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Tyler Walker leads Golden State Challenge Series into penultimate event of season this Saturday at Ocean Speedway looking for history

By Gary Thomas

Watsonville, CA – August 4, 2009…It could be history in the making this Saturday night at the Ocean Speedway as current Golden State Challenge Series point leader Tyler Walker will be searching to become the first driver to ever win nine main events in a season with the traveling 410 sprint car tour.

Please note an earlier start time is scheduled for Saturday's event with the front grandstand gate opening up at 3pm. The pit board meeting will be held at 3:45 with track packing at 4 and racing scheduled to get underway around 5. This is the same time frame used during the Saturday GSC event at Ocean Speedway in April.

Walker utilized his eighth Golden State Challenge Series victory of the season last weekend in Petaluma to stretch his current point lead to 16 markers with just two events remaining in the fight for the King of California title. As he looks for history the driver of the SC Motorsports, NMI Industrial Contractors No. 24 has also been a dominant force at the Ocean Speedway recently having won three of the past four GSC events held at the track. "Watsonville has been a good track for us and we always seem to have the car really strong whenever we run there," Walker has said in the past.

In addition to those wins at the Ocean Speedway "T-dub" also dominated a Civil War 360 Series sanctioned event last September for victory at the Ocean Speedway and in the most recent GSC appearance at the quarter-mile bullring he carved his way from 15^th to sixth in the feature. Walker has won three of the past five overall events with the Golden State Challenge Series this season and has been on the podium in five of the last six as he looks to bring home his first career King of California title and break Tim Kaeding's single-season win record.

Two-time King of California Jonathan Allard comes into the Ocean Speedway looking for his second GSC win of the season to try and close the 16-point gap between himself and Walker. The Chico native has been extremely consistent at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds bullring recently having scored six finishes of fourth or better in the past six events at the track. The wheel-man of the Williams Motorsports, K&N Filters No. 0 has never won a 410 sprint car main event at the facility however, came very close during the April GSC visit when he led every circuit in the feature, up until the white flag lap when Walker was able to make a last lap pass to steal the victory away in exciting fashion.

Current Ocean Speedway point leader Brent Kaeding sits third in the Golden State Challenge Series standings coming into his home track, but is just two back of Allard for second and 18 behind Walker for the lead. "BK" scored a runner-up finish last Friday during the GLR Investments weekly 360 event and has also captured the past two track championships at the Watsonville based quarter-mile. The 13-time King of California also brought home a runner-up finish last Saturday night with GSC aboard his Al's Roofing Supply, Kaeding Performance No. 69 and will be looking for his fifth victory of the season with the series this weekend.

Golden State Challenge Series Rookie of the Year contender Kyle Larson has had a very impressive year at the Ocean Speedway behind the wheel of the Vertullo Racing, Starr Property Management No. 83v. In two GSC starts at the track this season the 17 year-old has scored a victory and a fourth place finish and also recently picked up a win during a Civil War/GLR Investments Series co-sanctioned event at the quarter-mile bullring. Larson last weekend scored a solid third place finish in the main event at Petaluma and will look to finish off his initial GSC campaign in strong fashion these last couple weeks.

Scotts Valley's Evan Suggs goes into his home track of Ocean Speedway with momentum on his side, after claiming a trio of top-four finishes in the past four weeks with the Golden State Challenge Series aboard his Suggs Racing, Riley Collins Body Shop No. 33e. The 22 year-old also set fast-time last Friday and raced to a fourth place finish in the GLR Investments 360 event at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds bullring. Suggs last weekend during the GSC event in Petaluma dominated the dash and then tallied a fourth place finish in the feature after making an engine change prior to the 30 lap contest.

Looking to rebound after tough luck last weekend in Petaluma is Golden State Challenge Series rookie Brandon Carey, who had engine problems prior to the races and wasn't able to compete in the nights action. The Ripon driver has been impressive over the last month and a half with him scoring three top-four finishes since late June aboard his Carey Racing, Vernon Transportation Company No. 55.

Last Friday's GLR Investments 360 Series winner Jason Statler of Grass Valley will be searching for his first Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car Series victory of the season on Saturday. During the most recent GSC event at the Ocean Speedway in late-May the "Big Guy" gave eventual winner Kyle Larson everything he could handle over the closing laps, until Statler unfortunately got upside down in between the first and second corners on the final lap. The driver of the Statler Racing, DF Rios Construction No. 00 has been solid all season long and will be looking for redemption this weekend after the tough ending to the May event.

Current USAC Silver Crown Series point leader Bud Kaeding will make his GSC return on Saturday after missing last weekend's event in Petaluma. The Campbell racer holds onto a 69-point lead in the Silver Crown standings as he searches to become the second driver to ever win USAC's premier title on three separate occasions. The 29 year-old has one GSC victory on the year and during the most recent series event at Ocean Speedway scored a runner-up finish in the main event aboard his BK Motorsports, Alviso Rock No. 29.

Fremont's Brent Bjork has been solid the past couple weeks having scored a pair of eighth place finishes with GSC, which includes a charge from the 17^th starting position in Chico two weeks ago at the helm of his Bjork Construction, Johnson Lumber Ace Hardware No. 7b. Other possibilities to compete this Saturday night will include Easton's Tommy Tarlton, Pleasanton's Brad Furr, Morgan Hills Ricky Wright, Gilroy's Jon Maiwald, Fresno's Anthony Simone & Mike Stallings, Corralitos' Jerry Bonema and more.

The front gate at the Ocean Speedway will open at 3 pm on Saturday with adult tickets costing $20, children 6 to 12 will be $12, seniors 65 and older $17 and kids five and under will be free. The Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville, California. For more info on the track visit http://www.oceanspeedway.com

For results, news and updated point standings please visit http://www.goldenstatechallengeseries.com

Up next- After taking next week off for the Knoxville Nationals the Golden State Challenge Series will return to action for the season finale at the Placerville Speedway on Saturday night August 22. The King of California will be crowned on the front straightaway at the always action-packed red-clay bullring following the main event.

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Tyler Walker will be looking for history this Saturday night as he searches to become the first driver to ever win nine main events in a single Golden State Challenge Series season. It will also come at a very good track for the Los Angeles driver as he's captured three of the past four GSC events held at the Ocean Speedway aboard his SC Motorsports, NMI Industrial Contractors, Niemann's Auto Touch No. 24. Photo by http://www.stevesracingphotos.com

www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Photo's courtesy Steve Lamothe. Check out Steve's great work at http://www.stevesracingphotos.com

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Chico’s Jonathan Allard will look to breakthrough for his first career Ocean Speedway 410 victory this weekend to try and cut into Walker’s 16-point lead in the GSC standings. The two-time King of California has driven his Williams Motorsports, K&N Filters, Platinum Powder Coating No. 0 to six finishes of fourth or better in the past six events at the track.

www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Thirteen-time King of California Brent Kaeding heads into his home track having won four Golden State Challenge Series main event this season at the helm of his Al’s Roofing Supply, Kaeding Performance, High Five Pizza No. 69. “BK” scored a runner-up finish last Friday during a weekly 360 event and is also the two-time defending track champion and current GLR Investments point leader.

www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Golden State Challenge Series Rookie of the Year contender Kyle Larson has had a very strong year at the Ocean Speedway behind the wheel of the Vertullo Racing, Starr Property Management, Parker Stores of Phoenix No. 83v. In two GSC starts at the track this season the 17 year-old has scored a victory and a fourth place finish and also recently picked up a win during a Civil War/GLR Investments Series co-sanctioned event at the quarter-mile bullring.

www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs heads into his home track of Ocean Speedway with momentum on his side, after claiming a trio of top-four finishes in the past four weeks with the Golden State Challenge Series aboard his Suggs Racing, Lucas Oil Products, Riley Collins Body Shop No. 33e. The 22 year-old also set fast-time last Friday and raced to a fourth place finish in the GLR Investments 360 event at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds bullring.

www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Easton’s Tommy Tarlton has had his best year in recent memory during the 2009 season in the Tachi Palace, Tarlton & Son Inc., Ridgeline Framing No. 21 sprinter. The veteran driver currently ranks second in the Ocean Speedway GLR standings with a pair of victories on the season and has also made six GSC starts on the season, highlighted by a pair of runner-up finishes at the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway.

www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Please note an earlier start time is scheduled for Saturday's event with the front grandstand gate opening up at 3pm. The pit board meeting will be held at 3:45 with track packing at 4 and racing scheduled to get underway around 5. This is the same time frame used during the Saturday GSC event at Ocean Speedway in April.

www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com