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Antioch Speedway Opens It's 65th Year With Easter Eggstravaganza This Saturday

Antioch, CA...Antioch Speedway celebrates its 65th birthday with an exciting lineup of racing this Saturday night. In addition to six divisions of racing on the 3/8 mile clay oval, it's also the annual Easter Eggstravaganza, which means an Easter Egg Candy Hunt for the kids during intermission.

The IMCA Modifieds return for their 36th year at the track, joined by the popular Pacific Coast Hobby Stocks, who begin their 31st year at the track. Also in the lineup this week will be the IMCA Sport Modifieds and Stock Cars, Dwarf Cars and WMR Midgets.

Troy Foulger of Oakley picked up his seventh IMCA Modified Championship last season, with only Oakley's Andrew Pearce offering any sort of challenge. Unfortunately for Pearce, his 10th and 11th place finishes in the first three races had him playing catch up the rest of the year. Foulger showed little weakness with only one third place finish as his worst effort over nine races, which included three wins.

Drivers have competed at other tracks this year, and Pearce won the season opener at Bakersfield back in February. Foulger and Pearce are sure to be very fast again this year, and other drivers anticipated this week include last year's Most Improved Driver Tyler Browne of Antioch, reigning IMCA State champion Kate Robertson of Reno, Nevada and Bobby Hogge IV of Salinas.

Much like Hogge and Foulger, Brentwood's Fred Ryland has won over 80 career Main Events at Antioch Speedway throughout his illustrious career. Ryland is the reigning IMCA Stock Car champion and also a driver to watch in a quest for his fourth Antioch IMCA Sport Modified championship. A fourth title is also in the sites of Brentwood's Trevor Clymens, who had a solid season last year in third in the standings, just six points out of the lead.

After picking up his third consecutive IMCA Sport Modified crown, Pacheco's Kenny Shrader is taking a break. Oakley's Jason Ryan Jr had originally made plans to race an IMCA Stock Car this year, but he traded that car for a Sport Modified and will try to improve upon his three consecutive runner-up point seasons.

With Ryland, Clymens and Ryan in the field, the competition will be fierce this year. Reigning Marysville Sport Modified champion Mark Garner of Antioch could make some appearances this year as two of his sons, Brodie and Nicholas, race Hobby Stocks. Kelly Campanile of Oakley is back to make another run at the points, and other drivers to watch for include Joseph Pato of Oakley, James Graessle of Antioch, Jeff Bentancourt of Brentwood and the father-son duo of Al and Alfred Johnson, both of Antioch.

Reigning Pacific Coast Hobby Stock champion Grayson Baca had little resistance in his bid to win the championship last year. A division leading 12 Top 5 finishes and five wins made him unstoppable. This year, the Brentwood driver has a brand new car, but he looked just as fast as ever in the track's March practices.

On the heels of her best point season yet in second, Jewell Crandall of Antioch is hoping to take it up a notch this year as is last year's two Most Improved Drivers, Charlie Bryant and Hunter Hammett, both of Oakley. With hard chargers such as Aidan Ponciano of Oakley, 2020 champion James Thomson of Pittsburg, Jesse Paladino of Brentwood, Maddie Motts of San Pablo and Daniel Braudrick of Vacaville on the roster, the Hobby Stock division is stacked with talent once again.

Ryland and Foulger will have a great opportunity to add to their win totals as both compete in the IMCA Stock Car division. The duo has won the last two championships in the class and are probably the drivers to beat once again. Two drivers who will offer them great competition are the father-son duo of Jason and Kenneth Robles, both of Rio Vista. The addition of Watsonville as an IMCA Stock Car track this year could factor into Antioch seeing more drivers competing in this class.

Three-time reigning Dwarf Car champion Travis Day of Concord is back and ready for action, and the division is expected to see some stronger competition. Last year's top rookie David Hays of Brentwood only lost the championship by six points last year. He'll be fast, and other drivers to watch for include Russ Sieber of Elk Grove, Brandon Aylesworth of the Suisun City and the father and daughter team of Pete and Tommie Piantanida of Discovery Bay.

Logan Mitchell of Santa Cruz was singing the track's praises a few weeks ago at practice. The defending WMR Midgets champion won six of the seven series races last year and also won the $1,000 bonus in the series the group ran in head to head competition with BCRA last year. WMR will have three solo races at Antioch and two races in conjunction with the BCRA.

Saturday's show is the first of the three regular WMR events. Over the past three seasons, Mitchell had back-to-back point runner-up efforts, followed by last year's championship. He enters this week as perhaps the driver to beat. On the heels of his fifth place season last year, Auburn's Cody Gray picked up the win at the opener in Watsonville two weeks ago, followed by Terry Nichols of Delano. Nichols was third in the standings last season.

Using the Ecotech motor, which offers a bit more affordability to the drivers, the WMR Midgets have attracted several drivers from Micro Sprint racing since the group was founded in 2019. It's helped breathe new life into Midget racing in California.

Saturday's show will offer plenty of great racing from start to finish, and the Easter Egg Candy Hunt will make this a perfect night for the family to enjoy. Several of the racing teams will be bringing candy and other goodies for the kids.

The grandstands will be opening at 5 pm with the first race scheduled to start at 6 pm. For further information, go to www.raceantiochspeedway.com or check out the Antioch Speedway by PROmotions Facebook page.

Picture Info:
Reigning IMCA Modified champion Troy Foulger #49 and Andrew Pearce #15p. Photo by Katrina Kniss

IMCA Sport Modified racers Mark Garner #76, Trevor Clymens #2c and Buddy Kniss #19k. Photo by Katrina Kniss

Andrew Peckham #75, Maddie Motts #13 and Anthony Vigna #54 battle for position in the Pacific Coast Hobby Stocks. Photo by Katrina Kniss

IMCA Stock Car star Kenneth Robles #78k, 2024 champion Troy Foulger #49, reigning champion Fred Ryland #7j and Mitch Enos #09. Photo by Katrina Kniss

Brandon Ayelsworth #41, reigning Dwarf Car champion Travis Day #88 and John Durden #174. Photo by Katrina Kniss

WMR Midgets racer Kevin Felkins #35. Photo by Katrina Kniss

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