ANTIOCH, California — Duane Cleveland of Plumas Lake, Calif. returned to victory lane in Saturday night’s $1,000 DIRTcar West Modified Stock Car main event and legendary Larry Damitz of Vallejo, Calif. left the field behind with a half-lap lead to win the Limited Late Model feature at Antioch Speedway.
Damitz, who turns 82 years old in two weeks, began his stock car racing career longer ago than most people can remember.
“Dwight D. Eisenhower just became president the year I began racing,” he laughed in victory lane. “But, it took me almost ten years before I won my first feature.”
Fred Ryland was second in the Limited Late Model event, with Lori Brown taking third. Damitz lapped the rest of the field.
Cleveland overcame problems in the trophy dash to build a commanding lead. The feature ran green for the final 17 laps, and Chris Shannon of Merced, Calif. chased him down by the final lap.
“Our gears exploded in the trophy dash, but we were able to get it back together in time for the feature,” Cleveland said. “It’s been a long dry spell. It feels good to be back in victory lane.”
Brian Cass had his best showing in the modified division this year in bringing home third. Troy Foulger and Scott Busby rounded out the top five.
Ricardo Rivera of Hollister, Calif. survived a crash-filled dwarf car main event to score his second win in four outings this season. Sterling Montgomery embraced second place Adrian DeSousa after he narrowly beat her in a drag race to the finish in the “Four-Banger” division.
Coming from nowhere, Junior Garcia won his first race in the “Mini-Trux” division, topping Mike Harman with two laps to go.
“Where the heck did you come from?” Harman asked him in victory lane. “That was fun racing - that is what it is all about.
Garcia, of San Leandro, Calif. is a former road racer who found a partially built truck and decided to give oval racing a try.
“I got here just in time to make a heat race,” he said in victory lane. “It’s only the second time I drove the truck.”
Jim Freethy of Danville gave his wife Mother’s Day thrill as she rode shotgun he while drove to the checkered flag in the Hobby Stock main event.
“It’s just one part of my Mother’s Day gift,” Sandra Freethy said. “Being a stay at home mom with four kids, this certainly was a thrill for me.”
