Atwater’s Porter can say he beat dirt-track legend Hogge IV

Beating dirt track racing legend Bobby Hogge IV is no easy task. It happens seldom when Hogge, of Salinas, unloads his bright red race car at a local speedway.

Atwater’s Ryan Porter can now boast that Hogge was second to him at the finish line in last Saturday’s International Motor Contest Association modified stock car feature at Merced Speedway. Saturday night, the IMCA Modified and SportMod classes again highlight the racing at Merced County Fairgrounds’ quarter-mile track.

“Not many drivers are on the list of those who beat Bobby to the checkered flag,” Porter said. “It is one of my biggest accomplishments in modified racing.”

Porter, who has driven race cars for 11 years, moved up to the modified division in 2006. He takes racing seriously and trains by keeping physically fit. During the week, Porter is an exercise specialist at a Lodi hospital.

When a track is “hooked up” (tacky) or becomes rough, Porter’s workout regimen has him prepared. It takes stamina and strength to handle a car sliding through turns after an 80-mph sprint on a straightaway.

“Being in shape definitely helps me on the race track,” said Porter, 26. “Racing demands a lot from your body. I work out four times a week with weights and cardio, and I am prepared for Saturday nights.”

With the Merced Speedway surface fast and tacky last Saturday night, Porter first had to pick off Ricky Thatcher of Mariposa and stay ahead of Hogge to the checkered flag.

“I was in second and Bobby was in third on the seventh lap. All I could see was his bumper coming up alongside me,” Porter said. “All I could think is, ‘Oh, no! He’s coming for me.’”

On a restart after a caution flag, Porter was on the outside of first-place Thatcher.

“I knew I had to get around Ricky if I had any chance to win,” Porter said. “Then, I couldn’t make the slightest mistake or Bobby would catch me.”

Porter was perfect and took the checkered flag with Hogge and Thatcher chasing him.

A large field of cars is expected at Merced Speedway on Saturday night, as sister track Antioch Speedway is dark in preparation for Sunday’s World of Outlaws event.

The Northern All-Stars Limited Late Model and Hobby Stock divisions also will compete in a full program of qualifying races and feature events.

Merced Speedway is located inside the Merced County Fairgrounds, 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and $8 for children 6-12. A family four-pack of tickets admits two children and two adults for $32. Racing begins at 7 p.m. The grandstand opens at 5 p.m.

This story was originally published March 27, 2015 at 11:47 PM with the headline "Atwater’s Porter can say he beat dirt-track legend Hogge IV."