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Golden State Challenge sprints invade Silver Dollar Speedway this Saturday
By Gary Thomas
Chico, CA - July 11, 2007.... An exciting evening of competition is on tap this Saturday night when the Golden State Challenge 410 winged sprint car series heads to Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico for the first time in two months. The best winged sprint car drivers in the West will invade the Chico bullring for a night of action helped in part by Fast Track Wings. The company will be giving an HRP top wing to the A-main winner, an HRP front nose wing to fast time, the B-main winner and 2nd place in the A-main, an HRP engine service tray to third place in the A-main and adding $600 to the purse on Saturday. All in all, it has the makings to be a really great night of racing.
The two drivers that have dominated the Golden State Challenge Series action over the last couple weeks have been San Jose’s Tim Kaeding and Chico’s Jonathan Allard. Kaeding has won the last two GSC races aboard the Tom Rolfe Trucking No. 10 and Allard has finished runner-up the last two aboard the Williams Motorsports No. 0. Both drivers have been to GSC victory lane three times this season.
Earlier this season Kaeding picked up the Mini Gold Cup win at Silver Dollar Speedway and is also a former track champ at the 1/4 mile bullring. Allard likewise is a former track champ at Silver Dollar and has won five total races at the speedway this season, including opening night of the Mini Gold Cup. These two drivers have been exciting to watch the last couple weekend’s and it should be no different in Chico.
Leading the GSC points coming into Chico is 12-time King of California Brent Kaeding of Campbell. When the series last competed at Silver Dollar Speedway during the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial in May, BK drove his Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 to victory lane. The veteran also won at the track a few weekend’s back when he made rare Friday night Chico point race start. BK has won eight times with GSC this year and with one more win it would be a record for one season.
Oroville’s Sean Becker sits just 16 points behind BK in the GSC standings now after coming off a strong third place finish in Antioch. Becker has driven the Fisher/Main Motorsports No. 35m to four victories at Silver Dollar Speedway this season, including the most recent race on July 6. Becker will look to chop into B. Kaeding’s lead on Saturday.
Other Golden State Challenge regulars expected in Chico include: Sacramento’s Willie Croft, Chico’s Brett Miller, San Jose’s Jason Statler, Salinas’ Ronnie Day, Sydney Aus’s Trevor Green, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Tracy’s Jason Botsford, Gilroy’s Jon Maiwald, Fresno’s Mark Workentine and more.
Silver Dollar Speedway point leader Stephen Allard of Chico will be another top driver on Saturday. The older Allard has won two of the last three point races at Silver Dollar Speedway and has won a total of three main events so far this year aboard the Johnny’s Lock & Safe No. 1m.
Princeton’s Mason Moore and Orland’s Zach Mason are a couple first year full timers who have been making some noise at Silver Dollar in recent weeks. Moore, who drivers the Moore Financial Services No. 22, is just 16 years old and recently finished third during the 4th of July race. Zach Mason drives the Mason Motorsports No. 2 and has won four of the last five heat races he has competed in at Silver Dollar.
More Silver Dollar Speedway regulars expected include: Yuba City’s Korey Lovell, Chico’s Johnny Gray, Robby Whitchurch & Matt Shelton, Grass Valley’s Robert Stice and others.
The front gate will open at 5 pm on Saturday at Silver Dollar Speedway with Adult tickets costing $16, Junior’s $11 and Kids $4. Qualifying is expected to start at around 6:30 with racing to follow.
The Silver Dollar Speedway is located on the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico. Camping is available on the grounds for a fee. There will also be racing on Friday night in Chico as the track holds a regular point race featuring 410 winged sprints, wingless spec sprints, dirt modifieds and pure stocks. For more info log onto http://www.johnpadjenmotorsports.com
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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A thought on the additional prizes being given: drivers finishing at the top of the leaderboard are already being awarded prize money. Typically these guys are bigger budget teams that already have a wealth of parts at their disposal. When giving away prizes like wings, tires or tools why not give them to drivers that really need that kind of help?
Some ideas could be the fastest driver not to qualify for the dash gets a tire, slowest qualifier gets a nose wing, maybe get the fans involved and let them vote on the driver with the worst wreck of the night gets a top wing.
Obviously it's the discretion of the company sponsoring the night to choose who gets their prizes, but it's good to see the underdogs get a chance once in a while too - part of what keeps racing alive.
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