First wins for Paul Guglielmoni in DIRTcar Late Models and Patti Ryland in IMCA SportMods at Antioch Speedway, Saturday night
Antioch, CA – Paul Guglielmoni knew Jeff Decker had beaten him time and time again, but he wasn’t about to have that happen in Saturday night’s DIRTcar Late Model Stock Car main event at Antioch Speedway. Guglielmoni drove perfectly to score his first win in the nationally sanctioned division, out-running Decker and Troy Foulger in a spectacular finish.
Guglielmoni, from Vacaville, saw the front nose of Decker’s car along side his driver-side door going into the turns lap after lap – and through several restarts – but he was able to pull away as they headed down the straightaways.
“Jeff (Decker) was fast, and he raced me clean,” Guglielmoni said in victory lane. “I just kept watching the score board and tried not to make any mistakes. I don’t think I’ve been able to beat him on a restart in a few years. I just tried to be consistent and hit my marks.”
Guglielmoni drove flawlessly. Decker, from Morgan Hill, tried the low side of the track, but it did not give him the traction needed to get past Guglielmoni in the turns.
“I’m glad Paul (Guglielmoni) won – he deserved to win,” Decker said. “Paul ran the perfect line. I tried to get underneath him to pass, but my car couldn’t get enough bite down low. I was driving offensively and defensively at the same time – trying to pass Paul and stay ahead of the guys behind me.”
One red flag flew when the car driven by Dennis Souza of Pescadero flipped going into the first turn. Souza was freed from the upside down late model and unharmed by the 100 mph crash.
Guglielmoni maintained the lead at the restart, while Troy Foulger of Martinez worked his Oakley based Bill Bowers late model through the pack. Foulger pressed hard to get by Chico’s Richard Papenhausen.
Closing ground on Guglielmoni and Decker, Foulger was making a run for the win. With the white flag waving, it was Decker on the inside and Foulger on the outside – both sharing Guglielmoni’s back bumper. Papenhausen was right behind the top three to cross the line in fourth. Danny Malfatti of Hayward scored his best finish to date in taking home fifth place.
“What a race!” Foulger said as he congratulated Guglielmoni after the victory. “That was fun. Paul (Guglielmoni) had a perfect run.”
Guglielmoni thanked his crew chief, Milt McGinnis, after the race.
“We had a great car, a smooth track, and clean racing – that made the difference,” Guglielmoni said.
A Different Ryland Victorious in IMCA SportMod Feature
Everyone was wondering if IMCA National point leader Fred Ryland of Brentwood would continue his streak and win a 10th IMCA SportMod feature event Saturday night.
But it was a different Ryland who took the checkered flag – Fred’s wife Patti scored her first career win on her third time out in an IMCA SportMod racecar.
Patti Ryland, who works in the aerospace industry, was launched to stardom in the speedway’s hobby stock division and became one of the division’s most winning drivers. This year she moved up to the IMCA SportMods.
“My goal was to finish in the top five,” Patti Ryland laughed in victory lane. “I guess a win is a top five finish.”
Fred Ryland was stuck back in the pack, working his way up to the front. He was in the new car number ‘7J’ and his wife was driving his old number ‘7’ car.
“I kept waiting for Fred to show up,” said Patti Ryland. “I looked at the scoreboard lap after lap and never saw another ‘7’ appear. I was wondering what happened to him.”
Right behind Patti Ryland was Antioch’s Ron Brown, who was sporting a colorful new SportMod.
“Second on my second day driving – not bad,” quipped Brown. “A few changes and I will have this down.”
Brown moved from the speedway’s limited late model division to the SportMod division.
Ryland’s local rival, Keith Bown, Jr. of Pittsburg finished third in a valiant drive to catch Ron Brown (no relation).
“Everybody was fast tonight,” Keith Brown, Jr. said. “The bottom of the track was not all the way in yet. I did what I could down there.”
Paul Mulder of Pleasanton was fourth, with Fred Ryland challenging him at the finish.
Fred Ryland leads the nation in the hotly contested IMCA SportMod division. His goal is to be the first national champion from California.
“I have my plan in place,” Ryland said. “The guys from Iowa will be the ones to watch as their season gets into full swing. I know what I need to do to win the championship, and will be trying my best to do it.”
High School Sophomore Teves Wins in Dwarf Car Division
Concord’s Adam Teves, a 15-year-old high school sophomore, scored his second win of the year in the Dwarf Car division. Teves was able to build a lead that Bay Point’s Danny Wagner could not shrink.
“I wasn’t worried at all about who was behind me,” Teves said in victory lane. “I just decided to race the track – and drive the fastest I could by finding the best line lap after lap.”
Wagner was bearing down on him at the finish.
“It was just too late by time I got to him,” Wagner said. “I was hung up in traffic and he (Teves) was pretty fast.”
Fisher Fast
Veteran Roy Fisher of Antioch won the Wingless Sprint Car feature unchallenged.
“This is the best track surface that I have ever raced on,” he said in victory lane. “It is the smoothest it has ever been – which suits my driving style.”
Ryan Sieverling finished second, with Marcus Smith third. NFL star Jeremy Newberry scored fourth, followed by Rick Panfilli.
Hobby Stock Feature Under Review
Brian Zachary of Oakley unofficially won the Hobby Stock feature. No official results will be posted until track officials review technical inspection findings on all of the top five cars.
Saturday Night, April 18 at Antioch Speedway
IMCA Modified stock cars headline the program at Antioch Speedway on Saturday night April 18, with the Northern All Stars Wingless Sprint Car, Limited Late Model, Hobby Stock, and Dwarf Car divisions each in a full program of qualification races and feature events.
Antioch Speedway is located within the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds, 1201 W. 10th St. in Antioch, Calif. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens, and $10 for children 6-12. Children under six years old are admitted free. A family four pack of tickets is $40. Secured parking is offered by the Fairgrounds for $5. Racing begins at 6:30 p.m. For more information visit the Antioch Speedway’s Facebook page, here.
Race Results for Saturday night, April 11, 2015
Late Models
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Jeff Decker, Richard Papenhausen
Main Event (20 Laps)-Paul Guglielmoni, Decker, Troy Foulger, Papenhausen, Danny Malfati.
Sport Modifieds
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Chuck Golden, Patti Ryland
Main Event (20 Laps)-P. Ryland, Ron Brown, Keith Brown Jr., Paul Mulder, Fred Ryland.
Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Kimo Oreta, Danny Jones
Main Event (20 Laps)-Brian Zachary, Jason Jennings, Nick Baldwin. Jeremy Jennings, Calvin Louis Jr.
Wingless Spec Sprints
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Kyle Bakkie, Jeremy Newberry
Main Event (20 Laps)-Roy Fisher, Ryon Siverling, Marcus Smith, Newberry, Rick Panfili.
Dwarf Cars
Heat Winners (6 Laps)-Jack Haverty, Kevin Miraglio, David Teves.
Main Event (20 Laps)-Adam Teves, Danny Wagner, Thomas Leiby, Miraglio, Mike Corsaro.
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