Post by SNR on 03/04/15 at 10:40am
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2015
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Antioch champions honored; weekly season begins Saturday March 7th
Oval Motorsports
ANTIOCH, Calif. (March 4) - Antioch Speedway’s s annual awards banquet last week honored 2014’s champions and top drivers in ten divisions. The speedway begins its weekly summer schedule this Saturday night (March 7) with Winged 360 Sprint Cars headlining the four-division program.
“I’m ready for the new season. We built a new car from the ground up over the winter,” Winged 360 Sprint Car champion Chris Magoon of Oakley said at the banquet. “Our goal is to win the championship again. We’re going for it.”
The Limited Late Model stock car division will also be featured this Saturday night. The division’s 2014 champion, Larry Damitz of Vallejo, has been racing at the track since 1953. He won the New Year’s Day special event at the speedway.
“I’ve got my cars ready,” Damitz warned rival Mike Hynes of Suisun at the banquet.
“I may have a chance to win one when you retire – if you ever do,” answered Hynes. “Seriously, it is an honor to race with a legend.”
The 2014 championship in the Hobby Stock division is the second straight for Kimo Oreta of Vacaville. Oreta wants to make it a hat trick.
“I’m going to defend my championships,” Oreta said. “I’m sticking with the Hobby Stock division and I’m going to bring my car to every race and run as fast as I can.”
Billy Macedo of Concord repeated as Wingless Sprint Car champ. On Saturday, the Wingless Sprint Cars debut as the “Econo 360” Wingless Sprint cars. The new name coincides with rules limiting the expense of the fast open-wheeled racers.
It was six years ago when Carl Berendsen’s buddies talked him into racing. Now, he is the champion of the International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) modified stock cars.
“Winning the IMCA championship is truly special,” the Antioch roofing contractor said. “It brings with it national recognition from the IMCA.”
The IMCA Modifieds race at the speedway on March 14, as does the Dwarf Car Division.
“Driving a dwarf car is fast and fun,” said second time champion Danny Wagner of Bay Point. Wagner used to race in the pick-up truck division. “Now that I drive a dwarf car I don’t want to go to any other division.”
Antioch Speedway has discontinued the “Four Banger” division. The front wheel drive division has fallen from popularity as beginning racers opt for purpose built racecars. Brent Curran, 20, of Antioch will go down in the records as the last champion. Curran is moving up to the Hobby Stock division.
“It is a good feeling to move up. I need to learn to drive other types of cars,” Curran said. “I am broadening my resume – if it has a racing seat and roll bars, count me in as a driver.”
Curran was first in a field of 57 rookies at a go-kart race in Fontana this season. He’ll be driving in races at paved tracks and making every hobby stock race at Antioch Speedway. His dad, Flying Brian Curran was the Antioch Speedway modified champion in 2001.
“Racing is in my blood,” Curran added. “I even work at an indoor go-kart track.”
The Saturday (March 7) program at Antioch Speedway begins at 6:30 p.m. Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Wingless Sprint Cars, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks will be racing on the high-banked 3/8-mile clay oval. Antioch Speedway is located in the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds, 1201 W. Tenth St. in Antioch.