McMahan, Cass Keep Streak Alive At Antioch Speedway

Antioch, CA...There's an interesting streak going on in two divisions At Antioch Speedway that continued Saturday night. There have yet to be any repeat winners in either the All Star Series Winged 360 Sprint Cars or A Modified divisions. In the Winged 360 Sprint Car 25 lap feature, it was Brayden McMahan getting the win ahead of point leader Billy Aton. He is now the seventh winner in seven races. Not to be outdone, Brian Cass became the ninth different winner in nine races with his 20 lap A Modified feature victory in front of point leader Carl Berendsen II.



Second ranked Marcus Smith outran his teammate, Dan Gonderman to win his second 20 lap Wingless Spec Sprint feature in the Richard Basden owned entry. K.C. Keller made a nice drive from the back and passed Trevor Clymens late to win his second 20 lap B Modified Main Event. Danny Jones held off the challenge of four time winner Guy Ahlwardt to win his second 20 lap Hobby Stock feature. Larry Damitz added to his Limited Late Model point lead with his third 20 lap Main Event win.


The track's Winged 360 Sprint Car division continues to see different visitors come out every week to keep the car count up. Many younger drivers getting their first Sprint Car laps are making it a point to come race on John M. Soares's fast three-eighth mile clay oval. This time around, it was 21 year old Brayden McMahan making his 18th start in car #18. With point leader Billy Aton in hot pursuit, McMahan scored an impressive win in 25 lap Main Event. He is now the seventh different winner in seven races. Petaluma visitor Geoff Ensign ran closely behind the lead two cars to the checkered flag. Burt Foland Jr. used his fourth place finish to move into third in the standings as heat winner Dalton Hill rounded out the Top 5. Title contender Art McCarthy took a checkered flag in sixth after earlier winning his heat race. The Main Event had a red flag midway through when young Kaleb Montgomery flipped his car six times. He wasn't injured in the crash.


The A Modifieds have an amazing streak in progress this season. In nine races, there have been nine different winners. In the latest 20 lap feature, past Hanford and Watsonville champion Brian Cass scored the victory ahead of point leader Carl Berendsen II. Cass also won his heat race. Berendsen is still in search of his first feature win, but he won his heat race earlier in the evening. Josh Combs rebounded from a rough race a week ago with a third place finish as Sean O'Gara and Norm Boeck rounded out the Top 5.


With Jim Perry Jr. struggling in recent weeks, second year racer Marcus Smith has been closing the gap in the Wingless Spec Sprint championship battle. This week, Smith stepped it up even more by driving the Richard Basden owned #20 car to victory ahead of teammate Dan Gonderman. Gonderman drives the car that Smith intended to run before getting the ride in Basden's car. Last week's winner Roy Fisher held off Perry to finish third as heat winner Brandon Burd rounded out the Top 5. Fisher was the other heat winner.


In the B Modified division, the championship battle continues to tighten between point leader Al Johnson and Trevor Clymens. Johnson won his heat race earlier in the evening, but Clymens was going for his fourth feature win of the season. Unfortunately, he lost a late race duel with eventual winner K.C. Keller. Watsonville competitor Anthony Giuliani led much of the way before surrendering the lead to Clymens as Keller worked his way from the back. Once Keller got into second, he stalked Clymens on the inside line. The duo ran side by side for several laps before Keller made his winning pass. Clymens settled for second ahead of Shane DeVolder, Igor Grandzuk and Johnson. Lonnie Leonard was the other heat race winner.


Larry Damitz won for the second time in a row and third of the season in the 20 lap Limited Late Model feature. Starting back in the last row, he worked his way to the front and held off fellow Limited Late Model veteran Mike Gustafson for the win. Gustafson also won his heat race. Rookie Kimo Oreta had another solid run in third as Lori Brown and Jim Freethy completed the Top 5. Paul Hanley was the other heat winner.


After losing the win last week on the final lap of the Hobby Stock Main Event, Danny Jones was looking to avoid a repeat in this week's 20 lapper. Jones held the lead, and it wasn't long before point leader Guy Ahlwardt managed to make it up to second from the back of pack. This time, however, Jones held on and scored his second feature victory of the season. Ahlwardt settled for second after winning his heat race earlier in the evening. Rob Waldrop finished third ahead of Chris Sorensen and heat winner Michael Cooper.


Racing continues next Saturday night with Wingless Spec Sprints, DIRTcar Late Models, Limited Late Models, Dwarf Cars, B Modifieds and Hobby Stocks all in action. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.


Unofficial Race Results, July 16th


Winged 360 Sprint Cars

Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Dalton Hill, Art McCarthy, Main Event (20 Laps)-Brayden McMahan, Billy Aton, Geoff Ensign, Burt Foland Jr., Hill, McCarthy, Steven Harris, Monty Ferreira, Tim Burcher, Kaleb Montgomery.


A Modifieds

Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Brian Cass, Carl Berendsen II. Main Event (20 Laps)-Cass, C. Berendsen, Josh Combs, Sean O'Gara, Norm Boeck, Bobby Montalvo, Eric Berendsen, John Bellando Jr., Terry Kaiser (DNS).


B Modifieds

Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Al Johnson, Lonnie Leonard. Main Event (20 Laps)-K.C. Keller, Trevor Clymens, Shane DeVolder, Igor Grandzuk, Johnson, Anthony Giuliani, Leonard, Brown, Paul Mulder (DNS).


Wingless Spec Sprints

Heat Winners (8 laps)-Brandon Burd, Roy Fisher. Main Event (20 Laps)-Marcus Smith, Dan Gonderman, Fisher, Jim Perry Jr., Burd, Dusty Green, Rick Panfili, Kevin Box, Adam Teves (DNS).


Limited Late Models

Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Paul Hanley, Mike Gustafson. Main Event (20 Laps)-Larry Damitz, Gustafson, Kimo Oreta, Lori Brown, Jim Freethy, Mark Garner, Billy Garner, Hanley, John Bellando Jr. (DNS)


Hobby Stocks

Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Michael Cooper, Guy Ahlwardt. Main Event (20 Laps)-Danny Jones, Ahlwardt, Rob Waldop, Chris Sorensen, Cooper, Jordan Swank, Lindsey Buirch, Anthony Vigna, Cameron Swank, Jason Jennings, Frank Furtado, Mitch Loccicere (DNS).
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