Driving instructor Alex Schutte of Rohnert Park took Dave Johnson’s sprinter on a textbook drive as he brought home he checkered flag in the All Star Wingless Sprint Car main event at Antioch Speedway Saturday night. Schutte was challenged by Jeffrey Kindt of Placerville most of the way.

“That was some gnarly lapped traffic,” Shutte, 22, commented to Kindt in victory lane. “Lapped cars were trying to race us.”

Kindt agreed: “I got out of traffic too late to get alongside Alex. The lapped cars were running the middle. I had to go way high to get around them and make up lost ground. This was the first time I have raced against Alex. The track was great. We were really hooked up. I would have loved to get alongside of him.”

Schutte, who has been racing since he was eight years old, teaches racecar driving at nearby Infineon Raceway. Three weeks ago he forgot to hit the Antioch scales after finishing second in the feature and was disqualified.

“I just forgot,” he explained. “This is still my favorite track, though.”

In addition to being an instructor, Schutte is a student in his last semester at Cal State Sonoma, where he will receive a business marketing degree.

Sprint car racing is his passion.

“People ask me all the time what my favorite type of racing is,” he added. “I’ve driven just about everything – from Formula cars on road courses to go-karts on dirt. I enjoy sprint cars on dirt the most. Nothing compares to the power and there is no closer racing.”

The battle between Danny Wagner and Pete Paulsen took an interesting twist Saturday night after winner Wagner was disqualified for ramming Paulsen. Wagner said he couldn’t see Paulsen because clay splashed on his visor blocked his vision.

Junior Garcia of San Leandro came from the back of the pack to win the event. He battled Mike Harman, who finished second, and Wagner in the final laps of the race.

“I couldn’t get any further back,” Garcia laughed. “I was surprised that I won. It was a fun race. Mike (Harman) and I had an enjoyable run.”

There were last lap thrills in the “Four Banger” main event. Rookie Mike Shapiro of Campbell looked like he would be in victory lane, even after hitting the front stretch wall early in the main event.

Leading most of the race, Shapiro was challenged going down the backstretch by points leader Justin Silveira. The two tangled up, with Shapiro spinning but maintaining second to the finish.

“I hate to see it get that rough,” Silveira said in victory lane. “But it makes it great for the crowd.”

Larry Damitz, 82, is the dean of the Late Models, and he was untouchable in that main event, scoring his eighth win of the season.

Gene Haney scored his fourth win in the Super Hobby Stocks in front of his wife and family. Brentwood neighbor Brad Myers, who picked up a ride in Dan McCown’s super hobby stock, chased him.

Haney credited his son, Jon, with setting up the car for him. A victory was important to him.

“It’s a special night tonight,” Haney explained in victory lane. “I’ve been married to Beth for 43 years today, and she’s up in the stands watching.”

– Contributed by Mike Adaskaveg