Antioch, CA...September 6...DJ Johnson of Stockton won the 25 lap Wingless Spec Sprint Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. Johnson is a two-time Antioch Speedway champion and the reigning Hunt Series title winner as well. His first visit of the season coincided with the Panfili Cup race, and Johnson led most of the way for the impressive victory.
Jimmy Christian of Morgan Hill charged into the lead at the start ahead of Johnson and new track champion Bob Newberry of Brentwood. Johnson made an inside pass in Turn 2 of the seventh lap to take the lead from Christian. Christian's run in second came to an end as he headed for the pits on Lap 15, moving Newberry and Ryan Siverling of Concord into second and third. MacKenzie Newton of Elk Grove saw her Top 5 run end when her car caught fire for a Lap 19 red flag. Fortunately, she was okay, but another incident would halt the race moments later.
Johnson continued to lead Newberry and Siverling on the restart. However, Chris Geilfuss of Antioch made contact with another car and cartwheeled into Turn 3 for another red flag. Geilfuss suffered a leg injury in the mishap. Johnson led Newberry and Siverling on the restart, but Siverling made an inside pass on the backstretch on Lap 22 to take second from Newberry. Nobody was stopping Johnson as he won ahead of Siverling, Newberry, Jeff Scotto of Brentwood and Steve Maionchi of Sonora.
Aidan Ponciano of Oakley outdueled Brentwood's Grayson Baca to win the 20 lap Pacific Coast Hobby Stock Main Event. This was the third win of the season for Ponciano, and it moved him into fifth in the standings.
Baca set the early pace ahead of heat race winner Jesse Paladino of Brentwood and Ponciano. Ponciano made an inside pass on the frontstretch on Lap 2 to take second from Paladino, and Baca and Ponciano began to pull away from the pack. Paladino was holding off Josh Appelbaum of Antioch and Oakley's Charlie Bryant in a close battle for third. The leaders caught traffic by the eighth lap, and Ponciano used that to his advantage as he took the lead from Baca on Lap 10.
Heat race winner Appelbaum saw a good Top 5 run come to an end for a Lap 15 yellow flag. Ponciano continued to lead Baca and Paladino on the restart. Brentwood's Colten Haney had moved into fourth and made an inside pass on the frontstretch on Lap 19 to take third from Paladino. Ponciano cruised to victory ahead of Baca, Haney, James Thomson of Pittsburg and Paladino.
Joel Hannagan of San Jose won a mid-race battle with Merced Speedway champion Mike Gillard of Atwater before going on to collect his fifth 20 lap Hardtop Main Event win of the season. This was also the Fourth Annual Butch Althar Memorial race and Hannagan's second win in that event aboard the Doug Braudrick owned Junkyard Dog Hardtop.
Gillard set the early pace ahead of Don Slaney of Martinez and Orland's Mario Romano. Hannagan got past Slaney for second on Lap 2 with Gary Hildebrand of Turlock settling into third. Gillard and Hannagan began to pull away from the pack and soon caught slower traffic. A high move in Turn 1 of the 10th lap gained Hannagan the lead. He pulled away from Gillard and went on to victory. Hildebrand settled for third ahead of Slaney and Romano.
Jason Higgins of San Jose led from start to finish to pick up his first 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event win at Antioch. Higgins won three features at Petaluma Speedway this year as he finished third in the final standings there.
After winning the heat race, Higgins had the pole for the Main Event and charged into the lead, followed by Petaluma champion Michael Valente of Penngrove. After having motor issues in the heat race, new champion Tom Brown of Santa Rosa originally planned to just take the green flag. However, his car ran well enough for him to settle into an early third. Higgins would pull away to a straightaway advantage over Valente, leaving the battle between Valente and Brown for second. A high move in Turn 4 of the last lap gained Brown second with Valente settling for third ahead a Ryder Holmen of Antioch and Matt Wirth of Oakland.
Pittsburg's Matthew Linde won a race long battle with heat race winner Devin Zuffa of Oakley and Petaluma Speedway champion Peyton Gentry of Santa Rosa to win the 20 lap 600 Micro Sprint Main Event. The race went without a yellow flag and featured a non-stop battle for the lead.
Zuffa jumped into the early lead ahead of Linde and Aniyah Scott of Brentwood. Gentry slipped past Scott in Turn 4 of the second lap, and it quickly became a three-car battle at the front. A high move in Turn 4 while they worked traffic on Lap 14 gained Linde the lead from Zuffa. Gentry went high in Turn 1 on the last lap to take second from Zuffa, and Linde was the happy winner ahead of Gentry, Zuffa, Scott and point leader Buddy Chapell of San Jose.
Jackson Russell of Cotati got behind the wheel of the Sam Borland Dwarf Car for the first time and won the 15 lap Main Event. Russell made a last lap pass at the line to beat new point leader Travis Day of Concord for the victory.
Day jumped into the early lead ahead of Russell and David Hays of Brentwood. Hays made a Turn 2 pass on Lap 3 to move into second, but Russell made an inside pass on the front stretch on Lap 6 to reclaim the position. Russell began reeling in Day, setting up a shootout for the lead during the final three circuits. Russell went low exiting the final turn, leading to a drag race to the checkered flag. Russell beat Day by .023 seconds for the photo finish victory as Hays and Russ Sieber of Elk Grove rounded out the finishing order.
Racing continues next Saturday night with IMCA Championship Night. The IMCA sanctioned Modifieds, Sport Modifieds and Stock Cars return along with the Pacific Coast Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars. It's also Hall of Fame Night with seven people being inducted into the Hall of Fame during intermission. For further information, go to www.raceantiochspeedway.com or check out the Antioch Speedway by PROmotions Facebook page.
Race Results
Pacific Coast Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Jesse Paladino, Josh Appelbaum, Grayson Baca. Main Event (20 Laps)-Aidan Ponciano, Grayson Baca, Colten Haney, James Thomson, Jesse Paladino, Hunter Hammett, Charlie Bryant, Jewell Crandall, Jeff Bentancourt, Josh Appelbaum.
Wingless Spec Sprints
Fast Time-Ryon Siverling 15.164. Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Bob Newberry, Jimmy Christian. Main Event (25 Laps)-DJ Johnson, Ryon Siverling, Bob Newberry, Jeff Scotto, Steve Maionchi, Ricky Jones, John Ulrich, MacKenzie Newton, Braidon Moniz, Jimmy Christian.
Hardtops
Heat Winner (8 Laps)-Joel Hannagan. Main Event (20 Laps)-Joel Hannagan, Mike Gillard, Gary Hildebrand, Don Slaney, Mario Romano, Joe Shenefield.
600 Micro Sprints
Heat Winner (8 Laps)-Devon Zuffa. Main Event (20 Laps)-Matthew Linde, Payton Gentry, Devon Zuffa, Aniyah Scott, Buddy Chappell, Jackson Tardiff, Ryan Dotson, Jackson Russell.
Mini Stocks
Heat Winner (6 Laps)-Jason Higgins. Main Event (15 Laps)-Jason Higgins, Tom Brown, Micahel Valente, Ryder Holmen, Matt Wirth.
Dwarf Cars
Heat Winner (6 Laps)-Travis Day. Main Event (15 Laps)-Jackson Russell, Travis Day, David Hays, Russ Sieber.
Picture Info:
Reigning Hunt Series champion DJ Johnson #33 picked up the Panfilli Cup for his Wingless Spec Sprint win. Photo by Katrina Kniss
Aidan Ponciano #225 used his third Hobby Stock win of the season to move into fifth in the point standings. Photo by Katrina Kniss
Joel Hannagan #16 won the Butch Althar Memorial Hardtop race. Photo by Katrina Kniss
Matthew Linde #3l earned his first ever 600 Micro Sprint Main Event victory. Photo by Katrina Kniss
Petaluma Speedway star Jason Higgins #2h won his first Antioch Mini Stock Main Event. Photo by Katrina Kniss
Petaluma racer Jackson Russell #12n won the trophy in memory of Jim Barton for his Dwarf Car feature win. Photo by Katrina Kniss
- Wylie Wade on Sep 11, 2025
- Article Date: 9/10/2025 by Candice Martin, Photos by Katrina Kniss