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Chadwick Wins Donna Soares Memorial Race
At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...October 5...Kellen Chadwick won the 20 lap A Modified Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. This was the Donna Soares Memorial race, and it's a special race that pays tribute to the co-founder of Oval Motorsports. Donna and Promoter John M Soares were married for 50 years and started promoting Antioch Speedway in 1998. It was the third win of the season for Chadwick, and he collected $1,500 for his effort.
Chadwick started up front and bolted out to a big lead over Bobby Hogge IV at the start. After a yellow flag on the fifth lap, Hogge made it a close battle with Chadwick for a few laps. However, Hogge surrendered second to Bakersfield Speedway champion Robby Sawyer on a lap 12 restart. Despite three more yellow flags, Chadwick continued to maintain his rapid pace on each restart and brought it home to an impressive victory. Sawyer finished second ahead of Jeff Decker, Bobby Motts Jr and Fred Ryland.
Jimmy Robbins won the 20 lap Limited Late Model Main Event. This was his second win of the season. Jon Haney charged into the early lead over Mike Gustafson and Mike Walko. A high pass in Turn 2 of the fifth lap gained Robbins third, and he charged underneath Gustafson down the backstretch on lap six for second. Gustafson retired moments later, and the only yellow flag waved for Chad Hammer in Turn 3. Haney continued to lead Robbins on the restart, but Robbins made a low move in Turn 4 on lap nine for the lead. Walko gained second a lap later as Haney pitted. Robbins stretched his winning advantage to a straightaway over Walko at the checkered flag. Michael Burch used a season-best third place finish to claim second in the standings as Brian Zachary and Kimo Oreta rounded out the Top 5. Oreta is the division champion.
Richard Papenhausen won the 20 lap DIRTcar Late Model Main Event. This was his seventh win of the season as he wrapped up his third track championship. Rod Oliver led three laps before Papenhausen made an inside pass in Turn 2 to take the lead. As Oliver and Mike Hynes battled for second for a few laps, Papenhausen stretched his advantage to half a lap at the checkered flag. Division championship runnerup Oliver settled for second ahead of Hynes, Shawn DeForest and Buddy Kniss.
Bob Brown won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was the first visit of the season for the former Street Stock and Modified racer. Josh Leach set the early pace ahead of new champion Chris Sorensen. Brown moved into fifth on lap six, and he gained third on a lap seven restart. Brown had just made a Turn 4 pass on Sorensen on lap 12 when heavy traffic on the frontstretch slowed Leach. Brown beat him back to the line for the lead. Leach spun on the backstretch on lap 16 as Sorensen gained second. However, Bob Brown would go on to win ahead of Sorensen, Beanna Troen, Ken Johns and Lori Brown.
Promoter John Soares won the 10 lap Bay Area Hardtop Main Event. Soares is the only driver in track history to win a Main Event in every decade of the track's 59 year run. Soares shared the front row with Dave Mackey and led him early. Joel Hannagan raced by Mackey on the inside in Turn 4 of the third lap for second. Hannagan kept working the inside and a couple times pulled even with Soares down the straightaway. On the final lap, Hannagan made contact with Soares in Turn 2, but he got off the gas as Soares regained his momentum. Soares led Hannagan through the final turn for the win. Mackey finished third ahead of Matt Dragoon.
During intermission, the track inducted 15 people into the Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame. This year's inductees included Richard Johnson, Dennis Furia, Bruce Curl, Jerry Garner, Ken Gonderman, Dennis Close, Lyle Lister, Dave Logan, Larry Damitz, Jim Pettit II, Charlie Zeno, Bill Bowers, Vic Noon, Gerry Delanoy and Gary Jacob.
This wraps up the point season. On October 18th and 19th, the West Coast Nationals Event will take place. A Modifieds and B Modifieds will be competing for a big purse on October 19th. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
All Star Series Antioch Speedway
A Modifieds
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Robby Sawyer, Jeff Decker, Buddy Kniss, Chris Sieweke. Main Event (20 Laps)-Kellen Chadwick, Robby Sawyer, Jeff Decker, Bobby Motts Jr, Fred Ryland, Anthony Giuliani, Shawn DeForest, John MacDougall, Ricky Thatcher, Jeremy Crebs.
DIRTcar Late Models
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Richard Papenhausen, Shawn DeForest. Main Event (20 Laps)-Richard Papenhausen, Rod Oliver, Mike Hynes, Matt Micheli, Buddy Kniss, Shawn DeForest, Kimo Oreta.
Limited Late Models
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Kimo Oreta, Michael Burch. Main Event (20 Laps)-Jimmy Robbins, Mike Walko, Michael Burch, Brian Zachary, Kimo Oreta, Jon Haney, Chad Hammer, Mike Gustafson, John Evans DNS.
Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Tommy Clymens Jr, Todd Gomez, Bob Brown, Jacob Mallett Jr. Main Event (20 Laps)-Bob Brown, Chris Sorensen, Breanna Troen, Ken Johns, Lori Brown, Will Buirch, Larry MacKinzie, Joey Ridgeway, Jason Robles, Ricky Foster.
Bay Area Hardtops
Heat Winner (6 Laps)-Joel Hannagan. Main Event (20 Laps)-John M Soares, Joel Hannagan, Dave Mackey, Matt Dragoon, Terry DeCarlo (DNS).
USAC Sprint Cars And Dwarf Cars Headline
Petaluma Speedway Event
Petaluma, CA...On the heels of the successful Adobe Cup event last Saturday night, Promoter Rick Faeth has another exciting event lined up for Petaluma Speedway this Saturday night. The exciting USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars will be making an appearance. Joining them will be a special blowout Dwarf Car event featuring the local General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars and the Watsonville based South Bay Dwarf Car group. The Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros make this a three division program.
It's been an exciting season for the USAC West Coast Sprint Cars, and there are just three point races remaining. With three feature victories to his credit, Tristan Gaurdino leads the championship battle by a very comfortable margin over Ryan Timmons. In fact, Timmons also has over a 100 point advantage over third-ranked Koen Shaw. With only the event at Las Vegas remaining on November 27th and 28th, it's likely that the Top 3 will finish in that order.
USAC Sprint Cars were scheduled to be a part of the May 18th program at Petaluma, but the weather had other ideas. Saturday night gives the USAC stars another opportunity to run on the fast 3/8 mile adobe oval. Not surprisingly, local star Chase Johnson counts himself among the winners this year with his victory in Bakersfield. The winner's list also includes Brody Roa, Jake Swanson, reigning champion Austin Liggett, Troy Rutherford and Kaleb Montgomery. Liggett has three victories to his credit, while Rutherford and Swanson both have a pair of wins.
A field of anywhere from 16 to 24 competitors is anticipated, and some of the stars of the series include TJ Smith, JJ Ringo, Hannah Mayhew, Austin Irvine and Slater Helt. It's just likely that there could be some Petaluma regulars in the field, and some potential candidates include Colby Johnson, Norm Johns, Shawn Arriaga and Bradley Terrell.
The Dwarf Cars should have an even bigger field with count likely to reach into the 30s as the Redwood Dwarf Cars do battle with the South Bay competitors. Dwarf Cars have been putting on some of the biggest car counts this year in Petaluma, and this should make for an exciting night of racing. With twin 25 Main Events on the schedule and a purse of $3,500, not only will this attract the top stars from both groups, you can anticipate stars from elsewhere in the area to come to Petaluma.
Chad Matthias won the Redwood Dwarf Car championship. This is his second championship in the group, and he battled fiercely this season with the likes of Mark Hanson, Marcus Hardina, Matt Hagermann, previous champion Scooter Gomes, Kevin Miraglio and Mike Affonso. The competition level has been high in this division, and Petaluma proudly hosted one of the Western States Dwarf Car National events earlier this year. Faeth sees the value in promoting big races for this division.
With the South Bay Dwarf Car Association, Mark Biscardi has been very fast this year and won more races than anybody else. This led to his second series championship after battling with the likes of Ryan Amlen, Eric Weisler and multi-time champion Gene "Punky" Pires. Shawn Jones seems to have no trouble going from group to group and picking up wins, and he has victories with both groups this season. Should he be there this week, he could be the driver to beat.
The 600 Micro Sprint division featured one of the closest point battles at the speedway this year. Ultimately, the consistent Justin Adiego won the title by 12 points over Nick Robfogel. Adiego had all Top 5 finishes in his eight starts. Robfogel won five times, but those were the only Top 5 finishes that he had. One-time winner Kyle Grissom ranked third in the standings ahead of Rob Brown and Carroll Mendenhall. These Five drivers are anticipated this week, and others to watch for include Sam Borland, Anton Gianini, Jaromie Charon, Amber Fields and Trevor Mendenhall. Only the Top 3 point competitors and Koen Shaw have feature wins this year, and it's possible that Shaw could be going for his second win as he's anticipated for the Wingless 360 Sprint portion of the program.
Petaluma Speedway will be bringing more open-wheel excitement this weekend, and this three-division show should fill the fans' need for speed. There's still one event left to go on October 19th before the curtain comes down on what has been an exciting season. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Becker Impresses With Adobe Cup Win
At Petaluma Speedway
Petaluma, CA...October 5...Sean Becker won the Eighth Annual Adobe Cup 30 lap Main Event for the PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. Becker is a five-time champion at Silver Dollar Speedway. He turned in an impressive performance by winning both of his heat races and setting a new track record in qualifying. The win paid $5,000 for Becker, while Kalib Henry settled for a $2,000 second place finish.
Becker and Henry shared the front row for the Main Event, and Henry jumped into the early lead. When Henry got sideways exiting Turn 2 on the eighth lap, Becker moved by to gain the lead. After a quick yellow flag early on, the race ran 20 non-stop green flag laps with Becker mastering slower traffic to maintain his advantage over Henry. Tony Gualda ran closely behind Henry in third. After the second and final yellow flag on lap 21, it seemed as if Becker hit the afterburners on the restart. He quickly pulled away from Henry and caught slower traffic in four laps. Becker was not to be denied as he posted the victory ahead of Henry, Gualda, Colby Copeland, Andy Forsberg, Bradley Terrell, Justin Sanders, Colby Johnson, Trent Canales and Brett Rollag.
There were 29 Sprint Cars for this show, and the format called for drivers to draw for their heat race lineups coming through the gate. They also got a second set of heat races with the starting lineup inverted from the first line up. Passing points and finishing points determined the Top 8 who would go into qualifying and where everybody else would line up. The first set 10 lap heat race wins went to Justyn Cox, Copeland, Rollag and Becker. The second round of heat race victories went to DJ Freitas, Henry, Gualda and Becker. Becker blistered to 3/8 mile adobe oval with a time of 12.044. This became a new track record for the division. Johnson won a spirited duel with Freitas for the 12 lap B Main victory as Jonathan Henry finished third.
Shane DeVolder won the 40 lap Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stock Main Event. This was the Third Annual Bob McCoy Memorial race, and the win paid $1,500 to DeVolder aboard the Paul and Nadine Hanley owned car. Much of the race, however, looked to belong to champion Mitch Machado. Machado had the lead from the start ahead of Richard Brace Jr and Matt While. They ran that way through 14 laps before the yellow flag waved for previous Bob McCoy Memorial winner Mike Learn. Machado continued to lead Brace and Danny Naron on the restart. A yellow flag at the halfway point of the race flew when Steve Studebaker got sideways trying to avoid DeVolder in Turn 4, resulting in a pile up of five cars. During the yellow flag, Brace retired from the race and McCoy, While and Naron pitted.
Suddenly, DeVolder found himself second for the restart. Machado was doing a good job of leading the way, though his car continued to backfire. DeVolder was about a half straightaway behind in second with Studebaker in third. A yellow flag waved on lap 35 for Corey Hall in Turn 4. Machado continued to lead on restart, but he soon began to slow. After leading the 38th lap, Machado coasted through the second turn as DeVolver grabbed the lead. DeVolder would lead the final two laps for the unexpected win. Studebaker placed second ahead of While, Ryan Cherezian and Brent Lawrence. Machado was scored sixth ahead of Bill Hall, Coery Hall, Naron and Brace. The eight lap heat race wins went to DeVolder and Learn.
Racing will continue next Saturday night with a visit from the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars. The General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars will hold a shootout event with the South Bay Dwarf Cars that will include twin 25 lap Main Events and an increased purse for them. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Third Annual Battle Of The Axles
At Orland Raceway Saturday Night
Orland, CA...With championship racing having concluded, Orland Raceway has a special show to wrap up the 2019 season. It's the Third Annual Battle Of The Axles. This is a special event that pays an increased purse to the divisions involved. On the schedule this Saturday night will be the Pure Stocks, Wingless Spec Sprints, Mini Stocks, Mini Trucks and a special $1,200 to win Destruction Derby.
The Pure Stocks will also be offering up a $1,200 first prize, and second even receives a tidy sum of $500. All season long, Phil Spencer and past Mini Truck champion Keith Ross had a nip and tuck battle for the championship. It was extremely close in the end as Spencer held on to a two point lead. With the stress of point racing out of the way, both will have their eyes on the big prize this Saturday night.
However, it just may be that past Mini Stock champion Wes Smock and Kevin Pendergrass are the divers to beat this week. Both have been fast during the second half of the season, and Smock has won several races. Pendergrass closed the point season with an impressive win of his own. Paul Stephens and fellow past champion Steve Martin will be giving it a good run for the money. These two, along with John Camper, were Top 5 ranked this season.
The lure of the increased purse could result in stars from Marysville, Chico and Placerville coming to Orland. Past Placerville champion Dan Jinkerson won this race two years ago and would certainly offer formidable competition. Local stars such as 2017 champion Jeremy Langenderfer, James Taylor, Maurice Merrill, Thomas Pavlik and Shannon Collins are among the other stars to watch for.
Tony Richards gave it a valiant effort this year, but he was simply unable to overcome the mechanical failure that kept him from starting the season opener. Though Richards won most of the Wingless Spec Sprint races, the consistent Denny McNary won the championship. Both drivers will have their eyes on the $500 prize this week. Doug Butterfield won the point finale and could offer a challenge this week, as could multi-time champion Josh Jacobo, Josh Tucker, Jerry Douglas and the Top 5 ranked RJ Baker, Cort Marchuck and Jeremy Langenderfer.
The Mini Stocks and Mini Trucks will get a shot at a $500 winner's prize as well. Tom Davis has won just about every race he's started on the way to his third-straight Mini Stock championship. He may be the driver to beat, but John Kirkpatrick, Jason Libbee, Barbara Crain, Dusty Hills and Tammy Whicker will be out to evict Davis from the winner's circle.
Meanwhile, Kalvin Kvalvick was a three-time winner and the Mini Truck champion, while second-ranked William Fogle won the season finale. Multi-time winner and 2016 champion Dan Webster has been fast all season long, and hard chargers like Dan Libbee, James Wooddell, Anthony Esquaville, Beau Chandler and Tony Quinones are among the others searching for the bigger payday.
Though they aren't on this weekend's schedule, the speedway will be honoring 600 Micro Sprint champion Tyler Rockwell and 250 Micro champion Mike McCarthy at the upcoming awards banquet.
In the meantime, this Saturday's show will offer great racing for increased prize money. The show will end with a bang as the Destruction Derby is sure to thrill the crowd. For further information, go to the Orland Raceway Facebook page.
Sanders Wins Sprint Car Feature, Ringo Champion
At Ocean Speedway
Watsonville, CA...October 4...Justin Sanders won the 30 lap Ocean Sprint Car Main Event Friday night on championship night at Ocean Speedway. This was the sixth win of the season for the 2015 champion, but all eyes were on the battle between Bud Kaeding and James Ringo for the division championship. Ringo would lead Kaeding for most of the race, only to be passed by Kaeding with just four laps remaining. Misfortune struck Kaeding moments later, and Ringo would use a fourth place finish to clinch his first ever championship.
As the winner of the six lap Trophy Dash, Sanders had the pole for the feature race and charged into the lead at the start ahead of three-time champion Brad Furr. Colby Copeland settled into third on lap five. A yellow flag bunched the field on lap 15, but Sanders resumed command on the restart. Ringo was running in fourth at that time, but a low pass in Turn 4 of the 26th lap gained Kaeding that position. As they worked the 28th lap and were in slower traffic, Kaeding rode over the wheels of one of the slower cars and rolled down the backstretch to end his race. Sanders remained in control on the restart and brought it home to the impressive win. Furr settled for second ahead of Copeland. Ringo solidified his championship effort with a fourth place finish, followed by Joey Ancona, Petaluma champion John Clark, Koen Shaw, Trent Canales, Jeremy Chisum and Tristan Gaurdino.
Furr was the quickest of 22 qualifiers with a lap of 11.582 beating the 11.601 Sanders. They ran three eight lap heat races with Jake Hagopian, Copeland and Keith Day Jr claiming the victories. Sanders outran Furr to win the six lap trophy Dash.
Mounce Wraps Up IMCA Sport Modified Championship With Win
Jarrod Mounce won the 20 IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. This was his third win of the season as he wrapped up the division championship. Adriane Frost had the outside front row starting position for the feature race and charged into the lead at the green flag. Mounce took second from Kenny Shrader on lap two before a yellow flag slowed the pace. Frost continued to lead Mounce and Tyler Rodgers on the restart. Mounce slipped past Frost for the lead on lap six. Frost ran closely with Mounce and briefly regained the lead on lap 10. However, Mounce moved back ahead for good on lap 14. Mounce was a happy winner ahead of Frost, Shrader, Rodgers, Stephen Allee, Randy Miller, Jim DiGiovanni, Travis Slayter, John Ferro and Charlie Hunter. Shrader and Frost were the eight lap heat race winners.
Hagio Returns For Hobby Stock Victory
Doug Hagio won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was the first win of the season for the past Street Stock champion. Hagio set the pace from the waving of the green flag ahead of Terry Traub. There were three yellow flags during the midpoint of the race, but Hagio maintained his lead over Traub on each restart. They finished in that order with six-time division champion Sam Kennedy in third, followed by Tony Oliveira, Jerry Skelton, Joe Gallaher, Norm Ayers, Jill Noebel and Kevin Counterman. Wally Kennedy and Gallaher won their respective eight lap heat races, but Kennedy ended up scratching from the Main Event.
McClelland Wins Four Banger Main Event
Ryan McClelland won the 20 lap Four Banger Main Event. This was the second win of the season for McClelland, who started on the outside front row. McClelland was challenged early on by Ray Bunn and Kelly Campanile, but he had the lead for good by the lap five restart. A late yellow flag on lap 15 bunched the field, but McClelland remained in control on the restart. He pulled away in the waning laps to win ahead of Bunn, 11th starter John Grilli, Nicole Beardsley, Kate Beardsley, Campanile, Bill Beardsley, Tony Gullo, Jeff Kessinger and Nick Petruzzi. Bunn and Gullo were the eight lap heat race winners.
This wraps up the 60th championship season at the speedway. For news and other information on the track, go to www.racepmg.com.
Central Valley Mini Stocks Return to
Lemoore Raceway Saturday Night
Lemoore, CA...The House of JuJu Central Valley Mini Stocks make their final appearance of the season at Lemoore Raceway this Saturday night. The event is CC Biker night, presented by Papa's Place. Joining the Mini Stocks on the 1/5 mile dirt oval will be the VRA Dwarf Cars.
Lemoore Raceway is where the Central Valley Mini Stocks got started with an exhibition race at the end of the 2016 season. Each year, the group has grown, and that has enabled them to expand beyond Lemoore to other area racing venues. With seven races in the books this year, Dan Myrick is leading the championship charge by 61 points over Gene Glover. While Myrick is a feature winner this season, Glover has managed to finish as high as third.
The Mini Stocks had an entertaining show last time they were at Lemoore. The 14 Main Event competitors ran 25 laps without a yellow flag interruption. Although reigning champion Greg Baronian went on to win his second feature race of the season, Dan Myrick made it close when they hit heavy traffic. Myrick would settle for second, while Ryan Blank earned yet another third place finish. Baronian isn't in the championship chase this season as he got off to a late start. He wasn't even planning to race, but last minute changes in his schedule enabled to him to make a return.
Blank is only three points behind Glover in a close race for second in the standings. With championship point fund money on the line for the Top 10 finishers, thanks to House of JuJu of Clovis and Morro Bay, drivers are still jockeying for position. For much of the season, Darren Wilson has held the second spot in the standings. Wilson was the winner of the season opener at Lemoore, but his most recent race is one he'd rather forget. He only made four laps before having to retire with mechanical issues. As a result, Wilson slipped to fourth in the standings, 29 points behind Blank. Jeff Durant remains in fifth, 16 points behind Wilson.
There are some hard chargers in the Central Valley Mini Stocks, and this includes Danny Myrick. The father of the current point leader won the 2017 championship. He's made a return in recent weeks and finished fifth behind son Brent Myrick at the previous Lemoore race. Both drivers are anticipated this week along with Sean DePriest, Randy Brown and Ryan Doglione. Last time out, teen racers Ethan and Tustin Griffioen made their division debut, finishing eighth and ninth, respectively.
CVMS leadership has been trying to bring support classes to their Lemoore Raceway events as a way to give the fans a little bit more of a show. They've had the California Mod Lites and the South Bay Dwarf Cars join them in the past. The VRA Dwarf Cars will be there on Saturday night. These drivers compete regularly at Ventura Raceway, where such stars as Jason Horton, Trent Morley, Nick Velazquez, Nick Velazquez III and Tom Morley put on a good show for the fans. The Dwarf Cars get around the little track in Lemoore pretty well, and they are always entertaining to watch.
Saturday night will be the final opportunity to check out the CVMS Mini Stocks at Lemoore. With just two point events remaining on the schedule, the championship battle is not over yet, but this show will certainly be important for drivers looking to make a move up. For further information, go to www.centralvalleyministocks.com.
Flowers Wins First Main Event In Five Years
At Siskiyou Golden Speedway
Yreka, CA...October 5...Scott Flowers won the 25 lap Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stock Main Event Saturday night at Siskiyou Golden Speedway. Flowers has been a longtime competitor in this division, and this was his first feature win since 2014. He currently holds second in the point standings. The Main Event was an all Flowers front row as Scott and wife Ginny Flowers led the pack to the green flag. However, Scott Flowers found more of a challenge from third starter Rick Lukens who ran strong in his best effort yet in second. John David Duffie came from the fourth row to finish third, followed by Matt Harlow, Ginny Flowers, Colby Hammond, Mini Stock graduate Michael McCloud, James Flowers, Kenneth LaPlant and Darek Alford. Point leader Scott Lenz was a double winner with four lap Trophy Dash and eight lap heat race triumphs. Duffie was the other heat race winner.
Rich McCoy scored the victory in the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. This was the third win of the season for McCoy. McCoy faced more of a challenge as he started back in the fourth row for the feature race. Hayfork Speedway competitor Patrick Solometo was a surprise entrant and led the pack to the green flag from his pole position start. However, two-time Medford champion Mike Medel and Yreka champion Ethan Killingsworth quickly moved ahead as McCoy charged to the front of the pack. McCoy would get the lead and bring it home to a well-earned victory. Medel settled for second, followed by Killingsworth, Solometo, Willie McFall, Brant Philipe, Randy Wright and Dennis Jorgensen. Medel and Philipe won the eight lap heat races while Killingsworth collected his seventh four lap Trophy Dash win of the season.
The speedway will go dark next Saturday night before returning on October 19th with a show that will include Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks. Management just announced that the Interstate Sprint Car Series will make an appearance along with the IMCA Modifieds to close the season on October 26th. This will also be a Trunk or Treat event in which drivers will be giving away candy to the kids as the speedway celebrates Halloween. For further information on the happenings at the track, check out the Siskiyou Golden Speedway Facebook page or www.siskiyougoldenspeedway.com.
Moles, Mentch, Garcia Win At Dixon Speedway
Dixon, CA...October 4...Mitchell Moles won the 25 lap Wingless 600 Micro Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Dixon Speedway. Moles is the point leader in the Wingless and Super 600 classes at Lemoore Raceway. From his front row start, Moles charged into the Main Event lead ahead of Austin Stone. Kelvin Lewis took second from Stone on the fifth lap. Yellow flags on lap seven and 14 bunched the field, but Moles maintained his rapid pace on each restart and would go on to the victory. Lewis settled for second, followed by Stone, Cole Macedo, Norman Harley Rose, Isak Johnson, Derrick Patterson, Matt Santana, Brett Hoffman and Chris Parmley.
There were 24 cars in action, and Moles turned the 1/5 mile dirt oval with a lap of 10.825 to beat the 10.858 of Johnson. Moles also won the eight lap Trophy Dash. 10 lap heat race wins went to Rose, Johnson and Petaluma Speedway champion Justin Adiego. Timothy Vaught won the 12 lap B Main ahead of Randy Simms and Justin Stretch.
Kyle Mentch won the 25 lap Super 600 Main Event. The win helped Mentch wrap up his second-straight division championship. Mentch led Mitchell Moles at the start all the way to a lap 12 yellow flag, which saw Moles retire from the race. Mentch led Hayden Saitch on the restart. Despite pressure from Saitch and Cody Parmley for the second half of the race, Mentch prevailed at the checkered Flag. Saitch settled for second ahead of Parmley, Caeden Steele, Moles and Sage Bordenave. Moles set the fastest time of 10.112, but Mentch won the six lap Trophy Dash and 10 lap heat race.
Gauge Garcia won the 20 lap Restricted Micro 600 Main Event. Garcia set a good pace in the rapidly run race as he led Jeffrey Pahule by about a straightaway at the checkered flag. Pahule managed to hold off Matthew Tatoole in a closer battle for second as point later leader Ashton Torgerson, Bryant Bell and Austin Taborski followed in order. Tatoole set the fast time of 10.992, while Pahule won the four lap Trophy Dash. Garcia won the 10 lap heat race.
Jet Barnes won the 20 lap Junior Sprint Main Event. Barnes is the point leader at Lemoore Raceway. Barnes had the pole and charged into the lead when the green flag waved, leaving the battle for second. Hayden Stepps was second for 12 laps before point leader Michaela Tatoole moved by. However, Barnes won by a straightaway ahead of Tatoole, Stepps, Brody Rubio, Ryder Byrd and Aubry Patterson. Rubio set the fast time of 13.193, while Stepps was the four lap Trophy Dash winner. Barnes picked up the 10 lap heat win.
The next event will be the Seventh Annual Lonnie Kaiser Memorial race on October 18th and 19th. All of the Micro 600 Sprint divisions will be competing. For further information, go to www.dixonspeedway.net.
Mayea, Peery, Dubisar Win Lucas Oil Open
At Coos Bay Speedway
Coos Bay, Oregon...October 5...Rob Mayea won the 50 lap Super Late Model Main Event at Coos Bay speedway Saturday night. This was the annual Lucas Oil Open show, presented by the Prather family, and the past Willamette Speedway champion collected $2,000 for his victory. Mayea lined up on the pole and motored into the lead at the start. The battle was for second with Braden Fugate holding the position for nine laps before being overtaken by Tomas Hunziker. Hunziker only held the position for a pair of laps before being passed by fifth row starter and new Coos Bay champion Preston Luckman. Luckman held the second spot the rest of the way with current Willamette Speedway champion Joey Tanner settling into third on lap 20. As Mayea set a blistering pace on his way to the victory, Luckman held off a closer challenge from Tanner to finish second. Hunziker settled for fourth, followed by Wayne Butler, Douglas Elkins, Jordan Wright, Chad Groves, Chuck Bracelin and Aaron Lawson. There were three 10 lap heat races, and the wins went to Elkins, Mayea and Tanner.
The Dirt Modifieds were scheduled for a $1,000 to win race of their own, and past Yreka and Medford champion Travis Peery scored a convincing victory in their 40 lap feature race. Andy Freeman led two laps before Peery went motoring by for the lead. Peery stretched his advantage to about a half a lap over Freeman by the time the race concluded. Sprint Car star Kinzer Cox finished a solid third, followed by Curtis Towns, Paul Rea, Ray Bloom, Mark Gaylord and Chris Quinn. Peery also won the 10 lap heat race.
Steve Dubisar won the 40 lap Street Stock Main Event. The win paid Dubisar $1,000, and this was the ninth win of the season for the Coos Bay champion. Dubisar started in the second row and charged past Charlie Withers and Ken Fox for the lead before a lap was completed. Fox held second for a lap before Washington hard charger Jack Parshall moved into the position. Parshall was being challenged by Bernie Lujan for second until Lujan made the pass on lap 17. Lujan maintained second until Kevin Roberts took the position on lap 30. Lujan kept the pressure on Roberts and was able to make a lap 39 pass to regain second. However, Dubisar was not to be denied as he picked up the impressive win. Danny O'Neill finished third, followed by Ken Fox, Parshall, Jody Tanner, Terry King, Roberts, Kelly McIntyre and Withers. Dubisar and Fox were 10 lap heat race winners.
Scott Beaudoin won the 30 lap Mini Outlaw Main Event. Beaudoin made the trip from Portland, Oregon to compete in this race. Beaudoin took the lead from Tahlan Rogers on the second lap and would lead the rest of the way for the victory. Rogers settled for second ahead of Max Sanford, Ricky Ashley, Don Briggs Jr, Melissa Abston, Tyler Tullos, Rob Lauver, Hunter Berrier and Barry Cannon. Lauver and Tullos were the 10 lap heat race winners.
Mike Taylor won the 30 lap Sportsman Late Model Main Event. This was the third win of the year for the division championship runner-up. New champion Braden Fugate ran second behind Taylor for seven laps before his race came to an end. This moved Ryan Emery into second, and he ran closely behind Taylor the rest of the way as Taylor was the happy winner. Tom Whiting finished third ahead of Roy Bain and Fugate. Fugate won the 10 lap heat race.
Hannah Robison won the 30 lap Hornet Main Event. This was the eighth win of the year for the track champion. Don Briggs Jr had the pole for the feature race and led 10 laps before Robison went charging by. Briggs held second until being overtaken by Tyler Tullos on lap 19. Robison stayed smooth down the stretch and held off a determined Tullos for the win. Briggs settled for third, followed by Max Sanford, Rich Dickson, Tahlan Rogers, Michael Kennerly, Ricky Ashley, April Warmack and Melissa Abston. 10 lap heat race wins went to Rogers, Ashley and Tullos.
This wraps up the season on the oval track. For further news on what's happening at the speedway, go to www.coosbayspeedway.us.
Hein Wins Rick Brown Super Shoe Race
At Douglas County Speedway
Roseburg, Oregon...October 5...Matt Hein won the 40 lap Rick Brown Super Shoe race Saturday night at Douglas County Speedway. This was his fourth win in this big event, which was rescheduled from a rain out earlier this season. Hein set a quick pace and had the fastest lap of the race at 12.872. He won by nearly a straightaway ahead of Reece Goetz. Kyle Alberding was a close third ahead of point leader Aaron Willison, Colton Nelson, Cory Lockwood, Andy Alberding, Scott Aumen, Jason Thomas and Levi Rose. Willison set the fastest time of 16 qualifiers with a lap of 12.032, beating the 12.293 of Neil Montgomery. The four lap Trophy Dash went to Andy Alberding. Eight lap heat race wins were earned by Goetz, Hein and Tony Thomas.
Donnie Fain won the 15 lap PRA Hardtop Main Event. This was the first win of the season for Fain. Fain had a close battle with Steve Smith and Chuck Jacobs, who finished second and third, respectively. Only half a second separated the three at the finish line. New champion Kyran Greene settled for fourth, followed by 2016 champion Greg Hickman, Brian Lenihan and Chris Mehrer. Greene set the fastest time of 17.450, won the four lap Trophy Dash and eight lap heat race.
Riley Watson won the 30 lap PRA Sport Modified Main Event. This was his second win of the season. Watson was followed not too far behind by John Harvey in second. Pete Tyree outran Kaleb Watson to finish third as Brad Watson was the final lead lap finisher in fifth. Kail Beck, Tom Durant and new champion Tom Ford completed the finishing order. Ford set the fast time of 15.873, while Riley Watson scored four lap Trophy Dash honors. Brad Watson won the eight lap heat race.
Ron Johnson won the 15 lap PRA Hornets Main Event. This was the first win of the season for Johnson, who ended up third in the standings. Zachary Asumundey finished a straightaway behind in second, followed by Paul Corbett, Bart Pulse, Tyler Organ, Valerie West and Sara Hickman. Johnson set the fast time of 20.214 and also won the four lap Trophy Dash. However, Johnson settled for second behind Asumundey in the eight lap heat race.
The final event of the season is on October 26th. It's the annual Track and Treat Enduro race, presented by Banner Bank. For further information, go to www.douglascountyspeedway.com.
Greene, Ford, Dickenson Win At Douglas County Speedway
Roseburg, Oregon...September 21...Kyran Greene won the PRA Hardtop Main Event Saturday night at Douglas County Speedway. Harlan Cox set a rapid pace at the front of the pack on his way to what appeared to be his sixth win of the season. However he was later disqualified. Greene and Chuck Jacobs had a spirited battle going for second, which Greene managed to win by a close margin. Greene was elevated to first, followed by Jacobs, Steve Smith, Donnie Fain, Darryl Haugh, Dean Cast, Greg Hickman, Bryson Lillard, Chris Mehrer and Brian Linehan. Cox set the fast time of 17.071 in qualifying, beating the 17.445 of Greene. Cox was the four lap Trophy Dash winner, while Fain and Greene picked up eight lap heat race victories.
Tom Ford scored the victory in the 35 lap PRA Sport Modified Main Event. This was the fourth win of the season for Ford as he stretched his lead over Caleb Watson to 87 points. Watson gave it a valiant effort to keep up with Ford in the feature race, but he fell nearly a straightaway behind at the checkered flag. John Harvey was a solid third ahead of Stuart Campbell, final lead finisher Monte Cox, Blake Harvey, Jamie Britton and Tom Durant. Ford set the quickest time of 15.999 in qualifying, beating the 16.156 of John Harvey. Caleb Watson picked up the four lap Trophy Dash win and the eight lap heat race victory.
Richard Dickenson won the 25 lap PRA Hornets Main Event. This was the fifth win of the season for Dickenson, who has wrapped up the Hornets championship with a commanding lead over Michael Kennerly. Kennerly ran closely behind Dickenson at the checkered Flag to finish second. Zachary Asumendi was about a straightaway behind in third, followed by Dylan Saucer, Paul Corbett, Bart Pulse, Dylan Grichard, final lap finisher Cherish Wilson, Valerie West and Tyler Organ. Kennerly set the fast time of 19.188 in qualifying, beating the 19.381 of Burnie Bryant. Bryant won the four lap Trophy Dash with Sara Hickman, Corbett and Kennerly winning their respective eight lap heat races.
Dale Roth won the 25 lap PRA Super Stock Main Event by a wide margin. This was his third win of the season. He still trails John Dumire by 31 points in the standings as disqualifications from the previous race were overturned, restoring Dumire's points. April Hillyard was a distant second ahead of Larry Means, Carrie Smith, Don Livermore and Dumire. Roth set the fast time of 16.776, beating the 17.186 of Dumire. Dumire won the four lap Trophy Dash, and Monique Scevers saw her championship hopes disappear as she broke in the Trophy Dash. Roth was the eight lap heat race winner
For further information on the happenings at the speedway, go to www.douglascountyspeedway.com.
Winter Wins As Racing Returns To Grass Valley Friday Night
Grass Valley, CA...October 4...The roar of race car engines could be heard at the Grass Valley Fairgrounds once again on Friday night. Patrick Weger promoted the first racing event there in 25 years. After getting approval from the Fair Board, Weger constructed a small dirt oval track inside the rodeo arena. The old grandstands are still intact, and a good crowd came out to watch Dwarf Cars race in one-on-one competition.
The format called for qualifying to set the grid with the slowest two competitors facing off and the winner going on to take on the next fastest qualifier. At one point, they even ran four cars at a time to test things out. Most of the Dwarf Car racers are members of the NorCal Dwarf Car Association, which gave Weger their blessing to run this event. When it got down to the nitty-gritty, it was past NorCal champion Ryan Winter claiming the victory over Colby Wiesz and Ben Wiesz.
Among the list of competitors putting on a show for the fans was Jeremy Blackshere, Kevin Bender, Shawn Jones, Ron Jones, Carl Droivold, Wade Ehrlich, Austin Quilty, Brian Quilty, Daniel Weger and Mike Reeder. The event was a success as a good turnout was on hand to watch the show. There's already plenty of speculation about what can happen in the future, and some people are hoping for a bigger track to open and other divisions to get a chance to race in Grass Valley once again.
However, promoter Patrick Weger is being cautious about any predictions for the future. When he initially proposed this event to the fair board and was approved unanimously, talk centered around more events of this nature in the arena in the future. While it's possible that the size of the track could expand a little bit, should more events be approved, Weger isn't making any big announcements about what could be in the future. He's just happy to be able to give the racing fans in the area a show that they can enjoy. He also acknowledges the support of the many sponsors and other people behind the scenes who made this all possible.
There's likely to be another event announced in the future, though nothing has been set in stone. You can find future announcements by going to the Vintage Duels Facebook page or www.vintageduels.com.
Kern Raceway Unofficial Race Results October 5, 2019
NARC/King Of The West Fujitsu 410 Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #83 DOMINIC SCELZI
2 #0 BUD KAEDING
3 #21 RYAN BERNAL
4 #29 WILLIE CROFT
5 #68 CHASE JOHNSON
6 #88N DJ NETTO
7 #7 GEOFF ENSIGN
8 #88 JACE VANDERWEERD
9 #3 CRAIG STIDHAM
10 #88E TIM ESTENSON
11 #76 KENNY ALLEN
12 #78 MARK BRARROSO
13 #51 GARY PAULSON
14 #28 NATHAN ROLFE
15 #98 SEAN WATTS
Hardtops
Results are not official
1 #45 KELLY MASON
2 #14 Jason Stanphill
3 #7 Richard Souza
4 #32 TOM SOMMERFELD
5 #46X Tyler Weeks
6 #152 TROY CARVALHO
7 #66 Jesse Dobbins
8 #00 Jason Denman
9 #3 RON CHRISTY
Mini Stocks
Results are not official
1 #777 Clinton Massey
2 #77 Matt Herod
3 #15 Shawn Schwartzenberger
4 #3 DAVID WOLFORD
5 #74 JOE ROGERS JR
6 #33 DESTINY JOPLIN
7 #18W DAVID WALLER
8 #32X JASON COOK
Siskiyou Golden Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 5, 2019
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Rich McCoy
Michael Medel
Ethan Killingsworth
Patrick Solometo
Steven "Willie" McFall
Brant Phillipe
Randy Wright
Dennis Jorgensen
Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks
Scott Flowers
Rick Lukens
John David Duffie
Matt Harlow
Ginny Flowers
Colby Hammond
Michael McLeod
James Flowers
Ken Laplant
Darek Alford DNS
Scott Lenz DQ
Coos Bay Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 5, 2019
Lucas Oil Open presented by The Prather Family
America's Mattress Super Late Models
Rob Mayea
Preston Luckman
Joey Tanner
Thomas Hunziker
Wayne Butler
douglas elkins
Jordan Wright
Chad Groves
Chuck Bracelin
Aaron Lawson
Toby McIntyre
Braden Fugate
massey eric
Brian Smith
jon rowden
Mike Taylor
Jason Johnson DNS
Davey Evans DNS
Sportsman Late Models
Mike Taylor
Ryan Emry
Tom Whiting
Roy Bain
Braden Fugate
Street Stocks
Steve Dubisar
Bernie Lujan
Danny O'Neil
Ken Fox
Jack Parshall
Jody Tanner
Terry King
Kevin Roberts
Kelly McIntyre
Charlie Withers
Austin Henderson
Mini Outlaws
Scott Beaudoin
Tahlan Rogers
Max Sanford
Ricky Ashley
Don Briggs Jr
Melissa Abston
Tyler Tullos
Rob Lauver
Hunter Berrier
Barry Cannon
Kerry Cooper
Hornets
Hannah Robison
Tyler Tullos
Don Briggs Jr
Max Sanford
rich dickson
Tahlan Rogers
Michael Kennerly
Ricky Ashley
April Warmack
Melissa Abston
Kerry Cooper
Burnie Bryant
austin stevens
Barry Cannon
Jesse McIntyre
K.C. Scott
John Henry DNS
Modifieds
Travis Peery
Andy Freeman
Kinzer Cox
Curtis Towns
Paul Rea
Ray Bloom
Mark Gaylord
Chris Quinn
Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 4, 2019
Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
Justin Sanders
Brad Furr
Colby Copeland
James Ringo
Joey Ancona
John Clark
Koen Shaw
Trent Canales
Jeremy Chisum
Tristan Guardino
Jake Andreotti
Jake Hagopian
Bud Kaeding
Keith Day Jr
Evan Bonnema
Richard Fajardo
Ricky Brophy
William Camara
Jason Chisum
Burt Foland Jr
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Jarrod Mounce
Adriane Frost
Kenny Shrader
Tyler Rodgers
Steven Allee
Randy Miller
Jim DiGiovanni
Travis Slayter
John Ferro
Charlie Hunter
Kelly Campanile
Hobby Stocks
Doug Hagio
Terry Traub
Sam Kennedy
Tony Oliveira
Jerry Skelton
Joe Gallaher
Norm Ayers
Jill Knoebel
Kevin Counterman
Wally Kennedy DNS
Four Bangers
Ryan McClelland
Ray Bunn
John Grilli
Nicole Beardsley
Kate Beardsley
Kelly Campanile
Bill Beardsley
Tony Gullo
Jeff Kessinger
Nick Petruzzi
Abigail Kennedy
Roy Iler DNS
Madera Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 5, 2019
Round #9 MavTV $10k to win Shootout
Nut Up Lates Models
Main Event
Jeremy Doss
Blaine Rocha
John Moore
Cole Moore
Jacob Gomes
Buddy Shepherd
Austin Herzog
Joey Iest
Carlos Vieira
Ross Strmiska
Logan Zampa
Dean Thompson
Eric Nascimento
Jason Aguirre
Dylan Zampa
Matt Erickson
Tyler Herzog
Micheal Mitchell
Racin Vernon
Jason Romero
Seth Wise
Ryan Hart
Kolby Berry
Trevor Huddleston
Kyle Gottula
Rick Thompson
B Main
Shelden Cooper
Tim Skoglund
Glen Cook
Howard Holden
Trevor Schlundt
Jack Wood
Henk Gaalswyk Jr
Josh Shellers
Loren Kutz
John Manke
Ryan Phillpott
Seth Wise
Kyle Gottula
Dean Thompson
Eric Nascimento
Lily Mead DNS
C Main
Henk Gaalswyk Jr
John Manke
Josh Shellers
Loren Kutz
Thomas Suarez
Angelina Dempsy
John McCullum Jr
Aaron Mullins DNS
51Fifty Jr Late Models
Seth Wise
Joey Iest
Jay Juleson
Bradley Erickson
Kyler Berry
Grant Thompson
Cole Brown
Kercie Jung
Kabe McClenny
Jake Bollman
Robbie Kennealy
Jadan Walbridge
Holly Clark
Brody Armtrout
Kasey Kleyn
Kale McClenny
Calvin Hegje
Olivia Manke
Lilly Mead
Hailey Liles (RK18)
Preston Carr DNS
Mini Cup/Bandoleros
Ethan Nascimento
Kenna Mitchell
Jeffrey Erickson
Wyatt Sansom
Joey Kennealy
Riley Massey
Ukiah Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 5, 2019
Upstate Bomber Series
Brenton Smith
Mikey Lovell
Dustin Kuhl
Simi Tour
Charley Tour
Erick Ray
RJ Randall
Donnie Hyman
James Johns
Sam Brown
David Dillinger
Wade Coleman
Bryan StanKey
Jimmy Sorrels
Jeff French
Jim Redd
David Dillinger Sr
Peter Smith
Christian Sanchez
Charlie Collins DNS
Santa Maria Raceway Unofficial Race Results October 5, 2019
Championship Night
USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars
Kaleb Montgomery
TJ Smith
JJ Ringo
Ryan Timmons
Trent Carter
Brent Owens
Koen Shaw
James Herrera
Brody Roa
Tristan Guardino
Austin Ervine
Nick Diani
Slater Helt
Brandon Wiley
Hannah Mayhew
Western Pro Stocks
Justin Crockett
Jerry Stewart
Dave King
Chris Clinton
Chris Smith
Ryan Smith
Clay Daly
Paul Miller
Tim Randolph
Hobby Stocks
Tom Grzincic
Matt McEwan
Pat Fausel
Aaron Bruce
Taelor Janes
Hailey Wyand
Mike Keebler
Sheldon Bailey
Scotty Preast
Gregg Baker
Kevin Pritchard
Eddie Williams
Dwarf Cars
Brandon Wylie
Nick Velasquez
Tommy Velasquez
Joe Barkett
Jessica Swanson
Brian Barnhill
Brad Curnel
Lonnie Tekat
Jeff Brink
Thomas Velasquez
Robert Meneley
Tony Pellegrino
Kobe Kerns
Mitch Caldwell
Mike Keebler
Tony Margott
American Stocks
Joel Chavez
Jimmy Satlawa
Justin Jackson
Zack Chavez
Nicholas Verbryke
Brent Bohard
Ed Wyand
Ron Tansom
Mechanic's Race
Rodney Wilson
Eric Fausel
Lorinda Janes
Lee Clark
Kristen Grzincic
Jeremy "Hit the" Wall
Mike Calvert
Ron Tansum
Ron Verbryke
Hailey Wyand
Stockton 99 Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 5, 2019
Bombers
Rodney Tripp
Barrett Sugden
AJ Rider
Mikala Streans
Rob Dueck
Troy Walz
Jeana Ramos
Brandon Diede
Harrison Stone
Perry Reeder
Rodney Oliver
Allen Rider
Basically 4 Cylinders
Andy Rumsey
Ethan Rumsey
Mark Hunt
Brian Cobb
Brian Bishop
Matthew Richardson
Danny Helm
Frank Brown
Joe Martin
Joshua Brown
Zack Williams
Andrea Rumsey
Kenny Burton Jr
NorCal Dwarf Cars
Shawn Whitney
Ryan Winter
Shawn Jones
Justin Winter
Kevin Bender
Ron Jones
Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 5, 2019
Adobe Cup/Bob McCoy Memorial
PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Car
Sean Becker
Kalib Henry
Tony Gualda
Colby Copeland
Andy Forsberg
Bradley Terrell
Justin Sanders
Colby Johnson
Trent Canales
Brett Rollag
Shawn Arriaga
DJ Freitas
John Clark
Nathan Schank
Danny Wagner
Roberto Kirby
Michael Faccinto
Jake Haulot
Mike Monahan
Justin Henry
Joel Myers Jr
B Main
Colby Johnson
DJ Freitas
Justin Henry
Nathan Schank
Danny Wagner
Roberto Kirby
Wyatt Brown
Shane Hopkins
Ricky Brophy
Brian Boswell
Wayne Katen
David Lindt II
Nick Ringo Jr
Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks
Shane Devolder
Steve Studebaker
Matt While
Ryan Cherezian
Brent Lawrence
Mitch Machado
Bill Hall
Corey Hall
Danny Naron
Richard Brace Jr
Shawn McCoy
Phil Marino
Austin Ohlinger
Mike Learn
Tim O'Hara
Dixon Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 4, 2019
Wingless 600 Micros
Main Event
Mitchel Moles
Kelvin Lewis
Austin Stone
Cole Macedo
Norman Harley Rose
Isak Johnson
Derrick Patterson
Matt Santana
Brent Hoffman
Chris Parmley
Harlee Aguilera
Ryan Holden
Randy Sims
Taylor DeCarlo
Austin Torgerson
Tyler Chamorro
Tiimothy Vaught
Justin Adiego
Blake Bower
Blake Parmley
Justin Stretch
Tommy Carroll
B Main
Timothy Vaught
Randy Sims
Justin Stretch
Ryan Holden
Chuck Patterson
Don McLeister
Super 600 Micros
Kyle Mentch
Hayden Saich
Cody Parmley
Caeden Steele
Mitchell Moles
Sage Bordenave
Kelvin Lewis DNS
Blake Bower DNS
Restricted 600 Micros
Gauge Garcia
Jeffrey Pahule
Matthew Tatoole
Ashton Torgerson
Bryant Bell
Austin Taborski
Jr Sprints
Jet Barnes
Makayla Tatoole
Hayden Stepps
Brody Rubio
Ryder Byrd
Aubry Patterson
The Editor's Viewpoint
The Donna Soares Memorial Hall of Fame night at Antioch Speedway turned out to be a success. Seems to me to there was a better crowd than we've had in recent weeks, and people were showing up because they wanted to run this race for Donna and be there for Hall of Fame night. Actually, there were some faces we haven't seen around the speedway in years, and I'm excited and very proud to have been a part of making that happen.
The Hall of Fame doesn't come together overnight and can't happen without support. There were several people offering opinions, suggestions and overall thoughts that went into the planning of who would be in the Hall of Fame. Then, there were people behind the scenes who sponsored the effort. Otherwise, I'm just up in Oregon talking about a dream of doing something like this. This year, my sincere thanks goes to Dennis Furia Jr, Billy Bowers, Judy Arth, Dan Gonderman, Chris Briggs, Roland Delanoy and Beverly Kniss for their support. These people not only made sure we were able to get nice awards for the inductees, they also insured that I would be able to make the trip to oversee the ceremonies.
Thank you to Hall of Fame announcer John Myers for coming out here to be a part of this. John makes the trip to Antioch from Montana every year, because he does the car show for Pete Paulsen in French Camp. However, Pete's car show is a week later. John made the commitment to come out earlier to be a part of this, and it's truly appreciated. At the time, I didn't know whether or not I would be handling the induction ceremonies, so it was important to me to have somebody who's been a big part of the speedway handling the ceremonies in my absence. As it turned out, John and I did the ceremonies together, and that was a lot of fun.
Bruce Curl Sr and his family came out to be a part of this. Ron Murray, who I didn't get to see, was part of the group that came with Bruce. This was a frustration of mine, because there were some people that were out here that I didn't get a chance to talk to. I was pretty busy the whole night, not just trying to keep this organized but also trying to help work the track's social media on race night to drum up any last minute support we could get for the show. This is something I do at Southern Oregon Speedway, and I know it helps. These days, you put the word out as much as you can.
There were some people I got to talk to, and one of them was Gene Millard. Gene actually picked up copies of my books, and I mentioned something in my first racing autobiography about the importance of the impact the Sportsman division had on me. I remember the days when Gene, Marv Wilson, JD Willis and Dennis Furia were the group to beat. They all won a lot. Gene asked me for my autograph on those books so that he could hand them down to his grandkids. I had to be honest with him. I should be asking him for his autograph. He and all of the Sportsman racers were my heroes. Though I was a big Len Mello fan back in those days, that whole division hooked me on the sport and led me to this racing life I've been living.
This included Allan Nordstrom. Al was up in the stands with his daughter Mary and son Dan. As I decided to get more involved in the sport by the mid 1980s, Al was the one who took me into his home and taught me about the sport. He took me to other race tracks and I learned a lot from him. I'm very happy that he and his family were there to be a part of this night. I just wish I had more time to talk to so many other people that I wanted to speak with. There are other ideas I have in mind for Hall of Fame night or just something of a Legends night with a Legends race in Hobby Stocks. That's not my idea. Tom Leopold, whom I spoke with earlier in the evening, came up with that idea. I endorse it 100% and even mentioned the idea to John.
Antioch Speedway has a Hall of Fame now. We've got 26 members in the Hall of Fame, and I'm proud to have been leading the way in making sure they were inducted. However, there is more that needs to be done with this that I can't do myself. There were inductees, too many of them in fact, who were unable to be there or I was unable to get in touch with. I'm not happy about that, but as somebody trying to handle this whole thing by myself, I simply did the best I could. However, this could be a lot better if there were more people involved in the planning
It is time to start putting together the committee of five people to oversee not just the induction process but the planning stages for how to make this event truly special. The more I look at it, the more I believe we might want to have a get-together either before the races in the picnic area at the fairgrounds or some other location. We should be doing the ceremonies that way and just doing introductions of our Hall of Fame members at the track. This way, any of the people who might not be able to attend the race but are up for a picnic could do that. BCRA did this pretty well for years.
We also need to start planning some sort of display of a more permanent nature at the speedway. This might be something that lists past champions and Hall of Fame members or whatever. I would continue to do the temporary Hall of Fame night displays and add to them each year, but something that shows the fans at the track that this place has been around for as long as it has is important. This is not something I'm probably going to be able to do by myself. As it is, I've had a challenge getting this much done. Though I feel very good about how things have gone, I also see the shortcomings. So, having gotten it started, I think it's time to get others involved to take this to the next level.
I will make announcements on who the committee members are as soon as this gets set up. Do we make an Alumni Association? That will be another question. Is there a Hall of Fame Facebook page in the future? We already have the Antioch Speedway Days of Old page that Chris Briggs created, and certainly that page can be used when it comes to getting ideas on the next class of inductees. Perhaps a page for the Hall of Fame is in order. It's not enough to induct people into the Hall of Fame, we also need to let people know who those members are and keep that in the public conscience.
To me, the committee is important for so many reasons. It has to become a true Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame, and the best way for that to be the case is for other people who have been involved at the track for years to have a say. I'm not saying we've gotten anything wrong in who has been put in so far. Quite the opposite. I stand proudly behind the list and the fact that many people who have been around the track for years where involved in helping make those selections. However, a committee can go through things a little bit better. Plus, as we do other Hall of Fame type of events, other people need to be involved in the planning of those things. For us to make Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame night something truly to be proud of, we have to do it as a team.
The heritage of this race track ties in with the current day and age, in my opinion. Though we got off to not the best start for either of these years in terms of marketing this event, it has nonetheless helped out the current Antioch Speedway having these nights on the schedule. With something announced on the schedule heading into the season and more promotion behind it, it's only going to get better. I had a talk with my good friend Chris Bennett last night about having special races that remember others from the past. We do a little bit of that, but I think there's things that could be done better. Then again, these are decisions that will be left up to the promoter. While my belief is that the past and the present tied together helps make for a better future at the speedway, others may see that differently.
I have ideas in mind that I would certainly like to help with, but I'd also like to help with the current track management to make the ideas that they have go even better. I heard the phrase, "Make Antioch Speedway great again." I believe we have to come up with a better phrase. However, I do believe we can make things better at the track through hard work. We are a good 25 years removed from the final peak of the NASCAR glory days at the track. We're about 18 years removed from counts that exceeded 100 cars in the pits. Can we get back there again? Well, even though I have my doubts about being able to make huge numbers on a regular basis, I don't doubt in the least that we can make things better than they are now. It will take work, sincerity and dedication to make that happen. You also can't let the negativity being thrown at you derail you from the goal of making things better than they are now.
I admit I was a little bit teary-eyed as I stood on the track and watched John make the memorial lap for Donna. We all miss her greatly, and I know from talking to John how much he loves and misses her each day. Donna was an important part of the Oval Motorsports operation when they came to Antioch Speedway in 1998. She was a part of some very good years and the positive changes that we saw in those early years. She was also a friend to me and my sister, and my life was made better for having known her. It was a bittersweet night for John, but it ended with him winning the Hardtop Main Event. He's now won a Main Event in every decade during the track's 59 season run.
It was the 59th point season finale at the speedway last Saturday night, and it was a good way to close the season. The night got away from us early on as the guys watering the track after John graded it may have overdone it just a bit. This led to a longer period of mud packing, and having witnessed the way Antioch Speedway does mud packing for a couple of races now, I wonder what the deal is with that. There are breaks between divisions going out and mud packing so the track may breathe, which is something I've never heard of in all of my time at the speedways that I've been to.
At one time, you'd have as many cars on the track as you can get. Get that track whipped into shape as fast as possible. I remember that being the case here for years, and I witness that at Southern Oregon Speedway. What I see at Southern Oregon Speedway is the four cylinder classes tend to be the first ones out on the track along with the Hardtops if we have them there, but all of the cars don't completely leave the track until it's ready for hot laps. That can be anywhere from 15 minutes to a half an hour of packing time in general.
At Antioch, the idea is to run them one division at a time, but when you're sending a division out there that might only have a half a dozen or 10 cars, you're not getting very many tires on the track. I just question why the philosophy has changed here in that regard. It still seems to me that the quicker we get the track packed in, the quicker we can start hot laps and the quicker we can get the show on the road. I know that attitudes of the racers have changed these days, and you get much more grumpiness as far as drivers not wanting to pack the track and get mud all over their cars. Yes, we used to have muddy tracks back in the day, but I don't recall people complaining as much. They knew it came with the territory.
In any case, it's just a curiosity to me. I'm not sure why it's done this way, but I suppose there's a reason. Saturday night, the track was just a bit too wet, and this led to a lengthier mud packing session and late hot laps. By that time, we were running later than we wanted to. Drivers are being called out for hot laps, and if they don't make it in time, they don't get their hot lap session in. Bear in mind, we had a bigger turnout than we might have anticipated. That was the good news, because these are the kind of car counts you want to see every week. The Hobby Stock and A Modified divisions had enough cars for B Mains in each class, but those races were scratched and everybody ran the feature races due to time.
I knew going into the Hall of Fame induction ceremony part of the program that we didn't have a lot of time. It was never my intention to take too long, but we had people making special trips here. They deserved their moments, and they got that. I had already had it in mind that I wouldn't take any longer than necessary to do this as there is a curfew that the fairgrounds puts on the track that's earlier than the state mandated curfew. I don't want the fans and the racers being shortchanged on Main Event laps due to time. Nobody likes that, and it doesn't help the track. We kept it moving, and it was a good ceremony. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm wondering if a Hall of Fame picnic or something of that nature before the races would be better going forward. I just knew that this was the way to do the Hall of Fame to get it started.
With $1,500 on the line, there were 23 A Modifieds on hand. We even saw Robby Sawyer come in from Bakersfield to test the track as he plans to come back for the West Coast Nationals on October 17th through 19th. Bobby Hogge was there along with Kellen Chadwick. The fans saw some good racers in the Modifieds, and we also saw some faces we hadn't seen in awhile. Bob Brown was among the early competitors in our old Street Stock division, and he brought his Hobby Stock out and had one heck of a night as he joined Modified driver Chadwick as a feature winner.
I'm hearing a lot of speculation about what the future will hold for Antioch Speedway with these divisions. I would be lying to you if I said I liked any talk whatsoever about rule changes with the Hobby Stock division. Personally, I don't care what Bakersfield is doing with their rules, Merced, Watsonville or any of them, because the locals we have here are the ones that support us. When you see 24 Hobby Stocks show up with a set of rules that you're enforcing, it tells you that you're doing fine, stay the course.
What you'll hear is that someone will come race if you change the rules to meet what they have. That's fine, but when you adjust your rules a little bit to accommodate others, how many local racers are you sacrificing to get those visitors? And, will those visitors be regulars? But, whatever is going to happen is going to happen. I've spoken with John on the matter, and it didn't sound to me like his plans have anything to do with changing the rules in this class. He tends to try to keep the rules in such a manner as his locals can afford. To me, that's just basic Promoting 101. Others, however, will make changes if they get their hands on the wheel here. What will happen remains to be seen.
IMCA sanctioning is something being talked about, and I don't disagree with it. Personally, I don't like the sanctioning body all that much and probably wouldn't want to invite them to be a part of the program if the decision was mine to make based on what I think. However, I know there are racers who are for the idea. If more racers will come because of a sanctioning body, I don't know that I would stop that. I would point out that NASCAR still sanctions short track racing. Then again, this isn't my decision to make. What I do in my position is try to help make what is scheduled be as successful as possible. So, if Antioch is an IMCA track next year, let's make it pop.
The big race coming up at Antioch on October 17th through 19th is the West Coast Nationals. Chad Chadwick is making his first move into promoting, and there's been speculation about where things will go from there. I'm just observing what's going on and hoping for the best where Antioch Speedway is concerned. The future will be what it is, but the immediate future is the success of this race. I found it interesting that the West Coast Nationals name, which was used for five big Modified events in the 1990s, has returned. It's as good a name as any.
Chad gave me the lowdown on what the format will be for the show, which sounds like a good opportunity for racers to have a fair chance to make it into the feature race on Saturday. The Main Event alone will pay some $25,000 in total purse money, which includes $500 just to take the green flag and $7,500 for the winner. You come in on Friday and get to run a pair of heat races with passing points and finishing points dictating a Top 16. From there, you have your Top 8 redraw for their lineup at the front of the Preliminary Feature. The Top 4 finishers will punch their ticket into the big show.
You come back at it on Saturday with more heat races, and the heat race winners also punch their ticket into the show. Everybody else runs one of the two B Mains, and as I understand it, the Top 4 finishers in those races will make it into the show as well. There will either be one Last Chance Qualifier or two, and the Top 2 finishers from there will also make it in. There are plenty of chances for the drivers to make it in. This is all information that could have been explained plainly and publicly a few weeks ago, so I'm a little concerned at the lateness of the information.
Chad understands the risks he's taking here, but he's also trying to look at things long-range at the speedway. He knows there should be a good turnout, though the turnout may not be as good as one would like given the purse money being paid for the A Modifieds and the B Modifieds. However, the belief is that you get a good race with the drivers who show up, the fans get entertained and if things go as well as hoped, this is progress and positivity for the speedway. People leave remembering the good time they had at Antioch Speedway and look forward to next year. Therefore, Chad's focusing on other concerns such as how the track will be prepared and other bits and pieces associated with race night itself.
Sidestepping the Antioch Speedway speculation, I go to Grass Valley Speedway. I'm not calling this Ernie Purcell Memorial Speedway, because the big track is not there. However, the fairgrounds in Grass Valley hosted racing this last Friday night for the first time in 25 years. Patrick Weger of Vintage Duels put a track within the confines of the rodeo arena for the purpose of one-on-one competition between Dwarf Car competitors. 14 drivers took the challenge, a good crowd showed up and they were entertained.
Patrick himself is cautious about talking future big track plans in Grass Valley. There are many people across several divisions who went to go to that track and race again, and I have no doubt after seeing what happened last Friday that it would be a huge success. Grass Valley was always something special with a beautiful scenery surrounding the track. 14 Dwarf Car competitors, mostly from the NorCal group, came to do battle. The stands were pretty packed. Patrick had landed several sponsors and a team to help him make this thing fly.
When I've communicated with him, he's always been cautious about what would come next. It will basically be Dwarf Cars in an arena if the Fair Board approves that. On the other hand, I know he's open to doing more if the Fair Board is. But, a show like they got last Friday can continue. Something tells me the Fair Board will approve, and the question will be whether it's one event or more next year. Given the confines of the arena, I still believe that Grass Valley could host a successful Figure 8 such as they do at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton every year. If they told the people in Grass Valley that there was car racing of this type, there would probably be a rush to build these Four Cylinder Hornet race cars just to do that.
It's kind of interesting that you can never say never these days. I don't think anybody was expecting racing of any type to return to Grass Valley as the place went to the horses. However, Promoter Mike McCann had told me a couple years ago that he felt the time was right for something like this to happen. Mike was speaking of a bigger race track and a limited type of schedule. Neither of us saw Patrick coming, but he had everything lined up perfectly when he made his pitch. The vote was unanimous to give him that race, and I feel he hit it out of the ballpark.
It doesn't cease to amaze me that at a time when I feel we should probably be losing tracks in California, we're still gaining venues. It makes me wonder if somebody made the right pitch in San Jose if they could put a track back there again. Unlike Grass Valley, however, San Jose doesn't even have a grandstand for somebody to work with. But, where there's a will there's a way. In my way of thinking, if Ocean Speedway is ultimately threatened, people need to start looking at other places to go to keep racing going in that area. On the other hand, from what I'm hearing lately, Ocean has gone from code red to code yellow. Smooth sailing ahead for a couple of years, though I know John Prentice is still focused on what could happen to derail him.
Oregon's dirt tracks have officially closed after Saturday night and will await next season. Chuck Prather and his family presented the Lucas Oil Open show on the dirt track in Coos Bay last weekend, and they had their biggest Stock Car oriented program of the season. There were 18 Late Models, and they also managed to get double digits in the Street Stocks, Hornets and Mini Outlaw classes. The Dirt Modifieds, which are not a regular feature at the track, had eight racers for the $1,000 prize there. it was a good show to wrap up a season that's gone pretty well for Promoter Drake Nelson in his third year at the helm. With NASCAR sanctioning, Coos Bay has been getting just a little bit better each year since Drake took over.
You can call it a work-in-progress, but as long as the gates continue to open, there's a chance for good things to happen. Kevin Barba continued his October gamble in Yreka. This last week saw them host a Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stock race along with the IMCA Sport Modifieds. Not the biggest of car counts, but it was still a show for people who wanted to see some racing. Kevin will keep things dark this week, but there are two more October races left, provided the weather allows it to happen. You're dealing with the cold now and the possibility that the rains will return.
The open door policy that Kevin has had in October was that if any division brought him five or six cars, he'd run a program and pay a purse. During the week leading up to last weekend, there were Sprint Car drivers trying to organize something. It looked like there might be an unscheduled Sprint Car race, which wouldn't necessarily benefit Yreka. Just a week earlier, they had five Late Models, but the fans knew nothing going into the night that this division would be there. It may have been a similar case with Sprint Cars Saturday night, but things took a different turn.
Leadership of the Interstate Sprint Car Series and Barba got in touch and worked a deal out for the October 26th Halloween themed finale. I know that the series has been wanting to run in Yreka for a couple of years and had their eyes on August as part of their Week of Speed. Unfortunately, the Yreka track is torn down at that time due to the Siskiyou Golden Fair. However, it looks like they found a way to get a race in there after all. This isn't going to be for points, and it's likely that some of the top teams won't even travel. However, I would think that there's enough interest that they could at least hit double-digits for that show. They mentioned on Facebook that IMCA Modifieds will be a part of that, and the schedule listed on the track's official page also includes IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks.
The problem I've dealt with concerning Yreka all season long is that the schedule has been in flux. It seems like Kevin has had to make adjustments on the fly all season, so what you see listed on the web page and what ends up happening on race day may be different. As somebody trying to get news to the newspapers so that the people can be informed, this has made my volunteer work more challenging in my effort to try to help the track. This big announcement of an Interstate Sprint Car Series race is good for the track and gives them the potential of going out on a nice note, provided the weather is good on October 26th.
Petaluma Speedway had a good show this last weekend with nearly 30 Sprint Cars competing for a $5,000 prize in the Adobe Cup race. Even the Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks had a good show, and we finally saw the end of the winning streak of champion Mitch Machado. Petaluma had a nice turnout of fans, and they've been one of the tracks doing the best in terms of attracting fans this year.
Rick seems to be hitting on all cylinders this year, and it's nice to see somebody working hard and actually seeing results. I have felt for a while now that Petaluma and Antioch could form some kind of alliance that would work well for both tracks, though if I'm realistic about that, the likelihood of such an occurrence isn't so good at this moment. If it were in my power, I'd do what I could to make it happen.
The only thing I need to make happen now is to shut my mouth and end this column. It's not a busy week, and I'd like to keep it that way. Our commitment to cover the entire regular season at all of these tracks is just about over, though a few of our regular tracks have shows this weekend. I'll be keeping my eye on all of that. Until next time...
