antiochspeedway Archives

Racing returns to Antioch after two straight rainouts

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (April 3, 2024) – The weather has not been kind to Antioch Speedway thus far in 2024. After two consecutive practices were rained out, the speedway has lost three of its first four races due to inclement weather. Making matters worse is the fact that it only rained a little bit on Friday night for the past couple of weeks, but that was enough to soak the pits and make racing impossible for the weekend. However, there’s good news. This Saturday, April 6 will see exciting racing on the 3/8 mile clay oval at the Contra Costa County Event Center in the form of the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. When it comes to the MVP divisions on the Antioch Speedway roster, it’s hard to find a division with a bigger impact in recent years than the IMCA Northern SportMods. At the opener, Kenny Shrader of Pacheco showed why he is the reigning champion after winning a battle with last season’s point runner-up, Jason Ryan Jr. of Oakley. While that [Read More]

IMCA Central California Clash kicks off Saturday at Antioch Speedway

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (March 28, 2024) – Rain put a damper on the festivities last week, but the facility will dry off and the action will heat up at Antioch Speedway this Saturday night, March 30. This is the first big event of the season. The track is kicking off fifth annual IMCA Central California Clash. Featured divisions will include the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars. Joining them this Saturday night and in all six rounds of the series will be the West Coast Hobby Stocks. This is also the track’s annual Easter Extravaganza. During the intermission, there will be an Easter egg hunt in the infield along with kids bicycle and Easter basket giveaways. It’s all part of the family fun offered at the speedway. Merced Speedway Promoter Doug Lockwood created the California Speedweek in 2020. Drivers in all four IMCA divisions will be competing for increased purse money, including $1,000 to win for the Modifieds in their Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying event [Read More]

Hogge opens 64th Antioch season with IMCA Modified checkers

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (March 16, 2024) – Bobby Hogge IV kicked off the 64th championship season of auto racing at Antioch Speedway with the 20-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified win, his career 106th in the division. Rookie Jacob Mallet Jr. set the early pace. On the fifth lap, Hogge put it up on the outside In turn two and emerged with the lead. Kellen Chadwick swept into the second position and held it until mechanical issues sidelined him on lap 15. Hogge led Mallet and reigning State champion Andrew Pearce on a lap 16 restart but Mallet faded on the last lap as Pearce moved into second. Hogge picked up the satisfying win ahead of Pearce, Timothy Allerdings, Keith Brown Jr. of Greenbrier, Ark., and Mallet. Hogge is the all-time main event win leader in the track’s history and a two-time track champion. Reigning champion Kenny Shrader won the 20-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main event. He led from the outset for the impressive win. Buddy Kniss and Jason Ryan Jr. had a good [Read More]

Foulger, DeCarlo, win Hall Of Fame Night features at Antioch

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (Sept. 15, 2023) – Troy Foulger won the 25-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature Friday night at Antioch Speedway. The win in the Bowers Motorsports-owned entry clinched Foulger his third IMCA Modified track championship. This was also his fifth win of the season. Andrew Pearce bolted into the lead from the outside position ahead of Foulger and Anthony Slaney. Foulger pressured Pearce during the first half of the race with Slaney a solid third until he headed pit side on the 14th lap. Foulger made a move around Pearce on the backstretch on lap 17 to briefly gain the lead, but Pearce beat him back to the line to lead that lap. However, Foulger made a high pass in turn two on the 18th lap to take command. When Buddy Kniss fell out of third on lap 20, that briefly gave the position to Terry DeCarlo Sr. before Tim Balding made a move in turn four to grab third. Foulger built a half-straightaway advantage over Pearce by the time the [Read More]

Shrader clinches track title with Antioch checkers

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (Sept. 16, 2023) – Kenny Shrader won the 20-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. This was his fourth win of the season and he earned the track championship over Jason Ryan Jr. by just two points. Shrader bolted into the immediate lead ahead of Ryan and Mark Garner. The race ran 13 laps before a yellow flag slowed the action. Shrader continued to lead the restart ahead of Ryan and Tommy Fraser. After another yellow flag a lap later, Shrader resumed command. Ryan gave it everything he had but Shrader prevailed for the championship-clinching victory. Fraser settled for third ahead of Garner and Dylan Connelly. During intermission, past promoter Brynda Bockover, past sportsman racer Gene Dothage, Mike Conley Sr. and Wingless Spec Sprint founder Don O’Keefe Jr were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Pearce, Foulger are IMCA winners at Antioch

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (July 29, 2023) – Rookie ‘shoe Andrew Pearce raced to his third local Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win Saturday at Antioch Speedway. Pearce charged into the lead following a complete restart. Troy Foulger was an early second runner ahead of Buddy Kniss. They ran that way until Trevor Fitz slipped past Kniss for third on lap 12. Pearce built a decent lead over Foulger by the time to checkered flag waved as Fitz settled for third ahead of Kniss and Jeffrey Faulkner. Foulger picked up his track-leading seventh IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event win in the Bowers Motorsports entry. Fred Ryland returned and set the pace early on. A low pass in turn two of the second lap gained Foulger second from Kenneth Robles. Jarrod Mounce moved into third. Following a yellow flag for Robles on the fifth lap, Ryland continued to lead Foulger on the restart. They ran that way until Foulger found an opening on the outside on lap 15 and slipped past Ryland to take [Read More]

Ryan wraps up two-win weekend with IMCA checkers at Antioch

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (July 15, 2023) – Jason Ryan Jr. won his second Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature of the weekend Saturday, holding off Mark Garner for the checkers at Antioch Speedway. With a front row start, rookie Billy Garner bolted into the lead when the green flag flew, pursued by his father Mark. Ryan, also first Friday at Ocean Speedway, settled into third and took up pursuit. Ryan and the elder Garner went side by side for several laps before a low pass in turn four of the 11th lap gained Ryan second as Garner pushed too high. Billy Garner continued to lead the way until an inside pass on lap 14 gained Ryan the lead. Mark Garner passed Billy second before a yellow flag waved on lap 18. Ryan maintained his cool on the restart and held off Mark Garner for the victory. Billy Garner impressed with a third place finish, followed by Kelly Campanile and Trevor Clymens. Terry DeCarlo Jr. won the 20-lap IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main. A [Read More]

Foulger a double winner while Shrader scores in IMCA SportMod at Antioch

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (July 8, 2023) – Troy Foulger won the 25-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature Saturday night during Antioch Speedway’s eighth annual Hetrick Memorial. Already Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible, Foulger took home $1,250 on this occasion. Foulger drew the front row for the feature race but Josh Combs jumped into the early lead. Following a yellow flag on lap two, Foulger bolted into the lead with Kellen Chadwick in tow. Bobby Hogge then settled into third before making an inside pass in turn four on lap five to take second from Chadwick. Foulger saw his lead erased by a lap nine yellow flag and had to deal with multiple cautions over the next half-dozen laps, but beat Hogge on each ensuing restart. Foulger was just too smooth during the final 10 laps and brought it home to a satisfying win. Hogge settled for second ahead of Chadwick, Nick DeCarlo and Andrew Pearce. Kenny Shrader picked up the win in the 20-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main. It paid [Read More]

Foulger repeats Antioch sweep

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (June 24, 2023) – Troy Foulger duplicated his Antioch Speedway achievement from three weeks ago, winning IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and IMCA Modified main events. The Stock Car checkers were the seventh of the season and fifth locally for Foulger. Jason Robles set the early pace before Foulger made an inside pass on the back stretch on lap four to take over. Foulger begin to pull away from the pack from that point for the impressive win. Robles settled for second ahead of Jeff Bentancourt, Scott Foster and Dave Hill. Later, Foulger returned and won his second local 20-lap Modified main Event. He jumped into the lead by the time the opening lap was completed. Nick DeCarlo was an early second, but a low pass on the eighth lap enabled Andrew Pearce to move ahead. Following a lap 10 yellow, the battle raged for the lead. Foulger maintained the lead when the green flag waved with Pearce in close pursuit. As they worked the 16th lap down the back stretch, there [Read More]

Foulger is double winner at Antioch’s Soares Memorial

By Candice Martin ANTIOCH, Calif. (June 3, 2023) – Troy Foulger was a double winner and Jason Ryan Jr. won for the second time this season Saturday during the Soares Memorial program at Antioch Speedway. Foulger won both Friesen Memorial IMCA Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car features while Ryan raced to the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod checkers. Looking for a second straight win, national rookie point leader Andrew Pearce set the early pace, but a turn four pass on the second lap put Foulger into the lead. Foulger led Pearce through a pair of yellow flags in the first 12 laps as Buddy Kniss ran third. Nick DeCarlo and Anthony Slaney dueled fiercely for fourth before Slaney moved ahead. Slaney got around Kniss for third on lap 15. Foulger had a good lead on Pearce and picked up the impressive win. Slaney ended up third ahead of DeCarlo and Randy Shafer. Later, Foulger came back and won his third Stock Car main event. Rob Gallaher led early with Foulger making an inside pass on [Read More]