|
Jan 20 2012 - First Rain out of 2012
LAST CHANCE FOR AWARDS BANQUET TICKETS:
JOIN OVAL MOTORSPORTS, INC. IN HONORING OUR DRIVERS FROM BOTH MERCED AND ANTIOCH SPEEDWAYS IN STOCKTON ON SATURDAY NIGHT, FEB. 4, 2012. ORDER YOUR TICKETS NOW: TICKET ORDER FORMNote: SATURDAY, JAN. 21 SWAP MEET AND PRACTICE SESSION RAINED OUT.
OVAL MOTORSPORTS, INC. WILL RESCHEDULE THIS EVENT IN FEBRUARY AT ANTIOCH SPEEDWAY - Read More
Jan 11 2012 - Welcome 2012!
SWAP MEET AND PLAY DATE JAN. 21, 2012!
Oval Motorsports, Inc. will host the first event of the new season on Saturday, January 21, when Antioch Speedway will be open for a swap meet and practice.
The swap meet will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with vendors being allowed in at 7 a.m. to set up their booths. Vendor spots are available for $25.
The track will be open for practice from 2 p.m. to dusk, with pit passes and car and driver passes available at the gate for $20. (The grandstands will be closed.)
Come join us for the opening of the 2012 season and browse through the famous Antioch Speedway Swap Meet. There will be great deals for our Oval Motorsports racers preparing for the new season, and a chance to get back out on the track and have some fun.
- Read More
Dec 02 2011 - Outlaws 2012
OUTLAWS TO RETURN IN 2012!
 The World of Outlaws at Antioch Speedway this past September. (Mike Adaskaveg Photo)
The
“Outlaws” will ride into town again in 2012!
The tour of professional sprint car
drivers, nationally renowned for exciting high speed competition, drew the
largest crowds this past season at Oval Motorsports’ Merced and Antioch Speedways.
With roof wings for down force to control 600 horsepower engines sitting on
frames with large tires, the cars are the fastest racers on dirt.
The 2012 World of Outlaws events are
scheduled on Friday, March 30 at Merced Speedway and Monday, September 10 at
Antioch Speedway.
“These races are our premier events of
the season,” said Oval Motorsports President John
Soares. “There has been a steady stream of communication from race fans begging
for us to bring the shows back this year.”
Tickets are now on sale for the events
through the World of Outlaws website http://dirtcar.ticketforce.com/. A free pit pass for
the Merced event is now being offered with each purchase of an advanced
reserved ticket.
Soares has already begun preparing the
two clay ovals for the event. The most noticeable changes are at Merced
Speedway, where light poles and walls are being moved in order to widen the
track to 70 feet.
“Merced Speedway will continue to
evolve into the top dirt track in California,” Soares said. “We have four
trucks running all day, hauling in clay to build the new surface.”
The track’s new grading will have an
infield devoid of obstacles. Its width will allow for more side-by-side racing
and passing.
“It will be a driver’s track,” Soares
explained. “It will be wider and ‘racier’, as they say. The World of Outlaws
will be a better show than ever this coming March.”
Antioch Speedway, the pride of Oval
Motorsports, Inc. received a face-lift for this past September World of Outlaws
event. Sprint car drivers raved about its surface, which provided fans with a
thrilling main event.
Steve Kinser, the franchise driver of
the World of Outlaws with nearly 600 wins, brought the fans to their feet at
Antioch in September as he won the first time running there.
“This track is perfect, I can’t
complain about a thing - we were able to set up and run like we had run here
before,” Kinser said in victory lane.
Second place finisher Kyle Larson of
Elk Grove, who was experienced in driving at Antioch Speedway, also had praise
for the track.
“The
track was better than ever,” Larson said. “You could run high or run low. It
made for great racing. I almost had Steve (Kinser).”
The Oval Motorsports tracks will run
continuously through the 2012 season. Merced Speedway will be in operation on
Friday nights and Antioch Speedway on Saturday nights. The season’s schedule
and the classes of cars being raced will be released soon.
Antioch Speedway is located in the
Contra Costa County Fairgrounds, 1201 W. 10th Street, Antioch, CA 94509
 - Read More
Oct 17 2011 - Run What You Brung Brings Close to Season
FREETHY, MACHADO,FOULGER, RUN AWAY WITH "RUN WHAT YOU BRUNG"
 Winged Warriors Battle: It was fun while it lasted - Larry Damitz outside Mitch Machado in a lap after lap battle that ended with Damitz cooking his motor in the late model main event. (Mike Adaskaveg Photo)  Flying Jim Freethy sailed past Mighty Melissa Hansen. They both had the goods in the hobby stock feature. (Mike Adaskaveg Photo) by Mike Adaskaveg
Hobby stock ace Jim Freethy of
Danville came to Antioch Speedway’s “Run What You Brung” event with all the
bells and whistles- outfitting his Camaro with a giant sail board, a late model
engine and big tires.
But
it was hard charging Jon Haney of Brentwood, who said he was running on six
cylinders, that almost snatched the victory from Freethy in a thrilling
conclusion to the night’s 30 lap Hobby Stock main event.
“I
rode the brakes and kept the rpms up,” Haney said as he exited his car next to Freethy in victory lane. “The car was failing, but I
wanted to win.”
Freethy,
relieved that Haney didn’t get by him, shook his hand in victory lane.
“You
darn near got me,” he told Haney. “It was a struggle, but it was a fun, fun,
race.”
The
hobby stocks were center stage, with a full field of drivers taking the green
for the season’s biggest event. Freethy was untouchable until David Rosa of
Antioch caught him on a restart with 19 laps to go. Rosa then spun, with Freethy
regaining the lead. He survived seven restarts as Haney picked his way through
the pack.
“I
certainly got plenty of practice on restarts,” Freethy laughed.
Mitch
Machado of Rohnert Park scored second base in winning the late model feature
after a feature-long duel with Larry Damitz of Vallejo. The two winged warriors
fought lap after lap until Damitz blew an engine with a lap to go coming out of
the second turn, spinning as Machado crashed into him.
“I
was just as surprised as he was,” Machado said of Damitz’s misfortune. “I
slammed on the brakes, but when he lost power that sudden there was no where
for me to go.”
“I
dedicate the win to ‘Save Second Base’,” he said in victory lane.
Machado
said he founded the breast cancer charity after his wife Jane, mother Karen,
and sister Cheryl all were diagnosed with cancer in the last year. He has
raised money selling tee shirts, and donated it to “Relay for Life”.
Michelle
Newman of Pittsburg had her best showing of the season in finishing second. Damitz
limped to third, and Eric Berendsen was fourth.
 Jon Haney skirts disaster has he got by when Rosa Spun (Mike AdaskavegPhoto) Two-time
track champ Troy Foulger of Martinez had a half lap lead in winning the
modified stock car feature.
“It
was a great end to a great season,” Foulger said.
Foulger’s
only challenge came early in the race, when Bobby Motts got by him on a
restart.
“I
thought I made my big mistake of the night,” said Foulger. “Then he spun out,
and I was in front with the fastest car. That little sail panel we added to the
car made a big difference in what we could do. Mike Salazar of Antioch was
second, and Motts came back for third. Michael Paul, Jr. of Petaluma battled
Kenny Neu of Oakley to bring home fourth. Following Neu was Chris Norris of
Pleasanton.
 Dancing with the Stars - Michael Paul Jr. (50) and Kenny Neu execute a slide through the first turn to bring out the caution. (Mike Adaskaveg) Antioch
Speedway’s regular season came to a conclusion with the event. Promoter John
Soares thanked the drivers who supported the track by making “Run What You
Brung” a high paying, fun event that was free from rules.
Information
on the 2012 season will be released throughout the off-season. Bulletins will
be released by “Antioch Speedway” on Twitter and Facebook.  Bobby Motts (81) and Michael Salazar battle for second. (Mike Adaskaveg Photo)
Run What You Brung Hobby Stocks Official Results:
|
1.
|
99 Jim Freethy
|
|
2.
|
33 Melissa Hansen
|
|
3.
|
69 David Rosa
|
|
4.
|
8 George Silva
|
|
5.
|
44 Jon Haney
|
Heat 2
|
1.
|
45 Gene Haney
|
|
2.
|
28 Jake Dewsberry
|
|
3.
|
00 Chris Sorensen
|
|
4.
|
04 Robert Gibber
|
|
5.
|
14 Paul Milder
|
Heat 3
|
1.
|
10 Dan McCown
|
|
2.
|
44 Jon Haney
|
|
3.
|
8R Randy Metzler
|
|
4.
|
94 Chad Hammer
|
Main Event:
|
1.
|
99 Jim Freethy
|
|
2.
|
44j Jon Haney
|
|
3.
|
69 David Rosa
|
|
4.
|
00 Chris Sorensen
|
|
5.
|
14 Paul Mulder
|
|
6.
|
33 Melissa Hansen
|
|
7.
|
45 Gene Haney
|
|
8.
|
44 Jason Harless
|
|
9.
|
8 George Silva
|
|
10.
|
04 Robert Gibber
|
|
11.
|
94 Chad Hammer
|
|
12.
|
8r Randy Metzler
|
|
13.
|
40 Natalie Perry
|
|
14.
|
10 Dan McCown
|
|
15.
|
28 Jake Dewsberry
|
- Read More
|
