Antioch Speedway
June 18, 2011
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NIGHT OF THRILLS: RYLAND, DAMITZ RACE TO THE WALL ON LAST LAP IN LATE MODELS; RANDY McDANIEL TOPS IN BRUTAL DIRTcar MOD MAIN; MALFATTI SCORES FIRST CAREER VICTORY IN SPRINTS

Mike Adaskaveg
Antioch, Calif. (June 18) - The roar of the crowd drowned out the roaring pack of limited late models as Fred Ryland tested all 50 years of Larry Damitz’s experience when they raced to the checkered flag in one of the most thrilling feature events in recent history at the 3/8 mile Antioch clay oval.

Tied in points, Damitz and Ryland continued a season long battle that is the talk of the central California racing scene. With a full field to weave through, the two emerged in front of the pack midway through the feature. Until the last lap, Damitz, 82, appeared to have a slight edge on Ryland as they raced side by side.

Then, Ryland got under Damitz in the third turn with the checkered flag waving. The two slid to the wall, as Mike Gustafson took the low groove in hopes of a win.

Damitz kept his foot on the gas, holding position as Ryland took the checkered from him, an Gustafson was inches inches away from taking second.

“It was a good race until the last lap,” a humble Ryland said in victory lane. “I don’t want to win that way.”

Damitz smiled and shook it off.

“He lost traction, he had his left tires down in the gutter and he picked up moisture,” Damitz said. “I saw it coming. I could only ride the wall and hope to get by.”

Gustafson had a bird’s eye view of the whole thing.

“I knew there was going to be a big problem, and I did not want to be there when it happened,” he explained. “He (Larry Damitz) had me by a bumper for second at the finish.”

For Hayward, Calif’s Danny Malfatti, victory was sweet in the All Star Wingless Sprint Main Event. The former motorcycle racer began his sprint car career just mid-way through the last season and he was untouchable in the main event.

Perennial Antioch wingless sprint favorite Dan Gonderman tried to chase down Malfatti through the final laps of the race, but had to settle for second.

“He (Gonderman) shook my hand and said it was good to race with me,” Malfatti said. “It was amazing. I’m in shock. I didn’t think I would win. Out there, I kept thinking he was going to pass me any moment.”

Malfatti put together a solid team for the new sprint car season. Sponsor Z Gallery, top notch crew chief Tom Esposito, and engine builder Skip Govea. He thanked Brian Matherly of Kaeding Performance and Steve Shaw in victory lane, but proclaimed two people were responsible for his almost instant success.

“My wife Carole, and Jimmy Sills,” he said. “I wanted to be a sprint car driver so I went to Sills’ school and he encouraged me, he told me I had what it takes.”

From victory lane, Malfatti made a call to legendary sprint car driver Sills.

“We were bad fast tonight,” he said. “You’re usually calling me, now I can call you.”

The DIRTcar West modified feature was filled with crashes - one which elminated Scott Busby and almost sidelined Troy Foulger.

Randy McDaniel of Marysville, in a torn and tattered modified, charged past San Anselmo’s Michael Paul with two laps to go.

“Do I have a car left?” was the first thing he asked in victory lane. “Actually, I love racing here. It’s wild, it’s fun, it’s the kind of racing I’m used to growing up in Marysville.”

Foulger took third in a remarkable comeback. He was able to repair his damaged car well enough during an extended caution.

“It was a demo derby tonight,” he said. “We came back from 20th five times. We broke a brake line, lost a bumper, the doors are hanging off the body, and I went through all 30 tear-offs. But, the track was hooked up to the car, so I was able to keep coming back.”

Paul’s impressive run saw him leading most of the feature.

“It came down to the car - my car runs better on s smoother track, less tacky and more dry-slick,” he said. “I’m exhausted from working that hard to try for the win.”

Spanky Grenert from Travis Air Force Base out-rabn Ricardo Rivera in the Dwarf main event.

“I’ve been to this track four times, and won four times,” he said in victory lane. “Ricardo and I raced together in the nationals, and I love racing with him here.”

Justin Silveira topped Shawna Vannucchi in the “Four-Banger” feature.

“She was tough - she kept hitting the middle groove,” Silveira said. “I had to go down to the bottom of the track.

Dan McCown won the Super Hobby Stock main event, with Gene Haney closing the gap late in the race. Natalie Perry and Victory Rosa followed.

Antioch Speedway’s huge DIRTcar double $2,000 feature event takes place next Saturday night. The Western All Star late models and the DIRTcar West Modifieds each race in $2,000 to win features.

Feature Results:

6/18/11 Antioch Speedway Dirt Modifieds
Heat 1
1.-4P Richard Pappenhausen
2.-7S Matt Sargent
3.-71 Rob Norris
4.-29 Mike Salazar
5.-7 Sean Wilson
6.-52 David Lindt
7.-U81 Bobby Motts

Heat 2
1.-68 Norman Beck
2.-82 Sean O'Gara
3.-74S Chris Sieweke
4.-17 Terry DeCarlo
5.-141 Trent Wentworth
6.-28 Chester Kniss
7.-28H Darrell Hughes II

Heat 3
1.-49 Troy Foulger
2.-16 Michael Paul
3.-73 Scott Busby
4.-1 Randy McDaniel
5.-10 Ryan McDaniel
6.-01 Terry Kaiser

Main Event
1.-1 Randy McDaniel
2.-16 Michael Paul Sr.
3.-49 Troy Foulger
4.-82 Sean O'Gara
5.-28H Darrell Hughes II
6.-7 Sean Wilson
7.-01 Terry Kaiser
8.-52 David Lindt
9.-68 Norman Beck
10.-29 Mike Salazar
11.-10 Ryan McDaniel
12.-71 Rob Norris
13.-7S Matt Sargeant
14.-17 Terry DeCarlo
15.-73 Scott Busby
16.-28 Chester Kniss
17.-4P Richard Pappenhausen
18.-74s Chris Sieweke
19.-141 Trent Wentworth
20.-U81 Bobby Motts

6/18/11 Antioch Speedway Limited Late
Main Event
1.-7 Fred Ryland
2.-15 Larry Damitz
3.-2 Mike Gustafson
4.-3 Danny Mendes
5.-99 Jim Freethy
6.-33 Melissa Hansen
7.-65 Lori Brown
8.-60 Shawn McCoy
9.-83 Michelle Newman
10.-05 Mike Hynes

6/18/11 Antioch Speedway Wingless Sprints
Main Event
1.-55 Danny Malfatti
2.-8 Dan Gonderman
3.-M1 Billy Macedo
4.-33X David Johnson
5.-41 David Press
6.-23 Tyler Henriquez
7.-5L Jeff Banbury
8.-6N Gary Nelson
9.-98 Jeff Lee
10.-21 Roy Fisher
11.-2 Trevor Schmid
12.-71 Rob Norris
13.-3X Scotti Dupont
14.-6 Joe Stronetta
15.-33 Jason McIntosh

6/18/11 Antioch Speedway Dwarf Cars
Main Event
1.-12N Mike Grenert
2.-45 Ricardo Rivera
3.-30 Joel Osias
4.-55 Jerry Doty
5.-34X Pat Urdahl
6.-52N Chuck Conover
7.-00 Mike Corsaro
8.-0 Charlie Correia
9.-22 Travis Dutra
10.-20N Neil Stinson
11.-21 Walter Harper
12.-44 Mike Ronald
13.-4 Joe Trammel
14.-12 Butch Liston
15.-08 Sam Westhorpe
16.-8N Lee Bell
17.-3 Duane Jordan

6/18/11 Antioch Speedway Four Bangers
Main Event
1.-25 Justin Silveira
2.-74 Shawna Vannucchi
3.-19 Matt Larsen
4.-66 Carlos Gonzalez
5.-50 Jimmy Robbins
6.-76X Mike Felt
7.-45 Laura Crabtree
8.-14W Robbie Waldrop
9.-56 Dan Downey