Forum: Northern California Sprint Car (go)
Moderators: StuDeedooo

• The Gold Cup and Louie Vermille classic are not to be missed if you are a Sprint Car fan out west. Mark your work vacation calendars for next year!

• Silver Dollar Speedway never looked better and it was nice to see some smiling faces in the pit booth for once. It felt like they appreciated the business. No disrespect meant for past management but the future is looking very bright for our local tracks.

• No signs of a slow economy at the ticket booth. This had to be a record crowd for all four days. I'm sure it was felt in other ways but it didn't appear to have an effect on filling the seats. The extra seats in the pits were appreciated by all!

• Wednesday was the worst racing surface I've ever seen at Silver Dollar and had me worried about the rest of the week. Hats off to the crew for working all night getting it right the rest of the week.

• Thursday, Friday and Saturday was the most consistent three days I've ever seen for the Gold Cup racing surface at Chico. In the past, Friday's always seemed to end up rubber down but this year all three nights were consistent. No dust, no major ruts, top and bottom racing at both ends of the track all three nights!

• Joey Saldana is the best Sprint Car driver on the planet right now. He wins on any size track or surface condition. He's a win it or wear it racer and manages to stay humble in victory. Your type keep me going to the races.

• Donny Schatz still looks mediocre in traffic on the bull rings out west. The only way he was going to pass 17 year old Kyle Larson was with the help of WoO officiating. They penalized Larson two spots on a restart for avoiding Sammy Swindell and his flat tire. Props to the young man for not stacking up the rest of the field on that restart. The WoO flagman and officials missed one hell of a race on Saturday and somebody please take that cone away from them.

• Jason Sides was the fastest car all week on a clear track. It's great to see him so consistently fast all year. It's refreshing to see success come to a driver who knows how to treat competitors and race fans!

• TK and T-Dub have so much talent and just need to relax and win one of these things. Somebody please tell Walker that pulling wheelies and acting a fool after you just got schooled for 10 laps by a 19 year old girl doesn't erase that fact. That's reserved for victories and you can win this race.

• Jonathan Allard still remains the most consistent local against the Outlaws during the Gold Cup week. Hats off to you Jonathan!

• Kyle Larson is the best young talent in the nation, not just Cali and I hope he gets a chance to show the rest of the country soon. The show he put on in his first non-wing sprint car race at Calistoga against the always wingless USAC drivers was spectacular. Then he followed it up against the Outlaws in Chico. This kid is barely 17 and he will learn to finish these big races. I heard there's a possibility he will be on the pavement in Roseville for the USAC Sprints. I have that date marked on my calendar!

• The bikini contest while still fun, sorely missed Sean Buckley. Dean Mills is great behind the camera. In front of it with a microphone… not so much. This year the wrong girl won but the barely legal judges must of dug the raunch. I noticed she wasn't the trophy girl Saturday so someone came to their senses.

• Troy Henning did a nice job on the microphone all week but I still wish Johnny Gibson was the one calling the race at the track with Henning providing the color and local spin.

• I Sure wish the Outlaws were heading to Tulare now instead of Spencer IA. The point race would be getting real tight if that were the case.

• For the Gold Cup to be a sanctioned WoO race and not have any bearing on the point battle is way past idiotic. A race with this big of purse and prestige should have more weight then a normal $10k to win Outlaw race. As it stands now, it has less.

• Thank God I didn't have to rely on Dirtvision for coverage. I'm getting tired of handing them money every year while they manage to actually get worse at this. How is that even possible? Hire somebody that can figure out how to broadcast video over the Internet please or quit charging me money for next to nothing. I'm too stupid to stop myself.

• I'm still a grumpy old fart but couldn't keep the smile off my face all week!

I agree with everything you said Ricci. That's amazing because I don't normally agree with anyone on the boards.

I think I saw/heard Alan out til about 4 in the morning two nights doing the track prep after the races. That would be a promoter caring about the racing surface and not wanting what happened on the Weds night to happen again on any other night. Hats off to him.

Sucked what happened to Larson. He was putting some great moves on those Outlaws.

Agree with the Walker comment. A hot head will be a hot head.

I really wanted Jason Sides to win. He had a rough beat on Friday with engine trouble but still placing second. And leading 39 1/2 laps and getting passed in the last turn is a rough beat no matter how you look at it.

This was the best race at Chico all year and the Bradway being a close second.

......I just dont get that guy , There he is The New King of California or the Court Jester of California ?

a punch in the face always means something

While I'm not defending Walker or his actions, don't you think that he's entitled to be frustrated with his weekend, especially after he won the GSC title? I'm sure that Tyler and the team had pretty high expectations for the GC, and he just a bit(sarcasm) disappointed....

I guess you've never been so mad you could just ........

Chuck.....

Wow compliments to the track people, really? For the past three years, the Gold Cup track is a joke..... This year there were only 76 cars, the Saturday night started with a D Main, and by the A, the track was shot.... The reconfigured track doesnt allow for anyone to keep the moment built around the top even when a cushion is present. Three and four, the banking is still there, but look into turn one, and you can see why everyone runs towards the top entering and down to the bottom coming off. I really hope something changes next year. Great so the stands were packed, but the pits were not come Gold Cup, and the track still went hard slick on the straightaways.... Cant believe people feel like they got there 50 dollars worth on the Saturday night......

There was passing all night. Or were you just watching the front? And it wasn't just a last lap pass it was a last TURN pass. It doesn't get closer than that. The 76 cars are a sign of the times and nothing to reflect on the personnel or track itself. There's just less cars out there running and that's the bottom line. And the favored line on the track in 1&2 was the low line. It doesn't mean the high line was slower. I personally saw Larson pass at least 3 cars in 1&2 on the high side for the main. If you didn't see some good racing in the main event you must have not been watching the same race as the rest of us.

GO ALLARD!!!!!!

Daaang Sidewayz! You sure you weren't the WoO flagman or watching on Dirtvision? It sounds like you missed a pretty decent Gold Cup this year.

I could of swore I watched Sweet go from 21st to a top 10, Becker went from 19th to 9th, Schatz I believe started 15th and scored 6th, Dollansky went from 11th to 5th and Larson came from 18th and had 7th at one point. I also saw more then a couple of wheelies on that hard slick front straightaway that was bugging you. Was I imagining that last lap, last turn railing for the win by Saldana?

Sorry if I'm misreading you but I'm getting the feeling you've got an axe to grind with the Silver Dollar folks. Were you hoping they didn't get that racing surface turned around from that Wednesday night disaster? Silver Dollar is not my favorite track and I too am hoping to see big improvements to that race surface but I do make the trip for the MGC, Bradway Jr and Gold Cup every year because of the talent it draws. I've been attending Gold Cups for 4 decades and I've set through some stinkers in my years but this wasn't close to being one of them. Blast away at the people running the show if you will but try to keep your credibility or this stuff falls on deaf ears.

I am sure he had high expectations they had problems and didnt qualify well and were behind the 8 ball all weekend........No excuse for being a baby ,better drivers than he had tough a weekend. I raced motocross for years I am familiar with racing frustrations how you deal with them says a lot about your character.

a punch in the face always means something

We had a great time at GC!! Can't wait to go back! Prediction for next year.... Kyle larson!!!

Why is there bashing on the flagman? I don't make any calls at a WoO show, I just wave flags. I saw a hell of a race on Saturday..............I have the best seat in the house.

Its not always the flagmans fault, he is only as good 
as the officals on the ground 

Getting hit in the face with rocks and sucking down dirt and dust. Pulling mud outta your hair two days later.........Does it get any better than that?

Its not always the flagmans fault, he is only as good 
as the officals on the ground 

GO ALLARD!!!!!!

And don't forget hanging out with the Armor All girls in the press trailer after the races Saturday Jake. That was definitley a plus

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

That is an awesome perk to our jobs

Its not always the flagmans fault, he is only as good 
as the officals on the ground 

GO ALLARD!!!!!!

I really dont know how someone would start. I was just in the right spot at the right time. Hit up the local kart tracks and ask usually they don have a full time flagman.

Its not always the flagmans fault, he is only as good 
as the officals on the ground