Antioch, CA — The green flag is about to drop on the 65th season of championship racing at Antioch Speedway. Fans will be treated to five divisions of racing on the 3/8 mile clay oval at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds this Saturday night.
With the addition of the Late Model division to this weekend’s lineup, the five division program will also feature the IMCA sanctioned Modifieds, Sport Modifieds and Stock Cars along with the Pacific Coast Hobby Stocks. IMCA is the oldest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States, and this is the track’s sixth season under their banner.
This year is a milestone season for two of the track’s divisions. It’s the 35th anniversary season for the Modifieds, a division that started weekly racing in 1990. Also, it’s the 30th anniversary season for the Hobby Stocks. The popular division that usually has the biggest car count of the night started in 1995.
If the track’s two practices in March are any indication, car count will remain strong in the Hobby Stock division this year. They’ve also been booked 16 times this season, giving them the most races of any division. Several drivers have made moves to upgrade their equipment or in some cases have new cars as they look to make their presence known this year.
Last season, Ryan Hart of Dos Palos won a good battle with Clarence Holbrook III of Galt for the championship. Hart had picked up the Merced championship the year before. Last week, he finished fourth in a competitive season opener at Watsonville. Oakley’s Hunter Hammett is in a new car this year, and he collected his first heat race win at Watsonville last Friday.
Most of last season’s top competitors in the Hobby Stocks should continue to be part of the action this year. 2020 Antioch and reigning Petaluma Hobby Stock champion James Thomson of Pittsburg made good laps at both practices this year. In fact, he looked impressive behind the wheel of Sean O’Gara’s Modified in practice two weeks ago. He could be a factor in the title chase this year.
2021 Hobby Stock champion Larry McKenzie Jr returned at the second practice and figures to be around more this year. Some of the stars to watch for this week include Jared Baugh of Pittsburg, Rick Rogers and Maddie Motts, both of San Pablo, Aidan Ponciano of Oakley, Colten Haney of Brentwood and Kevin Brown of Antioch. The Hobby Stocks are sure to bring the excitement this week.
Reigning IMCA Modified champion Kellen Chadwick announced his retirement during the off season. However, both six-time champion Troy Foulger of Oakley and 2023 State champion Andrew Pearce of Brentwood were seen making practice laps two weekends ago and should remain a factor this year.
Long time racer Danny Malfatti of Hayward was at both practices this season. In addition to racing Modifieds in recent years at Antioch, Danny has also competed in Late Models and Sprint Cars through the years. Tyler Browne of Antioch is poised to make a big move this season as well.
The IMCA Sport Modified division figures to be one of the more exciting divisions to watch this year. After winning his second-consecutive division championship last year, Pacheco’s Kenny Shrader sold his car and said he planned on taking a break. However, he ended up getting another car and turned his first practice laps in it two weeks ago. He looked fast, but the same can be said for Oakley’s Jason Ryan Jr. Having posted back-to-back runner-up seasons with several feature wins along the way, Ryan hopes to take a step up to the championship this year.
Two area drivers are already making noise in the IMCA State battle. Multi-time Dwarf Car champion Danny Wagner of Bay Point picked up a win at Watsonville last Friday as he leads the State point standings. After another Top 5 finish that night, Oakley’s Trevor Clymens has moved into second in the State. These two drivers will be fast anytime they are at the speedway.
Speaking of fast, three-time Antioch champion and the division’s all-time feature win leader Fred Ryland of Brentwood turned some impressive laps in practice two weeks ago. Ryland seems to win in whatever division he’s entered, and he’s also third ranked in combined career feature wins behind Foulger and Salinas’ Bobby Hogge IV. Other drivers to watch for this week include Kelly Campanile and James Graessle of Oakley, Al Johnson and son Albert Johnson of Antioch and rookie Trent Golden of Pittsburg.
Originally, the track only had four divisions booked due to a fifth option not being available. After Stockton was forced to cancel this weekend’s races due to a power issue at the fairgrounds, Promoter Chad Chadwick reached out to Mike Slaney of the Xtreme Late Model Series to see if his group would be willing to support an Antioch Late Model race. On Sunday, Slaney got the consensus from his drivers to support the Antioch date, and Late Models were added.
Last season, Rod Oliver of Yuba City used consistency to collect his first Antioch championship ahead of Auburn’s Ray Trimble. Trimble picked up a win at Marysville last Saturday, followed by division rookie Andrew Odgers of Mariposa and Vacaville’s Paul Guglielmoni. The Guglielmoni team fields multiple cars, and last season saw teammate Randy Shafer of Vacaville score an impressive win at Antioch.
Anthony Slaney of Martinez scored two Antioch wins last year, including the Larry Damitz Memorial. He also turned in a dominant effort in winning both the Xtreme Late Model and Placerville Late Model championships last season. Unfortunately, the mechanical gremlins got him last Saturday as he missed the green flag for the Marysville feature. Some of the other drivers to watch for Saturday include Shawn DeForest of Livermore, Tim Yeager of South San Francisco and Buddy Kniss of Oakley.
Rounding out the lineup will be the IMCA Stock Cars, who are entering their fifth championship season at Antioch. After notching yet another runner-up championship season, Rio Vista’s Jason Robles is hoping to dial it up a notch and compete for the title. Robles impressed with four feature wins last season, including the JD Willis Salute. Son Kenneth Robles of Rio Vista is a past Stock Car feature winner and was at the practice two weeks ago making some good laps.
Reigning champion Jason Jennings of Pittsburg had a hard crash at the Bill Bowers Memorial last year nearly end his Stock Car run. The team’s budget is limited, and they thought the car was destroyed. Fortunately, they were able to get the frame straightened, and he is anticipated this season. Brentwood’s Fred Ryland made good laps at the most recent practice, and some of the drivers to watch for this week include Mitch Machado of Rohnert Park, Dave Hill of South San Francisco, Chester Kniss of Antioch and rookie Jake Archibald of Oakley.
The newness of the season adds to the excitement. Fans will be seeing some new and newly refurbished race cars. All of the racers are looking to leave their mark. The exciting tradition of Antioch Speedway racing continues, and it’s anybody’s guess who will pick up the first feature wins of the season. You won’t want to miss it.
The gates will open at 4:00 with the first race starting at 6:00.
Adult tickets are $15, Senior/Military $15, Kids (5-12) $15 and kids four and under free.
For further information, go to http://www.raceantiochspeedway.com or check out the Antioch Speedway by PROmotions Facebook page.
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