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Racing This Weekend At Antioch Speedway,
Big October Event Announced
Antioch, CA...There are just three point racing events left on the All Star Racing Series schedule at Antioch Speedway. There is also a big event that was just announced for October 17th through 19th paying extra money. The fans will certainly have some exciting races to watch from now until the final checkered flag falls in October. This Saturday night, the Wingless Spec Sprints and the Dwarf Cars will be running their final point events of the season. Also competing will be the B Modifieds, DIRTcar Late Models and Hobby Stocks.
On Monday, a big announcement was made. The track will be hosting the West Coast Nationals, billed as a three-day event from October 17th through 19th. Long-time racer and race parts supplier Chad Chadwick is promoting this event that will pay $7,500 to win for the A Modified Main Event on Saturday, October 19th. Just to start that race, a driver is guaranteed $500. The B Modifieds will also have a special event that night that will pay $1,500 to win and $150 minimum to start.
The three-day spectacular begins on Thursday night with a practice session. There will also be live music, a barbecue and a cornhole tournament. On Friday night, the two divisions will run full programs. The Top 4 feature finishers in the A Modified division that night will automatically advance into the big show on Saturday. The basic flier was released on Monday, but further details on purse break down and format were to be released later during the week.
The Wingless Spec Sprint championship race seemed to be going Shannon Newton's way. With seven feature wins, it seemed a certainty that he would win. Two races ago, however, he took a nasty tumble into the infield while taking evasive actions to avoid a slower car. His car cartwheeled twice, doing extensive damage. At that point, Newton didn't appear to have a ride for the next two races. Though his lead was such that it was an extreme long shot that second place Rick Panfili would catch him, Newton had an insurance policy. Reigning division champion Bob Newberry loaned him his car. By finishing second in that race, Newton clinched the championship.
The battle this Saturday is for second. Division original Rick Panfili clings to a 14 point lead over second year racer Mackenzie Newton. Panfili has been just a bit better at earning Top 5 finishes with eight to his credit. Newton has six of them, but she has a season best two third place finishes to one for Panfili. The standings are close enough between these two that the position could change hands. For Panfili, second in points would be a career best effort, which he has already achieved once before. For Newton, however she's already in career best territory. She would love to increase the size of her trophy by making a move past Panfili in the finale.
Keith Calvino has finished as high as second in the Main Event on one occasion this year. Despite a late start, Calvino has moved 14 points ahead of top rookie Jeff Scotto for the fourth position in the standings. Scotto has certainly had a learning experience this season, but he's continued to come back and give it his best effort each week. Some of the other stars to watch for this week include two-time champion Dan Gonderman, recent winners Alan Miranda and Marcus Smith, Cameron Martin and Troy Ferry.
In the Dwarf Cars, the championship drama has pretty much been eliminated. Scott Dahlgren has nearly clinched the championship on the strength of his division leading five feature victories. He merely needs to take a green flag to wrap things up, but the lure of a sixth win will surely have him racing hard. Scott's teammate, Devan Kammermann, has been very impressive with five second place finishes and one third in his last six starts. He's going to be giving it his best effort to score a first career victory this week. As good as he's been running lately, it's definitely a possibility.
Because he has slumped just a little bit in recent races, Troy Stevenson Jr won't have a shot at Kammermann as long as Kammermann takes a Main Event green flag. However, all Stevenson needs to do is take a green flag to assure himself third in the standings. He has finished as high as third on two occasions, but Troy would love to get his first win of the season. The guy pursuing him in fourth is three-time winner Travis Dutra.
Dutra has missed races or he could have been a bigger threat in the championship race. Still, Travis would have to be considered a threat to win this week. Two-time reigning champion Mike Corsaro will be hoping to improve on the three season best third place finishes he's had so far. Other racers to watch for this week include Mario Marques, David Rosa, Travis Day, Timmy Ryan and Sean Catucci.
Two-time Antioch champion Richard Papenhausen holds a comfortable 50 point lead over Rod Oliver in the race to win the DIRTcar Late Model championship. With an impressive six wins in seven starts, it's no surprise to see him apparently heading for another championship. There is a close battle taking place for second, however. There are only two drivers who have not failed to finish in the Top 5 this year. Papenhausen is one of them, and Rod Oliver is the other. Oliver holds a share of second on the strength of a season best second place and a third place finish. However, Kimo Oreta bears the distinction of being the only other driver with a feature win in this class. He is tied with Oliver and looking to gain sole possession of second this week.
Mike Hynes is 22 points out of second as he counts a pair of third place finishes as his best results so far. Late starter Rick Coffey has moved to within a point of fifth ranked Rob Norris. Coffey is a past Santa Maria Speedway Late Model champion, and he's picked up one second and a pair of thirds this season. Norris is one of the seven different racers who has finished second in the seven races held. He'll be hoping to maintain his Top 5 status.
In the B Modified division, Tommy Fraser maintains a comfortable lead in his quest to win the championship. Last time out, the seven-time winner managed to go from 10th starting to fourth. His closest point rival, Kevin Brown, led some of the early laps before earning his fourth third place finish of the season. Brown is holding onto a 20 point lead over top rookie Cameron Swank in a closer race for second in the standings. There are just two point races remaining for this class, and this appears to be the battle. Both Brown and Swank have one feature win to their credit.
Two-time reigning champion Trevor Clymens led two laps at the start last week as he was searching for his third win of the season. Unfortunately, his race ended rather abruptly with mechanical issues. He leads brother Tommy by just two points in another good race for the fourth position. Brent Curran, meanwhile, was a welcome site back at the speedway after missing a few weeks. Brent was in a new car and managed to earn a second place finish behind the flying Les Friend. Curran is a six-time winner and could certainly contend for another victory before the season is over.
Friend became the seventh different winner of the season, and there have been six different winners in the last seven weeks with only Fraser repeating. Top 10 ranked Todd Gomez certainly looks like somebody who could add his name to the winner's column. He blew a motor while leading most of the race two weeks ago, but he did get another motor together to come back last week. Some of the others to watch for this week include Haley Gomez, Nick Caughman Jr and Jason Womack
The Hobby Stock division will be competing at all three point events, and they have the closest championship battle going. Six-time winner Chris Sorensen managed to pull out of his slump just a little bit last week by winning is heat race and finishing fourth in the Main Event. However, Breanna Troen is still on a bit of a roll lately. The third place finish she earned last week was her seventh Top 3 finish in the last eight races. Sorensen may need to earn his seventh win to hold onto what could be his third division championship. Following his fifth feature win of the season, Josh Leach managed to get to a fifth place finish last week in the rapidly run race. He is still within 36 points of Troen, and the championship is not completely out of reach for him either.
One of the interesting things to watch in the past half-dozen races is the fact that other drivers are emerging as stars and winners in this class. Last week, Lori Brown drove the Kimberly Myers Tribute Car to a flag to flag victory. She has won races in the Street Stock and Limited Late Model classes, but this was her first win in this division. We've also seen Jacob Mallet Jr and James Thomson get wins in recent weeks, while Dalton Jewell and Ken Johns are both knocking on the door with second place finishes.
The second place finish earned by Johns last week was his second of the season, and it enabled him to take a six point lead over Will Buirch in the battle for fourth in points and top rookie honors. This is another battle that could go to the final checkered flag. Some of the other stars to watch for this week include Jeff Bentancourt, Tyler Henrickson, Phillip Oreta and Judy Arth.
This Saturday night's five division All Star Racing Series offering should provide lots of excitement from start to finish. With the recent announcement of the West Coast Nationals and the big Chet Thomson Memorial and the Donna Soares Memorial/Hall of Fame night also remaining on the schedule, you won't want to miss a second of what Antioch Speedway has booked to close out the racing season. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Four New Winners At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...September 7...Bobby Motts Jr won the 20 lap All Star Racing Series A Modified Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. This was the first win of the season for the 2017 champion, and the other three divisions also had drivers claiming their first wins of the season. After the A Modified Main had a complete restart, there were no more yellow flags. Motts charged into the lead at the start ahead of Brian Cass. A low pass in Turn 2 of the third lap gained Terry Kaiser second, and Brian Pearce went low in Turn 4 of the fifth lap to take third from Cass. Motts set a rapid pace and wasn't seriously threatened as he won ahead of Kaiser, Pearce, Cass and previous winner Jeff Decker.
Les Friend won the 20 lap B Modified Main Event. This was his first win of the season, and he had to work for it after spinning from second on the first lap. Trevor Clymens led two laps before he stalled in Turn 2 for a yellow flag. Kevin Brown led the restart ahead of Brent Curran and Todd Gomez. The final yellow flag flew on lap four for a spin in Turn 3. Friend charged into second behind Brown on the restart, and the two engaged in a side by side battle for the next four laps. Friend finally made a low pass in turn 4 of the eighth lap to grab the lead. Curran made a similar move a lap later to gain second. The lead two cars ran close in the remaining laps, but Friend prevailed ahead of Curran, Brown, point leader Tommy Fraser and Gomez.
Lori Brown won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Brown is a past Limited Late Model champion, but this was her first win aboard the Kimberly Myers 65 roses car. Brown started on the outside front row and charged into the lead at the start ahead of Ken Johns and Chris Sorensen. A yellow flag flew on lap nine. This didn't stop Brown as she continued to lead Johns on the restart. The battle was for third between point leader Sorensen and his closet rival in the standings, Breanna Troen. Troen eventually made the pass for third as Brown won ahead of Johns, Troen, Sorensen and Josh Leach.
Mike Walko won the 20 lap Limited Late Model Main Event. This was the first win of the season for Walko. He and heat winner Chad Hammer shared the front row of the Main Event. Walko and Hammer battled early, but it was point leader Kimo Oreta moving into second and providing the pressure for Walko. However, Walko would go on to become the sixth different winner of the season. Oreta settled for second ahead of Hammer, Brian Zachary and John Evans.
Before the Main Events, a Memorial Lap was held for Tony Pato, who passed away last week. Tony was a Late Model racer at the speedway in the 1980's and worked with Curl Racing to help build some of the first Dirt Modifieds that competed at the track in 1990.
Racing continues next Saturday night with the Wingless Spec Sprints and DIRTcar Late Models back in action along with the B Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
All Star Series Antioch Speedway
Unofficial Race Results
A Modifieds
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Eric Berendsen, Jeff Decker. Main Event (20 Laps)-Bobby Motts Jr, Terry Kaiser, Brian Pearce, Brian Cass, Jeff Decker, Sean O'Gara, Anthony Slaney, Buddy Kniss, Jake Dewsburuy, Eric Berendsen.
B Modifieds
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Tommy Clymens Jr, Les Friend. Main Event (20 Laps)-Les Friend, Brent Curran, Kevin Brown, Tommy Fraser, Todd Gomez, Tommy Clymens Jr, Tyler Bickford, Cameron Swank, Trevor Clymens, Hayley Gomez.
Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Chris Sorensen, Will Buirch, James Thomson. Main Event (20 Laps)-Lori Brown, Ken Johns, Breanna Troen, Chris Sorensen, Josh Leach, Phillip Oreta, Dalton Jewell, Tyler Henrickson, Jacob Mallett Jr, Will Buirch.
Limited Late Models
Heat Winner (6 Laps)-Chad Hammer. Main Event (20 Laps)-Mike Walko, Kimo Oreta, Chad Hammer, Brian Zachary, John Evans, Michael Burch, Jon Haney.
IMCA Modified Championship Night At Merced Speedway
Merced, CA...There are just two point racing events remaining on the Merced Speedway schedule. Saturday night will be Championship Night for the IMCA Modifieds as they wrap up their 2019 point season. The Hobby Stocks will continue what has been a close championship battle. The South Bay Dwarf Cars will be paying the quarter-mile clay oval a visit this weekend, and the Valley Sportsman division will be there as well.
Bowers Racing set their sights on the Merced Speedway championship this season. With Troy Foulger behind the wheel, the team has been unbeatable at times. In 10 races, the man they call Tricky Troy has picked up all Top 5 finishes, including a division leading five feature victories. The championship has already been clinched for Foulger going into this race, but the lure of a sixth win will have him racing hard once again this week.
Fourth-generation racer Ryan Porter is second on the Top 5 finisher's list with seven of them out of his 10 starts. He holds a 29 point lead over four-time champion Ramie Stone. Porter is hoping to get his first win of the season. Stone has been at every race, but he is still searching for his first Top 5 finish. Just by starting the Main Event, however, he should manage to hold onto third in the standings ahead of Impressive rookie Jesse James Burks. Burks has three Top 5 finishes so far.
The Merced area was well represented in Boone, Iowa at the Nationals by two-time champion Randy Brown and DJ Shannon. Both drivers are anticipated this week. Brown has a feature win this season, while Shannon has picked up a pair of victories. Another one-time winner and multi-time track champion, Paul Stone, could also be there this week. Others to watch for include Watsonville point leader Austin Burke, reigning Watsonville champion Cody Burke, long time Merced racer Bob Williamson and Ryan Larimer.
With one race left to go in their battle, the Hobby Stock division has the closest championship race going at the speedway. Shannon Nelson leads teammate Michael Shearer by just one point after both drivers earned Top 5 finishes at the previous race. Nelson is hoping to join her husband Bruce as a division champion, while Shearer is looking to grab his second title in the class. Shearer has eight Top 5 finishes to six for Nelson. Nelson, however, has two wins, while Shearer has one.
Following his third Top 5 finish of the season, Austin Van Hoff has taken a one point lead over rookie Allen Neal in the race for third. This has not been the best of seasons for Van Hoff, but he's persevered through it all. Though he's won several features in the past few seasons, he is still looking for his first win this year. Neal is also hoping to get a win, but fellow rookie Timmy Crews had a double win night last week. The reigning Mini Late Model champion Crews won that division's feature and also picked up the win in the Hobby Stock class. He holds sixth, but odds don't look good for him overtaking Donnie Shearer for fifth. Others to watch for this week include Kristie Shearer, Race Shelton, Mike Germait and Domissie Scoggins.
The South Bay Dwarf Cars race mainly in Watsonville, but this is an opportunity to test their skills on a different racing surface. Mark Biscardi is likely to be leading the standings, but we haven't seen a current list. The past division champion has four victories to his credit, including the most recent Watsonville race. That night, he held off title contenders Ryan Amlen and Gene "Punky" Pires for the win. Pires is the reigning division champion, and Amlen is one of the winners this year. Another driver with three victories to his credit is past champion Shawn Jones. Some of the racers to watch for this week include Eric Wiesler, Eddy Claessen, Jimmy Damron, Mack Aceves and Trafton Chandler.
There are still two point events left for the Valley Sportsman division, but following his third win in the most recent race, it appears as if Rick Elliott is headed for the championship. Reigning champion and two-time feature winner Jerry Cecil has a good hold on second in the standings, leaving the battle for third. Two-time division champion Mike Friesen holds an eight point advantage over Jeff West. Friesen was a feature winner last season, but he still looking for a win this year. Fifth ranked Dwayne Short is a two-time winner, and other drivers to watch for include Eric Sealy, Gary Hildebrand and Chris Corder.
Saturday night has a nice lineup of racing as we bring down the curtain on the IMCA Modified championship battle. With Dwarf Cars making a rare appearance and a close Hobby Stock race for the title, this will be another exciting night at the speedway. For further information, go to www.mercedspeedway.net.
Liggett Wins CRA Sprint Week Race At Merced Speedway
Merced, CA...September 6...Austin Liggett won the 30 lap USAC/CRA Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Merced Speedway. Liggett is the reigning USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car champion, but this was his first win with the CRA Sprint Car Series. This was also the fourth round of the five race Sprint Week Series, and series point leader Danny Faria Jr finished second to Liggett in the feature race.
Sunday Calistoga winner Jake Swanson bolted into the lead at the start of the Main Event ahead of Brody Roa. The red flag flew on lap four for a Matt McCarthy flip. Swanson continued to lead Roa and Liggett on the restart and through another quick yellow flag on lap five. After a yellow flag waved on lap 10. Liggett and Faria raced into the first and second positions on the restart as the rest of the race went caution free. As the laps wore on, Liggett began to build a comfortable lead over Faria, and Faria also had a good hold on second. The battle was for the third position. Saturday Calistoga winner Austin Williams held third until Roa got by on lap 24. Roa held the position until Monday Petaluma winner Chase Johnson got by on lap 28. Liggett scored the victory ahead of Faria, Chase Johnson, Roa, Swanson, Williams, overall point leader Damian Gardner, Ryan Bernal, Charles Davis Jr and Colby Johnson.
There were 20 Sprint Car competitors in action, and Gardner turned the quarter-mile clay oval in a lap of 12.085 for the fastest time. Liggett was second quick at 12.219. The 10 lap heat race wins went to Gardner, Swanson and Williams.
Timmy Crews won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Crews is a rookie in this class, and this was his first win. Bakersfield visitor Kevin Irwin charged into the lead at the start and held off Michael Shearer. Irwin had built a straightaway lead by lap five as Crews got past Shearer for the second position. Austin Van Hoff settled into third on lap seven, and Irwin's run at the front ended on a lap 14 yellow flag. This put Crews into the lead, and he set the pace ahead of Van Hoff and top rookie Allen Neal on the restart. Crews ran smoothly down the stretch to pick up the victory. Van Hoff finished second, followed by Neal, Michael Shearer, Shannon Nelson, DJ Keldsen, Mike Germait, Race Shelton, Kristie Shearer and Irwin. Eight lap heat race wins went to Nelson and Keldsen.
Tyler Post won the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. This was the first career victory for Post. Eight lap heat race winners Shawn DePriest and Lee Ragsdale shared the front row of the Main Event. However, it was Post who would score the win in this race after starting in the second row. Once Post got the lead, he pulled away from the pack with only Austin Sprague anywhere close to him in second. Post went on to the impressive victory with Sprague a career best second. Lucy Falkenberg was about a straightaway behind the winner in third, followed by point leader Ragsdale, Jennifer Rodgers, Eddie Humphrey, DePriest, Jerry Tubbs, James McGranahan and Alex Widdowson.
Timmy Crews also won the 15 lap California Sharp Mini Late Model Main Event. This was the sixth win of the season for the current point leader. Crews also won the eight lap heat race. Crews had the outside front row starting position after Riley Jeppesen had problems for a restart. Cruz led all the way to win by nearly a straightaway in victory. Carson Guthrie held second until previous feature winner Logan Clay went racing by on the white flag lap. Crews won ahead of Clay, Guthrie, Ian Shearer and Billy Quinlan.
Racing continues next Saturday night with the point season finale for the IMCA Modifieds. The Hobby Stocks, South Bay Dwarf Cars and the Valley Sportsman division will also be in action. For further information, go to www.mercedspeedway.net.
Terrell A Double Main Event Winner At Petaluma Speedway
Petaluma, CA...September 7...Bradley Terell won the 30 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. This was the second PitStopUSA.com Shootout race, and it paid $3,000 to the past division champion. Terrell had the pole position for the race and led all the way in victory. Tyler Brown took up pursuit in second for eight laps before surrendering the position to Colby Johnson on lap nine. Johnson held second until Shane Hopkins gained the position on lap 18. Hopkins chased Terrell, but Terrell took the checkered flag about a half-straightaway in first. Shawn Arriaga finished by a close third behind Hopkins as Tony Gualda, JJ Hickle, DJ Freitas, Johnson, Tyler Brown, Jason Toft and new champion John Clark rounded out the Top 10.
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Gualda turned the 3/8 mile adobe oval with a lap of 12.960 to set the quickest time. Jake Haulot was second fast at 13.008. The eight lap heat race winners were Johnson, Joel Myers Jr and Terrell.
Terrell also won the 25 lap PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event. This was his division leading fourth victory. Adam Christian led the first seven laps of the race. Terrell settled into second and made the pass on Christian for the lead on lap eight. Once in front, Terrell led the rest of the way for the victory as Christian settled for second. Cody Fendley took the third position from Scott Chapata on lap 19 and would finish there as Chapeta settled for fourth ahead of Bob Newberry, Bob Davis, point leader Angelique Bell, Dennis Furua Jr, Tony Bernard and Eden McCormick. Fendley had the fastest time of 14.649, and the eight lap heat race wins went to Fendley, Terrell and Sparky Howard.
Marcus Hardina won the 20 lap General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Car Main Event. After scoring five second place finishes throughout the season, this was the first win for Hardina. John Peters led two laps before third row starter Chad Matthias moved into the lead with fourth row starter Mark Hanson following into second. Hansen slipped past Matthias for the lead on lap 12 and seemed to be on his way to a victory. However, Hanson encountered problems on lap 17 as Hardina gained the lead. Hardina would hold off new champion Matthias for the win. Matt Hagermann finished third, followed by Garrett Brady, Scooter Gomes, Peters, Carroll Mendenhall, Danny Marsh, Mike Affonso and Jordan Souza. The eight lap heat race wins were earned by Hanson, Hardina, Kevin Miraglio and Matthias.
Mitch Machado won 20 lap Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stock Main Event. This was the 10th win of the season for point leader Machado in the Baker Motorsports entry. Steve Studebaker had the pole and led the first six laps before Machado went racing by. Studebaker kept it reasonably close, but Machado was not to be denied the victory. Matt While was a solid third, followed by Gary Adams, Shawn McCoy, Snazzy Duckworth and Sid Hess. Machado won the eight lap heat race.
The point season finale will happen on September 21st, featuring the PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprints, Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks, Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks and Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micro Sprints. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Fan Appreciation Night At Orland Raceway Saturday
Orland, CA...There are just two championship point races remaining on the Orland Raceway schedule. This Saturday night, one of the new traditions continues at the one-fifth mile dirt oval located at the Glenn County Fairgrounds. It's Fan Appreciation Night, which is an opportunity for the fans to meet their favorite drivers before the races. The Wingless Spec Sprints will be back in action along with the exciting Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks and the 250 and 600 Micro Sprint classes.
The Wingless Spec Sprint division has been growing this year, and last week presented a 14 car field. Even with the increase in car count, the fans saw that familiar sight of Tony Richards picking up another victory. Richards has been very difficult to beat this season, and he led all the way in victory last time. He had a big opportunity to gain valuable points on Denny McNary after McNary spun from the third position. However, McNary made a charge that earned him a fourth place finish, meaning Richards still didn't gain too many points. If McNary continues his consistent ways, he could end up winning the championship even if Richards wins the remaining races.
RJ Baker continues to hold onto third in the standings and turned in another solid performance last race. Another driver looking good in fifth was the season's top rookie, Jeremy Langenderfer. Langenderfer got caught up in the same incident that involved McNary early in the race, but he still made a nice comeback. The racing has been close and competitive in this division, and other stars to watch for this week include Cassie Amore, Josh Jacobo, Ryan Owens, Cort Marchuk and Tyler Rockwell.
The Pure Stock championship battle remains close between Keith Ross and Phil Spencer. Both drivers have continued to run near the front of the pack in recent races, and it could come down to one of these drivers getting a feature win in these final two races to determine who wins it all. Wes Smock has been a powerhouse in this class with four feature wins. Though he's not in the championship battle, he will present a challenge to beat on any occasion he is there. Reigning champion Paul Stephens is another threat to win as he maintains a Top 5 point position along with past champion Steve Martin. The Pure Stocks generally deliver a good car count, and some of the stars to watch for this week include 2017 champion Jeremy Langenderfer, Maurice Merrill, John Camper, Kevin Pendergrass and James Taylor.
Last time out, likely champion Tom Davis picked up another Mini Stock feature win. This time, however, he was challenged throughout the first half of the race by Barbara Crain. Crain ended up spinning, but she charged back to get a season best second place finish ahead of third ranked John Kirkpatrick. Jason Libbee finished fifth. These four competitors are likely to be there again this week.
The Wingless 250 Micro class is a battle between Mike McCarthy, Lester Elsey and Ronnie Heyer. McCarthy has won most of the races so far and leads the championship chase by a slim margin. It was Heyer winning the three car battle that took place last time out.
Tony Alosi and Jeromie Crismon have a close battle going for the 600 Micro championship. Crismon is a past champion in this division. Meanwhile, Colby Grieg, Jessica McManus and Tyler Rockwell are also in the hunt. McManus and Grieg are feature winners in the class, and McManus has won twice.
Only two point races remain on the schedule as drivers look to improve their trophy status at the year end banquet. The opportunity to meet the racers and see the cars up close before the races makes this a special occasion. For further information, go to the Orland Raceway Facebook page.
Richards, Kvalvik, Davis Win At Orland Raceway
Orland, CA...August 31...Tony Richards won the 20 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Orland Raceway. This was the eighth win for Richards in the 10 races held so far, but he continues to chase the consistent Denny McNary in the standings after failing to start the season opener. Richards had a front row start and charged into the lead at the waving of the green flag. McNary settled into second. Tyler Rockwell settled into third on a lap five restart, and the yellow flag waved on lap eight when McNary spun in Turn 1, collecting Cort Marchuk and Jeremy Langenderfer. Richards continued to lead Rockwell and Crate Sprint Star Mike Sayre. They ran in that order throughout the second half of the race as McNary worked his way as far to the front of the 14 car field as he could get. By lap 15, McNary had managed to gain the fifth position, and he passed Ryan Owens for fourth two laps later. At the checkered flag, Richards won by a comfortable margin ahead of Rockwell, Sayre, McNary, Langenderfer and Owens.
Kalvin Kvalvik won the 20 lap Mini Truck Main Event. This was his third win of the season as he continues to increase his lead in the standings ahead of William Fogle. 2016 champion Dan Webster set the early pace with Kvalvik running closely behind him in second. Fogle was having a good battle with Tony Quinones for the third position. On a lap five restart, Kvalvik took the lead from Webster, but he briefly lost the lead to Webster on a lap 10 restart. Kvalvik passed Webster in Turn 2 of the 12th lap to regain the lead, and he held off the determined Webster to pick up the victory. As Quinones ran third, James Wooddell took fourth from Fogle on lap 12. Quinones pitted from third on lap 14. Kvalvik won ahead of Webster, Woodell, Fogle and Anthony Esquaville.
Tom Davis won the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. This was the eighth win of the season for the current point leader. Davis led at the start with Barbara Crain running closely behind him. Crain spun in Turn 2 for a lap eight yellow flag. Davis continued to lead John Kirkpatrick on the restart with Crain working her way back into the third position by lap 15. An inside pass on the front stretch on lap 18 gained Crain the second position, and Davis won ahead of Crain and Kirkpatrick.
Mike Sayre won the 20 lap Winged Crate Sprint Main Event. Sayre led the race from the drop of the green flag ahead of Chad Thompson. Thompson spun in Turn 2 for a lap one yellow flag, but he made an inside pass on the front stretch on lap three to regain second from Cameron Haney Jr. Haney spun for a lap eight yellow flag, but Sayre continued to lead Thompson. Haney ran closely behind Thompson but finished third, followed by Cassie Amore.
Ronnie Heyer won the Wingless 250 Micro Main Event. Mike McCarthy led the first 11 laps of the race before surrendering first to Lester Elsey with an inside pass on the backstretch on lap 12. Heyer made an outside pass on the back stretch on lap 13 to take second. Two laps later, Heyer made an outside pass on the front stretch to take the lead from Elsey. Heyer began to pull away to victory with Elsey settling for second ahead of McCarthy.
The next race is Fan Appreciation Night on September 14th. The Pure Stocks will be back in action along with the Wingless Spec Sprints, Mini Stocks, Wingless 250 Micros and the 600 Micros. For further information, go to Orland Raceway Facebook page.
Netto, Jernagan, Johnson Win Keller Speedway Features
Hanford, CA...September 7...DJ Netto won the 30 lap King of Thunder Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Keller Auto Speedway. This was the fourth win of the season for Netto as he maintains a 30 point lead over Grant Duinkerken. Netto had the pole position for the Main Event. Second row starter Craig Stidham advanced to second. In the waning laps, Netto built his advantage over Stidham to nearly a straightaway in victory. Duinkerken made a charge from the seventh row to finish a solid third, followed by Zane Blanchard, Jace Vanderweerd, Keith Day Jr, Tucker Worth, Jared Faria, Jake Hagopian and Brooklyn Holland.
Mitchell Faccinto was the quickest of 24 qualifiers with a lap of 13.802, beating the 14.083 of Duinkerken. They ran three eight lap heat races, and Netto Joey Ancona and Cole Macedo picked up the wins. Netto grabbed the pole for the Main Event by outrunning Macedo to win the six lap Trophy Dash.
Garrett Jernagan won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. This was the second win for Jernagan, who ended the four race series with a one point advantage over Jarrod Mounce. Mounce had the pole for the Main Event and led early as Jernagan worked his way up from the fourth row. Jernagan made the move into the lead and stretched his advantage to about half a lap ahead of Mounce at the checkered flag. Kelly Wilkinson finished third, followed by Dylan Potter, Donnie Hampl, Jason Pugh, Todd Carlock, Dan Bryant, Orion Messina and Jack Aguiar. Aguiar and Jernagan won their respective eight lap that heat races.
Chad Johnson won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. This was his fourth win of the season, and it enabled him to beat Cody Johnson by six points for the championship. Gary Rayburn Jr had the pole for the race and led early, but Chad Johnson and past champion Troy Patee both made their way past him. Ninth starter Cody Johnson came from the fifth row to take second from Patee, but he chased Chad Johnson across the finish line for a second place finish. Patee settled for third, followed by Rayburn, Renn Bane, Dave Lincoln, Rod Bane, Chris Broucaret, Larry Thompson and Brock Hamilton. The Johnson's won their respective eight lap heat races.
For more information on the happenings at the speedway, go to www.racekingsspeedway.com.
Central Valley Mini Stocks Return To Lemoore Raceway
Lemoore, CA...The House of JuJu Central Valley Mini Stocks return to the 1/5 mile dirt oval at Lemoore Raceway this Saturday night. This is their second appearance of the season as another scheduled race has been rained out. The talented racers of the group have taken their show on the road in recent weeks, but Lemoore Raceway is where it started for them two years ago.
Dan Myrick, who is a winner on the circuit with the group this year, carries a 79 point advantage over Darren Wilson coming into this race. Brown won the season opener at Lemoore and has managed to build a 30 point advantage over Jeff Durant in the race for second. With the drivers vying for $5,000 in point fund money from series sponsor House of JuJu of Clovis and Morro Bay, the numbers have gone up this year. In Hanford, the group has never produced less than 24 cars for any of their visits.
Dan Myrick has done such a good job in the four races held in Hanford so far that he is the only driver in the field with four Top 5 finishes. He also has a win there, giving him an 11 point lead in that track's championship race. The visits to Hanford have seen the group welcome two new members to the Central Valley Mini Stock Association. Gene Glover, who is third in points at Hanford, also hold down fifth in points with the CVMS. Only one point behind him is Clinton Massey. Both drivers have proven to be tough competitors at several different venues in recent years.
Glover and Massey both have hopes of moving further up the ladder. Holding the fourth position in the standings is the consistent Ryan Blank, and he's just two points in front of Glover, while trailing Durant by 22 points. Blank has been looking so good this year that there's been some speculation that he could get his first feature win sometime soon. Some of the stars to watch for this week include Top 10 ranked Brent Myrick, Greg Baronian, Ryan Doglione and Danny Myrick. Four-time Merced Speedway winner Shawn DePriest is also anticipated for the show.
Baronian is the reigning series champion, while Danny Myrick won the inaugural title in 2017. Baronian had taken on a new job and sold his car, but scheduling was such that he was able to return. He got a ride in one of the Dan Myrick cars to get back to the track and did some car hopping in the following races before securing his own ride once again. Ryan Doglione, meanwhile, has built cars for his father and brother to make it a three-car team this year.
Lemoore Raceway is known as a Micro Sprint track with some great racing, but the CVMS has proven during these past few years that the Mini Stocks put on a good show on that track as well. Saturday should be no different. For further information, go to www.centralvalleyministocks.com.
Bower, Wasina, Wood Score Dixon Speedway Victories
Dixon, CA...September 7...Blake Bower won the 25 lap Super 600 Micro Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Dixon Speedway. Bower had the pole for the race and led at the drop of the green flag with Darrell Busby in pursuit. Michael Wasina started fifth, and he battled Blaine Baxter for several laps in the race for third. Wasina finally took third on lap 22. When Busby had problems on lap 23, Wasina assumed the second position. However, Bower drove a flawless race and earned the victory ahead of Wasina, point leader Kyle Mentch, Cody Gray, Colby Greig, Baxter, Tony Alosi, Busby, Jason Chapman and Hayden Saich.
Wasina set the first time standard of 10.512 as Baxter was second quick at 10.687. The 10 lap heat race wins were earned by Bower and Gray. Bower made it a clean sweep with his six lap Trophy Dash win.
Michael Wasina won the 25 lap Wingless 600 Micro Sprint Main Event. Robbie Lewis had the pole and led a lap before Wasina went charging by. Lewis held second until being passed by Dylan Bloomfield on lap eight. Two laps later, Lewis saw his race come to an end. Wasina scored the victory with Bloomfield and Austin Stone close behind him in second and third. Austin Torgerson finished fourth, followed by Nate Wait, Ethan Lanfri, Justin Adiego, Jeremy Chapman, Fabian Fernandez and Taylor DeCarlo.
There were 25 Wingless competitors, and Wasina set the fastest time of 10.880 on the 1/5 mile dirt oval. Stone was second quick at 10.940. Wasina won his 10 lap heat race, but Lewis forced him to settle for second in the eight lap Trophy Dash. The other heat race wins went to Stone and Lanfri.
Austin Wood scored the victory in the 20 lap Restricted Micro Main Event. Wood had a pole position start and would lead all the way with Matthew Tatoole and point leader Ashton Torgerson running second and third throughout the entire race. Austin Taborski finished fourth, followed by Jeffrey Pahule, Sage Bordenave, Rilee Whitehouse, Bryant Bell, Colin Kirby and Isabel Barnes. Thomas Vo set the fast time of 12.276. Barnes and Hailey Wood were the 10 lap heat race winners, and Austin Wood picked up six lap Trophy Dash honors.
Brody Rubio won the 20 lap Junior Sprint Main Event. Rubio had the lead from the start, and Hayden Stepps settled into second early on. On the ninth lap, point leader Michaela Tatoole passed Stepps for the second position, but Rubio held a half-lap advantage over Tatoole by the time the checkered flag flew. Stepps settled for third, followed by Peyton Whitehouse, Ryder Byrd, Aubrey Patterson and Cynric Vo. Rubio had the fastest lap of 13.411, but Tatoole picked up the 10 lap heat race and four lap Trophy Dash wins.
Racing returns on September 28th with a full compliment of Micro Sprint action once again. For further information, go to www.dixonspeedway.net.
Al Miller Memorial At Stockton Dirt Track Saturday Night
Stockton, CA...Things have been happening at the Stockton Dirt Track this year. 10 years ago, they might have thought it impossible that there would actually be auto racing at the facility that was once reserved just for horse racing. However, Tony Noceti saw to it that this came to pass, and the track has been the sight of some of the biggest Sprint Car events for various touring groups. This Saturday night is part of Noceti's plan to make the Stockton Dirt Track a place for Stock Car type events as well.
To that end, Noceti has booked several Stock Car events during the season, some of which have featured the B Modified division, and a pair of them that have featured the new Tri State Challenge Pro Stock Series. Saturday night will be the second big Pro Stock event, and it's a special occasion. This is the Al Miller Memorial, remembering the father of long time Late Model and IMCA Modified racer Robert Miller. This race will pay $2,000 to win, making it one of the biggest paying events for Pro Stock/Super Stock racing on the West Coast. Joining the Pro Stocks for this occasion will be the B Modifieds, Bombers and Basically 4 Cylinder cars. The latter two divisions are being imported from neighboring Stockton 99 Speedway. These drivers normally run on the payment, but this will be a point race for the two divisions.
The Tri State Pro Stock Challenge was the brain child of Oregon Pro Stock racer Roy Bain, Nevada Pro Stock racer Gordon Russell Jr and California racer Jerry Bartlett. Bartlett helped open the door for the group at Stockton with Promoter Tony Noceti, and Noceti is already talking with the group about how to make things bigger and better for them next year. There is quite a bit of excitement surrounding this race, which is expected to bring drivers from Oregon, Nevada and Northern and Southern California.
There have been four events held so far, and the wins at Cedarville and Yreka were both earned by Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stock Point leader Dr Scott Lenz. The first Stockton victory went to Dave King Jr, and Bill Pearson picked up the win at Reno-Fernley, Nevada Raceway. It is hoped that they can draw a field of cars into the twenties, and the bigger the car count gets, the bigger the purse will get. After four events, Mike Learn holds a 13 point lead over King. Pearson is 35 points behind King in the third position, 53 points ahead of Lenz. Another Oregon Pro Stock star, Scott Flowers, holds fifth in points. Stockton is a fast track, and it's anybody's guess who will bring home the victory this week.
The B Modifieds have held a half-dozen races at the speedway so far, and drivers have turned out from all over California for these events, which are paying better than your average Sport Modified race. Getting results for some of the recent races has been a bit of a challenge, but we know that Jason Nation, Kevin Johnson and Fred Ryland are three of the winners this season. It's hoped that with Merced Speedway not running a race for this division, there might be a few drivers coming from there as well as the Bay Area. Who might show up is anybody's guess, but some potential visitors include Brent Curran, Mark Garner, Kenny Shrader and Doff Cooksey. It will be interesting to see who shows up.
It's likely that you'll see a mixture of Stockton 99 Speedway Bomber stars and a few dirt track racers who will be taking advantage of running on a bigger dirt track. At 99 Speedway, Harrison Stone holds a slim two point advantage over Mikayla Stearns. Some of the other stars of the pavement track include Barrett Sugden, Tony Walz, Robert Oliver, Allen Rider III, Joey Stearns and Ben Lewis.
Likewise, the Basically Four Cylinder stars from the pavement track should be joined by a few dirt track racers from other venues. The point battle at 99 Speedway is as close in this class as it is in the Bombers. Joe Flowers holds just a 10 point advantage over Joshua Cross. Andy Rumsey leads Dave Kong by just 24 points in another close race for third. Matthew Richardson, Ethan Rumsey, Joshua Brown, Bryon Bishop and Kathy Bishop are some of the other stars in the class.
It's difficult to guess who might show up in the various divisions. Noceti's venture into promoting bigger Stock Car shows on the dirt track is just getting started as he tries to establish a base of cars. However, the Pro Stock side of things should deliver a good turnout. For further information, go to www.stocktondirttrack.com.
Merecd Speedway Unofficial Race Resukts September 7, 2019
USAC/CRA Sprints
1. Austin Liggett
2. Danny Faria Jr
3. Chase Johnson
4. Brody Roa
5. Jake Swanson
6. Austin Williams
7. Damion Gardner
8. Ryan Bernal
9. Charles Davis Jr
10. Colby Johnson
11. Eddie Tafoya Jr
12. Mike Martin
13. Koen Shaw
14. Steve Hix
15. Chris Gansen
16. Sean Watts
17. Mark Barroso
18. Matt McCarthy
19. Austin Ervine
Hobby Stocks
Timmy Crews
Austin Van Hoff
Allen Neal
Michael Shearer
Shannon Nelson
DJ Keldsen
Mike Germait
Race Shelton
Kristie Shearer
Kevin Irwin
Mitch Enos
Dexter Long
Meghan Myers
Devin Belton
Donnie Shearer
Cody Smiley
Andrew Shelton DNS
Mini Late Models
Timmy Crews
Logan Clay
Carson Guthrie
Ian Shearer
Billy Quinlan
Riley Jeppesen
Mini Stock
Tyler Post
Austin Sprague
Lucy Falkenberg
Lee Ragsdale
Jennifer Rodgers
Eddie Humphrey III
Shawn DePriest
Jerry Tubbs
James McGranahan
Alex Widdowson
Dixon Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 7, 2019
Super 600
Blake Bower
Michael Wasina
Kyle Mentch
Cody Gray
Colby Greig
Blaine Baxter
Tony Alosi
Darrell Busby
Jason Chapman
Hayden Saich
Kyler Shaw
Koen Shaw DNS
Christian Harris DNS
Wingless 600
Michael Wasina
Dylan Bloomfieid
Austin Stone
Austin Torgerson
Nate Wait
Eathan Lanfri
Justin Adiego
Jeremy Chapman
Fabian Fernandez
Taylor DeCarlo
Angelina Dempsey
Harlee Aguilera
Randy Sims
Ryan Holden
Jackie Whiteson Jr
Chuck Patterson
Don McLeister
Louie Laspina
Kyler Shaw
Robbie Lewis
Norman Harley Rose
Isak Johnson
Restricted 600
Austin Wood
Matthew Tatoole
Ashton Torgerson
Austin Taborski
Jeffrey Pahule
Sage Bordenave
Rylee Whitehouse
Colin Kirby
Isabel Barnes
Hailey Wood
Brandon Riveira
Thomas Vo
Jr Sprints
Brody Rubio
Makayla Tatoole
Hayden Stepps
Peyton Whitehouse
Ryder Byrd
Aubry Patterson
Cynric Vo DNS
Stockton 99 Speedway Unofficial Results September 7, 2019
Late Models
Eric Nacimento Jr
Justin Philpott
Larry Tankersley
Ty Carlson
Chad Holman
Dennis Byers
Kimberly Rouse
Aaron Shankle
Greg Potts
Joe Hylton
Greg Uffins
Danny Devore
Johnny Cardoza Jr
Brandon Jones
Gary Shafer Jr
Jeremy Tucker
Guy Guibor
Garland Powell
Bombers
Rodney Tripp
Joey Streans
Joey Serafin
Rodney Oliver
Mikala Streans
Brandon Diede
Harrison Stone
Barrett Sugden
Allen Rider
Jeana Ramos
Jerry Crawford
Perry Reeder
Joe Morgenstern
Robert Oliver
Justin Scantlin
Basically 4 Cylinders
Josh Cross
Joe Flowers
Brian Cobb
Ethan Rumsey
David Locke
Mathew Richardson
Andy Rumsey
Mark Hunt
Frank Brown
Jeff Harris
Zach Williams
Joshua Brown
Cathy Bishop
Andrea Rumsey
Mini Cups/Bandoleros
Wyatt Sansom
Colton Nelson
Rebecca Dubie
Evan Laires
Bella Thomsen
Molly Laires
Coupe Allen DQ
Petaluma Speedway Race Results September 7, 2019
PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Bradley Terrell
Shane Hopkins
Shawn Arriaga
Tony Gualda
JJ Hickle
DJ Freitas
Colby Johnson
Tyler Brown
Jason Toft
John Clark
Joel Myers Jr
Bret Barney
Norm Johns
Jake Haulot
Glenn Bryan
Peter Paulsen
Ricky Brophy
Brent Bjork
PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprints
Bradley Terrell
Adam Christian
Cody Fendley
Scott Chapeta
Bob Newberry
Bob Davis
Angelique Bell
Dennis Furia Jr
Tony Bernard
Eden McCormick
Bruno Bianchi
Keith Calvino
Sparky Howard
Ryon Siverling
Jessica Walker
Doc Brophy
Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks
Mitch Machado
Steve Studebaker
Matt While
Gary Adams
Shawn McCoy
Snazzy Duckworth
Sid Hess
General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars
Marcus Hardina
Chad Matthias
Matt Hagemann
Garrett Brady
Scooter Gomes
John Peters
Carroll Mendenhall
Danny Marsh
Mike Affonso
Jordan Souza
Mike Dahle
Kylee Johnson
Adam Freitas
Travis Day
Robert Kocinzki
Mark Hanson
Kevin Miraglio
Sam Borland
Roberto Monroy
Vic Vaz
Shiloh Borland
Travis Hensley
Michael Williams
Ventura Raceway Unofficial Race Results September 7, 2019
Senior Sprints
Wally Pankratz
Rick Hendrix
Chris Meredith
Mike Cook
California Lightning Sprints
Main Event #1
Dominic Del Monte
Doug Nunes
James Turnbull
Aiden Lange
Cody Nigh
Jarrett Kramer
A. J. Bender
Wink Schweitzer
Eric Greco
Bruce Douglass
Jason Arnolde
Jon Robertson
Main Event #2
Jarrett Kramer
Cody Nigh
A. J. Bender
Aiden Lange
Doug Nunes
Dominic Del Monte
James Turnbull
Eric Greco
Bruce Douglass
Wink Schweitzer
Jon Robertson
Jason Arnolde
Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 2, 2019
USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
1. Chase Johnson
2. Colby Johnson
3. Austin Williams
4. Shawn Arriaga
5. Brody Roa
6. Danny Faria Jr
7. Eddie Tafoya Jr
8. Charles Davis Jr
9. Steve Hix
10. Chris Gansen
11. Norm Johns
12. Ricky Brophy
13. Damion Gardner
14. Jake Swanson
15. Geoff Ensign
16. Jason McDougal
17. Matt McCarthy
18. Mike Martin
McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modifieds
Tim Yaeger
Oreste Gonnella
Michael Paul Jr
Jake Dewsbury
Ray Trimble
Justin Yaeger
Jeff Faulkner
David Spriggs
Jeff Thomas
Trevor Brady
Anthony Slaney
Gary Zwicker
Mitch Machado
Jay Learn
Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks
Mitch Machado
Sid Hess
Gary Adams
Steve Studebaker
Tim O'Hara
Ryan Cherezian
Dave Spindell
Matt While
Manny Avila
Shawn McCoy
Santa Maria Raceway Unofficial Race Results September 7, 2019
USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #4 Damion Gardner
2 #92 Austin Williams
3 #34AZ Jake Swanson
4 #42x Max Adams
5 #50 Charles Davis Jr
6 #73 Ryan Bernal
7 #44 Cody Williams
8 #68 Chase Johnson
9 #4G Chris Gansen
10 #57 Steve Hix
11 #51T Eddie Tafoya Jr
12 #98 Verne Sweeny
13 #11 Troy Rutherford
14 #5J James Herrera
15 #42 Danny Faria Jr
16 #91R Brody Roa
17 #16 Mike Martin
18 #33B Brandon Wiley
19 #51 Austin Ervine
Dwarf Cars
Results are not official
1 #14 Tommy Velasquez
2 #41 Nick Velasquez
3 #6B Brian Barnhill
4 #92N Jessica Swanson
5 #4 Mitch Caldwell
6 #4x Thomas Velasquez
7 #28 Tony Pellegrino
8 #2x Tony Margott
9 #88 Jeff Brink
10 #19K Kobe Kerns
American Stocks
Results are not official
1 #4J Justin Jackson
2 #37 Jimmy Satlawa
3 #51 Nicholas Verbryke
4 #16 Ed Wyand
5 #212 Ron Tansom
Mini Stocks
Results are not official
1 #43P Jarod Pack
2 #35 Bill Barnhill
3 #38T Ally Thornton
4 #10 Butch Headrick
5 #89 Megan Burgett
6 #74 Justin Gangolff
7 #5S Sonya Hererra
8 #5 Zach Chavez
9 #81 Arturo Carmona
10 #43 Levi Burgett
NMRA TQ Midgets
Results are not official
1 #5 Bruce Hiroshima
2 #40 Chris Thomas
3 #59 Scott Niven
4 #75 West Evans
5 #18 Scott Dobson
6 #36 Mike Griffiths
Keller Auto Raceway Unofficial Race Results September 7, 2019
King Of Thunder Winged 360 Sprints
D.J. Netto
Craig Stidham
Grant Duinkerken
Zane Blanchard
Jace VanderWeerd
Keith Day Jr
Tucker Worth
Jared Faria
Jake Hagopian
Brooklyn Holland
Brendan Warmerdam
Tanner Boul
Travis Coelho
Joey Ancona
Steve Jaquith
Cole Macedo
Mitchell Faccinto
Burt Foland Jr
Geoffrey Strole
Vaughn Schott
Chris Ennis
Kaleb Montgomery
Landon Hurst
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Garrett Jernagan
Jarrod Mounce
Kelly Wilkinson
Dylan Potter
Donnie Hampl
Jason Pugh
Todd Carlock
Dan Bryant
Orion Messina
Jack Aguiar
Travis Slayter
IMCA Stock Cars
Chad Johnson
Cody Johnson
Troy Patee
Gary Rayburn Jr
Renn Bane
Dave Lincoln
Rod Bane
Kris Broucaret
Larry Thompson
Brock Hamilton
Tanner Lorenzo
Nicholas Johnson
The Editor's Viewpoint
I've been following the saga of Movieland Speedpark in Chandler, Indiana with great interest. This is the race track that apparently got bought by Reno Fontana. Fontana is an Elvis impersonator who made a splash when he laid claim to owning one of the old homes of Elvis Presley. You can find quite a colorful history on this man if you look him up. He also claimed a connection with the race track in Chandler, which is where he supposedly grew up. Reno Fontana is not his real name.
Earlier this year, the bankruptcy that Reno attempted to file to keep the race track was thrown out. It was determined that he didn't have a legal deed on the track, which was still owned by Harold Baker. Once that happened, it wasn't long before Reno started canceling races. There had only been a handful of races, which weren't a huge success. Reno might claim victory in that he actually opened the track and promoted a few races, but after the first race, the numbers went steadily down. After the bankruptcy was thrown out, he gave up on the season.
When it was announced that the track would again go up for auction on September 10th, Reno defiantly said there would never be an auction, which he said the first time he got it cancelled. He went on a local broadcast and said the same thing, adding that he would like to get one of those auction signs that is posted in front of the facility to put in his museum. Reno seemed to be enjoying the attention, even if it was a bit negative.
Though he has tried to shut down sites that give you a different perspective on what's going on, there is a Facebook site called Movieland Updates that lets you know more of the story than what Reno is telling you. Reno loves to work social media and give people updates, and frequently it's just about him, rather than what's actually going to happen that's going to make the race track a success.
Last week, it appeared as if Reno's days were numbered. Original property owner Harold Baker filed papers in court saying that the sale that he supposedly made to Reno in December was not being honored by Reno. Money Reno was supposedly going to give him never got paid. It appeared as if there was trouble in Paradise between these two individuals and that Reno might be on the way out after all. Reno made a couple of very interesting posts on social media during the weekend. One showed him and Baker standing where one of the auction signs was missing. It showed the two being chummy. But wait, weren't there court papers filed last week?
On Sunday, he posted that the investor he thought he had that would help bail him out had backed out because one of the people owed money didn't want to work within their time frame. It almost sounded hopeless. This being one of his Sunday posts and Reno claiming to be a Christian, it turned into a post where commenters were sending their prayers for the guy who they think is actually fighting the good fight to save racing in Chandler. However, we shouldn't forget what Reno has said all along. There will never be an auction.
In the back of my mind, I sort of decided I would believe it when I saw it. On Tuesday, Reno managed to file another bankruptcy to get the auction called off yet again. This time, it sounds like it's a personal bankruptcy. He only needed to file papers himself and didn't need a lawyer in this case. I'm sure the plan is to try and get it where the debts will be paid back in a longer stretch of time, but I feel that it's unlikely that this will happen. Therefore, the bankruptcy filing is only another means to delay.
One might ask why the delay tactics, but it's real simple. Reno is a guy who plays the long game. Some people would call him a con man, and I don't know that I would disagree with that terminology either. What he's thinking is that if he's given a little bit of time, he'll come across somebody with more money than they know what to do with. They'll give him money just because they buy into his line of BS. Then, he can reopen the track for business once again, only this time he'll actually have money behind him to do something rather than open the gates with no money whatsoever as he did this year.
When you have no money and you want to play the game, time is your friend. Time gives you the opportunity to try to secure the money, and if you're confident in your line of BS, you think you can get it done. There's no guarantee that Reno can pull this off, and ultimately the track may go up for auction. The biggest concern racing fans in Chandler have is that all of this mess is going to make it where any potential buyer won't have an interest in making it a race track again. They will look at it as a property to develop condos or whatever else. It's a sad state of affairs, but in the meantime the rest of this racing season is canceled and the future of the track is in doubt. Don't expect Reno to go away until he has played every card in his deck.
Antioch Speedway has just announced the big West Coast Nationals event on October 17th through 19th. It's interesting that they chose that name, but considering Chad Chadwick is the one promoting it, I'm not surprised. The West Coast Nationals has significance to him. The car that won the first West Coast Nationals promoted by Brynda Bockover in 1993 was driven by Mark Welch. Chadwick bought that car from Welch to make his return to the sport after a decade long absence. It's as good a name as any, and this event will be huge.
Initially, when John Soares put the big money date on his schedule, it was October 11th and 12th and would pay $12,000 to win. I know John has had people in his ear advising him not to do this, and I'll just leave it at that. I know that John had Chad in his ear telling him that this was the wrong date. Bakersfield Speedway has had a 30 plus year tradition known as the Budweiser Nationals that happens on that weekend, and Chad felt that Antioch should stay away from the show and work with Bakersfield instead. It appears as if Chad ultimately won this debate. The big event has been moved back a week, and it's still pretty big.
Thursday will feature a practice, barbecue, cornhole tournament and live band. It's sort of a get-together type of deal, which isn't necessarily a bad idea. Friday will be a full show, and the Top 4 finishers in the A Modified portion of the program will lock themselves into the $7,500 to win race on Saturday. Saturday's race is so rich that it's paying $500 just to take the green flag in the feature. The B Modifieds will be competing for a cool $1,500 to win and $150 to start minimum. The money is good.
There are already many people asking questions about the format, payout and all of that. As I write this, I understand that those details could drop at anytime. Chad had a poster ready to put out there on Monday morning, and he felt that this information needed to get out as soon as possible. Obviously, he's right. You're making an announcement of a race that will be paying really good money, but it's going to happen a month and a week from now. You're already making the announcement rather late, and it's a big risk.
I see it as rolling the dice and taking a big risk. Then again, any promoter that puts up a substantial purse for a race is taking a risk. You have to have that money set aside, because if the money doesn't come in through the gates to pay for the purse, it comes out of your pocket. I've done the math on just the Main Event purses alone for both classes, and it's not cheap. There's a question about whether you can make the money through the gates just to pay that portion, not to mention the B Mains and so on that you'll also have to pay.
The other concern you have is that, to put it mildly, this has not been a good year at Antioch Speedway in terms of the numbers. Attendance has not been looking so good, and even the car count hasn't been that great. What your banking on is everybody's going to show up, and you have just over a month to convince them to do so. When you're putting up the kind of money that's being offered on this occasion, you definitely need to do everything you can to get the people to show up. It's a gamble, and it can pay off or it can fail miserably.
Through the years, John has had a knack for putting up $5,000 to win A Modified races with a good purse all the way through. However, he hasn't been doing that so much since the B Modifieds have come along. This is because when he would put this kind of money up, he was getting between 50 and 60 cars minimum to show up, and it was not a loser on his end. The money being offered by Chad for this particular show looks to be bigger than what John had paid before, but are there 50 to 60 Modified racers willing to come run this race? That's the gamble. The cars are out there, but will they come?
Obviously, there were people coming in with nitpicks and that sort of thing, and I have commented on this before. It seems to be more of a habit these days for racers not to say, "Where do I sign up? I want to go race," but rather to nitpick when a big race is announced. The format is wrong, maybe the purse is not exactly the way they want it or whatever. The track is taking a risk to give you this show. The thing you need to do is support it. If you want your track to be a player in the game when it comes to running a big show, just support it and help make it a success. In the case of this big Antioch Speedway show, some of the details weren't out initially, but they will be. I think it'll be fine.
There are still some questions to be answered at Antioch Speedway, and I'm going to do a little tap dance around that at this time. Everybody knows the elephant in the room, and there's been some question about the future. A lot of rumors have been circulating behind the scenes, and I heard a few come all the way up to Medford for the big R Charles Snyder Salute race we just had two weeks ago. I can only guess what it is. However, I won't be guessing here. The answers may be forthcoming at the West Coast Nationals, but who knows?
My only concern for that track right now is that things are put into place to help make it more successful. I've been doing my own voluntary media effort to try and help the cause, and I'm not opposed to being on the scene on a regular basis to help the cause down there in any way that I can. One thing I do know, however, is a person on the scene is very much needed at any venue to help make it a success. Some tracks balk at hiring a publicity person, but in this day and age, it's well worth the investment to do such. How a promoter can see that as somebody they can't afford to pay is beyond me. If they do their job right, you're not only going to make the money back that you pay them every week, you're going to make more money. If you don't have that sort of job being done, that just translates to more people you won't be seeing coming through the gates, in my opinion.
So, I would love to see Antioch Speedway hire a person for that job. Maybe that could be a person that announces and handles publicity, as there are good people out there who can do the job. I think that's part of what will help make things more successful in the long run, although at this point, the effort will be non-stop and will be hard work. It won't come easy. If I were the one in the role, just as I've done the role up here in Medford, I would never promise instant results. I would promise an increase over time through hard work, and I would do everything that I could within my ability while I was there.
The track needs somebody, and I've heard rumors of somebody coming on board, at least for the West Coast Nationals. I won't comment further on that, but this person has worked in this capacity at the track in the past. If that happens to be the case again in the future, I would simply step out of the way and let them handle going to the media outlets as I have been doing for the last four years for free. I will never stop writing about Antioch Speedway on my blog, regardless of whether I'm there, not there, retired or what have you. If I write about racing, you're sure the read my thoughts about Antioch Speedway past and present on this blog.
This last weekend at Southern Oregon Speedway, we had a rapidly run event. We've been seeing some good numbers in the pits and the stands, but how do you follow up the biggest Modified show (until Antioch's race next month) on the West Coast? Medford has had this problem after the Labor Day event for years. Whether it is the increase in admission fee or what have you, the fans don't come in so big of numbers the following week. You also can't run any IMCA sanctioned divisions because of the big Boone, Iowa Nationals.
I look at a week like this and wonder if the track should be open at all that night. Or, if it must be, should the high purse divisions be featured when you're dealing with the struggle to get fans to come attend? We had a similar debate about the race we run in July against the Fair, and we went with the mid card and lower classes. Turns out that was a winning decision, and I wonder if maybe something like that could be tried again? We featured Pro Stocks on that occasion, and I think they would fit along with the Dwarf Cars on this particular night. In fact, maybe both divisions could be run that week and left off of the big show the week before?
The show has to go on, even if you're facing tough odds in getting a car count and a crowd count. Every track, I don't care where you are, struggles with nights like this. It wasn't the biggest car count, but the 40 racers we had actually put on a good show. Jim Rodgers had the track whipped into good shape. It was fast and hooked up. Juxtaposed to the Sunday before where we ran much later than we wanted to, the racing started at 7:00, and I think the final checkered flag flew around 9:30. This was a two-and-a-half-hour program.
I remember coming back to the sport in 2015 and having many conversations with John Soares at Antioch about the state of the sport and what not. One of the many observations he made to me was that the fans want to see a show go quickly, like two and a half hours or three tops. I tend to agree with him. Now, the hardcore fans will stay as late as it takes. If you're running at one in the morning, those fans are still there. But, you can't sustain your business model based purely on hardcore fans. You have to get the casual fans that show up a couple of times a month or whatever, and those fans want to see an entertaining and well run show
Look at it this way. We have lots of different things competing for your entertainment dollars. Somebody wants to go out for an evening, and they're looking at 3 to 4 hours of time for their evening. They may go grab a bite and go check out a movie. They may go to a concert, or whatever. But the bottom line is they want to be entertained and not have to deal with delays and that sort of thing. When you give them a racing program that has cars on the track most of the time and runs for three hours or so, you're giving them what they wanted to see. When they feel like they were entertained that night, they're more likely to consider coming back again.
We obviously can't control some of the things that happen during the course of a night. There could be a crash that takes longer to clear up. The ambulance may be needed for something. Track conditions may be a little bit rougher. The racers may have a rough time of it or whatever, and it adds another half an hour or an hour to your program. You're trying not to have those things happen, but they do come up. The ultimate goal at any race track should be to give the fans a quick, enjoyable show and leave them wanting more.
Up here, we're not married to the 11:00 curfew, although we endeavor to get done closer to 10. Some of the tracks in California have to get done at 10, and a few even have to get done a little bit earlier whenever possible. So they are aiming for the three hour program. It's something that we need to take into consideration when we're planning out a schedule and trying to get fans to come out to the show. You want to give them a decent car count where they feel they have good competition to enjoy, and even that can be a challenge.
Up here, we rotate 10 different divisions during the course of the season, seven of which are divisions we honor at the banquet. You would call them in house divisions. Antioch Speedway has eight divisions that they rotate. The reason for this many divisions is it enables you to rotate divisions so the same ones aren't being run every week. I'm sure we'll be making adjustments up here in the future, and I know I've been hearing about adjustments that could be made at Antioch in the future. My point right now is not to speculate on what those adjustments are, but rather to comment on the fact that having so many divisions to rotate is a necessity.
You could do it with three or four divisions if you've got a good car count in those classes, but often times you don't. When you only have three or four divisions and try to fill 16 or 20 dates with them, it could still lead to driver fatigue and nights where there is a really poor car count. This has become a science. I detest the idea of Divisionitis, which means too many divisions. In 2019, this has become a necessary thing. You keep your car counts up a little bit better when you rotate classes, but even with the divisions running maybe 12 races during the course the season, you still get that driver fatigue at the end. It's not perfect, but it's the way we manage to get by.
Down in Yreka, they still have that problem with divisions. Only two regular divisions will be earning championship points at the track this year, and they have other traveling divisions coming to town. The problem is the IMCA Sport Modified and Mini Stock classes carry the heavy workload, and the numbers have not been big in either class. It is certainly going to necessitate the track adding other divisions in the future to make sure the fans get enough of a show. The problem they have in attracting fans these days is they already know they're not going to get too many cars between these two classes, and the only other division they can add on that is in house is the Jefferson State Jalopies. If the Dwarf Cars or the Pro Stocks aren't on the schedule or it's not a big Modified show, fans know they may not see big numbers, and therefore fans aren't as quick to put their money down to come watch a show.
I couldn't speculate on what the track is going to do to alleviate this situation, and they may think it's smooth sailing ahead for all I know. What I do know is they were coming back from a two-week break with plans for the two regular classes and the Jalopies when the fires started hitting in the area. The fairgrounds is now being used as a firefighter base of operations. Management was forced to make the decision to cancel on Monday for this Saturday, and there are people wondering if the following week will happen. It so happens that September 21st is one of the biggest events of the season, the Rod Restad Memorial race. On top of your IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks, there's a 50 lap IMCA Modified race and the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks.
I know the track would like to get that race in, and it could be that if the fires wipe that night out, it will just happen on the 28th, provided rains don't start hitting. It's been a funny season up here, one where we haven't seen any 100 degree weather nights on any of our race nights and we have seen rain in August. So, who's to say? I know management is counting on running into October, and my guess is they'll be able to pull some of that off. But if the window shuts on them in September, nothing in October will be for IMCA points. They're watching the fires in the area with great interest and hoping that they will be in a place where they can have racing on September 21st. I hope so too.
The Stockton Dirt Track happens to be holding a Stock Car oriented program this weekend that will feature the Tri State Challenge Pro Stocks and the Al Miller Memorial race. This event will pay $2,000 to win. When it was announced, Robert Miller was hoping to line up $5,000 for the winner, but a few sponsors fell through. Still, $2,000 is on a par with the best paying races for the class. I think Petaluma Speedway and the Adobe Cup/Bob McCoy Memorial also pays $2,000, but I can't think of anywhere else. What I'm hearing is there will be racers coming from as far south at Santa Maria, and also there will be racers from Nevada and Oregon. I think a car count in the twenties may be possible for this one.
I attempted to do a preview for the race this weekend, but it's very difficult. I know a little bit about what's going on with the Pro Stocks, but the B Modifieds are a mystery, and I'm not even sure who will show up in the Bomber or Basically 4 Cylinder classes. The way they've worked these dirt track shows, the latter two divisions are running for points from the Stockton 99 Speedway pavement track, meaning some of those drivers will do it. Racers are saying that Tony Noceti pays pretty darn well, but sometimes it's not so easy to find out what the money is. It's been enough that the B Modified racers are willing to support, but they have a choice to make this weekend. It turns out that this race is being booked on top of a rather nice event at Marysville. This two-day event is called the Peach Tree Nationals, and they're paying $1,550 to win on Saturday. So, where will the drivers in this class go?
Tony seems to have an interest in building some Stock Car events at his track. He already knows that the big Sprint Car shows are winners for the most part. The racers show up and the fans want to see them. The biggest challenge he has on those occasions is making sure the track conditions are to the racer's liking, but I've been hearing things are looking better lately in that regard. So, Tony is left to figure out what divisions he can get for Stock Car type programs. The Pro Stocks seem to have gotten his interest, and my sources tell me that he's helping the group out by helping them with sponsorship, and my guess is that he would have an interest in more than the two dates he gave them this year. It will be interesting to see how this event goes this weekend and what it leads to in the future.
Speaking of trying to do things for the future, the Vintage Duels promotion group will have their Dwarf Car event at Grass Valley on October 4th. This is a Friday night. Patrick Weger is the one who put this together, and he has the blessing of the NorCal Dwarf Car Association, which pretty much runs the territory up there. My guess is that NorCal leadership envisions the time when they will actually be able to have races on a track there in the future. This track is being built inside of the Rodeo Arena, and as I understand it, they will have a one-on-one elimination style tournament until they get to one driver left. It's an interesting concept, and we'll see how this goes. Since he's working in such tight confines, I notified Patrick of what's going on with Hornet race cars these days with Arena races. I'm thinking something like that would fit there, but I'm not sure if this is something he will entertain in the future.
What I do know is Weger demonstrated to the fairgrounds people how quickly they can set up and take out a race track, which was important. For those people wondering how this affects the grounds, seeing a crew in action doing their thing certainly can help alleviate the concerns of the Fair Board. Now, if you are showing how quickly you can set up and take down a little track and your race goes successfully, it could lead to other things. Maybe you're setting up and taking out a bigger track capable of hosting a more traditional racing program? I know the goal is to have more racing at this track, and even if it couldn't be a regular season, four to six races a year would be a possibility. How things go on October 4th will go a long way towards determining what else can happen in the future.
There's probably more I can say, but I'm going to end this for now. Until next time...
