Antioch, CA — Scott Chapeta won the 25 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. This was Championship Night for the division, and Shannon Newton wrapped up the division championship with a second place finish. He joins five others as a two-time champion in this class.
Chapeta is a past championship runner-up at Petaluma Speedway, and he was making his first start of the season. He took the early lead, only to surrender the point to Jimmy Christian a lap later. Shannon Newton went motoring by for first on Lap 3 and held the position until Christian executed a high maneuver in Turn 2 to regain command. Jacob Williams slipped past Newton for second with a Turn 4 pass two laps later and set his sights on Christian. However, contact resulted in Christian spinning for a Lap 17 yellow flag with Williams being put to the rear for his part in the incident. This put Chapeta in the lead over Shannon Newton, and they ran that way until the final lap. As Chapeta sped to his first career win, Christian made an inside pass at the line to take second from Newton with Williams and East completing the Top 5.
Past Merced Sportsman champion Rick Elliott #82 won the Butch Althar Memorial Hardtop race. Photo by Katrina Kniss
Two-time Merced Speedway Sportsman champion Rick Elliott won a thrilling battle for the 15 lap Butch Althar Memorial Hardtop victory. The race paid tribute to the past Antioch and Vallejo Speedway announcer. Roger MacShain led the field to the green flag and held the point until an outside pass on the backstretch on the fourth circuit put Joel Hannagan into the lead. Elliott went outside MacShain on the fifth lap to gain second, and Brad Coelho piloted the Tommy Thomson owned car into second on Lap 9. Coelho made a move around Hannagan in Turn 4 on Lap 10 for the lead, but he spun in Turn 4 moments later for a yellow flag. Hannagan led the field to the green flag, only to surrender the point to Elliott with a Turn 4 pass on Lap 12. Moments later, the two drivers spun in the fourth turn with Coelho being clipped in the incident. Coelho was out, and MacShain led the restart ahead of Elliott. Elliott made a high pass in Turn 1 on Lap 13 for the lead and sped to the victory. Hannagan made an inside pass in Turn 2 on the last lap to finish second, followed by Mike Gillard, MacShain and Ken Clifford.
Jared Baugh collected his second 20 lap Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stock feature win. The third-ranked driver managed to work his way into second behind Grayson Baca on Lap 4. The two leaders pulled away with Baugh using a low pass in Turn 4 on Lap 18 to take the lead. Baugh led the final circus for the win with Baca settling for second ahead of Kevin Brown, Adam Kujala and Jewell Crandall.
Josh Young won the 20 left WMR Midget Main Event. Terry Nichols set the early pace ahead of Bryant Bell, but Bell went low and Turn 1 on Lap 3 to take over. Logan Mitchell maneuvered into second on Lap 7. Bell spun from the lead on the Lap 11 for the only yellow flag of the race. Mitchell led Young and Nichols on the restart. They ran that way until Young made thrilling pass in Turn 4 on Lap 17 to gain command. Young brought it home to victory ahead of Mitchell, Nichols, Adam Teves and Bell.
Tom Brown wrapped up his second Antioch championship with his fourth Print Club Mini Stock Main Event win of the season. Three-time Merced Speedway champion Chris Corder had the pole and raced into the early lead with Brown shadowing him in second. Corder started developing a tire rub on his right rear and ultimately got a flat tire on Lap 10 as Brown took over. Brown easily led the remaining 10 circuits for the win with Patrick Kelley a solid second ahead of Ricky Berry, Corder and Cody Bolles.
This weekend is the special Bill Bowers Memorial West Coast Nationals event for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and IMCA Stock Cars. They practice and have a pit party on Thursday, a full slate of racing on Friday with increased purse money and an even bigger purse on Saturday, including $3,000 to win for the IMCA Modifieds and $1,500 for the victory in the IMCA Sport Modifieds.
For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Antioch Speedway – Unofficial Race Results
Wingless Spec Sprints
Fast Time-Jimmy Christian 14.801. Heat Winners (8 laps)-Jimmy Christian, Dylan Newberry. Main Event (25 laps)-Scott Chapeta, Jimmy Christian, Shannon Newton, Jacob Williams, James East, Aaron Altaffer, MacKenzie Newton, Roy Fisher, James Johnson, Dylan Newberry.
Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Jon Haney, Jared Baugh. Main Event (20 laps)-Jared Baugh, Grayson Baca, Kevin Brown, Adam Kujala, Jewell Crandall, Jon Haney, Colten Haney, Tyler Graves, Gavin Griffiths, Jess Paladino.
Print Club Mini Stocks
Heat Winners (6 laps)-Tom Brown, Ricky Berry. Main Event (20 laps)-Tom Brown, Patrick Kelley, Ricky Berry, Chris Corder, Cody Bolles, Laina Bales, Eddie Humphrey III, David Carson DNS, Dana Gardner DNS, David Moeller DNS.
Hardtops
Heat Winners (6 laps)-Rick Elliott, Joel Hannagan. Main Event (15 laps)-Rick Elliott, Joel Hannagan, Mike Gillard, Roger MacShain, Ken Clifford, Brad Coelho, Matt Taylor, Tom Grady, Jason Armstrong DNS.
WMR Midgets
Fast Time-Bryant Bell 15.194. Heat Winners (8 laps)-Bryant Bell, Terry Nichols. Main Event (20 laps)-Josh Young, Logan Mitchell, Terry Nichols, Adam Teves, Bryant Bell, Kyle Hawse, Nate Wait, Cameron Beard, Blake Bower DNS.
