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Aton Wins Civil War Sprint Car Race At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...June 1...Billy Aton scored the victory in the 30 lap Civil War Series Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. This was the only appearance of the Sprint Car tour, which is now in its 29th season of operation. After winning his heat race, Aton had the pole for the Main Event and was never seriously threatened for the lead.
Aton raced into the lead at the start ahead of fellow heat race winner Kurt Nelson. The other heat race winner, Ricky Brophy, saw his race come to an end on the back stretch after a tangle with Shawn Arriaga. Aton continued to lead the way over Nelson and Arriaga on the restart. The race had three additional yellow flags, the last happening on lap 26 for a car in Turn 2. Aton didn't let that stop him as he led when the green flag waved and brought it home to a satisfying victory. Nelson settled for second, followed by Arriaga, reigning Petaluma champion Jake Haulot and Joel Myers Jr.
Brent Curran scored the victory in the 20 lap All Star Series B Modified Main Event. In the process, Curran matched his championship rival Tommy Fraser with three feature triumphs. Curran raced into the lead at the start ahead of Kevin Brown. Brown surrendered second to Kenny Shrader with a front stretch pass on lap four. Todd Gomez had settled into third by the time the only yellow flag flew on lap seven. Curran continued to set the pace with Shrader and Gomez right behind him. Gomez began to challenge Shrader for second before making the pass on lap 16. Curran used the battle behind him to stretch his advantage just a little bit more and picked up the win. Gomez finished second, followed by Shrader, Fraser and Cameron Swank.
Scott Dahlgren won the 20 lap Dwarf Car Main Event. In the process, the current point leader became the first two-time feature winner in five events. Thomas Leiby led the first five laps of the race before Dahlgren dove low entering Turn 1 and emerged with the lead. With Leiby still in close pursuit as they worked slower traffic, Dahlgren made all the right moves. Only one yellow flag slow down occurred on lap 10, but Dahlgren continued to run strong and scored the victory with Leiby not far behind. Travis Dutra took third from Devan Kammermann on lap six and drove a great race to finish third, followed by Kammermann and David Michael Rosa.
Next Saturday is a special event at Antioch Speedway. It's the Third Annual Jerry Hetrick Memorial race, featuring All Star Series A Modifieds, DIRTcar Late Models, Wingless Spec Sprints, B Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Rece Results
All Star Series Antioch Speedway
Civil War Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Billy Aton, Ricky Brophy, Kurt Nelsen. Main Event (30 laps)-Billy Aton, Kurt Nelsen, Shawn Arriaga, Jake Haulot, Joel Myers Jr, Emily Williams, Jake Andreotti, Jacob Tuttle, Joey Ancona, Bradley Dillard.
B Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Cameron Swank, Todd Gomez. Main Event (20 laps)-Brent Curran, Todd Gomez, Kenny Shrader, Tommy Fraser, Cameron Swank, Kevin Brown, Haley Gomez, Dennis Gilcrease, Tommy Clymens Jr, Mark Garner.
Dwarf Cars
Heat Winners (8 laps)-David Michael Rosa, Scott Dahlgren. Main Event (20 laps)-Scott Dahlgren, Thomas Leiby, Travis Dutra, Devan Kammermann, David Michael Rosa, David Rosa, Troy Stevenson, Mario Marques, Timmy Ryan, George Carvalho.
Antioch Speedway Prepares For
Third Annual Jerry Hetrick Memorial Race
Antioch, CA...This Saturday night is a special night of racing at Antioch Speedway. Not only is there an exciting lineup of five All Star Series racing divisions, it will be an occasion on which we remember Jerry Hetrick. This is the Third Annual Jerry Hetrick Memorial race.
Hetrick was a Sportsman racer at the track in the 1970s. Some of his highlights include being a track qualifying record holder with one of the first 15 second laps turned on the then quarter-mile clay oval. He was also a feature winner and a Top 5 ranked point competitor. He retired from racing following the 1981 season.
Jerry was known as one of the racers who could do more with lesser equipment then many of his fellow competitors. He was well respected among his peers as somebody who would help others when he could. Long after he retired, Jerry was still helping other racers. When he passed away prior to the 2017 season, Promoter John M Soares added this race in his memory.
Divisions competing on the 3/8 mile clay oval this Saturday night will be the A Modifieds, B Modifieds, DIRTcar Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Wingless Spec Sprints. A strong turnout is anticipated for this event, and some are speculating that this could be the biggest supported event of the season so far.
The A Modified championship battle has taken on a different look with young Buddy Kniss and Danny Wagner locked in a close race for the point lead. Kniss is a feature winner this season, and Wagner also has a victory to his credit. As it stands, Kniss holds a slim eight point lead over Wagner following the most recent event, which was won by Kellen Chadwick. Chadwick is anticipated for this weekend's memorial event, and two-time winner and reigning champion Nick DeCarlo could be there as well. DeCarlo was a winner in the recent race at Petaluma Speedway last week.
Third place is another close battle as Buddy's father Chester Kniss leads rookie Frank Furtado by just nine points. 22 points behind Kniss is the tied Sean Wilson and Chadwick. Most of these drivers should be there this week, and others to watch for include Brian Pearce, Jeff Decker, Gary Hetrick and Ron Brown. You never know who else might show up as this race has quietly become one of the bigger events for the track.
The B Modified championship battle is the closest at the speedway. Last week, Brent Curran joined Tommy Fraser as a three-time Main Event winner. As a result, the duo are tied for the lead, 10 points ahead of rookie Cameron Swank, who brought it home to yet another Top 5 finish. Swank will be hoping to get his first win this week. Todd Gomez took a step closer to getting a win as he finished second last week after a good battle with Kenny Shrader. Might this be his week to shine?
Kevin Brown is another driver hoping to get some Main Event glory. He's only 24 points out of the lead and 14 behind Swank. Other drivers to look for this week include Tommy Clymens Jr, Haley Gomez, Dennis Gilcrease and Mark Garner. Trevor Clymens has been missing for two weeks following his recent surgery. We haven't heard when the two-time champion will return, but he's anxious to get behind the wheel as soon as he is cleared to do so.
The Late Model division has pretty much been the Richard Papenhausen show after three races. Papenhausen has won all three races by a wide margin. The battle has been for second, and Rod Oliver and Kimo Oreta have both finished as high as second in the Main Event. Oliver is 20 points behind Papenhausen and just eight ahead of Oreta in a closer battle for second in the standings. 16 points out of second is Mike Hynes. Beating Papenhausen may be easier said than done, but these three drivers will certainly give it their best. Others to watch for this week include Dennis Souza, Rob Norris and Danny Malfatti.
Much like the Late Model division, the Wingless Spec Sprints have been pretty much dominated by Shannon Newton. Newton has won all four Main Events so far this season aboard the Richard Basden owned entry, and it hasn't really been that close. With two second place finishes among his season highlights, ageless veteran Roy Fisher is just 20 points out of the lead and 20 ahead of division original Rick Panfili. Both drivers are looking to win this week, and for Panfili, a win would be the first of his career. Panfili leads Mackenzie Newton by 14 points in a closer battle for third.
Adam Teves and two-time division champion Dan Gonderman are the other drivers to finish as high as second this year, and both would figure to be the drivers with the best shot at beating Newton. Word is that reigning champion Bob Newberry is poised to make a return very soon. Newberry would emerge as the biggest threat to beat Newton. Other drivers to watch for this week include rookie Jeff Scotto, Cameron Martin, Troy Ferry and Kevin Box.
The Hobby Stock division has seen an influx of talented new drivers in the past two seasons. However, it's experience that's getting the job done at the front of the pack. Two-time reigning champion Chris Sorensen now holds a 42 point lead over Josh Leach. Sorensen has won three Main Events this season and hasn't finished worse than third. With that kind of consistency, it's going to be difficult to evict him from the top position. With one victory to his credit, Josh Leach now holds second by six points over Breanna Troen.
Troen has led several laps of the past couple of Main Events, but unfortunately the victories have eluded her. She and Sorensen are the only two drivers with all Top 5 finishes so far this year. Troen seems poised to get her first win of the season at any time. Will Buirch has done a good job in what is essentially his rookie season. He holds a 26 point advantage over Ken Johns in a good race for fourth in the standings. Other drivers to watch for this week include Philip Oreta, Dalton Jewel, John Wacht, Luke Brignoli and Jeff Betancourt.
The Jerry Hetrick Memorial will be a special night at Antioch Speedway and an event that you won't want to miss. Not only will we be remembering one of the past greats, but it will be an exciting five-division lineup. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Copeland Wins King Of The West Sprint Car Race
At Petaluma Speedway
Petaluma, CA...June 1...Colby Copeland won the 33 lap NARC/King Of The West Fujitsu Winged Sprint Car Series Main Event Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. Copeland becomes the third different winner in as many races. Copeland had to endure three overtime restart attempts before taking the checkered flag in the thrilling race. He was piloting the Goodguys Rod & Custom entry, which is owned by Antaya Motorsports
Copeland led the race from the drop of the green flag, but Chase Johnson stayed close behind him. They were into slower traffic by lap eight, but Copeland continued to make good moves to keep Johnson behind him. Bud Kaeding was running third when the first yellow flag of the race waived for a Jason Statler spin in Turn 2 on lap 27. Johnson put the pressure on Copeland on the restart. There was a good battle as they entered the final turn, but a red flag waved for an Eli Deshaies rollover on the front straightaway. Under Series rules, this meant that the race would go into overtime.
Again the field took a white flag with Johnson making a move on Copeland, only to see a yellow flag wave for a spun Kaeding in Turn 2. Copeland again led the restart. After taking the white flag, Johnson went just a bit high through Turns 1 and 2, allowing DJ Netto to make a slide job pass. The two cars got together on the back straightaway, resulting in a Johnson spin. The third overtime restart attempt saw Copeland lead the way and pick up the win, followed by Netto, Geoff Ensign, Ryan Bernal, Dominic Scelzi, Kaeding, Statler, Johnson, Willie Croft and Nathan Rolfe.
Croft was the quickest qualifier of the 19 car field with a lap of 14.269 on the 3/8 mile adobe oval. Croft also won his ten lap heat race ahead of Scelzi. Ensign outran Netto to win the second heat, and Johnson picked up the third heat win ahead of Copeland. Copeland earned the pole for the Main Event with his six lap Trophy Dash win ahead of Johnson.
Nick DeCarlo won the 20 lap McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modified Main Event. DeCarlo is a two-time track champion at the speedway and most recently was the champion at Antioch Speedway last season. DeCarlo started in the third row, but after two restart attempts, he took the lead on the opening lap ahead of reigning champion Oreste Gonella. Brian Cass made an inside pass on Gonella for second on lap five and took up pursuit of DeCarlo. However, DeCarlo was just a little too fast for the competition on this occasion as he won the race. Cass settled for second, followed by Gonella, Mitch Machado, Jeff Faulkner, Michael Paul Jr, Trevor Brady, Gary Zwicker, Justin Yeager and Terry Kaiser. Gonella and DeCarlo won the eight lap heat races.
Mark Hanson won his first 20 lap General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Car Main Event. Hanson had the pole and raced into the lead at the start ahead of Chad Mattthias. A red flag waved after three laps when Darren Fridolfs rolled in Turn 3. Marcus Hardina had moved into second behind Hansen on the restart, and another red flag waved when Garrett Brady rolled in Turn 4 on lap eight. Hanson continued to lead Hardina, and the lead two cars ran closely at the front of the pack. After a final yellow flag on 15, Hanson continued to fight off the challenges of Hardina and would score the well-earned victory. Matt Hagermann made a late move into third, followed by Matthias, John Peters, Buddy Olschowka, Michael Curry, Michael Williams, Adam Johnson and Jake Van Tuyl. Eight lap heat race wins went to Hardina, Matthias and Fridolfs. The 12 lap B Main win was earned by Alan Heeney ahead of Olschowka and Johnson.
Jeremy Tjensvold won his third 20 lap Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stock Main Event. It was Tom Brown leading the opening lap before he spun in Turn 4, handing the lead to Tjensvold. As Tjensvold led the pack to the green flag, Brown began his charge back to the front. Danny Manzoni held the second position for just a lap before Brown went racing by on the backstretch on lap three. Tjensvold held a straightaway lead at that point. Tjensvold began to slow just a little bit during the second half of the race, allowing Brown to cut the lead. However, Tjensvold held on to win ahead of Brown, Bill Manzoni, Antonio Miramontez, Danny Manzoni, Roy Deering, Jason Grover and Cody Bolles. The eight lap heat race win went to Brown ahead of Tjensvold.
Racing continues next Saturday night with the PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars back in action along with the Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks, Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks and the BCRA/POWRI Midgets. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Sprint Cars Back In Action At Petaluma Speedway
Petaluma, CA...The PitStopUSA.com Winged 360 Sprint Cars will roar back into action this Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. There's been some great racing on the 3/8 mile adobe oval this year, some of which has been provided by The Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks. Joining these two divisions on Saturday will be The BCRA/POWRi Midgets and the Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks.
John Clark probably doesn't come into the pits with much fanfare, but he's quietly been having his best season yet in Winged 360 Sprint Car competition. Not only has he had some good finishes at Petaluma, but he's also had additional Top 5 success at Marysville and Watsonville this year. After four races, Clark has earned three Top 10 finishes with a pair of Top 5 efforts. This gives him a 34 point advantage over Joel Myers Jr. Myers is only two points ahead of two-time winner Chase Johnson, who thrilled the crowd last week as he battled fiercely with Colby Copeland for the lead in The King of the West Sprint Car race. Unfortunately, his race that night ended on a slide job pass from another driver late in the race. If Johnson competes on Saturday night, he could be the driver to beat.
Another driver with a win to his credit this year is Fremont's Brent Bjork. Bjork races regularly at Silver Dollar Speedway, but he's made a pair of appearances at Petaluma and done well on both occasions. He could be in line for his second feature win. Another driver who is a winner this year is young Angelo Cornet. He picked up his first career victory in Antioch two weeks ago, and he could be a threat on Saturday. Other drivers to watch for include David Lindt II, Shawn Arriaga, Brent Rollag and DJ Freitas.
We are three races into the Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stock season, and the partnership between reigning champion Mitch Machado and Fred Baker of Baker Motorsports has made Machado even faster. Machado has three-straight wins, but he's not riding too far ahead in the standings as he's been chased across the line all three times by two-time division champion Steve Studebaker. Studebaker would like nothing more than to snap the winning streak of Machado, and he would certainly be the best bet to accomplish that goal.
The steady Manny Avila is holding third in the standings in a close battle with two time-champion Matt While and Austin Ohlinger. Only ten points separate the three drivers, and all of them should not be counted out in the battle for victory this week. Other racers to watch for include Paul Hanley, Gary Adams, Shawn McCoy and rookie David Spindell.
The BCRA and the national sanctioning of POWRi have joined forces this year in an effort to jump-start the struggling Midget effort in California. So far, there have been mixed results. However, there were a dozen competitors last Saturday at Placerville Speedway in a race that was won by Shane Golobic over Robert Dalby. It was the second-straight Midget win for Golobic.The BCRA keeps a very active schedule that sees them running on both dirt and pavement, and it seems like it's their goal every year to race at as many different California tracks as possible.
This weekend, the group will be running on Friday at Watsonville and Saturday at Petaluma, and good car counts are anticipated for both races. They keep dirt, pavement and overall points, and the overall leader is Robert Carson, who finished six last week behind the season best fifth place finish of Marvin Mitchell. These two are expected this Saturday night, and other drivers to watch for include Top 5 ranked JR Williams, Shannon McQueen, Cory Elliott, David Pricket and Alex Schutte.
The Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks has continued to be a battle between Jeremy Tjensvold and reigning champion Tom Brown. There hasn't been a repeat champion in this class in over a decade, and Brown is trying to accomplish that goal. Last week, he spun from the lead, handing the lead to his teammate. Tjensvold won for the third time, but Brown managed to charge back to a second-place finish to keep things close at the top. Roy Deering had been in the hunt as well, but motor issues last week have set him back just a little bit. These three drivers are anticipated this week along with Danny Manzoni, Bill Manzoni, Sophie Shelley, Jason Grover and Roberta Broze.
Saturday's show should be a good one as the Winged 360 Sprint Cars always deliver the excitement and there should be a good turnout of Midgets as well. Add in the Super Stocks and Mini Stocks and you can't go wrong. For further information, go to www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Kaeding Captures Third Victory At Ocean Speedway
Watsonville, CA...May 31...Bud Kaeding won the 30 lap Taco Bravo Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. This was the third win of the season for the third-generation competitor aboard his father Brent Kaeding's car. Kaeding took the lead from Justin Sanders on lap 18 and led the remaining laps for the victory.
Sanders had the outside front row for the Main Event and charged into the lead at the start ahead of Mitchell Faccinto and Dominic Scelzi. Scelzi made a move past Faccinto for second as they were working the seventh lap, but a yellow flag negated the pass. Sanders continued to lead Faccinto and Scelzi, but Scelzi surrendered third to Kaeding on lap 14. Kaeding took second from Faccinto on lap 16 just before a yellow flag flew. Sanders led the restart, but Kaeding put the moves on him for the lead on lap 18. Once in front, Kaeding would not let the lead slip away as he scored the victory ahead of Sanders, Scelzi, Faccinto, James Ringo, Jake Andreotti, Kurt Nelson, Brad Furr, Kalib Henry and Jason Chisum.
There were 22 competitors, and Kaeding set the quick lap on the Tom Sagmiller prepared quarter-mile clay oval with a time of 11.757 beating the 11.786 of Henry. There were three eight lap heat races, and Kaeding out ran three-time champion Furr to win the first one. Scelzi won the second heat ahead of Henry, and championship contender Nelson held off Sanders to win the final heat. The six lap Trophy Dash win went to Faccinto ahead of Sanders, putting the duo on the front row for the feature.
Guy Ahlwardt won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Ahlwardt is the current IMCA State point leader and has been traveling all over to get his points. 2017 Antioch champion KC Keller led Randy Miller early, but Ahlwardt worked into second on a lap four restart. A pass for the lead by Ahlwardt was negated by a lap six yellow flag. Keller led just one more lap before Ahlwardt made the lap eight pass for the lead. Keller held the second position until being passed by Bakersfield star Kevin Johnson on lap 14. Ahlwardt held a two second advantage at that point and would carry his advantage to the checkered flag. Keller pitted from third on lap 17 as Michael Johnson finished third ahead of Mounce, TJ Etchison III, Randy Miller, Adriane Frost, Austin Williams, Justin McPherson and Billy Robertson completed the Top 10. Eight lap heat race wins went to Keller, Kevin Johnson and Mounce.
Note: Later in the week, it was revealed both DJ Keldsen and Bobby Huckaby were disqualified in post race tech, shuffling the Hobby Stock feature finish.
Rob Gallaher won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was the third win of the season for the current point leader. Gallaher led the opening lap before being passed by DJ Keldsen. Joe Gallaher passed his son on lap nine to take over second, and the third and final yellow flag of the race fell on lap 13. Keldsen continued to lead the restart with Rob Gallaher moving back into second, but Gallaher took the lead from Keldsen a lap later. The lead battle remained close to the checkered flag, but Rob Gallaher prevailed ahead of Keldsen, Joe Gallaher, Bobby Huckaby Sr, Bobby Huckaby Jr, Allen Neil, Chris McCabe, Nick Triolo, John Farrell, and Wally Kennedy. Eight lap heat races were won by Kennedy and Keldsen.
Mark Biscardi won his third South Bay Dwarf Car 20 lap Main Event. Biscardi took the lead from Eric Weisler on lap two and led the race through three yellow flags during the first 10 laps. Ryan Amlen settled into second on a lap six restart and took up pursuit of Biscardi for the rest of the race. However, Biscardi ran a good race and earned the win, followed by Amlen, Weisler, Barry Waddell, Lonnie Tekaat, Mack Aceves, Eddie Claessen, Mike Ferrell, Keith Costas and Gene "Punky" Pires. Tekaat and Pires won their eight lap heat races.
Dan McCabe won the 20 lap Four Banger Main Event. Rookie John Grilli led the early laps with McCabe in pursuit. McCabe moved past Grilli for the lead on lap 10 with Ryan McClelland following into second. McClelland briefly took the lead on lap 12 but lost it to McCabe a lap later. Grilli was running third in the close battle and retook the lead on lap 14. McCabe still ran closely in second and made his winning move on the final lap for the well earned victory. Grilli settled for second. McClelland retired late as Tony Gullo finished third, followed by Kate Beardsley, Nicole Beardsley, Bill Beardsley, McClelland, Chuck Kessinger, Roy Iler and Dakota Keldsen. Grilli and McClelland won their eight lap heat races
The night started with a special memorial lap in remembrance of Sue Silveira. Sue was the mother of IMCA Sport Modified racer Adriane Frost. Adriane was joined by several other racers for the lap, some of who made special trips just to support the family in their time of mourning..
Racing returns next Friday night with the BCRA and Ocean Midgets headlining the show along with the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, South Bay Dwarf Cars and Police N Pursuit cars. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.
Midgets, Sport Modifieds Highlight Exciting
Ocean Speedway Program
Watsonville, CA...Fans will be treated to a different style of open-wheel racing this Friday night at Ocean Speedway. With the Taco Bravo Sprint Cars getting a week off, the BCRA/POWRi Midgets will be making an appearance on the quarter-mile clay oval. The Ocean Midgets will also be there along with the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, South Bay Dwarf Cars and Police N Pursuit cars.
California's oldest sanctioning body of auto racing is the Bay Cities Racing Association. BCRA has promoted Midgets and other forms of racing going back to the 1930s. To help bolster the organization this year, they joined forces with national Midget sanctioning body POWRi. In last week's race at Placerville, it was Shane Golobic picking up his second straight win, this time ahead of Robert Dalby. With USAC not running any races this weekend, it's possible that Dalby and Shannon McQueen, who are tied for second in the Western Midgets point standings, might come support this BCRA event.
After his sixth place finish behind a season-best fifth for Marvin Mitchell at Placerville, Robert Carson continues to lead the BCRA overall point race. These two drivers are likely to be there this Friday night, and others to watch for include JR Williams, Cory Elliott, David Prickett and Alex Schutte.
The Ocean Midgets effort is two races old, and David Prickett counts himself as the winner of both races. During the offseason, Mike McCluney and Promoter John Prentice got together and created this effort as a way to spark some new interest in Midget racing in California. The racing has been close, and one of the drivers giving Prickett some tough competition is second-ranked Randi Pankratz, who trails by just 13 points. These two drivers are anticipated this week along with Jackson Dukes, Greg Edenholm, Dillon Tucker and Rickey Sanders.
The IMCA Sport Modifieds have seen an increase in support in recent races. Last week, several racers turned out to support a show that was run in memory of Sue Silveira, the mother of championship contender Adriane Frost. IMCA State point leader Guy Ahlwardt picked up the victory in that race ahead of Bakersfield star Kevin Johnson. This duo finds themselves 22 points out of the lead in a point race that's getting much more interesting as the season goes on.
After four events, Austin Williams leads Frost by just two points. Frost is a feature winner as is Jarrod Mounce and Fred Ryland. There are no repeat winners so far this year, giving others hope that the next race could be their turn to visit the winner's circle. Other drivers to watch for this week include Charlie Hunter, Max Baggett, Justin McPherson and TJ Etchison III.
It's been business as usual in the Hobby Stock division as Rob Gallaher leads the point battle in his pursuit of a third championship. He leads his father, Joe Gallaher, by 24 points. Rob now has three feature wins, while JC Elrod has won the other two in the only appearances he's made this season. Joe Gallaher isn't too comfortable in second with past champion Wally Kennedy nine points behind and Bobby Huckaby Sr 25 points back.
DJ Keldsen gave it a valiant effort last week as he battled fiercely with Rob Gallaher for the victory. Unfortunately, Keldsen and Bobby Huckaby Jr were both disqualified in post race tech. Keldsen has dropped to fifth in the standings as a result. He will be out for redemption next time around, and other drivers to watch for this week include Nick Triolo, Quentin Harris and Tony Oliveira.
The South Bay Dwarf Cars are being led by Mark Biscardi after three races. The past champion is determined to reclaim his spot at the top of the podium. Biscardi has led most of the laps this year, and his most recent win came ahead of two of his top rivals, Ryan Amlen and Eric Weisler. Reigning series champion Gene "Punky" Pires suffered some mechanical issues and fell out of the most recent race early. Pires will be out to try to turn things around this week, and other drivers to watch for include Barry Waddell, Lonnie Tekaat, Mack Aceves and Eddie Claessen.
Rounding out the program will be the third appearance of the Police N Pursuit class. The cars are similar to those of the Hobby Stock division, only the drivers represent various different law enforcement branches from the area. After two races, the winners have been John Hohmann of the Scotts Valley Police Department and Cliff Sloma of the Capitola Police Department. Hohmann leads Sloma by 10 points and the San Benito Sheriffs Office's Roy Iler by 13 points. There seems to be quite a few different competitors in this group, and it's a great opportunity for the law enforcement teams to do a bit of community outreach. They are also engaged in various fundraising efforts for the community.
It's an action-packed lineup of racing this Friday night. The Midget racing offers fans an opportunity to see open wheel racing without the wings, and there's plenty of Stock Car style classes on the card as well. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.
Langenderfer Wins A Nice Tune Up For
Thomas Schmitke Memorial At Orland Raceway
Orland, CA...Jeremy Langenderfer brought his Pure Stock back to Orland Raceway Saturday night and bested a strong 16 car field for the 20 lap Main Event win. There were roughly sixty competitors in the pits for the show, and other winners included Ron Ruiz in the California Hardtops, Dan Webster in the Mini Trucks, Colby Grieg in the 600 Micros and Lester Elsey in the 250 Micros.
Langenderfer, who is now in the Wingless Spec Sprint division as well, picked up the win in the Pure Stock portion of the Thomas Schmitke Memorial Race For A Cure event last season. This Saturday night will be the fourth annual running of that special event, which will help raise money for the cause of fighting Cancer.
Schmitke lost his battle with Cancer back in 2010. At the time, he had a baby daughter, and a fundraising effort was started to help take care of her. The overwhelming support from the community led to the family expanding their fundraising efforts to raise money for charities that fight Cancer. When Rich Hood became promoter of Orland Raceway in 2016, the Thomas Schmitke Memorial event was added to the schedule.
Competing divisions this Saturday include the Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks, Mini Trucks, Wingless Spec Sprints and 250 Micros. After a little bit of a sluggish start, the Pure Stocks have bounced back in recent weeks and had 16 cars last Saturday night. This included championship contenders Phil Spencer, Keith Ross and Steve Martin as well as other hard chargers like late May winner Wes Smock, John Camper, Amanda McAbel and reigning champion Paul Stephens. Like Langenderfer, Stevens has also been competing in the Wingless Spec Sprint division this year.
Despite the fact that Tony Richards has won most of the Wingless Spec Sprint races so far this year, the mechanical issues that kept him out of the season opener have him playing catch up with the consistent Denny McNary in the championship race. The lead duo is expected this Saturday night along with RJ Baker, Cort Marchuk, Jerry Douglas, Ryan Owens and Josh Jacobo.
The Mini Stock race is being led by reigning champion Tom Davis, who seems to have hit his stride in recent weeks. Kevin Pendergrass had been keeping up with him, but mechanical issues at the most recent race saw Pendergrass watching the Main Event from the sidelines. Other hard chargers in the field include Jason Libbee, John Kirkpatrick, Scott Camper and Barbara Crain.
Dan Webster's second win of the season makes him the driver to beat going into the Saturday Mini Truck program. However, Kalvin Kvalvik has done well this year and is in the championship hunt. William Fogle, Beau Chandler, James Woodell and Dan Libbee are other drivers making the Mini Trucks an exciting show to watch every week.
The 250 Micro division remains a competitive show, and Lester Elsey's win on Saturday night shows that anybody can win on any given week. Reigning champion Pax Gonzalez will be giving it a run this week, and other drivers to watch for include past champion Jess Garland, Mike McCarthy and Alex Fowler.
The racing program at Orland Raceway this Saturday night should be good, and money will again be raised for a good cause. For further information, go to the Orland Raceway Facebook page.
Myrick, Johnson Win Fair Races At Keller Auto Speedway
Hanford, CA...June 1...Dan Myrick scored the victory in the 25 lap Central Valley Mini Stock Main Event Saturday night at Keller Auto Speedway. The racing program was held in conjunction with the annual Kings County Fair, and this was the first win of the season for Myrick, who is the current CVMS point leader. Jason Cook won the first race at Hanford earlier this year, and he sprinted into the early Main Event lead from his front row starting position with Myrick settling into second. Gene Glover gained third on lap three. and an inside pass on the front stretch of the tenth lap gained Myrick the lead from Cook. When a yellow flag again waved on lap 18, Cook made a pit stop during the caution period. Myrick led the restart over Glover and Ryan Doglione and the Top 3 finished in that order. Ryan Blank made a nice charge from 13th starting to finish fourth, and 19th starter Darren Wilson placed fifth. Matthew Herod, Brent Myrick, Clinton Massey, Jeff Durant and reigning series champion Greg Baronian completed the Top 10.
Myrick set the quickest time of 23 cars in qualifying. They ran three eight lap heat races, and Doglione won the first one ahead of Blank. Randy Brown Jr held off his father to win the second heat, and Cook picked up the third heat race victory ahead of Herod.
Chad Johnson maintained his point lead with an impressive win in the IMCA Stock Car Main Event. Johnson started back in the fifth row and rapidly worked his way to the front of the pack. Once he got the lead, Johnson held off Larry Thompson for the well-earned victory. Title contender Cody Johnson finished third ahead of past champion Troy Patee, Renn Bane, Gary Rayburn Jr, Preston Martin, reigning champion Brock Hamilton, Chris Broucaret and Rod Bane. Chad Johnson outran Hamilton to win the first of two eight lap heat races. Cody Johnson picked up the second heat race win ahead of Broucaret.
The IMCA Western RaceSaver 305 Sprint Cars brought 21 cars to the track. It was reigning champion Grant Duinkerken making the quickest lap with a time of 15.106. Brooklyn Holland was second quick at 15.235. The first of three 10 lap heat race wins went to Duinkerken ahead of Cole Danell. Blake Robertson made an appearance and won the second heat race ahead of Holland, and Kyle Rasmussen outran Phil Heynen to win the third heat. Heynen and Robertson were set to start on the front row of the Main Event, but lighting issues ended up forcing a halt to the program.
The RaceSaver Sprints are back on June 15th along with the exciting King Of Thunder Winged 360 Sprints, Central Valley Mini Stocks and IMCA Stock Cars. For further information, go to www.racekingsspeedway.com or www.centralvalleyministocks.com.
Kern Raceway Unofficial Race Results June 1, 2019
NASCAR Late Models
Feature #1
LUCAS MCNEIL
DYLAN GARNER
DEREK THORN
JACE JONES
DEAN THOMPSON
BLAINE PERKINS
TANNER WATTENBERGER
PAUL EBERSBACHER
GREG PUSKARICH
Feature #2
BLAINE PERKINS
DEREK THORN
JACE JONES
DYLAN GARNER
LUCAS MCNEIL
DEAN THOMPSON
PAUL EBERSBACHER
TANNER WATTENBERGER
CHRIS DALTON
Super Stocks
GREG PUSKARICH
KENNY HARRISON
PAUL EBERSBACHER
RON CROSS
KYLE FIFE
Cayden McCaslin
GENE FIFE
CHRIS DALTON
Modifieds
ERIC BRUST
ED COFFEY
BRADY MELO
JOHN COMPTON
BROCK MELO
LLOYD WREN
RYLEY MILLARD
JIM COFFEY
KEN HOOBERY
Super Moto Main #3 Unlimited, Vet 45, (9 Min)
BRONSON PEARCE
JOHN LYLES
CHARLES MATTOS
Mike Stivala
Jeffrey Greene
ERNIE LYLES
CLIFF SULLIVAN
KENNETH HUGGINS
NICK HENRY
GLENN FULLER
NICK CHACON PEARCE
JACK PEACOCK
THOMAS SULLIVAN
Super Moto Main #1VET 30/Sport(8 Min)
ANTHONY MARTINEZ
Jeffrey Greene
CHARLES MATTOS
KENNETH HUGGINS
STEVE KERCHNER
GLENN FULLER
JAKE JACKSON
Super Moto Sportsman/vet 30 #1(6 Min)
ANTHONY MARTINEZ
Jeffrey Greene
CHARLES MATTOS
STEVE KERCHNER
KENNETH HUGGINS
Hot Stocks
LLOYD WREN
RICK CHILDRESS
DON MEAD
MARC MCCASLIN
RICK FIFE
SKIP SPILLER
Legends
COLTON PAGE
EDDIE GARONE
JOSH AYERS
CHAD ACTIS
DAVID WILLEY
Bakersfield Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 1, 2019
IMCA Modifieds
Brad Pounds
Logan Drake
Robby Sawyer
Chris Crompe
Steve Noland
Jerry Flippo
Ethan Dotson
Bryan Clark
Ryan Daves
Trevor Fitz
Justin Schweitzer
Dylan Thorton
Jake Pike
Bakersfield Hardtops
Jason Denman
Rich Souza
Brandon Stanphill
Jesse Dobbins
Tyler Weeks
Jason Stanphill
Tom Sommerfeld
American Stocks
Clay Waters
Brock Crawford
James Coots
Tara Childress
Steven Amick
Matt Crawford
Colby Ward
Troy Thomas Jr
Traci Childress
Josh Yadon
Jr Daves
Robert Guess
Jr Garcia
Stephen Johnson
Daryl Mealer
Tyler Sylvester DNS
Sr. Mini Dwarf
Deegan Bledsaw
Carson Conway
Adam Nohl
Jett Yantis
Eric Vences
Seth Hanson
Michael Lookadoo
Ainsley Walker
Jr. Mini Dwarf
Bryson Martin
Wyatt Webb
Khloe Cotton
Emma McKellar
Kenna McKellar
Kash Lawless
Nathan Nohl
Travis Varney
Paislee Hughes DNS
Ventura Raceway Unofficial Race Results June 1, 2019
USAC/VRA Sprint Car Battle At The Beach
Battle at the Beach Feature Event
Results are not official
1 #11 Troy Rutherford
2 #33B Brandon Wiley
3 #99T Tanner Boul
4 #96 Charlie Butcher
5 #88 Koen Shaw
6 #15 Rick Hendrix
7 #50 Will Perkins
8 #13 Bruce Douglas
9 #51 Austin Ervine
10 #81X Cody Majors
11 #57 Steve Hix
12 #45 Joey Bishop
13 #29T Ryan Timmons
14 #81 Ricky Lewis
15 #87 Ricky Kirkbride
16 #87K Gage Rucker
17 #92 Austin Williams
18 #72 Ryan Stolz
19 #15T Tristan Guardino
20 #0 Hanney Mayhew
21 #81M Slater Helt
California Lightning Sprints
Main Event
Results are not official
1 #1 Jarrett Kramer
2 #45 Cody Nigh
3 #21x Bobby Michnowicz
4 #44 Brent Sexton
5 #41b A. J. Bender
6 #18 Dalton Sexton
7 #37 Domonic Delmonte
8 #8g Eric Greco
9 #42 Jon Robertson
10 #4 Jeff Dyer
11 #22s Gage Cheek
12 #2r Robb Pelmear
13 #66 James Heling
14 #02 Jason Arnolde
15 #7f Frank Ditmar
16 #3 Grant Sexton
17 #7 Doug Nunes
18 #74 Shane Sexton
19 #2j James Turnbull
20 #42d Kyle Dodd
B Main
Results are not official
1 #37 Domonic Delmonte
2 #22s Gage Cheek
3 #42 Jon Robertson
4 #02 Jason Arnolde
5 #8g Eric Greco
6 #66 James Heling
7 #74 Shane Sexton
8 #7f Frank Ditmar
9 #73X Aiden Lange
10 #56d Bill Dodd
11 #8s Greg Sandling
VRA Hobby Stocks
Results are not official
1 #15C Chris Whitford
2 #87 Matt McEwan
3 #11 Ricky Lewis
4 #51 Mike Keebler
5 #81X Jake Jones
6 #16 Tom Stephens Jr
7 #17 Ryan Changus
8 #33 Tom Stephens Sr
9 #18 Bill Changus
VRA Dwarf Cars
Results are not official
1 #88 Jeff Brink
2 #18 Tom Morley
3 #41 Nick Velasquez
4 #57 Jeff Hinz
5 #69 Johnny Conley
6 #6 Tim Conley
7 #0 Brad Curnel
8 #48 Trent Morley
9 #14 Tommy Velasquez III
10 #93 Jason Horton
11 #11 Zach Curnel
12 #4 Tommy Velasquez
13 #28 Tony Pellegrino
14 #2 Tony Margott
VRA Senior Sprints
Results are not official
1 #66 Chris Meredith
2 #13 Bruce Douglass
3 #2 Wally Pankratz
4 #45 Joey Bishop
5 #6 Brian Drollinger
6 #7k Mike English
7 #5K Paul Mircik
8 #0
Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results May 31, 2019
Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
Bud Kaeding
Justin Sanders
Dominic Scelzi
Mitchell Faccinto
James Ringo
Jake Andreotti
Kurt Nelson
Brad Furr
Kalib Henry
Jason Chisum
Koen Shaw
John Clark
Keith Day Jr
Jeremy Chisum
Ryon Nelson
Joey Ancona
Vaughn Schott
Richard Fajardo
Cole Macedo
Nick Ringo Jr
Jerry Bonnema
Jayson Bright DNS
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Guy Ahlwardt
Michael Johnson
Jarrod Mounce
T.J. Etchinson III
Randy Miller
Adriane Frost
Austin Williams
Justin McPherson
Billy Robertson
Aaron Farrell
Charlie Hunter
Doff Cooksey
KC Keller
Matthew Hagio
Alex Bieser
Max Baggett
Vince Giannotta
Hobby Stocks
Rob Gallaher
DJ Keldsen DQ
Joe Gallaher
Bobby Huckaby Sr
Bobby Huckaby Jr DQ
Allen Neal
Chris McCabe
Nick Triolo
John Farrell
Wally Kennedy
Ryan Muller
Quintin Harris
Tony Oliveira DNS
Four Bangers
Dan McCabe
John Grilli
Tony Gullo
Kate Beardsley
Nicole Beardsley
Bill Beardsley
Ryan McClelland
Chuck Kessinger
Roy Iler
Dakota Keldsen
South Bay Dwarf Cars
Mark Biscardi
Ryan Amlen
Eric Weisler
Barry Waddell
Lonnie Tekaat
Mack Aceves
Eddy Claessen
Mike Farrell
Keith Costas
Gene Punky Pires
Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 1, 2019
NARC/King Of The West Fujitsu Winged 410 Sprint Cars
Colby Copeland
D.J. Netto
Geoff Ensign
Ryan Bernal
Dominic Scelzi
Bud Kaeding
Jason Statler
Chase Johnson
Willie Croft
Nathan Rolfe
Kyle Offill
Kenny Allen
Tim Estenson
Stephen Ingraham
Eli Deshaies
Richard Brace Jr
Sean Watts
Matt Demartini
Jenna Frazier DNS
McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modifieds
Nick DeCarlo
Brian Cass
Oreste Gonella
Mitch Machado
Jeff Faulkner
Michael Paul Jr
Trevor Brady
Gary Zwicker
Justin Yaeger
Terry Kaiser
Tim Yaeger
Michelle Paul
Tim Balding DNS
General Hydroponics Redwood Dwarf Cars
Main Event
Mark Hanson
Marcus Hardina
Matt Hagemann
Chad Matthias
John Peters
Buddy Olschowka
Michael Curry
Michael Williams
Adam Johnson
Tom VanTuyl
Mike Dahle
Brandon Gentry
Shawn McCoy
Sam Borland
Kevin Miraglio
Garrett Brady
Zack Albers
Darren Fridolfs
John Gomes
Alan Heeney
Michael Affonso
Danny Marsh DNS
B Main
Alan Heeney
Buddy Olschowka
Adam Johnson
Tom VanTuyl
Danny Marsh
Shawn McCoy
Mike Dahle
Kylee Johnson
Shiloh Borland
Adam Freitas DNS
Savannah Brown DNS
Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stock
Jeremy Tjensvold
Tom Brown
Bill Manzoni
Antonio Miramontez
Danny Manzoni
Roy Dearing
Jason Grover
Cody Bolles DNS
Keller Auto Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 1, 2019
IMCA RaceSaver 305 Sprint Cars
Not Run
Central Valley Mini Stocks
Dan Myrick
Gene Glover
Ryan Doglione
Ryan Blank
Darren Wilson
Matthew Herod
Brent Myrick
Clinton Massey
Jeff Durant
Greg Baronian
Andy Boydstun
Edward Marvin
Jason Cook
Steven Porter
Randy Brown Jr
Shawn Schwartzenberger
Danny Myrick
Chris Rutledge
Scott Glenn
Ronald Curtner
Russell Brown
Randy Brown
IMCA Stock Cars
Chad Johnson
Larry Thompson
Cody Johnson
Troy Patee
Renn Bane
Gary Rayburn Jr
Preston Martin
Brock Hamilton
Kris Broucaret
Rod Bane
Dave Bauer
Dave Lincoln
Tanner Lorenzo
Eric Hamilton
The Editor's Viewpoint
I have to say one of the most satisfying feelings in working behind the scenes in Medford is watching as the numbers go up. We had the Seventh Annual Roger Haudenshild race last Saturday night, and we had over 100 cars in the pits and one of the best attended races we've had so far. Drivers came from as far down south as the San Francisco Bay area to come race and take a shot at the money. By all accounts, this was a big success.
When Mike McCann came up here to promote this track, there were things that needed to be done to get the program back up and running to a satisfactory level. The facilities are really gorgeous. Some of the nicest surroundings you'll find at any of the Oregon tracks for sure, and I'd rate it high among the California tracks as well. But, the program had fallen on hard times. Among the many ideas that have been used to turn this program around is highlighting the special races.
Mike knew that this race for Roger was special to the people in Southern Oregon. In his early interactions with the Haudenshild family, he suggested changing the name from memorial to tribute. Mike felt that this was about paying tribute to the man who meant so much to so many people. Furthermore, there was an intent to give some stability to this race and really showcase it. It had floated around on the schedule in the previous three seasons, so this was about establishing it. He wanted to make this bigger for Roger.
I'm absolutely amazed to look at the numbers as they have improved for this race. I've learned a lot by watching this race grow. When we first got here, it was the third race of the season, if I'm recalling correctly. The attendance was strong and the car count was good, and as a crew we completely blew it. I mean, we let this night get away from us and left the crowd unhappy because of all the downtime. So, that prompted me to get more active when it came to running the lineups to the pit board and helping keep the downtime to a minimum
I run lineups at Southern Oregon Speedway during intermission, and I've also been doing the draw redraw that we had for the opener and this last race. That's all well and good, but usually I've had somebody at the board who made sure I had the spots to put the lineups. There were four or five open spots, but not in sequence. I got the lineups correct, but the way I put them on the board left some confusion among the racers. Knowing that I had screwed this up and not wanting to have to rewrite everything on the board, I coordinated with Matt, who calls the drivers to the next races. I made sure he knew what divisions to send out and when.
The next thing I did was sacrificed watching the Crack The Whip races in order to stand at the board and make sure any racers who had questions got answers. That was probably 20 to 30 minutes. I didn't want to be the reason the show slowed down, and I've learned to think on the fly and just do what needs to be done. Maybe this wasn't done perfectly, but it was still executed well in the end. Everybody seemed to know where they needed to be and seemed okay with the lineups, so I headed back up to the booth to watch our IMCA Sport Modified B Main and the five feature races.
One of the things I've learned is keeping an even temperament when dealing with people who are a little unhappy. Now, when I'm sitting here at my desk working on my media effort stuff, I'm calling myself also sorts of colorful names as I get mad at myself for mistakes. I'm not exactly the happiest person in the world these days anyways, but it's okay if I abuse myself. When I'm representing the track, however, keeping cool is a must. There are instances that I needed to step in and help. I understand that to the racer who has the concern, that's the most important issue for them. So, handling things properly is important. We want to keep them coming back.
I joked with Mike on the way back from the track how I used to be a reporter once upon a time. I do miss the times when I could really hang out in the pits and interview racers. I don't have as much time before the races to do that as I'm doing other things. It's basically just the little things to get the show ready to go. Then, I don't even get a chance to chit chat with racers in the pits afterwords as I'm in the infield making sure people get their trophies, taking pictures and then heading back up to the booth to finish sending stories. But, I've learned that there are things more important to do in helping keep the show going than just being a reporter. It's one of the reasons why I haven't pushed to be the announcer, which I'll be honest with you, I would really like to do. I thought I was going to be an announcer this year, but that's a side story for another time.
I'm very proud of the Southern Oregon racing community, and I realize something. It's personal to me. It's personal in that I've played a role in helping Mike build this program back up to better levels than seen in years. Yes, we have a long ways to go to reach those glory days, but I guarantee you people who have been watching for the past 5 or 10 years see the difference. I'm proud of the role that I played in helping make this happen as I believe that maybe I've made some difference. I do this in the midst of maintaining a very busy media effort that is voluntary and not financially supported by anybody.
Saturday was a success on so many different levels. There are some things that we need to do better and we've learned from our mistakes. However, just because we had a success this week does not mean that next week is guaranteed. If you don't get busy and get to work, you learn very soon that you weren't as far along as you thought you were. That lesson was taught to me during our first year. I will never forget June 4th, 2016. This was the week after our first running of Roger's race, and we had less than 30 cars and a very low attendance. No, we weren't anywhere near where we wanted to be when it comes to how much better we wanted to make the place. I learned you get to work each week, learn the lessons and try to do better next time.
The closest neighbor to this track down south is Siskiyou Golden Speedway, where Kevin Barba has taken on the role of promoter. He has succeeded a long time span in which the racers association promoted that track. Kevin is learning quite a bit on the job, and I would almost guarantee you he's surprised at some of the things he didn't realize at first. It's a crash course.
Is there a manual that teaches you how to promote a race track? Even when you go up to Reno or one of those Promoters Workshops around the country, just because certain things work at other places doesn't mean they'll work for you. There are basic promotional things that you do, which Mike calls Promoting 101, that are somewhat universal.
Kevin has definitely gone through enough down there to write a book about his experiences, but he still approaches each show with enthusiasm and a desire to do good things for that race track. He mistakenly rescheduled the Bo Hittson Memorial IMCA Sport Modified race for Saturday opposite the Roger Haudenshild Tribute race. Within minutes, it was pointed out that Kevin had done this, and he was quick to make a correction. I know Kevin is trying to get cars and doing whatever he can to succeed in that endeavor.
The choice you make in this particular case is either you run on Sunday afternoon or Friday night. The problem with Sunday afternoon, given the Yreka track's penchant for going dry and dusty, is that you get those kinds of conditions. Sunday was his choice, though personally I think Friday would have been a better option. The reason being is that you still have a night race, it's the day before the race in Medford and the conditions should be a little bit better. I understand people are getting off of work on Friday night and that makes things problematic, but people go to work on Monday morning too. Running a Sunday afternoon race can be a problem in that case as well. Then again, you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.
They pulled in 18 IMCA Sport Modifieds, which is the good news. The bad news is there are still several local drivers in this class that are not supporting the show, which this track desperately needs if they're going to begin to turn things around. I don't know what the story is down there as I'm not on the scene, but I certainly hope they can get the local racers back. It looked like things were going well in 2017, but those numbers fell off in 2018 and haven't returned since.
The worse news is the Mini Stocks delivered a six-car field, while the new Jefferson State Jalopy class had four cars. In the case of the latter division, they did okay. That's what they have, and you have to start somewhere. In the case of the Mini Stocks, you want to see more cars show up. So, that number is a bit disappointing. It still highlights my opinion that they need to get to work immediately on getting other divisions in their lineup that are Yreka divisions. Otherwise, you'll have a difficult time if the Mini Stock car count stays low and your Sport Modifieds don't grow. The Outlaw Pro Stock Association will be there more this year. This week should be a pretty good show for them as the Medford track has a Monster Truck event. This means there could be Medford driver support, though I won't speculate on who might come. You never know what drivers might want to tow South to race.
Kevin also has the John Arnberg Memorial race to make up, which went down when the rains wiped out Memorial Day weekend racing. The Sport Modified Bo Hittson race was added last week, but he's still looking at possible dates for the big IMCA Modified race. This Saturday could have been a possibility, though I personally would have recommended against it. The reason being, you need to have enough time to get the word out and get drivers to come support. They added the Jalopy division instead. What Kevin may decide I won't speculate on, but I do hope for the best.
There was so much excitement when the Street Stocks were coming down from Oregon, and there are people begging for that style of racing in Yreka. Oregon still has a classic Street Stock division, while California's version is pretty much what we call Hobby Stocks these days. It isn't likely that Southern Oregon Speedway is going to jump in and do something with this class as they have a full lineup of divisions to rotate as it is. This is a golden opportunity for Yreka to take a look at it, see what cars might be left in the area and maybe try something.
I will say this, Kevin entered a situation where morale was at an all-time low. car count was down and over the last few years, nothing's been seriously looked at as a way to revive this program. Kevin doesn't bring experience with him as a track promoter, so he's learning on the job. When Mike McCann came into Medford, he brought with him over 30 years of experience as a promoter. In other words, he's been there, done that and could write a book on the subject if that was something he wanted to do. I wish Kevin all the luck in the world. The most important thing is that the gates continue to stay open at that race track, and each race is an opportunity to establish momentum.
I can tell you that it's really cool to see a track that was on its last legs start the bounce back. What's going on at Orland Raceway, in my humble opinion, is a good thing. Rich Hood has brought much-needed stability back to that facility, and things continue to get better in the fourth year of his run. I do wish information would come out in a more timely manner when it comes to race results. That is a bit frustrating, but I do what I can to get information and put something out to the media outlets. More people are coming to Orland, and I want that to continue.
This last weekend, Orland saw a return of the popular California Hardtops and a visit from the NorCal Dwarf Cars among their six division lineup. The Hardtops drivers love going to this place as they get treated well, it's a nice little racing surface and they all have fun. About the only detriment I've heard from the drivers is that it gets too hot. Because we're dealing with older racers in that field and older equipment, each year it seems like at least one race gets canceled by the group due to excessive heat, regardless of whether the race track will be canceling or not. Therefore, more of an effort was being made to schedule Orland at times when heat wasn't likely to get them. It worked out and the guys put on a good show for the fans on Saturday.
The NorCal Dwarf Car Association should have been supporting Orland all along, in my opinion. What I've heard is that promoters prior to Rich Hood wanted Dwarf Cars, but a bad experience several years back soured certain NorCal leaders on going to Orland. I could get into more of what I've heard, but I will refrain from that. I personally feel like the track is perfect for the Dwarf Cars, and Saturday night a modest group of them came to town to put on a show for the fans.
To me, however, it's a bit frustrating that the leadership voted to make this a non-point affair. I understand that the Dwarf Car groups, according to Western States Dwarf Car rules, have two throw away nights. In other words, a driver that has a bad night or simply can't make a race can get rid of the bad results and keep their point effort going strong. Therefore, there was no reason why this race had to be non points. I heard it had something to do with the late scheduling, but I am disappointed that this happened. It should have had the full force of points behind it to encourage every driver who could make it to show up.
I've always regarded the NorCal Dwarf Car Association as perhaps the best group of racers that Dwarf Cars racing has to offer on the West Coast, and I know they can be a big hit at this race track. I'm very happy that despite the fact that there were no points, many of the best drivers in the group still came to Orland and had a good time. They found that they were welcomed with open arms by speedway leaders and talk about them coming back more next year has begun. Rich Hood has been adding nice new touches to his program each year, but doing it within reason and budget. I think the Dwarf Cars fit nicely into that plan, so I hope to hear good news by the time the 2020 schedule is released.
I know the Sprint Car Civil War Series is in dire need of help. This is the 29th year for this series, and the way things have been looking, a 30th season is doubtful. After five cars showed up for the Sherm Toller Memorial race in Marysville to start the season, the second race at Marysville was rained out. That was the annual Mel Hall Memorial race, which will reportedly be rescheduled. Hopefully, the Civil War will still be a part of that program. Other than that, Promoter John Prentice had to take two dates at Watsonville and managed to get the fifth date at Antioch. That race happened on Saturday night.
When you watch the way the program was run, it really wasn't run much differently than an All Star Series Winged 360 Sprint Car show. The heat race winners in this case lined up in the first two rows of the 17 car field. There were no time trials or Trophy Dash in this event, though the Sprint Cars were given 30 laps for the feature. It was good enough to put another Civil War race into the record books and at least continue to move things along for now.
Having Antioch Speedway as a potential race date next year would be a big thing for the series. The only question is whether it will continue in 2020 or not. With John Soares and John Prentice having a somewhat tenuous relationship, it's anybody's guess whether that continues in the long run. There are a few questions surrounding Antioch Speedway that could change the entire discussion on this topic too, which we won't get into in this particular column.
With Antioch Speedway giving them two dates in 2020, hypothetically, you're really only looking to fill an 8 or 10 race schedule. Because of the Sprint Car Challenge Tour, it would be foolish to go head-to-head with them unless the two divisions want to run a race together. Though the Sprint Car Challenge Tour car count has leveled off, we're still talking about 35 to 40 cars, a big point fund and purse. Booked properly, the Civil War Series can probably get into the twenties relatively quickly. You know that if Prentice keeps it going, there are two dates at Watsonville.
The last promoter standing with Prentice has been Dennis Gage at Chico and Marysville. Unfortunately, Gage didn't offer any dates at Chico, but Marysville came through for two dates. On the off-chance that Chico could be returned to the fold, you're looking at a potential eight-race schedule if Antioch sticks with the group. So, to say that you couldn't schedule dates to keep this going in 2020 is not true. There are also other potential dates that could be secured at other venues, which might include Calistoga. I believe that track was to be included this year, but certain questions about the future of that track left the Civil War Series off of their limited schedule.
I still see this as a difficult road to travel. Some will say that the writing is on the wall and the Civil War Series is done. They will further point out that John Prentice is only going through the motions at this stage and that maybe he is being alienated by certain promoters. To find John Soares willing to do business with him at this stage in the game is fascinating on a few levels. What could happen between these two remains to be seen. There are probably going to be a few questions that are going to be answered in the weeks ahead and into this offseason. All we can really say is stay tuned.
If you're going to Petaluma Speedway these days, you're seeing an amazing program. Rick Faeth may be the top promoter right now in Northern California, and some would put him into the competition as the top promoter in California. This doesn't happen by accident. Rick is a hustler and has worked very hard to build this program in sometimes uncertain circumstances. Last year, he inked a deal with the fairgrounds to keep the track going through 2022, allowing him to really focus on promoting the race track. What might happen beyond that date is anybody's guess, but I would hate to see Rick not running a race track if that's what he desires to do. He clearly knows what he's doing and can get the job done.
Not only is Petaluma a well sponsored race track and a well booked track with some big scheduled events sprinkled throughout the year, there are lots of people showing up to watch and race. Rick serves as somewhat of a host as he will do the on track interviews with the racers after their respective Main Events. The best I can compare him to in this regard is former Chowchilla Speedway Promoter Tom Sagmiller, who would do the same sort of thing there.
When it comes to announcing, Petaluma has a really good guy up in the booth named Ron Lindgren. In fact, John Prentice has called on Ron to announce out at Watsonville as well. Ron is a very knowledgeable person who has been involved in racing at Petaluma as a fan for many years. He brings not only his knowledge but a nice sense of humor and comes across as a great guy when calling these races. I'm one that believes that having a good announcer is key to the success of a race track. When you can engage the fans and keep them interested, they're more likely to come back each week.
The NARC/King Of The West Fujitsu Sprint Car Series still has lots of life left in it. It's kind of interesting, because a few years ago people were speculating about what the King Of The West Series could do to survive. With a change of ownership and the return of the NARC name brand, not to mention the return of Jim Allen, at least ways the ship has been steadied. They headlined Petaluma last week, and that certainly packed the house. The fans saw quite an exciting race from start to finish.
Two divisions have been coming up big with car counts at Petaluma this year, the Wingless Spec Sprints and the Redwood Dwarf Cars. Much like the previous race, the Dwarf Cars had enough cars for another B Main. They are going to have the Dwarf Car Nationals event coming up on the 14th and 15th, ensuring that the Petaluma pits will be flooded with Dwarf Car racers. I'm happy to see these numbers, especially in the Spec Sprint division that I had a hand in starting with Don O'Keefe Jr back in 1999. Petaluma has done an excellent job of promoting this class and offering drivers incentive to want to come race, and that's key to the success of this class.
I think where there might be a bit of frustration is in the IMCA Modified ranks. I've heard the undercurrent of frustration from racers who feel like the track doesn't care about them. In watching the show on Saturday, I find it curious that the division was run after the Sprint Cars, meaning more than half of the crowd left. As the Main Event program for the night, I'm surprised the Sprint Cars weren't the ones who closed the show. The Modifieds were not booked very heavily as they don't even have 10 races scheduled. Then again, Petaluma doesn't book any of their divisions heavily.
One of the things that Rick has done is booked the special events as a way to give his local drivers weeks off. Therefore, when you see a Sprint Car Challenge Tour race or even the Dwarf Car Nationals, you don't see all of the other classes that the track offers competing. In this way, it helps keep the numbers up. Rick also doesn't try to run every week, and there are some Saturday nights when there is no racing at all. Given the economic times we live in, I think it's smart booking on his part.
Getting back to the IMCA Modifieds, I do understand the frustration of the racers. We talk about the Modified craze on the West Coast, but it was Petaluma Speedway and then promoter John P Soares who brought this class back here for the first time in 1987. This is where the movement was sparked in California. However, in recent years, there have been moments when they've struggled to even get 10 cars. So, a lightly booked schedule is useful in helping get those car count numbers back up. The higher those numbers get, I think you can see a couple more dates added in the future. In the post race interview, Rick did point out the October 19th event that will pay the IMCA Modifieds $1,000 to win. There's also the Top Dog Nationals that pays a bigger purse that's coming up on August 10th.
Petaluma Speedway remains the lone holdout track not running an IMCA Sport Modified division. When the late Jim Soares was at the helm, there had been a movement to push him towards adding this division. However, it seems that the policy that Rick is taking is putting the emphasis squarely on the IMCA Modified division and not dividing car count by adding a Sport Modified class. While some may see this as a missed opportunity to get a big car count, I don't entirely disagree with Rick. At some point, however, he may relent and add the other class. For now at least, they are fine with the divisions that they have.
Bottom line is you can see the numbers are up at Petaluma Speedway this year. It's been a good season, and I think there are some really good events left to come. When talking about the good things happening at that track, you have to look at its leadership and give some praise to Rick Faeth.
I think I've covered enough for this week and the column has run on long enough. On that note, I'll end it. Until next time...
