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Johns Wins Wild Hobby Stock Race,
Wagner, Miramontez, Enos Other Antioch Winners
Antioch,
CA...March 26...Ken Johns won the 25 lap Pacific Coast General
Engineering Hobby Stock Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway.
Johns was rebounding from a night that saw mechanical issues sideline
him very early, and he also benefited from a tangle between the leaders,
which put him into the lead.
Breck
Smith led the opening lap before pushing too high exiting Turn 2,
handing longtime speedway racer Brad Coelho the lead ahead of reigning
champion Larry McKinzie Jr and Charlie Bryant. A yellow flag waved on
Lap 3 as Ron Brown spun exiting Turn 4. The first restart attempt was
botched after Adam Kujala spun in the same turn. Coelho continued to
lead McKinzie and Bryant on the restart. Grayson Baca had settled into
fourth. A Turn 4 pass on Lap 5 put Baca into third, and a yellow flag
waved for another Ron Brown spin in Turn 4 on Lap 8. Coelho continued to
lead McKinzie and Baca on the restart. The yellow flag waved on Lap 11
for a Turn 4 tangle involving Smith, Jess Paladino and Anthony Vigna.
Coelho remained the leader ahead of McKinzie and Baca on the restart,
but Baca made an inside pass on the frontstretch a lap later to take
second from McKinzie. Paladino spun in Turn 4 for a Lap 13 yellow flag.
The restart lap saw Baca get a good run on the inside exiting Turn 4 to
grab the lead from Coelho. Ken Johns gained third on Lap 14 as McKinzie
had problems, and a yellow flag waved on Lap 14. Baca led Coelho and
Johns on the restart. A yellow flag flew for Taylor DeCarlo in Turn 4 on
Lap 15. Coelho took the lead from Baca on the restart. It was a wild
Lap 18 incident that saw contact between Baca and Coelho send them both
spinning for a yellow flag. Suddenly, Johns found himself leading Angela
Brown and Jared Baugh on the restart. Michaela Taylor took third from
Baugh on Lap 19, and a yellow flag slowed the pace for a Gene Haney spin
on Lap 22. Johns led Angela Brown and Taylor on the restart, but Coelho
made a big move on Lap 24 that saw him take second from Brown with an
inside pass in Turn 4. However, Johns picked up the win ahead of Coelho.
Brown had a career best finish in third, followed by Taylor. Baca
crossed the line in fifth, but he was disqualified in post-race tech,
moving Gavin Griffiths into the position, followed by DeCarlo, Paladino,
Gene Haney, Shelby Asher and Danny Aves.
McKinzie,
Bryant, Smith and Coelho won the eight lap heat races as 24 drivers
came to compete. Coelho won the special four lap Trophy Dash.
Danny
Wagner picked up the win in the 20 lap Delta Dwarf Car Main Event. This
was the second-straight win for the two-time champion, and the field
got a boost by the visit of several drivers from the rival South Bay
Dwarf Car Association.
Two-time
Street Stock champion David Rosa jumped into the early lead ahead of
South Bay racer Eric Weisler and Chance Russell. Russell slipped past
Weisler for second on Lap 3, and a yellow flag waved for debris on the
back straightaway on the sixth circuit. Rosa continued to lead the way
on the restart as Wagner moved around Russell for second. Wagner kept it
close before a yellow flag bunched the field on Lap 9 after a Kieran
Costas spin in Turn 4. The first restart attempt saw Sean Catucci spin
in the second turn. The next time around, Wagner took over the lead
ahead of Devan Kammerman and Jack Haverty. Haverty took second from
Kammeraman on a Lap 12 restart. Weisler motored past Kammeraman for
third on Lap 18. Wagner went on to take the checkered flag ahead of
Haverty, Weisler, Russell and Kammermann. With the post race
disqualifications of Haverty and Russell, Wagner got the win ahead of
Weisler, Kammermann, Ellie Russo, David Michael Rosa, Barry Waddell,
Catucci, David Rosa, Pete Piatanida and Tom Van Tuyl. There were 20
Dwarf Cars in action with Haverty, Russo and Wagner picking up eight lap
heat race wins.
Randy
Miramontez won the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. Miramontez started his
career in Mini Stocks out at Petaluma, and he was the Super Stock
champion at that track last season. He made the decision to bring his
Mini Stock out to Antioch, rather than running his local track, and he
denied reigning Antioch and Petaluma champion Tom Brown the win.
Dana
Gardner jumped into the early lead ahead of Shan Titman and Brown.
Brown made an inside pass on the backstretch on Lap 2 to take second and
set his sights on Gardner before making a pass on the inside down the
backstretch on lap fifth for the lead. Miramontez gained third on Lap 3,
and it was a close three-car battle up front at that point. Miramontez
made a low pass in Turn 4 of the eighth lap to take second from Gardner,
and the battle was on at the front of the pack. Traffic became a factor
in that battle as the lead duo ran side by side on Lap 13. They split a
slower car a lap later with Miramontez making a low move in Turn 2 to
take the lead. Though Brown kept it close, Miramontez would prevail at
the checkered flag. Gardner was the final lead lap finisher with Titman
fourth, followed by Eddie Humphrey III, Daisy Eszler, Laina Bales and
Ryan Graham. Dan Abitz was eliminated in a heat race crash, and those
eight lap races went to Miramontez and Brown.
Mitch
Enos won the 15 lap California Sharp Mini Late Model Main Event. Enos
is a long time competitor in Late Models, Modifieds and Hobby Stocks,
and he's a driving force in trying to get this division started at
Antioch.
Matt
Malcolm has been competing in this division for a few years, and he
drew on his experience to take the early lead ahead of Enos and DJ
Saenz. Malcolm had won the six lap heat race earlier in the eThat's aweesonvening.
Halfway through the race, Malcolm's motor began to sputter on him a
little bit, and Enos closed the gap quickly. A low pass in Turn 4 of the
11th lap gained Enos the lead, and Malcolm spun in the same turn a lap
later trying to regain the lead. On the restart lap, Malcolm spun again
in the fourth turn, and Enos won ahead of Saenz and Malcolm.
Racing
resumes this Saturday night with the IMCA Modifieds back in action
along with the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Pacific Coast General Engineering
Hobby Stocks and the return of the Super Stocks. For further
information, go to www.antochspeedway.com.
Laney Wins Jerry Shannon Memorial Race
At Merced Speedway
Merced,
CA...March 26...Cody Laney won the 30 lap IMCA Modified Main Event
Saturday night at Merced Speedway. This was the Second Annual Jerry
Shannon Memorial, which honors the memory of the father of one of the
track's promoters, Chris Shannon. Laney, who hails from Torrance, CA,
pocketed $5,000 for his winning effort as Bakersfield Speedway champion
Jerry Flippo was a $2,000 second.
Some
of the best drivers in the state came to compete for the increased
prize money being offered. Jake Pike set the early pace, but Laney got
by for the lead on the fifth lap. Austin Kiefer ran in the third
position until Flippo got by on the 10th lap. Flippo set his sights on
Pike and finally grabbed the runner-up spot on Lap 21. Laney drove a
good race and led the rest of the way for the victory. Flippo settled
for second ahead of Pike, DJ Shannon, Rick Diaz, Jim Pettit II, Bobby
Hogge IV, Troy Foulger, Kellen Chadwick and Ryan McDaniel.
A
stellar turnout of 39 drivers came to compete for the extra money. The
Top 4 finishers in each of the eight lap heat races transferred into the
show, and wins went to Chadwick, Laney, Kiefer and Pike.
Only
two transfer spots were available in each of the two 10 lap B Mains,
and Bobby Hogge IV and Paul Stone scored the 1-2 finish in the first
race. Hogge led all the way. Trevor Fitzgibbon ran second for the first
four circuits before being overtaken by Stone and settling for a third
place finish. Danny Lauer and Dalton Houghton completed the Top 5.
Watsonville
champion Cody Burke won the second 10 lap B Main ahead of Danny Roe.
Burke led the entire distance ahead of Roe as Dylan Schriner, Chuck Weir
and Jeffrey Faulkner completed the Top 5.
Fred
Ryland won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Ryland started
back in the fourth row, and young Andrew Pearce set the early pace ahead
of Jason Bannister. Ryland made his way into third by the fourth lap,
and he made a big move on Lap 9 to get around both Pearce and Bannister
for the lead. Jason's son Tyler Bannister settled into third on the
ninth circuit. Pearce kept it close, but Ryland prevailed at the
checkered flag. Tyler Bannister ended up third, followed by Jason
Bannister, Tyler Blankenship, Cale Kanke, Markus Frazier, Jarrod Mounce,
Jeremy Hoff and Richard Ragsdale.
26
IMCA Sport Modified drivers came to do battle, and the eight lap heat
race victories went to Pearce, Tyler Bannister and Mounce. Past Merced
champion Jeremy Hoff won the 10 lap B Main. Hoff led most of the way for
the win. Jonathan Hagio chased him all the way to finish second,
followed by Ragsdale, Nicholas Zapatero and Ryan DeForest.
Fred
Ryland also won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. Ryland had a win
earlier this season in the class at Antioch. Paul Stone led a pair of
laps before Bakersfield's Dakota Schweitzer got by. Ryland moved into
second on Lap 4 as he battled with Paul Stone. He lost the spot a lap
later but regained it on the sixth circuit. On the ninth lap, both
Ryland and Stone moved around Schweitzer for the first two positions. As
Ryland led the way, two-time Sport Modified champion Rick Diaz engaged
Stone in a good battle for second. Diaz gained the position on the 11th
lap, and Bakersfield's Steven Johnson moved into third on Lap 14. Ryland
went on to win ahead of Diaz and Johnson. Mark Morton ended up fourth,
followed by Anthony Giuliani, Paul Stone, Les Friend, Steve Stone, Mike
Shepard and Schweitzer. There were 18 IMCA Stock Cars on hand for the
show, and the three eight lap heat race wins went to Diaz, Schweitzer
and Paul Stone.
Austin
Sprague won the 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event. West Coast Sport Compact
competitor Shawn DePriest bolted into the lead at the start, and Sprague
settled into second ahead of Rick Thompson. On the 12th lap, Sprague
put the moves on DePriest to grab the lead. Sprague went on to take the
checkered flag in first. Thompson got around DePriest for second on Lap
14 to finish there, and DePriest was disqualified from third. Leo Lotz
finished third ahead of Brian Post, Kevin Thompson, Chris Corder and
Daniel Bond. Synthya Tremble was a Main Event scratch, and DePriest won
the eight lap heat race.
Racing
resumes this Saturday night with the Hobby Stocks returning along with
the IMCA Stock Cars, BCRA Lightning Sprints, Valley Sportsman and the
California Sharp Mini Late Models. For further information, go to
www.mercedspeedway.net.
Terrell, Sears Open Petaluma Speedway Season With Wins
Petaluma,
CA...March 26...Bradley Terrell won the 25 lap Hunt Wingless Sprint Car
Series Main Event Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. This was the
season opener for the track and the traveling series.
Dwarf
Car graduate Mark Hanson had the pole and bolted into the early lead
ahead of reigning track champion Nick Robfogel and Bradley Terrell.
Terrell got by Robfogel for second on the seventh circuit and stalked
Hanson until making his winning maneuver for first on Lap 15. The battle
intensified for third in the waning laps with reigning Hunt Series
champion Shawn Jones making the pass on Robfogel for the position on Lap
24. Terrell brought it home to the satisfying win ahead of Hanson,
Jones, Robfogel, Jimmy Christian, Josh Young, Heath Holdsclaw, David
Lindt II, Jake Morgan and Anthony Snow.
37
competitors showed up for the opener for the premier Wingless Spec
Sprint circuit, and Terrell turned the 3/8 mile adobe oval at 15.457 for
the quick time, beating the 15.623 of Holdsclaw and the 15.791 of
Morgan. The seven lap heat race wins were earned by Terrell, Robfogel,
Morgan and Shawn Arriaga. Past Petaluma Speedway champion Sparky Howard
scored the win in the time-limit shortened six lap B Main. Howard led
all the way to win with Nathan Johnson a race long second. Ethon Landfri
ended up third ahead of Tony Bernard and Jordan Garretson.
Nevada
competitor Jay Sears won the 25 lap Tri State Pro Stock Challenge
Series Main Event. Sears picked up the Bob McCoy Memorial race win in
September last year.
Previous
Bob McCoy Memorial winner Richard Brace Jr started on the pole and took
the early lead ahead of past Petaluma champion Matt While and
Bakersfield racer Frank Nyback. Sears quickly moved into fourth and
slipped past Nyback for third on the fifth circuit. An eventful ninth
lap saw both While and Sears get around Brace for the first two
positions. Sears put the moves on While for the lead on Lap 11. While
held second until being overtaken by Brace on the 16th lap. Meanwhile,
past Chico champion Phil Marino and Randy Miller had a good battle going
for fourth. Marino held the position until Miller got by on the final
lap. Sears won by a straightaway ahead of Brace with While settling for
third ahead of Miller, Marino, Darren Fridolfs, Peter Coberley, Nyback,
past Petaluma champion Shawn McCoy and David Spindell. There were 19
drivers on hand, and the eight lap heat race wins went to Sears, Marino
and While.
Past
NorCal Dwarf Car champion Ryan Winter won the 20 lap Redwood Dwarf Car
Main Event. Winter started on the pole next to Zack Albers, and the duo
went all the way to the one-two finish. Reigning Petaluma champion Chad
Matthias came from deep in the pack to score the third place finish.
Past Redwood Dwarf Car champion John "Scooter" Gomes was an early third
ahead of Mike Dahle, but Dahle saw his race take an unfortunate turn on
the third lap as past Redwood Dwarf Car champion John Peters moved into
fourth. Carroll Mendenhall was running fifth at that point. Mendenhall
found himself in third on Lap 17 as he got past Gomes, and Peters fell
back several positions. Matthias made a Lap 18 move around Mendenhall.
Winter won ahead of Albers with Matthias a straightaway back in third,
followed by Mendenhall, Brandon Shaw, Gomes, Peters, Danny Marsh, Kylee
Johnson and Adam Freitas. Eight lap heat race wins went to Dahle, Gomes,
Albers and Winter as 22 drivers turned out for the show.
Racing
continues next Saturday night with the IMCA Modifieds in action along
with the Redwood Dwarf Cars, 600 Micro Sprints and Mini Stocks. For
further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Haney, Micheli, Law, Cooper Score
Marysville Raceway Victories
Marysville,
CA...March 26...Cameron Haney Jr won the 20 lap Winged Crate Sprint
Main Event Saturday night at Marysville Raceway. The Crate Sprint
division enjoyed a rare opportunity to be the only Sprint Car class
competing on the quarter-mile clay oval for the evening, and Haney drove
a flawless race in leading from start to finish.
Haney
jumped into the lead when the green flag waved, followed by Mike Hall
and Britain Bock. A yellow flag waved on the third lap for Kirk Miner in
Turn 3. Haney continued to lead Hall and Bock on the restart. A Lap 5
yellow flag flew for Matthew Kaiser in Turn 3. The first restart attempt
was followed quickly by a yellow flag for Kelly Hicks in the third
turn. Haney continued to lead Hall and Bock on the restart with another
yellow flag flying on Lap 7 for Jack McDonald in Turn 2. Once again,
Haney led the way on the restart ahead of Hall and Bock. McDonald
brought out a final yellow flag on Lap 11, ending his race. Haney
continued to lead Hall and Bock on the restart, but Bock put the moves
on Hall to take second on Lap 13. Meanwhile, reigning champion Brett
Youngman was riding along in fourth. Haney drove a great race to score
the victory ahead of Bock, with Hall closely behind him in third.
Youngman settled for fourth, followed by reigning Hobby Stock champion
Jacob Johnson, Jason Ballantine, Jeff Macedo, Tyler George, Misty
Castleberry and Kaiser. The 18 cars ran three eight lap heat races with
wins going to Haney, Bock and Hall.
Matt
Micheli won the 20 lap Xtreme Scaffolding Limited Late Model Series
Main Event. Micheli is a past champion at Placerville in the class. As
luck would have it, he had the pole for the race and bolted into the
lead at the start, followed by Clark Gugliemoni. A yellow flag waved
after one lap for Kiely Ricardo, who retired at that point. Micheli
continued to the way on the restart and Dan Jinkerson moved into second
ahead of Rod Oliver. The yellow flag waved on Lap 5 for Tyler Lightfoot
in Turn 4. Micheli continued to lead Jinkerson and Oliver on the
restart. Jay Norton took third from Oliver on Lap 12 and got past
Jinkerson for second on the 14th circuit. The final yellow flag unfurled
on Lap 15 for Gugliemoni. Micheli led Norton and Oliver on the final
restart, but Oliver was overtaken on Lap 17 by fifth row starter Dan
Brown Jr. Micheli brought it home to victory ahead of Norton, Brown,
Oliver, Gugliemoni, Jinkerson, Tyler Lightfoot, Ray Trimble, Anthony
Slaney and Michelle Paul. Jinkerson and Norton picked up the eight lap
heat race wins.
Howard
Law won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. The past IMCA Sport Modified
champion started in the third row as past Chico champion Kyle Allen set
the early pace ahead of Brian Cooper and Willie Horn Jr. A yellow flag
waved on Lap 4, and the first restart attempt saw a Turn 4 tangle
involving Tobi Merrifield, Joe Gillock and Trevor Deadmond. The next
restart saw Cooper slip past Allen for the lead. Horn surrendered third
to Law on the eighth circuit, and Law got past Allen for second on Lap
13. A yellow flag waved moments later for debris in Turn 2. Cooper led
Law and Allen on the final restart. Law was giving Cooper some pressure
until putting the moves on him on the final lap to grab the lead and
victory. Brian Cooper settled for second ahead of Allen, Jesse Van
Roekel, Zach Lindgren, Maurice Merrill, David Cooper, Preston Hughes,
Kyle Cheney and Casey Gingerich.
There
were 26 Hobby Stocks in action, and the four eight lap heat race wins
went to Law, Merrifield, Hughes and Lindgren. They also ran a 12 lap B
Main, which was won by Brian Horn. It was the first win for Horn as Gary
Holsey set the early pace ahead of Jacob Bright and Horn. Horn slipped
past Bright for second on Lap 2 and got by Holsey for the lead on the
fifth circuit. Holsey held second until Joe Edington and Gingerich both
got by on the 10th circuit. Gingerich took second on the 11th lap, and
Brian Horn won ahead of Gingerich, Edington, Holsey and Trevor Abella.
Brian
Cooper won his second-straight IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Cooper
jumped into lead at the start ahead of eight lap heat race winner Jimmy
Ford and Hunter Merritt. A Lap 2 yellow flag waved for Lisa Shelby.
Cooper continued to lead Hunter Merritt and Shaun Merritt on the
restart, but a Lap 4 yellow flag waved for Shaun Merritt in the fourth
turn. Cooper continued to lead Hunter Merritt on the restart, and Shelby
saw her race come to an end for a Lap 6 yellow flag. Cooper led the
final restart ahead of Hunter Merritt and Ford, and they would finish in
that order with Cooper winning by a straightaway. Shaun Merritt settled
for fourth, followed by Scott Savell, Bryce Campbell and Shelby.
Racing
resumes next Saturday night with the return of the Winged 360 Sprint
Cars along with IMCA Sport Modifieds, WMR Midgets and Winged Crate
Sprints. For further information, go to www.marysvilleraceway.com.
Rea, Robustelli, Johnson, Sanders
Open Cottage Grove Speedway Season With Wins
Cottage
Grove, Oregon...March 26...Paul Rea won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main
Event Saturday night at Cottage Grove Speedway. Once again, the track
was the first to get a dirt track race in anywhere in the state.
Rea
started on the pole and proceeded to lead all the way in victory.
Curtis Towns was an early second ahead of Steven Sturdevant, but
Sturdevant slipped past Towns for second on Lap 6. Towns surrendered
third to Sport Compact graduate Brad Martin on the 12th circuit, and
Martin put the moves on Sturdevant for second on Lap 20. Rea managed to
hold off Martin, and Sturdevant ended up third. Towns and past champion
Jake Mayden had a back and forth battle for fourth with Towns getting
the edge at the checkered flag. Mark Carrell ended up sixth, followed by
Paul Culp, Jeremy Martin, Ricky Ashley and John Player.
Mayden
was the quickest of 11 qualifiers at 15.429, beating the 15.462 of Brad
Martin. The eight lap heat race wins went to Chad Groves and Sturdevant
with four lap Trophy Dash honors going to Carrell.
Camden
Robustelli drove the TJ Winningham owned entry to the victory in the 25
lap Todd's Auto Body Limited Sprint Main Event. Tim Minter jumped into
the early lead ahead of Brandon Governer, but Robustelli bolted past
Governer for second on the fourth lap. Two laps later, Robustelli put
the moves on Minter to take the lead. Minter saw his run up front come
to an abrupt end on Lap 9. Robustelli continued to lead as David Marble
moved into second ahead of Governer, and that's the way they finished.
Axel Oudman finished fourth ahead of Donny Waddell, Mike Griffith,
Austin Sause, Minter and past champion Shane Forte. Robustelli set the
fast time of 13.486, beating the 14.407 of Marble. Robustelli completed
his clean sweep effort with eight lap heat race and four lap Trophy Dash
honors.
Jason
Johnson won the 25 lap Late Model Main Event. A short field of four
competitors were in action. BJ Donofrio led just two laps before Johnson
went racing by for the lead. Johnson won with Donofrio not too far
behind in second as Randy Barley and Rob Williams completed the
finishing order. Bryan Norton set the fast time of 14.992 ahead of the
15.207 of Johnson. However, Norton scratched prior to the four lap
Trophy Dash, which was won by Barley. Johnson picked up eight lap heat
race honors.
Reigning
Southern Oregon Speedway champion Matt Sanders won the 25 lap Royalty
Core IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Ray Comer paced three circuits
before Matt Sanders went charging by. Justin Ryker was an early third,
but he had problems on the ninth lap. Dustin Comer was third at that
point and took second from Ray Comer on the 10th lap. Ray Comer regained
second on Lap 16, and moments after taking the second position back on
the lap 20, Dustin Comer saw his race come to an unfortunate end. Matt
Sanders led Ray Comer at that point, but Isaac Sanders moved into second
on Lap 22. Matt Sanders won ahead of Isaac Sanders, Californian Jason
Ferguson, Brandon Norton, Garrett Craig, Street Stock graduate Michael
Hollingsworth, Kevin Wilson, Daniel Ray, Kasi Comer and Dustin Comer.
Ray Comer had crossed the line in third, but he was disqualified in post
race tech.
Isaac
Sanders was the quickest of 14 drivers in qualifying with a lap of
15.463, beating the 15.535 of Ray Comer. The eight lap heat race wins
went to Ray Bloom and Ray Comer. Ryker got the win in the four lap
Trophy Dash.
Racing
resumes this Saturday night with the IMCA Modifieds back in action
along with the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Todd's Auto Body Limited Sprints
and the IMCA Sport Compacts. For further information, go to www.cottagegrovespeedway.com.
Simmons, Perry, Goetz, McMillan
Open Diamond Mountain Speedway Season With Wins
Susanville
CA...March 26...Reigning champion Riley Simmons won the 25 lap IMCA
Modified Main Event Saturday night at Diamond Mountain Speedway. This
was the season opener for the track, and 16 Modifieds came to do battle.
Simmons drew the pole and picked up the win ahead of past champion
Chris Nieman, Oregon star Jeffrey Hudson, Gene Kay and Scott Foreman.
Simmons and Hudson picked up the eight lap heat race wins.
Reigning
Siskiyou Golden Speedway champion Ryan Peery picked up the win in the
20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Peery shared the front row with
Tyler Rodgers, and they drove to the one-two finish. Cole Olexiewicz
finished third ahead of Jimmy Ray Huffmon and reigning champion Richard
Longacre. There were 13 drivers in action, and Rodgers and Peery picked
up the eight lap heat race wins.
Royce
Goetz won the 20 lap Street Stock Main Event. Goetz had to maneuver
from the third row, but he picked up the win ahead of fourth row
starters Aaron Flournoy and Carl Barlow as Steve Gordon and Rocky Goetz
completed the Top 5. Despite the fact that the track launched a new IMCA
Stock Car class, there were still 23 Street Stock competitors with the
eight lap heat race wins going to reigning champion Randy Boyd, Craig
Nieman and Rocky Goetz.
Rusty
McMillan won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. McMillan bested a
nine car field to win ahead of Late Model veteran Jesse Gonzalez, past
Stock Car champion Richard Longacre, Terry Kennemore and Mickey Bouchat.
Joe
Frock won the 20 lap Nevada Dwarf Car Main Event. He started on the
pole and picked up the win ahead of Dan Geil, Isaak Geil, Glen Sciarani
and Chris Cristiano. Isaac Geil and Frock picked up the eight lap heat
race wins.
Multi
time Orland Raceway champion Tom Davis won the 13 car, 15 lap Mini
Stock Main Event. Davis shared the front row with second place finisher
Travis Showe as Anthony Hovland, Nick Boucher and Jeff Tuttle completed
the Top 5. Davis and Showe picked up the eight lap heat race wins.
Racing
continues on April 8th with IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA
Stock Cars, Street Stocks and Mini Stocks. For further information, go
to www.dmspeedway.com.
Winchel, Romero, Hammond, Darter Win
At Stockton 99 Speedway
Stockton,
CA...March 26...Cody Winchel won the 35 lap Legends of the Pacific Main
Event Saturday night at Stockton 99 Speedway. The group was kicking off
their season, and Winchel was part of a three-car battle for the lead
late in the race.
Sean
Hingorani took the lead from Brendan Ruzbarsky on the second lap as
Winchel ran third. The lead trio had a good battle up front as Ethan
Nascimento took fourth from Brandon White on the eighth circuit. On Lap
25, Winchel made his way past Ruzbarsky for second, and he stalked
Hingorani. On Lap 32, Winchell made his winning move into the lead with
Ruzbarsky following into second. Winchel won a very close battle with
Ruzbarsky to the line to grab the glory. Hingorani ended up third,
followed closely by Nascimento, Cameron Austin, Brandon White, Dustin
Tilbury, Kevin Travels, Josh Fleming and Logan Chambers.
The
Legends of the Pacific had a stellar 35 car turnout, and Hingorani
turned the quarter-mile paved oval at 15.050 for fast time, barely
beating the 15.054 of Ruzbarsky. Nascimento was third quick at 15.080.
The eight lap heat race wins went to Tyler Batzianis, Jordan Paiment,
Carlee Austin and Kenna Mitchell. Winchel scored the win in the eight
lap final heat.
They
ran a 15 lap B Main with Kayci Phillips scoring the victory. JK Kinney
took the early lead with Phillips moving into second on Lap 3. Phillips
slipped past Kinney for the lead on Lap 7 with Paiment moving into
second. Clayton Travels started battling Paiment for second and grabbed
the position on Lap 13. However, Paiment made a last lap maneuver to
regain the runnerup position as Kayci Phillips won ahead of Paiment,
Clayton Travels, Aiden Phillips and Wyatt Sansom.
Jason
Romero won the 50 lap Late Model Main Event. This was still a
preseason, non-point affair. Ross Strmiska jumped into the lead at the
start ahead of JoJo Stearns and Jason Gilbert. Romero lined up in the
third row and was fourth early on. Gilbert got past Stearns for second
on Lap 16 with Romero gaining third a lap later. Romero and Blaine Rocha
both swept past Gilbert on Lap 29, and Romero put the moves on Strmiska
for the lead on the 31st circuit. Rocha followed closely into second.
However, Romero hit the afterburners and beat Rocha by about a
straightaway to the checkered flag. Strmiska settled for third ahead of
Mike Regelman, Gilbert, Kyle Gotula, Stearns and Justin Philpott.
Rob
Hammond won the 20 lap NCMA Sprint Car Main Event. He started on the
pole and would go on to lead the entire distance. Mark Amador was an
early second with Jerry Kobza moving into third on the second lap. Kobza
swept past Amador for second, but his race came to an unfortunate end
on the seventh circuit. Hammond led Pat Goodwill and Amador at that
point, and they finished that in that order as David Burchett and Kobza
completed the finishing order.
Donnie
Darter won the 20 lap Bomber Main Event. Darter is also a past Street
Stock competitor. Brandon Deide led the first two laps before Darter
went motoring by. Joe Reichmuth followed into second as Deide still ran
third. Fourth place Troy Walz ended up being lapped, and Reichmuth fell
out with two laps remaining. Darter won just ahead of Reichmuth as Walz
settled for third ahead of Deide, Robert Arndt and Nicholas Mello.
Austin
Carter won the Super Modified vs Sprint Car 15 lap Main Event. Carter
was driving a Sprint Car. He led all the way for the win with the Super
Modified of Mike Sargent finishing 2/3 of a lap behind him. The Sprint
Car of Adam Carter was right behind Sargent as Fred Guthmiller finished
fourth in a Super Modified. The Super Modified of Art McCarthy Jr failed
to start.
Ethan
Rumsey won the 20 lap Basically Four Cylinder Main Event. Dave Keller
led a lap before having problems as past champion Josh Cross took over
ahead of Rumsey. Cross saw his race come to an unfortunate end on the
eighth lap with Rumsey now leading Rod Previtali and Michael Hill. Hill
slipped past Previtali for second on Lap 13. Rumsey beat Hill by about a
straightaway with Previtali a solid third ahead of Cross, Keller and
Scottie Crawford.
The
pavement track roars back to life again on April 9th with the
Championship Season Opener for the Stockton Late Models, Bombers,
Basically Four Cylinders, Junior Basically 4 Cylinders and California
Hardtops. The dirt track at the fairgrounds will be hosting the Third
Annual Asparagus Cup this Saturday night. The NARC Fujitsu Winged 410
Sprint Car Series will be an action along with the NorCal Dwarf Cars and
a special appearance from the Legends of Kearney Bowl Super Modifieds.
For further information, to go to www.stockton99.com.
Sanders Opens Sprint Car Challenge Tour Season With Win
Placerville,
CA...March 26...Justin Sanders won the 35 lap Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car
Challenge Tour, Presented by Abreu Vineyards, Main Event Saturday night
at Placerville Speedway. This was the first race of the season for the
group as the quarter-mile clay oval was running their Spring Fever
Frenzee Event. Sanders was piloting the Thompson's Auto Group/Smith TI
sponsored Sprinter.
Willie
Croft had the pole and jumped into the lead at the start, followed by
Shane Golobic and Isaiah Vasquez. Sanders moved in to battle Vasquez for
third, grabbing the position on the eighth circuit. Vasquez briefly
regained the spot on Lap 9 before surrendering it back to Sanders.
Meanwhile, Golobic slipped past Croft for the lead on the 12th circuit.
Vasquez made a big move around both Croft and Sanders for second on Lap
15. Sanders moved into third on the 18th lap and took second from
Vasquez on Lap 24. Sanders moved in to challenge Golobic, making what
proved to be his winning pass on Lap 26. Vasquez surrendered third to
many-time Chico champion Sean Becker on Lap 30. Sanders picked up the
win ahead of Golobic, Becker, Blake Carrick, Vasquez, Shane Hopkins,
Logan Forler, Croft, Steven Ingraham and Michael Faccinto.
They
ran the 51 car field in five separate qualifying groups, and Croft came
out with the third group to set the fast time of 10.534, beating the
10.643 of Becker, who was in the first group. Young Max Mitttry was in
the third group and had third quick time of 10.659. The 10 lap heat race
wins went to Sanders, Mittry, Kalib Henry and Blake Carrick. Croft set
himself up for the pole in the Main Event by winning the six lap Trophy
Dash ahead of Golobic.
Steven
Ingraham won the 15 lap B Main. He jumped into the lead at the start
and proceeded to lead every lap in victory. Michael Sellers ran second
for two laps before being passed by Colby Johnson, who would finish
there. Joel Myers Jr was running an early third, but he briefly lost the
position to Ashlyn Rodriguez, who started back in the seventh row.
Myers regained third for good on Lap 10, and Rodriguez fell out a few
laps later. Ingraham won ahead of Johnson, Myers, Steven Tiner and
Michael Ing.
Landon
Brooks won the first of two 12 laps C Mains ahead of Dylan Bloomfield
and Casey Schmitz. Joey Ancona won the second 12 lap C Main. Reigning
Series champion Ryan Robinson led the first 10 laps before Ancona got by
on Lap 11 to win. Robinson settled for second ahead of Ryan Rocha.
Jake
Andreotti won the 20 lap BCRA/USAC Western Midget Main Event. Andreotti
started on the pole with fellow front row starter Michael Faccinto
following him into second. The lead duo ran closely the entire distance
with Andreotti prevailing at the checkered flag. Ben Worth ran third for
two laps before Shane Golobic went motoring by. Fourth row starter and
Lightning Sprint competitor AJ Bender settled into fourth on Lap 13 and
put the moves on Golobic for third on the 18th circuit. Andreotti went
on to victory ahead of Faccinto, Bender, Golobic, Shannon McQueen,
Austin Liggett, Dylan Bloomfield, reigning USAC and WMR Midgets champion
Blake Bower, Travis Buckley and Ben Wiesz.
There
was a solid 23 car Midget turnout for this show, and Golobic bested
them all in qualifying with a lap of 11.663, beating the 11.747 of Worth
and the 11.755 of McQueen. They ran three 10 lap heat races with wins
going to Golobic, Andreotti and Liggett.
AJ
Bender won the 20 lap BCRA Lightning Sprint Main Event. The Southern
California competitor led from the outset ahead of Harlee Aguilera and
Matt Land. Land took second from Aguilera on the sixth lap with Brandon
Leedy getting third on Lap 11. Unfortunately, Leedy saw his race come to
an end on Lap 16, giving Aguilera back the position. Bender beat Land
by half a straightaway with Aguilera a close third, followed by Hunter
Kinney, Tim Kinser, Gage Meyers, Jordan Meyer, Leedy, Cody Meyers and
Rick Holbrook. Land was the quickest of 14 qualifiers with a lap of
11.906, beating the 12.150 of Bender. The eight lap heat race wins were
earned by Aguilera and Leedy.
This
Saturday night, there's plenty of Sprint Car excitement in the air with
the Thompson Auto Group Winged 360 Sprint Cars in action along with the
Hunt Wingless Sprint Car Series, the local Pure Stocks and Mini Trucks.
For further information, go to www.placervillespeedway.com. You can keep up with the happenings of the Sprint Car Challenge Tour at www.sprintcarchallenstour.com or monitor the Midget groups at www.bcraracing.com and www.usacsacracing.com.
Super Stocks Return To Antioch Speedway
Antioch,
CA...News was dire for the Super Stock class last season when one night
saw just four competitors show up to race and drivers were told that
the division's days were numbered. Some teams even decided to sell their
cars. One driver was Lori Brown, who enjoyed running in the class and
is a one-time champion. Some of the drivers who could support the show
just tuned out at a certain point or towed down the road, so management
made good on the threat and didn't book them initially on the 2022
schedule.
However,
two things changed. Drivers got together to map out a game plan that
enabled them to get a limited championship schedule together. This was
led by Jim Freethy. The other thing that changed was management's
outlook on the division.
They
realized that if they could still get a half a dozen to a dozen cars
out of this class, it would help them on certain nights. Having 35 race
dates to fill can be a challenge, and some people enjoyed watching these
throwback cars to the Late Models of the 1980s and early 1990s.
Saturday
night will be their first race, and they will be back the following
Saturday. We have to go back to 2000 when this division was first added.
Then Promoter John Soares wanted Late Model racing, but he couldn't
make an agreement with his father, who had Late Models at Petaluma.
What
he decided was there were older Late Model chassis that last competed
at Antioch in 1993, and they might be able to get enough of those cars
to start what he called Super Stocks. An enthusiastic Ron Brown, the
inaugural champion, set about finding older cars and getting them to
people who wanted to run them.
The
initial roster included such competitors as Brown, David Rosa, Jerry
Harless, Chester Kniss, Dusty Green, Mike Gustafson, Brandi Ford, Clay
Twigg and George Connor, to name a few. The car counts started off a
little bit slow for the first few years, but there was interest in this
class from both Watsonville and Chowchilla.
Within
a few years, Antioch was getting double digit car counts as other
competitors like Jeremy Petrell, John Asher, Jeff Silva and Ty Duggins
got involved. There was also the George Steitz sponsored series between
Watsonville, Chowchilla and Antioch.
Within
four years, the division went putting car counts in the high teens on
the track, and it ran that way for a few years before numbers started to
decline. Ron Brown won a pair of championships, and his wife Lori was
also a title winner. Gustafson picked up a couple of championships, and
Duggins, Asher and Silva also wrote their names into the record books
as champions as well. The record will show that nobody has won more
Main Events in this class than Gustafson, who still has a car.
At
a certain point, car count dwindled and management made the decision to
merge the bigger Street Stock division with the fledgling Super Stocks.
It was hoped that it would breathe new life into the efforts.
Unfortunately, many of the Street Stock drivers parked, and it was still
an eight to ten cars field by 2010. That began the era of Larry Damitz,
who won five championships in a seven year span, finishing second to
Mitch Machado in 2010 and Jim Freethy in 2013. Damitz also racked up a
pair of titles at Merced
At
times, the division was able to get double digits. We weren't just
looking at old style Late Models. This was the Street Stock division as
it had evolved at several tracks. Hobby Stock ace Kimo Oreta joined the
fray as did Mark Garner. Oreta picked up a pair of titles and Garner got
one. The last solid year for the class was 2020 when longtime racer
Mike Walko won his first championship in a nearly 40 year career. Walko
will be another drver anticipated Saturday night.
Having
a Super Stock division on the roster at Antioch gives the fans a
glimpse of the Late Model style of racing without the Late Model budget.
It also opens the door to the possibility of special big races that
might bring drivers from Petaluma or elsewhere. It gives the drivers who
still have cars an opportunity to race. Under normal circumstances, a
division would just be dropped and all of those drivers would be left
with cars that they may not even be able to sell.
Some
of the drivers anticipated along with Freethy, Gustafson and Walko
include Chad Hammer, Joey Ridgeway, Michael Burch and Ryan Cherezian.
The Super Stocks will be part of Saturday's show that will also include
the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Pacific Coast General
Engineering Hobby Stocks. It's sure to be an exciting night of racing,
and it will be interesting to see how things go. For further
information, go to www.antiohspeedway.com.
The Editor's Viewpoint
This
column has always been a bit of a problem for me. When it became part
of the blog, the issue was I kept throwing everything at it. It became a
real pain in the rear end to edit because it takes so much longer. When
it was in the printed magazine, I only had so much space to give it.
The basic problem at that point was whether I said something that might
get me disinvicted from the pits. I think the column helped gain me
popularity, but it became stressful after a few years.
What
I want to do now is streamline this blog. This column must be more
succinct. I think less is more. My sphere of interest this weekend is
basically the four tracks, Antioch, Petaluma, Watsonville and Merced.
I'll spare you my rants about how stressful it was to get the souvenir
program together or my Monday without a functional internet and how it
put me behind schedule. Whatever. I've gotten used to these kinds of
things, but I'm trying to handle them in a better way now.
An
interesting thing at Watsonville that I've noticed is that the Sprint
Car class is getting stronger. I can't help but think they are
benefiting from the fact that Chico isn't running a full schedule. They
do have a strong Bay Area interest, but the guys from up north are more
willing to come down and race as well.
The
Sport Modifieds aren't getting paid very well, or so the complaints go.
The interesting thing about that is they're still getting car counts in
the teens most nights, despite the purse. I think the racers like
running on that track, and they are the second strongest car count at
the speedway.
There
can be no doubt that the Sprint Cars headline Watsonville because of
the car count, not just the speed. Everything else kind of goes along on
its own course, hovering around a dozen cars. The Modifieds still
haven't hit double digits in two races, which is disappointing. We've
been talking about gas prices and how that's going to negatively impact
the car count. They still get an interesting race out of the Modifieds,
and it's nice to see the Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks living up to their
end of the bargain.
It's
easy to slag on John Prentice as a guy who apparently doesn't care
about Stock Cars. His track record sort of speaks for itself. I'll sing
his praises all day for bringing the Sprint Cars in there, because I
think Rick Farren should have done it when he closed San Jose Speedway.
However, people who criticize John over his lack of interest in Stock
Cars have a valid point. He's done precious little to change that
attitude, and many of the times that big things happen there for the
stock car classes, it's somebody else doing the legwork for him. I'm
still grateful he keeps the gates open.
The
impression I get from the other promoters is that John is one of those
guys who gets relegated to the little kid table. It just seems that way
to me. I don't know if anybody spoke with him about doing a series from
another track with him. He did bring a couple of different things to his
schedule. I think the Bay Area promoters should have aligned and done
something after Doug Lockwood went another way with Speedweek and made
it about The Valley. There isn't much that can be said here.
We
can talk about track unity until the cows come home, but the bottom
line is promoters will work with the people that they benefit from. What
Doug did was clever in moving Speedweek and renaming it. Doing Merced,
Bakersfield, Tulare and Hanford is smart because Merced gets a lot of
support from further south of them. The Merced drivers will go down
south as well.
The
Bay Area tracks aren't included, but Doug understands that he'll get
those cars. Any Bay Area track trying to book against him will suffer.
That's just reality. Sometimes a promoter has to book a date not because
they're working with another track but because they'll get hurt on car
count if they dare challenge it.
I'd
like to see Merced work a little bit more with the Bay Area tracks, but
the alliance between Lockwood and Scott Schweitzer makes perfect sense
to me. It helps when they try to run something like the Jerry Shannon
Memorial and get 40 IMCA Modifieds like last week. The other tracks did
avoid booking on top of Merced, who also pulled in 24 IMCA Sport
Modifieds and 18 IMCA Stock Cars. You're not going to beat them, so just
book another night and let the guys who want to travel go there.
I
like that they made this a $5,000 to win race. Well, I kind of do.
Promoters would be justified in not going too big on some purses because
of the economic situation we're in. Tighten the belt. When the Miller
Brothers brought the Al Miller Memorial to Merced Speedway, that gave
the Sport Modifieds $5,000 to win. That race is coming up shortly. The
Modifieds were getting $2,000 to win, but the Shannon family decided to
make the race for Jerry that much bigger. It became $5,000 to win, and
the Hobby Stock race on Al Miller Memorial race night is now $2,000 to
win.
One
of the things I like about what Doug is doing at Merced is he's not
trying to run a 30-plus race schedule, because he knows there will be
too many duds if he does that. He's concentrating on making each event
as special as he can and not running as many. Therefore, you're probably
going to hear more about big car counts at Merced than most of the
other tracks in California. I'm not sure how attendance was, but the
pits looked good. They also had some good racing all the way around, and
that's what it's all about.
I'm
still waiting to consult with Doug in regards to the potential Hall of
Fame night, which would take place in August if I'm not mistaken. I've
been lobbying for a night like this for quite some time. Doug Williams
added Legends Night back in 2013, and that meant some familiar old faces
were back for an appearance.
They
never quite turned the corner and made this a Hall of Fame night, but
Doug approached me in December about doing something. I think we could
get something up and running this year that would be pretty nice for the
track. Coming up with a list of first round Hall of Famers will be a
snap for that place as the names are pretty obvious to people who have
been observing.
Merced
Speedway wasn't the only track having a bonanza last Saturday. Petaluma
Speedway had a bonifide Bonanza, and I'm happy for Rick Faeth. Just a
few years ago, that place was firing on all eight cylinders. They had
consistently good crowds and car counts. I think track conditions began
to get away from them, and then the pandemic hit. Rick didn't take that
lying down. Thanks to some help from multiple sources, they reworked the
facility and the racing surface itself. What I have heard suggests the
people were very happy with the track they got to compete on.
They
had the Hunt Wingless Sprints and the Tri State Pro Stock Challenge
Series, which definitely packed a nice one-two punch. They were a few
cars short of 40 Sprints, and you're not going to get a bigger Spec
Sprint turnout anywhere in the state. The Tri State Pro Stocks delivered
a solid 19 car field, which was nice to see.
Even
the Redwood Dwarf Cars delivered nearly two dozen, so the fans got to
see a lot of cars racing under good track conditions. And yes, there
were quite a few fans in the stands. I'll let the results article
included in this post speak for itself, but it was a great night for
Petaluma racing fans.
When
I speak of alliances and talk about how well Bakersfield and Merced
work together, I feel very strongly that the same can happen at Antioch
Speedway and Petaluma Speedway. I'm a bit mystified as to why the two
promoters can't sit down and hash out something where both places gain.
Many of the divisions they have they share in common. Petaluma is
getting into Hobby Stock racing and Antioch is trying to jump start
their Super Stock class.
The
two tracks can help each other out here. Bottom line is these two
tracks have worked well together through the years, because drivers
don't have as big an issue going over the Benecia Bridge. It's not as
long a tow there as it is to other venues. I'd love to see a Benecia
Bridge Series. They could also have a multi-track series that included
the Stockton Dirt Track, which isn't far off the beaten path. They could
include Watsonville in this. I'm just thinking.
A
tri track holiday series could be brought back between Petaluma,
Antioch and Watsonville very easily if the promoters had the will to do
this, and it would be successful. Run IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport
Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. Petaluma doesn't have a Sport Modified show,
but they could put one together if there was the will to do it.
Antioch
Speedway has the hardest task when it comes to booking a schedule, and
that's because there are some 35 races scheduled this year. To me,
that's about 10 too many races. As the publicity person, it's my job to
help put the word out for these shows as best I can. I already know that
the IMCA Modified nights will do pretty well. That's a fan favorite
show when you get both Modified divisions on the same card. It's a
one-two punch. IMCA Stock Cars are gaining in popularity, and I believe
Hobby Stocks and Wingless Spec Sprints sell tickets.
The
Hobby Stocks had to anchor Saturday's show. It is of little doubt to me
that the people came to see them. Very few people left until the Hobby
Stocks finished their show at the end of the night. With two dozen cars,
they delivered the goods. A pat on the back also goes to the Delta
Dwarf Cars for the 20 cars they brought. There was some cooperation
between tracks, and at least a half a dozen Watsonville based South Bay
Dwarf Cars came to challenge the local Delta Dwarf Cars. Can't we get
more of that?
There
were at least four Petaluma Mini Stocks, and they were the ones at the
front of the pack putting on the show. Again, this is my point. There
was cooperation here. It wouldn't be hard to book something Petaluma or
Antioch guys would go to if it was strategically booked. They could use
as few or as many divisions to make something like that happen.
I
can see it, but I think a lot of people are sitting like vultures
waiting for Petaluma Speedway to close. I think that's wrong thinking. I
think you strike while the iron is hot, because Petaluma ain't done
yet. Forming an alliance now could lead to good things in the long term.
I
like seeing Mini Stocks at Antioch as an entry level class, and it
looked like they gained a new local or two. This will grow. You just
have to give it time. Antioch management is looking hard at California
Sharp Mini Late Models with some Bay Area based teams wanting to break
off from the Merced group to start something closer to home. The latest
word is that management is in favor of this, so we could be hearing of
new dates booked in the future.
Rumors
of the demise of the Super Stock division have been greatly
exaggerated. It looked like it was done, because they just weren't
getting any cars last year. My understanding is that Jim Freethy and a
few others got in a huddle and found a way to get the division added to
the Antioch schedule.
Here's
my thinking on the matter. On certain nights, Antioch struggles to get
cars because of their big schedule. If you can get 6 to 10 of these
cars, add them. Fans want to see cars. If they are working with
Petaluma, they might get more than that sometimes.
That's
the other thing. I know there were hard feelings towards the Tri State
Pro Stock Series, but there shouldn't be. Roy Bain works his ass off to
put that thing together. There's too much common sense here. Run your
track rules and we'll make it happen. Would you rather watch 10 cars
here and 8 or 10 cars there and never have a shot at a big show?
Antioch
missed the boat by not booking a Tri State race this year. Bottom line.
But the rumored attempt to book on top of a Tri State race was crazy, I
told them that. They wisely backed off on Saturday and let Petaluma
have what they had.
The
good news is Antioch will get a look at the Super Stocks on Saturday,
and I'd be surprised if they didn't bring at least a half a dozen cars.
The roster is capable of 10, and Ron Brown and I were having that talk.
What if some Hobby Stock guys wanted to run four barrels and challenge
these guys? Sounds like some of the Roy Bain common sense plan to me.
Get a few more cars If guys want to take that shot. You never know what
can happen.
Ron
and I talked about another thing that I found interesting. I've been
thinking the same thing. What if we started a bone stock class and
re-labeled the Hobby Stocks as Street Stocks? I kind of like the Hobby
Stock name being left alone, since it's been around now for 26 years,
but I see the merit in reviving the Street Stock name. You could just
take the new division and call them Hobby Stocks, transferring the
heritage over to them for those keeping records.
Some
of the teams might detune their cars to run with the new class, and the
top teams would welcome being able to do what they do. Ron didn't think
too many of the teams that were out there now would do that. He figured
most of the teams would stay with the newly re-labeled Street Stock
class.
There's
good and bad with that idea. The bad is that you're getting some 20 odd
Hobby Stocks every race. If you divide the car count, you're back into
the teens again. On the other hand, if you can deliver double digits in a
new Hobby Stock class and a new Street Stock division, it gives you
more booking options.
We
can't book a division much more than 16 or 17 times now without hurting
it. When you're running 35 races, you need to do the math. You need
more good divisions. By good I mean divisions that can give you a dozen
cars. That's not good by old day's standards, but it is now.
It
gives you two decent divisions to work with. So, if you have another
division available with a dozen cars, that's good. The track is going to
try to get there with Super Stocks and maybe keep the California Sharp
Mini Late Model division around as well.
I
will clarify that I'm perfectly all right with leaving the Hobby Stock
class with the bigger car count alone. They are probably going to get
booked more than anybody at Antioch, so they are able to keep the
numbers up respectively whenever they are booked, provided they're not
booked on some big race elsewhere.
If
you were to split it up, you might start a new division that was at
double digits relatively quickly, but there might be a negative impact
on Street Stock car count. I want there to be the potential for B Mains
in some divisions, and Antioch has that right now with Hobby Stocks,
IMCA Sport Modifieds and Wingless Spec Sprints.
I
will say I'm a bit frustrated with the situation regarding the Bay Area
Hardtops. I've been saying that this thing is rudderless without the
kind of leadership it needs. They splintered off from the California
Hardtop Association from the Sacramento area. I'm not going to comment
on the Northern California group, because they're handling their own
business. I'm also not going to throw Dave Mackey under the bus. He
meant well and he did the best he could.
Dave's
not always in California these days, so we have to take that into
consideration as well. I had hoped somebody would take the reigns and
become a leader here. Somebody who would step up and talk to the
promoters on behalf of the group and might look around at area tracks
such as Petaluma, Stockton and even Watsonville for dates. You don't
need to book too many dates with these cars.
However,
there is no leadership booking dates or even making sure people are
ready to go. Nothing is happening. The only thing that has happened is
drivers from the Sportsman and Hardtop groups seem to be getting on one
promoter about booking them incorrectly. That would be the Antioch
promoter. The only thing that serves to do is irritate a promoter and
make him not want to book them at all.
I
know some people didn't care about burning the Antioch bridge a few
years back because John Soares is always everybody's favorite fall guy.
Mike McCann mended the fences at Antioch in 2015, but it looks like
those fences are becoming walls. Only one date remains on the schedule
for the Hardtops in Antioch this year, and that's the Chet Thomson
Memorial in October.
It
was my hope to get the guys in a huddle and find out what they wanted
to do with this group and maybe do something bigger for Chet's race.
However, I'm detecting hostility from these drivers towards Antioch. I
think it's best to sit back and observe and let things fall where they
will.
I
will warn these guys that if they're not careful, they're going to have
cars they can't run anywhere except for maybe with the guys up north
that they rebelled against in the first place. Whatever. Let it be what
it is, but these guys could have been in a very good position at Antioch
if they had gotten organized the right way. I wish them well, because I
love these race cars.
I
could go on about other tracks, but I'm not as well versed on what
happened last week. I'm very pleased with the Winged Crate Sprints
bringing 18 cars to Marysville. They are delivering the goods. When the
Crate Sprints can do that, you can give the Winged 360 Sprint Cars a
night off to go to Placerville and still give your fans a good Sprint
Car show with the other guys. I think it was a good one-two-three punch
that also included the Xtreme Limited Late Models with their first race
and Hobby Stocks that delivered 26 cars.
Mike
Slaney has gone all in on the Limited Late Models. He bought multiple
cars and still finds new ones to buy to get other people involved. If
this thing fails, it won't be because of his effort. 12 cars at
Maryville was a respectable start, and we'll be getting a look at them
at Antioch very soon. It gives the fans the Late Model style of racing.
It is closer to the actual Late Models, but they don't run unlimited
motors. Trying to keep that cost down as much as possible.
Anyway, that's all for now, until next time...
