This weekend there will be a show on and off the racing surface at the famed Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. Auto racing will take place Saturday July 3 and Sunday July 4 at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds. Drivers will entertain the crowd with back-to-back nights of racing while fireworks on Sunday night will cap off the busy weekend. It will be a festive atmosphere around the fairgrounds all weekend with five different forms of race cars competing over the two nights at the speedway. On Saturday night, the Feather Falls Casino / Riebes Auto Parts championship series will feature the 410 winged sprints, wingless sprints, The Dirt Solution Late Models and the ASCS Midgets. On Sunday night, the King of California Golden State Series sprint cars invade the track. The popular street stock division will also race on Sunday night.
Saturday night front grandstand gate opens at 5 pm. Racing is scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm. Adult general admission is $12.00, juniors and seniors $10.00 and children $5.00. Saturday nights racing is presented by Chico Mobile AC and Auto Repair.
On Sunday night, July 4th, adult general admission is $18.00, juniors are $12.00 and children under the age of 11 will be admitted free. The front grandstand gate will open at 5 pm. This night is geared toward family fun, July 4th themed music, great auto racing and post race fireworks.
Six locations are currently selling advance July 4th tickets. Both Riebes Auto Parts locations in Chico, Withrow Motorsports and Chico Mobile AC and Auto Repair on South Whitman, Napa Auto Parts in Orland and Aubree’s Salon in Paradise. Tickets for July 4th will also be sold on Saturday night at the speedway.
Sunday night, July 4th, is looking like a can’t miss event in the Chico area. The King of California traveling 410 winged sprint car series will make their final stop of the year at Chico. Many of the top winged sprint car drivers in California will converge on the famed quarter mile clay oval speedway. Chico’s Jonathan Allard, Campbell’s Brent and Bud Kaeding along with Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson are all scheduled to make an appearance. Washington driver Zach Zimmerly, fresh off a main event win a few weeks ago, while be joined by Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs. Last week we saw the first start of Sean McMahan’s racing career. He will return this weekend along with his dad, Bobby McMahan, last years championship driver at Chico. Another family backed team are the Simpson’s, Dan and Danielle. It will be a family affair between the Kaedings, McMahans and Simpsons this weekend. Local favorites include Brad Bumgarner, John Michael Bunch and Kevin Sharrah.
Heather Bartlett leads the street stocks into the racing action on July 4th. Her three wins top the division and she now has amassed a 15-point advantage over second place driver Scott Rogers. Richard Workman is another 15-points behind Rogers in third. Joe Longmire and Fritz Zanker round out the top five in points. Chico’s Phil Marino is in the sixth spot and is the only other driver to visit victory lane this year. Marino has two wins. It will be interesting to see who can step up and possibly knock off the pink #99.
Fireworks will start roughly 10 to 15 minutes once the final race is completed on the speedway. The spectacular fireworks will rip through the air and light up the nighttime sky. A large, capacity crowd adds to the “oohs and awes” of the ambiance during the fireworks show. It is going to be a night to remember.
Saturday nights racing action will be headlined by the 410 winged sprints. Chico State student Mason Moore leads the 410 sprint car standings at Chico. Moore has conflicting races on Saturday and looks as if he will be in Petaluma for the Civil War Race. This opens the door for Chico’s Jason York. The 2000 track champion is only three points behind Moore. Redding driver Tyler Wolf sits in the third spot. Wolf was tied for the lead last week. Chico’s Brett Miller is holding down the fourth spot while fellow Chico driver and rookie standout driver Kenny Allen sits fifth. Chico’s Jonathan Allard, who missed last week, is set to return for both nights of racing this weekend.
The wingless sprints have been a highlight this year at that the track. Every race has been very competitive and a few last lap passes have thrilled the grandstand crowd. Johnny Reeves is the current leader of the local point series. Reeves is out of Elverta. Grass Valley’s Brett Youngman and Chico’s Jimmy Pettit hold down the next two spots. Youngman is trying to go aster his first championship while Pettit is last years defending champ. Both look to get their first win of the year. The next three drivers are all tied for fourth. Terry Schank Jr., Rowdy McClenon and Justin Funkhouser each have 84 points. Both Funkhouser and Schank Jr. are the only two winners this year during the two previous local point shows.
The Dirt Solution Late Models have a strong following of talented drivers led by Yuba City’s Jerry Bartlett, Auburn’s Tom Arbogast and the Micheli boys of Live Oak. Bartlett started off the year with two wins while Matt Micheli won the most recent race at the speedway. Even with low car counts this division still entertains the crowd and has provided close racing for the lead. With a Saturday night show the possibility of more cars is expected.
The ASCS Midgets are geared to return over the Holiday weekend at Chico. Three winners in four races have made this one of the most diverse divisions at the speedway. Dillon Silverman of Chico won the first two nights while Britton Bock and Travis Haugh have won the most recent two main events. Haugh won last weeks main event in only his third career start.
For more information call the track office at 916-969-7484 or by visiting our website at www.silverdollarspeedway.com