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Golden State Challenge Series heads to Ocean Speedway
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA - April 10, 2007... The Golden State Challenge King of California 410 winged sprint car series will make its first of four season stops to Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway this Saturday night April 14. The Santa Cruz County Fairground track has undergone a vast number of improvements over the last year or so, and 2007 will see GSC compete at the 1/4 mile more than it ever has in the past. Last season saw the Golden State Challenge Series run at Ocean Speedway on two occasions and they were won by Rocklin’s Robert Ballou and Campbell’s Bud Kaeding respectively.
The two drivers topping the entry list for this Saturday will be current Golden State Challenge Series point leader Sean Becker of Oroville and 12-time King of California Brent Kaeding of Campbell.
Becker comes into Ocean Speedway on the strength of four consecutive podium finishes aboard the Fisher/Main Motorsports, JEI No. 35m. The 2005 King of California hasn’t won a race yet, but his consistency has been phenomenal. In the seven GSC races held so far in 2007, he has tallied six top five finishes and hasn’t finished worst than sixth. The 35m team has been taking it one week at a time, as they weren’t planning on running with GSC full time at the start of the season, but as of last weekend it appeared that they would be in Watsonville this Saturday for Round #8. The driver known as the "Shark" hasn’t competed at the Ocean Speedway since July of ‘05. The last time he did run in Watsonville he finished in third place during a GSC main event behind Tim and Brent Kaeding.
The hottest driver on tour right now is 12-time King of California and the all-time winningest driver in Golden State Challenge Series history, Brent Kaeding. Kaeding has won two straight GSC feature events and comes into Ocean Speedway just eight points behind Becker for the top spot in the standings. BK has also driven his Al’s Roofing Supply Maxim to a pair of 360 winged sprint car wins at Ocean Speedway this season. Last Saturday night in Antioch he captured his 72nd career GSC victory, extending his lead on the all-time win list. Last season BK only competed in one of the GSC events at Ocean Speedway and during that night he took a frightening end over end flip off turns one and two in the feature. In July BK had son Bud fill in for him in the 69 machine and the younger Kaeding promptly went out and won the race. Bud will be another entrant this Saturday as he sits aboard the Wright One Construction No. 35. The defending USAC Silver Crown champ has moved up to ninth in the Golden State Challenge Series point standings and it’s been great having him run more often in California this season.
The driver that ranks third in the current standings is defending King of California Jonathan Allard of Chico. Allard is just 12 points out of the lead and is coming off his first top five finish with GSC since opening weekend in Chico. The driver of the Williams Motorsports J & J has been a little off last year’s unbelievable pace, but has the potential to get hot at any moment. The two-time and defending champion of Skagit Speedway’s Dirt Cup finished second in last June’s GSC stop in Watsonville and was battling for the lead in July when he clipped the wall and got upside down.
Sitting fourth in the Golden State Challenge Series point standings is San Jose’s Jason Statler, who suffered a heart-breaking loss last July at Ocean Speedway. The 2004 King of California started sixth in the feature and made several impressive moves to take the lead just after the midway point of the 30 lap contest. Statler appeared to be on his way to victory, but a last turn pass by Bud Kaeding spoiled his bid at winning. This Saturday Statler will make his first trip to Ocean Speedway with his new Tom Rolfe Trucking No. 10 team and will be looking for his first GSC win since June of 2005.
Expected to make his Golden State Challenge Series season debut on Saturday is Australian Trevor Green. Green is a familiar face to the California crowd as he filled in aboard the Williams Motorsports No. 0 when Dennis Moore Jr. suffered a broken leg in 2004. He ran in 10 GSC races during the ‘04 season and his highlight in the 0 machine was winning a preliminary night feature at Skagit’s Dirt Cup. Green will be a welcomed addition to the roster this season.
Other drivers expected include: Sacramento’s Willie Croft, Chico’s Brett Miller, Salinas’ Ronnie Day, Fairmont, Indiana’s Brandon Wimmer, Grass Valley’s Brad Sweet, Tracy’s Jason Botsford, Gilroy’s Jon Maiwald, Discovery Bay’s Jim Skinner, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Chico’s Matt Shelton, Fresno’s Mark Workentine, Redding’s Ric McCormack and more.
The front gate opens at 4:30 pm on Saturday with adult tickets costing $20. Kids 6-12 will be $10, as will seniors 65 and over. Children five and under will be admitted free.
The Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville. For more info on Ocean Speedway contact 831-476-9466 or visit http://www.oceanspeedway.com
For updated point standings, results and more info on the Golden State Challenge King of California Series, log onto http://www.johnpadjenmotorsports.com
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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This message was edited on
April 11, 2007 at
10:26:15 AM by Gary Thomas
Okay Trevor's first GSC race is now set to be May 5 at Ocean Speedway. Trev is going home to Adelaide this week to see his family and to take a break because it's been 18 months since he's been away from a racetrack.
Thanks to Trevor and Andre for the updates!
So hopefully everything goes smoothly and we see him in Watsonville next month.
Shirt of the day- Billy Sellers #15
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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