Antioch, CA — Danny Wagner of Bay Point won the 20 lap Delta Dwarf Car Main Event. This was the Third Annual Dwarf Car Mania Event, and it was the three-time track champion’s first win in this big show.
Wagner led the opening lap before Fairfield’s Michael Grenert took over. After a yellow flag on Lap 5, Wagner regained the lead over Antioch’s David Michael Rosa. Rosa surrendered second to Grenert on Lap 9. Wagner continued to set a rapid pace during the second half of the race. Wagner led through a couple of yellow flags, and he prevailed ahead of Grenert, Ellie Russo of Bay Point, Mark Biscardi of San Jose and Pleasanton’s Toby Brown.
Jarrett Soares of Gilroy won the 25 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event. Soares surprised race-long leader Shawn Arriaga of Antioch with a late pass to get his first win of the season. Arriaga had a front row start and bolted into the immediate lead ahead of Soares and Jimmy Christian of Morgan hill. That was the Top 3 for most of the race, and Arriaga had built a straightaway advantage by Lap 18. However, a yellow flag on lap 19 bunched the field. Arriaga led the restart with Soares and Christian in close pursuit. A low move in Turn 4 of the 23rd lap put Soares into the lead. Arriaga came roaring back on the back stretch on the final lap, but Soares came back strong in Turn 3 to reclaim the lead and victory. Arriaga crossed the line in second only to be disqualified in post-race tech. This moved Christian into second ahead of Livermore’s Scott Chapeta, Shannon Newton of Elk Grove and James East of Oakley.
Joel Hannagan #16 won his third-straight Chet Thomson Memorial Hardtop race. Photo by Katrina Kniss
Joel Hannagan of San Jose won the 15 lap Chet Thompson Memorial Hardtop race. This was his third-straight win in this event aboard the Doug Braudrick owned Junkyard Dog. He’s the only three-time winner in the 20 year history of this race, which started at Vallejo Speedway in 1967 and ran through 1979. This race was continued at Antioch Speedway starting in 2016. Brad Coelho of Oakley led early in the Tommy Thomson-owned car with Hannagan in second. Butch Althar Memorial winner Rick Elliott of Merced spun in Turn 2 for a Lap 2 yellow flag. Coelho led Hannagan and Atwater’s Mike Gillard on the restart, but an inside pass on the backstretch on Lap 6 put Hannagan into the lead. Coelho got out of shape in Turn 2, allowing Gillard to move into second on Lap 9. Hannagan built a half-lap advantage over Gillard in victory, and Elliott made a backstretch pass on Coelho to steal third on the last lap. Coelho settled for fourth ahead of Clay Foster of Antioch.
Dana Gardner of San Bruno won his first 20 lap Print Club Mini Stock Main Event. After winning his eight lap heat race, Gardner sprinted into the lead at the start ahead of new champion Tom Brown of Santa Rosa. Brown spun in Turn 4 for the only yellow flag on Lap 2. Gardner lead Modesto’s Chris Corder and Austin Sprague of Oakdale on the restart, but Brown was quickly back into fourth. Brown gained third with a Turn 3 pass on Lap 14. However, Gardener had built over a half-lap advantage over Sprague in victory. Brown settled for third ahead of Corder and Eddie Humphrey III of Torrance.
Jim Freethy of Danville wrapped up the Super Stock championship with his fourth 15 Main Event win of the season. The eight lap heat race winner took the early lead and never relinquished it. Making his season debut, Ryan Cherezian of Knightsen held second until briefly surrendering it to Rhonert Park’s Mitch Machado’s Turn 4 pass on Lap 11. However, Cherezian beat Machado back to the line two laps later to reclaim second for good. Freethy won ahead of Cherezian, Machado and Jay Bryant of Folsom.
Racing resumes next week with the Larry Damitz Memorial Super Stock race. Wingless Spec Sprints and a Figure 8 will also be on the card with the possibility of other additions. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results — Antioch Speedway
Delta Dwarf Cars
Heat Winners Round #1 (8 Laps)-Danny Wagner, Ellie Russo, Travis Day. Round #2 (8 laps)-Danny Wagner, Mark Biscardi, Wade Ehrlich. Main Event (20 laps)-Danny Wagner, Michael Grenert, Mark Biscardi, Toby Brown, Devan Kammeramann, Wade Ehrlich, David Michael Rosa, Fred Dickey, Tom Van Tuyl, Travis Day.
Wingless Spec Sprints
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Shawn Arriaga, Jarrett Soares. Main Event (25 laps)-Jarrett Soares, Jimmy Christian, Scott Chapeta, Shannon Newton, James East, Dylan Newberry, MacKenzie Newton, Keith Calvino, Roy Fisher, James Johnson.
Hardtops
Heat Winner (8 laps)-Rick Elliott. Main Event (15 laps)-Joel Hannagan, Mike Gillard, Rick Elliott, Brad Coelho, Clay Foster, Ronnie Ruiz DNS, Mike McCann DNS
Print Club Mini Stocks
Heat Winners (8 laps)-Chris Corder, Dana Gardner. Main Event (20 laps)-Dana Gardner, Austin Sprague, Tom Brown, Chris Corder, Eddie Humphrey III, Devin Moeller, Laina Bales, David Carson.
Super Stocks
Heat Winner (8 laps)-Jim Freethy. Main Event (20 laps)-Jim Freethy, Ryan Cherezian, Mitch Machado, Jay Bryant.
