Antioch Speedway
August 2, 2014
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Baldwin Tops Oreta As Hobby Stock Drivers Prepare for Big Event



Oval Motorsports
ANTIOCH, CA (August 2) - Nick Baldwin needed to find confidence in his racecar. The Oakley driver did just that last Saturday night as he and his Camaro fought off top-notch competition in the Hobby Stock feature event at Antioch Speedway.

With the Hobby Stock division’s biggest race of the season this coming this Saturday night (August 9), drivers were making final adjustments to their cars for the 100 lap, $2,000 to win event.

“I feel great now that the car has a win the week before the 100 lapper,” Baldwin said in victory lane. “This is more than I wanted after the string of bad luck we had.”

Baldwin had to drop out of the previous week’s Hobby Stock event when his car’s transmission failed. Getting his car ready in a week’s time was no easy task for Baldwin, who works on his car at night after working his full-time job.

Knowing that, Brentwood competitors Brad and Melissa Myers jumped in to help get him back to the track. Brad Myers finished fourth to Baldwin on Saturday night.

“Brad was there all week long. We pulled the engine out of the car,” explained Baldwin. “Melissa loaned me a transmission from one of her cars. I wouldn’t be here tonight without their help.”

Baldwin beat Vacaville’s Kimo Oreta and Brentwood’s Patti Ryland, who were both chasing him to the checkered flag.

“He’s a great driver and his car was hooked up to the track,” Oreta said. “I tried to pass him on the inside, but he had me every time.”

Oreta said his car is ready for the big show on Saturday.

“My car is perfect,” he explained. “I’m going to run it as is – with no changes. My goal is to be first to the finish line at the end of 100 laps. You have to make the distance in that race.”

Third place finisher Ryland was challenging both Baldwin and Oreta through the race.

“I’m just looking forward to the 100-lap race,” she said after the race. “I’m overdue for a win, and I would like that win to be at that race.”

A large field of cars from throughout California is expected. There are few races for Hobby Stock racers that pay such a high purse. The Antioch Speedway event takes place the second Saturday of August every year. The International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) SportMods, also in an extra money feature event this Saturday, will join Hobby Stocks.

Geving Makes Last Lap Move on Lynskey in 360 Winged Sprint Thriller

“I could see her front bumper moving in under me just about every lap,” said Fairfield’s Zack Lynskey of Alissa Geving’s attempts to regain the lead after Lynskey passed her. “I chose to run up high on the track, and she was just below.”

Despite competitor’s praise of her last lap pass attempt, Geving, of Penngrove, was disappointed in her own performance. She has finished second nine times in the past two seasons – a heartbreaking record she had tried hard to change.

“Zack drove a great race,” was all she would say after the event.

Oakley’s Chris Magoon brought home third place, followed by Jake Haulett of Cotati. Kurt Nelson of Gilroy was fifth.

Crowell Ends Drought IMCA Modifieds

It’s been a long time since Oakley’s Aaron Crowley was first to see the checkered flag at the end of an IMCA modified event.

The 2004 Antioch Speedway IMCA modified champ ended his 10-year drought by catching Fairfield’s Sean O’Gara on a caution flag forcing him into a chase for the final five laps of the main event.

“It’s about time – I had to work hard for this one,” Crowell said in victory lane. “I’ve come up short too many times.”

While Crowell was thanking the sponsors who got him back to victory lane, O’Gara was lamenting not winning – despite having the best performance of his season.

“It was great running up front all those laps,” he said. “It is too bad I just couldn’t finish there.”

Following O’Gara in third was Carl Berendsen of Antioch. Mike Slaney took his son Anthony’s car for a ride, and the Antioch driver finished fourth. Long time driver Terry Kaiser of Fairfield brought home fifth.

Newberry and Macedo Tangle in Wingless Sprint Cars

Oakley’s Bob Newberry couldn’t remember the last time he won at Antioch Speedway. He raced without brakes for the last few laps of the Wingless Sprint Car division main event, and tangled with friend Billy Macedo on the last lap.

“I was trying to pass him on the inside and he blocked me,” said Macedo. “We just hooked bumpers.”

Macedo did a 360-degree spin coming out of the second turn, and spectacularly maintained his second place position. Kyle Bakkie of Sacramento was third.

“I was just trying to make it to the finish without brakes,” Newberry explained to Macedo.

The two drivers hugged in victory lane.

Freethy Takes First Win of Season in Limited Late Models

Untouchable for the entire feature event, Jim Freethy of Danville was longing for his first win of the season.

“It felt good just to be called to the scales after the race,” he said. The top five cars are weighed after each feature race.

Mark Garner tried to catch Freethy for the length of the event.

“I was doing my best to get him,” he said. “I was biding my time.”

Mike Learn of Petaluma was third, a bad vibration slowing his car down.

Suisun’s Mike Hynes came back from a bad wreck in a heat race to take fourth in the feature. Crews from several competitor’s cars helped him rebuild his badly damaged racecar in an hour’s time.

“We challenge each other on the track, but deep down inside we are all friends – willing to help each other,” Hynes said. “That’s what I love about racing.”

Jordan Wins First Dwarf Car Event

Duane Jordan of Dublin has been racing in the Dwarf Car division since 1992, and he hadn’t won a race in all that time – until Saturday night.

Jordan fought off challenges from Mike Corsaro of Tracy and Danny Wagner of Bay Point.

“It’s my first main event – ever,” he screamed in victory lane. “I’ve had lots of wrecks, but no wins. This is great.”

IMCA Modifieds
1 4 1C Aaron Crowell
2 1 82 Sean Ogara
3 3 88 Carl Berendsen
4 5 4X Mike Slaney
5 2 1 Terry Kaiser
6 8 44 Dean Devolder
7 6 93 Johnny Curtis
8 7 7X Bill Wallace

Limited Late Models
1 1 99 Jim Freethy
2 5 76A Mark Garner
3 10 11H Mike Learn
4 6 5 Mike Hynes
5 2 22 Paul Hanley
6 7 313 Peggy Sue Jarred
7 3 15 Larry Damitz
8 4 2 Mike Gustafson
9 8 12 Shane Brandon
10 9 48 John Evans

Winged 360 Sprints
1 8 07N Zack Lynskey
2 7 3X Alissa Geving
3 2 77 Chris Magoon
4 6 7 Jake Haullet
5 10 72W Kurt Nelson
6 11 19 Art Mccarthy
7 5 8 Dan Gonderman
8 9 24B Bradley Terrell
9 4 4 Burt Foland
10 1 21 Roy Fisher
11 3 56 Shawn Arriaga

Wingless Sprints
1 1 77 Bob Newberry
2 7 M1 Billy Macedo
3 6 19 Kyle Bakkie
4 2 21 Roy Fisher
5 5 44 Rick Panfili
6 3 6 Robert Jacobson
7 4 54 Brian Azevedo

Hobby Stocks
1 2 17 Nick Baldwin
2 4 3 Kimo Oreta
3 3 7 Patti Ryland
4 5 57 Michael Cooper
5 10 32 Brad Myers
6 8 6 Robert Sharp
7 12 11 Christopher Brown
8 11 1 Dan Jones
9 7 24A Frank Furtado
10 1 8R Randy Metzler
11 9 69Z Robert Niven
12 6 12 Bob Brown

Dwarf Cars
1 2 3 Duane Jordan
2 4 0 Mike Corsaro
3 1 11D Danny Wagner
4 8 40 Kevin Miraglio
5 6 22N Josh Miller
6 10 51 Chuck Weir
7 13 5N Tim Reeder
8 14 10 Adam Teves
9 9 4 Brian Tilseth
10 3 8 David Teves
11 7 99V Thomas Leiby
12 5 0 Charlie Correia
13 12 17 Brian Gray
14 11 68 David Rosa