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Golden State Challenge Series set for Quincy getaway
By Gary Thomas
Quincy, CA – April 29, 2008…The beautiful Sierra Mountain town of Quincy will be the destination for the Golden State Challenge King of California Series this Saturday May 3 as teams and drivers make their way to the American Valley Speedway. The night of action will be the 10th race of the GSC season and will also mark the second straight season that the traveling 410 sprint car series competes at the Plumas-Sierra County Fairgrounds track.
With the absence of Calistoga on the Golden State Challenge Series schedule this year, the American Valley Speedway will take over the distinction of being the most picturesque track on the circuit, as it is surrounded by a number of trees and beautiful mountain ranges. The 3/8 mile dirt oval is now also possibly the track that features the longest straight-aways on tour, but the narrow/flat corners are reminiscent of Calistoga and it takes a good deal of finesse to get around the Quincy track.
Last season’s inaugural Golden State Challenge Series visit to the American Valley Speedway was a bit of a unique experience and the racing during the main event was much better than some had predicted earlier in the afternoon. Competitors were able to use the high side of the track and it made for a rather entertaining 30 laps of racing. The 3/8 mile speedway is promoted by Curt Nieman with much help from event planner and race coordinator Jim Richardson of Graeagle. Announcing the event for the second straight year will be Chico’s Troy Hennig, who is also known as an avid fisherman and hunter in the Plumas County area.
San Jose’s Tim Kaeding became the eighth different winner in the first nine GSC Series races this season with his victory last weekend in Tulare. Overall this year Kaeding has won three main events in California and will also be looking to make it back to back wins for the Tom Rolfe Trucking, J.F. McCray Plastering sponsored sprinter at the American Valley Speedway. Last June Sacramento driver Willie Croft drove the No. 10 machine to his second career series victory when GSC made its inaugural visit to the track.
Current Golden State Challenge Series point leader Jonathan Allard is coming into Quincy off a third place finish and will be looking for his first series win of the season this Saturday. The Chico driver brings a 40 point lead in the standings to the American Valley Speedway and will look to add to that total as he attempts to become just the third driver in the 22 year history of the series to win multiple titles. Last season Allard drove the K & N Filters, Williams Motorsports No. 0 to a fifth place finish in Quincy.
The point’s battle has begun to heat up with the Northern California weather as the drivers sitting second through fifth are separated by just 20 points. Sacramento’s Mike Henry continues to sit in the runner-up spot in the points during his inaugural campaign with the Golden State Challenge Series. Henry has driven the newly formed HMH Motorsports, Royal Lagoon Pools No. 93 to one victory and five top 10 finishes this season. It has been great having the exciting driver touring on a regular basis this year.
Sitting third in the points and just 11 digits back of Henry is 13-time and defending King of California Brent Kaeding. The Campbell veteran has six top 10’s this year but has yet to crack into victory lane aboard his Al’s Roofing Supply, Kaeding Performance No. 69 and he would certainly like to change that this weekend. Last season BK finished third at the American Valley Speedway and also won at the track during an open comp race in August of ’06.
The always entertaining Tyler Walker from Los Angeles is fourth in the standings, but just a scant three points behind Kaeding for third. The driver of the SC Motorsports, NMI Industrial Contractors No. 24 had a great run last weekend in Tulare that saw him charge from ninth to finish second. Walker had the lead near the end of the feature last Saturday, but was re-passed by T. Kaeding right as the white flag was getting ready to be shown. Walker also leads the Golden State Challenge Series with three fast time efforts this season aboard the potent No. 24 machine.
Rounding out the top five in the current GSC point standings is two-time and defending USAC Silver Crown champ Bud Kaeding. The Campbell racer is just six points back of Walker for fourth and goes into Quincy having finished eighth or better during four straight events, including a victory less than two weeks back, which came in Petaluma. Kaeding seems to be improving on a weekly basis in the BK Motorsports, Alviso Rock No. 29, in what is his first season back running his own winged sprinter on a regular basis in California.
Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs sits sixth in the standings as he gets set to make his inaugural visit to the American Valley Speedway. The second year winged sprint car driver has finished in the top five during three of the last four GSC events aboard the Suggs Racing, Lucas Oil Products No. 33e. Another driver who didn’t compete with the series last June in Quincy is Los Gatos’ Jason Statler who became a dad early this week when wife Stephanie had the couple's first child early Tuesday morning. “The Big Guy” recently finished second in Petaluma driving his DF Rios Construction, D & D Roofing No. 00 and currently sits seventh in points.
Expected to make his first GSC start since winning in March at the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway is Creswell, Oregon’s Roger Crockett. The 26 year-old is back for a second straight season behind the wheel of the Henderson Motorsports, Omlid & Swinney No. 7n and kicked it off in style by leading all 30 laps in Tulare during the team’s first event of the season.
Crockett is coming off a stout year in which he won the Northwest 360 title, finished runner-up during a feature with the World of Outlaws in Calistoga, scored a third place result at Skagit’s Dirt Cup and also finished fourth in overall points at the Trophy Cup. In addition to those accomplishments he was also one of the west coast’s best qualifiers in ‘07 as he set the fastest mark more than 12 times during the season, including both night’s of the Dirt Cup, as well as beating out 82 entrants for quick time at the Trophy Cup.
Defending Golden State Challenge Rookie of the Year Brett Miller of Chico will make his first series start since the Mini Gold Cup aboard the Care Free Pools, Platinum Powder Coating No. 1x. Miller last season finished seventh in the GSC standings and also brought home a fourth place finish in Silver Dollar Speedway points. Other GSC drivers expected for this weekend in Quincy will be Fremont’s Brent Bjork, Gilroy’s Ken Fredenburg, Rio Vista’s Dan Simpson, Fresno’s Mark Worketine, Petaluma’s Mike Mossi and more.
Many of the Golden State Challenge Series regulars will also be in action Friday night during a regular Feather Falls Casino point event at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico.
The front gate at the American Valley Speedway will open up at 5pm this Saturday with adult tickets costing $20, juniors $15 and kids 5 to 12 $10. The track is located at the Plumas-Sierra County Fairgrounds in Quincy. More info at http://web.mac.com/curtnieman/Site/Welcome.html
Up next- The Golden State Challenge King of California 410 Winged Sprint Car Series will head right back to the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway next Saturday night May 10 for the running of the annual Chris & Brian Faria Memorial. Reserved tickets are on sale and can be acquired by calling (559) 688-0909. For a rundown of the GSC standings log onto http://www.johnpadjenmotorsports.com
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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