Antioch Speedway, Merced Speedway, Petaluma Speedway, Diamond Mountain Speedway, More

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DeCarlo, Smith, Welborn, Foulger Get Antioch Speedway Wins

Antioch, CA...April 9...Nick DeCarlo won the 20 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. DeCarlo had to battle forward from deep in the pack to get his second win of the season, and he used it to increase his point lead in the championship chase.

Trevor Clymens raced into the early lead ahead of Sean Wilson and Kenneth Robles. A low pass in Turn 4 of the second lap gained Aaron Crowell third. By the sixth lap, Clymens held a straightaway advantage over Wilson, but a yellow flag waved for Terry DeCarlo a lap later. Clymens led Robles and Wilson on the restart, and Crowell made a low pass in Turn 4 on Lap 8 to move into third. An outside pass on the frontstretch on a Lap 9 restart put Crowell into second. Nick DeCarlo quickly struck to third. An outside pass on the frontstretch on Lap 10 put DeCarlo into second. DeCarlo worked the outside and used it to make a pass on Clymens on lap 12. As DeCarlo set a good pace up front, Clymens had his hands full holding off Crowell. A yellow flag on Lap 17 bunched the field. As DeCarlo led the restart, Crowell went around the outside of Clymens for second. The last yellow flag fell on Lap 19, but it didn't stop DeCarlo. He led the restart and brought it home to victory over Crowell. Working the outside line, Bobby Motts Jr beat Clymens back to the line for third, which he used to move into second in the standings. Kenneth Robles ended up fifth, followed by Buddy Kniss, Troy Foulger, Terry DeCarlo Jr, Terry DeCarlo Sr and Gary Hylton. Crowell won the $100 four lap Dash for Cash with the eight lap heat race wins going to Robles, Nick DeCarlo and Terry DeCarlo Jr.

Ryan Smith picked up the win in the 20 lap Super Stock Main Event. The Bakersfield competitor was a part of a group of several drivers who headed to Antioch after the Tri State Pro Stock race in The Valley was canceled due to weather conditions.

Richard Brace Jr set the early pace ahead of Brent Lawrence and Jay Sears. An inside pass on the frontstretch on Lap 2 gained Sears second, but Brace had about a straightaway advantage by then. A yellow flag waved after Michael Burch spun in Turn 4 on the fourth lap. Contact between Blaine Hill and Burch in Turn 2 saw Hill roll for a red flag on the restart lap. Hill was able to continue, but he had to retire from the race. The next restart attempt saw contact resulting in a Jim Freethy spin on the frontstretch. Brace continued to lead the restart with Chris Smith going on the outside in Turn 4 to take second from Sears. Chris's son Ryan Smith settled into third on Lap 7 and took second a lap later. A yellow flag waved on Lap 9 for a tangle on the frontstretch between Chad Hammer and Burch. Brace continued to lead Ryan Smith and Chris Smith on the restart. An outside pass on the frontstretch on Lap 10 gained a Freethy third from Chris Smith, and Smith headed for the pits. Sears and Freethy continued to battle for third as Brace led Ryan Smith. A yellow flag waved for a Burch spin in Turn 2 on Lap 13. Smith and Sears both got past Brace on the restart. A yellow flag waved on Lap 15 for debris, and Sears headed pitside. Ryan Smith led Brace and Freethy on the restart as Hammer was battling Jimmy Robbins for fourth. Smith drove a great race down the stretch and held off Brace to get the win. Freethy was a solid third, and some contact racing coming out of the final turn found Robbins beating Hammer back to the line for fourth. Sears ended up sixth, followed by Cody Smith, Burch, Paul Hanley and Mike Walko. Walko and Freethy picked up eight lap heat race wins with Freethy the four lap Dash for Cash winner.

Misty Welborn won her third Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stock Main Event. The win gained her the point lead from reigning champion Larry McKinzie Jr, who suffered mechanical issues and fell out early.

Welborn jumped into the lead at the start ahead of Michaela Taylor and McKinzie. A low pass in Turn 4 of the fourth lap gained McKinzie second, and Welborn was working slower traffic by the seventh lap. A high pass in Turn 2 of the eighth lap regained Taylor second from McKinzie. McKinzie slowed and was slammed in the rear end in Turn 2 by Jewell Crandall, who had nowhere to go. Welborn led Taylor and Aiden Ponciano on the restart as Taylor DeCarlo moved into fourth. The final yellow flag slowdown occurred on the 13th lap, and Welborn led Clymens and Taylor on the restart. However, Ponciano came back strong to regain third on Lap 13. A battle developed between DeCarlo, Chris Long and Jared Baugh for fourth on Lap 14. Long ended up with fourth on the 15th lap and slipped past Ponciano a lap later for third. However, Welborn held a straightaway advantage by the time the checkered flag waved. Taylor was a career best second, followed by Long, DeCarlo, Ponciano, James Graessle, Jon Haney, Jess Paladino, Crandall and Danny Aves. The eight lap heat race wins went to Charlie Bryant, Long and McKinzie.

Troy Foulger won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. This makes the five-time IMCA Modified champion the third different winner in his many races. Anthony Giuliani took the early lead ahead of reigning champion Travis Dutra and Joe Gallaher. Foulger moved into third on Lap 3 and made an inside pass in Turn 4 on the fifth lap to take second from Dutra. Foulger ran the high side and Dutra ran the low side in a close, side by side battle for second, but Foulger kept beating him to the line. Soon, Foulger caught Giuliani and began a side-by-side battle with him. A low pass in Turn 4 of the 12th lap put Foulger into the lead. Unfortunately for Giuliani, he suffered mechanical failure in Turn 1 for a lap 13 yellow flag. Foulger led Dutra and Jason Robles on the restart, and they ran that way to the checkered flag. Jason Jennings ended up fourth, followed by Gallaher, Scott Foster, Dave Hill, Dan Gonderman and Giuliani. The eight lap heat race wins went to Dutra and Foulger.

Racing returns this Saturday night with Wingless Spec Sprints making their season debut along with the Delta Dwarf Cars, WMR Midgets and the Mini Stocks. There will also be an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Kennemore, Chew, Goetz Score Wins 

At Diamond Mountain Speedway

Susanville, CA...April 8...Wade Kennemore scored the win in the 20 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Friday night at Diamond Mountain Speedway. This was the first night of a two-race weekend at the Lassen County Fairgrounds facility. While Kennemore worked his way forward from the third row, and reigning champion Riley Simmons came from the fifth row, Rob Robles paced the opening lap. Kennemore eventually got by and picked up the win ahead of Simmons. Sixth row starter and past champion Ryan McDaniel ended up third ahead of Chris Nieman and Robles. Jeffrey Hudson, Nevin Kennemore and Simmons got the eight lap heat races. 

Colton Chew won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Chew started in the second row and quickly got into the lead. He held off third row starter Chris Olexiewicz for the victory as Jimmy Ray Huffmon, Mike Ficklin and Craig Nieman rounded out the Top 5. Chew and Huffmon got the eight lap heat race triumphs. 

The strongest turnout of competitors was in the Street Stock division, and Royce Goetz got the victory. He started in the fifth row and ended up battling Randy Boyd and Rocky Goetz, who ended up second and third, respectively. Dan Dias and Madison Hood completed the Top 5. Jeff Marson, Jacob Dias and Royce Goetz picked up the eight lap heat race wins.

Royce Goetz wasn't done with his Street Stock win. He also picked up the victory in the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car race. He had to start last on the grid, but he ended up battling multi-time Street Stock champion Richard Longacre for the victory. Terry Kennemore, Chris Hahtala and George Markle made up the balance of the Top 5. Terry Kennemore won the eight lap heat race. 

Multi-time Orland Raceway champion Tom Davis picked up the win in the 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event. Davis had to do battle with Nick Boucher and Suzi Schmitt, who ended up in the place and show positions. Mart Canada finished fourth ahead of Bob Kelly. Schmitt and Davis were the eight lap heat race winners. 

Keep up to date with what's happening at the track by going to www.dmspeedway.com.

Simmons, Peery, Nieman, Gonzalez Win 

At Diamond Mountain Speedway

Susanville, CA...April 9...Riley Simmons won the 20 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Diamond Mountain Speedway. The reigning champion battled forward as Paris Archie took the early lead ahead of Wade Kennemore. Simmons slipped past Kennemore for second on Lap 6 and briefly grabbed the lead a lap later. Archie charged back ahead to pace two more laps before Simmons regained the lead for good on Lap 10. Ryan McDaniel held on to the third position for several laps before overtaking Archie for second on Lap 19. However, nobody was stopping Simmons as he picked up the win ahead of McDaniel, Archie, Chris Nieman and Wade Kennemore. Kennemore and Matt Murphy won the eight lap heat races.

Ryan Peery picked up the win in the 15 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Peery won at Susanville in his last visit and picked up the win at Siskiyou Golden Speedway on Friday night. Shayna Nieman led the first three laps with Cole Olexiewicz briefly gained the point on the fourth lap. A lap later, Olexiewicz surrendered first to Peery. Olexiewicz held second until losing that spot to Matt Sanders on the 10th circuit. Matt's brother Issac Sanders ran third at that point. Peery got the win ahead of Matt Sanders, Isaac Sanders, Colton Chew and Steven Sanders. Peery and Matt Sanders picked up eight lap heat race wins.

Craig Nieman won the 20 lap Street Stock Main Event. Madison Hood led the first three circuits before Nieman went motoring by. Friday night winner Royce Goetz found his way into second on Lap 5 and took up pursuit of the flying Nieman. Jacob Dias battled his way forward and finally took third on Lap 12. Nieman went on to victory ahead of Royce Goetz, Jacob Dias, Carl Barlow and Chris Hood. Randy Boyd, Nieman and Royce Goetz picked up the eight lap heat race wins.

Pro Stock star Jesse Gonzalez won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. Past Street Stock and IMCA Sport Modified champion Richard Longacre took the early lead ahead of Rusty McMillan. McMillan briefly got by on Lap 3, but Longacre regained the point a lap later. Gonzalez moved into second on Lap 7 and put the moves on Longacre for the lead a lap later. Jeff Olschowka worked his way into second on Lap 10 and put the moves on Gonzales for first on Lap 12. Unfortunately, Olschowka had problems on Lap 17 to put an end to his victory hopes. Gonzalez had the lead at that point ahead of Longacre, and they finished in that order with Terry Kennemore third, followed by past IMCA Sport Modified champion Jason Emmot and McMillan. Gonzalez and Olschowka won the eight lap heat races.

Nick Boucher won the 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event. Boucher started back in the third row and wasted little time getting the lead. He battled Bob Kelly, who ended up second, followed by Matt Canada, multi-time champion Larry Whitebird and Michael Boyd. Canada and Boucher picked up the eight lap heat race wins. 

Racing will continue this Saturday night with a special Easter Egg Hunt for the kids and all of the regular divisions back in action. For further information, go to www.dmspeedway.com.

Jernagan Pockets $5,000 In Al Miller Memorial 

At Merced Speedway

Merced, CA...April 9... Bakersfield's Garrett Jernagan won the 30 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event Saturday night at Merced Speedway. This was the Sixth Annual Al Miller Memorial race, and the win paid Jernagan $5,000. Past Merced champion and current Antioch point leader Fred Ryland picked up a $2,000 payday for finishing second.

Kenny Shrader took the early lead ahead of Jernagan and Jacob Mallet Jr. Jernagan put the moves on Shrader for the lead on the fourth lap. Mallet started making a challenge for second and took the position from Shrader on the 10th lap. Ryland was still working his way forward from the fifth row. Shrader regained second on Lap 17 with Ryland moving into third a lap later. Ryland was able to overtake Shrader for second on Lap 23 and set his sights on Jernagan. Southwest Tour competitor Cale Kanke started battling for the third position and passed Shrader on the final lap. However, nobody was passing Jernagan as he scored the satisfying win ahead of Ryland. Kanke settled for a $1,000 third, followed by Shrader, Mallet, reigning champion Tyler Bannister, Nick Spainhoward, Matt Mayo, Richard Ragsdale and Tyler Rodgers.

 

There were 35 IMCA Sport Modifieds, and they ran two sets of eight lap heat races. Winners of the first set of heat races were Kanke, Shrader, Andrew Pearce, Mayo and John Piker. It was Kanke, Shrader, Jernagan, Jarrod Mounce and Tyler Bannister getting the wins in the next round of heats. Jernagan also won the four lap Trophy Dash. They ran a pair of 10 lap B Mains with only the Top 3 transferring. The winners came from the front row. Brian Baker won the first B Main ahead of Piker and Tyler Bannister. It was Riley Jeppesen winning the other B Main ahead of Rodgers and Ryan DeForest.

Continuing the trend of Bakersfield domination of the Winner's Circle, Tate Loftis pocketed $2,000 for his win in the 25 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. To get that win, he had to overtake last year's Antioch Hobby Stock Nationals winner, Dylan Wilson. Wilson bolted into the lead at the start ahead of Loftis and Ryan Hart. Those three drivers remained in the Top 3 throughout the duration, and Loftis put the moves on Wilson for the lead on Lap 15. Loftis pulled away just a little bit from there to score the satisfying win. Wilson settled for second ahead of Hart, reigning champion Domossie Scoggins, Karl Noland, Clarence Holbrook, reigning Bakersfield champion Ricky Childress Jr, Dakota Brown, Chad Ragsdale and Timmy Crews.

There were 25 Hobby Stocks for the occasion, and the eight lap heat race wins went to Hart, Wilson and Derek Ogden. Wilson also picked up the win in the four lap Trophy Dash. Crews had to win the 10 lap B Main to earn his start in the Main Event. He got the win after Brown was issued a two position penalty. Jonathan Flippen led the first five laps of the race. Xavier Baez then led a pair of laps before surrendering the point to Brown. Brown took the checkered flag ahead of Crews and Baez, but the penalty gave the win to Crews ahead of Baez, Brown, Flippen and final transfer Breck Smith.

Tyler Tucker picked up the win in the 15 lap California Sharp Mini Late Model Main Event. This was his second win of the season. Tucker led the race from the outset. Connor Crews was a race long second with Matt Malcolm a race long third, followed by DJ Saenz, Liam Richardson, Mitch Enos, Michael Green and Ryder Jeppesen. Tucker made it a clean sweep with wins in the six lap heat race and four lap Trophy Dash.

Three-time Merced Speedway champion Chris Corder also scored a clean sweep of eight lap heat race, six lap Trophy Dash and 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event. Corder led all the way in victory. Austin Sprague moved into third on Lap 4 and set his sights on Leo Lotz. On the 13th lap, Sprague gained second. Though Sprague kept it close, Corder scored the victory. Lotz settled for third ahead of Brian Post. Synthya Tremble was a Main Event scratch.

Racing will continue this Saturday night with an Easter candy giveaway. Competing divisions will include the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, Valley Sportsman and Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.mercedspeedway.net.

Hardina, Paul, Debem, Brown Score Petaluma Speedway Wins

Petaluma, CA...April 9...Marcus Hardina scored the victory in the 25 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. This was his first win. Hardina started on the pole and bolted into the lead and when the green flag waved, followed by David Lindt II and Tony Bernard. On the fourth lap, Jason McIntosh went motoring past Bernard for third. McIntosh no sooner gained second from Lindt then his race came to an end on Lap 20. Lindt regained second briefly, but fifth row starter and reigning champion Nick Robfogel put the moves on him on Lap 22 to capture the runner-up position. Hardina managed to hold off Robfogel for the win as Lindt settled for third, followed by past champion Sparky Howard, Zach Atcheson, Nathan Schank, Bernard, George Nielson, Clint Motta and McIntosh.

McIntosh was the quickest of the 12 drivers on the 3/8 mile adobe oval with a lap of 15.496, beating the 15.627 of Hardina. They ran a pair of eight lap heat races with the wins being recorded by McIntosh and Hardina.

Michael Paul Jr won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. The multi-time champion shared the front row with Raymond Lindeman, but it was Lindeman jumping into the lead at the start ahead of Paul and multi-time champion Oreste Gonella. Tim Yeager took third from Gonella on the sixth lap.  Gonella raced by to regain the spot on Lap 9, only to surrender the position back to Yeager a lap later with Watsonville champion Cody Burke moving into fourth. Paul put the moves on Lindeman for the lead on Lap 14, and Burke got around Yaeger for third at the same time. Burke slipped past Lindeman for second on Lap 20 with reigning State champion Jim Pettit II claiming third on Lap 24. Paul got the win ahead of Burke, Pettit, 2020 champion Anthony Slaney, Lindeman, Gonella, Yaeger, Garrett Brady, Gary Zwicker and Bill Lage. The eight lap heat race wins went to Pettit, Yaeger and Burke.

Caleb Debem won the 20 lap 600 Micro Sprint Main Event. This was the second-straight win for the reigning division champion. George Nielson led a pair of laps before Debem took over. Nielson held the second position ahead of Anthony Soper until Soper got by on the ninth circuit. By that point, Sam Borland was running in fourth. Debem set a rapid pace and beat Soper by over half a lap with Nielson settling for third ahead of Sam Borland, final lead lap finisher Kyle Grissom, Rick Alonso, Jeromie Charon, Victor Guerra, Shiloh Borland and Carroll Mendenhall. Debem and Soper picked up the eight lap heat race wins.

Reigning champion Tom Brown won the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. Outside front row starter Austin Lodin beat polesitter Randy Miramontez at the start. Miramontez slipped past Lodin for the lead on Lap 13 with Brown following into second. Two laps later, Brown put the moves on Miramontez to take the lead. Lodin made a late move to regain second, and Brown won ahead of Austin Lodin, Miramontez, Daisy Eszler, Sophie Shelley, Mike Lodin, Dana Gardner and Haley Learn.

Racing resumes this Saturday night with the IMCA Modifieds and Mini Stocks back in action along with the Super Stocks and the Jay's Mobile Welding Service Hobby Stocks. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.

Robustelli, Philips, Law Pick Up Wins At Marysville Raceway

Marysville, CA...April 9.. Camden Robustelli scored the victory in the 25 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Marysville Raceway. Robustelli won the ISCS Limited Sprint championship last season, and he was once again piloting a car owned by TJ Winningham. 

Robustelli bolted into the lead at the start as past Cottage Grove Speedway champion Tyler Thompson battled with Carson Hall for a few laps for second. Thompson grabbed the spot on Lap 3, and Hall had problems on Lap 5 as he fell back. At that point, Brad Bumgarner settled into third. A yellow flag waved on Lap 6 for Koa Crane in Turn 1. Robustelli continued to lead Thompson and Bumgarner on the restart, but a yellow flag waved a lap later for Hall and Peter Paulson, who retired at that point. Again, Robustelli led Thompson and Bumgarner on the restart, but a yellow flag waved on Lap 11 for Hall and Jeffrey Grimm. Both drivers were out of the race at that point, and Robustelli continued to show the way ahead of Thompson and Bumgarner on the restart. One last yellow flag waved on the 15th lap for Crane. Robustelli continued to lead a good battle with Thompson and Bumgarner. As Robustelli streaked to the victory, Bumgarner executed at last lap maneuver to take second from Thompson, who settled for third ahead of Dennis Scherer, Korey Lovell, Michael Wasina, Koen Shaw, Bobby Butler, Steven Snawder and ageless veteran Pat Harvey Jr.

There were 23 Sprint Cars in action, and Hall set the fast time of 13.637 on the quarter mile clay oval, beating the 13.746 of Snauder and the 13.969 of Thompson. They ran four eight lap heat races with the wins going to Chance Grasty, Scherer, Robustelli and Wasina. They ran everybody in the Main Event.

Jeremy Phillips won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Shaun Merritt took the early lead ahead of Hunter Merritt and Scott Savell. A yellow flag flew on Lap 5 for Shannon Barton in Turn 4. Shaun Merritt continued to Savell. Previous winner Jimmy Ford had settled into third on Lap 3, but he had problems on the backstretch for a Lap 8 yellow flag. Ford restarted in the rear as Shaun Merritt continued to lead Savell and Phillips. Philips took second from Savell on Lap 12, but a yellow flag waved a lap later as Philips, Savell and Phillip Shelby tangled in Turn 2 for a yellow flag. Shaun Merritt led Richard Vander Ploeg and Ford on the restart, but Phillips slipped past Ford for third on lap 15. The final yellow flag flew on Lap 17 as Shaun Merritt saw his run up front come to an unfortunate end. Phillips took the lead on the restart ahead of Ford and Barton. As Philips brought it home to victory ahead of Ford, Savell made a last lap pass on Barton to steal third. Shaun Merritt ended up fifth, followed by Thomas Reynolds, Vander Ploeg, Shelby, Hunter Merritt and KC Carpenter. Ford and Shelby picked up eight lap heat race wins.

Howard Law won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. The 2015 IMCA Sport Modified champion started on the pole and led the entire distance for the win. Reigning Orland Raceway champion Keith Ross ran second early on with Tobi Merrifield in third. Unfortunately for Ross, his race came to a disappointing end on Lap 6. Merrifield briefly gained the second position a lap later, but he surrendered it to Kyle Cheney on Lap 8. Merrifield held on for third until being overtaken on the 17th lap by 15th starter Zach Lindgren. Law went on to win ahead of Cheney, Lindgren, Merrifield, Jesse Van Rokel, Maurice Merrill, Jacob Bright, Paul Taylor, Willie Horn Jr and Niles Strevor.

The 28 Hobby Stocks ran four eight lap heat races with Merrifield, Travis Moore, Ross and and Law getting the wins. Lindgren won the 12 lap B Main. He led the first two laps before Trevor Deadman and George Abella got by. Lindgren got back around Abella on Lap 5 and took the lead from Deadman on the eighth circuit as Deadmond encountered problems. Lindgren went on to win with Abella about a straightaway behind in second, followed by Taylor, Bright and Deadmond.

Racing continues this Saturday night with the Winged 360 Sprint Cars back in action along with the Winged Crate Sprint Cars and NorCal Dwarf Cars. Plus, there's an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids. For further information, go to www.marysvilleraceway.com.

Dotson, Johnson, Hiroshima, Rogers Win 

At Bakersfield Speedway 

Bakersfield, CA..April 9...Ethan Dotson won the 30 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway. He started on the pole and proceeded to lead the entire distance. However, the win wasn't a gimme for Dotson as reigning champion Jerry Flippo stayed in the hunt. Flippo ran second early on ahead of Cody Laney. Laney slipped past Flippo on the sixth lap, but the duo kept it close. On Lap 20, Flippo found his opening and made the pass on Laney to claim second for good. However, Dotson was just a little bit quicker than Flippo and prevailed at the checkered flag. Laney settled for third, followed by Logan Drake, Rob Sanders, Danny Lauer, Ventura champion Trevor Fitzgibbon, Kyle Heckman, DJ Shannon and Robby Sawyer. They ran a pair of eight lap heat races with the wins going to Flippo and Laney. 

Steven Johnson won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. Justin Schweitzer and Miranda Scott battled at the start, each leading a lap before Schweitzer took over on the third circuit. Scott surrendered second to Johnson on the fifth lap with Dakota Schweitzer moving into third two laps later. They ran in that order until Johnson put the moves on Justin Schweitzer to take the lead on Lap 16. A lap later, Dakota Schweitzer and Dotson tangled in their third place battle to end the race for both. Johnson led Justin Schweitzer and Scott on the restart and they finished in that order as Matt McEwen, Dotson and Dakota Schweitzer rounded out the finishing order. Dakota Schweitzer won the eight lap heat race. 

Bruce Hiroshima won the 20 lap NMRA TQ Midget Main Event. David Perry led a lap before Hiroshima took over. Scott Niven moved into second on Lap 3 with Perry holding third until getting passed by Samuel May on the eighth circuit. May slipped past Niven for second on Lap 17. However, he was no match for the flying Hiroshima, who brought it home to victory. Niven settled for third ahead of Perry and Kevin Kale. It was Hiroshima winning the eight lap heat race.

Joe Rogers Jr won the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. Rogers bolted into the lead at the start as Jason Cook Jr and Jason Cook Sr battled early for the second position. Cook Sr had it on the fourth lap with Cook Jr running third until his race ended on Lap 10. This allowed Lucy Falkenberg to move into third, and she found her way into second on Lap 15 as Cook Sr encountered problems. Ava Laney settled into third at that point. Falkenberg kept it close, but Rogers prevailed in the end. Laney was over a straightaway behind the lead duo in third, followed by Liam Meyers, Helder Santos, Jason Cook Sr, Jason Cook Jr and Brandon Wolford. The eight lap heat race wins went to Wolford and Cook Sr. 

Racing continues this Saturday night with the USAC Western States Midgets and BCRA Midgets coming to town along with the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, California Lightning Sprints and IMCA Mod Lites. For further information, go to www.bakersfieldspeedway.com.

The Editor's Viewpoint 

I'm running late. So, what else is new? I had a rather emotional day on Saturday that left me behind all day, and I just didn't get caught up. The other thing is I write this column at least twice every week, because I'm trying not to be too wordy. It doesn't seem to be working out the way I'd hoped, so I spend more time trying to write less. I'm trying to train my brain, but old habits die hard.

Prior to the races last Saturday, I received word that Mary Nordstrom passed away. She was a dear friend of mine. Mary and I used to talk in school quite a bit, and the day she invited me to go to the races at Baylands with her family changed my life. 

Mary said recently that me being involved in racing was my destiny and I would have done it regardless. I'm not really so sure. I learned a lot from her family. I was basically another member of the family for the second half of the 1980s, and I had a lot of fun there. 

I'm grateful that I was able to reconnect with Mary recently. I know she was struggling with health issues, but I thought she was coming out on the other end. I just didn't know. I'm glad I told her that I loved her, and I told her I wished I could have gone to the gathering she had planned. 

I just don't get around so easily these days. I wasn't going to be able to get to Valley Springs, but I would have easily gone if it was in Antioch. I did tell her I hoped that we could meet up sometime soon, but we'll have to wait until we see each other on the other side. 

I wanted to put together a special lap for her prior to the races. She needed to be remembered, and I've never organized something like this before. It looked like all I was going to get to do was say something during intermission, which wasn't really satisfactory to me. However, I tried again during intermission, which meant at the last minute. 

Race Director Rich Quadrelli was okay with it, and Wylie Wade had no problem letting me use the wireless microphone. I ran through the pits, got Dan Gonderman, Ron Brown and a few others to join in. I got to say a few words. 

This is where it got interesting. Larry Adams wanted me to participate in the lap itself. I didn't think that was going to happen, because I thought I needed to be up there to say something right before Dan Gonderman led the group around the track. Larry kept motioning me to the golf cart, and I finally went with the wireless microphone in hand. We tagged the back of the lap, and I said a few words from the track. I've never done anything like this, and I probably never will again. This was for Mary. I hope she was watching.

I'm way behind schedule on everything. I actually recorded something for my Facebook page in which I put my face on camera. If you know me, this is not something I like to do. I'm changing these days as I'm trying to put my transition in motion. I still hope to share that video, and I also recorded the memorial lap from the perspective of the golf cart with Larry. I will keep Mary in my heart forever, and I already miss her so much. 

Mary was there for the two Hall of Fame nights that I presided over. She knew I was trying to establish this thing, and she expressed that she was proud of me. I was happy to be able to talk with her a bit before the last one I attended in 2019. I handed the executive duties to Chris Briggs, who runs the Antioch Speedway Days of Old page on Facebook. Chris put the announcement up on the page recently that he was looking for nominations, and I offered my thoughts. 

I could share my list of off the cuff suggestions, but I'll hold on to that for now. I want to put a little bit more thought into it as I believe I'm going to be on the committee making formal nominations and voting. I do believe we need to get more into the 1960s and 1970s. There are some key names that have to be honored. Then again, I want this tradition to continue for years to come, which means that if somebody doesn't get in this time, there's always next time. 

The biggest thing now is what we want to do with the ceremony itself. We have an opportunity to bring this more to the community and take it beyond ceremonies during intermission on race night. As in, are we going to make a gathering either at the fairgrounds or elsewhere? We can do the ceremonies in the picnic area, for example. 

There are people within the community who would certainly step forward to help. And we can still put together a nice display at the track and introduce the inductees during intermission in a little ceremony that doesn't take as long. These are the sort of discussions that need to be held. Either way, the tradition will continue.

We still have to struggle along in getting the crowd to come watch what's booked, and some weeks are going to do better than others. What I can see now suggests that we have to fight just to get to 500 fans, and that's not a guarantee. Because of the pandemic that had Antioch Speedway opening with no crowd in 2020, the fan base has dwindled a little bit from the last year under John Soares in 2019. We're going to have to work hard to get the numbers up in the grandstands, and it may be that some people don't want to spend the money. It may be too expensive to be a fan at every race. 

What ends up happening is people look at what is scheduled and then decide whether it's worth it or not. Last Saturday had IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stocks and Super Stocks. It wasn't a bad program, but if we had 300 fans in the stands, we were doing well. 

The MVP of the night was probably the Super Stocks, and that's because a weather cancellation in Hanford saw several Tri State Pro Stock drivers come to town at the last minute. They were sent up north by Series Promoter Roy Bain, who ended up in Stockton as he's working on establishing Speed Union TV. 

The results article will explain what happened on the track, but I will say I think Antioch needs to come back to the table and get a Tri State date for later this year. I think it might be possible, but I might be a dreamer here. Some of these nights are challenging to get a car count at the track. I think Tri State can deliver at least what we had on Saturday if not more, especially if we give them a few months to plan it out. 

They had a bit of a challenge on the dry, slick and dusty track, but they still gave it their best effort on Saturday. Then again, I think our track preparation should improve a little bit. We shouldn't be preparing a track to be dusty as it's only going to upset the neighbors if it continues in a consistent manner. We need to keep in mind that things like that will threaten the existence of the track itself. 

I get the philosophy, and if you can go dry slick without kicking up a bunch of dust in the air, have at it. As a fan, I wouldn't want to go to a track that was consistently dusty like that. I hear enough people saying the same thing, and I know I'm not alone. Could that be negatively impacting our quest to get fans in the stands?

I do worry about what the open wheel show will be this week. Threatening weather could always cancel it. Otherwise, we've got Wingless Spec Sprints, Delta Dwarf Cars, WMR Midgets and Mini Stocks. I think the Dwarf Cars and Mini Stocks bring people who are associated with the cars, but there aren't a lot of fans coming specifically to see them. The WMR Midgets might bring a dozen cars, but they're not established enough to have a fan base. 

That means, if we're going to get in the 400-500 fan range, it's up to the Spec Sprints to deliver the fans. Car count might be divided as Petaluma has the class, but I don't know. We'll see what we get, but I'm hoping we can do a little bit better than we did last week. It may be a challenge. 

I give Mike McCluney all the credit in the world. He did a little research on the Ecotec Midgets and what was going on with the Northwest Focus Midgets in Washington. He figured he could import it to California. Watsonville Promoter John Prentice and Ventura Promoter Jim Naylor were on board, and they allowed him to build a roster pretty quickly. 

Drivers are coming up from the 600 Micro Sprints. The downside this year, as I mentioned before, is that I think Mike may have overbooked his schedule a little bit. His group is in demand as the BCRA has kind of dropped the ball on their own Midget class. 

This is what I don't get about BCRA. You have Antioch booking three dozen races and needing divisions to fill spots. I know BCRA has 8-12 full Midgets available that could come to Antioch once every five or six weeks. A full Midget show versus a WMR Midget show is night and day, in my humble opinion. 

A lot of the car owners are getting older, and maybe it's a case of younger drivers with ambition not going to them with a willingness to work on cars and learn. I think that's a shame, because BCRA seems to be more about Lightning Sprints these days, and I don't know if anybody in the group even cares about Midgets. 

When a young driver goes into the group and wins the championship, they don't generally plan on sticking around. They are planning to go down south to the Western States Midgets group of USAC, or they head east. I see a guy like Floyd Alvis, who is an absolute legend. He runs a couple of times a year as he's getting older. I bet if a young driver came in with a willingness to learn and work on the car, maybe somebody who brought in a little bit of sponsorship, Floyd might bring the car for that young driver every race. 

What I'm saying is I think if there was a movement to bring 8-12 Midgets to Antioch anytime BCRA was booked and you booked 6-8 races, I think full Midgets could be a thing here. Having Antioch as a home track could rehabilitate this group and put it back on a path to relevance. 

Then again, I'm a dreamer. It could be so far gone that you can't do it. Or, it could be that there's nobody left in BCRA who cares enough about the Midgets and their great tradition to try. By default, that hands the baton over to WMR.

Siskiyou Golden Speedway kicked off the new season with over 20 Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars and double-digit turnout in IMCA Sport Modifieds and Outlaw Pro Stocks. It wasn't a bad opening, and I can imagine Kevin Barba was happy. 

Roy Bain had Speed Union TV going. My frustration with the coverage was that I didn't know enough about what was going on out there. The camera was focused at the front of the pack, but part of the problem was the Yreka scoring system seemed to be a little bit screwed up. Roy is still learning this broadcasting thing and doing a good job. It got better at Stockton the next night.

While Yreka was having success in their opening race, the other extreme Northern California track in Susanville also did pretty well. Diamond Mountain Speedway had a good turnout of IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Street Stocks. The Mini Stocks weren't looking so bad, and the IMCA Stock Cars are just getting started. They did a Friday and Saturday show that didn't look too bad from what I could see. People don't notice that track so much, but Promoter Jeff Olschowka is doing good things.

Merced Speedway hosted the Al Miller Memorial race. For the second time, the Sixth Annual event was at The Valley track, and brothers Robert and Randy Miller put a good deal together. With $5,000 to win, there were 35 IMCA Sport Modifieds. The Hobby Stocks had $2,000 to win and had about two dozen competitors. 

Maybe the numbers were slightly lower than hoped, but it was still a good turnout under the circumstances. Bakersfield bagged the bucks with Garrett Jernagan picking up the Sport Modified prize and Tate Loftis grabbing the glory in the Hobby Stocks. Once again, it was a success story in Merced.

Watsonville clearly relies on the Winged 360 Sprint Cars to deliver the goods. They get a count in the 20s, and that was challenged by the fact that Tulare Thunderbowl had a show for the division and had a slightly bigger turnout. 

That might have been the good news at Tulare, but the IMCA 305 Sprints and IMCA Stock Cars had a dozen between them. Watsonville tries to get a dozen in the other classes, and they hit the mark with Mini Stocks and IMCA Sport Modifieds. I would say they did the best they could under the circumstances.

Petaluma Speedway had double digit numbers in Wingless Spec Sprints, IMCA Modifieds and 600 Micro Sprints and they didn't do too badly in the Mini Stocks. I find it interesting that State champion Jim Pettit II had his Modified there again. With the newly resurfaced track, I think Rick Faeth has to be pleased that drivers seem to want to give the place a chance again. 

They're booking the Wingless Spec Sprints pretty heavily right now, but I wonder if the Winged 360 Sprint Car drivers might want to start coming back and supporting this place again. I'd hate to see the track give up on that class. 

Antioch won't be running Modifieds against Petaluma this week, so they should do okay. They do have Spec Sprints, so I'm going to be curious where the drivers go between the two places. I don't know what happened with Jay Bryant of Jay's Mobile Welding Service at Antioch Speedway, and I'm not getting into any controversy here. 

Jay has thrown his support behind the Hobby Stocks at Petaluma, and the track hasn't had that division in about 20 years. With Antioch not running, Petaluma is going to try to draw heavily from there. I'm going to be curious to see how that goes.

I don't think there is an adversarial attitude between the two tracks. I would love to see what would happen if these two tracks tried to work together on a few things. I still believe that both tracks could benefit, and that also means fans and racers would benefit. 

All it takes is intent and two promoters willing to honor any deal they make. You're only running four divisions at either track, so there's plenty of room to share things. They are the two tracks closest to each other, and I don't think it would hurt to try. 

People are projecting the end of Petaluma Speedway, and maybe after the final checkered flag falls next year, it will be over. Until decisions are made, we don't know for sure. We should fight hard to keep that track going and not assume it's over until it's over. I don't think it's a smart move to just say it'll be over at Petaluma and the drivers will come to Antioch. That's not a guarantee either. 

A lot of drivers might just park at that point. But if you promote things together, drivers might also be willing to tow down the road a little bit and make shows at either track that much better. Seems like a win/win situation to cooperate with each other. 

Marysville Raceway did okay. They had about two dozen Winged 360 Sprint Cars and a few more in the Hobby Stocks. I can't imagine Dennis Gage is unhappy with the start he's having there so far. Even the Winged Crate Sprint Cars are edging closer to 20. 

Both Sprint Car classes will be on the schedule this week along with NorCal Dwarf Cars. I know there might be people wondering who those guys are in the Winged 360s, but they're getting a lot of them. Give those drivers enough seat time, and some of them are going to become big names.

I could say more, but this column needs to end here. Less editing time is a plus in trying to get this posted before live scoring goes online in Watsonville. On that note, I'm going to wrap it up. Until next time..