Saturday Night Racer http://www.latemodelracer.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl Saturday Night Racer >> SATURDAY NIGHT RACER >> Antioch Speedway News http://www.latemodelracer.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1522441429 Message started by C.W. on 03/30/18 at 1:23pm

Title: Antioch Speedway News Post by C.W. on 03/30/18 at 1:23pm Late Models, Sprint Cars Headline Antioch Speedway Opener Antioch, CA...The bad news is last week's scheduled season opener was canceled due to the rain storms that left parts of the pits and the race track under puddles of water. The good news is that Antioch Speedway kicks off their 58th season of racing this Saturday night with an exciting five division program on John Soares' 3/8 mile clay oval. The Speedway is bringing out the big guns this weekend with the DIRTcar Late Models and Winged 360 Sprint Cars. Also on the program will be the A Modifieds, B Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. It will also be the second round of the nine round B Modified Sharpshooter Tournament. The Sharpshooter Tournament takes the top finishers of the heat races and runs them in a special dash in which they accumulate points to crown a tournament champion. If you want to watch full Late Models anywhere in Northern California, Antioch Speedway is the place to be. The two names who have been at the head of the pack for the past four seasons are two time reigning champion Jeff Decker and two time champion Richard Papenhausen. These two superstars seem to carve up most of the Main Event victories amongst themselves. They both have won numerous championships throughout their careers. They come for the love of Late Model racing and put on a great show for the fans. David Newquist is coming off of his best season yet in second after a very close battle with Late Model veteran Shawn DeForest last season. Other drivers hoping to write their names on to the winner's list include Dennis Souza, Mike Hynes, last season's top rookie Kimo Oreta, Chester Kiss and Rob Norris. Likewise, the popular Winged 360 Sprint Car division is in their fifth consecutive season of championship racing at the speedway, and Art McCarthy is the reigning two time champion. McCarthy has competed at many different venues throughout his career, including the old San Jose Speedway and Petaluma Speedway, where he won two Sprint Car championships. Hoping to make things difficult on him this year will be second generation racer Burt Foland Jr., Marissa Polizzi and last year's top rookie Jacob Tuttle. All eyes will be on Scott Busby when the 29th consecutive season of A Modified racing begins this Saturday. Currently, Busby is tied atop the track's all time win list with the legendary J.D. Willis. Both drivers have racked up 72 career feature wins at Antioch Speedway alone. Busby is poised to take sole possession of the record, and he is only two wins ahead of Bobby Hogge IV. Also on the talent filled roster anticipated for this Saturday night is reigning champion Bobby Motts Jr., Mike Salazar, Sean O'Gara, Eric Berendsen and the father and son team of Chester Kniss and young gun Buddy Kniss. Last season, the biggest car counts at the speedway were provided on most race nights by the Hobby Stocks. That trend is expected to continue this year as Cameron Swank is set to defend his championship. With last year's top rookie Brent Curran moving up to the B Modified class and Chris Long turning the wheel over to his daughter and Angela Brown, tough competition is anticipated from such hard chargers as 2010 champion Chris Sorensen, Chris Bennett, Billy Garner, Frank Furtado, Michael Cooper, Jordan Swank and past champion Melissa Myers. When Curran gets to the track, he can expect to be greeted by the speedway's two biggest B Modified stars of the past two seasons, reigning champion K.C. Keller and 2016 champion Trevor Clymens. Both drivers are at the top of the list of likely champions. However, an impressive field of B Modifieds includes such stars as Nick Caughman Jr. , Kenny Neu, Chuck Golden, Todd Gomez, Guy Ahlwardt and the Brown brothers, Ron, Kevin and Randy. The forecast is calling for good weather for the coming five division program, and it's a chance for spectators to enjoy some of the best outdoor entertainment you'll find anywhere in Contra Costa County. For further information, check out www.antiochspeedway.com. Antioch Speedway Releases Schedule For Their 58th Racing Season Antioch, CA...The 2018 All Star Series racing season at Antioch Speedway is just around the corner. This also marks the historic 21st season for John and Donna Soares as promoters of the 3/8 mile clay oval, making Soares the longest tenured promoter in the history of the track. The season, which gets underway with the first race scheduled on March 24th, will continue weekly from then until the October 13th Fall Brawl. The All Star Series will continue to feature the popular Winged 360 Sprint Cars, the DIRTcar Late Models, A Modifieds, Wingless Spec Sprints, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars. Once again, the busiest divisions at the track will be the Hobby Stocks and B Modifieds. The Hobby Stocks will race at 26 events, while the B Modifieds get 22 races. It will be interesting to see how the grueling schedule will affect the Hobby Stocks. The division had the closest championship battle in 2017. That was also the busiest schedule for any class last year, and it came down to just a few point between champion Cameron Swank and rookie Brent Curran. The track will offer several big events for the fans to enjoy. The first marquee event of the season will be on April 7th. For many years, Frank Munroe and Soares have been trying to find a date for the Western States Dwarf Cars to have a show at Antioch. With the announcement of the big King Of California Dwarf Car Series, this is finally happening. Antioch should see a field of over 40 Dwarf Cars for the April 7th event. Larry Damitz had a Hall Of Fame career at several venues, including Antioch Speedway. A five time Limited Late Model champion, Damitz passed away during the off season as he was planning a title defense last year. The first Larry Damitz Memorial was held last season, and it has been scheduled for April 14th this year. Absent from the initial announcement are the Late Models, but Limited Late Models will be there that night along with A Modifieds, Spec Sprints, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars. The Third Annual Jerry Hetrick Memorial race has been booked for June 9th. The featured division for the first two events was the A Modifieds, which are booked for this race along with B Modifieds, Wingless Spec Sprints, Dwarf Cars and Hobby Stocks. To end the month of June, the Firecracker 50 has been booked. This is a 50 lap event for $500 to win for B Modifieds. A Modifieds, Spec Sprints, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks are also scheduled that night. The track has several big events beginning in September, including the annual Chet Thomson Memorial for Hardtops on September 8th, which also includes A Modifieds, Late Models, Hobby Stocks, Dwarf Cars and Limited Late Models. The man who opened Antioch Speedway back in 1961, John P. Soares Sr, is honored with the Top Dog Race on September 15th. Late Models, A Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Dwarf Cars and Hobby Stocks will run that night as well. The season will end with a bang as the annual Fall Brawl race will feature the A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars on October 13th. That night will also include the ninth Sharp Shooter Race for the B Modifieds. Throughout the season, the special Trophy Dash races will be held for the B Modifieds. The B Modifieds get two $500 to win races, including the aforementioned Firecracker 50 on June 30th and the race on July 7th. The Hobby Stocks also race for $500 to win on July 7th. Though purse money has not been announced, the Top Dog Race, the Jerry Hetrick Memorial and the Larry Damitz Memorial will likely be for extra money, and the Fall Brawl is traditionally a bigger money race as well. Soares has also issued a challenge to the B Modifieds that at 18 cars, their purse will jump to $500 to win on any given week in which this happens. If you're looking for speed, the Winged 360 Sprint Cars and the DIRTcar Late Models will visit Antioch Speedway at least 10 times each as part of their championship seasons. The track enters its fourth season in a serious commitment to the popular Sprint Car class, while Antioch is the only Northern California track with a somewhat regular full Late Model program. With 17 dates on their schedule, the A Modified division is entering its 29th consecutive season, which makes them the longest running division at the track. It was John Soares Sr. who brought this division to California at Petaluma back in 1987. It was John Soares Jr. who was the first promoter to book dates for the Wingless Spec Sprint division back in 1999 with the help of the behind the scenes efforts of Don O'Keefe Jr. This division enters its 20th season. The Dwarf Car division enters its 21st consecutive championship season at Antioch with several dates. They were added by the current promoter when he began his first season at the track in 1998. In a bid to bring back the old style Late Model division featured at the track in the late 1980's and early 1990's. Soares introduced Limited Late Model racing to the track in 2000. They now enter their 19th season with 17 dates. The track will also include several visits by the Bay Area Hardtops. During the course of the season, Antioch Speedway will offer a little something for everybody. Whether it's the close, slam-bang action of the Hobby Stocks or the fendered Stock Car competition of the Limited Late Models and Late Models, the popular A Modifieds and B Modifieds or the fast, open wheel action of the Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Wingless Spec Sprints and Dwarf Cars, Antioch Speedway offers something that every fan can enjoy. After playdays on March 10th and 17th, the season will kick off with an event featuring A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Wingless Spec Sprints, Dwarf Cars and Hobby Stocks on March 24th. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com. 2018 Antioch Speedway Schedule Subject To Change January 1 - (Winter Classic) - A Modifieds, B Modifieds*, Hobby Socks and Dwarf Cars March 24 - Wingless Spec Sprints, A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars March 31 - 360 Winged Sprints, Late Models, A Modifieds, B Modifieds* and Hobby Stocks April 7 - West Coast Dwarf Car Series plus B Modifieds and Hobby Stocks April 14 - Larry Damitz Memorial Races - Wingless Spec Sprints, A Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars April 21 - Wingless Spec Sprints, A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks April 28 - Late Models, B Modifieds*, Hobby Stocks, Dwarf Cars and Bay Area Hardtops May 5 - Wingless Spec Sprints, A Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks, Dwarf Cars and a Drone air race May 12 - A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars May 19 - Contra Costa County Fair - No racing scheduled May 26- 360 Winged Sprints, A Modifieds, B Modifieds*, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars June 2 - Wingless Spec Sprints, Late Models, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks June 9 - Jerry Hetrick Memorial Races - 360 Winged Sprints, A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars June 16 - 360 Winged Sprints, A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars June 23 - 360 Winged Sprints, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars June 30 - Firecracker 50 (50 lap race for B Modifieds $500 to win) - Wingless Spec Sprints, A Modifieds, B Modifieds* 50 lapper, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks July 7 - ($500 to win B Modified And Hobby Stock races) - Wingless Spec Sprints, B Modifieds $500 to win, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks $500 to win, Dwarf Cars and Drone air race July 14 - Wingless Spec Sprints, A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Hobby Stocks an Dwarf Cars July 21 - Late Models, Limited Late Models, B Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Bay Area Hardtops July 28 - 360 Winged Sprints, Wingless Spec Sprints, A Modifieds, B Modifieds* and Dwarf Cars August 4 - 360 Winged Sprints, A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Dwarf Cars August 11 - Wingless Spec Sprints, Late Models, A Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks August 18 - 360 Winged Sprints, A Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars August 25 - Wingless Spec Sprints, Late Models, B Modifieds*, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks September 1 - 360 Winged Sprints, A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars September 8 - (Chet Thomson Memorial Hardop Race) - Late Models, A Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks, Dwarf Cars and Bay Area Hardtops September 15 - (John Soares Sr. Memorial Top Dog Race) - Late Models, A Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars September 22 - Wingless Spec Sprints, Late Models, B Modifieds*, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks September 29 - 360 Winged Sprints, Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars October 6 - 360 Winged Sprints, Wingless Spec Sprints, Limited Late Models and Bay Area Hardtops October 13 (Fall Brawl 2018 Finale PPV) - A Modifieds, B Modifieds*, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars * Sharp Shooter B Modified Race Continued in comments...

Title: Re: Antioch Speedway News Post by C.W. on 03/30/18 at 1:24pm Antioch Speedway 2017 Season Review Antioch, CA...2017 was a special season at Antioch Speedway. It marked the 20th season for John and Donna Soares of Oval Motorsports promoting the race track as well as the 57th season of continuous operation. As usual, the All Star Series lineup of divisions featured eight regular classes with some special events along the way. One of the focuses of management in recent years has been the effort to establish a Winged 360 Sprint Car division. This was the fourth consecutive year of championship points for the class, and it included some of the biggest car counts yet for this effort. It was also a wide open championship battle that was rocked by a scratch at the season opener by early championship favorite Art McCarthy. Up from the BCRA Midget Lites, Kyle Offill kicked off the season with a Main Event victory ahead of the first of four second place finishes for Burt Foland Jr. and a season high third place finish for Wingless Spec Sprint star Bryan Grier. As has been the case at Antioch since this effort started, the $1,200 to win first prize attracts bounty hunters to town to make a run at the victory. The second race went to visitor Tyler Seavey ahead of 2015 champion Shawn Arriaga and Foland. The third event was an unlikely second win for Offill. When he tangled with Grants Pass, Oregon championship hopeful Aaron Miller early in the race, Offill had to come from the back once more. Rookie Jacob Tuttle led the race until a thrilling last lap pass by Offill forced Tuttle to settle for second ahead of a season best third place finish for Steve Jaquith. Offill seemed like the driver to beat at this point, but he decided to start racing other big events and dropped out of the championship battle. At that stage, there were 5 drivers very much in contention for the championship, but Miller's hopes ended with a blown motor soon after. Dustin Golobic won the fourth event ahead of past Petaluma champion Herman Klein and Foland. Foland ran closely behind surprise point leader Marissa Polizzi at that stage of the season. Multi time Marysville champion Colby Weisz held off Foland to win the next race as Polizzi earned her first of two season high third place finishes. After his terrible start, McCarthy found himself trailing in the championship battle by over 60 points, but the 2007 Antioch champion was about to go on a run that would put him in the lead by season's end. McCarthy won the 6th event ahead of Foland and Tuttle, and after second generation competitor David Lindt II won the next race ahead of McCarthy and Polizzi, McCarthy won back to back races. Round #8 was a win for McCarthy over Foland and a season high third for Dan Gonderman. Polizzi was doing what she needed to do as she earned her fourth of five fourth place feature finishes. She held a slim lead over Foland and McCarthy, but McCarthy's win at the 9th event was combined with non finishes for both Foland and Polizzi. Peter Paulson and Lindt rounded out the top three in the Main Event. McCarthy carried the point lead into the season finale. Though he settled for third behind Paulson and Jake Haulot, Polizzi's fourth place finish was not good enough to regain her the lead. McCarthy won the closest championship battle at the speedway with Polizzi settling for second ahead of Foland. Tuttle grabbed "Rookie Of The Year" honors. Once again, the DIRTcar Late Models were included on the schedule, and as is usually the case with the class, the battle was expected to be between two time champions Jeff Decker and Richard Papenhausen, who was the reigning champion. However, Decker would leave little doubt who the champion was by season's end. The season started with three consecutive different winners with Decker winning the first race ahead of a season high second for Shawn DeForest and a season high third for Chester Kniss. Saddened by the passing of Larry Damitz during the off season, a race was put together in memory of him. Bobby Hogge IV came to town and won the first annual event ahead of Papenhausen and Decker. Papenhausen was still very much in the championship hunt as he held off Decker to win the third event with David Newquist finishing third. Two things happened after the third event. Jeff Decker got on a roll, and Papenhausen blew a motor. Decker won the fourth event ahead of a season high second place finish for "Rookie Of The Year" Kimo Oreta and a third for Papenhausen. At the next event, Papenhausen blew a motor in his heat race and then missed the sixth race to end his championship hopes. Decker won the fifth event ahead of a season high second for Joey Olschowka and a third for DeForest. Decker continued his roll with a win in Round #6 over a season high second for Newquist and a third for Paul Guglielmani. The only thing keeping Decker from winning seven in a row was the return of Papenhausen for his second victory ahead of DeForest and Clay Daly. There was controversy at the end as video seemed to show Daly finishing second ahead of the DeForest at the checkered flag. It was Decker and Papenhausen grabbing the 1-2 finish in the last three events. Terry Kunz finish third in the eighth event, DeForest was third a week later and Newquist grabbed an important third place finish to close the season. Decker topped the division with seven wins as Papenhausen had a division leading four seconds. However, while Decker won the championship, Papenhausen settled for fourth in the standings. With his third place finish in the last race, Newquist won a close battle with DeForest for runner up honors. The A Modified division entered their 28th season at the speedway with a special money race on New Year's Day. This was not a point event, and Nick DeCarlo grabbed the victory ahead of the first of four second place finishes for championship hopeful Bobby Motts Jr. and a season high third for Anthony Slaney. Motts was hoping to win the championship in honor of his cousin, Steven Cunningham, who had passed away during the off season. The point season kicked off in controversial fashion in a race in which Mike Salazar had initially been declared the winner after he and Scott Busby got together in turns 3 and 4. However, Salazar was unable to continue to the yellow flag, and Busby was restored to the victory ahead of Motts and another championship hopeful, Sean O'Gara. Unfortunately for Busby, he encountered several problems during the next three races that dropped him from championship contention. Kellen Chadwick jumped into the Brian Pearce car to win the second point event of the season ahead of Motts and reigning champion Carl Berendsen II's first of two season high third place finishes. Chester Kniss impressed with his Main Event victory ahead of a season high second for O'Gara and Motts in third, and Motts had the point lead that he would not relinquish from then on. Back behind the wheel of his own car, Chadwick scored an impressive victory ahead of Bobby Hogge IV and DeCarlo. In Round #5 of the championship season, Busby recorded his second win of the season and 72nd of his racing career at Antioch Speedway, tying him at the top of the all time winner's list with legend J.D. Willis. DeCarlo returned to deny Busby a second straight win as Busby settled for second ahead of a season high third for Salazar, who was in the midst of a hard luck season. In Round #7, Hogge was back and holding off DeCarlo for victory as Michael Paul was third, and this was Hogge's 70th career Antioch feature win, putting him third on the all time win list. Motts finally broke through to get his first win of the season in the eighth event, followed by Terry Kaiser and Mitch Enos. DeCarlo won his third Main Event in Round #9, followed by Late Model star Jeff Decker and Busby. The final two events where Chadwick's nights to shine. Chadwick won the 10th race ahead of Motts and Busby. Next up was the big John Soares Sr. Memorial Top Dog Race, and Chadwick won the prize after a good race with Brian Pierce and Carl Berendsen II, who settled for second and third. DeCarlo was in the running, but he fell out of contention. The championship belonged to Motts, and it was his second Antioch title, having won the Street Stock championship 13 years earlier. O'Gara settled for a career best second, and "Rookie Of The Year" Eric Berendsen grabbed the final podium spot in third. Eric had to struggle with a blown motor and also flipped his car one night, but he earned five fourth place finishes and always battled back from adversity. The 19th season of Wingless Spec Sprint racing at Antioch Speedway, where the division started, kicked off with four consecutive different feature winners. 2014 Watsonville champion Bryan Grier won the opener ahead of a season best second for Jeremy Newberry and third for Roy Fisher. The night was also notable in that Alan Miranda led this race before having to make a pit stop later in the race. Bob Newberry made his season debut with a win at the next race ahead of Brandon Burd and the first of four third place finishes for Shannon Newton. Burd followed up his strong performance with a win in the third race ahead of the first of two second place finishes for Miranda and a third for Newton. At this point, there were five drivers in championship contention, and surprising rookie Robert Floyd won the fourth race ahead of Miranda and Grier. Newberry began his climb up the point ladder with his second feature win in the next race, followed by a season best second for James East and third for Grier. Grier was very much in the hunt as he scored his second win in the sixth event, holding off Newberry and Miranda for the honors. Miranda's championship hopes took a blow when he failed to start the seventh event, won by Newberry ahead of new point leader Grier and Roy Fisher. The other story line at play after seven events was division mainstay Rick Panfili working his way into position to contend for his first championship. Grier won the eighth race ahead of Floyd and Newberry. If not for Newberry's late start, the championship might have been his. Newberry won round number nine ahead of Grier and a season best third for Panfili. He followed that up with another win ahead of Fisher and Newton. Grier had been leading the 10th race when he suddenly pulled to the infield with motor issues, while Panfili finished fourth. Just two points separated Grier from Panfili going into the finale, but contact with Newberry heading into the first turn in the Main Event sent Panfili into the wall along with Fisher as both were out of the race. Grier wrapped up his championship season by winning that race ahead of Newberry and Newton. Panfili was still a career best second as Newberry was a strong third. The steady Abigail Gonderman won the "Rookie Of The Year" award. With the bad news about the passing of five time champion Larry Damitz, the Sundrop Racing Team elected to put three time Hobby Stock champion Kimo Oreta behind the wheel of the trademark #15 Limited Late Model. The season started off with the Mike Gustafson adding to his division leading career victory totals by winning the Main Event ahead of 2013 champion Jim Freethy and Mark Garner. Garner would be doing double division duties throughout the season, and he won a big trophy with his victory in the Larry Damitz Memorial Race, followed by Oreta and Freethy. It was a four car championship battle early on, and though Oreta won the next two races, Garner and Freethy finished second and third, respectively, in both races. Round #5 saw Petaluma champion Matt While evict Oreta from the Winner's Circle as he won ahead of Oreta and Freethy. However, Oreta was getting consistent seconds as he finished second to Mike Gustafson in the next race and second to Freethy in the seventh event. Third in those two races were Garner and Gustafson as Garner was holding on to second in the standings. Oreta returned to the Winner's Circle at the next race ahead of Garner and Gustafson. Freethy won Round #9 and kept the pressure on Garner for second in the standings, but Oreta maintained his point lead by finishing second ahead of Paul Hanley. Garner didn't finish that night, hurting his championship hopes. The night was also memorable as rookie Buddy Kniss led before a red flag for Garner's blown motor. Due to overheating, Kniss pitted. Oreta won the 10th event as past champion Lori Brown outdueled Garner in a good battle for her season best second place finish. Garner bounced back by holding off Freethy to win the next race with Terry DeCarlo finishing third. However, Oreta was all but assured the championship just by starting the finale. The battle was for second between Feethy and Garner, but Freethy claimed that position with his third feature win of the season ahead of Garner and Oreta. Garner settled for third in the standings, while Chad Hammer won "Rookie Of The Year" honors. The B Modifieds had a marathon season that started on New Year's Day with 2015 champion Fred Ryland winning the money in the non point event ahead of Les Friend and Jimmy Ford. Reigning champion Trevor Clymens started off as if he was running for the championship, and he won the point season opener ahead of fellow championship contender K.C. Keller and the first of two season best thirds for Guy Alwardt. Past Street Stock champion and division rookie Todd Gomez won the next race ahead of a season best second for Megan Ponciano and third for the consistent Keller. Clymens was still keeping the pressure on Keller and won the third event ahead of Keller and Mark Garner, who had struggled early in the season. Keller finally emerged with a victory in the fourth event ahead of a season best second for Chuck Golden and third for Clymens. Clymens was already hinting at going to other places, but his first opportunity to do so was rained out as he won the next race ahead of Keller and Ryland. Gomez won the sixth race ahead of a season best second for Doff Cooksey and third for Keller. After some bad breaks early on, Garner outdueled Clymens to win the seventh event as Cooksey finished third. Garner was climbing his way up the point ladder. Clymens won the next race ahead of Keller and Jimmy Ford, who was piloting the Marty Bourdie car. At this stage of the season, Clymens made good on his plans to race other places, and Keller padded his point lead with a win in the ninth event ahead of Garner and Gomez. Garner was moving in on Golden for second in the standings, and he won the 10th event ahead of the impressive Nick Caughman Jr. and Keller. Garner was going for two in a row, but Keller forced him to settle for second, while Kevin Brown finished third. After Garner once again battled Caughman for what would be his third victory, while Keller finished third in the 12th event, Garner moved past Golden for second in the standings. However, even though he ran strong, there was just too much ground to make up on the very consistent Keller in the championship battle. Round #13 saw Clymens return to the Winner's Circle after out running Garner and Keller. Keller won the next race ahead of Garner and Ahlwardt, and the championship seemed assured for Keller at this stage of the season. Clymens notched his division leading sixth feature win at the 15th event as Al Johnson returned for a second place finish with Garner settling for third. Merced champion Ryland put book ends on the season by pocketing the $1,000 first prize in the Fall Brawl, followed by Andrew Peckham and Clymens. Keller emerged with the championship on the strength of his division leading 12 Top 3 Main Event finishes. Garner was a strong second as Golden settled for third. Gomez was the "Rookie Of The Year" for the season. Nobody had a busier schedule at Antioch Speedway than the Hobby Stocks. They ran a total of 20 times, including the non point New Year's Bash, which was won by championship hopeful Chris Long ahead of Joe Salvi and Cameron Swank. Several drivers were hoping to make a run at the championship, but with so many races on the schedule, budgets began to fall apart as the season wore on. The question was, who would survive to the end? Perennial championship contender Michael Cooper opened the season with a victory ahead of 2010 champion Chris Sorensen and Long. Rookie Brent Curran won his first of two straight races ahead of Long and Cooper and then ahead of Swank and Long. Consistency had put Long at the top of the list, and Sorensen won the fourth event ahead of Long and Cameron Swank. Things were looking pretty good for Long at this point, and that trend continued as he won the fifth event ahead of Swank and two time Super Hobby Stock champion Gene Haney. Round #6 was a battle of the Chris's as Sorensen outran Long for the victory with Curran in third. The seventh race was the high water mark of the season for Long as he won for the third time ahead of a season best second for Robert Niven and a third for Curran. Unfortunately, motor problems reared their ugly head, and finances would also come into play for Long, who fell out of the battle. Two time division champion Melissa Myers returned with a vengeance by outrunning the steady Curran and Niven for the victory. Sorensen won Round #9 as a frustrated Cameron Swank settled up for second and ahead of Curran. Swank had led most of that race, but a flat tire on the last lap forced him to settle for second. Haney won the next race ahead of Myers and a season best third for Jordan Swank. With his win in the 11th race, Sorensen was the point leader. Swank and Curran we're still hanging tough in the battle. Finishing second and third in the eleventh event were Meyers and Long. Michael Cooper returned to the Winner's Circle at the next event, with a disappointed Cameron Swank selling for his fourth second place finish ahead of Meyers. With his second win of the year, this time ahead of Sorensen and Brian Zachary, Haney was putting the pressure on Chris Bennett in his bid to take fifth in the standings. It took 14 events, but Cameron Swank finally got his first win of the year when it was much needed, followed by a season best second for Ken Rhoades and third for Curran. Sorensen was feeling the pinch of his racing budget, but he finished fourth as he, Swank and Curran battled fiercely for the point lead. Myers won the next race ahead of Curran and Haney. Curran was doing everything he could to get the point lead, and this was the first of four straight second place finishes for him. The 16th event saw Swank win again ahead of Curran, Myers and Sorensen, and there were only a few points separating the top three drivers in the standings. Kimo Oreta dug his championship winning car out of mothballs for the next race and held off Curran and Swank for the victory. Chris Bennett was suddenly in contention for a top three point position following what was his second fourth place finish of the season. When the Fall Brawl was rescheduled to work with Watsonville and the Pat Pettit Memorial Shootout, Sorensen had already booked a romantic vacation with his wife for that weekend. Therefore, Sorensen decided to go to Watsonville and skipped the 18th race, won by Myers ahead of Curran and Cameron Swank. This also meant the championship was between Swank and Curran going into the $850 to win Fall Brawl season finale. Also noteworthy was the fact that Bennett was poised to move into third in points just by starting the last race. As was the case with the B Modified portion of the big money show, there were enough Hobby Stocks for a B Main to be needed. Meyers tied Sorensen with her division leading fourth feature win in that race ahead of the hard charging Long and Swank. Curran settled for fourth, and he just barely lost the championship to Cameron Swank. Meanwhile, Bennett wrapped up his rookie season with his seventh fifth place finish, putting him third in the final rundown. However, second place Curran won "Rookie Of The Year" honors. The Dwarf Car division returned for their 20th season and brought plenty of excitement throughout the year. Several champions competed during the course of the season, and a new champion emerged at the end of 13 events. It all started when reigning champion Kevin Miraglio won the season opener ahead of championship hopeful Mike Corsaro and longtime competitor Chuck Conover. The famed unicorn was back with Adam Teves driving it to victory in the second race ahead of Conover and Toby Brown's season best third place finish. Not to be outdone, Adam's father David Teves won the third race ahead of Corsaro and Mario Marquez. Round #4 saw Adam Teves return to the Winner's Circle ahead of the second season best second place finish for Conover and third for Corsaro. By this point, Conover appeared to be Corsaro's closest contender, but he began missing races and fell out of the Top 5. Two time division champion Danny Wagner, who ended up winning the NorCal Dwarf Car championship this season, won the fifth race ahead of Corsaro and Adam Teves. Corsaro continued his consistent effort by winning the sixth race ahead of the first of three season best second place finishes for David Michael Rosa and a third for Brandon Anderson. Wagner was back at the next race and beat Rosa and Anderson for his second win of the season at Antioch. There was little doubt that Corsaro was on a pace to win the championship, though he took a nasty tumble at the seventh event. If anybody wondered how he would rebound, Corsaro came back and held off Nor Cal veteran Buddy Olschowka and Jenna Frazier, who settled for a season best third place finish. After David Teves matched his son as a two time winner at the ninth event ahead of Petaluma racer Matt Hagerman and Corsaro, Corsaro took a big step towards his championship by scoring his third win of the season ahead of a season best second for Travis Hensley and the first of two season best thirds for Rookie Devin Kammermann. Though he didn't run the full season, Miraglio was a force when he raced. He illustrated that well as he won the 11th event ahead of open wheel veteran Brian Gray's season best second and a third for Mario Marquez. Miraglio won the next race ahead of a title clinching second place finish for Corsaro and a second place point clinching third place finish for Kammemann. It had been a while since Miranda Chappa had competed at Antioch, but she won the season finale ahead of David Michael Rosa and Hensley. Rosa would settle for third in the final point standings, while Kammermann was the "Rookie Of The Year" honoree. The Bay Area Hardtop effort was launched to try and build the division's presence at Antioch Speedway, but several issues arose that kept a majority of the roster out of the action. Kimo Oreta wheeled the #100 car for the Sundrop Racing Team to a win in the first race ahead of division booster Dave Mackey. Mackey's high water mark came at the next event as he held off Oreta and Ron Ruiz for the victory. Oreta scored back to back victories in the next two races, beating Rob Waldrop and Ruiz in the third event and Mickey and division newcomer Ken Retzloff in the next race. The Chet Thomson Memorial wrapped up the season, and California Hardtop Association ace Jason Armstrong repeated as the race winner ahead of Retzloff and Tommy Thomson, who was subbing for Mackey. Antioch was awarded the inaugural race on the newly created Sprint Car Challenge Tour, resulting in a track record of over 60 competitors in the pits. Cory Eliason won that first race in front of Shane Golobic and Sean Becker. They came back for one more appearance, and though the car count fell a little bit, an exciting race was won by Jonathan Allard ahead of Kyle Hirst and Mitchell Faccinto. The King Of The West/NARC Winged 410 Sprint Cars made one Antioch visit with Giovanni Scelzi claiming the victory ahead of Bud Kaeding and Mitchell Faccinto. The BCRA Midget Lites made two appearances with the first win going to young Hunter Kinney ahead of Dakota Albright and Danica Joe Parker. When they returned later in the season, it was Bradley Dillard collecting the victory ahead of Hunter Kinney and father Scott Kinney. 2017 Antioch Speedway Points All Star Series Winged 360 Sprints Art McCarthy 437 Marissa Polizzi 428 Bert Foland Jr. 406 Jacob Tuttle 258 Jason Paniagua 236 David Dias 208 Jenna Frazier 205 Aaron Miller 203 Jake Haulot 192 Kyle Offill 150 Wingless Spec Sprints Bryan Grier 498 Rick Panfili 480 Bob Newberry 472 Shannon Newton 460 Alan Miranda 399 Roy Fisher 380 Abigail Gonderman 350 Robert Floyd 338 Brandon Burd 302 James East 246 A Modifieds Bobby Motts Jr. 484 Sean O'Gara 418 Eric Berendsen 375 Mike Salazar 348 Scott Busby 348 Nick DeCarlo 278 Kellen Chadwick 244 Gary Hetrick 218 Anthony Slaney 200 Greg MacElhaney 199 B Modifieds K.C. Keller 802 Mark Garner 736 Chuck Golden 692 Trevor Clymens 640 Kevin Brown 500 Randy Brown 356 Todd Gomez 345 Doff Cooksey 264 Nick Caughman Jr. 252 Guy Alwardt 248 Limited Late Models Kimo Oreta 576 Jim Freethy 550 Mark Garner 544 Mike Gustafson 528 John Evans 456 Chad Hammer 388 Buddy Kniss 305 Jeff Kendrick 209 Lori Brown 164 Jon Haney 157 DIRTcar Late Models Jeff Decker 526 David Newquist 438 Shawn DeForest 436 Richard Papenhausen 423 Kimo Oreta 393 Dennis Souza 370 Joey Olschowka 309 Paul Guglielmoni 271 Chester Kniss 238 Mike Hynes 224 Hobby Stocks Cameron Swank 837 Brent Curran 822 Chris Bennett 754 Chris Sorensen 723 Jon Haney 718 Chris Long 660 Billy Garner 597 Michael Cooper 586 Jordan Swank 515 Frank Furtado 488 Dwarf Cars Mike Corsaro 585 Devin Kammermann 518 David Michael Rosa 512 David Rosa 502 Chris Becker 437 Charlie Correia 375 Brian Gray 335 Kevin Miraglio 328 David Corsaro 326 Chuck Conover 300 Peery, Ryland, Corsaro Win Winter Classic At Antioch Speedway Antioch, CA...January 1...New Year's Day meant the Winter Classic was happening Antioch Speedway Monday afternoon. Oval Motorsports began their 21st season of promoting the 3/8 mile clay oval with a special four division program featuring A Modifieds, B Modifieds, Dwarf Cars and Hobby Stocks. The A Modified Main Event was won by Williston, North Dakota's Travis Peery. Peery competed at tracks in Medford, Oregon and Yreka, California before moving to North Dakota. He took the lead from Raymond Lindeman and then had a battle with five time champion Scott Busby during the final 10 laps. On a restart with 8 laps to go, Busby used the inside line to take the lead from Peery. However, when Chester Kniss rolled in Turn 4, the ensuing red flag negated Busby's pass. Peery chose the inside on this restart and withstood an outside groove challenge by Busby over the next two laps to hold the lead. As Peery brought it home to victory, 2017 race winner Nick DeCarlo made a late pass on Busby for second. Busby settled for third ahead of reigning track champion Bobby Motts Jr. and Jeff Faulkner. Fred Ryland took the lead from his wife Patti Ryland early on and won the B Modified Main Event. F. Ryland is the reigning Merced Speedway champion, and he held off reigning Chico and Marysville champion Philip Shelby down the stretch for a well-earned victory. Les Friend finished third ahead of Craig Nieman and Mark Garner. Reigning champion Mike Corsaro scored an impressive victory in the Dwarf Car Main Event. Two time champion Danny Wagner led the first half of the race before overheating issues sidelined him. During the second half of the race, Corsaro led with Jack Haverty and Michael Grenert in close pursuit. Grenert made a pass on Haverty for second with six laps to go. Two laps later, Grenert made a slide job move around Corsaro in Turn 2, only to drift too high as Corsaro raced back into the lead down the backstretch. Corsaro scored a hard-fought victory ahead of Grenert, Haverty, Chuck Conover and David Michael Rosa. The Hobby Stock Main Event featured an entertaining side-by-side battle between Chris Long and Orland Raceway star Brad Ray. After technical inspections following the race, Ray was disqualified and Long was elevated to first. Orland Raceway champion Jeremy Langenderfer was riding along in third when he spun on the last lap, handing the position to Chris Bennett. Bennett's third place became second with the disqualification of Ray. Frank Furtado rallied for a third place finish ahead of Chris Brown and Russell Shearer. The Antioch Speedway 2018 schedule should be made available shortly. For further information on what's happening at the track, check out the official website at www.antiochspeedway.com.

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