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Thorn Wraps Up Southwest Tour Championship
With Eighth Win At Kern County Raceway
Bakersfield,
CA...October 23...Derek Thorn won the 150 lap Spears Southwest Tour
race Saturday night at Kern County Raceway. This was the 33rd Annual
October Classic, and it made eight wins for the year for Thorn as he
wrapped up the series championship. He had a little bit of luck on his
side as Preston Peltier pretty much dominated the race, only to be
disqualified in post-race tech. After leading at the halfway point,
which was worth an additional $3,500, Thorn pocketed $10,500 for his
win.
Peltier started on the pole next to Trevor
Huddleston. Peltier charged into the lead at the green flag ahead of
Huddleston and Jacob Gomes, but Gomes took second from Huddleston on Lap
2. Brandon Farrington settled into third on the fifth lap with Thorn
moving into fourth a lap later. As Peltier led the way, it was a
three-car battle for second. Farrington gained that position on Lap 15
with a yellow flag waving on Lap 19 as John Moore retired. Peltier led
Farrington and Thorn on the restart, but Thorn moved past Farrington for
second on Lap 21. A yellow flag waved on Lap 34 with Dylan Garner
retiring at that point. Peltier led Thorn on the restart as Kole Raz
took third from Farrington. The battle for first got close between
Peltier and Thorn as Raz fought to keep Farrington at bay. Jeremy Doss
joined the third place battle and grabbed the position on Lap 63. Raz
regained that spot on Lap 73. Peltier was fighting to hold on to the
halftime bonus money, but Thorn managed to steal it away as he took the
lead on Lap 75. The Top 5 at the break was Thorn, Peltier, Raz, Gomes
and Doss.
They inverted the Top 4 from the
first half, and Gomes took the lead on the restart ahead of Raz and
Peltier. A yellow flag waved after just one lap with Andy Allen exiting
the race. Gomes led Raz and Peltier on the restart with Peltier taking
second from Raz on lap 79. Peltier slipped past Gomes for the lead on
Lap 81. Thorn took third from Raz on lap 92 and finally got past Gomes
for second on Lap 100. At that point, Peltier held a half-straightaway
advantage over Thorn. Doss took third from Gomes on Lap 104. Dan Holtz
moved into fourth and ran closely with Doss in the race for third.
However, Peltier hit his stride and began putting more distance between
himself and Thorn as he lapped several competitors. By the time Peltier
took the checkered flag, he was over half a lap in front of Thorn with
just the Top 4 competitors on the lead lap. Unfortunately for Peltier,
he was disqualified for too much weight on the left side, and Thorn got
the win ahead of Doss, Holtz, Kyle Keller, Cale Kanke, Carlos Vieira,
Keith Spangler, Scott Sanchez, Gomes and Huddleston.
Peltier
was the quickest of 22 competitors on the half-mile paved oval at
17.081, beating the 17.308 of Farrington, the 17.312 of Thorn and the
17.370 of Raz. The three eight lap heat race wins went to Peltier, Buddy
Shepherd and Blaine Rocha. Thorn won the championship over Gomes,
1525-1406. Shepherd finished third with 1401 points and was this
season's top rookie.
.
Jeremy Doss won the 54
lap Spears SRL Pro Late Model Main Event. This was his ninth win in the
11 race series as he wrapped up the championship. Tyler Reif set the
early pace ahead of Dylan Zampa and Dustin Ash. A yellow flag waved on
Lap 20 with Hans Beeler out of the race. Tyler Reif continued to lead
the restart with Doss getting past Dylan Zampa for second. Doss put the
moves on Tyler Reif for the lead on Lap 24. Bradley Erickson took third
from Dylan Zampa on Lap 26 and grabbed the second position from Tyler
Reif on the 30th lap. Erickson began to reel in Doss with 10 laps to go,
and the battle got close. Erickson was giving Doss all the pressure he
could handle in the waning laps, but Doss won a near photo finish for
the victory. Tyler Reif settled for third, followed by Dylan Zampa,
Tanner Reif, Blaine Rocha, Seth Wise, Dylan Cappelo, Ash and Cassidy
Hinds.
Doss was the quickest of 25 qualifiers
at 19.265, beating the 19.343 of Erickson, the 19.354 of Austin Herzog
and the 19.363 of Dylan Zampa. Doss beat Dylan Zampa, 1775-1615 for the
championship. Logan Zampa finished third with 1487 points.
Jeremy
Doss won the 60 lap Spears SRL Modified Main Event. This was his
seventh win of the season as he wrapped up the series championship. Kyle
Jacks took the early lead ahead of Sam Jacks and William Guevara. Doss
took fourth from Andrew Anderson on Lap 11. A yellow flag waved on Lap
24 with Dustin Patterson and Eddie Secord both out at that point. Kyle
Jacks continued to lead the way on the restart with Doss taking second
from Sam Jacks. On Lap 27, Doss put the moves on Kyle Jacks to grab the
lead. Guevara moved into third on Lap 32 before a yellow flag again
slowed the pace. Doss led Kyle Jacks and Guevara on the restart, but
Guevara and Travis Thirkettle moved into second and third on Lap 34. As
Doss began to pull away, Guevara and Thirkettle had a good battle going
for second. Thirkettle gained the position on Lap 41, and a Lap 46
yellow flag signaled the end of the race for Ed Coffey. Doss led
Thirkettle and Guevara on the restart. Following the final yellow flag
on Lap 50, Doss led Thirkettle and Guevara on the restart. They ran in
that order to the checkered flag with Sam Jacks settling for fourth,
followed by Anderson, Travis McCullough, Kyle Jacks, Jeff Longman, Jerry
Toporek and Riley Massey.
Doss was the
quickest of 16 qualifiers at 18.965, beating the 19.064 a Thirkettle and
the 19.201 of Anderson. Doss beat Thirkettle for the championship,
1368-1295. Secord finished third with 1285, followed by McCullough with
1284.
Racing returns to the dirt track this
Saturday night as the NARC/King of the West Fujitsu Winged 410 Sprint
Cars are in action along with the West Coast Sport Compacts. For further
information, go to www.kernraceway.com.
Hogge, Dotson, Wilson, Johnson
Win John Fore Jr Memorial At Merced Speedway
Merced,
CA...October 23...Bobby Hogge IV won the 30 lap IMCA Modified Main
Event Saturday night at Merced Speedway. This was the Fifth Annual John
Fore Jr/Bob Smith Memorial race, and Hogge collected $2,500 for his
winning effort. He also scored the big victory in the Pat and Jim Pettit
Memorial Dirt Track Shootout race at Watsonville, which netted him
another $3,006 on that occasion.
Watsonville
champion Cody Burke took the early lead ahead of Hogge and State
champion Jim Pettit II. Hogge took the lead from Burke on Lap 3, and a
yellow flag waved on Lap 5. Hogge continued to lead the restart with
Pettit moving into second ahead of Ethan Dotson. Dotson took second from
Pettit on a Lap 7 restart. The final yellow flag waved on Lap 12. Hogge
continued to lead Dotson and Pettit on the restart. Cody Laney took
third from Pettit on Lap 20. Hogge stayed smooth down the stretch and
brought it home to the impressive win with Dotson settling for a $1,000
second. Laney was a $750 third, followed by Pettit, Burke, Paul Stone,
Andy Obertello, Robby Sawyer, Troy Foulger and Mike Shepherd.
There
were 23 competitors, and the eight lap heat race wins went to Dotson,
Hogge and Laney. Ventura champion Trevor Fitzgibbon won the 10 lap B
Main. Danny Malfatti took the lead at the start ahead of Fitzgibbon and
Raymond Keldsen Jr. Robert Marsh slipped past Keldsen for third on Lap
5. Following a Lap 8 yellow flag, Fitzgibbon took the lead from Malfatti
on the restart. Fitzgibbon went on to win ahead of Malfatti and Justin
Yaeger.
Ethan Dotson won the 25 lap IMCA Sport
Modified Main Event. The win was worth $1,500 to Dotson. Jacob Mallet Jr
took the early lead ahead of Brian Baker and Dotson. That was the order
through two yellow flags. Dotson took the lead from Mallet on a Lap 7
restart with Bakersfield champion Tyler Bannister settling into third.
Bannister took second from Mallet on Lap 9 with Baker taking third on
Lap 11. Mallet came back to reclaim third on lap 16, only to surrender
the position to Fred Ryland on Lap 20. Dotson prevailed at the checkered
flag with Bannister an $800 second. Ryland collected the $550 third,
followed by Mallet, Tyler Blankenship, Baker, Craig Nieman, Billy
Simkins, David Pearson and Richard Ragsdale.
The
28 car field ran four eight lap heat races with the wins going to
Simkins, Jason Nation, Ryland and Baker. Pearson won the 10 lap B Main.
He jumped into the lead at the start ahead of Ragsdale and Joe Salvi.
Jim Reed took third from Salvi on a Lap 2 restart. The race had three
yellow flags. Following the third yellow flag on Lap 5, TJ Etchison III
took third from Reed, and Pearson went on to win ahead of Ragsdale and
Etchison.
Dylan Wilson won the 20 lap Hobby
Stock Main Event. The Bakersfield driver collected $1,200 for his
winning effort. Drivers from Bakersfield swept the Top 4 positions at
the checkered flag with Nick Johnson taking the early lead ahead of
Johnny Wood and Wilson. Wilson and Bakersfield champion Ricky Childress
Jr moved past Wood for second and third on Lap 2 with the yellow flag
waving on the fifth lap. There were several yellow flags from that point
through the 13th lap. It was on a Lap 14 restart when Wilson moved into
the lead ahead of Childress and Derek Ogden. Tyler Irwin took third on
Lap 18. Wilson went on to win with Childress a $600 second, followed by
Irwin, Wood, Kevin Joaquin, Steve Stone, Dakota Keldsen, Jeff Lacy,
Darren Thomas and Ogden. Wood, Nick Johnson and Wilson picked up the
eight lap heat race wins.
Steven Johnson won
the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. The win paid the Bakersfield
competitor $1,000. Johnson started on the pole and took the immediate
lead ahead of Antioch IMCA Sport Modified champion Fred Ryland and Dan
Gonderman. Cody Johnson was an early fourth as the yellow flag waved
after one lap. Steven Johnson continued to lead Ryland on the restart
with Cody Johnson settling into third. Matt Mayo moved into fourth on
Lap 8. Steven Johnson held about a half-straightaway advantage over
Ryland by Lap 13. Gonderman regained fourth on Lap 19, and Steven
Johnson won with Ryland a $500 second. Cody Johnson settled for third,
ahead of Mayo, Gonderman, Chuck Weir, Dave Hill, Steve Streeter, Jeff
Streeter and David Schuyler Sr. Steven Johnson and Cody Johnson won the
eight lap heat races.
There will be some
November racing, led by the USAC National Midgets visit on November 23rd
and 24th. The Winged 360 Sprint Cars support on November 23rd with the
Sprint Car Challenge Tour coming back on November 24th. The final race
will be on November 26th when the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds,
IMCA Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and California Sharp Mini Late Models
return for the George Steitz Memorial. For further information, go to www.mersedspeedway.net.
Timms Wins Trophy Cup Finale,
Kofoid Claims Trophy Cup Championship
Tulare,
CA...October 23...Ryan Timms scored the victory in the 50 lap Winged
360 Sprint Car finale for the Trophy Cup Saturday night at Tulare
Thunderbowl. While Timms was collecting the $4,000 win, it was Buddy
Kofoid being crowned the 2021 Trophy Cup champion and claiming the
$27,000 dollar prize. The drivers competed for over $200,000 in prize
money during the three-day event, and over a quarter of a million
dollars was raised for the Make A Wish Foundation.
Kaleb
Montgomery took the early lead ahead of Timms and Robbie Price. Price
took second from Timms on Lap 7 with a red flag waving moments later for
Rico Abreu. Timms took the lead on the restart ahead of Justin Sanders
and Tanner Carrick as Montgomery brought out a yellow flag a lap later.
Timms led Carrick on the restart. Timms had a half-straightaway lead
over Carrick by Lap 20, and a red flag waved on Lap 21 for Price. Timms
led Carrick and Shane Golobic on the restart. A yellow flag waved on Lap
40 for Tim Kaeding. Carrick took the lead from Timms on the restart,
but Cory Eliason and Tyler Courtney tangled for a Lap 41 yellow flag.
Carrick led Timms and Colby Copeland on the restart, but Timms put the
moves on Carrick to take the lead on Lap 44 with Copeland following him
into second. Timms went on to win by about half a straightaway over
Copeland. Carrick settled for third ahead of Kofoid, DJ Netto, Sanders,
Corey Day, Golobic, Mitchell Faccinto and Cole Macedo.
Ryan
Bernal won the 25 last B Main. He raced into the lead at the start
ahead of Bradley Terrell and Chase Randall. Randall gained second on Lap
10 as Terrell brought out a yellow flag. Bernal led the restart ahead
of Justyn Cox and Randall. A red flag waved on lap 18 for a crash that
eliminated Zane Blanchard, Blake Carrick, Michel Moles and Bud Kaeding.
Bernal led Cox and Jake Andreotti on the restart. Randall regained third
on Lap 20, and Bernal went on to win ahead of Cox, Randall, Andreotti
and Justin Peck.
Colton Hardy won the 15 lap C
Main. A crash at the start forced a red flag and eliminated Brooklyn
Holland, Jared Faria and Colby Johnson. Hardy led the restart ahead of
Joey Ancona and Mitchel Moles. A Lap 11 yellow flag signaled the end of
the race for Tucker Worth. Hardy led Ancona and Colton Heath on the
restart. Moles regained third on Lap 13, and Hardy won ahead of Ancona,
Moles, Colton Heath and Carson Short.
Carson
Short won the first of three 10 lap D Mains. He took the lead at the
start ahead of Kurt Nelson and Colton Heath. Short built a
half-straightaway advantage over Nelson in victory with Heath settling
for third. Jared Faria won the second D Main ahead of Keith Day and
Tucker Worth. They ran that way from start to finish. Ryan Robinson won
the final D Main. Chase Goetz took the early lead ahead of Robinson and
Max Mittry. A red flag waved on Lap 8 with Michael Pombo out at that
point. Ryan Robinson and Mittry moved into first and second on the
restart and finished that way with Jodie Robinson ending up third.
The
Top 48 drivers in points got to participate in the six 10 lap heat
races. Those races were won by Craig Stidham, Kalib Henry, Peck, Timms,
Shane Hopkins and Tyler Thompson. Kofoid earned 455 points in the
three-day series, earning him $27,000. He beat Copeland by 16 points.
Copeland ended up collecting $13,100 as the runner-up, and he beat Netto
by seven points. Netto won $11,600 for third as he beat Corey Day by
just six points. Day earned $9,100. Tanner Carrick ended up four points
behind Day in fifth and pocketed $7,800 in point fund money.
Keep up the date with what's happening at the track by going to www.thunderbowlraceway.com.
Gardener Scores Sixth USAC/CRA Sprint Car Win
At Perris Auto Speedway
Perris,
CA...October 23...Damion Gardner won the 30 lap AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint
Car Main Event Saturday night at Perris Auto Speedway. This was the
sixth win of the season for Gardner aboard Mark Alexander's performanceonline.com/Carman Trucking Spike chassis. This keeps Gardner leading the standings as they head into the big show next month.
Chris
Gansen raced into the lead at the start, followed by Stevie Sussex and
Charles Davis Jr. Davis and Gardner both got past Sussex on Lap 4, and
Davis made an inside pass on the backstretch on Lap 9 to take the lead
from Gansen. A yellow flag waved moments later for Sterling Cling. Davis
led Gansen and Gardner on the restart, but Gardner slipped past Gansen
for second on Lap 11. A red flag waved on Lap 15 after Austin Williams
flipped in Turn 4. Davis appeared to have a right rear tire going flat
during the yellow flag, but he stayed out for the restart. Gardner made a
move on Davis on the inside in Turn 4 as they completed the lap to take
the lead. Matt Mitchell hit the Turn 3 wall and flipped for a red flag
on Lap 16, and Davis made a pit stop. Gardner led Cody Williams and
Gansen on the restart. Cling spun in Turn 3 for a yellow flag on Lap 22.
Gardner led Cody Williams and Gansen on the restart, and a Lap 24
yellow flag waved for Austin Grabowski in Turn 3. Gardner led Cody
Williams and Gansen on the restart. Gardner led the rest of the way for
the win, followed by Cody Williams, Gansen, Roa, Eddie Tafoya Jr, AJ
Bender, Tommy Malcolm, Logan Williams, Trent Williams and Davis.
Gardner
was the quickest of 24 drivers in Woodland Auto Display qualifying on
the half-mile clay oval at 16.149, beating the 16.184 of Austin Williams
and the 16.348 of Cling. Malcolm won the Flowdynamics first 10 lap heat
race with Gansen picking up the win in the Huntington Beach Glass and
Mirror second heat race. The All Coast Construction third heat win went
to Tafoya.
Gardner ended the night leading
Roa, 1172-1097 in the standings with Williams ranked third with 960
points. The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Cars return to Paris Auto Speedway
along with the.AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Tour on November 4th
through 6th. It's the 25th Annual Heimark/Anheuser Busch Oval Nationals
Presented by All Coast Construction. For further information, go to www.usacracing.com or www.perrisautospeedway.com.
Victory For Nick Velasquez In Dwarf Car Mania Finale
At Antioch Speedway
Antioch,
CA...October 23...Nick Velasquez won the 30 lap Dwarf Car Main Event
Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. The Camarillo driver took the lead
on the 20th lap and went on to win the final night of Dwarf Car Mania.
With threatening skies overhead, they ran a quick program that canceled
the heat races in order to beat the rain, and the Main Event was a
little bit rough at times.
After winning the
first night, Tommy Velasquez III was looking to win again, and he took
the early lead ahead of Nick Velazquez and Michael "Spanky" Grenert. A
yellow flag waved on Lap 3 with Chance Russell and Josh Applebaum both
out at that point. David Michael Rosa gained the lead on the restart lap
after a crash that eliminated Tommy Velasquez III, Ellie Russo, David
Rosa, Travis Day, and Grenert. On the next restart, David Michael Rosa
led Danny Wagner and Brandon Shaw. Wagner took the lead from David
Michael Rosa on Lap 7, and a red flag waved on Lap 8 for a crash that
eliminated Tom Van Tuyl and Jack Haverty. Wagner led David Michael Rosa
on the restart with Nick Velasquez moving back into third. Shaw got by
both Rosa and Velazquez for second on Lap 10 before a yellow flag waved.
Wagner led the restart as the second place battle found David Michael
Rose getting around Shaw for the position. Shaw came back strong to
regain second on Lap 12 with Nick Velasquez moving into third. A yellow
flag waved on Lap 15 with Cody Shrum out of the race. Wagner continued
to lead Shaw and Nick Velasquez on the restart. Shaw took the lead from
Wagner on Lap 18 with Nick Velasquez moving into second lap later. On
the 20th lap, Nick Velasquez put the moves on Shaw to take the lead.
Dylan Shrum moved into second on Lap 23. Travis Dutra gained third on
Lap 26, and Nick Velasquez won ahead of Dylan Shrum, Dutra, Shaw, Thomas
Lieby, David Michael Rosa, Mark Biscardi, Bobby Johnson, Justin Bingman
and Wagner. Nick Velasquez also won the four lap Trophy Dash.
Joe
Gallaher won the 30 lap Jay's Mobile Welding Service Hobby Stock Main
Event. This was a tune-up race for the two-time Ocean Speedway champion
as he prepares for next week's big money show.
Jon
Haney took the early lead ahead of Gallaher and Kenneth Robles. A
yellow flag waved on Lap 2 with Adam Kujala retiring at that point. Jon
Haney continued to lead Gallaher and Robles on the restart, but Gallaher
put the moves on in Haney for the lead on Lap 4. Another yellow flag
waved on Lap 6, and Robles and Chris Long both got past Gallaher on the
restart. Track champion Larry McKinzie Jr moved into third on the ninth
lap with a yellow flag waving on Lap 11. Robles led Gallaher on the
restart with Long bringing out a yellow flag a lap later as his race
came to an unfortunate end. Robles led Gallaher and McKinzie on the
restart with Jon Haney regaining third on Lap 14. The battle got close
between the lead duo before a yellow flag waved on Lap 17 with Jake
Archibald out at that point. Gallaher led Robles and Haney on the
restart, and a yellow flag waved a lap later for a crash that ended the
race for McKinzie and Robert Wallar. Gallaher led Robles and Jon Haney
on the restart, but a tangle between the leaders brought out a yellow
flag a lap later. Robles was out at that point, and Jon Haney led Gavin
Griffiths and Gallaher on the restart. Gallaher regained the lead a lap
later with Jess Paladino moving into third. Jon Haney exited the track
on Lap 22 with Paladino now second ahead of Griffiths. Gallaher built a
commanding lead that he took to the checkered flag as Griffiths made a
late move around Paladino. Only Griffiths and third place Paladino
managed to stay on the lead lap. Jewell Crandall had one of her best
finishes ever in fourth, followed by Ken Johns, Jon Haney, Robles,
Wallar, McKinzie and Archibald.
Jon Haney set
the fast time of 16.942, beating the 16.964 of Gallaher and the 17.135
of Robles. Qualifying was used to line up the feature race as the heat
races were canceled due to the threat of rain. Gallaher won the four lap
Trophy Dash.
Coming up this Friday and
Saturday night is the Co Co Farms Pacific Coast Nationals Hobby Stock
event, which boasts a hugely increased purse that includes $5,000 to
win. The IMCA Stock Cars will compete on both nights with the Crate Late Models also joining on Saturday night. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com or order the pay-per-view at www.antiochspeedway.tv.
Fain, Watson, Dickenson Win On Championship Night
At Douglas County Speedway
Roseburg,
Oregon...September 25...Donnie Fain won the Johnny's Drive In PRA
Hardtop Main Event Saturday night at Douglas County Speedway. This was
Championship Night with all of the track's divisions in action.
It
was the second win of the season for Fain, who also claimed Trophy Dash
honors as well. With his second place finish, however, Kyran Greene
repeated as champion. Division mainstay Mike Batman returned and
finished a season best third, followed by Steve Smith, Troy Gasner,
Brian Lenihan and Brian Smith. Greene won the championship with Brian
Smith finishing second in season points ahead of Fain.
Kalob
Watson won the Winchester Pub and Grill PRA Sport Modified Main Event.
The second win of the season for Kalob still didn't enable him to
overtake Riley Watson in the championship battle. Riley used his
runner-up finish to secure the title over Kalob. Previous champion Tom
Ford finished third in the feature race, followed by Monte Cox Jr, Jimmy
Smith, Blake Harvey, Trophy Dash winner Troy Gasner and Dale Roth.
Blake Harvey ended up third in the final championship standings.
Ryan
Dickenson won the Pro Motors Hornets Main Event. This was his third win
of the season, and he used it to wrap up the division championship.
Pete Lemon finished second ahead of Bart Pulse, which turned out to be
seasoned best finishes for both competitors. Brandon Belt ended up
fourth, followed by Gage Sharp, Don Tuttle, Timothy Smith, Sarah
Hickman, Odin Gamble and Haven Smith. Rookie Jake Gott settled for 11th
in the 13th car field, but he also won his first Trophy Dash earlier in
the evening. Following Dickenson in the championship battle was runner
up Belt and third ranked Skyler Whelchel.
Joe
Forsman won the Mini Stock Main Event. In the process, he became the
fourth different winner of the season. There were five competitors on
this occasion with past champion Dale Roth finishing second, followed by
Ben Forsman, champion Kieri Smith and Hornet graduate Zach Asumendi.
Joe Forsman also won the Trophy Dash. Roth settled for second in points
behind Smith as Chuck Jacobs was third.
Matt
Klaas won the Street Stock Main Event. Klaas won all five races this
year as he picked up the championship ahead of Dale Roth. Trophy Dash
winner John Doyle finished second in the Main Event, followed by Dylan
Grichar and Steve Hopkins.
To keep up to date with what's happening at the track, go to www.douglascountyspeedway.com.
Hendrix, Tuey Score Ventura Raceway Victories
Ventura,
CA...October 23...Point leader Rick Hendrix won the 30 lap VRA
Pro/Senior Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Ventura Raceway. The two
Sprint Car groups were combined due to car count. Hendrix raced into the
lead at the start ahead of James Herrera and Wally Pankratz. A yellow
flag waved on Lap 4 with Hendrix continuing to lead Herrera and Pankratz
on the restart. Senior Sprint point leader Chris Meredith and Danny
Parrish both got past Herrera on Lap 10, and Pankratz retired at that
point. By the 20th lap, Hendrix held a straightaway advantage over
Meredith, who had his hands full with Parrish. A Lap 25 yellow flag
bunched the field one final time. Hendrix resumed command on the restart
ahead of Meredith and Parrish, but Parrish got past Meredith on Lap 28
for the runner-up spot. Hendrix won by a half-straightaway ahead of
Parrish, Meredith, Jeremy Stout, Herrera, Pankratz and Greg Badgewell.
Bakersfield
racer Justin Tuey won the 20 lap VRA Hobby Stock Main Event and claimed
the $500 winner's prize. Eddie Williams took the early lead ahead of
Tuey and Tom Stephens Jr. A yellow flag waved after one lap. Williams
continued to lead to Tuey and Sam Garvin on the restart as Don Mead fell
out. Stephens regained the third on Lap 3, and he took second from Tuey
a lap later. Tuey got back around Stephens for second on Lap 5. The
battle at the front continued to be close for several laps, and Tuey
took the lead from Williams on Lap 18. Wayne Heurung had settled into
third on Lap 15, and he got by Williams for second on the 19th circuit.
Ryan Changus also made a late move into third as Tuey won ahead of
Heurung, Changus, Williams, Garvin, Cory Furr, Stephens and Mead.
Mead set the fast time of 15.520, beating the 15.807 of Stephens. The eight lap heat race wins went to Stephens and Garvin. In the closest championship battle at the track, Stephens beat Heurung by just five points to win the title.
Robert
Peters won the 20 lap VRA Dwarf Car Main Event. The division was
competing for $500 to win, and Peters snapped the win streak of current
leader Jason Horton. Peters started up front and led from the outset. However, Horton struck to second early on and kept the pressure on Peters to the end. Jeff Brink and Trent Morley were also in contention as they finished third and fourth, respectively. Tom Morley settled for fifth, followed by Evan Jonker, Dominic Mandonado and John Alonzo. Kody Welsh and Shane Linenburger ended up ninth and tenth, respectively, after both were emlinated on Lap 4. However, both drivers won the eight lap heat
races.
Phil Barrow won the 20 lap IMCA Mod
Lites Main Event. Matt Phillips led just three laps before Barrow took over. Barrow picked up the win ahead of Gary Dewitt, Matt
Phillips, Shane Balser and Dave Dotson. Barrow also won the eight lap
heat race.
Jason Horton won the special 15 lap
Dwarf Cars versus Mod Lites Main Event. The drivers in both groups took
up a collection and raised $700 to be distributed among the Top 3
finishers. Robert Peters was the leader of the opening lap ahead of
Horton and the Mod Lite of Phil Barrow. Following a lap one yellow flag
that saw the elimination of Evan Jonker, Horton led Peters and the Mod
Lite of Gary Dewitt on the restart. Barrow got around Peters and Dewitt
for second on Lap 4 and took up pursuit of the flying Horton. However,
Horton was not to be denied as he picked up the win by half a
straightaway ahead of Barrow, Peters, Jeff Brink, Dewitt, Trent Morley,
Tom Morley and Jonker.
The show ended with a
Destruction Derby, which saw a big crowd in attendance to watch. This
Saturday night wraps up the championship season with the VRA Sprint
Cars, VRA Senior Sprints, VRA Dwarf Cars, California Lightning Sprints
and WMR Midgets all in action. For further information, go to www.venturaraceway.com.
Antioch Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 23
Dwarf Car
Nick Velasquez
Dylan Shrum
Travis Dutra
Brandon Shaw
Thomas Leiby
David Michael Rosa
Mark Biscardi
Bobby Johnson
Justin Bingman
Danny Wagner
Cody Shrum
Jack Haverty
Tom VanTuyl
Tommy Velasquez III
Ellie Russo
Mike Grenert
Travis Day
David Rosa
Chance Russell
Tyler Applebaum
Jay's Mobile Welding Service Hobby Stocks
Joe Gallaher
Gavin Griffiths
Jess Paladino
Jewell Crandall
Ken Johns
Jon Haney
Kenneth Robles
Robert Wallar
Larry McKinzie Jr
Jake Archibald
Gene Haney
James Graessle
Bobby Gallaher
Chris Long
Adam Kujala
Cosmo Cancilla DNS
Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 23
Dwarf Car
Nick Velasquez
Dylan Shrum
Travis Dutra
Brandon Shaw
Thomas Leiby
David Michael Rosa
Mark Biscardi
Bobby Johnson
Justin Bingman
Danny Wagner
Cody Shrum
Jack Haverty
Tom VanTuyl
Tommy Velasquez III
Ellie Russo
Mike Grenert
Travis Day
David Rosa
Chance Russell
Tyler Applebaum
Jay's Mobile Welding Service Hobby Stocks
Joe Gallaher
Gavin Griffiths
Jess Paladino
Jewell Crandall
Ken Johns
Jon Haney
Kenneth Robles
Robert Wallar
Larry McKinzie Jr
Jake Archibald
Gene Haney
James Graessle
Bobby Gallaher
Chris Long
Adam Kujala
Cosmo Cancilla DNS
Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 23
John Fore Jr/Bob Smith Memorial Night #2
IMCA Modifieds
Bobby Hogge IV
Ethan Dotson
Cody Laney
Jim Pettit II
Cody Burke
Paul Stone
Andy Obertello
Robby Sawyer
Troy Foulger
Mike Shepherd
Gavyn Manning
Trevor Fitz
Rick Diaz
Robert Marsh
Cory McDonald
Robby Jeppesen
Danny Malfatti
Jeremy Crebs
Danny Roe
Justin Yaeger
IMCA Sport Modifieds
A Main
Ethan Dotson
Tyler Bannister
Fred Ryland
Jacob Mallet Jr
Tyler Blankenship
Brian Baker
Craig Nieman
Billy Simkins
David Pearson
Richard Ragsdale
Doug Hagio
Kodie Dean
Riley Jeppesen
T.J. Etchinson III
Glen Cook
Nicolas Zapatero
Andrew Peckham
Jason Nation
John Piker
Jim Reed
B Main
David Pearson
Richard Ragsdale
T.J. Etchinson III
Jim Reed
Frank Cefaliello Jr
Jarrod Mounce
Emali VanHoff
Dutch Jantz
Joe Salvi
Chris Sieweke DNS
Andrew Pearce DNS
Jeremy Hoff DNS
Hobby Stocks
Dylan Wilson
Ricky Childress Jr
Tyler Irwin
Johnny Wood
Kevin Joaquin
Steve Stone
Dakota Keldsen
Jeff Lacy
Darren Thomas
Derek Ogden
Joy Weaver
Craig Tatum
Nicholas Johnson
Jakob Ebersole
Race Shelton
Dustin Donathan
Kristie Shearer
Chad Ragsdale
Stephen Johason DNS
James Cornelius DNS
IMCA Stock Car
Steven Johnson
Fred Ryland
Cody Johnson
Matt Mayo
Dan Gonderman
Chuck Weir
Dave Hill
Steve Streeter
Jeff Streeter
David Schuyler Sr DNS
Michael Shearer DNS
Paul Stone DNS
Austin VanHoff DNS
Thunderbowl Raceway Unofficial Race Results October 23
Winged 360 Sprint Cars
A Main
Ryan Timms
Colby Copeland
Tanner Carrick
Buddy Kofoid
D.J. Netto
Justin Sanders
Corey Day
Shane Golobic
Mitchell Faccinto
Cole Macedo
Anthony Macri
Sean Becker
Justyn Cox
Chase Randall
Jake Andreotti
Tyler Courtney
Cory Eliason
Tim Kaeding
Ryan Bernal
Robbie Price
Rico Abreu
Kyle Hirst
Kaleb Montgomery
B Main
Ryan Bernal
Justyn Cox
Chase Randall
Jake Andreotti
Justin Peck
Kalib Henry
Michael Faccinto
Colton Hardy
Colton Heath
Joey Ancona
Willie Croft
Shane Hopkins
Craig Stidham
J.J. Ringo
Joel Myers
Tony Gomes
Zane Blanchard
Blake Carrick
Mitchel Moles
Bud Kaedin
Chase Majdic
Bradley Terrell
Devon Borden
Brock Lemley
C Main
Colton Hardy
Joey Ancona
Mitchel Moles
Colton Heath
Carson Short
Tyler Thompson
Grant Duinkerken
Ryan Robinson
Kurt Nelson
Steven Kent
Jodie Robinson
Keith Day Jr
Max Mittry
Dustin Freitas
Tucker Worth
Colby Thornhill
Colby Johnson
Brooklyn Holland
Jared Faria
Nick Parker DNS
D Main 1
Carson Short
Kurt Nelson
Colton Heath
Colby Johnson
Danny Faria Jr
Chris Bullock
Connor Danell
Cole Danell
Travis Coelho
D Main 2
Jared Faria
Keith Day Jr
Tucker Worth
Dustin Freitas
Tim Estenson
Bailey Sucich
Nick Larsen
Korey Lovell
Pat Harvey Jr
D Main 3
Ryan Robinson
Max Mittry
Jodie Robinson
Brooklyn Holland
Chase Goetz
Jeremy Chisum
Tyler Driever
Michael Pombo
Ryan Lippincott DNS
Perris Auto Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 23
IMCA Modifieds
Bobby Hogge IV
Ethan Dotson
Cody Laney
Jim Pettit II
Cody Burke
Paul Stone
Andy Obertello
Robby Sawyer
Troy Foulger
Mike Shepherd
Gavyn Manning
Trevor Fitz
Rick Diaz
Robert Marsh
Cory McDonald
Robby Jeppesen
Danny Malfatti
Jeremy Crebs
Danny Roe
Justin Yaeger
IMCA Sport Modifieds
A Main
Ethan Dotson
Tyler Bannister
Fred Ryland
Jacob Mallet Jr
Tyler Blankenship
Brian Baker
Craig Nieman
Billy Simkins
David Pearson
Richard Ragsdale
Doug Hagio
Kodie Dean
Riley Jeppesen
T.J. Etchinson III
Glen Cook
Nicolas Zapatero
Andrew Peckham
Jason Nation
John Piker
Jim Reed
B Main
David Pearson
Richard Ragsdale
T.J. Etchinson III
Jim Reed
Frank Cefaliello Jr
Jarrod Mounce
Emali VanHoff
Dutch Jantz
Joe Salvi
Chris Sieweke DNS
Andrew Pearce DNS
Jeremy Hoff DNS
Hobby Stocks
Dylan Wilson
Ricky Childress Jr
Tyler Irwin
Johnny Wood
Kevin Joaquin
Steve Stone
Dakota Keldsen
Jeff Lacy
Darren Thomas
Derek Ogden
Joy Weaver
Craig Tatum
Nicholas Johnson
Jakob Ebersole
Race Shelton
Dustin Donathan
Kristie Shearer
Chad Ragsdale
Stephen Johason DNS
James Cornelius DNS
IMCA Stock Car
Steven Johnson
Fred Ryland
Cody Johnson
Matt Mayo
Dan Gonderman
Chuck Weir
Dave Hill
Steve Streeter
Jeff Streeter
David Schuyler Sr DNS
Michael Shearer DNS
Paul Stone DNS
Austin VanHoff DNS
Thunderbowl Raceway Unofficial Race Results October 23
Winged 360 Sprint Cars
A Main
Ryan Timms
Colby Copeland
Tanner Carrick
Buddy Kofoid
D.J. Netto
Justin Sanders
Corey Day
Shane Golobic
Mitchell Faccinto
Cole Macedo
Anthony Macri
Sean Becker
Justyn Cox
Chase Randall
Jake Andreotti
Tyler Courtney
Cory Eliason
Tim Kaeding
Ryan Bernal
Robbie Price
Rico Abreu
Kyle Hirst
Kaleb Montgomery
B Main
Ryan Bernal
Justyn Cox
Chase Randall
Jake Andreotti
Justin Peck
Kalib Henry
Michael Faccinto
Colton Hardy
Colton Heath
Joey Ancona
Willie Croft
Shane Hopkins
Craig Stidham
J.J. Ringo
Joel Myers
Tony Gomes
Zane Blanchard
Blake Carrick
Mitchel Moles
Bud Kaedin
Chase Majdic
Bradley Terrell
Devon Borden
Brock Lemley
C Main
Colton Hardy
Joey Ancona
Mitchel Moles
Colton Heath
Carson Short
Tyler Thompson
Grant Duinkerken
Ryan Robinson
Kurt Nelson
Steven Kent
Jodie Robinson
Keith Day Jr
Max Mittry
Dustin Freitas
Tucker Worth
Colby Thornhill
Colby Johnson
Brooklyn Holland
Jared Faria
Nick Parker DNS
D Main 1
Carson Short
Kurt Nelson
Colton Heath
Colby Johnson
Danny Faria Jr
Chris Bullock
Connor Danell
Cole Danell
Travis Coelho
D Main 2
Jared Faria
Keith Day Jr
Tucker Worth
Dustin Freitas
Tim Estenson
Bailey Sucich
Nick Larsen
Korey Lovell
Pat Harvey Jr
D Main 3
Ryan Robinson
Max Mittry
Jodie Robinson
Brooklyn Holland
Chase Goetz
Jeremy Chisum
Tyler Driever
Michael Pombo
Ryan Lippincott DNS
Perris Auto Speedway Unofficial Race Results October 23
AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #1 Damion Gardner
2 #44 Cody Williams
3 #4g Chris Gansen
4 #91r Brody Roa
5 #51t Eddie Tafoya Jr
6 #21b AJ Bender
7 #5x Tommy Malcolm
8 #5w Logan Williams
9 #52 Trent Williams
10 #47 Charles Davis Jr
11 #28m Matt McCarthy
12 #4 Jake Hodges
13 #88 Jace Vanderweerd
14 #98 Verne Sweeney
15 #110 Ikaika O'Brien
16 #T5 Dan Taylor
17 #34 Sterling Cling
18 #71 Brent Owens
19 #72 Austin Grabowsko
20 #38 Tye Mihocko
21 #37 Matt Mitchell
22 #92 Austin Williams
23 #12 Stevie Sussex
24 #39 Jeff Dyer
Kern County Raceway Unofficial Race Results October 23
33rd Annual "October Classic"
SPEARS SWT
Preston Peltier
Derek Thorn
Jeremy Doss
Dan Holtz
Kyle Keller
Cale Kanke
Carlos Vieira
Keith Spangler
Scott Sanchez
Jacob Gomes
Trevor Huddleston
Buddy Shepherd
Jace Hansen
Jack Wood
Jeff Hillock
Blaine Rocha
Joe Farre
Kole Raz
Andy Allen
Brandon Farrington
Dylan Garner
John Moore
Spears Pro Late Models
Jeremy Doss
Bradley Erickson
Tyler Reif
Dylan Zampa
Tanner Reif
Blaine Rocha
Seth Wise
Dylan Cappelo
Dustin Ash
Cassidy Hinds
Austin Herzog
Brody Armtrout
Travis McCullough
Mike Beeler
Christian Bazen
Takuya Okada
Frankie Muniz
Logan Zampa
Ron Cross
Brody Moore
Greg Puskarich
Anthony Mainella
Paul Ebersbaucher
Mike Puskarich
Hans Beeler
SPEARS Modified Series
Jeremy Doss
Travis Thirkettle
William Guevara
Sam Jacks
Andrew Anderson
Travis McCullough
Kyle Jacks
Jeff Longman
Jerry Toporek
Ryley Massey
Anthony Barket
Ed Coffey
Dustin Patterson
Eddie Secord
Ryley Millard
Billy Mitchell
Ventura Raceway Unofficial Race Results October 23
VRA Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #15 Rick Hendrix
2 #21K Danny Parrish
3 #66 Chris Meredith
4 #7K Jeremy Stout
5 #5J James Herrera
6 #2 Wally Pankratz
7 #86 Greg Badgewell
VRA Hobby Stocks
Results are not official
1 #99T Justin Tuey
2 #14 Wayne Heurung
3 #18 Ryan Changus
4 #9 3/4 Eddie Williams
5 #43 Sam Garvin
6 #91 Cory Furr
7 #16 Tom Stephens Jr
8 #99 Don Mead
VRA Pro Dwarf Cars
Robert Peters
Jason Horton
Jeff Brink
Trent Morley
Tom Morley
Evan Jonker
Dominic Maldonado
John Alonso
Kody Welsh
Shane Linenburger
IMCA Mod Lites
Results are not official
1 #29 Phil Barrow
2 #29A Gary Dewitt
3 #75P Matt Phillips
4 #68 Shane Balser
5 #22 Dave Dotson
Dwarf & Mod Lites Exhibition
Results are not official
1 #90 Jason Horton
2 #29 Phil Barrow
3 #5 Robert Peters
4 #88 Jeff Brink
5 #29A Gary Dewitt
6 #48 Trent Morley
7 #18E Tom Morley
8 #13 Evan Jonker
Results are not official
1 #1 Damion Gardner
2 #44 Cody Williams
3 #4g Chris Gansen
4 #91r Brody Roa
5 #51t Eddie Tafoya Jr
6 #21b AJ Bender
7 #5x Tommy Malcolm
8 #5w Logan Williams
9 #52 Trent Williams
10 #47 Charles Davis Jr
11 #28m Matt McCarthy
12 #4 Jake Hodges
13 #88 Jace Vanderweerd
14 #98 Verne Sweeney
15 #110 Ikaika O'Brien
16 #T5 Dan Taylor
17 #34 Sterling Cling
18 #71 Brent Owens
19 #72 Austin Grabowsko
20 #38 Tye Mihocko
21 #37 Matt Mitchell
22 #92 Austin Williams
23 #12 Stevie Sussex
24 #39 Jeff Dyer
Kern County Raceway Unofficial Race Results October 23
33rd Annual "October Classic"
SPEARS SWT
Preston Peltier
Derek Thorn
Jeremy Doss
Dan Holtz
Kyle Keller
Cale Kanke
Carlos Vieira
Keith Spangler
Scott Sanchez
Jacob Gomes
Trevor Huddleston
Buddy Shepherd
Jace Hansen
Jack Wood
Jeff Hillock
Blaine Rocha
Joe Farre
Kole Raz
Andy Allen
Brandon Farrington
Dylan Garner
John Moore
Spears Pro Late Models
Jeremy Doss
Bradley Erickson
Tyler Reif
Dylan Zampa
Tanner Reif
Blaine Rocha
Seth Wise
Dylan Cappelo
Dustin Ash
Cassidy Hinds
Austin Herzog
Brody Armtrout
Travis McCullough
Mike Beeler
Christian Bazen
Takuya Okada
Frankie Muniz
Logan Zampa
Ron Cross
Brody Moore
Greg Puskarich
Anthony Mainella
Paul Ebersbaucher
Mike Puskarich
Hans Beeler
SPEARS Modified Series
Jeremy Doss
Travis Thirkettle
William Guevara
Sam Jacks
Andrew Anderson
Travis McCullough
Kyle Jacks
Jeff Longman
Jerry Toporek
Ryley Massey
Anthony Barket
Ed Coffey
Dustin Patterson
Eddie Secord
Ryley Millard
Billy Mitchell
Ventura Raceway Unofficial Race Results October 23
VRA Sprint Cars
Results are not official
1 #15 Rick Hendrix
2 #21K Danny Parrish
3 #66 Chris Meredith
4 #7K Jeremy Stout
5 #5J James Herrera
6 #2 Wally Pankratz
7 #86 Greg Badgewell
VRA Hobby Stocks
Results are not official
1 #99T Justin Tuey
2 #14 Wayne Heurung
3 #18 Ryan Changus
4 #9 3/4 Eddie Williams
5 #43 Sam Garvin
6 #91 Cory Furr
7 #16 Tom Stephens Jr
8 #99 Don Mead
VRA Pro Dwarf Cars
Robert Peters
Jason Horton
Jeff Brink
Trent Morley
Tom Morley
Evan Jonker
Dominic Maldonado
John Alonso
Kody Welsh
Shane Linenburger
IMCA Mod Lites
Results are not official
1 #29 Phil Barrow
2 #29A Gary Dewitt
3 #75P Matt Phillips
4 #68 Shane Balser
5 #22 Dave Dotson
Dwarf & Mod Lites Exhibition
Results are not official
1 #90 Jason Horton
2 #29 Phil Barrow
3 #5 Robert Peters
4 #88 Jeff Brink
5 #29A Gary Dewitt
6 #48 Trent Morley
7 #18E Tom Morley
8 #13 Evan Jonker
Douglas County Speedway Unofficial Race Results September 25
Mini Stocks
Joe Forsman
Dale Roth
Ben Forsman
Kieri Smith
Zach Asumendi
Winchester Pub Sport Mods
Kalob Watson
Riley Watson
Tom Ford
Monte Cox Jr
Jimmy Smith
Blake Harvey
Troy Gasner
Dale Roth
Pro Motors Hornets
Ryan Dickenson
Pete Lemon
Bart Pulse
Brandon Belt
Gage Sharp
Don Tuttle
Timothy Smith
Sarah Hickman
Oden Gambill
Haven Smith
Jake Gott
Skyler Whelchel
Jalana Pynch
Roseburg Collision Center Super Stocks
Matt Klaas
John Doyle
Dylan Grichar
Steve Hopkins
Johnny's Drive In Hardtops
Donnie Fain
Kyran Greene
Mike Batman
Steve Smith
Troy Gasner
Brian Lenihan
Brian Smith
Mini Stocks
Joe Forsman
Dale Roth
Ben Forsman
Kieri Smith
Zach Asumendi
Winchester Pub Sport Mods
Kalob Watson
Riley Watson
Tom Ford
Monte Cox Jr
Jimmy Smith
Blake Harvey
Troy Gasner
Dale Roth
Pro Motors Hornets
Ryan Dickenson
Pete Lemon
Bart Pulse
Brandon Belt
Gage Sharp
Don Tuttle
Timothy Smith
Sarah Hickman
Oden Gambill
Haven Smith
Jake Gott
Skyler Whelchel
Jalana Pynch
Roseburg Collision Center Super Stocks
Matt Klaas
John Doyle
Dylan Grichar
Steve Hopkins
Johnny's Drive In Hardtops
Donnie Fain
Kyran Greene
Mike Batman
Steve Smith
Troy Gasner
Brian Lenihan
Brian Smith
The Editor's Viewpoint
I'm
starting the week off not feeling all that great. I ate something that
didn't agree with me before bed on Saturday night. I wasn't getting
anything accomplished on Sunday and I'm still going in slow motion on
Monday evening as I write this. The final weekend of October is the last
big weekend where there are a multitude of races happening that are on
our radar. One thought was to just let everything happen and do a post
in a couple of weeks. There is no right or wrong answer at this point,
just what I feel like doing.
There's only one
other race on the first weekend of November that's got my attention.
That's the Gary Patterson race in Stockton. Beyond that, I might be
watching stuff, but I don't know that there will be any great hurry to
report anything. We'll just have to see. What could happen after this
weekend is we put out a post covering this weekend and the Patterson
race the following week and call it a year. There are days when I feel
like jumping in and doing a lot, but I'm also getting tired. We made it
through the end of the point season, and that wasn't a guarantee when
the year started.
Since I'm putting the
finishing touches on this column very late in the evening on Thursday
and then posting, I'll be brief in a couple of news items I've just
heard. Roy Bain of the Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series is up to big
things. He's about ready to go into the racing pay-per-view business
with his own Speed Union TV venture. As it is, he's the director of a
very successful Pro Stock tour and does a rather nice weekly show called
Up On The Bar Discussion. You hear some interesting things on this
show, and that includes breaking news.
We were
speculating a week ago about whether or not there would be New Year's
races at either Stockton or Antioch next year, but Roy confirmed that
Tony Noceti plans to have a New Year's race at the Stockton Dirt Track.
The divisions should be what we've been seeing, which includes the Dirt
Modifieds, Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Tri State Pro Stocks. I'm
sure Tony is focused on the Gary Patterson race coming up on November
5th and 6th, but you can count on announcements very soon as New Year's
isn't very far away.
Southern Oregon Speedway
announced their banquet, and I'm a little bit underwhelmed by the news. I
probably shouldn't be. When I heard they were going to have the
occasion at the Rogue Regency on December 3rd, I figured as much. A lot
of people look down on the banquets we had, but they always ended up
being fun gatherings. Nobody had to pay to get in, you brought a dish
and we did trophies for the Top 10 drivers in all divisions in addition
to honoring the top rookies. I guess they're having restrictions on how
many people they can get due to the virus BS, and it's about 120 people
that will be allowed.
I would guess that's why
the Top 3 drivers in the track's regular divisions are the ones getting
trophies, and they're honoring the top rookies in three of the classes.
Everybody likes to get a little bit of recognition, and I understand the
car count wasn't spectacular this season. We didn't have a great car
count in 2016, which wasn't a surprise to anybody who saw what the track
had the year before we got there. We continued to grow the ranks, but
even that first year saw us taking care of the Top 10 drivers in each
division as well as the rookies. It's a little touch that says we
appreciate the support of all the drivers, and I can't help but be a bit
disappointed in how they are handling it.
I'm
not trying to throw mud at them, and they did well enough to roll
through the challenges that they had this year in establishing their
program. It's just that I know they wanted to have a fancier banquet
than our modest gatherings. Considering the restrictions and all, maybe
they should have looked a little bit harder. They're doing it this year,
but it wouldn't have killed them to do something in January next year.
It's not like the racers weren't used to that after the previous four
seasons, and they might have been able to put a better deal together. In
any case, congratulations to all the drivers who earned trophies this
year.
There's not a lot a lot going on in
the racing world that I feel the need to get into here. I do have a
feeling there's going to be some very interesting things happening
during the offseason. You may see a few changes here and there. Some of
the changes you may see could surprise you. The good news is I'm not
hearing any news of us losing any race tracks in 2022. When you consider
that this year wasn't really so great for business, I'm relieved that
I'm not hearing of any tracks that are ready to close. However, there
are some places that aren't so safe and could be closed in the next few
years. Be grateful for the race tracks you have.
Siskiyou
Golden Speedway is up for bid. I knew that to be the case as Kevin
Barba only got three years to work his magic. That's not to say Kevin is
heading out the door, because he has every intention of promoting the
place next season and beyond. In fact, he and his crew have booked their
trip for the WARPA meeting in Portland this year. It's an opportunity
for the Pacific Northwest promoters to get together, discuss the trends
happening in racing and map out a game plan for another year. Although
you'll hear people say nothing significant comes from these meetings, I
don't agree with that. It's all in how you look at it as an individual
promoter.
I've been critical of Kevin, but I've
probably been critical of most of the promoters. This comes from a
place of wanting to see the best in whatever race track I'm talking
about. The bottom line is Kevin took on Siskiyou Golden Speedway because
he believed he could make a difference. He's been involved in the sport
for many years and helped out at different race tracks. He's been
involved in successful racing tours, so it's not like he didn't have any
ideas or experience to draw from. His desire to be a promoter comes
from a good place, and he's worked hard at it.
The
bad part about watching race tracks from afar is there are nuances I
don't see. Generally, I'm commenting on the information I get on fan
attendance and just how many cars they had. I comment on how smoothly a
show goes and what sort of program they run. Siskiyou Golden Speedway
was on the decline when Kevin took over, and he had first-hand knowledge
of what was going on. He spent a year as the president of the Siskiyou
Motorsports Association before deciding he wanted to promote the track
himself without having to answer to an association.
I
haven't seen the facility, but I have seen the photos that Kevin shares
of the improvements being made. He's done some things with the facility
itself that made it better than it was when he got there. The idea is
to make it a more enjoyable experience for the racers and the fans.
Where they are lacking at this race track is with the program itself,
and it does need a game plan and dedication. This track is too dependent
upon traveling series coming in to bolster the car count, and they need
to find a way to make the local portion of things stronger than it is.
I'm
not a complete stranger to the history of this track, and I know the
numbers they had before. They had a pretty darn good show, but it has
been in decline in more recent years. The track needs to establish some
things. It really comes down to figuring out who wants to support the
classes that you have and how you can book them to give them the best
numbers. Then, what classes can you add that have potential for growth.
Kevin
has tackled that as the Hornet division almost fell into his lap
halfway through this season, but there are some questions to answer. Can
anything of an IMCA Modified division be salvaged? I don't think we
should be so dismissive of that question, because even the association
figured out a way to do it. Furthermore, Kevin's numbers in this class
weren't bad in 2020 when compared to what the association had before
him, but he only booked one race for them this year.
Kevin's
taking a swing at this track. He's invested in it, so you're either in
or out. Frankly, I want to see him with this attitude, because the odds
favor him winning the contract again. However, it's not a 100% iron lock
that he's getting it. That all depends on who makes a proposal and what
that proposal is. Does the association want to take another swing at
it, or are they all in on the RC Racing track? Are there any people from
Medford, Yreka or elsewhere who think they have any ideas on what to
do? Now is the time to step up.
The upside with
this track is very impressive. You're not being compared to anything
that's happened out there in the last 20 years. Not much looked all that
great as far as car count, even if they had their moments. Certainly,
you can't brag too much about the car counts they've had in the last
decade. If you can figure out a way to stabilize the numbers in the core
classes and just improve on it a little, you're going to be seen as a
hero by some. With a little investment, a good game plan and patience, I
think you can see results at this track in a short time. The question
is, will anybody challenge Barba, or will he be the one at the helm next
year? I just want to see it continue.
When a
Fairgrounds puts out the RFP packages, they are open to anybody who
thinks they'd like to take a shot at it. By law, they have to be open to
anybody who wants to get the contract. However, there are criteria in
place for what it will take to actually win the contract. You better do
your homework. This means dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's,
because your proposal could be thrown out if you didn't include a page.
If they ask for three copies of something and you give them two, it's
grounds for them to disqualify you. Even if you ultimately put out a
better proposal than anybody else, they can toss it because of the fact
that you missed a page on the grounds that your bid is incomplete.
It's
not just that these procedures happen to give everybody a shot at
winning the contract. It's also an opportunity for a fairgrounds to see
if there's something better out there than what they have. I've noticed
fairgrounds doing things a little bit differently, depending on the
location. Usually, these deals come up every three or five years, but
sometimes the fairgrounds themselves doesn't make a big deal of it. If
nobody comes in there to say they want to make a bid for the track, the
fairgrounds doesn't say anything either. This is because they like who
they have and will put the wheels in motion to keep them for another
three or five years.
Even when a fairgrounds
does make it known that they are accepting proposals, as is the case
with the Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds, it doesn't necessarily mean they
are unhappy with who they have. The incumbent may have the inside track,
but they are taking a look to see who else might want it. It's about
dollars and cents, so they just want to see if somebody might make a
bigger proposal that will put more money in the coffers of the
fairgrounds. Ultimately, running the fairgrounds is a business, and they
aren't getting the help they used to get from the state. You go after
every dollar you can get.
I'm reminded by Mike
McCann that how the race track is run doesn't necessarily matter to the
fairgrounds. That is to say, they don't necessarily care what sort of
program you have, what your attendance is or even how many cars you get.
They might, but they don't necessarily worry about it. If the person
with the contract is paying the agreed upon fees, that may be all that
matters. Unless somebody comes to the fairgrounds with genuine safety
concerns or something that negatively impacts the surrounding community,
they may file those complaints in the waste paper basket. All they
really care about is the money.
I know that
idea may outrage some people who are racing fans and believe their track
is being run into the ground. To be honest with you, it annoys me a
little bit as well. Then again, the Fair Board and the Fair Manager
don't generally have a clue how a track should be run, and they don't
want to know. The only thing they want to know is that the track is open
and they are getting money from that part of the property. To me, the
better the race track is run, the more money that comes in and therefore
the more money that goes to the fairgrounds.
However,
I've had this discussion with Mike multiple times, and I know enough to
know that he's been a part of the business for long enough. When he
says this is the way things go, I believe him. I just believe that if
the fairgrounds doesn't care that a track on their property isn't being
run the best way possible, the ultimate risk could be that it eventually
closes and they get no money from it at all. Therefore, they should at
least be a little concerned that somebody is trying to do the best they
can with the property and not just letting everything slide. The damage
being done can be so great that it doesn't reopen. It's not like that
hasn't happened repeatedly at various locations.
One
thing about a Fair Board and a Fair Manager is that when they do
realize they have a good thing going with the race track, you'll get
cooperation. Merced Speedway is an example of what some may see as a
promoter doing the bare minimum. Some would accuse the late Chuck
Griffin of not being the best promoter the track ever had, but he had an
amazing relationship with the fairgrounds in his 20 plus year run. They
weren't looking to replace him. They weren't looking to see if there
was more money that could be made. They wanted things to continue on,
and they got that with him.
Look at a track
like Antioch Speedway. The price tag has been raised so ridiculously
high for this facility that a lot of intelligent promoters with
experience wouldn't go anywhere near the place. John Soares bid
ridiculously high to get the contract in 1998. He won, and the
fairgrounds got more money from him than ever before. He spent most of
his career trying to renegotiate so that he could get a bigger piece of
the pie from the hard work he put into it. Some would say damage was
done, because now the Fair Board and Fair Manager just assume that's the
value of the place. Eventually, that could be the undoing of Antioch
Speedway when nobody wants to take it on.
Am I
saying it's in danger now? Not necessarily. I do see the signs that
there are problems on the horizon, but the gates continue to open and
the bills continue to be paid for now. That means that racing will
continue there. Business may not be all it can be right now, but who
knows where it will be in a few years? In any case, they are a couple of
years away from having to worry about the contract at Antioch. Yreka
will go through that process and figure out who will be at the helm for
the next three years. There is interest in keeping it going, so I don't
have any worries about there being a 2022 season. What will be happening
that season is another discussion.
Antioch
Speedway has the Co Co Farms Pacific Coast Nationals for the Jay's
Mobile Welding Service Hobby Stocks this Friday and Saturday night. This
is the biggest race for this division in its history in California and
the West Coast. Nobody's ever given this division $5,000 to win, and
it's $200 to start. Can't make that pass for first place? You're still
getting $2,500 for second. I don't think the $1,250 for third is all
that bad. It was only going to be $1,000 to win when this race was
originally scheduled, and fourth place will win that prize now. I'm
blown away by what Antioch Speedway is doing, and it's on course to be
very huge.
Larry Adams and I have had some good
discussions through the years. He's a man who always has ideas running
in his mind about how to make things better. We've talked about many of
them. Some I agree with and some I don't. However, I know Larry is right
in the center of everything. The racers respect him and go to him when
they have concerns. I'm sure he's heard people repeating the unfounded
rumors that the Hobby Stock division may be going away. That's not
happening, by the way. IMCA Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks will both
continue separately next year, and there's no reason to expect that to
change.
I'm sure that Larry realized through
his interactions that this division needed something special. It's
rarely gotten the attention, but here's a thought. If we can have big
races for the Dwarf Cars, why can't we have big races for the Hobby
Stocks? There are more people on the local scene in Antioch who care
about Hobby Stocks than Dwarf Cars, although I'm not trying to make this
a contest. $1,000 to win would have been nice, but wouldn't $5,000 be
better? Larry raised that question with Promoters Chad and Tina
Chadwick. He was basically told to go find the sponsorship, and he did.
My
interactions with Larry were early on in that process. He had landed a
$1,000 sponsorship and was negotiating with other people, and that's
where our communications ended. We fast forward to the announcements
that have been made in the last few weeks leading up to this weekend.
Now, we know the purse. We also have seen that at least 50 Hobby Stock
drivers have committed to this weekend. One of the things I told Larry
was they should draw at least 50 to 60 drivers for that kind of money.
Honestly, my belief was that if they didn't get that many, this race
would be a failure. It made me nervous when the track wasn't being so
open to the Marysville, Chico and Orland drivers, but it's working out
fine.
Nobody in the state is even coming close
to this type of payout. Orland just had a $1,200 to win Main Event,
although the purse didn't pay great on down. Merced just ran a $1,200 to
win race last weekend. There aren't even that many four figure winner's
prize races for the Hobby Stocks, and this race blows them all away. I
don't think the track has done spectacularly well this year, but this
one is on course to be the biggest promotion of the season for them.
They will get the cars, so I'm hoping that they will get the fans. The
ticket price hasn't helped things this year, but there should be some
curiosity on Saturday as far as who is going to win the big money.
I'm
not delighted about going all the way to the end of October with so
many big races. However, I can't completely shut down when there are so
many things happening that interest me. The Mini Stock division gets two
intriguing shows. One is your standard Four Banger race down at Kern
County Raceway, and the other is your basic stock Four Banger 500 lap
Enduro at Dixon Speedway. I have different reasons for really being
excited about both races, and my hope is that both shows get tremendous
support.
At Kern County Raceway, they had
already booked the NARC/KWS Winged 410 Sprint Cars. It's the second
night of a two-race weekend as they run the Anthony Simone Memorial at
Keller Auto Speedway on Friday. The West Coast Sport Compacts were
booked for Kern County Raceway. Dan Myrick has done an amazing job in
promoting and building the brand. I know it's just Four Banger racing to
some. However, they bring some really good drivers to any show they are
at, and Dan tries to make sure the racers are offered a little bit
better purse than your average Four Banger race. Some tracks don't even
pay this class, so the bar isn't that high.
However,
Dan had enough time to really pump up this race and get some
sponsorship money. It started with the announcement of $1,000 to win,
but it didn't stop there. By the time Dan was through, it was $800 for
second and $650 for third. Just taking the green flag in the Main Event
gets you $100 at the pay window, and there could be additional updates
between now and the weekend. I recognize that the car count for the
group hasn't been as big as it was a year or so ago, but the WCSC is
capable of having a field in the twenties. They've definitely put the
word out all over California, so my hope is that this is a show that
requires a B Main and really gives the fans a glimpse of how good this
type of racing can be.
Dixon Speedway is a
Micro Sprint track. When I set foot on the track, before anything with
built around it, I envisioned this little place having car races of some
sort. When Terry DeCarlo Jr started pushing for Mini Stocks and Dwarf
Cars 7 or 8 years ago, I absolutely loved the idea. I've seen the
footage, which is still available on YouTube. New Year's in 2014 saw a
100 lap Enduro with 12 cars, but I don't think they've done another
Enduro for the Mini Stocks since then. This is where Nathan Corn entered
the picture.
Nathan frequently comes to Dixon
Speedway to help some of the Micro Sprint teams, but he wanted to see
another stock Mini Stock Enduro race happen. He got the okay from track
Promoter Jeremy Prince, and Jeremy even gave him a purse. Winning will
get you $500 if there are 10 to 15 cars. I feel pretty confident that
they'll at least hit that number. At 16 to 20 cars, it becomes $750 to
win, and 21 or more makes it $1,000. I think it's just the Top 5 getting
paid for a field of 16 or more cars, but it's still a really nice deal.
Last I heard, Nathan had built two cars and was working on a third.
Micro
Sprint racing is the bread and butter of the 1/5 mile dirt oval. They
pay the bills with this type of racing, and that's what's kept the track
open when the Outlaw Kart stuff faded away. The track did look at some
other stuff, but the support just didn't come to make it worth their
while. With this Enduro, there's an opportunity to at least create an
annual event. My guess is that if they hit at least 16 cars, this could
become an annual race. At that point, I think they would consider it a
success. Dixon Speedway is capable of more than what they do, so I am
hoping this works out as well as I think it will.
Obviously,
they are going head-to-head with the Pumpkin Smash Enduro at Madera
Speedway. There were people who pointed that out, but this couldn't be
helped. This was the date that was open in Dixon, and I don't think
there were that many people who are going to Madera who would have been
at Dixon anyway. I know we like to see tracks not booking on top of each
other. In a perfect world, that would be the case. However, we don't
live in a perfect world. Tracks have to do what's best for their own
personal business or any cooperation they do have with other tracks
won't matter. You have to do what you have to do to pay the bills.
This
is the last big weekend with a lot of stuff happening this year. There
are still weekends with racing after that, but it's not like a bunch of
things will be happening on the same night. When we hit November, the
Midgets and Sprint Cars are going to shine, and there's still some
Modified racing happening. There was Modified racing happening at Merced
Speedway last week for the Fifth Annual John Fore Jr/Bob Smith Memorial
race. We already reported on the Friday action, so we'll move ahead to
Saturday night.
Even better money was on the
line for Saturday, and 85 of the 90 drivers who were there on Friday
managed to keep it going on Saturday. There were plenty of cars, and the
racing was even better. They didn't lollygag around and waste time.
This show was completed before curfew. I'll be honest when I say I'd
like to see more cars for the money. My belief is that the turnout
should have been around 120 or so, but that's not the time we are in
right now. 85 cars is still good, and this race was not a failure.
Antioch
Speedway didn't make a smart move fighting the weather last week for
Dwarf Car Mania. Yeah, the show went on, but if management isn't
second-guessing themselves now, they're just not thinking. Friday was
the worst promotion in the history of the track, and Saturday was only
marginally better. They had 16 Hobby Stocks, and the Dwarf Car count
grew to 20. 20 Dwarf Cars? Is this what we called Dwarf Car Mania these
days? Petaluma Speedway gets a better Dwarf Car turnout for a regular
show than what Antioch just had. Speaking of which, I didn't see much
Petaluma Speedway driver support. Then again, the tracks are doing
absolutely nothing to even attempt to work together.
The
weather was so terrible that the track should have went ahead and
canceled on Friday morning. As I said, the show still went on, but the
perception was the race wasn't going to happen. People knew it had
rained and the skies were gloomy. Therefore, some of the drivers coming
from greater distances weren't going to risk going to Antioch for a
cancellation. The local community, at least those who might be
interested in watching a Dwarf Car headlined show, just didn't come.
Weather was a factor in that, but I just don't think Dwarf Cars as
headliners works as a promotion unless it's a Nationals or Regionals
show. Then, it's about people coming into the pits, not the
grandstands.
The weather got worse on
Saturday, and management clearly was going to get this done come hell or
high water. I didn't get to watch the stream as this is not something
in my budget. Live scoring would have to do, and they listed the Hobby
Stock feature as Feature 1. I didn't have a clue what the weather was
looking like, but that race was brutal. I don't know if more than five
cars finished, but there were only three drivers on the lead lap. There
was a little bit of a break before the Dwarf Cars came out, and I didn't
know at the time that it had rained a little bit.
I
sat around after the Dwarf Car race waiting to see what management had
decided. Was it twin Main Events for both classes? I thought this
because there were no heat races, which seemed weird to me. I didn't
know that the idea was to run the Main Events so that the program could
be called complete. After that, they weren't going to fight the weather.
The show was over. I can't think of anything positive to take away from
this, even with Hobby Stocks. The problem with Hobby Stocks is maybe
it's better to leave them off the schedule if they have a big race the
following week?
The bad part is this will be
chalked up to bad weather. The low car count and low attendance won't be
blamed on the show that was being offered. Instead, it might be chalked
up to weather conditions keeping everybody away. I just don't think the
Dwarf Cars as a headliner is a good idea. If Antioch retains its
Nationals race earlier in the year, that ought to suffice as a big
enough show for them. Sure, give the Dwarf Cars an extra money race in
October if you must, but they should be part of a program that's
headlined by a division that actually interests the fans.
The
weather was definitely a factor, and it rained pretty hard in Antioch.
I'm able to watch the weather reports in the Bay Area, and they were
calling this particular storm something special. I saw pictures of a
race track that was flooded. Maybe not as bad as the flood the track had
back in 1989, but it wasn't good. The pits were flooded as well. I knew
the weather report was favorable, so the water could be drained on
Monday and track preparation could go on. They definitely have a lot of
work to do, but the big show this week will go on a scheduled.
Tulare
Thunderbowl seemed to have knocked it out of the park with the Trophy
Cup. The 27th running of this race attracted 85 different competitors
for a purse of over $200,000. They also raised over a quarter of a
million dollars for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. A Sprint Car race can
get away from you quick due to the lengthy red flags from crashes or a
poorly prepared track. They had three opportunities for that to be the
case, but the entire crew did everything they needed to do to make sure
that didn't happen. From what I could tell, the racing was good and this
event was a big success for the track. They don't get to do much racing
there these days, so I'm happy for them.
The
Spears SRL Southwest Tour, Pro Late Models and Modifieds wrapped up
their season at Kern County Raceway on Saturday. The group delivered
over 60 total cars for this show. Everything seemed to go pretty well.
There were no surprises in the winner's column as Jeremy Doss won both
the Modified and Pro Late Model races. Derek Thorn got the Southwest
Tour win and the $10,500 being offered if you won the race and led at
the halfway point. However, he got the overall win after apparent winner
Preston Peltier was disqualified in post race tech. So much for
thinking somebody finally had the answer on how to beat Thorn, who will
once again be the champion. I guess it's back to the drawing board for
the competition..
From a car can't standpoint,
Jim Naylor didn't have much success at Ventura Raceway. It's a good
thing that success is also measured by how many fans you have in the
grandstands. From the reports I got, they sold out the tickets in large
part thanks to the Destruction Derby they had to end the night. Only the
Dwarf Car division reached double digits. What's nice is the Dwarf Car
and Mod Lite drivers got together to make an additional race later in
the evening as the two divisions ran head to head. This isn't the first
night this year that Ventura had a really nice crowd, and I'm happy for
them. I'm hopeful that they end the season on a strong note this
Saturday before the big USAC National Midgets race on Thanksgiving
weekend.
Joe Peterson made a big announcement
recently. He has accepted the job as the announcer at Merced Speedway.
I'm delighted for Joe, who has definitely worked hard to be a part of
the journalistic effort in motorsports. I still haven't met the man, and
I've only heard samples of his work. I will say he's done okay from
what I've heard, and I was impressed with his post race interviews at
the Pettit race in Watsonville last month. Now, he gets the opportunity
to be the lead announcer somewhere, and I know how excited he must be.
To
be honest with you, Merced Speedway is one of the few places that makes
me want to announce one more time before I hang it up. Promoter Doug
Lockwood made it known a few months ago that the track was looking for a
new announcer. Sadly, I'm located in Oregon and have to figure all of
that out. I do have my own space now and could have entertained the
possibility of going there if a hook up were available at the
fairgrounds. It wasn't something I pursued as there are other things
that Doug needs to worry about. I don't expect a legitimate offer to
come my way again, and I'm okay with that.
I
might be repeating myself here, but we recently saw some news regarding
the attempt to reboot the USAC Focus Midget program on the pavement on
the West Coast. You may know that this series was introduced just about
20 years ago. The main selling point was that it was going to be a way
to get younger drivers into Midget racing as well as being a more
affordable option vs the full Midgets. The hope was that this effort
would feed drivers into the full Midgets, and there was a bit of
excitement surrounding the launch.
It's been a
mixed bag in California, and that means good and bad has come of it. A
positive about the whole deal is the idea that this division has been
used by rising stars to launch them into bigger things. Case and point,
Alex Bowman made it to the NASCAR Cup Series, and Jesse Love is on that
path. Bowman was one of the drivers to get involved early on with the
division, and Love came aboard in the final few years. Love won the ARCA
West Series title last year and could win it again this year with just
one race left to go.
There are other drivers
who have moved up from this division. You can call that a positive. The
sad reality is that it never really took off on the West Coast the way I
think they might have hoped. With a division like this, I think the
hope is that you're going to see such big car counts that B Mains are
needed, but that didn't happen very often on the West Coast. It did
reach double digits on both dirt and pavement, and separate point series
were kept. It did go from being the Ford Focus group to being renamed
multiple times as different sponsors came on board.
What
caused me to spend a few hours the other day doing some research was
the announcement that Jeff Trout had been brought on board to organize
the USAC Western Speed2 Series on the pavement. When last the series had
a championship out here a few years ago, they did it on dirt, pavement
and overall. Nothing got a good car count. I believe the last race they
attempted to run was on the pavement two years ago, and even then there
were only four cars. This is the West Coast. On the East Coast, it's
doing a little bit better, and there's also the Radical Focus Tour that
runs multiple states and piggybacks off of the eastern group's races.
Frankly,
what has begun to take hold on the West Coast is not USAC sanctioned.
The Pacific Northwest figured out that they could do things better on
their own. With Gaylon and Carla Stewart guiding the series in
Washington and Oregon, they have counts in the 30s for some of their
bigger shows, and I'm not sure where else in the country they accomplish
that under the USAC banner. After the success the Stewart's had, Mike
McCluney took some of that and brought it to California, where they are
now starting to see car counts on the dirt in the twenties. Again, this
is being done without USAC sanctioning.
Trout
seems to be a guy who is trying to be a part of something big on the
West Coast. He's been unsuccessful in trying to launch something with
Wingless Sprint Cars in Southern California. I even noticed a couple of
years ago when he evoked the name Wingless Spec Sprints in what he was
announcing. Sadly, what he was announcing wasn't really Wingless Spec
Sprints. The reason he would use that name is because the success that
the Wingless Spec Sprints have had over the last 20 years is undeniable.
I might not call the Focus Midgets successful, but the reality is it's
lasted for almost 20 years. That's not a failure.
I
don't know if USAC has contacted McCluney to see his thoughts on doing
something under the banner on the dirt. Maybe they have. Maybe this
wouldn't be something he'd want to do as it would tamper with the
formula that is working for him with his WMR Midget group. This might
also have something to do with the big USAC announcement of the Speed2
revival on the West Coast being pavement-oriented. They may not want to
try anything on the dirt until they can figure something out that would
give them a legitimate shot at something good.
Jeff
mentions he'll have some big announcements as he takes over the
day-to-day operations for the West Coast pavement effort. What I can
imagine is dates will be sought out at tracks like Madera, Roseville and
Stockton, and I can see promoters being willing to give it a shot once
again. Will it work this time? That I don't know. I wish them luck.
Anything that can spark some interest in open wheel racing on the
pavement is a good thing. That has been sorely lacking for the past few
years. Fans want to see something, but there simply hasn't been enough
cars in any open wheel division to make it work. Time will tell if this
will be any different.
That about wraps it up.
My initial thoughts were to go ahead and take a couple of weeks off and
make a big post. However, I'm looking at the first weekend of November
and realizing there's not a lot happening then. I could just as easily
take next week off and wait until the Gary Patterson race is done at
Stockton to put together the last big post of the year. That may be the
case, because I'm wanting to do a few different things here. What a
year it's been. I still feel they are taking the season too far into the
year, but what are you going to do? Promoters are going to book what
they want if they think it can draw a dollar.
On that note, I will end this column. Until next time...
