Antioch, CA — With most of the championships decided at Antioch Speedway, the track is ready to present some of its biggest races of the year in the coming weeks. This begins on Saturday night with the Sixth Annual Bill Bowers Memorial race, featuring the IMCA sanctioned Modifieds, Sport Modifieds and Stock Cars along with the Pacific Coast Hobby Stocks.
Bill Bowers was inducted into the Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame posthumously in 2021 for his contributions to the sport as an engine man and car owner. He teamed up with fellow Hall of Fame member JD Willis to win many races through the years. These days, Bill’s son, Billy Bowers, continues the family’s winning tradition by fielding the cars being driven to victory by Troy Foulger of Oakley.
Antioch Speedway Promoter Chad Chadwick made his foray into racing promotions with the 2019 West Coast Nationals. Chadwick revived the name used by former Track Manager Brynda Bockover for the track’s biggest Modified events from 1993 through 1997. He promoted a race paying $7,000 to win in 2019, and Kellen Chadwick of Oakley made a late move in traffic to steal the victory from Bobby Hogge IV of Salinas.
Bowers was a long time friend of Chadwick’s. When he passed away in December of 2019, the West Coast Nationals was renamed the Bill Bowers Memorial. This event has undergone some changes this year. The racing will happen on Saturday night with extra money on the line in all of the featured divisions.
Traditionally, this has been a two-day event, but management has made the Friday portion of the weekend a special practice session. It will include grudge matches between some of the drivers, an open practice for any division and a pit party. The evening will conclude with a Cornhole Tournament. Trevor Clymens and Mark Garner have put the party and tournament together.
On Saturday, the bigger payday will go to the IMCA Modified division, where drivers will receive a minimum of $200 to start the feature race. The win will be worth $2,049 with second receiving $1,490 and third $1,049. There will be a $250 Hard Charger bonus to the driver gaining the most positions from start to finish and a $100 award for the Hard Luck Driver. All 40 laps of the Main Event are sponsored at $50 each, which will go to the driver who leads each lap.
To date, there have been no repeat winners in the IMCA Modified portion of the show. Jacob Hobscheidt of Plattsmouth, Nebraska drove the Sean Wilson car to victory in 2020, with Ryan McDaniel of Olivehurst winning the following year. Bobby Hogge IV won in 2022 with Nick DeCarlo of Martinez and Andrew Pearce of Oakley winning the following two races.
It’s interesting to note that even though Foulger has won an unprecedented seven IMCA Modified championships at Antioch Speedway, he has yet to win this race. He has, however, been the only driver to get a Top 5 finish in the first five races. Foulger’s numbers include a pair of seconds, a third and two fourths. Following his win in the championship finale two weeks ago, it would seem Foulger is on target to finally get the win in this race.
The IMCA Sport Modified division will be racing for $1,049 to win with second receiving $749. Just taking the green flag nets the driver a minimum of $100. Like the Modifieds, there will be a $250 Hard Charger and $100 Hard Luck Driver award.
Kenny Shrader of Pacheco has won the preliminary Main Event when this was a two-day show, but he’s never won on the bigger money night. He did, however, capture the $1,500 paycheck for winning the 2019 West Coast Nationals. Shrader had a DNS in the point finale nearly cost him this year’s championship, but he still managed to hold off Oakley’s Jason Ryan Jr by one point to win his unprecedented third-consecutive Sport Modified title.
2019 IMCA State champion Guy Ahlwardt of Antioch picked up the victory in the first Bill Bowers Memorial for Sport Modifieds with three-time Antioch champion Fred Ryland of Brentwood claiming the honors a year later. Before going on to win the 2024 State championship with the Modifieds, Jacob Mallet Jr of Oakley was the 2022 Sport Modified State champion and Bowers Memorial winner for that class. Mark Garner of Antioch won the 2023 race, and Jason Ryan Jr was the 2024 Bowers Memorial winner.
The competition level always seems to rise with the money on the line, leading to drivers coming to town from some of the other California tracks. That’s expected to be the case again this weekend. Last season, three-time Antioch champion Trevor Clymens of Brentwood had a Top 3 finish in both the Sport Modifieds and Hobby Stocks and would like to make a play for the big payday this weekend.
Antioch Speedway wrapped up it’s successful fifth season for the IMCA Stock Cars. However, the first race it held under the IMCA rule set was at the 2020 Bill Bowers Memorial, a race won by Troy Foulger. Though Foulger is still looking for his first Modified win, he has three Stock Car victories. The 2021 race went to Nicholas Johnson of Bakersfield, with Rick Dias of Los Banos winning it a year later.
Foulger has won the last two Bowers Memorial IMCA Stock Car races, and his win in the point finale two weeks ago was his third of the season in Stock Cars. However, Fred Ryland of Brentwood has been the man to beat this year. His IMCA Stock Car championship season included five wins. Likewise, State champion Austin Van Hoff of Chowchilla, Mitch Machado of Rohnert Park, Mitch Enos of Manteca and the father-son duo of Jason Robles and Kenneth Robles of Rio Vista will be hoping to claim this week’s bigger prize.
Two years ago, the Pacific Coast Hobby Stocks were added to this event, and not surprisingly, Jared Baugh of Pittsburg picked up the win in the 2023 race. Baugh has been very fast in the #07 car for the past few years and has collected two wins in his limited starts this season. In fact, both Aidan Ponciano of Oakley and James Thomson of Pittsburg have won in the #07 car this year as well. Last season’s win went to Chester Kniss of Antioch.
This race only has a slight purse increase for the Hobby Stocks, but the special meaning of the occasion is sure to get a good field of competitors. On October 18th, the speedway will be featuring The Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stock Nationals. That race will will pay $3,000 to win with a minimum of $300 just to take the green flag.
There are likely to be a few entries from out of town, but some of the local hard chargers to watch for this week include two-time champion Grayson Baca of Brentwood, Jewell Crandall of Antioch, Charlie Bryant and Hunter Hammett, both of Oakley, and Jesse Paladino of Brentwood.
This is the race that everybody wants to win, especially those who knew Bill Bowers. It’s also the final opportunity for the drivers in the IMCA sanctioned divisions to compete on the 3/8 mile clay oval and a good tune-up for the Hobby Stock drivers leading into next month’s Nationals.
The Friday night portion of the event is a closed grandstands occasion, but anybody is welcome to come to the pits at $30 per person and watch the practice and grudge matches, join the party and be a part of the Cornhole Tournament.
The gates will open at 5:00 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.
Past Bill Bowers Memorial Winners
IMCA Modifieds
- 2020 Jacob Hobscheidt
- 2021 Ryan McDaniel
- 2022 Bobby Hogge IV
- 2023 Nick DeCarlo
- 2024 Andrew Pearce
IMCA Sports Modifieds
- 2020 Guy Ahlwardt
- 2021 Fred Ryland
- 2022 Jacob Mallet Jr
- 2023 Mark Garner
- 2024 Jason Ryan Jr
IMCA Stock Cars
- 2020 Troy Foulger
- 2021 Nicholas Johnson
- 2020 Rick Diaz
- 2023 Troy Foulger
- 2024 Troy Foulger
Previous
- Sept. 23 – Baca Wraps Up Championship With Victory, DeForest, Johnson, Gentry, Dennett, Brown Other Winners at Antioch Speedway
- Sept. 16 – Ryan Wins The Race, Shrader Champion In Dramatic Finish At Antioch Speedway
- Sept. 9 – DJ Johnson Wins Panfilli Cup, Hannagan, Higgins, Linde, Russell Antioch Speedway Winners
- Aug 26 – Ryland Is A Double Winner, Hogge, Slaney, DeCarlo Win JD Willis Salute at Antioch Speedway
- Aug 19 – Jared Baugh Wins Dean Cline Classic, Alfred Johnson Scores First Win At Antioch Speedway
- Aug 12 – Smith Wins Workman Communications 50 at Antioch Speedway
- July 29 – Morgan Wins Hunt Series, Baugh Wins Hobby Stock Thriller at Antioch Speedway
- July 22 – Thomson, Young, Shrader, Machado, Mentch, Brown Score Antioch Speedway Wins
- July 1 – Foulger Wins His Third Hetrick Memorial Saturday Night at Antioch Speedway
- June 24 – Jake Morgan Wins Cameron Martin Memorial at Antioch Speedway
- June 17 – Clymens, Shafer, Baca, Ryland, Smith Win On Fan Appreciation Night at Antioch Speedway
- June 10 – East Wins Thriller At Antioch Speedway, Newberry, Catucci, Learn Score Wins
- June 4 – Smith, Slaney, Newberry, Catucci, Rasmussen, Gentry Are Larry Damitz Memorial Winners
- May 20 – Hogge Scores 80th Career Antioch Speedway Win In IMCA Modified All Star Challenge
- May 13 – Netto Wins Contra Costa County Clash at Antioch Speedway
- May 6 – Slaney, Johnson, Ryland, Pearce, Brown Are Soares Memorial Winners at Antioch Speedway
- 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
