By Candice Martin, DCRR Racing Media 

Antioch, CA…April 22…Kenny Shrader of Pacheco won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. Last year’s Bill Bowers Memorial winner had led several laps a week ago before mechanical gremlins sent him to the sidelines.

2019 champion Tommy Fraser of Antioch took the early lead ahead of Shrader, but Shrader moved into the lead on a Lap 4 restart ahead of Jason Ryan Jr of Oakley. However, Fraser went around the outside of Ryan to take second on Lap 5. Ryan hit the wall after relinquishing third to Mark Garner of Antioch on Lap 15. Shrader drove a flawless race and scored the victory ahead of Fraser. Reigning champion Fred Ryland of Brentwood made a late move to finish third ahead of Garner and Trevor Clymens of Brentwood.

Grayson Baca of Brentwood won the 20 lap Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stock Main Event. Aidan Ponciano of Oakley took the early lead ahead of Taylor DeCarlo of Martinez, but Baca and Danny Wagner of Bay Point moved into second and third on Lap 6. Baca slipped past Ponciano for the lead on Lap 8 before a yellow flag waved for a spin in Turn 4.

Baca led the restart as Wagner got around Ponciano for second. However, Wagner made contact with a slower car in Turn 4 as he attempted to get around Baca for the lead. This resulted in a flat tire as Baca regained the lead. Ponciano was back in second, but he spun in turn 4, handing second to Michaela Taylor of Oakley. Baca Led the rest of the way for the win ahead of Taylor, Ken Johns of Antioch, Jared Baugh of Pittsburg and DeCarlo

Five-time IMCA Modified champion Troy Foulger of Martinez won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. Reigning champion Travis Dutra of Concord set the early pace ahead of Jason Robles of Rio Vista and Raymond Noland of Porterville. However, Noland got sideways in Turn 4, resulting in Robles spinning to avoid contact for a yellow flag on Lap 5. Dutra found himself in a serious challenge for the lead on the restart, and a three-wide run going through Turns 3 and 4 resulted in Foulger using the middle line to take the lead. Noland motored his way into second at that point. Brentwood’s Fred Ryland made a Turn 2 pass on Dutra for third on Lap 11. Foulger built a straightaway advantage over the remaining laps to win ahead of Noland, Ryland, Dutra and Robles.

Tom Davis of Los Molinos won the 20 lap Print Club Mini Stock Main Event. Santa Rosa’s Tom Brown raced into the early lead ahead of Davis, but Davis used an outside frontstretch pass on Lap 6 to take the lead. Pittsburg’s Don Abitz was running a close third, but he got slowed up in traffic and fell behind the leaders. A low move in Turn 2 on Lap 8 put Brown back into the lead, but he again surrendered the point to Davis in Turn 4 two laps later. Davis led the rest of the way to win ahead of Brown, Abitz, Patrick Kelley of Clovis and David Carson of Antioch.

Racing continues next week with the NARC Fujitsu Winged 410 Sprint Cars in action for their lone appearance of the season. The IMCA Modifieds kick off their championship season along with a NorCal/Delta Dwarf Car shootout and IMCA Stock Cars. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Unofficial Race Results – Antioch Speedway April 22

IMCA Sport Modifieds 

Heat winners (8 laps)-Kenny Shrader, Kelly Campanile. Main Event (20 laps)-Kenny Shrader, Tommy Fraser, Fred Ryland, Mark Garner, Trevor Clymens, Jacob Mallet Jr, Joseph Pato, Kelly Campanile, Matt Pitts, Jason Ryan Jr.

Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stocks

Heat Winners (8 laps)-Kevin Brown, Danny Wagner, Grayson Baca. Main Event (20 laps)-Grayson Baca. Michaela Taylor, Ken Johns, Jared Baugh, Taylor DeCarlo, Jess Paladino, Aidan Ponciano, Kevin Brown, James Graessle, Colten Haney.

IMCA Stock Car 

Heat Winner (8 laps)-Raymond Noland. Main Event (20 laps)-Troy Foulger, Raymond Noland, Fred Ryland, Travis Dutra, Jason Robles, Kenneth Robles, Jeff Bentancourt.

Print Club Mini Stocks 

Heat Winner (8 laps)-Tom Davis. Main Event (20 laps)-Tom Davis, Tom Brown, Don Abitz, Patrick Kelley, David Carson. Tony Quinonez DNS.

Presented by Tackle Warehouse

OAKLEY, Calif. (April 24, 2023) – The Liberty/Heritage High School Team of Noah Nguyen and Tyler Petersen, both of Antioch, California, brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 12 ounces, to win the second, and final, MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open on the California Delta Presented by Tackle Warehouse event of the year in Oakley, California.

A field of 33 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from Russo’s Marina in Bethel Island. In MLF High School Fishing competition, the top 10% of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.

The top three teams that qualified for the 2023 High School Fishing National Championship are:

1st: Liberty/Heritage High School – Noah Nguyen and Tyler Peterson, both of Antioch, Calif., five bass, 17-12

2nd: Casa Roble Fundamental – Ian Peatross and Preston Schweiger, both of Citrus Heights, Calif., four bass, 17-5

3rd: Lake County High School Fishing Club – Tyler Bryant and Joey Gentle, both of Kelseyville, Calif., five bass, 16-9

Rounding out the top 10 teams were:

4th: Lake County High School Fishing Club – Payton Lyndall, Kelseyville, Calif., and Kaine Navarro, Glendora, Calif., five bass, 16-6

5th: Hughson High School – Logan Dekleva and Landon Mason, both of Hughson, Calif., five bass, 14-8

6th: Delta Saints Bass Team – Jax Soto, Courtland, Calif., and Nathan Tritt, West Sacramento, Calif., five bass, 14-1

7th: Delta Saints Bass Team – Zachary Carli, Ryde, Calif., and Jake Feldheim, West Sacramento, Calif., five bass, 13-11

8th: Liberty High School – J.D. Farage, Discovery Bay, Calif., and Fisher Perkins, Rocklin, Calif., five bass, 13-7

9th: Hughson High School – Hunter Cook, Hickman, Calif., and Cooper Scarbrough, Hughson, Calif., five bass, 13-4

10th: Oakdale High School – Troy Cox and Zane Ravalin, both of Oakdale, Calif., five bass, 11-12

Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and TBF Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10% of teams at each Open event, along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships, will advance to the 2023 High School Fishing National Championship. The 2023 MLF High School Fishing National Championship will be held on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, June 20-24, and is hosted by Explore La Crosse.

The High School Fishing National Champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice and advance to the 2023 MLF Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Grundens, Lawless Lures, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X and YETI.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing

Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, the World Fishing Network and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

Major League Fishing – WE ARE Bass Fishing™

By Allen D. Payton

The track at Antioch High School is now named after former coach Mike Hurd, who was honored during a dedication ceremony at the school on March 29, 2023. The 1964 Antioch High grad was the Panthers’ cross country and track coach from 1970-79 leading his teams to multiple league and North Coast championships.

“I found out, it was before COVID and I only found out because my wife went to a school board meeting…to present what they were going to do,” Hurd said. “It’s terrific. It’s very humbling. The thought that there were people that thought highly enough to do this. I feel really blessed.”

“I stand here because I’ve got God at my back and this wonderful woman by my side,” Hurd said during the ceremony, getting choked up while speaking of his wife, Lisa. “Thank you to Gary, Tom, Louie, Trine, John, the full committee that worked on this. It’s not something that I would have ever campaign for. But I’m so blessed to have friends who thought it was important to do.”

During the ceremony, Gary Bras of the Antioch Sports Hall of Fame and a member of the track and field team when he was in high school said, “When he was done with us, we were men and women and little did we know the lessons that he taught us would take us through the rest of our lives.”

Former Antioch High Principal Louie Rocha also spoke at the ceremony, “We’re so thankful and appreciative, Coach Hurd, for not only for what you did in high school, but how that carried on to the years beyond our high school experience. Many of us thank you for instilling upon us the skills, the self-confidence, and the belief about setting goals and reaching and striving for those to be attained.”

A post on the Antioch High School Facebook page reads, “Legendary coach Mike Hurd, a 1964 Antioch High graduate, returned to Panther Country after college and took the school’s track program to an unprecedented level.

On Thursday, March 29, 2023, he was honored for his more than 10 years of leading and inspiring hundreds of student athletes during the dedication of the Mike Hurd Track.

At the ceremony attended by family, friends and many of his former students, Coach Hurd recounted several stories from the glory days of the 1970s, which included an impressive 16 league championships and three North Coast Section Divisional titles.

He is the winningest coach in the history of Antioch High School’s track and field and cross country. Hurd is also an inductee in the Antioch Sports Legends Hall of Fame.

Congrats to Coach Hurd!”

“It’s never been about me it’s always been about the athletes and my coaches. I got plenty of recognition as a head coach,” Hurd said later during an interview with The Press. “It was more shocking than anything else. My feelings are somewhat between embarrassment and humble. I think what it does is it reinforces that you made an impact in their life and that was the most important thing. To be able to teach them some life lessons through athletics and be able to take those life lessons forward to teach to their children and the people that followed. That was the key thing.”

By Candice Martin, DCRR Racing Media

Antioch, CA…April 8…Jake Andreotti of Castro Valley won the 30 lap BCRA Midgets Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. This was the 63rd season opening race at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds venue. It was also the opening round of the three-race special BCRA Triple Crown Series at the track, which pays $2,000 to win each race and has a special point fund.

Past USAC Western States Midgets and WMR Midgets champion Blake Bower of Brentwood raced into the early lead ahead of Caden Sarale of Stockton. Andreotti found his way into third by the sixth lap. A Turn 4 pass on Lap 9 gained Sarale the lead. Andreotti motored into second on Lap 11.  Andreotti quickly started to challenge Sarale,, and they caught a slower car on Lap 14. Andreotti went high in Turn 2, while Sarale went low and surrendered the lead. Through a pair of slowdowns during the second half of the race, Andreotti stayed smooth and went on to score the impressive win. Sarale settled for the $1,150 second place finish, followed by Bower, Jake Morgan of Fair Oaks and Bryant Bell of Oakley.

Matt Kile of San Jose won the 20 lap Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stock Main Event. Kile charged into the lead at the start ahead of Jared Baugh of Pittsburg. Kile didn’t receive much of a threat in this race, but Baugh, Danny Wagner of Bay Point and Grayson Baca of Brentwood had a spirited battle going for second. Baugh held the spot until being passed by Baca on Lap 11. Wagner quickly moved into third and executed to Turn 2 pass on the last lap for what he thought would be second. However, Baca came back strong and beat Wagner back to the line by inches. Kile cruised to the well-earned victory. Baugh settled for fourth ahead of Kevin Brown of Oakley.

Antioch’s David Michael Rosa won the 20 lap Delta Dwarf Car Main Event. Several drivers were involved in different mishaps during the first 14 laps that caused five yellow flags. Through it all, reigning Delta Dwarf Car champion Danny Wagner of Bay Point led the way. Dublin’s Devan Kammermann spun out of second on Lap 7, moving Ellie Russo of Bay Point into the position. However, Chance Russell of Antioch gained second a lap later. Rosa slipped past Russell for second on a Lap 14 restart and gained the lead when Wagner slowed on Lap 18 with mechanical issues. Rosa went on to win ahead of Russell, Russo, Travis Day of Concord and Pete Piantanida of Discovery Bay.

Greg Dennett of Livermore won the 20 lap BCRA Lightning Sprint Main Event. Scott Kinney led two laps before being passed by Dennett on the back stretch on Lap 3. Dakota Albright of Waterford made a Turn 4 pass on Kinney for second on Lap 5, but Dennett had already built a straightaway advantage by then. Dennett cruised to victory ahead of Albright, Harlee Aguilera of Orangevale, Josef Ferolito of Modesto and Cody Meyer of Placerville.

Joel Hannagan of San Jose won the 15 lap Hardtop Main Event. Ronnie Ruiz of West Sacramento led two laps before Brad Coelho of Oakley got by in Turn 4 for the lead. Hannagan followed closely into second, and Hannagan made a Turn 4 pass a lap later to take the lead from Coelho. As Hannagan pulled away, Coello and Ruiz battled fiercely for second. Ruiz made a Turn 4 pass to gain the spot in Lap 7, only to surrender the position to Coelho with an inside move on the frontstretch on Lap 11. Hannagan went on to victory ahead of Coelho, Ruiz, Joe Shenefield of Antioch and Ken Clifford of Placerville.

After a strong postseason effort last year, San Bruno’s Dana Gardner resumed his impressive efforts with a 20 lap Print Club Mini Stock Main Event win.  Gardner led from the outside with Eddie Humphrey III of Torrance an early second. Humphrey held the position until a Lap 9 yellow flag. Humphrey pitted, and Gardner resumed command ahead of reigning champion Tom Brown of Santa Rosa and Tony Quinonez of Corning. As Gardner sped to the impressive win by a wide margin, Brown managed to hold off Quinonez in a close battle for second. Newcomer Max Finley of Santa Rosa wheeled his Ford Pinto Wagon to a fourth place finish ahead Don Abitz of Pittsburg.

At the opening ceremonies, several drivers came out to do a memorial lap for BCRA Hall of Fame member Jim Screeton, who died in a motorcycle accident back in March. Racing continues next weekend with the Hunt Wingless Spec Sprint Tour, the IMCA Sport Modifieds and 600 Micro Sprints competing. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Unofficial Race Results – April 8, 2023

BCRA Midgets 

FT-Jake Andreotti 14.312. Heat Winners (8 laps)-Jake Andreotti, Jake Morgan, Bryant Bell. Main Event (30 laps)-Jake Andreotti, Caden Sarale, Blake Bower, Jake Morgan, Bryant Bell, Michael Snider, Sage Bordeneve, Logan Mitchell, Danika Jo Parker, Kevin Box.

Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stocks 

Heat Winners (8 laps)-Jared Baugh, Danny Wagner, Matt Kile. Main Event (20 laps)-Matt Kile, Grayson Baca, Danny Wagner, Jared Baugh, Kevin Brown, Ken Johns, Colten Haney, Michaela Taylor, James Graessle, Aidan Ponciano.

BCRA Lightning Sprints 

FT Greg Dennett 13.852. Heat Winners (8 laps)-Greg Dennett, Dakota Albright. Main Event-Greg Dennett, Dakota Albright, Harlee Aguilera, Joseph Ferolito, Cody Meyer, Scott Kinney, Hunter Kinney. Daniel Caughran DNS.

Delta Dwarf Cars 

Heat Winners (8 laps)-David Michael Rosa, Danny Wagner. Main Event (20 laps)-David Michael Rosa, Chance Russell, Ellie Russo, Travis Day, Pete Piantanida, David Rosa, Joe LeDuc, Danny Wagner, Devan Kammermann, Bobby Motts Jr DNS.

Print Club Mini Stocks 

Heat Winners (8 laps)-Dana Gardner, Eddie Humphrey III. Main Event (20 laps)-Dana Gardner, Tom Brown, Tony Quinonez, Max Finley, Don Abitz, Cody Bolles, Eddie Humphrey III, Laina Bales, David Carson, Roberto Monroy DNS.

Hardtops

Heat Winner (6 laps)-Joel Hannagan. Main Event (15 laps)-Joel Hannagan, Brad Coelho, Ronnie Ruiz, Joe Shenefield, Ken Clifford.

Fourth try for Season Opener

By Candice Martin, DCRR Racing Media

Antioch, CA…It seems like it’s been a broken record. It’s happened a total of six times this year, including the two practices that were scheduled before the original season opener on March 11th. Antioch Speedway has been rained out six times this year, including four races in a row.

As the rain let up after Wednesday last week, there might have been a chance to hustle to get the races in over the next couple of days, but the grounds were very saturated on Thursday. It didn’t start looking good out there until Saturday. The decision to cancel last week was a good move. It gives the crew and the staff time to make things right for this Saturday night’s races and Kid’s Easter Egg Hunt.

The Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stocks will take center stage, joined by the Delta Dwarf Cars, BCRA Midgets and Lightning Sprints and the always fun to watch Hardtops. As if that’s not enough, the season will now open with an exciting Figure 8 race. There’s lots of excitement on the card for fans looking for their racing adrenaline rush.

Danny Wagner of Bay Point has competed in all sorts of divisions and been a winner in everything. The three-time Delta Dwarf Car champion has also won feature races in the Mini Trucks, IMCA Modifieds and Winged 360 Sprint Cars. During the off-season, Wagner built a Hobby Stock, and he debuted it at Merced Speedway last week with results you might expect from him. He picked up the feature win in his first start.

Whether Wagner goes for points or not, he is sure to be a force in Hobby Stocks anytime he’s there. There are some good Hobby Stock drivers looking to take it up a notch after last season, led by Jared Baugh of Pittsburg, Michaela Taylor of Oakley, Jewell Crandall of Antioch and Grayson Baca of Brentwood. The Hobby Stocks were averaging car counts in the mid-20s last season, and expectations are that they will remain on that level this year.

Hobby Stocks are the car of choice for the exciting Figure 8 race. Antioch featured this race from 1987 to 1990 and briefly in the early 2000s. Last season, the crowd approved of the return of this race, which came back with a $1,000 to win event, won by two-time Spec Sprint champion Dan Gonderman of Antioch. Longtime Figure 8 supporter Jimmy Robbins of Concord, Mike Conley Jr of Antioch and Newman’s DJ Keldsen and Cody Keldsen are among the drivers anticipated when the cars take the track this Saturday night.

Dwarf Cars are the third longest tenured class at the speedway, following IMCA Modifieds and Hobby Stocks. The king of the mountain these days may be Danny Wagner, but he’ll get stiff competition from last year’s Most Improved Driver, Devan Kammermann of Dublin, who won two races. Throw in great competition from the likes of Ellie Russo of Bay Point, Sean Catucci of Brentwood, Travis Day of Concord and five-time champion Ricardo Rivera of Hollister, and the Dwarf Cars will definitely entertain.

There isn’t an older sanctioning body based out of California than the Bay City’s Racing Association. The BCRA Lightning Sprints have been making periodic visits to the track every year, but it’s been a couple of seasons since we’ve seen the BCRA Midgets. The popular Open Wheel class ruled the roost in California throughout the 1940s, ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. Through the ups and downs, BCRA has remained to sanction these racers, and they still have drivers committed to bringing exciting Midget racing.

The Lightning Sprints made two appearances last season. Unlike the Midgets, they run with wings and they turn some of the fastest laps at the speedway. This division has been under the BCRA banner for over two decades now and always puts on a good show. There’s another division that was once sanctioned by the BCRA throughout the 1950s into the early 1960s, and they are on the card on Saturday night.

The popular Hardtops return, likely to be joined by some of the Valley Sportsman racers from Merced Speedway. Unlike the Hardtops, the Sportsman division runs a wing and is a class that was featured at Antioch Speedway throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

Last year, the Hardtops held the Butch Althar Memorial race, won by two-time Merced Speedway champion Rick Elliott. It was Joel Hannagan piloting Doug Braudrick’s Junkyard Dog to his third-consecutive Chet Thomson Memorial win last season.

The diverse lineup of cars scheduled this Saturday night offers a little something for every fan. If you want fast, and open wheel, look no further than Midgets and Lightning Sprints. If you want slam-bang, fendered Stock Car racing, Hobby Stocks and Figure 8 will fill the bill. If you like a little bit of nostalgia in your program, look no further than the Hardtops. It’s sure to be a good show.

The evening will also have an Easter Egg Hunt and bike giveaway for the kids. This has become a happy tradition at the speedway in recent years and another reason families come to the speedway.

The gates will open at 4:00 with the first race starting at 6:00.

Adult tickets are $20, Senior/Military $15, Kids (5-12) $15 and kids five and under free.

For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com or check out the Antioch Speedway by PROmotions Facebook page.

Learn more at www.dreamteamantioch.org.