ANTIOCH, Calif. (June 27) – When Bobby Hogge IV comes to town, the intensity of competition goes up a notch at Antioch Speedway.
Add North Carolina-based NASCAR star Kenny Wallace, a consummate dirt track driver, and the bar is raised even higher.
Four-time track champion Troy Foulger rose to the occasion, showing the visitors the fast way to the finish line as he won the Antioch Speedway Summer Nationals main event on Saturday night.
Foulger was not about to let Hogge or Wallace rule in the $2,500 to win Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified main event. He and Hogge waged a cat-and-mouse battle for first right up to the fall of the checkered flag.
Cheered on by a full grandstand of fans standing up for the final two laps, Foulger scored a victory for the local racers. Wallace finished 10th.
Foulger came out of the box fast at the start, dashing to a straightaway lead ahead of the pack of 18 cars.
That gap was soon erased. A caution flag with eight laps to go in set up the battle between Foulger and Hogge and on the restart, Kellen Chadwick and Randy McDaniel were right behind, waiting for a miscue by either driver.
There were no mistakes, however, as Foulger and Hogge raced side-by-side to the finish.
“Bobby is a great competitor no matter where he races,” Foulger said in victory lane. “I saw the nose of his car along side me quite a few times. What a race … it is such a great feeling to win like this.”
Hogge praised his new car and the track.
“This is the best track I’ve raced on in a long time – smooth and fast. We’ve got the new Modified set up right,” he said after the race. “Troy just did a great job reading the track. It was a great race.”
McDaniel, Chadwick and Darrell Hughes completed the top five finishers.
“These drivers are the best,” Wallace said. “It was a thrill racing with them. The competition is top-notch here. This race track is tough and fast.”
Wallace secured his position in the main event by winning one of two B features. After winning, he stood on the door edge of his Las Vegas-based car to the delight of fans chanting “Earnhardt” until he sang a song written by John Roberts, his NASCAR Race Day TV show co-host.
Foulger was already on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Scott Busby became vote eligible by winning the opening night feature at Antioch, which paid $1,500.
Busby fought off Ryan McDaniel and his father Randy McDaniel. Hogge was fourth, and Nick DeCarlo finished fifth.
Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod winners were Darrin Thomas and Fred Ryland.
June 26 Feature Results
Modifieds – 1. Scott Busby; 2. Ryan McDaniel; 3. Randy McDaniel; 4. Bobby Hogge IV; 5. Nick DeCarlo; 6. Brian Cass; 7. Joe Carr; 8. Matt Micheli; 9. Troy Foulger; 10. Heath Thatcher; 11. Shawn DeForest; 12. Carl Berendsen; 13. Mike Salazar; 14. Kyle Wilson; 15. Nick Viscusi III; 16. Raymond Lindeman; 17. Kenny Wallace; 18. Kellen Chadwick.
Northern SportMods – 1. Fred Ryland; 2. Keith Brown Jr.; 3. Jeremy Hoff; 4. Jorddon Braaten; 5. Darrin Thomas; 6. Chuck Golden; 7. Jason Ferguson; 8. Josh Hensley; 9. Brian Cooper; 10. Lloyd Cline; 11. Mike Smith; 12. Al Johnson; 13. Ron Brown; 14. Trevor Clymens; 15. Mark Garner.
June 27 Feature Results
Modifieds – 1. Foulger; 2. Hogge; 3. Randy McDaniel; 4. Chadwick; 5. Darrell Hughes; 6. DeCarlo; 7. Robert Marsh; 8. Bobby Motts; 9. Carr; 10. Wallace; 11. Ryan McDaniel; 12. Busby; 13. Bill Egleston; 14. Alex Wilson; 15. DeForest; 16. Micheli; 17. Viscusi; 18. Aaron Crowell.
Northern SportMods – 1. Thomas; 2. Fred Ryland; 3. Cooper; 4. Braaten; 5. Matt Hagio; 6. Paul Mulder; 7. Keith Brown Jr.; 8. Anthony Giuliani; 9. Ferguson; 10. Hoff; 11. Golden; 12. Patti Ryland; 13. Josh Hensley; 14. Johnson; 15. Ron Brown; 16. Garner; 17. Clymens; 18. Smith.
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