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Donna Soares Memorial Hall Of Fame Night Is Saturday
At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...The championship point season is coming to a close with a big event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. This is the First Annual Donna Soares Memorial event, and it's coupled with the Second Annual Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame night. The competing All Star Racing Series divisions will include the A Modifieds, DIRTcar Late Models, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and the Bay Area Hardtops.
When John Soares and Oval Motorsports took the reigns of Antioch Speedway prior to the 1998 season, his wife Donna ran the front office. John and Donna ran the track together for 20 years, and they had been married for 50 years. Donna had become one of the more beloved figures at the speedway, and everybody seemed to stop by the office at one time or another to just say hello to her. When she passed away last October, the whole racing community was in mourning. Saturday will be an opportunity for all of those who knew and loved Donna to pay their respects and enjoy a good night of racing.
The Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame was founded last season with 10 people being inducted. This year, there's a bigger class of inductees, and this encompasses some of the top racers from throughout the 1960s and into the early 1990s as well as various individuals who worked behind the scenes to make things special. This list includes Dennis Furia Sr, Richard Johnson, Lyle Lister, Dave Logan, Bruce Curl, Jerry Garner, Ken Gonderman, Dennis Close, Jim Pettit II, Larry Damitz, Bill Bowers, Gerry Delanoy, Vic Noon, Charlie Zeno and Gary Jacob.
The A Modifieds wrap up their championship point season with a $1,500 to win race. Buddy Kniss clinched the championship with his fourth place feature finish last time out. The third-generation racer is a three time winner this year, and he'd love to grab the big prize in this race. With the announcement of the big West Coast Nationals event on October 17th through 19th, it's likely that there will be a few drivers coming to town to get some seat time and prepare for the big money show.
At the most recent race, four-time Antioch champion Troy Foulger drove the Bowers Racing Modified to a crowd-pleasing victory. Foulger won the Merced Speedway championship this year. After winning the Pat and Jim Pettit Memorial Shootout at Watsonville last Saturday, he is already considered by some to be the driver to beat at the West Coast Nationals. When he won the most recent race here, he became the seventh different winner in the last seven races. Three-time feature winner and 2018 champion Nick DeCarlo could be another driver to contend with this week. Other hard chargers to watch for include 2017 champion Bobby Motts Jr, Jeff Decker, Sean O'Gara, Brian Cass, Oreste Gonella and Michael Paul.
With six feature victories to his credit this year, even the fact that he didn't finish the most recent race will not keep Richard Papenhausen from winning his third DIRTcar Late Model championship. Papenhausen has been tough to beat this year, but Kimo Oreta and most recently Shawn DeForest have managed to score feature victories this year as well. Oreta is in a close battle with Rod Oliver for second in the standings, and Oliver currently leads by four points. Oliver has finished as high as second twice this year, but he'd love to get a win this week. Others to watch for include Mike Hynes, Rob Norris and past Santa Maria Speedway champion Rick Coffey.
Oreta will be pulling double duty this week as he puts the icing on his championship cake in the Limited Late Models. He drove the Sun Drop Racing #15 car to his division-leading sixth feature win last time out. The battle in points seems to be between one time winner Chad Hammer and Michael Burch. Burch impressed by leading several laps last time out, though he fell to an eventual sixth place finish. He trails Hammer by one point in the race for third, and this could be a battle for second in the standings if two-time winner Jim Freethy doesn't come this week. Others to watch for include two-time champion Mike Gustafson, John Evans, Mike Walko, Ryan Cherezian and Jimmy Robbins.
After finishing third in the most recent Hobby Stock race, Chris Sorensen seems to be headed for his third division championship. With seven wins and six runner-up finishes, he has been difficult to beat at times this year. Barring any mishaps that prevent him from starting the feature race this week, Sorensen should win the title. The consistent Breanna Troen has only missed the Top 5 two times in 19 races, but she'd love to end the point season with her second win of the year. She is headed for second in the standings, while five-time winner Josh Leach holds third.
The battle in the division right now is for fourth in the standings and top rookie honors between Ken Johns and Will Buirch. Johns is on a streak of nine-straight Top 5 finishes, while Buirch is coming off of his season-best second place finish. Johns leads Buirch by just four points going into this race. Jason Robles became the most recent new winner with his victory last time out. He'll be trying for two in a row this week, and others to watch for include James Thomson, Jacob Mallet Jr, Dalton Jewel, Lori Brown and Tyler Henrickson
The Bay Area Hardtops round out the five division program. Kimo Oreta was the winner of the 17th Chet Thomson Memorial last time out, which was his second win in this class this year. Word is that John Soares will take the wheel of the fast #100 car this week. Some of the racers to watch for include Ken Retzloff, Dave Mackey, Terry DeCarlo, Tommy Thomson and Gene Haney. Both Retzloff and Mackey have won Main Events on the circuit this year.
Donna Soares Memorial Hall of Fame night will wrap up what has been an exciting championship season at Antioch Speedway the year. There's lots of things happening that you won't want to miss this week with the big West Coast Nationals yet to come on October 17th through 19th. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
West Coast Nationals Set For Antioch Speedway October 17-19
Antioch, CA...Antioch Speedway will offer a big racing event for the A Modified and B Modified divisions on October 17th, 18th and 19th. Chad Chadwick, owner of Pro Motorsports, is making his foray into racing promoting with this big event. The name of the race will hearken back to the first big shows the track ran for the Dirt Modified division back in the 1990s.
It was in 1993 when five-time Modified champion Scott Busby met with track management about establishing the original West Coast Nationals. With Busby doing all of the footwork in recruiting drivers and sponsorship, a record 83 competitors came to do battle. That is still the biggest Dirt Modified turnout in the history of the track, and the race was won by Mark Welch. Chadwick had been retired from racing for about a decade, but he purchased Welch's car for his return. The West Coast Nationals ran for the next four seasons and always delivered a good turnout.
When Promoter John M Soares stepped back into the picture, he too would run some big events for the division. It was not uncommon to see him offer $5,000 first prizes for these races, and the turnouts would frequently get into the 60s. Some of the best drivers came to Antioch Speedway for the money and the good competition. With the advent of the B Modifieds, putting 60 Modifieds into the pits became more of a challenge, and the huge $5,000 to win purses seemed to be a thing of the past.
Going into this season, however, Soares announced a $12,000 to win race for October 11th and 12th. After discussions with Chadwick and others, Soares decided to abandon the race and let Chadwick have a go at it. It was decided to go with the October 17th through 19th date so as not to conflict with another big Modified show taking place down south. Though Chadwick isn't offering $12,000 to win, the purse money being offered is very significant.
On a recent episode of Moxie Media's West Coast Wide Open, Chadwick gave more details on his $7,500 to win race. He revealed that the drivers will receive $500 just to start the Main Event on Saturday. What he's going for is not just a racing event, but a celebratory atmosphere at the speedway. Some will say this hearkens back to the big shows promoted by the late George Steitz at San Jose Speedway and Chowchilla Speedway for years.
Chadwick has announced a practice day for October 17th. Not only will the drivers get an opportunity to make some laps to set up their cars on Thursday, but there will be a barbecue, cornhole tournament and live music after practice is over. Drivers are already sending in their entry fees and making plans to be here for the big weekend.
The Friday show will offer a two heat race format. Drivers draw for their heat race starting positions as they come through the gate and are lined up accordingly. They also get a second heat race where the lineups are reversed from the first. Finishing and passing points will determine the top earners that go into the feature race on Friday. This will not be the only way for drivers to make it into Saturday's big event. They will also have a chance to make it into the feature via the Saturday heat races, Semi Main and a Last Chance Qualifier.
The A Modified Main Event alone will pay a $25,000 purse, and drivers will only have to pay a $200 entry fee if they sign up before October 10th. At the gate, it will cost $250. The B Modifieds are running for a sizable purse as well. Just taking the green flag in their Saturday Main Event will be worth $150, and the winner will receive $1,500. The total purse money for their feature race will check in at over $5,000.
It's more than just the money, however. Chadwick is hoping to create a vibe of positivity around the speedway and to establish a signature event that everybody wants to attend. This will also be the last opportunity to see racing at Antioch Speedway this year, and it promises to be a can't miss race. For further information, call 925-584-1527.
Pre-entry postmarked by October 10th
Send driver's name, address, car number and a check to:
PROmotions, PO Box 670, Knightsen, CA 94548
Questions? Call 925-584-1527
Ocean Speedway Has Championship Night This Friday
Watsonville, CA...It's been an exciting season at Ocean Speedway this year. People are still talking about the the thrilling Pat and Jim Pettit Memorial Shootout last weekend. This Friday night, the Ocean Sprint Cars, presented by Taco Bravo, wrap up their championship season. Also competing in the season finale will be the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Four Bangers.
For the Sprint Cars, it comes down to one point this Friday night. Third-generation competitor Bud Kaeding has been piloting his father Brent's #69 car very successfully this season, but he had a choice to make the last time the division competed in Watsonville. As he is competing for the NARC/King of the West championship for Williams Racing this season, Bud simply hot lapped his father's car at Watsonville to receive show up points and then headed down the road to Stockton. Because he didn't compete for the full night, James Ringo moved to within one point of Kaeding going into this race.
Bud has been very successful this season with four wins and 10 Top 5 efforts in his 11 starts. With those kind of numbers, it's difficult to keep up. Ringo has five Top 5 finishes and 10 Top 10 efforts in his 14 starts. As good as Kaeding has been all season long, if he has a bad night this weekend, it could all be for naught. Also in the hunt back in third is Koen Shaw. Shaw, who was last season's runner-up in the standings, is just 29 points out of the lead.
A good turnout is anticipated this weekend as the rest of the competitors look to end their seasons on a high note. There is still a battle for the Top 5 in the standings. Jake Andreotti holds fourth at the moment, one point ahead of Jeremy Chisum, 15 in front of Jason Chisum and 20 ahead of Kurt Nelson. This is the drivers' last chance to make a move. Other stars to watch for this week include five-time winner and 2015 champion Justin Sanders, one-time winner Kurt Nelson, Jayson Bright, Richard Fajardo and one-time winner Cole Macedo.
The championship chase is over in the IMCA Sport Modified division, and Jarrod Mounce emerged victorious. He had a good enough showing in last weekend's double-header that he held off a determined Adriane Frost to win the honors. Both drivers looked good this season with a pair of victories each. Four of the Top 5 racers had wins this year as Bakersfield long tow Kevin Johnson had three wins and State champion Guy Ahlwardt was a four-time winner. Ahlwardt won the big $1,000 prize last Saturday night to go with the $2,000 victory he had at Merced Speedway on Labor Day Weekend.
Dennis Simunovich has been looking good in recent weeks and is a three-time winner. He could be a threat to win this weekend, and other stars to watch for include Charlie Hunter, Kelly Campanile, Max Baggett, Steven Allee and Randy Miller.
Rob Gallaher seems to be headed for his third Hobby Stock championship in the last four seasons. Rob picked up a win in the Friday portion of last weekend's double-header to maintain a healthy advantage over his father, Joe Gallaher. Rob has won seven times this year, while Joe has picked up two victories. DJ Keldsen, Wally Kennedy and Jerry Skelton are still running close enough in the race for third that the position could change hands. Keldsen is the only one of the three without a feature triumph this season. Some of the other stars to watch for this week include Bobby Huckaby Jr and Sr, Nick Triolo, Ryan Muller and Tony Oliveira.
In the Four Banger division, we know there will be a Beardsley as the champion, but who is the question. Last season, Kate Beardsley won the honors, and Bill Beardsley was the champion the previous year. Going into the final race, Kate leads Nicole Beardsley by just one point. The two Beardsley ladies have identical statistics as both have 10 Top 5 finishes and 12 Top 10 efforts in their 12 starts. Much like Bill, however, neither one of them has won a Main Event yet this season.
Fourth-ranked John Grilli has had an amazing rookie season with four victories, and he only trails Bill Beardsley by eight points in the race for third. Ryan McClelland, Dakota Keldsen and Tony Gullo are all feature winners this year, and they'd like to win one more before the season closes. Others to watch for include Police N Pursuit champion Roy Iler, Jeff Finsand and Ray Bunn.
This is the last opportunity to check out an exciting night of racing at Ocean Speedway. With the Sprint Car championship on the line, it should be an entertaining show. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.
Foulger Wins Pat Pettit Memorial Shootout
At Ocean Speedway
Watsonville, CA...September 28...Troy Foulger won the 53 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Ocean Speedway. This was the Ninth Annual Pat and Jim Pettit Memorial Shootout race, and the win paid $3,000 to Foulger aboard the Bowers Racing Modified. Foulger is the Merced Speedway champion.
Fresh off of his win on Friday night, Brad Pounds charged into the lead at the start ahead of Anthony Slaney. Foulger settled into third on lap three, and the lead trio ran close. As Pounds and Slaney ran on the outside, Foulger found the inside to his liking in the early goings. Foulger made a move past Slaney for second on lap nine and and used an inside pass in Turn 2 a lap later to take the lead from Pounds. Despite suffering a broken left front suspension part early, Pounds still managed to run strong and battled Foulger for the lead. He made an outside pass on the front stretch on lap 12 to regain the lead, and the leaders caught traffic. A yellow flag bunched the field on lap 18, and Pounds continued to lead Foulger and Brian Cass on the restart. They got another good run and hit traffic by lap 25 as Foulger made a move by Pounds for the lead. They took a break at the halfway point for refueling and repairs with Foulger leading Pounds, Nick DeCarlo, Clay Daly and Jim Pettit II.
Pounds' crew repaired his damaged left front suspension, but Foulger maintained the lead on the restart. During the second half of the race, most of the competitors began running the outside groove. Foulger was the class of the field at that point and built decent advantages a couple of times before yellow flags erased them. However, nobody would stop Foulger as he scored the win ahead of Pounds, DeCarlo, Pettit, Robert Marsh, Tim Balding, Buddy Kniss, Cody Burke, new champion Austin Burke and Raymond Keldsen Jr.
There were 35 competitors, and the 10 lap heat race wins went to Pounds, Anthony Giuliani, Cody Burke and Slaney. Josh Combs won the first of two 12 lap B Mains ahead of Chester Kniss and Mitch Machado. Balding won the other B Main ahead of Burke and David Spriggs.
Ahlwardt Wraps Up State Championship With Win
Guy Ahlwardt won the 33 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. When some of the racers were running on the bottom groove, Ahlwardt was one of the few who realized early on that there was a good outside groove as he rallied his way into the lead. This was his third win of the year at Watsonville, and it paid $1,000 as he wrapped up the IMCA State championship.
Adriane Frost charged into the early lead with Cale Kanke taking over second on a lap three restart. Cody Parker started running the outside and made a move into the second spot on lap nine. Frost continued to run low with Parker running high, and Parker made an outside pass on the backstretch on lap 12 to take the lead. Ahlwardt found his way into third by then and made a high pass around Frost for second on lap 13a.
From the 19th starting position, Merced Speedway champion Fred Ryland made a low pass to take over second from Parker on lap 16. Ryland was hooked up pretty well on the inside and made a low pass in Turn 4 of the 18th lap to steal the lead away from Ahlwardt. Following a lap 19 yellow flag, Ahlwardt began to pressure Ryland hard on the outside line. Ahlwardt went by Ryland for the lead on the back stretch on lap 20. Ryland remained committed to the bottom groove until new champion Jarrod Mounce began to close in on him and pressured him for second on lap 28. Ryland switched to the outside and gained momentum, but he was no match for the flying Ahlwardt. Mounce settled for third, followed by Brent Curran, Chuck Weir, Justin McPherson, Kanke, Chase Thomas, Mike Medel and Parker.
Car count grew to 48 competitors, and the 10 lap heat race wins went to Curran, Kevin Johnson, Parker, Markus Frazier, Austin Manzella and Ahlwardt. There were two 12 lap B Mains with the first two finishers in each race making it into the future event. Ryland won the first race ahead of Randy Miller and Steven Allee. Chase Thomas outran Chuck Golden and Austin Williams to win the second race.
Johnson Battles Kile For Hobby Stock Win
Nick Johnson won the 23 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. The Bakersfield competitor charged all the way from 18th starting to take the lead from reigning champion Matt Kile in the late stages of the race. Austin Van Hoff had the pole and led Joe Gallaher early. An inside pass on the front stretch of the third lap gained Kile second, and he made an inside pass in Turn 4 of the seventh lap to take the lead from Van Hoff. Three-time champion Billy Nelson made a low pass in Turn 2 of the ninth lap to take second and set his sights on Kile.
Johnson was already up to fourth and went inside Van Hoff in Turn 1 of the 11th lap to grab third. An intense three-car battle at the front of the pack ensued, and Johnson went low to get by Nelson for second in Turn 4 of the 17th lap. After back-to-back yellow flags, Johnson finally made an outside pass on the front stretch of the 19th lap to take the lead from Kile. Johnson drove a flawless race in the waning laps to collect the victory ahead of Kile, Nelson, Garrett Corn, Bobby Huckaby Sr, Terry Campion, Tony Oliveira, Timmy Crews, Chris Bennett and TJ Etchison III.
There were 32 competitors, and the 10 lap heat race wins went to Oliveira, Kile, Campion and Joe Gallaher. Huckaby Sr won the 12 lap B Main ahead of Johnson and Quentin Harris.
Next Friday night's event will bring an end to the racing season with a program that features the Ocean Sprint Cars, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Four Bangers. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.
Pounds Wins Opening Night Of Pat Pettit Shootout
At Ocean Speedway
Watsonville, CA...September 27...Brad Pounds won the 33 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. This was the opening night of the Pat Pettit Memorial Shootout, and the past Bakersfield champion won a spirited duel with Merced Speedway champion Troy Foulger.
Past Watsonville champion Nick DeCarlo led the opening lap with Cody Burke settling into second. A yellow flag flew for Jake Dewsburuy on lap three, and DeCarlo led Burke and Foulger on the restart. The lead three cars ran closely at the front of the pack, and Foulger finally made a low pass in Turn 4 for the eighth lap to take second from Burke. An inside pass in Turn 2 of the 11th lap gained Foulger the lead from DeCarlo, and Pounds quickly settled into third.
Pounds made an inside pass in Turn 2 of the 14th lap to grab second from DeCarlo, and a yellow flag waved moments later. The battle began between Foulger and Pounds on the restart. Foulger worked the inside groove and Pounds ran the outside. Pounds began gaining some momentum and finally beat Foulger back to the line on lap 27 to grab the lead. Foulger managed to get up to the outside and got a run on Pounds, taking the lead with a frontstretch pass on lap 29. However, Pounds moved back by on the inside in Turn 2 on the next lap. After a final yellow flag on lap 31, Pounds maintained his lead on the restart and brought it home to the checkered Flag. Foulger settled for second, followed by DeCarlo, Clay Daly, Jeff Decker, Brian Cass, Anthony Slaney, Raymond Keldsen Jr, Cody Burke and Robert Marsh.
There were 37 competitors in the pits, and 10 lap heat race wins went to DeCarlo, Pettit, Daly and Pounds. The Top 3 finishers in all of the heat races would redraw for their starting spots in the first six rows of the Main Event. There were two B Mains, and incoming point leader Austin Burke won his ahead of Keldsen and Freddie Plourde III. Tim Balding outran Slaney and Darrell Hughes II to win the other 12 lap race.
Time Runs Out On Ahlwardt As Curran Wins Sport Modified Race
Brent Curran won the time limit shortened 17 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. The race was marred by nine yellow flags, and Curran managed make a pass on what would be the last lap to steal the victory away from new IMCA State champion Guy Ahlwardt. Ahlwardt and Antioch Speedway star Trevor Clymens swapped the lead during the first three laps with Ahlwardt taking the point on a lap three restart. Curran made an inside a pass in Turn 4 of the fourth lap to gain second from Clymens. Andrew Peckham made an inside pass in Turn 4 of the ninth lap to take over third.
After being involved in an early yellow flag, Fred Ryland began his rally to the front of the pack. Ryland took fourth on a lap 14 restart and made a high pass in Turn 2 of the 15th lap to grab third from Peckham. Curran made an inside pass on Ahlwardt down the backstretch as they worked the 17th lap, and they came by to receive the yellow and checkered flags. Curran got the win ahead of a disappointed Ahlwardt, Ryland, Todd Gomez, Steven Allee, Kenny Shrader, Kevin Johnson, Chuck Weir, Clymens and Patti Ryland.
There were 37 Sport Modifieds, and they ran four 10 lap qualifying heat races with the wins going to Patti Ryland, Peckham, Brent Curran and Johnson. The final six starting spots in the feature race were determined by two 12 lap B Mains. Fred Ryland won the first one ahead of Adriane Frost and Dennis Simunovich. 2018 State champion Austin Manzella outran Shrader and Medford, Oregon visitor Mike Medel in the second one.
Point Leader Rob Gallaher Wins Hobby Stock Feature Race
Rob Gallaher won the 23 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was the seventh win of the season for the current point leader. Gallaher had to get off the pedal as there was a bit of contact down the backstretch on the opening lap. Bobby Huckaby Sr led early with Jerry Skelton making an inside pass in Turn 4 on the second lap to grab second from Nick Triolo. Gallaher settled into third on a lap five restart and slipped past Skelton for second a lap later. An inside pass on the backstretch of the seventh lap gained Gallaher the lead from Huckaby, and another yellow flag waved moments later. Gallaher led Triolo and Nicholas Johnson on the next restart, and B Main winner Billy Nelson settled into fourth on lap 10. Nelson and Johnson enjoyed a side-by-side battle for the third position and caught up to Triolo as Gallaher held command.
A lap 14 yellow flag shook up the order as Nelson headed to the pits with a flat tire. Gallaher led Triolo and Johnson on the restart with Terry Campion running a close fourth. Triolo got out of shape on the front stretch on lap 19, making contact with Matt Kile and Campion, who both motored past. The yellow flag waved for Johnson, who had a flat tire. Rob Gallaher lead Kile and Campion on this restart and two others to score the well-earned victory. Nelson settled for fourth, followed by Huckaby Sr, Joe Gallaher, Breanna Troen, Austin Van Hoff, Tony Oliveira and Wally Kennedy.
There were 29 Hobby Stocks, and the 10 lap heat race wins went to Huckaby Sr, Triolo, Skeleton and Rob Gallaher. Nelson won the 12 lap B Main ahead of Van Hoff and Bobby Huckaby Jr.
For the latest news from the speedway, go to www.racepmg.com.
Eighth Annual Adobe Cup
At Petaluma Speedway Saturday Night
Petaluma, CA...With championship racing having concluded, it's time for some big money events to take place at Petaluma Speedway. One of the track's signature Events in recent seasons has been the Adobe Cup race, and it happens this Saturday night. The PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars will be competing along with the Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks.
There will be good money on the line for the Winged 360 Sprint Cars this weekend as the winner will claim a $5,000 paycheck, second will get $2,000 and third will receive $1,000. Just to take the green flag in the big money feature race will win a driver $225. The increase in prize money will bring drivers from all over Northern California to the 3/8 mile adobe oval. One of the top drivers anticipated is 10-time Civil War Sprint Car Series champion Andy Forsberg. Forsberg has also won this race twice in 2014 and 2017. He could be the driver to beat again this year.
Local star Chase Johnson has won races in 360 and 410 Sprint Car competition at Petaluma, and the fourth-generation star is also a past winner of this race in 2016. He could prove to be a formidable challenger for the victory again this year. 5-time Chico champion Sean Becker and Colby Copeland are also past winners of this race. With the kind of prize money being offered for this show, it's a season maker for the winner. It's the race everybody wants to win.
This season, the consistent John Clark won the track championship ahead Chase's brother, Colby Johnson. Clark didn't win this year, though he had five Top 5 finishes. Johnson, however, scored two victories. Another driver with a win this year was fifth-ranked Brent Bjork, who also notched five Top 5 finishes. Past division champion Shawn Arriaga also finished as high as second this year with five Top 5 finishes aboard the Lathrop racing #9n car. Some of the best Sprint Car drivers around will be in Petaluma this week to put on a good show for the fans.
The Adobe Cup race also features the Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks, and the purse has increased over the years. Three years ago, this race was named after Bob McCoy, a longtime supporter of Petaluma Speedway, who passed away in 2017. This year, drivers will be competing for a $1,500 first prize, and they will receive $150 minimum just for taking the green flag. This makes this event one of the biggest paying races for this class on the West Coast.
You can talk about favorites, but the clear favorite to win this race is two-time reigning champion Mitch Machado. If Machado is able to pick up the win, he will have won every Main Event for this division at Petaluma this season. As fast as he was last season, Mitch got faster when he teamed up with Fred Baker of Baker Motorsports for a new car. The rest of the drivers seemed to be competing for second all season long, but every one of them has hopes of knocking Machado off of his throne this week.
Two-time champion Steve Studebaker got the closest to Machado, but he ended the season 73 points behind. He led the pack in second place finishes with six of them, as two-time champion Matt While ranked third with one second place finish and five thirds. These two may have the best shot at beating Machado. Past champion Shawn McCoy and Manny Avila have both finished as high as second one time this year.
The Adobe Cup/Bob McCoy Memorial race does attract top drivers from elsewhere, and last season saw the glory go to new Tri State Pro Stock Challenge champion Mike Learn ahead of two-time Chico champion Phil Marino. Both drivers could be there this weekend, and Learn is a past regular at Petaluma. Even the top stars from out of the area may have a hard time beating Machado, who has won this race twice. Studebaker is a past winner of the race as well.
Saturday's Adobe Cup event is the first of three-straight special events taking place at Petaluma Speedway this month. Though point racing is over, money is on the line as well as bragging rights, and these will be shows you won't want to miss. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Siskiyou Speedway Continues Racing This Saturday Night
Yreka, CA...Promoter Kevin Barba is keeping the gates open for racing at Siskiyou Golden Speedway throughout October. In his first season as promoter, Barba is trying to establish the speedway as a destination place for racers and a track that showcases lots of different types of racing. Scheduled this Saturday night will be the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks and the Mini Stocks, but Barba has put a call out to racers in any division. If they can bring enough cars, they will get a race. With tracks closed down for the season, he's hoping this October gamble will pay off.
Last weekend, the call was answered by the Late Model division. The Rapp Racing stable out of Medford delivered five cars for the show with Eric Massey picking up his first ever victory. It's been a while since fans have gotten to watch a Late Model show on the Yreka track, and they enjoyed the treat. It will be interesting to see what divisions may take advantage of the racing opportunity being offered this week.
The Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks have been putting on a good show every time they come to Yreka. They've had a solid car count, but the driver to beat this year has been three-time champion Dr Scott Lenz. He has won four races at Yreka, two in Medford, one at Coos Bay and one in Cedarville this year. Steve Borror sent a clear message to Lenz last time out. Borror held him off for his second-straight Yreka victory. Borror is the 2016 champion, but he's also been competing in his IMCA Modified again this year.
There has been a good battle going on for second in the standings, but it is looking good for Scott Flowers in his quest to at least finish there once again. He and son James have run strong all season long, and both are knocking on the door to victory. James is third in the standings as John David Duffie and Matt Harlow are also Top 5 ranked. There is still plenty of opportunity for some movement in the point standings with two Yreka races left on the schedule. Other stars of the group to watch for include Ginny Flowers, Kenneth LaPlant, Rick Lukens, Jeff Haudenshild and Colby Hammond.
The Mini Stocks are on the schedule, though who is coming remains to be seen. After holding off her teammate and new champion Mike Whitaker last week, three-time champion Marilyn Yawnick announced that both of their cars are done for the season. Whitaker won a very close championship battle with Darek Alford, who has been making his first laps in a Pro Stock this year. The division has featured the talented young Zak McMurry, Terry Kendrick, Terry Alford and Mike Kendrick all season long. Of the four, only Mike Kendrick hasn't won a race yet this season.
Running into October is certainly an experiment. On one hand, you don't know how the weather is going to be. On the other hand, even if the weather does cooperate, you're not sure who might come out to do some racing. Barba's open door policy means you also don't know what divisions might be competing in addition to the scheduled classes or what racers might just show up for hot laps. The IMCA Sport Modifieds and Jefferson State Jalopies are not on the schedule this week, but they could show up. The track has also extended invitations to the Dwarf Cars, Sprint Cars and any other division that might want to race. in fact, a few Medford racers in the Sprint Car class are discussing the possibility of racing on Saturday night.
It will be interesting to see who shows up for some racing this week. For further information, go to www.siskiyougoldenspeedway.com.
Boswell, Massey, Yawnick Win At Siskiyou Speedway
Yreka, CA...September 28...Colt Boswell won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event Saturday night at Siskiyou Golden Speedway. The Speedway has entered the postseason with a string of special Saturday night shows that will happen all the way through October. A small, but competitive field turned out to put on a show for the fans. After finishing second to Randy Wright in the eight lap heat race, Colt Boswell turned the tables on Wright and charged into the Main Event lead. Mitch Henson moved into the battle and would score a second place finish behind this season's third-ranked driver. Wright settled for third ahead of Ryder Boswell and Rich McCoy.
The fans got a special treat as five Late Model competitors came to Yreka to put on a show for them. Eric Massey picked up his first career 20 lap Late Model feature win. Massey was a double winner as he also won the eight lap heat race. He was chased across the finish line in the Main Event by his father, Cliff Massey. Past Late Model Lites competitor Nick Camus came out of retirement to make his Late Model debut in a third place finish ahead of Dustin Knight and Rich McCoy.
Marilyn Yawnick celebrated her Jefferson State Jalopy championship in style by winning the 20 lap Main Event for that class. She also won the eight lap heat race. The three-time Mini Stock champion held off new Mini Stock champion Mike Whitaker to win that division's Main Event. Then, she jumped into one of the Jalopies and outran JJ Smith for the feature win. Karl Bernstein settled for third, followed by Michael Colson.
Next Saturday night will be couples night at the speedway as the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks are scheduled to appear along with the Mini Stocks. Promoter Kevin Barba has put out a standing invitation for drivers in other divisions. If they bring enough cars they can put on a race, or they can come out and hot lap their cars. For further information, go to the Siskiyou Golden Speedway Facebook page or www.siskiyougoldenspeedway.com.
Prather Family Lucas Oil Open Scheduled For
Coos Bay Speedway Saturday Night
Coos Bay, Oregon...This Saturday night, Coos Bay Speedway will wrap up the season with the annual Lucas Oil Open show, presented by the Prather family. The Super Late Models will take center stage with a $2,000 to win race. The popular Dirt Modified division has been included for the show and will race for $1,000 to win. Street Stocks will also compete for a $1,000 prize. There will also be increased purse money for the Sportsman Late Models, Hornets and Mini Outlaws.
The Super Late Model championship battle this year came down between new champion Preston Luckman and previous champion Brody Montgomery. Luckman led the winner's column with seven victories as Montgomery had four. As the only regulars to win Main Events at the speedway this year, these two seem like the prime candidates to pick up the big prize. However, there could be some top talent coming from up north to make a run for the money. Joey Tanner won another championship at Willamette Speedway this year and has been very fast in his visits to Coos Bay Speedway. In fact, Tanner won a race earlier this year. The big Tidal Wave weekend event earlier this season yielded victories to both Kyle Frick and Rob Mayea.
As this is the final opportunity for the dirt track competitors to get a race in, Coos Bay has been known to see some fast competitors from out of town making a run for the prize money being offered up by the Prather family. Local stars will be gearing up for one last shot at glory. 2015 champion Toby McIntyre has earned multiple third-place finishes, but he'll be gunning for the win this weekend. Wayne Butler had his most successful run in the division yet in third in the standings, and he too will have his eyes on the prize. Other stars to watch for include Thor Kristensen, Chris Kristensen, Deven Brown, Chris Ray and past champion Trina Post.
Coos Bay doesn't host Dirt Modifieds very often, so anytime they are on the schedule is a treat to the fans. One driver who always makes a big challenge when he comes to town is Klamath Falls hard charger Nick Trenchard. Trenchard was the winner of the Rod Restad Memorial race two weeks ago in Yreka and has a knack for coming to town when bigger money is on the line and leaving with the prize. Fellow Klamath Falls resident Zach Fettinger just wrapped up the Southern Oregon Speedway championship, and he too could be there this week. It will be interesting to see who makes the trip to Coos Bay, but stars from Medford, Cottage Grove and Willamette are anticipated.
It isn't often that the Street Stock division gets a $1,000 prize, but with the success of the Battle At The Beach Iron Giant race earlier this year, the track elected to put up the bigger prize for this occasion. Steve Dubisar had an impressive season in winning the Coos Bay championship on the strength of eight wins. He and 2016 champion Daniel Land could be the best bet for keeping the win in the area. Leroy Rockwell, Kelly McIntyre and 2018 champion Ken Fox are three others to watch. The Cronk family, David, Brian and Sean, are three hard chargers anticipated this week along with Cottage Grove champion Kelly McDonald. The prize money being offered should bring a strong showing in this class.
Braden Fugate won just about everything in the Sportsman Late Models as he cruised to the division championship this year. He would seem to be the favorite to win their race, though his chief rival, Mike Taylor, won a pair of races and hopes to make it three this week. 2018 champion Dyllan Siewell has been lurking, and this might be an occasion in which we see him making a run for the prize. Others, such as Tom Williams, Garrett Smith and Jared Simmons could be there as well.
Rob Lauver has been a formidable competitor in the Mini Outlaw division. In has fast VW Beetle, Lauver has won three Main Events this year, disrupting the dominance of three-time champion Sam Talon. Talon has 11 victories this year, and it's likely that the battle will be between these two this week. Hunter Berrier, Jason Kellam and Dan Daniels are others to watch for.
Having wrapped up the Hornet championship with seven feature victories, Hannah Robison would love to pick up the increased payout for an eighth victory. The Hornets have produced the biggest car counts on a somewhat regular basis this season. There have been some good drivers in the field this year, and hard chargers such as 2018 champion Tyler Tullos, Trace Fugate, Gabrielle Boles, Steven Parker, Ray Marshall, Jesse McIntyre and James Shingleton will be out to get the glory this week.
The weather can be iffy this time of year, but it's hoped that it will let up enough to allow this exciting racing event to take place. Fans are sure to see an increased car count and some great racing from start to finish Saturday night. For further information, go to www.coosbayspeedway.us.
Forte Wins Interstate Sprint Car Race At Coos Bay Speedway
Coos Bay, Oregon...September 28...Shane Forte won the interstate Sprint Car Series 25 lap Main Event Saturday night at Coos Bay Speedway. The win paid $1,000 to the Cottage Grove Speedway champion. Forte had the pole for the Main Event with Kyler Barraza lined up alongside him. For 15 laps, Forte led with Barraza in close pursuit. Interstate Sprint Car Series champion Tanner Holmes ran third until falling out on the 14th lap. Barraza saw his run in second end on lap 16. Ninth starter Stephen Snawder gained second at that point. However, Forte took the checkered flag ahead of Snawder by a comfortable margin. TJ Winningham finished third, followed by Tyrell Mead, David Marble and final lead lap finisher Justin Tracy. Lawrence Van Hoof finished seventh ahead of RJ Baker, Davina Jordy and Morgan Banks.
Barraza set the quickest time of 17 qualifiers with a lap of 12.382. Eight lap heat race wins went to Holmes, Van Hoof and Donovan Prather.
Toby McIntyre won the 12 lap Street Stock Main Event. McIntyre led all the way for the victory with Leroy Rockwell just beating Ken Fox back to the line to finish second. McIntyre won the eight lap heat race ahead of Sportsman Late Model champion Braden Fugate, but Fugate broke in the process. New champion Steve Dubisar and Eric Lindquist were also early retirees.
Josh King won the 20 lap Southern Oregon Dwarf Car Main Event. Mark Nielsen had the pole and surprised everybody by leading the first nine laps. Ryan Smith ran second until being passed by last starter King on lap four. King put the moves on Nielsen for the lead on lap 10 and stretched his advantage to over half a lap by the waving of the checkered flag. Smith made a last lap pass on Nielsen for second as Nielsen settled for third ahead of Fred Hay and Erin Morganstern. Smith won the first eight lap heat race and King was the second heat race winner. Hay finished second in both races.
Jesse McIntyre won the 12 lap Hornet Main Event. McIntyre sprinted into the lead at the start ahead of Tahlan Rogers. Austin Morrow took second from Rogers on the sixth lap and closely trailed McIntyre to the checkered flag. George Wheeler finished third ahead of Alex Butler and Rogers. Rodgers and Casey Scott were the eight lap heat race winners.
Next Saturday night is the annual Lucas Oil Open, presented by the Prather family. Super Late Models will be competing for $2,000 to win, while both the Dirt Modifieds and Street Stocks will race for a $1,000 prize. Sportsman Late Models, Hornets and Mini Outlaws will also be competing. For further information go to www.coosbayspeedway.us.
Pendergrass, Fogle, Davis, Ruiz Score Victories
At Orland Raceway
Orland, CA...September 28...Kevin Pendergrass won the 20 lap Pure Stock Main Event Saturday night at Orland Raceway. This was the championship season finale. Pendergrass started later in the season, but he's been running fast since he made his season debut. He outran 2017 champion Jeremy Langenderfer for the win. 2018 champion Paul Stephens finished a strong third ahead of previous winner Wes Smock and Maurice Merrill. James Taylor rebounded from bad luck at the previous race with a sixth place finish, followed by Rick Etchison, Keith Ross, Frank Leonardo and Steve Martin. Incoming point leader Phil Spencer finished 13th. The battle between he and Ross for the championship was close, but point information wasn't made available at press time. Etchison, Langenderfer and Smock won their respective 10 lap heat races.
William Fogle won the 20 lap Mini Truck Main Event. Fogle is this season's second-ranked driver, and though he had a win earlier this year at Hayfork, this was his first win at his home track. Fogle was chased across the line by 2016 champion Dan Webster. Webster, who has won several features this year, won his heat race earlier in the evening. Fellow heat race winner Rick Etchison finished third, followed by new champion Kalvin Kvalvik, Matt Kvalvik, Casey Lander, Dan Libbee and Zach Baker. Tony Quinones was a Main Event scratch.
Tom Davis picked up another 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event victory. Davis, who was wrapping up his third championship at the speedway, won all but two of the feature races held this season. Fellow heat race winner Barbara Crain had her best Main Event effort of the season in second, followed by Dusty Hills, Jason Libbee, season point runner-up John Kirkpatrick, Matt Canada and Tammy Whicker.
Ron Ruiz won the 20 lap California Hardtop Main Event. Ruiz won all three of the group's feature races held at Orland this season. He was chased across the line by Joe Hopp. Dennis Armstrong finish third after a close battle with Joe Shenefield and Ken Clifford, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Dave Reed and Ken Retzloff rounded out the finishing order. Clifford won a close battle with Armstrong in their 10 lap heat race. Retzloff was eliminated early in the Main Event after spinning and getting hit by Reed.
Tyler Rockwell won his second-straight 600 Micro Main Event. Rockwell held off past champion Jeromie Crismon to win both the 20 lap Main Event and the 10 lap heat race. The points were close coming into the night, and no official point listing was available at press time. Amber Fields finished third in the Main Event ahead of Kyra Michelet.
The final event of the season is a special money race on October 12th. It's the Third Annual Battle of the Axles, which will feature a $1,000 to win Pure Stock race. The Wingless Spec Sprints, Mini Trucks and Mini Stocks will be competing for $500 to win in each of their races, and the night will also include an exciting $1,200 to win Destruction Derby. For further information, go to the Orland Raceway Facebook page.
Cox Wins Opening Night Of Fall Nationals
At Silver Dollar Speedway
Chico, CA...September 27...Justyn Cox won the opening night of the Fall Nationals Friday at Silver Dollar Speedway. Cox also won the opening night of the Placerville Posse event the previous weekend and is the 2017 Northwest Winged 360 Sprint Car Speedweek champion. He also won the prestigious Marvin Smith Memorial race at Cottage Grove Speedway this season.
With a pole position start, Stephen Ingraham led through a pair of yellow flags during the first five laps. Cox settled into second, but he surrendered the position to Shane Golobic on lap 13. A lap later, Ingraham saw his run at the front come to an end as a yellow flag waved. Golobic led Cox and Willie Croft on the restart. The battle got intense during the final five tours of the race as Cox slipped past Golobic for the lead on lap 27. A lap later, Golobic motored back ahead. On the final lap, Cox again raced by Golobic and just barely beat him back to the checkered flag for the impressive win. Croft finished third, followed by Andy Forsberg, Chase Majdic, Kalib Henry, Sean Becker, Cody Lamar, Ryan Robinson and Ryan Bernal.
There were 50 Sprint Cars for this event, and they were split into two qualifying groups. Golobic was in the second group and set the quickest lap of 11.879, beating the 12.038 of Forsberg. They ran four 10 lap heat races, and Cox won the first one by a comfortable margin ahead of Ingraham. It was Lamar winning the second heat ahead of Korey Lovell, and the third heat race win went to Golobic in front of Croft. Majdic won the final heat by a decent margin ahead of Forsberg. Ingraham took the pole position for the feature race by winning the eight lap Trophy Dash ahead of Cox.
Colby Johnson led all the way to win the 15 lap B Main ahead of Cole Macedo and Greg Hamilton. There were a pair 12 lap C Mains, and Cottage Grove champion Tyler Thompson won the first one ahead of RC Smith and Chelsea Blevins. Jodie Robinson went flag-to-flag to win the other C Main ahead of Brett Barney and Steel Powell.
For further information on the happenings at the speedway, go to www.silverdollarspeedway.com.
Kaeding Wins Second Night Of Fall Classic
At Silver Dollar Speedway
Chico, CA...September 28...Tim Kaeding won the 30 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Silver Dollar Speedway. Kaeding is a two-time King of the West Series champion and is only 17 points out of the lead in this year's Sprint Car Challenge Tour championship battle.
Following his eight lap Trophy Dash win over Chico champion Sean Becker, Tim Kaeding earned the pole for the feature race. He immediately sprinted into the lead at the start ahead of brother Bud Kaeding. Bud Kaeding was shuffled back to fourth on the 15th lap as Friday night winner Justyn Cox settled into second ahead of Justin Sanders. A yellow flag waved on lap 24 for a Turn 2 tangle between Colby Johnson and Chase Majdic. On the restart, Sanders bolted ahead of Tim Kaeding for the lead, but the race was slowed for the ninth time for a lap 26 caution flag for Kyle Hirst in Turn 4. Tim Kaeding pressured Sanders on the restart and made his winning pass for the lead on lap 28. Tim Kaeding would lead the rest of the way for the victory, followed by Sanders, Bud Kaeding, Mitchell Faccinto, Cox, Sean Becker, Willie Croft, Ryan Robinson, Andy Forsberg and Michael Faccinto.
There was another strong turnout of 48 competitors for this race, and they ran in two different qualifying groups. Cox was the quickest qualifier of the first group at 12.026, while Shane Golobic was the quickest in the second group at 12.178. Kyle Hirst won the first of four 10 lap heat races with Sanders, Golobic and Forsberg winning the other heats.
They ran two 12 lap C Mains, and Alec Justeson went flag-to-flag to win the first one ahead of Ben Worth and Stephen Ingraham. Wyatt Brown won the second C Main in flag-flag-flag fashion. Chelsea Blevins held second until being shuffled back to third by Jayson Bright on the 11th lap. Michael Faccinto won the 15 lap B Main. He assumed the lead on the second lap and led the rest of the way. Devin Borden held second until being overtaken by Ryan Robinson on the 10th lap. Borden would settle for third
For the latest news and information on what's happening at the speedway, go to www.silverdollarspeedway.com.
Robfogel Wins At Dixon Speedway
Dixon, CA...September 28...Nick Robfogel won the Wingless 600 Micro Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Dixon Speedway. Robfogel was a regular at Petaluma Speedway, where he won five Main Events this season. Josh Hurley led the first four laps before his race ended. Austin Stone took over on the fifth lap as Robfogel settled into second. Stone led until the 20th lap as Robfogel made his winning pass. Stone settled for second, followed by Austin Torgerson, Koen Shaw, Brandon Shaw, Jonathan Henry, Kelvin Lewis, Kyler Shaw, Petaluma Speedway champion Justin Adiego and Jeremy Chapman.
Hurley set the quickest time of 29 qualifiers with a lap of 10.958. Nate Wait was second quick at 11.025. 10 lap heat race wins went to Adiego, Robfogel and Lewis. Hurley also won the eight lap Trophy Dash. Steve Bettanini led all the way to win the 12 lap B Main ahead of Ryan Holden and Tyler Chamorro.
Darrell Busby won the 25 lap Super 600 Micro Main Event. Busby had the pole and led the first two laps before Koen Shaw raced into the lead. Shaw led until the seventh lap when he fell back to third behind Busby and point leader Kyle Mentch. Busby led the rest of the way with Mentch and Koen Shaw running closely behind for second and third, respectively. Frank Camacho II settled for fourth, followed by Kyler Shaw, Tony Alosi, Anthony Lewis, Hayden Saich, Michael Torres and Chris Parmely. Busby and Alosi tied for the fastest lap at 10.409 in the 15 car field. 10 lap heat race wins where earned by Kyler Shaw and Koen Shaw. Busby also won the six lap Trophy Dash.
Point leader Ashton Torgerson won the 20 lap Restricted 600 Micro Main Event. Torgerson had the pole for the race and led the entire distance with Jeffrey Pahule pressuring him all the way as he finished second. Matthew Tatoole finished third, followed by Brandon Rivera, Austin Taborski, Bryant Bell, Thomas Vo, Colin Kirby and David Camacho. Tatoole set the quickest lap of 11.052. Torgerson was the 10 lap heat race winner and won the four lap Trophy Dash as well.
Brody Rubio won the 20 lap Junior Sprint Main Event. Rubio had the pole for the feature race and led all the way. Point leader McKayla Tatoole ran second for a lap before being passed by TK O'Brien. However, Rubio set a quick pace and beat O'Brien by a straightaway at the checkered flag. Hayden Stepps finished third, followed by Tatoole, Ryder Byrd and Cynric Vo. Stepps was the quickest qualifier at 13.205, Tatoole won the 10 lap heat race and Rubio was the four lap Trophy Dash winner.
Racing resumes next Friday night with a makeup race. All of the regular Micro Sprint classes will be in competition. For further information, go to www.dixonspeedway.net.
Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 28
Pat And Jim Pettit Memorial Shootout Night 2
IMCA Modifieds
A Main
Troy Foulger
Brad Pounds
Nick DeCarlo
Jim Pettit II
Robert Marsh
Tim Balding
Buddy Kniss
Cody Burke
Austin Burke
Raymond Keldsen Jr
Anthony Giuliani
Brian Cass
Jake Dewsbury
Trent Wentworth
Mitch Machado
Clay Daly
Josh Combs
Darrell Hughes II
David Spriggs
Anthony Slaney
Chester Kniss
Duane Orsburn
B Main 1
Josh Combs
Chester Kniss
Mitch Machado
Jeff McCoun
Raymond Lindeman
Austin Gant
James Alaga
Justin Yaeger
Robert Montalvo
Todd Hermosillo DNS
B Main 2
Tim Balding
Austin Burke
David Spriggs
Freddie Ploudre
Trevor Brady
Tim Yaeger
Kyle Bryan
Bobby Motts Jr
Dylan Schriner
IMCA Sport Mods
A Main
Guy Ahlwardt
Fred Ryland
Jarrod Mounce
Brent Curran
Chuck Weir
Justin McPherson
Cale Kanke
Chase Thomas
Michael Medel
Cody Parker
Tanner Thomas
Chuck Golden
Adriane Frost
Austin Manzella
Mark Garner
Randy Miller
Cameron Swank
Rusty McMillan
Andrew Peckham
Markus Frazier
Kevin Johnson
Todd Cooper
B Main 1
Fred Ryland
Randy Miller
Steven Allee
Tim Ragsdale
Kodie Dean
Charlie Hunter
Theo Vandesande
John Ferro
Brian Cooper
Bruce Nelson
Kelly Campanile
Dennis Simunovich DNS
Todd Gomez DNS
Tim Rolan DNS
B Main 2
Chase Thomas
Chuck Golden
Austin Williams
Jason Pugh
Tommy Clymens
Dwayne Short
Max Baggett
Patti Ryland
Travis Slayter
Anthony Welborn
Trevor Clymens
Tyler Bickford
Jeff Tuttle DNS
Kenny Shrader DNS
Hobby Stocks
Nicholas Johnson
Matt Kile
Billy Nelson
Garrett Corn
Bobby Huckaby Sr
Bobby Huckaby Jr
Terry Campion
Tony Oliveira
Timmy Crews
Chris Bennett
T.J. Etchinson III
Austin Van Hoff
Nick Triolo
Sam Kennedy
Rob Gallaher
Joe Gallaher
Michael Shearer
Terry Traub
Quintin Harris
Jerry Skelton
Syd Finn
Breanna Troen
B Feature 1
Bobby Huckaby Sr
Nicholas Johnson
Quintin Harris
Bobby Huckaby Jr
Chris Bennett
T.J. Etchinson III
John Keldsen
Dexter Long
Lee Ragsdale
Devin Belton
Thomas Summers
Meghan Myers
Kevin Lesch
Justin Gonzalez
Cody Bryan
Wally Kennedy
Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 27
Pat And Jim Pettit Memorial Shootout Night 1
IMCA Modifieds
A Main
Brad Pounds
Troy Foulger
Nick DeCarlo
Clay Daly
Jeff Decker
Brian Cass
Anthony Slaney
Raymond Keldsen Jr
Cody Burke
Robert Marsh
Trevor Brady
Austin Burke
Freddie Ploudre
Jim Pettit II
Tim Balding
Mitch Machado
Darrell Hughes II
Raymond Lindeman
Bobby Motts Jr
Trevor Fitz
Bobby Hogge III
Jake Dewsbury
B Main 1
Tim Balding
Anthony Slaney
Darrell Hughes II
Stephen Streeter
Buddy Kniss
Dylan Schriner
Kyle Bryan
Todd Hermosillo
Austin Gant
Duane Orsburn
B Main 2
Austin Burke
Raymond Keldsen Jr
Freddie Ploudre
Robert Montalvo
Jeff McCoun
Justin Yaeger
Anthony Giuliani
Tim Yaeger
David Spriggs DNS
IMCA Sport Modifieds
A Main
Brent Curran
Guy Ahlwardt
Fred Ryland
Steven Allee
Kenny Shrader
Kevin Johnson
Chuck Weir
Trevor Clymens
Patti Ryland
Travis Slayter
Austin Manzella
Dennis Simunovich
Jarrod Mounce
Andrew Peckham
Justin McPherson
Max Baggett
Adriane Frost
Mark Garner
Michael Medel
Cale Kanke
Austin Williams
Todd Gomez DQ
B Main 1
Fred Ryland
Adriane Frost
Dennis Simunovich
Jason Pugh
Rusty McMillan
Jeff Tuttle
Cameron Swank
Theo Vandesande
Anthony Welborn
Dwayne Short
Tyler Bickford
B Main 2
Austin Manzella
Kenny Shrader
Michael Medel
T.J. Etchinson III
Bruce Nelson
Chase Thomas
Kelly Campanile
Charlie Hunter
Tommy Clymens
Markus Frazier
Hobby Stocks
A Main
Rob Gallaher
Matt Kile
Terry Campion
Billy Nelson
Bobby Huckaby Sr
Joe Gallaher
Breanna Troen
Austin Van Hoff
Tony Oliveira
Wally Kennedy
Nick Triolo
Sam Kennedy
Nicholas Johnson
Terry Traub
Justin Gonzalez
Cody Bryan
Ryan Muller
Quintin Harris
Bobby Huckaby Jr
Jerry Skelton
Timmy Crews
Kevin Lesch
B Main
Billy Nelson
Austin Van Hoff
Bobby Huckaby Jr
Quintin Harris
Sam Kennedy
Kevin Lesch
Michael Shearer
Meghan Myers
Thomas Summers
Dexter Long
Devin Belton
Lee Ragsdale
Chris Bennett
Coos Bay Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 28
Winged Sprints
Shane Forte
Steven Snawde
Truman Winningham
Tyrell Mead
David Marble
Justin Tracy
Lawrence VanHoof
R.J. Baker
Davina Jordy
Morgan Bank
Austin Sause
Kyler Barraza
Tanner Holmes
Vern Scevers
Ricky Hulsey
Donovan Prather
Michael Cinollo DNS
Brett Hulsey DNS
Street Stocks
Toby McIntyre
Leroy Rockwell
Ken Fox
Hornets
Jesse McIntyre
Austin Morrow
george wheeler
Alex Butler
Tahlan Rogers
Dwarf Car
Josh King
Ryan Smith
Mark Nielsen
Fred Hay
Erin Morganstern
Siskiyou Golden Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 28
Jefferson State Jalopies
Marilyn Yawnick
JJ Smith
Karl Bernstein
michael colson
Mini Stocks
Marilyn Yawnick
Mike Whitaker
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Colt Boswell
Mitch Henson
Randy Wright
Ryder Boswell
Rich McCoy
Late Model
Eric Massey
Cliff Massey
Nick Camus
Dustin Knight
Rich McCoy DNS
Ukiah Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 28
Pro 4 Modified
Chris Straka
Andy Leuzinger
Mike Peterson jr
Timber Haskins
Wade Eldredge
Ron Portlock
Bud Anderson
Pure Stock
Tyler Shipley
Amber Portlock
Jesse Frey
Asphalt Sport Mods
Jason Philpot
Jeremy Doss
Eric Price Jr
Tyler Caturegli
Sierra Furia
Mike Neilson
Kevin Coburn
Jared Martin
Cole Brown
Kylei Keown
Steve Taylor
Kobe Taylor
Shelby Helm
TJ Buzzard
Dennis Anderson
Bombers
Mikey Lovell
Brenton Smith
Jeremy Doss
Charley Tour
RJ Randall
Dustin Kuhl
Jeff French
Christian Sanchez
Bob Mook
Kevin Brackett
Forrest Kuecker DNS
Drew Smith DQ
Ron Duke Sr DQ
Jimmy Sorrels DQ
Pro Jammers
Raymond Taylor Jr
David Rogers
Lesa Underwood
Ron Portlock
Jim Underwood
Dennis Anderson DNS
Jalopies
Jack Schleif
Nigel Ashley
Devon Parker
Aaron Bussell
Jimmy Sorrels
Kimberley Sorrels
Amber Robertson
Valicia Catching
Tia Everett
Sean Kite
Courtney Steel
Justin Johnson DNS
Morgan Riley DNS
Brandi Robertson DNS
Delani Waller DNS
Jr Jammes
Charles French
TJ Sorrels
Dixon Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 28
Wingless Micro 600s
Nick Robfogel
Austin Stone
Austin Torgerson
Koen Shaw
Brandon Shaw
Jonathan Henry
Kelvin Lewis
Kyler Shaw
Justin Adiego
Jeremy Chapman
Derrick Patterson
Taylor DCarlo
Ryan Holden
Norman Harley Rose
Tyler Chamorro
Chris Parmley
Tommy Carroll
Nate Wait
Steve Bettanini
Isak Johnson
Josh Hurley
Blake Parmley
B Main
Steve Bettanini
Ryan Holden
Tyler Chamorro
Taylor DeCarlo
Danny Rozendahl
Jackie Whiteson Jr
Chuck Patterson
Clayton Harris
Don McLeister
Darrell Busby DNS
Super 600 Micros
Darrell Busby
Kyle Mentch
Koen Shaw
Frank Camacho II
Kyler Shaw
Tony Alosi
Anthony Lewis
Hayden Saich
Michael Torres
Chris Parmley
Christian Harris
Ricky Sanders DNS
Kelvin Lewis DNS
Sage Bordenave DNS
Jason Chapman DNS
Restricted 600 Micros
Ashton Torgerson
Jeffrey Pahule
Matthew Tatoole
Brandon Riveira
Austin Taborski
Bryant Bell
Thomas Vo
Colin Kirby
David Camacho
Jr Sprint Cars
Brody Rubio
TK O'Brien
Hayden Stepps
Makayla Tatoole
Ryder Byrd
Madera Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 28
SPEARS Southwest Tour125 by 51 Fifty
Derek Thorn
Craig Raudman
Linny White
Eric Schmidt
Cole Moore
Blaine Rocha
Jace Hansen
Carlos Vieira
Jesse Love
Jacob Gomes
Tyler Fabozzi
Jack Wood
John Moore
Mike Beeler
Keith Spangler
Andy Allen
Scott Sanchez
Mitch Kleyn
Bob Lyon
Kyle Neveau
Ross Strmiska
Don Zoll Jr
Eric Nascimento Jr
Austin Herzog DNS
Bakersfield Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 28
IMCA Modifieds
Robby Sawyer
Kyle Heckman
Justin Schweitzer
Robert Sanders
Ryan Daves
Bryan Clark
Chad Reichenbach
Jerry Flippo
Stephen Streeter
Roger Holder
Steve Noland
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Michael Johnson
Gavyn Manning
Jason Nation
Brylon Holder
Kyle Wood
Billy Simkins
Brandon Jennings
Larry Wise
Parker Maccianti
Daniel West
Chris McKellar
Cory McDonald
Jeff Miller
Hardtops
Jason Denman
James Bradburn
Rich Souza
Tyler Weeks
Jason Stanphill
Adam Medovitch
Jesse Dobbins
Ron Christy
American Stocks
Steve Johnson
Brock Crawford
Steven Amick
Brian Childress
James Coots
Mike Conway
Josh Yadon
Caitlynn Guess
Robert Guess
Tara Childress
Kody Sly
Jr Daves
Miranda Scott
Daryl Mealer D NS
500 Open Karts
A Main
Chris McKellar
Mariah Ede
Josiah Ribeiro
Tate Sanders
Bryan Watson
Levi Smith
Alan Ballard
Gerald McKellar
Bryce Cooper
Jacob Hughes
Kyle Griffith
Riley Clem
Ian Murray
Taylor Marchant
Larry Moody
George Mignosa
Tailer Morrison
B Main
Larry Moody
Bryce Cooper
Gerald McKellar
Alan Ballard
Tony Banks
Russel Smith
Wyatt Moody
Tailer Morrison
Tyler Blankenship DNS
Intermediate
Jett Yantis
Brady Hearron
Kennedy Cotton
Taylor Whitefield
Kylie Wilkinson
Seth Hanson
Box Stock
Jett Yantis
John McKinley III
Wyatt Webb
Tristen Harrington
September 21 Results
Hobby Stocks
Jerry Flippo
Dylan Wilson
Trevor Baker
Raymond Noland Jr
Kenny White
Don Mead
Aaron Stewart
Michael Scruggs
Brian Childress
Kevin Irwin
Stephen Johnson
Johnny Wood
Justin Gonzalez
Tyler Bannister
Jacky Roberts
Sheldon Bailey
Nicholas Johnson
Mini Stocks
Shawn Schwartzenberger
Clint Duncan
Clinton Massey
Jason Cook
Chris Rutledge
Joe Rogers Jr
Sherry Duncan
Brandon Wolford
Kirk Nicholas
David Wolford Jr
Mason Conway
Jose Rosales
Jesse Merriman
David Waller
Krissi Hobbs
Gene Glover
Silver Dollar Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 28
27th Fall Nationals Night #2
Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Main Event
Tim Kaeding
Justin Sanders
Bud Kaeding
Mitchell Faccinto
Justyn Cox
Sean Becker
Willie Croft
Ryan Robinson
Andy Forsberg
Michael Faccinto
Jodie Robinson
Blake Carrick
Brad Biffdog Bumgarner
Colby Johnson
Jake Morgan
Kyle Hirst
Tony Gualda
Chase Majdic
Cole Macedo
Michael Ing
Kalib Henry
Devon Borden
Billy Wallace
J.J. Hickle
B Main
Michael Faccinto
Ryan Robinson
Devon Borden
Colby Johnson
Billy Wallace
Jake Haulot
Greg Hamilton
Ben Worth
Jayson Bright
Mason Moore
Jarrett Soares
Wyatt Brown
Mike Monahan
Greg DeCaires V
Cody Lamar
Alec Justeson
C Main #1
Alec Justeson
Ben Worth
Stephen Ingraham
Tyler Thompson
Mark Tabor Jr
Brad Dillard
Joel Myers Jr
Ashlyn Rodriguez
Alex Fowler
C Main #2
Wyatt Brown
Jayson Bright
Chelsea Blevins
Jeremy Wilson
Matt Hein
John Clark
Bobby Butler
Nick Larsen
Bret Barney
Peter Paulson
Silver Dollar Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 27
27th Fall Nationals Night #1
Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Main Event
Justyn Cox
Shane Golobic
Willie Croft
Andy Forsberg
Chase Majdic
Kalib Henry
Sean Becker
Cody Lamar
Ryan Robinson
Ryan Bernal
Korey Lovell
Devon Borden
Michael Faccinto
Kyle Hirst
Colby Johnson
Mitchell Faccinto
Greg Hamilton
Tony Gualda
Stephen Ingraham
Michael Ing
Tim Kaeding
Justin Sanders
Kyle Offill
Cole Macedo
B Main
Colby Johnson
Cole Macedo
Greg Hamilton
Kyle Hirst
Bud Kaeding
Ben Worth
Jake Haulot
Jayson Bright
Mason Moore
Bret Barney
Jodie Robinson
Tyler Thompson
R.C. Smith
Blake Carrick
D.J. Freitas
Kenny Wanderstadt
C Main #1
Tyler Thompson
R.C. Smith
Chelsea Blevins
Greg DeCaires V
Matt Hein
Jeremy Wilson
Wyatt Brown
John Clark
Alec Justeson
Nick Larsen
C Main #2
Jodie Robinson
Bret Barney
Steel Powell
Mike Monahan
Bobby Butler
Pat Harvey Jr
Ashlyn Rodriguez
Orange Show Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 28
STREET STOCKS-09:28PM
Results are not official
1 #83 Kevin James
2 #7 Scott Groom
3 #8 Tyler Gallup
4 #16x Roger Brown
5 #34 Anthony Forfa IV
6 #45 Don Geary
7 #3 Mark Whitson
8 #56 Dwight Kelley
9 #07 Evan McCray
10 #30 Tony Provenzano
11 #85 Roger Young
12 #18 Darrin Secord
LATE MODELS-08:46PM
Results are not official
1 #48 Rob Kiemele
2 #38 Jeff Peterson
3 #86 Ryan Bragdon
4 #36 Parker Malone
5 #2 Jim Vermillion
6 #48c Cody Kiemele
7 #99 Kyle Meyer
8 #24 Mike Wieman
9 #20 Jim Cypert
PRO 4-08:20PM
Results are not official
1 #11 Michael Douthit
2 #22 John Sereika
3 #21 Rob Snyder
4 #62 Ethan Cheek
MINI STOCKS-07:38PM
Results are not official
1 #51 Danny French
2 #06 David Huesterberg
3 #16 Eric King
4 #50 Brandon Snow
5 #49 Jim Snow
6 #99 Cody Carruthers
7 #42 Michael Hindman
8 #76 Renee Wallace
9 #18x Victor Garcia
10 #10 Chase Schackleford
11 #33 Scott McIntyre
12 #21 Tyler Underwood
BANDOLEROS
Results are not official
1 #11 Daniel O Donnell
2 #93 Ralph Hodges
Douglas County Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 21
PRA Hardtops
KYRAN GREENE
CHUCK JACOBS
STEVE SMITH
DONNIE FAIN
DARRYL HAUGH
Dean Cast
GREG HICKMAN
BRYSON LILLARD
CHRIS MEHRER
BRIAN LENIHAN
HARLEN COX
PRA Sport Modifieds
Tom Ford
KALEB Watson
john Harvey
STEWART CAMBELL
MONTEY COX JR
BLAKE HARVEY
JAMIE BRITTEN
Tom Durant
PRA Super Stocks
Dale Roth
APRIL HILLYARD
Larry Means
KIERI SMITH
DON LIVERMORE
John Dumire
PRA Hornets
RICHARD DICKENSON
MICHAEL KENNERLY
ZACHARY ASUMUNDEY
DILLAN SAUCER
PAUL CORBETT
BART PULSE
DYLAN GRICHARD
CHERISH WILSON
VALERIE WEST
TYLER ORGAN
JALANA PYNCH
DAVE SAUCER
SARAH HICKMAN
CHRIS BOYNTON
BURNIE BRYANT
RON JOHNSON
KC SCOTT
Ventura Raceway Unofficial race Results Seeptember 28
VRA Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #52V Trent Williams
2 #15 Rick Hendrix
3 #71 Brent Owens
4 #66 Chris Meredith
5 #2 Wally Pankratz
6 #27 Tyler Hatzikian
7 #3G Greg Andrews
8 #17s Nick Diani
9 #5J James Herrera
WMR Midgets
Results are not official
1 #22Q David Prickett
2 #10 Blake Bower
3 #6 Brandon Wiley
4 #8X Randi Pankratz
5 #58 Tyler Slay
6 #12H Rick Hendrix
7 #73X Greg Edenholm
8 #0FG David Raquenio
9 #71K Blake Hendricks
10 #50 Keoni Texeira
11 #26 Tim Foy
IMCA Modifieds
Results are not official
1 #28 Trevor Fitzgibbon
2 #38 Dennis Eckert
3 #08 Dave Phipps
4 #55jr Jack Parker
5 #11 Andrew Greiman
6 #69s James Stowe
7 #61 Donald Houghton
8 #34 Scott Olsen
9 #70 Terry Hershberger
10 #97 Kevin Hocking
VRA Dwarf Cars
Results are not official
1 #69 Johnny Conley
2 #0 Brad Curnel
3 #48 Trent Morley
4 #93 Jason Horton
5 #88 Jeff Brink
6 #6 Tim Conley
7 #18 Tom Morley
8 #28 Tony Pellegrino
9 #2 Tony Margott
10 #12 Cameron Russell
11 #99 Shane Linenberger
12 #10 Trevor Fitzgibbon
The Editor's Viewpoint
It's been a good time in Antioch for the last week. I've gotten to visit friends and see a good night of racing, and the visit is going to last a little while longer. I've had to adjust my plans as the special race I was hoping to see on October 11th and 12th has been moved back a week. I was debating weather I would be able to stay another week, but it looks like I will. There's a few things I'm curious about, and I think I need to be here.
The big race we were all talking about going into the season was the $12,000 to win event that John was planning to promote. We were all waiting on details, and as we got into July, it sounded like the details were finally going to come. John had people advising him to remove the date. Some were suggesting he could go back another week and others simply thought it would be better if he didn't book the race at all. I know he wanted to have this race and make this statement, and in my conversation with him, I discovered that he had landed some pretty significant sponsorship to help him with the purse.
There's a lot going on down here that people may be talking about, but I'm reluctant to comment on it too much. It's kind of one those things that has to happen before I put in my opinion on the matter. Chad Chadwick has been working in an official capacity at the speedway this year, and I'm sure everybody's heard the rumors. One of the things Chad was advising John against was running the race on October 11th and 12th, and his reason was because he wanted to stay off of the Budweiser Nationals at Bakersfield Speedway.
It seemed like John was close to making the big purse announcement when I spoke with him, but ultimately things went in another direction. Chad Chadwick took on the promotional duties for the big race, and the date announced was October 17th through the 19th. Chad even came up with an interesting name for the event, the West Coast Nationals. People who have been going to Antioch Speedway for a long time will recall that this was the name of the race that Antioch Speedway held for the Modified division in 1993 through 1997.
Chad wasn't going quite as high as John with the money to win, but the overall A Modified Main Event purse pencils in as more expensive than what John was going to pay overall for his race. Mind you, John was paying good money in his plans, but Chadwick is putting up something along the lines that would rival what John Skinner did at Southern Oregon Speedway with the race bearing his father's name. I call it a major gamble for a few reasons, and I'm nervous for Chad. Mind you, I want to see the race be successful, but I worry that it's going to be a big financial risk for Chad.
I know Chad's mindset, because although we didn't talk much when we spoke at the Chet Thomson Memorial, he uttered the phrase, "Make Antioch Speedway great again." He has goals in mind for this race and potentially for the track itself. Sticking with this race, he's looking at some of the big events that have happened through the years, and I know one of the inspirations he has is George Steitz. Everybody knows the races that George promoted at San Jose Speedway and Chowchilla Speedway. His races were more than just races. They were events. Everybody wanted to be there, not just because they thought they could win the races, but to hang out with friends that sometimes they didn't see since the previous big race.
I like the thought behind Chad's goal for this race. The Thursday portion on October 17th is more about a party atmosphere than racing. There is a practice session for a couple of hours, but then comes the barbecue, cornhole tournament and live music. The fun times will be on Thursday night before the serious racing gets going on Friday and Saturday. I don't know the specific details of this race as I write this, but I know that some positions will be filled for Saturday's feature race based on the results on Friday. Chad mentioned on an online radio show that there will be several opportunities for racers to make it into the big show.
One of my concerns with Chad's West Coast Nationals event is the lack of details and information that has been made available as I write this on Sunday night, September 29th. More details should be out there than there are, and when you talk about big money events that also require bigger entry fees, drivers like to know what's going on. Fans want to know how much money they're going to be paying to get in and exactly what they're going to see. The lack of details to date does not work in favor of success, in my opinion.
I know a lot can happen between now and then, and I know Chad was in Watsonville this past weekend recruiting. He'll probably be in Bakersfield the week before his big race recruiting again. Looking at the numbers at Watsonville for the Pat and Jim Pettit Memorial Shootout, the IMCA Modifieds produced just 39 cars. This is down almost 20 cars from last year. The R Charles Snyder Salute that paid $5,000 to win at Southern Oregon Speedway drew 30 IMCA Modifieds this year, down 10 cars from last year. Bakersfield, most likely, will produce around 40 cars, though this is just an estimate. With Sport Modifieds at $1,500 to win and $150 to start, getting 40 cars is a reasonable expectation.
The late start that Antioch is getting in this whole deal is what makes it a risk. You're talking $25,000 just for the A Modified Main Event purse on Saturday. Just for that one race. When George would do his big shows, he had things set up where there wasn't a big risk. He had the money to pay the bills, but his races had such a reputation that everybody wanted to be there. His purses were good, but I can assure you the racers paid them in the end. Because the George Steitz race meant fun times, everybody wanted to be there. This is sort of the vibe that has been established in nine years of running the Pettit Shootout race at Watsonville.
I get it. Chad looks at a show at Watsonville or Bakersfield or even what we've done at Southern Oregon Speedway and says, "Why can't we do this at Antioch Speedway? Why can't we do it bigger and better?" Admirable goals. Honestly, I think the race can be a success. When I say that, I think the chances are good that Chad will lose money in this first year. The question is, how much? You have certain numbers you're going to need to reach in the pits and the grandstands, and I'm just not sure it can happen. For a Main Event purse like he's paying the A Modifieds, you want 60 or more cars in the pits in that division alone, and I don't think that's where we're at. 40 is doable, 50 has an outside shot. The late start in getting the word out has hurt the cause.
When I say that this can be a success when it loses money, there are other ways to look at it. If this is an investment towards a change in the future of the speedway, you concentrate on making the event the most successful you can make it. If you were to get 40 cars in both Modified classes, giving you a pit of 80 cars or maybe a few more, coupled with a grandstand that maybe gets 800 or 1000 people on Saturday, you've already created somewhat of a perception that Antioch is a really racy facility. If the races put on that night are successful, people will leave talking about what a good time they had and what a good show it was. In those terms, it could be a success. Financially speaking, I don't see how.
As a freelance writer who has served in an unofficial capacity as Antioch Speedway Publicity Director for the past four seasons, I'd like to be doing more to help the cause here. I simply don't want to be wrong in the statements I make. If there is something I can do in the next few weeks, you better believe I will try. My concern is that people have already made their postseason plans. They scheduled for Watsonville, Bakersfield, some are even planning to be at Merced and then you have Las Vegas. One more race being put put on the schedule, and not even announced until September, makes it more of a challenge to get the racers.
Will the racers come? Certainly some will. The bounty hunters going after the big prize money, the racers who just want to be part of an event. There will be cars, and there will be fans. If the weather holds, the show will go on. There has been some talk about adding the Hobby Stock division into the equation, but as I'm writing this, I don't think that has happened yet. If the rules were relaxed a little bit, I could see several cars coming and 30 or more Hobby Stocks being there. This would give Antioch a pit of somewhere in the area of 110 or more cars, which are numbers this track hasn't seen since 2000. It would certainly be cool, although the pit space that's used these days wouldn't be enough to accommodate such a turnout. They'd have to open the side gate as we did back then. But, what a cool problem that would be.
I certainly see why Chad would refrain from putting Hobby Stocks on the schedule. Concentrate on the two Modified classes, keeping the show moving and smooth and giving the fans a good show. It might be a case of too much if you were to add anything more. You want to leave them wanting more and feeling very entertained. The date has been announced, but I fear more needs to be done to get people excited and ready to come out here for this show. Maybe there's something that can be done to really spank the interest, but that remains to be seen. I hope so. I know that I'll be here on the scene to check everything out, and certainly I'll do what I can to help.
Of course, one of the central reasons why I'm down here right now is the October 5th Donna Soares Memorial Hall of Fame night. I've come here to try to establish the Hall of Fame for Antioch Speedway, and this is the second year of that effort. There are some things that I need to do to help with the weekend. The plaques have already been ordered and are here. The clippings for the display boards need to be printed and put on the boards, which is about a day's worth of work. As the MC of the ceremony, I need to go over my notes a little bit more. Otherwise, I think we're good for what should be an exciting weekend.
There is still work that needs to be done. I don't like to carry the burden of making the entire Hall of Fame happen myself. Frankly, I'm amazed that I've been able to organize things from Oregon, come down here and be able to help see it through. However, more people need to be involved in the Hall of Fame process. While I've asked for the opinions of many people who have knowledge on the subject and took lots of things into consideration before ultimately coming up with a list of inductees, there needs to be a committee to really go through these lists and create more of the consensus for who goes in in the future.
What I said last year I believe to be the case. If we sat around here haggling over everything, it wouldn't have been done. The Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame effort needed somebody to step in, grab the bull by the horns and do what needed to be done. However, to make it truly pop and become what it can be for this race track, there needs to be a committee. There needs to be planning behind what Hall of Fame night really is. Hall of Fame night needs to be featured prominently on the schedule, rather than announced during the season with details coming bit by bit. It deserves better than that. When it comes to the committee, I hope to announce some names soon, but I want to make sure the people I'm looking at want to be involved in the process. I don't want to put anybody on the spot as this will be a commitment.
My thing is I want Hall of Fame night to continue on if I'm not involved with it. I'm not saying I don't plan on being involved with it, but if that day comes, I want to know that it will happen and the greats of Antioch Speedway past will continue to be honored. I could see me stepping away from a committee roll and into an advisory role, having the committee make the decisions. This is not my Hall of Fame, but it's Antioch Speedway's Hall of Fame. I've simply done the best I can to help put this event on the map. I'm very excited by the fact that once again we'll have people flying in from out of state to be here. My ultimate goal is that some of the old drivers from the past and their family members start coming back out here and racing again one day as this event helps get more people involved at the speedway.
I like my display boards idea, which isn't my idea. As I've mentioned before, Kurt and Denny Deatherage introduced myself and Mike McCann to the idea when they helped us get the Southern Oregon Speedway Hall of Fame going three years ago. They've been doing that at Cottage Grove for over a decade. Each year, there will be more boards added with clippings and photos from the old days. I want fans to be able to walk along the fences and look at some of the old stories of days gone by. With 59 consecutive seasons in the books, this race track has a rich history that should be celebrated.
When I talk about a committee, it's not just about who gets inducted into the Hall of Fame. A committee could then decide how Hall of Fame night should proceed. Should induction ceremonies continue during the intermission, or should there be a pre-race induction ceremony picnic such as Bay Cities Racing Association did? Then, inductees could be introduced to the fans during intermission, rather than doing the whole ceremony then. Plus, some of the old timers who might not be up for a night at the races can simply gather beforehand and tell old racing stories. It's a thought, anyway.
The other thought is some sort of monument at the facility paying tribute to the heritage of this race track. Maybe alongside the main grandstand there is some sort of plaque or board that lists champions or Hall of Fame members or both? This would be something that people could see, so whenever somebody asks who is in the Hall of Fame, they need only look to the board to see. How the board would go up, what the design would be and all of that would be up to the committee. As I said, this is much more than one person should be handling alone.
I'm glad I can be here for this weekend to help Hall of Fame night and to celebrate the memory of Donna Soares. It's been almost a year since we lost her, and we all miss her. I'm glad that the Hall of Fame and the Donna Soares Memorial could happen on the same weekend, and perhaps that's the way it will be going forward? I know it will be a bittersweet evening for John. He was married to her for 50 years, and they started Oval Motorsports here at Antioch Speedway in 1998. She ran the front office, and I know it's not the same without her. This will be the event that closes the championship season.
I know there's going to be speculation about the future of the track and where things are headed. I don't know the answer to any of those questions. I'm hopeful of getting an answer or two before my trip ends, but that's not a guarantee. I'm grateful to John for keeping the gates open at this race track for as long as he has, and people don't know that he's taken financial losses in doing just that. The cost of running this race track, the needs that it has and the challenges of keeping racers happy have not gotten easier as the years have gone by. Though I don't think anybody's threatening to close the gates on this place just yet, the next person in line behind John will have a challenge keeping them open. I can just be hopeful that it will turn out well in the end. As for what will happen here in the immediate future, I'm not going to speculate.
Personally, I'm open to all of the possibilities that may be here. If there's a change in my location, I'm open to what that might be. I've given four good years to Southern Oregon Speedway, and I could give a fifth if need be. There's work to be done up there, and I do feel very much a part of some good things that have happened in the last four years. On the other hand, if my old home track needs me and I'm able to safely make the move back to my old home area, I'm open to that as well. The likelihood of me being involved in the sport in 2020 is still very good, but there will still be some changes in what I do.
I don't have a busy media day today, but there are still a few articles that need to go out. I'm writing this column when I should probably be working on editing stories. One thing I don't see me doing in 2020 is 14 different race tracks. I think I've proven what can be done. I think I've proven media outlets are interested in getting news results from their local race tracks. I've also proven that the race tracks aren't necessarily interested in hiring somebody to do the job. I've proven that it's a lot of work, there is no money in it and I don't feel the need to kill myself doing this. So, there would be a little media effort along with me working at a track next year. Several tracks probably won't make the cut. If it's a case of me not getting paid, but it's not too much of a difficulty writing about a track, it may stay. Certain other tracks will fall by the wayside. I'll make those determinations later.
I mentioned Watsonville and their big show. They had some 100 cars on Friday night and over 110 on Saturday. I know Tom Sagmiller was busy trying to keep that track in shape, and they had some very racy conditions on Saturday when the bigger money was on the line. All in all, it was an entertaining show, and this one will end up being the biggest race of the year once again for John Prentice as promoter. I know the guy does Sprint Car racing and will continue to do so, but this year he had three rather attractive big Stock Car type events. I don't see him changing his philosophy. I also can't help thinking that Jim and Pat Pettit would be proud of the show that went on last weekend.
Sometimes you need to know when to walk away on a winning note. Siskiyou Golden Speedway had roughly 60 competitors for the Rod Restad Memorial two weeks ago. I kind of felt that was the night to go out on, and I think I said that. However, Kevin Barba has decided to let it ride all the way through October. This last weekend was by far not a success for the track in terms of putting on a quality show for the fans. Since Kevin is there to try to turn around the program and get fans to come, I'm not really sure this was the kind of show that helped that cause.
There were less than 20 competitors for the event, and this included a Late Model division that wasn't even advertised. Yes, it was probably pretty cool to see the five Medford Late Models that showed up. The problem is, when you have a division of that caliber, you want to let the fans know that they are going to be there. Simply saying any division that brings cars is welcome to come race is not a recipe for attracting fans to come. They will show up or not based on what you normally have, and that is a hit-and-miss process. Sometimes you get a decent car count and sometimes it isn't so much.
I don't say this to put down Kevin or the track and the effort being made. As I said, the Rod Restad race was a highlight or maybe even the highlight of the year. This is the race people leave talking about. To come back with a number as low as it was last week almost takes away from the good that happened the week before. I get it, because Southern Oregon Speedway had over 100 cars for the R Charles Snyder Salute and followed that up with a dismal showing the next week. We ended strong, but that race after the big show has always been a trouble spot on the Southern Oregon Speedway schedule.
I sort of feel like planning should be underway to get cars. The fact that they are saying any division wanting to race is welcome to come race might be nice, but maybe some out reach with the drivers off track would be better in that effort? Holding a meeting or something like that? The IMCA Modifieds are there for the taking, but the track has to make the commitment if they know how to go about it.
Trying to pluck a Late Model show or even a Sprint Car show from Southern Oregon Speedway sounds tempting, but if you can't pay the money Southern Oregon Speedway pays, what will you get? The other way to look at it is, if racers choose to go down the road for less money, can they really expect their home track to pay them what they are getting paid? Just a thought.
Like I said, I was just disappointed to see the numbers being as low as they were, though not surprised. They made this plan to go into October when the schedule was announced, and I think part of that was because they looked at all the tracks in Oregon closing down and thought perhaps they might get a few drivers from there. The problem is people take their hunting season very seriously and their cars get parked. Regardless, they're going to try again this Saturday night, and I do wish them luck. As somebody who's been trying to hype up the program, however, it's challenging to tell people what's coming when you're not even sure as the schedule isn't 100% set yet.
I don't want to go on and on, and I hope I'm not being too negative here. It's a challenge making a race track work these days. I do notice the tracks that are working together and the tracks that aren't. A glaring example is Bakersfield and Watsonville, which ran on top of each other last week. I would say Bakersfield ran on top of Watsonville as Watsonville was the big show. Bakersfield pinned their IMCA Modified and IMCA Sport Sport Modified drivers home for points, meaning there might have been a few more drivers in Watsonville had they not had to stay home for points. Watsonville will have Hobby Stocks and IMCA Sport Modifieds this next Friday night, which is the opening night of the big Bakersfield show. However, my guess is that those who want to go to Bakersfield will just go. I'm thinking the Sprint Car portion of the Watsonville show will turn out well.
Petaluma Speedway will have the Adobe Cup $5,000 to win Winged 360 Sprint Car show, and I'm sure they'll get some good numbers. Even with $1,500 on the line for the Bob McCoy Memorial Super Stock race, I'm not so sure who will come racing. I like the Tri State Pro Stock Challenge thing that is being created, and I have suggested to their leaders that they at least send somebody to Petaluma to check things out and see if there's any potential for a race there. To me, this would be a natural race for that series, that is if Rick Faeth is open to the idea. I would suspect a dozen Petaluma regulars, maybe a couple more. Plus, a few visitors from out of town. Will they hit 20? I don't know. I hope so.
It looks like the Interstate Sprint Car Series got hit with a little car count fatigue. When I saw that Coos Bay Speedway's race last weekend was not to be for points, I knew that several racers would have an excuse not to go. Still, I doubt Drake Nelson was too disappointed with 17 racers. They got enough of a show out of that, though the Dwarf Cars basically laid an egg. This was going to be a joint race between two groups, but only five cars showed up. However, fans got to see Sprint Cars and fireworks, and I don't think people were disappointed in that.
Weather turns the corner in Oregon in October. As I said, or maybe complained, racing season only really gets about four good months in Oregon. You might book from April through September, but you will get rained out. Go into October in Oregon and you may be screwing yourself, unless you're one of the pavement tracks. This coming Saturday night is the Prather family Lucas Oil Open at Coos Bay Speedway, and it's a $2,000 to win Super Late Model show. They also have Dirt Modifieds and Street Stocks for $1,000 to win. If the weather holds, I suspect there should be a decent turnout, but you really never know with these things. For Oregonians who like their dirt track racing, this is their final show before things come to an end for the year.
They were racing at Orland and Chico this last weekend. It was the big Fall Classic weekend, and Silver Dollar Speedway pulled in roughly 50 competitors for the two-day Sprint Car event. It's a rather big event for them, and you get a glimpse of the glory days of that race track on a weekend like that. I'm happy to see that happen for them. Chico has some marquee Sprint Car events during their season, but sometimes the regular weekly program is lacking a little bit in the other classes. Still, it can never get better unless you've got somebody at the helm keeping it going. I give them credit for that.
Orland Raceway is doing pretty well these days, in my opinion. I know I say this a lot, but the track really was on the verge of being closed down for the 2016 season. There were soccer fields being built, and some people on the fair board thought that was the direction for the future. I give Rich Hood and his crew credit because they did step forward to make a difference. Rich probably would have been happier running his Pure Stock as he had in previous seasons, but I know he wanted to give other racers the opportunity to enjoy that race track as he had. Somebody had to step forward, and he was the one who did.
They ended their point season last weekend with another solid turnout for the Pure Stocks. Honestly, the Pure Stock program they've had there compares well to any in the state. Furthermore, the Wingless Spec Sprint show, which wrapped up its point season on September 14th, has turned in numbers far better than I thought they would get this year. I know the money isn't big in Orland, but either Rich has stepped things up a little bit or racers just want to race. Maybe Chico dropping the class prior to this season was a blessing in disguise for Orland? The Pure Stocks and Wingless Spec Sprints give this track a nice 1-2 punch.
I don't know who won the Pure Stock championship battle, but I know it was close. Points take a few days to come out, but Orland has been better about putting them up on their Facebook page this year than they have in the previous few seasons. I suspect Phil Spencer will come out ahead by one or two points, but he and Keith Ross had a real good battle all season long.
More can be done at Orland in the effort to put the word out and really hype that show up, and I think that's an area that will translate into maybe getting a few more butts in the seats. We do what we can here with the media effort and have been getting them in the newspapers, and I think that does help as well. The more you engage the fans with information and sell your racers to the public, the better it can get.
Rich has engaged in smart growth with this program, adding a nice little touch here or there every season since he got there. The final program will happen on October 12th with the Third Annual Battle Of The Axles. This race will pay $1,000 to the Pure Stock winner, $500 to win in the Mini Stock, Mini Truck and Wingless Spec Sprint features and a $1,200 to win Destruction Derby. My curiosity is that the Spec Sprints don't warrant a slightly better pay to win based on the car count they delivered this year, but maybe Rich is looking at how things go this week and will adjust accordingly in the future?
This is what I say about a promoter at a race track. He takes the risk to keep those gates open. I know there's probably not a lot of money in the budget at Orland, so smart investments are what keeps the show going. Every track has to deal with this, and there are a lot of armchair promoters out there who will critique a promoter any which way when the slightest thing goes wrong. It's a sometimes thankless position where you're more likely to hear vocal criticisms against you than praise for the good that you do. If you're not doing it because you love it, it will quickly burn you out. You have to believe that what you're doing is for the greater good when the criticism really comes your way.
A lot more I could say on this topic, but I've been saying a little bit here and there in recent weeks. At least we have these tracks open to talk about. As I sit here in the office wrapping up this column, the thought occurs to me about possibly revising a special edition of Racing Wheels, which is owned by John M Soares. We've discussed this matter for a few years, and my thinking was we could print a limited edition that could be on sale at the track for this week's event and the big West Coast Nationals. I've been mulling this idea over in my head for a couple of months now, to be honest with you.
There's that idea in the back of my head that always comes back to me when I know times have changed. Wouldn't it be cool to see a printed racing magazine like Racing Wheels or the publication that I did for years? The other thing that always helps me put the brakes on the idea is the fact that this is real work. I work my butt off on this blog as it is, and putting a magazine together doesn't come that much easier. Okay, so I throw a special edition together just to say Racing Wheels still exists over a decade after it went out of publication. Then what?
Next thing is, they want to see a magazine and there's nobody else lining up to do one, so who gets nominated? Yeah, maybe it's not the best idea. Lots of work to be done to make something like that happen, and once again it's not something that you'll see a lot of return of investment for the time you put in. I know the media effort makes a difference. I know hyping things up and engaging the fans and the racers in all of this stuff matters. If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't be sitting here at a ridiculous time in the morning working on another article. I never would have done any of this at all. Still, it would have been cool to do that one issue, just to say I did it.
In any event, I'm going to have to edit a long enough column as it is, so I'm shutting up. Until next time...
