By Bill Sullivan, Handy Racing Promotions Media Relations
CHICO, CA – As Silver Dollar Speedway opens it’s 2010 Feather Falls Casino Championship season this Friday night it will mark the opening of one of Northern California’s newest regional championship campaigns as well. The much anticipated Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Sprint Car Shootout Series opens its campaign on the banks of Silver Dollar Speedway.
The Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Shootout Series is new to California this year. The campaign was organized by Roger Gleeson of Hunt Magnetos along with Alan Handy the promoter of Silver Dollar and Placerville Speedway and Paul Hawes, the man behind the mush improved Marysville Raceway Park. The threesome has joined forces to bring much needed promotion to wingless sprint car racing in California with its very own regional tour.
The Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Shootout opens Friday night and will consist of 12 events at three different California tracks. The series will race at each facility four different times between now and October for increased payouts and a $5,000 championship bonus sponsored by Hunt Magnetos that will be distributed among the top drivers in the series at its conclusion.
“We are excited about putting this series together and are looking forward to improving the growth and interest of the wingless cars here in Northern California,” said Gleeson. “We’ve added money to the championship fund and the payout of each event. It should make for a great series.”
In addition to the championship fund for the 12-race campaign, Gleeson announced that the winner of each feature event in the shootout is guaranteed a $1000 victory each night. Additionally, Hunt Magnetos will award various product incentives throughout the tour including a pair of $50 vouchers during each event.
At the conclusion of the series, on top of the $5,000 bonus fund, Hunt Magnetos will award an additional $1000 bonus that will be divided up among the three highest performing drivers of the series. According to Gleeson this fund will be awarded as a $500, a $300 and a $200 bonus to three of the most successful drivers in the campaign. These monies will not necessarily be presented to the top three finishers in the point standings.
“We will be tracking the top five drivers in every event in the series,” explained Gleeson. “At the end of the season we will tally our results and determine the top three performers. It’s not always necessarily the high point earners.”
In addition to the boosted winnings, the Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Shootout will determine the starting grid for the popular Wingless Invitational at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico which opens the Gold Cup Race of Champions on Wednesday night.
To be eligible for the high profile event drivers must finish in the top 30 of the series point standing. Additionally, according to Gleeson, must race a minimum of two events at each participating track in the series.
On Friday night look for a solid number of cars to be on hand at Silver Dollar Speedway as the Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Shootout begins. Last season Jimmy Pettit of Chico won the Silver Dollar Speedway track championship and is sure to be on hand with the likes of bridesmaid Jay Youngman and third place point runner Taylor Simas. Billy Wallace finished fourth overall in the track point standings last year followed by Terry Shank Jr.
Following the series opener on Friday night, The Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Shootout Series will then compete at Placerville Speedway on April 10th for the first of four visits there. Round three of the series will take place at Marysville Raceway Park on April 24.
For complete start times on Friday’s event and further information please visit the track’s official website at www.silverdollarspeedway.com. Individual dates for the Wingless Shootout Series can be located within the season schedule on the website. Additional information can also be obtained by contacting the office of Handy Racing Promotions, Inc. at (916) 969-7484.