he would settle for second behind the Orland point leader. John Kirkpatrick finished third, followed by Randy Black, Jason Libbee and Tommy Whicker.

Kylee Porath won the 20 lap Wingless 250 Micro Main Event. This was the third win of the season for Porath. Incoming point leader Mike McCarthy suffered mechanical issues early on and scratched from the Main Event. This allowed Ronnie Heyer and Lester Elsey to close the gap in the championship point battle. However, Porath would win the Main Event ahead of Heyer, James Barnes and Elsey. Porath and Elsey were eight lap heat race winners.

Racing will continue on August 31st as the Winged Crate Sprint Car division will make their second appearance at the speedway. Also competing will be the Wingless Spec Sprints, Mini Trucks, Mini Stocks and the Wingless 250 Micro division. For further information, go to the Orland Raceway Facebook page.


Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 17, 2019
Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
California Sprint Car Civil War Series
Main Event
Justin Sanders
Colby Copeland
Rico Abreu
Shane Golobic
Sean Becker
Bud Kaeding
Chase Johnson
Ryan Bernal
D.J. Netto
Mitchell Faccinto
Jake Andreotti
Brad Furr
Jayson Bright
Koen Shaw
James Ringo
Cole Macedo
Zane Blanchard
Jason Chisum
Colby Johnson
Kaleb Montgomery
Chelsea Blevins
Kurt Nelson

B Main
Chelsea Blevins
Jason Chisum
Bradley Dillard
Jerry Bonnema
Joey Ancona
Jeremy Chisum
Ryon Nelson
Richard Fajardo

IMCA Modifieds
Andy Obertello
Nick DeCarlo
Austin Burke
Cody Burke
Jeff Decker
Jim Pettit II
Todd Hermosillo
Jerry Movrich
Jeff McCoun
Stephen Streeter
Raymond Keldsen Jr
Jeremy Crebs
Anthony Copeland
Anthony Giuliani

IMCA Sport Modifieds
Dennis Simunovich
Justin McPherson
Andrew Peckham
Kevin Johnson
Jarrod Mounce
Randy Miller
Adriane Frost
Markus Frazier
Charlie Hunter
Kelly Campanile
John Ferro
Max Baggett
Chuck Golden


Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 17, 2019
IMCA Modifieds
Troy Foulger
Alex Stanford
Billy Wilker
Robby Jeppesen
Trevor Fitzgibbon
Robert Marsh
Jesse Burks
Ray Mayer
Monty Tomlinson
Justin Villaneuva
Bob Williamson
John Osgood III
Bill Vieselmeyer
Darrell Hughes II
Jake Pike
Gary Marsh
Bryant Desaire
Ryan Porter
Ramie Stone

IMCA Sport Modifieds
Guy Ahlwardt
Fred Ryland
Bruce Nelson
Nick Tucker
KC Keller
Chase Thomas
Kelly Wilkinson
Patti Ryland
Chuck Weir
Kodie Dean
Richard Ragsdale
Chris Falkenberg
Tony Peffer
Tanner Thomas
Tyler Thomas
Jeremy Hoff
Doff Cooksey
Frank Cefaliello Jr

B Main
Patti Ryland
Kelly Wilkinson
Kodie Dean
Doff Cooksey
Richard Ragsdale
Tanner Thomas
Adam Coonfield
Tony Hornyack
Tim Ragsdale DNS

Valley Sportsman
Rick Elliott
Gary Hildebrand
Dwayne Short
Mike Freisen
Jerry Cecil
Jeff West

Mini Late Models
Riley Jeppesen
Timmy Crews
Logan Clay
Carson Guthrie
Ian Shearer


Fernley 95 Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 17, 2019
IMCA Modifieds
Cory Sample
Chris Olexiewicz
Jeff Olschowka
Malen Gonzalez
Robert Robles
James Thibodeaux
Jim Turner
Mark Skender
Steve McQueen
Barry Stone
Robert Miller

Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series
BILL PEARSON
MIKE LEARN
SCOTT FLOWERS
SCOTT LENZ
DAVE KING JR
SCOTT ROGERS
DONNY RICHARDSON
JESSE GONZALEZ
RYAN SMITH
DALE TATUM
CHRIS SMITH DNS
BLANE HILL DNS
ROBERT MILLER DNS
JAY SEARS DNS
MIKE MCMORDIE DNS
BRENT LAWRENCE DNS

IMCA Sport Modifieds
Jimmy Ray Huffmon
Craig Nieman
Rusty McMillan
JEFF TUTTLE
Andy Welch
BILL PEARSON
Kieth Mikaelson

Hobby Stocks
RANDY BOYD
Royce Goetz
Tom Haxal
Rocky Goetz
Rick Miller
David Paine
Shayna Nieman
Robert Crane
Dan Dias
Richard Italiano


Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 17, 2019
Eighth Annual Johnny Soares Classic
Hunt Series/PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprints
Cody Fendley
Trevor Schmid
Adam Christian
Boy Moniz
Josh Young
Dennis Furia Jr
Matt Stewart
Tim Sherman Jr
Jimmy Christian
Sparky Howard
Cameron Martin
Tony Bernard
Scott Chapeta
Angelique Bell
Jarrett Soares
Cody Spencer
Keith Calvino
Ryon Siverling
Terry Schank Jr
Bruno Bianchi
Jake Morgan
Shawn Jones 

B Main
Jarrett Soares
Tony Bernard
Josh Young
Keith Calvino
Cameron Martin
Sparky Howard
Scott Clough
Bob Davis
Zack Albers
George Nielson
Chet Wilson

General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars
Kevin Miraglio
Marcus Hardina
Mark Hanson
Garrett Brady
Chad Matthias
John Peters
Mike Affonso
Danny Marsh
Trevor Mendenhall
Shawn McCoy
Jordan Souza
Mike Dahle
Matt Hagemann
Scooter Gomes
Kylee Johnson
Adam Freitas
Tim Steger
Sam Borland
Vic Vaz
Carroll Mendenhall
Brandon Gentry
Adam Johnson
Savannah Brown
Tom VanTuyl

Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks
Jeremy Tjensvold
Tom Brown
Austin Ohlinger
Roy Dearing
Darien Balestrini
Cody Bolles
Sophie Shelley
Aiden Avila
Ben Baxmen
Randy Miramontez
Antonio Miramontez

Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros
Nick Robfogel
Kyle Grissom
Justin Adiego
Anton Gianini
George Nielson
Sam Borland
Victor Guerra
Jeromie Charon
Amber Fields
Carroll Mendenhall
Trevor Mendenhall
Jack Clark
Rob Brown


Stockton 99 Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 17, 2019
Late Models
Guy Guibor
Larry Tankersley
Justin Philpott
Gary Shafer
Ty Carlson
Arron Shankle
Dennis Byers
Kimberly Rouse
Roberto Magania
Anthony Welborn
Garland Powell
David Blair
Justin Scantlin 

Legends
Cody Winchell
Jeremy Doss
Sheldon Crouse
Dylan Wasburn
Keith Clement
Rob Nascimento
Pete Soto
Jim Mrozinski
Rob Lathrop
Richard Strmiska
Carlee Austin
Scott Sabol
Kevin Travels
Wayne Olhiser
JK Kenny

Basically 4 Cylinder
Josh Cross
Dave Kong
Joe Flowers
Andy Rumsey
Kenny Burton
Matt Richardson
Ray Molina
Vic Theberge
Mark Hunt
Billy Rodrigues
Bryon Bishop
Danny Helm
Frank Brown
Tim Wlliams
Rodney Previtali
Joshua Brown
Cathy Bishop
Dave Locke
Dave Keller
Andrea Rumsey

The Editor's Viewpoint

Hopefully, I can be somewhat brief this week. I'm running late after the two race weekend, and I have to admit I was running around before and during the race nights so much that I wore myself out. I was kind of hoping that I'd be able to make the trip to the track today. The big R Charles Snyder Salute is coming on Labor Day weekend, and I wanted to catch up with the son of the man this race honors. I was just too far behind schedule to do it. I'm so happy to have had a hand in helping get this race on the schedule at Southern Oregon Speedway.

People were telling me that I did a good job last weekend. I hope so. I have to admit that I'm a bit tired, sometimes I say burnt out, and at times I'm on automatic pilot. I think I can run on instinct because I've been doing this long enough and I know how to do what I do. I suppose it's no different than a carpenter knowing on instinct what to do in any situation when they're building a house. Everything didn't easily fall into place, and from the word go on Friday, I was behind schedule trying to get enough done to be okay.

I suppose the thing I haven't been wanting to admit is I'm just getting older, but I also think the conditions that I am working in affect things a little bit. I had the speech prepared for the ceremony the morning of the Hall of Fame, and a glitch in the program wiped the whole damn thing out. I was literally finishing it up at the track on race day as cars were coming into the pits. This is not the way I wanted to be prepared.

Even for the Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame that's coming up in October 5th, I went to have my ideas on what to say before the day comes. We're talking about a situation where I am much more familiar with the history of the track. I grew up out there. Frankly, my time at that track as a kid is what made me think that this was what I wanted to do with my life.

Now, I've tried to learn the history of Medford area racing, and I know a little bit of it. I would say I know a snapshot of it. A glance of different times through the years, if you will. But, it's not always something I can just call upon by memory. So, I wanted to be prepared for this so that I could do it justice. The racers deserve that.

I mentioned in the speech that there might be people wondering why I would be coming up here in the last few years and creating this Hall of Fame with Mike McCann and the committee when this isn't my history. Why? Because, this history means something to the people who lived through it. It's something they hold dear, and it's something that has been neglected through the years. I wanted this night to be a night where we celebrate the heritage that is Southern Oregon racing and honor people who made it special. I'd like to think I did okay, and there were a few people telling me so. I was so busy all weekend, I really didn't get a chance to enjoy the moment the way I would have liked. I did the best I could.

What I did notice this year compared to the previous two years was there seemed to be much more enthusiasm behind this occasion. One driver, Dave Shinn, brought some of his clippings and pictures to display to the fans. Mark Wauge even let him drive his Late Model for hot laps. Dave was all smiles before the races and admitted that he hadn't been behind the wheel of a race car for some 30 years. I think it's pretty awesome of Mark to do what he did. It seems to me that Brett James was walking around very happy all day, seeing that his legendary father, Markey James, was being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Cory Penfold mentioned to me beforehand that I'd probably get choked up at some point, and I didn't think that would happen. But, I started to after Brett started thanking me earlier in the evening. His dad deserved the honors, and quite frankly, this should have happened years ago. Actually, Brett has built up a reputation, from what I have seen, of being a guy who is good at race car set up. Family tradition. His family is five generations strong in racing in the Medford area.

It was pretty cool when Jimmy Walker Sr's grandson came up and asked me how old you had to be to race. I think he might actually be old enough now, and he mentioned that he was looking to get started in a Mini Stock. See, that right there there is something I wanted to see happen. I want the old families feel like Southern Oregon Speedway is a continuation of this long Medford racing tradition and that the next generation of these families can go racing here.

Frankly, I'm not so sure that this vibe has really been created through the years. I'm not saying they aren't welcome, just that it seems like Southern Oregon Speedway may be like some other land compared to the old Medford Raceway. I know people held that old track in high regards, but there wasn't much of an effort to tie the old in with the new. I think it needed to happen and needs to happen. It's all part of the turnaround process of this track.

It was my hope after researching the history and coming up with a win list that is probably 95% complete for Southern Oregon Speedway that I could tackle the Medford Raceway next. Because I'm not really there on the scene, it's not easy for me to go to the Medford public library and go through micro film of the old newspaper there. Those newspapers, I know, are a treasure trove of Main Event winners and champions. This all fell by the wayside through the years, as it often does at different race tracks across the country. It didn't need to. Some of the old guard put together a really nice Facebook page called the Medford Raceway Posse Grounds. It has lots of history there. It's worth checking out.

I am a few days removed from the Hall of Fame weekend at the big track and Championship Night at the little track, and I feel we did well. In the middle of it all, it's just been hard to enjoy the moment. I feel like there are too many things that need to be done to help guide the evening through. I am doing different things to help Promoter Mike McCann keep the show going. There are some things I never thought I could do, and overall I am so proud of the effort. Though it feels like it's gotten harder to do the things we do as we've gone on each year, a remarkable thing seems to be happening. More fans are coming to the show and more racers are competing. I've started to come to the conclusion in my own mind that I'll be damned if I'm going to let anything fall apart on my watch. I want to do all that I can do to help leave things better than when I got here.

I go year to year, so I can't tell you with any degree of certainty where I'm going to be next year. The ultimate goal is to move away from racing again, but that has to be something that I will be able to do. It's sort of the complicated situation. I can't tell you for certain that I will be moving on next year, and in fact, I expect I will be involved in racing. I do know that the media effort will change, because unless I'm seeing a little bit of compensation for some of the things I'm doing, I'm only going to be doing what I do for the blog as probably 80% of that effort next year. I will do it on my terms. Am I saying I am moving on from this race track? Nope. I'm not saying anything about 2020 other than the fact that I don't know what I will be doing for sure.

Here is something I can say. It has been an honor to be involved with this race track, which some may have thought was on its last legs in 2015. I've gotten to know some good people here, both competitors and various people behind the scenes. I've worked with people I enjoy working with. I've been challenged in ways I never thought I would be challenged, and I've learned more than I thought I would learn. I've always realized that I don't know everything. There's always something to learn. I've always tried to be respectful of the heritage here, and above all else, I've tried to give these race car drivers the recognition I believe they all deserve, from the highest to the lowest divisions and everywhere in between. It's always been the way I've approached my media effort in auto racing, and if I ever deviate from that attitude, I don't belong here anymore.

Well, I seem to be going longer than I want, but I will make a few other observations. I'm very happy that Petaluma Speedway continues to honor it's long time promoter with the Eighth Annual Johnny Soares Classic. It's pretty cool to think that a division that I helped create in a pizza parlor with my friend Don O'Keefe in my old hometown of Bay Point in 1999 was once again headlining that show. Wingless Spec Sprints delivered 28 cars for the 50 lap race. By all accounts, it was a good show. Furthermore, the Dwarf Cars delivered another 24 competitors, meaning you had two divisions with 52 total cars, not counting the other 20 some odd competitors in the two support classes. So yeah, over 70 cars and another solid show for Petaluma Speedway. Rick Faeth is having one of the best seasons of any of the promoters that I've been keeping track of this year, and I think this is because he's one of those guys who genuinely cares about what he's doing.

I still like the idea of a Founders Cup race. This doesn't necessarily even mean you have to put a huge purse on the line, but make special trophies, cup trophies, for your winners. The race would honor the men who helped make the sport what it is today, and I'm talking about the legendary promoters like Bob Barkhimer, Bert Moreland, John P Soares, Jerry Piper and you could even talk about people who weren't part of the NASCAR thing in those days, like John Padjen, Doug Fort and so on. It would be a way to talk about the promoters and the people who helped create the circuit. They built many of the tracks we still enjoy today and many tracks that were taken away from us due to progress. I still envision Antioch Speedway being a place that could host a show like that, but I don't know. What is it that John wants?

One thing that I hear he is looking to do is move his wife Donna's race from October 5th to October 11th and 12th. He mentioned that to me when we spoke on the phone a couple weeks ago, and I got word through another source that this was a done deal. I know John was looking at potential national media coverage, and let's face it, this big show is going to be paying $12,000 to the winner. I also caught a glimpse of the rough draft of his purse, and it's quite attractive. It's bigger purse money than the Modified division will receive anywhere on the West Coast, and it should get some good support. It's also a race fitting of honoring the wife of the promoter. Donna was a wonderful woman who was the glue that had kept Oval Motorsports together from the time they began promoting that track in 1998. She was always one of my favorite people, and I miss her.
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This also means that the October 5th race will be Hall of Fame night. Well, we already knew that, but as Donna will have her race the next weekend, Hall of Fame night becomes it's own entity. Truthfully, I'm not sure the October weekend was the time I really wanted to see this happen. However, I am sure this was the only time I would have been able to make it down there. I looked at the possibility of doing something like this in July or August, the dog days of summer. Something to get some interest going when people's attention starts going in other directions. But, October 5th will do once again for this year. We'll be honoring 15 people. I'm hoping to make sure either the honorees or their families will be there to receive the awards. I am excited about going back to Antioch, not just to MC this event, but to see old friends. As I have said before, I have no expectations. Whatever happens beyond that will be what it is.

Hall of Fame night is one of the easiest ways to market your race track and its heritage. If you've had a track that has been around for 20 years or more, you have enough history to begin to induct people into a Hall of Fame, even if you just do one or two people at a time. All you are really looking at is the awards to present and the night to do it. Putting clippings together to put on display for the fans to see is a snap, inviting old legends to come out as guests of the speedway and maybe even one of the old cars that used to race at that track is still in existence. Another cool idea for a Hall of Fame night or just a Legends Night in general would be having a Legends Race. This might be done in your Hobby Stock or Street Stock division, giving the old timers a shot at a little bit of glory. You can have a lot of fun with a race like that, in my opinion.

Scheduling will bite you in the rear end. As a promoter, you can study everybody else's schedules and map something out, thinking you've got it covered, but something will always get you. It's just the way it is. I see Doug Lockwood at Merced Speedway has made the decision to pay $1,500 to win his IMCA Sport Modified division on Labor Day weekend. At first I kind of looked over at that deal in disappointment with Doug, but I understand. I think Ed Parker and John Soares before him chose to keep the track dark on that weekend, but Doug had already booked something. Also, the Sport Modified division was the only class of the four scheduled that night that really had a chance to bring a car count. Some of the Merced racers wanted to go to Southern Oregon Speedway to be a part of the big $2,000 to win R Charles Snyder Salute. So, part of me kind of took it personally at first, but I got over that real quick. I get it. Of course, if some of the people not tied down to points at Merced want to come play in Medford, they are welcome to do just that. As I hear Mike say all the time, this is America.
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Yreka Promoter Kevin Barba made the decision to make up his big John Arnberg Memorial race this weekend. I think he had a better opportunity to do that in July, from what I saw, but the August 24th date was chosen. The bad part about that is Cottage Grove, or Mecca as I jokingly refer to it, has booked a big two-day show that weekend. It's the annual Mark Howard race, and it pays $2,600 for the IMCA Modifieds. So, some of the top Medford racers will head there rather than to Yreka for the $1,238 prize being offered there. At least we know that the drivers will be able to make their entry fee money back as Kevin has mentioned they get $100 for starting. That is a step up from last year.

I'm going to try not to mention the idea that Yreka still has an IMCA Modified division to cultivate, and hasn't done much in that area. I know there are parked cars there, and Medford gets a couple of racers who might be supporting Yreka instead if that were an option. I've mentioned that the association before Kevin, and now Kevin, might do well to do some sort of outreach within the community and, while looking at what Medford may schedule in 2020, could attempt to bring this division back more next year. I still see potential there, but I'm sure what happens this weekend will go a long way towards what happens in the future. I'm just not so sure how many cars are going to come. I hope they can at least get double digit Modified car count.

The iron Giant Street Stock thing was a bit of a joke this year. We have had them at Medford for the past two years, and their car count doubled into the twenties in the second year. Series leadership wanted the Memorial Day weekend so that they could piggyback our race with a visit to Yreka. This wasn't initially where Mike wanted to put them, but he went along with it. When he had to call the race due to rain, leadership didn't hesitate to move that race to Yreka, as Kevin still thought he had a chance to beat the rain. Had the weather cooperated, Yreka would have had our Medford race and then their regularly scheduled race the next day, and Mike would not have been called at all by Iron Giant leadership to inform him of what was going on. His phone calls to them that Saturday morning went unanswered.

Seeing that they pulled in 15 or so cars before the rain came, I know Kevin couldn't wait to try to reschedule that race, and August 17th was the night in question. What he didn't count on was a brutal race at Gray's Harbor the weekend before. Cars got torn up, and the result was only five Street Stocks for the show. I had such high hopes for this event, and I'm sure Kevin did as well. To see five drivers show up had to be heart breaking as this was the opportunity for a statement to be made about the possibility of Street Stocks making some sort of come back in Yreka in 2020.

I'm not just talking iron Giant race next year, but the track starting a class. Of the five drivers, two of them were racers that you might have seen in a regular Yreka show. What Kevin might be thinking after last weekend, I couldn't say. But I am disappointed for him as the night didn't meet expectations for the Street Stocks. The Sport Modifieds, however, delivered an entertaining show.

As a promoter, you do the best you can with what you've got. I hope things have been penciling in well for Kevin this year and that there can be a next year to plan on. I'm certain there will be a next year in Yreka as there are people with a desire to keep the racing scene going, but I also know that Kevin has shown quite a bit of hustle. A promoter is going in there knowing, or should know, that it won't be huge at first. The first year will be the establishing year. You take a look at what you had that year, try to learn the lessons and apply them towards making the second year better. The second year, if done right, will be marginally better, and so on. It's a process.

I know that it's been a process at Southern Oregon Speedway, and the increase in car count and crowd did not happen overnight. It's been earned, and I'm always nervous about what will happen next week. I know that you're only as good as your last race, but if you work hard, you can get there. I see the same type of thing happening at Orland, where I feel like Rich Hood has made quite a bit of progress in his fourth year.

The only thing is, you have to have some love for the sport you're involved in, because it will wear you down and it will break your heart. Sometimes, the negative you hear will far outweigh the positive, and if you don't have a love for what you're doing, you won't last long. Even if you do love it, it can age you and make you ready to walk away. That's the way it seems to me.

I didn't succeed in running a short column here, but at least I can end it now. Until next time...