Antioch, CA — Anthony Slaney of Martinez won the 25 lap Late Model Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. Slaney is the reigning Xtreme Late Model Series champion. This was the 10th Annual Soares Memorial race, paying tribute to the longtime promoting family of Antioch Speedway and Petaluma Speedway.
Paul Gulielmoni of Vacaville took the lead on the second lap following a Turn 4 crash that involved incoming point leader Rod Oliver of Yuba City, Tim Yeager of Belmont and Auburn’s Ray Trimble. Slaney took the lead from Gulielmoni on the restart with Livermore’s Shawn DeForest settling into third. Slaney began to pull away from the pack, leaving an intense battle between Guglielmoni and DeForest for second.
By the 15th lap, Slaney held a half-lap lead ahead of Guglielmoni. DeForest made a high move in Turn 4 on Lap 17 to take the second spot from Gulielmoni, only to spin and collect Guglielmoni for the yellow flag. Slaney led Trimble and Yaeger on the restart and pulled away to a straightaway advantage by the time the checkered flag flew. Trimble settled for second ahead of Yeager, Guglielmoni and Oliver.
Ethan Johnson of Bakersfield won the 20 lap Pacific Coast Hobby Stock Main Event. It was a double win weekend for Johnson, who picked up the victory at Watsonville a night earlier. Johnson had a little luck on his side as trouble in traffic ended the run up front for Aidan Ponciano of Oakley.
Larry McKinzie Jr of Discovery Bay set the early pace ahead of Brentwood’s Grayson Baca and Johnson. There was a yellow flag after just one lap, and Baca took the lead from McKinzie on the restart. Johnson quickly struck to second, and a high move in Turn 4 of the third lap put Ponciano into third. Baca and Johnson began an intense battle for the lead that lasted for several laps. The leaders caught a slower car as they were working Lap 12, and there was contact between Baca and Johnson in Turn 2. This allowed Ponciano to race into the lead as Johnson recovered in second.
The leaders were negotiating heavy traffic when a slower car swerved into the path of Ponciano on the frontstretch on Lap 17. Ponciano ended up with a flat tire for the yellow flag. Johnson found himself back in front. There were two yellow flags in the final three laps, but Johnson held off a determined Baca for the victory. James Thomson of Pittsburg finished third, followed by James East of Oakley and the resurgent Ponciano.
Fred Ryland Brentwood won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. This was the second win of the season for the three-time division champion. It was also his 41st career win in this division. Counting his IMCA Stock Car feature win earlier in the evening, Ryland now has 78 combined victories at the track.
Al Johnson of Pittsburg set the early pace ahead of Ryland and Trent Golden of Pittsburg. A low pass in Turn 4 of the fourth lap gained Ryland the lead from Johnson. State point later Danny Wagner of Bay Point slipped into third on Lap 8 and began pressuring Johnson, who was trailing Ryland by a straightaway.
However, Ryland’s big lead was erased by a Lap 10 yellow flag. Ryland continued to lead the restart with Wagner getting past Johnson for second. Friday night Watsonville winner Jason Ryan Jr of Oakley got around Johnson for third on Lap 13 before the final yellow flag of the race flew for Golden. Ryland led the restart and the remaining circuits for the victory. Wagner settled for second ahead of Ryan, incoming point leader Kenny Shrader at Pacheco and Phil Marino of Chico.
Andrew Pearce of Oakley won the 20 lap IMCA Modified Main Event. This was his second win of the season and it came despite serious pressure from incoming point leader Troy Foulger of Oakley.
Pearce set the pace from the drop of the green flag, followed by Chris Sieweke of Santa Rosa and Jacob Mallet of Oakley. Foulger moved into third on the second lap and made a backstretch pass on Lap 6 to take second from Sieweke. Salinas’s Bobby Hogge IV moved into third a lap later. However, Pearce held nearly a straightaway advantage at that point.
That lead was erased when Carl Berendsen II of Antioch brought out a Lap 10 yellow flag. As Pearce led the restart, Hogge slipped past Foulger for second, but Foulger made a low pass in Turn 4 a lap later to regain the position. During the final 10 laps, Pearce felt the pressure from Foulger and Hogge, but he stayed smooth and picked up the victory. Foulger setted for second ahead of Hogge, Clark Gulielmoni of Vacaville and Tyler Browne of Pittsburg.
Fred Ryland of Brentwood won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. The win came after he took the lead on a late race restart from State Point leader Austin Van Hoff of Chowchilla.
Van Hoff set the early pace ahead of Kenneth Robles and Jason Robles, both of Rio Vista. The two Robles cars and Ryland had a close battle going for second, and Jason Robles made a backstretch pass on Lap 7 to gain the position. By then, Van Hoff had a straightaway advantage. Ryland had also maneuvered into third. A yellow flag waved for Jake Archibald of Oakley in Turn 2 on Lap 10, and Jason Robles pitted with a flat.
Van Hoff led Ryland and Kenneth Robles on the restart, and the final yellow flag waved on Lap 17 when Kenneth Robles got into the Turn 2 wall. Ryland had just made a pass for the lead on the back stretch, only to have it negated by the late the yellow flag. On the exciting restart lap, Ryland and Mitch Enos of Manteca both made a play on Van Hoff for the lead on the backstretch, but Ryland made a strong inside move to take the lead. Ryland brought it home to victory with Van Hoff settling for second ahead of Enos, Archibald and Kenneth Robles.
Tom Brown of Santa Rosa won the 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event. Brown is the current point leader at Petaluma Speedway and the reigning champion at both Petaluma and Antioch.
Jason Higgins of Santa Rosa set the early pace ahead of Brown and Michael Valente of Penngrove. Higgins and Brown began to pull away from the pack in a side by side battle, but Brown made the pass at the start-finish line on Lap 5 to take the lead. Brown didn’t quite pull away from Higgins during the remaining distance, but he prevailed at the checkered flag with Higgins a close second. Valente settled for third ahead of newcomer Ryder Holmen of Antioch and Jackie Price of Antioch.
Racing resumes next Saturday night with the first of two scheduled visits from the NARC Winged 410 Sprint Cars. This is the Third Annual Contra Costa Clash. The Sprint Cars will be joined by the BCRA and WMR Midgets for the Second Annual Ken Graunstadt Memorial. For further information, go to www.raceantiochspeedway.com.
Race Results
IMCA Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Tyler Browne, Matt Kampfraat. Main Event (20 Laps)-Andrew Pearce, Troy Foulger, Bobby Hogge IV, Clark Guglielmoni, Tyler Browne, Jonathan Hagio, Jacob Mallet Jr, Paul Guglielmoni, Carl Berendsen II, Matt Kampfraat.
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Danny Wagner, Trent Golden. Main Event (20 Laps)-Fred Ryland, Danny Wagner, Jason Ryan Jr, Kenny Shrader, Phil Marino, Tommy Clymens Jr, Al Johnson, Joseph Pato, Trevor Clymens, Scott Savell.
Pacific Coast Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Hunter Hammett, Ethan Johnson, Larry McKinzie Jr. Main Event (20 Laps)-Ethan Johnson, Grayson Baca, James Thomson, James East, Aidan Ponciano, Jesse Paladino, Michaela Taylor, Larry McKinzie Jr, Ryan Smith, Maddie Motts.
IMCA Stock Cars
Heat Winner (8 Laps)-Kenneth Robles. Main Event (20 Laps)-Fred Ryland, Austin Van Hoff, Mitch Enos, Jake Archibald, Kenneth Robles, Les Friend, Jared Baugh, Mike Ficklin, Jason Robles.
Late Models
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Andrew Odgers, Anthony Slaney. Main Event (20 Laps)-Anthony Slaney, Ray Trimble, Tim Yaeger, Paul Guglielmoni, Rod Oliver, Chris Sieweke, Shawn DeForest, Andrew Odgers, Tyler Lightfoot DNS.
Mini Stocks
Heat Winner (6 Laps)-Tom Brown. Main Event (15 Laps)-Tom Brown, Jason Higgins, Micahel Valente, Ryder Holmen, Jackie Price.
Previous Races
- May 2 – 10th Annual Soares Memorial Set For Saturday at Antioch Speedway
- April 29 – Morgan Wins Hunt Series Race at Antioch Speedway
- April 22 – Ponciano Rebounds For Antioch Speedway Win, Ryland, Pearce, Foulger Also Victorious
- April 15 – Young, Shrader, Catucci, Mentch, Gillard Win at Antioch Speedway
- April 8 – Bobby Hogge Scores 70th Win at Antioch Speedway
- April 4 – New Championship Season Begins Saturday At Antioch Speedway
