Antioch, CA — Kenneth Robles of Rio Vista won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. The first win of the season for Robles was an emotional one as his team is mourning the loss of long time Antioch Speedway supporter Tom Fraser, who passed away two weeks earlier. Kenneth would dedicate the victory to him.
With a dozen cars in action, the eight lap heat race wins went to championship contenders Fred Ryland of Brentwood and Kenneth’s father Jason Robles of Rio Vista. After Dave Hill of San Francisco elected to start at the back, Kenneth Robles had a front row start for the feature race. Robles charged into the lead at the green flag ahead of point leader Troy Foulger and Jake Archibald, both of Oakley. Robles had his hands full with the persistent Foulger, while Archibald battled to keep Ryland behind him.
Ryland finally made a pass on the outside groove on Lap 9 to claim third as the leaders caught slower traffic. Robles made the right moves to keep Foulger at bay, but he caught a break when Foulger got sideways exiting Turn 4 on Lap 13 and slipped behind Ryland in third. At that point, Robles had a decent lead, but Ryland chipped away at it in the waning laps. However, Kenneth Robles stayed cool under pressure and collected the victory ahead of Ryland, Foulger, Jason Robles and Clarence Holbrook III of Galt.
Hunter Hammett of Oakley won the 20 lap Pacific Coast Hobby Stock Main Event. The second-generation racer had been in a minor slump for the previous two races, but he made a late surge to claim the lead and his third win of the season.
Heat race winner Jewell Crandall of Antioch had a front row start and charged into the early lead ahead of previous winner Taylor DeCarlo of Martinez. Oakley’s Charlie Bryant slipped into third on Lap 2, and a yellow flag waved on Lap 3 for a frontstretch tangle between James East of Oakley, Rick Rogers of San Pablo and point leader James Thomson of Pittsburg. Hammett took second behind Crandall on the restart. Bryant moved into third on the eighth lap before a yellow flag waved for Caiden Robles of Rio Vista and Paul DeLuca of Antioch.
Crandall led DeCarlo and Hammett on the next restart, but both Hammett and reigning champion Grayson Baca of Brentwood moved around DeCarlo on the 11th lap. A low move in Turn 4 of the 13th lap gained Baca second from Hammett, and he went low in Turn 4 again a lap later to take the lead from Crandall. Another yellow flag waved for a Turn 3 crash on Lap 15.
Baca continued to lead the restart with Hammett getting around Crandall for second. The final yellow flag waved on Lap 18 for Antioch’s Josh Applebaum. Baca led Hammett and Crandall on the single file restart, but Hammett got a run on the inside of Baca on the final lap, making his winning maneuver as they exited the final turn. Hammett won ahead of Baca, Crandall, Maddie Motts of San Pablo and Aidan Ponciano of Oakley.
Trevor Clymens of Brentwood won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. The three-time champion was able to make his winning move on Lap 9 and went on to score the impressive victory.
Following a Turn 2 crash that forced a complete restart, Oakley’s Jason Ryan Jr jumped into the early lead ahead of Oakley’s Kelly Campanile and Mark Garner of Antioch. Clymens moved into third on Lap 2 and used an inside pass on the frontstretch a lap later to grab second before a yellow flag waved for Buddy Kniss of Oakley. Ryan continued to lead Clymens and Garner on the restart. Clymens started challenging Ryan before making a low pass in Turn 4 of the ninth lap for the lead.
Meanwhile, Watsonville point leader Danny Wagner of Bay Point moved past Garner in an intense battle for third. A yellow flag waved on Lap 12 with Garner making contact with Wagner after the yellow flag flew. Both drivers pitted, and Clymens led Brentwood’s Fred Ryland and Ryan on the restart. Clymens led Ryland and Ryan through a pair of restarts during the final 10 laps, and they would finish in that order. Al Johnson of Antioch and Kniss rounded out the Top 5 at the checkered flag.
Kyle Mentch of Alameda won the 15 lap 600 Micro Sprint Main Event. The third-generation racer was making his first start of the season, and he became the third different winner in as many races.
Championship hopeful Devon Zuffa of Oakley won the heat race and took the early Main Event lead ahead of Mentch and Aniyah Scott of Brentwood. Zuffa and Mentch began battling for the lead before Mentch made an inside pass on the back stretch on Lap 7 to take over. Mentch set a rapid pace in the waning laps and brought home the victory, followed by Zuffa, Scott, Buddy Chappell of San Jose and Charlie Kight of Antioch.
Troy Foulger of Oakley won his third IMCA Modified 15 lap Main Event. Foulger led from the outset with Friday night Watsonville winner Nick DeCarlo of Martinez in pursuit from start to finish. Eric Berendsen of Antioch ended up third.
Racing resumes next Saturday night with the Cameron Martin Memorial race for the Hunt Magnetos Wingless Spec Sprint Series. Also competing will be the Late Models, Dwarf Cars, Mini Stocks and the Valley Sportsman/Hardtop division. For further information, go to www.raceantiochspeedway.com or check out the Antioch Speedway by PROmotions Facebook page.
Race Results
IMCA Stock Cars
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Fred Ryland, Jason Robles. Main Event (20 Laps)-Kenneth Robles, Fred Ryland, Troy Foulger, Jason Robles, Clarence Holbrook III, Les Friend, Todd Gomez, Blaze Hill, Scott Foster, Nick Friend.
Pacific Coast Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Taylor DeCarlo, Jewell Crandall, Josh Appelbaum. Main Event (20 Laps)-Hunter Hammett, Grayson Baca, Jewell Crandall, Maddie Motts, Aidan Ponciano, James Thomson, Taylor DeCarlo, Charlie Bryant, Nicholas Garner, Jesse Paladino.
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Jason Ryan Jr, Danny Wagner. Main Event (20 Laps)-Trevor Clymens, Fred Ryland, Jason Ryan Jr, Al Johnson, Buddy Kniss, Danny Wagner, Jeff Bentancourt, Michael Drew, James Graessle, Cameron Swank.
600 Micro Sprints
Heat Winner (8 Laps)-Devon Zuffa. Main Event (15 Laps)-Kyle Mentch, Devon Zuffa, Aniyah Scott, Buddy Chappell, Charlie Kight, Ryan Dotson DNS
IMCA Modifieds
Heat Winner (8 Laps)-Troy Foulger. Main Event (15 Laps)-Troy Foulger, Nick DeCarlo, Eric Berendsen.
