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Blake Bower Wins Randy Larson Memorial Race At Antioch Speedway

Antioch, CA...April 25...Blake Bower of Brentwood scored the victory in the 25 lap Hunt Magnetos Wingless Spec Sprint Series, Presented By Transport Products Unlimited, Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. Piloting the car owned by Ted Finkenbinder, Bower made a move through slower traffic to take the lead and went on to victory from there. The race was the Randy Larson Memorial, paying tribute to the long time Hunt Series supporter, and Bower collected $2,500 for his effort.

Shawn Arriaga of Antioch had the pole and raced into the early lead ahead of point leader Jake Tuttle of Oakley. Bower was third early on, and a yellow flag waved on Lap 7 for a Tony Fedota of Folsom spin in Turn 4. Arriaga continued to lead Tuttle and Bower on the restart, but the race was red flagged when Fedota rolled in Turn 2 after eight laps. Bower took second from Tuttle on the restart as Arriaga continued to set the pace.

By the 14th lap, the leaders caught slower traffic, and Bower used it to take the lead from Arriaga on Lap 15. A Lap 23 yellow flag waved for Joshua Wooten of Yuba City in Turn 2. Bower resumed command on the restart and went on to victory ahead of Arriaga, Tuttle, Anthony Bruno of San Jose and Brent Steck of Roseville.

James Thomson of Pittsburg posted the victory in the 20 lap Pacific Coast Hobby Stock Main Event. The 2020 champion is off to a good start so far, having finished third in the season opener.

Thomson started on the outside front row and raced into the early lead ahead of Kevin Brown and Charlie Bryant, both of Oakley. The yellow flag waved on Lap 4 for a Caiden Robles of Rio Vista spin in Turn 4. Thomson continued to lead the restart as Oakley's Hunter Hammett passed Brown for second. By the 11th lap, the leaders were in traffic, and Brown was challenging Hammett for second. Brown beat him back to the line on Lap 14, but Hammett regained the spot a lap later. A red flag waved for Nicholas Garner of Antioch, who spun on the front stretch.

As Thomson led the restart, Bryant rode the outside line into second, but a yellow flag waved for the final time a lap later. On the final restart, Hammett rode the outside line behind leader Thomson. Thomson brought it home to victory with Hammett finishing second again, followed by Brown, Oakley's Brodie Garner and Phil Wilkins of Roseville.

Fred Ryland of Brentwood scored the victory in the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. The reigning champion finished third in the season opener, but he rebounded nicely by winning both the feature and the eight lap heat race.

Ryland bolted into the lead at the start ahead of Antioch's Todd Gomez and Troy Foulger of Oakley. Ryland built a decent lead as Gomez and Foulger battled for second. Fourth place runner Jason Robles of Rio Vista brought out the only yellow flag on Lap 19. Ryland easily led the restart and won ahead of Gomez. Kenneth Robles of Rio Vista made a high pass in Turn 2 of the final lap to take third from Foulger as Justin Villanueva of Atwater rounded out the Top 5.

Danny Wagner of Bay Point won the 15 lap Dwarf Car Main Event. This was the 40th career Antioch Dwarf Car win for the three-time champion. Wagner had a feature win at Watsonville a night earlier, making this a perfect weekend for him.

Following a restart for Cody Shrum of Lincoln, Wagner set the early pace ahead of reigning champion Travis Day and Dylan Shrum of Lincoln. The yellow flag waved on Lap 3 for Cameron Squatritto of Gilroy in Turn 4. Dylan Shrum moved into second behind Wagner on the restart, and the battle began for the lead and for third. Cody Shrum had taken third from Day on the restart, but Day made an inside pass on the front stretch on Lap 8 to regain the position.

An inside pass on the front stretch on Lap 11 put Dylan Shrum into the lead, but Wagner went high in Turn 4 a lap later to regain the position. Dylan Shrum ran the inside line to just beat Wagner back to the white flag, but Wagner again went high in Turn 2 to reclaim first. Wagner held off Dylan Shrum for the victory as Day, Cody Shrum and Squatritto completed the Top 5.

Tom Brown of Santa Rosa scored the victory in the 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event. The four-time reigning champion had earlier won a heat race battle with Antioch's Ryder Holmen, making this a perfect evening for him.

Brown raced into the lead at the start, followed by Kassidy Cagle of Santa Rosa and Kimberly Ramirez of Petaluma. Trevor Rodriguez of Rohnert Park spun for a yellow flag on Lap 3. Brown led Cagle and Holmen on the restart. Holmen was having trouble exiting the turns, and Rodriguez got around him for third on Lap 7. Holmen regained the position briefly with a Turn 2 pass a lap later, but the persistent Rodriguez got by once again on the 10th lap. Brown went on to win by half a lap as Rodriguez beat Cagle back to the line for second. Holmen and Ramirez rounded out the Top 5.

Racing resumes next Saturday night with the first of two scheduled appearances of the Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series. The Wingless Spec Sprints will be in action along with the Pacific Coast Hobby Stocks, Dwarf Cars, Mini Stocks and 600 Micro Sprints. For further information, go to www.raceantiochspeedway.com or check out the Antioch Speedway by PROmotions Facebook page.

Race Results
Hunt Wingless Spec Sprints
Fast Time-Jacob Tuttle, 13.561. Heat Winner (8 Laps)-Matthew Kaiser, Blake Bower, Anthony Bruno. Main Event (25 Laps)-Blake Bower, Shawn Arriaga, Jacob Tuttle, Anthony Bruno, Brent Steck, Jimmy Christian, Nick Larson, Matthew Kaiser, Joshua Wooten, Paul Vandenberg.

Pacific Coast Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Brodie Garner, Grayson Baca, Charlie Bryant. Main Event (20 Laps)-James Thomson, Hunter Hammett, Kevin Brown, Brodie Garner, Phil Wilkins, Daniel Braudrick, Grayson Baca, Colten Haney, Jewell Crandall, Gavin Griffiths.

IMCA Stock Car
Heat Winner (8 Laps)-Fred Ryland. Main Event (20 Laps)-Fred Ryland, Todd Gomez, Kenneth Robles, Troy Foulger, Justin Villaneuva, Mitch Machado, Jason Robles.

Dwarf Cars
Heat Winner (8 Laps)-Danny Wagner. Main Event (15 Laps)-Danny Wagner, Dylan Shrum, Travis Day, Cody Shrum, Cameron Squatritto, Barry Waddell, Elijah Shrum, David Hays, Travis Manning DNS.

Mini Stocks
Heat Winner (8 Laps)-Tom Brown. Main Event (15 Laps)-Tom Brown, Trevor Rodriguez, Kassidy Cagle, Ryder Holmen, Kimberly Ramirez.

Picture Info:

Blake Bower #3t scored the $2500 victory in the Randy Larson Memorial race. Photo by Katrina Kniss

James Thomson #18t led all the way to win the Pacific Coast Hobby Stock feature. Photo by Katrina Kniss

Reigning champion Fred Ryland #7j scored the victory in the IMCA Stock Car Main Event. Photo by Katrina Kniss

Danny Wagner #11d won a thrilling battle for the Dwarf Car Main Event victory. Photo by Katrina Kniss

Four-time champion Tom Brown #5x kicked off the season with a Mini Stock Main Event win. Photo by Katrina Kniss

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