Antioch, CA — On the heels of a successful season opener, Antioch Speedway is preparing for one of its biggest races of the year this Saturday night. It’s the Seventh Annual Bill Bowers Memorial, which will pay tribute to Hall of Famer Bill Bowers.
Bowers built a great reputation as an engine builder, car owner and a friend to the racers. He was always willing to lend a helping hand, and his motors won many races through the years. This is an event that people who knew him want to be a part of.
Saturday’s show will feature the IMCA Modifieds, Sport Modifieds and Stock Cars along with the Pacific Coast Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks and the Hardtop/Valley Sportsman division.
The IMCA Modifieds will be competing for $2,000 to win with the runner-up getting $1,000, while the IMCA Stock Car and Sport Modified divisions will have a $750 payday for the winner. Thanks to sponsorship from Southern Oregon Speedway Promoter Travis Hoppes, all of the Hard Charger and Hard Luck Driver Award winners will receive $125 payouts, and Competition Carburetion is sponsoring the fast lap award.
Seven-time reigning IMCA Modified champion Troy Foulger of Oakley may come into this race as the early favorite to win. Foulger won this race last year as well as in 2022. However, 2024 winner Andrew Pearce of Oakley was fast at the season opener and figures to be a part of the conversation.
2023 race winner Nick DeCarlo of Martinez is also anticipated this week. Though Bobby Hogge IV of Salinas has won over 80 Main Events at Antioch Speedway, a win in this race has alluded him. Last season was his best effort in third behind 2021 winner Ryan McDaniel of Olivehurst. Reigning Watsonville Speedway champion Jim Pettit II of Prunedale is anticipated along with Matt Kampfraat of Granit Bay, Tyler Browne of Antioch and Kate Robertson of Reno, Nevada.
Foulger has also proven to be pretty dominant in the IMCA Stock Car portion of the Bowers Memorial race. The division made its Antioch Speedway debut at the Bowers race in 2020, and Foulger won that race ahead of Nicholas Johnson of Bakersfield. Johnson won the race a year later, but Foulger has won the last four of these events as well as last week’s championship season opener. The driver who could give him the biggest challenge is Jason Robles of Rio Vista, who finished second last week after winning the heat race.
Reigning IMCA Stock Car champion Fred Ryland of Brentwood had a fast car last week, but after wrestling third from Dave Hill of South San Francisco, he wasn’t able to overcome the distance to challenge for the victory. Like Foulger, Ryland had five feature victories in Stock Car competition last year. A few drivers are anticipated from out of the area as well as local stars such as division newcomer Todd Gomez of Antioch, 2024 State champion Scott Foster and Kenneth Robles of Rio Vista.
With three IMCA Sport Modified championships at Antioch Speedway to his credit and over 40 wins in this division alone, Fred Ryland may enter the Sport Modified race as the driver to beat. He has won two Bowers Memorial races in 2025 and 2021. Ryland won the season opener ahead of reigning Merced Speedway champion Tanner Thomas of Atwater, who is anticipated this week.
2024 winner Jason Ryan Jr of Oakley and 2023 winner Mark Garner of Antioch are anticipated this week as well. With runner-up finishes last year and in 2023, three-time Antioch champion Trevor Clymens of Brentwood is hoping to claim his first Bowers Memorial victory as is 2024 runner-up Danny Wagner of Bay Point, who won the IMCA State championship last season.
As with the other two IMCA divisions, it’s anticipated that a few drivers will be coming in from out of the area. Following his best finish yet in third last week, Jeff Bentancourt of Brentwood is anticipated along with Al Johnson of Antioch, Trent Golden of Pittsburg and Kelly Campanile of Oakley.
The talk of the track last week was the Pacific Coast Hobby Stock division. As the last division to roll onto the track for the night, they ran a 20 lap Main Event with no yellow flags and plenty of excitement from start to finish. Aidan Ponciano and Hunter Hammett, both of Oakley, battled fiercely to the checkered flag with Ponciano coming out the winner. Considering the hard luck he had last season, Ponciano is making no grand predictions, but he is expected to be fast this week.
The Hobby Stocks were added to the Bowers Memorial three years ago, and the most recent victory went to 2020 track champion James Thomson of Pittsburg. Thomson also drove to a third place finish last week, making him a strong contender for the Bowers victory. Chester Kniss of Antioch won the race in 2024 with Jared Baugh of Pittsburg the 2023 winner.
Following Top 5 finishes last week, Brodie Garner of Oakley and Daniel Broderick of Vacaville will be hoping to collect their first Antioch wins this week. Others anticipated this week include Jesse Paladino of Brentwood, Maddie Motts of San Pablo, Nicky Skidmore of Benicia and Antioch residents Jewell Crandall and Haley Gomez.
The MTZ Auto Hardtop/Valley Sportsman division gets to be a part of the Bowers Memorial race, which makes sense. Back in the days when the Sportsman division was featured at Antioch Speedway, Bowers and fellow Antioch Speedway Hall of Famer JD Willis teamed up for several Sportsmen victories. Multi-time Merced Speedway champions Rick Elliott of Manteca and Mike Gillard of Atwater are anticipated this week.
Three-time reigning Antioch champion Joel Hannagan of San Jose has been busy this year with three victories at Merced Speedway giving him the point lead there. They have Doug Braudrick’s Junkyard Dog dialed in to perfection. Last season’s point runner up Don Slaney of Martinez is anticipated this week, along with Joe Shenefield of Roseville.
Damien Curl of Oakley will make his debut in grandfather Brad Coelho’s car, and Jeff Pike of Granite Bay debuts a Hardtop he built in tribute to the Case family, who competed at Vallejo Speedway in the 1960s and 1970s.
The Mini Stocks will be in action to round out the program, and Santa Rosa’s Tom Brown enters the season as a four-time Antioch champion. Brown finished second at Petaluma in their season opener last week, and Oakland’s Matt Wirth had a good showing that night in fifth. Wirth was third in the standings last season behind Rookie Of The Year Ryder Holmen of Oakley, who is also anticipated this week.
This Saturday’s event isn’t just another race. It’s a special occasion that will pay tribute to one of the legends of Antioch Speedway in Bill Bowers. The extra money being paid among the IMCA divisions should draw a few new racing teams, and the Pacific Coast Hobby Stocks always deliver excitement and thrills to the fans.
The gates will open at 5:00 with the first race starting at 6:00.
Adult tickets are $20, 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.
IMCA Modifieds
- 2025 Troy Foulger
- 2024 Andrew Pearce
- 2023 Nick DeCarlo
- 2022 Troy Foulger
- 2021 Ryan McDaniel
- 2020 Jacob Hobscheidt
IMCA Sport Modifieds
- 2025 Fred Ryland
- 2024 Jason Ryan Jr
- 2023 Mark Garner
- 2022 Kenny Shrader
- 2021 Fred Ryland
- 2020 Guy Ahlwardt
IMCA Stock Cars
- 2025 Troy Foulger
- 2024 Troy Foulger
- 2023 Troy Foulger
- 2022 Troy Foulger
- 2021 Nicholas Johnson
- 2020 Troy Foulger
Pacific Coast Hobby Stocks
- 2025 James Thomson
- 2024 Chester Kniss
- 2023 Jared Baugh
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