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Antioch Speedway Racing Discussion Listen
Carrick Wins Again At Ocean Speedway,
Muller Scores First Ever Victory
Reigning champion Cody Burke #20 won the IMCA Modified Main Event at Ocean Speedway. Photo by Tom Sagmiller
Watsonville, CA...April 1...Tanner Carrick won the 30 lap Ocean Sprint, Presented by Taco Bravo, Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. This was the second win for Carrick, who led most of the distance.
Max Mittry jumped into the early lead ahead of Carrick and reigning track champion Bud Kaeding. Kaeding slipped past Mittry for the second position on the sixth lap, and Justin Sanders shuffled Mittry back to fourth on Lap 12. Sanders had a flat tire and brought out a Lap 19 yellow flag. On the restart, Carrick led Kaeding and Mittry, and they ran the rest of the distance in that order. Oregon star Tanner Holmes ended up the fourth, followed by Rickey Sanders, Joel Myers Jr, JJ Ringo, Kurt Nelson, Chase Johnson and Justin Sanders.
27 Sprint Car competitors took their turns on the Tom Sagmiller prepared quarter-mile clay oval with Carrick setting the fast time of 11.656, beating the 11.730 of Mittry and the 11.736 of Joey Ancona. Eight lap heat race wins went to Sanders, Nelson and Kaeding. Carrick won the six lap Trophy Dash over Kaeding and Mittry. Mark Chaves Jr won the eight lap B Main. Chaves jumped into the lead at the start and led all the way to win ahead of race-long second place finisher Jeremy Chisum, Adam Kaeding, Josh Chisum and Richard Fajardo.
Cody Burke won the 20 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. The reigning champion led all the way for the win. Burke led Bobby Hogge IV and reigning State champion Jim Pettit II early on. The lead trio battled closely for the first few laps. A yellow flag waved on Lap 15, but that didn't stop Burke as he continued to lead Hogge and Pettit on the restart. Matthew Hagio brought out the final yellow flag on Lap 19. Burke led the one lap shootout for the win, followed by Hogge, Pettit, JC Elrod, Hagio, Raymond Keldsen Jr and Andy Obertello. Burke won the eight lap heat race.
Blake Bower won the 20 lap WMR Midgets Main Event. The reigning series and Watsonville champion trailed Brody Petrie for a lap before moving into first. Logan Mitchell was an early third, and a yellow flag waved on Lap 6 for a tangle involving Kyle Hawse and Jason Sneep, who was eliminated in the incident. Bower continued to lead Petrie on the restart with Sage Boardenave moving into third. Bordenave gained second on Lap 14 with the retirement of Petrie. Bryant Bell was running third, but Sprint Car star Shawn Arriaga gained the position on Lap 18. Bower won by a straightaway ahead of Boardenave with Arriaga third, followed by Nate Wait, Bell, Kyle Hawse, Todd Hawse, Mitchell, Petrie and Sneep. Boardenave and Kyle Hawse were the eight lap heat race winners.
Jonathan Hagio won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. The race ran in rapid fashion with just one yellow flag to slow the pace. Igor Gradzuk jumped into the early lead ahead of Max Baggett, but Hagio and Jacob Mallet Jr moved into the second and third positions on Lap 2. Hagio slipped past Gradzuk for the lead on the seventh circuit, and Richard Ragsdale moved into second on Lap 12. Moments later, a yellow flag waved for Dennis Souza and Charlie Hunter. Hagio continued to lead the way over Ragsdale and Mallet. Fred Ryland slipped past Mallet for third on Lap 18. Hagio built about a half straightaway advantage over Ragsdale in victory with Ryland settling for third, followed by Jim DiGiovanni, Duane Bieser, Baggett, Mike Kofnovek Jr, Hunter, Mallet and Souza. Ryland and Gradzuk picked up eight lap heat race wins.
Brady Muller won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. Muller gained lead after a crazy 15th lap that saw a tangle between the leaders. It was his first ever feature win.
Past champion Wally Kennedy jumped into the early lead ahead of Jerry Skelton and ageless veteran Tony Oliviera. Reigning champion Joe Gallaher moved into third on the seventh lap and set his sights on Skelton. Joe Gallaher had problems on the 15th lap as Kennedy and Skelton got together with the yellow flag waving. Suddenly, Muller found himself leading young Bobby Gallaher and Oliveira. The green flag waved with that order at the front of the pack. Muller held off Bobby Gallaher for the win with Joe Gallaher making a last lap pass on Oliveira for third. Shane Freeman ended up fifth, followed by Skelton, Kennedy, Lawrence Castillo and Chad Ragsdale. Kennedy and Skelton picked up the eight lap heat race victories.
The excitement continues next Friday night with the Ocean Sprint Cars back in action, joined by the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Four Bangers and Police N Pursuit cars. For further information, go to www.oceanspeedway.com.
Foulger Back On Top At Antioch Speedway,
Keller, Welborn, Freethy Other Winners
Antioch, CA...April 2...Troy Foulger won the 20 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. He becomes the third different winner of the season as he piloted the Bowers Motorsports Modified to the win. Foulger is a five-time champion at the speedway.
Trevor Clymens led a pair of laps with the yellow flag waving twice. Clymens led Foulger on the Lap 3 restart, but a low pass in turn 2 a lap later gained Foulger the lead. Kellen Chadwick went low in Turn 4 on Lap 5 to take second with Nick DeCarlo quickly striking to third. Foulger had a straightaway advantage by Lap 10 as DeCarlo battled Chadwick to take second. DeCarlo finally grabbed the spot on a Lap 14 restart. Foulger was never really threatened as he won with DeCarlo holding off Chadwick for second. Buddy Kniss and Clymens completed the Top 5.
KC Keller won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. The race had to be restarted after a tangle that involved point leader Fred Ryland in Turn 4. 2019 champion Tommy Fraser took the early lead ahead of Dylan Connelly. Keller went low in Turn 2 to take second on the fourth lap and made an inside pass in Turn 4 three laps later to take the lead from Fraser. Andrew Pearce moved into second on Lap 9 before a yellow flag flew for Connolly. Keller led the restart with Jacob Mallet Jr moving past Pearce and into second. Mallet made a backstretch pass on Keller on Lap 11 for the lead. Pearce and Keller ran closely behind Mallet in the battle for second. A low pass in Turn 3 on Lap 19 put Keller into the lead with Pearce following into second. Keller went on to the impressive win with Pearce and Mallet running nose to tail behind him. Jeremy Hoff and Fraser completed the Top 5.
Misty Welborn won the 20 lap Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stock Main Event. It was her second win of the season. Looking for his second-straight win, Ken Johns led early ahead of Jared Baugh and Larry McKinzie Jr. A low move in Turn 4 on Lap 5 put Baugh into the lead. There was a back and forth battle for the lead as it changed hands a couple of times with Baugh still in front on Lap 8. Contact with McKinzie exiting Turn 4 on Lap 9 left Baugh stalled in Turn 2. Michaela Taylor led the restart with Welborn moving into second a lap later. Taylor spun exiting Turn 4 for a Lap 12 yellow flag. Welborn led Johns and Jeff Bentancourt on the restart. They ran that way until McKinzie gained third on Lap 16. As Welborn sped to the checkered flag, McKinzie beat Johns back to the line for second. Bentancourt and Taylor DeCarlo completed the Top 5.
Jim Freethy won the 15 lap Super Stock Main Main Event. Heat race winner Mike Walko jumped into the early lead ahead of reigning champion Freethy and Joey Ridgeway. A low move in Turn 4 of the second lap gained Freethy lead. The only slow down of the race occurred on the ninth lap when Ridgeway spun in Turn 4. Freethy continued to lead Walko and Chad Hammer on the restart. Freethy pulled away to about a quarter of a straightaway lead, and Walko brushed the Turn 4 wall on exit heading to the checkered flag. Freethy won ahead of Walko, Hammer and Ridgeway.
Racing resumes next Saturday night with IMCA Modifieds back in action along with IMCA Stock Cars, Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stocks and Super Stocks. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results Antioch Speedway
IMCA Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Buddy Kniss, Kellen Chadwick. Main Event (20 laps)-Troy Foulger, Nick DeCarlo, Kellen Chadwick, Buddy Kniss, Trevor Clymens, Bobby Motts Jr, Aaron Crowell, Chris Lewis, Terry DeCarlo Jr, Kenneth Robles.
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Tommy Fraser, Dylan Connelly, Andrew Pearce. Main Event (20 laps)-KC Keller, Andrew Pearce, Jacob Mallet Jr, Jeremy Hoff, Tommy Fraser, Fred Ryland, Kenny Shrader, Chester Knss, Tyler Browne, Jason Ryan Jr.
Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Charlie Bryant, Jeff Bentancourt, Misty Welborn. Main Event (20 laps)-Misty Welborn, Larry McKinzie Jr, Ken Johns, Jeff Bentancourt, Taylor DeCarlo, Jewel Crandall, Michaela Taylor, Jess Paladino, Gene Haney, Mitchell Dana.
Super Stocks
Heat Winner (8 laps)-Mike Walko. Main Event (15 laps)-Jim Freethy, Mike Walko, Chad Hammer, Joey Ridgeway.
Stock Car Excitement Comes To Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...Stock Car racing is the name of the game this Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. In addition to the IMCA Modifieds, the IMCA Stock Cars will be back for their third appearance of the season, joined by the Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stocks and the Super Stocks. It's shaping up to be an exciting season so far, and we're just getting started.
The IMCA Modifieds have been a wide open battle. The three races held so far have found five-time champion Troy Foulger, Kellen Chadwick and Nick DeCarlo each taking a trip to the Winner's Circle. The common denominator in the point battle is that DeCarlo and Chadwick, one-time Antioch champions themselves, have been in the hunt at every race.
The standings find DeCarlo leading Chadwick by just two points, while 2016 champion Bobby Motts Jr is eight points out of the lead in third.
We haven't seen Chadwick really competing for points at the speedway in quite some time. As the second-generation competitor became faster, he chose to take his talents on the road to compete for bigger money at other venues. This has led to him winning prestigious races such as the Beads Shipwreck Nationals at Grays Harbor in Washington, the R Charles Snyder Salute in Oregon as well as other big races in California. Chadwick even won the big $7,000 prize in the West Coast Nationals at Antioch in 2019. When the money is on the line, Kellen comes up big.
When he was younger, Kellen was also a fast competitor in the Outlaw Kart divisions, and he instantly developed a love for race cars. A scary incident in a Late Model could have ended his life and his career, but Chadwick is a tough competitor. After he recovered, he not only returned, but he remains one of the best IMCA Modified drivers on the West Coast. He also competes in the new IMCA Stock Car class and is a contender for that championship, piloting a car for Rich Quadrelli.
IMCA is better known for their Modified divisions, but the Stock Car class is catching fire in California. The consistency shown by Chadwick after two events has him just four markers behind leader Fred Ryland and one ahead of reigning champion Travis Dutra. Anthony Giuliani has done well to rank just eight points out of lead and two ahead of Jason Robles, who got the win last time out. The Stock Cars are noteworthy for the side by side racing they've given the fans as this style of racing is just a little bit more thrilling than your average Hobby Stock race.
The Hobby Stocks are definitely delivering the excitement to the fans. Reigning division champion Larry McKinzie Jr could have ended up calling it a night after an incident between he and Jared Baugh in last week's race. Larry restarted at the back of the pack. He kept at it and completed his charge to the front with a last lap pass on Ken Johns for second. The glory went to Misty Welborn, who scored a popular second career win. McKinzie now leads 2020 Mini Stock champion Jess Paladino by 14 points and Welborn by 18.
Not to be forgotten in this battle are the tied Michaela Taylor and rookie Taylor DeCarlo, 22 points out of the lead. DeCarlo is the granddaughter of 80-year-old IMCA Modified competitor Terry DeCarlo Sr and the daughter of Top 5 Modified competitor Terry DeCarlo Jr. She's been competing in Micro Sprints, but she decided to take on the challenge of the Hobby Stock and had a fifth place finish last time out.
Much like DeCarlo, Michaela Taylor is a threat to win. She showed just how much she has improved over the last two seasons with her run at the front of the pack in the Main Event for several laps last week. Michaela is driving the #71 Hobby Stock, made famous by her grandmother, Debbie Clymens. In fact, Debbie has run as a passenger with her, which means 17-year-old Taylor is getting advice from an Antioch Speedway Hall of Famer. The way she's looking, a Main Event win could be in her future.
Management has decided to give the Super Stock drivers an opportunity to rebuild the class. It was a little bit late notice for some of the drivers last time out, and reigning champion Jim Freethy beat 2020 champion Mike Walko to get the win. Walko has competed in Late Models and IMCA Modifieds at Antioch and did well in both divisions. Management has put out a call to drivers from neighboring Petaluma Speedway that they are welcome to come race with the Antioch competitors.
Local drivers Jimmy Robbins and Michael Burch are said to be preparing their cars to battle the likes of Chad Hammer and Joey Ridgeway Jr. Who might show up from Petaluma is unknown, but several drivers have expressed interest. Petaluma drivers have done well at Antioch in their visits through the years, and they certainly add to the excitement.
This Saturday night's program starts with the gates opening at 3:00 pm. This is to accommodate a special $5 beer happy hour event at the south beer garden, which runs until 5:00 p.m. the first race will start at 6:00 pm.
Ticket prices are $20 for adults, $15 for military, senior (60 and over) and children (under 11) with children five and under free.
For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Liggett, Rasmussen, Johnson Win At Keller Auto Speedway
Hanford,
CA...April 1...Austin Liggett won the 30 lap AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car
Main Event Friday night at Keller Auto Speedway. The past USAC West
Coast 360 Sprint Car champion started back in the fifth row, and
Lightning Sprint star AJ Bender charged into the early lead. Reigning
champion Damion Gardner started in the third row and maneuvered his way
past Bender for first on Lap 16. Liggett finally found his way up into
second during the final third of the race, and he put the moves on
Gardner for the lead on Lap 25. Liggett went on to win ahead of Gardner,
Matt Mitchell, Brody Fuson, Charles Davis Jr, Nathan Schank, Tanner
Boul, Tommy Malcolm, Trent Williams and Logan Calderwood.
Cody
Williams was the quickest of 28 drivers in qualifying with a lap of
15.641, beating the 15.715 of Gardner and the 15.744 of Austin Williams.
The 10 lap heat race wins went to Logan Williams, Logan Calderwood and
Trent Williams. Matt Mitchell won the 12 lap Factory Wraps Semi Main
ahead of Davis, Liggett, Austin Grabowski and Eddie Tafoya Jr
Kyle
Rasmussen won the 25 lap IMCA RaceSaver 305 Sprint Car Main Event.
Rasmussen is the reigning California State champion. Blaine Fagundes
jumped into the early lead ahead of Connor Danell and Phil Heynan.
Following a yellow flag on Lap 3, Rasmussen moved into third behind
Fagundas and Danell. Rasmussen gained second on a Lap 5 restart, but
Richard Weddle slipped past Rasmussen for the second position on Lap 10.
Rasmussen came back strong to regain second on Lap 15 and found himself
leading on the 17th lap ahead of Weddle after Fagundes had problems.
Rasmussen led Weddle and Danell on a Lap 19 yellow flag. Rasmussen led
the restart with Fagundes moving back into second ahead of Richard
Weddle. That's the order they finished in with Danell settling for
fourth ahead of Kevin Barnes Sr, Davey Pombo Jr, Brandon Emmett, Brandon
Wenzel, Bryson Berna and Heynen. Fagundes set the fast time of 14.833,
beating the 14.856 of Danell and the 14.862 of Heynen. Barnes and
Richard Weddle picked up eight lap heat race wins.
Steven Johnson
won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. Past champion Loren DeArmond
jumped into the early lead ahead of Brock Hamilton and Larry Thompson. A
yellow flag waved on the second lap, and Johnson slipped past Thompson
for third on Lap 4. On the eighth lap, Johnson put the moves on Hamilton
for second, and a yellow flag waved moments later. DeArmond continued
to lead Johnson and Garrett Corn on the restart. It was a close
three-car battle at the front of the pack on Lap 12, and Johnson got by
DeArmond for the lead on Lap 14. Corn moved into second a lap later with
Rick Diaz into third. However, DeArmond regained third on the final lap
as Johnson won ahead of Corn, DeArmond, Diaz, Thompson, Bakersfield
Hobby Stock champion Ricky Childress Jr, Steve Stone, Troy Patee,
reigning State champion Renn Bane and Hamilton. The eight lap heat race
wins went to Corn and DeArmond.
Next Saturday night will be the
annual Anthony Simone Memorial race for the NARC Fujitsu Winged 410
Sprint Car Series. The Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series and IMCA
Western RaceSaver Sprint Cars will also be on the card. For further
information, go to www.racekingspeedway.com.
