By Gary Thomas
Chico, California – September 7, 2010…If there is one race that Northern California winged sprint car drivers look forward to more than any it would certainly have to be the Gold Cup Race of Champions and the 57th edition of the event is set for action with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series invading the Silver Dollar Speedway this Thursday through Saturday.
Despite various issues keeping the expected car count slightly lower than in previous years the best of the best will still be on hand at the Gold Cup doing battle for the $50,000 top prize that goes to the winner of Saturday’s 40-lap main event. Unlike in past years where the field was split during the two preliminary nights, drivers will now compete in all three-nights of racing, which expects to add an exciting twist to the program and should make the racing on prelim nights even that much more entertaining.
The local charge at the Gold Cup Race of Champions is expected to be led by three former Golden State Challenge Series champions & the current King of California, who have also been some of the winningest winged sprint car competitors in Nor Cal this year, with those being San Jose’s Tim Kaeding, Chico’s Jonathan Allard, Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson and Oroville native Sean Becker.
After spending time on the World of Outlaw tour this year T. Kaeding returned home to California on a pair of different occasions and cleaned house, winning a total of 10 main events, making him tied as the driver with the most victories in Northern California winged sprint car racing so far in 2010.
The driver of the Roth Motorsports, DTR Transport Inc. No. 83 made a start at the Silver Dollar Speedway during Pepsi Championship Night and led all 25-laps for victory in the feature on August 27. “TK” also led the Golden State Challenge Sprint Car Series in the win column by picking up six triumphs with the tour and recently captured $5,000 at the Johnny Key Classic on August 28.
Making his first Silver Dollar Speedway start in two months at the Gold Cup Race of Champions will be Allard, who has claimed three wins this season at the Chico based quarter-mile and overall this year has scored eight victories in Northern California, with five of those being Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car Series scores.
The former two-time King of California has been very strong at the Gold Cup over the past few seasons, including finishes of fourth last year and third in 2008 at the helm of his Williams Motorsports, Red Line Oil No. 0 mount. Allard also brought home a preliminary night win in ’07 and was running third in Saturday’s feature that year, until a blown tire took away another possible podium finish.
Larson, the recently crowned Golden State Challenge Series King of California, will be making his first World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series start of the season at the Gold Cup Race of Champions behind the wheel of the Stadelhofer Construction, Peppermill Casino-Reno No. 99 sprinter.
The 18-year-old tallied five GSC wins en route to the title and has also added three other victories with the Ocean Sprints to give him eight overall triumphs so far this season. In his most recent start at the Silver Dollar Speedway on July 4 Larson raced to a flag-to-flag victory with the Golden State Challenge Series and also scored a runner up finish to Shane Stewart during the annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial in May at the high-banked quarter-mile.
The most dominating driver at the Silver Dollar Speedway over the final couple of months was Becker, who claimed four victories at the track from July 9 to August 20 at the helm of the Brian Sperry Racing, Cherry St. Mini Storage No. 51 mount. “The Shark” has been on fire during the second half of the season and in that recent span of wins also added a Golden State Challenge Series triumph at the Santa Maria Speedway on July 10. Overall Becker has scored 10 wins this year.
Becker also brought home a runner up finish with GSC in Placerville on August 21 and comes into this week sitting atop the California Sprint Car Civil War Series standings, as he looks to make it three titles in a row with the 360 tour. Last season the veteran driver brought home a solid ninth place finish in Saturday night’s 40-lap main event at the Gold Cup Race of Champions.
Other local California possibilities to throw their name into the mix this week at the 57th Gold Cup Race of Champions will include Campbell’s Brent and Bud Kaeding, Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, Vancouver, Washington’s Zach Zimmerly, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Penngrove’s Alissa Geving, Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan, Chico track champ Jason York, Auburn’s Andy Forsberg, Grass Valley’s Jason Statler, Princeton’s Mason Moore, Placerville’s Andy Gregg and more.
The World of Outlaw charge will be led into town by defending Gold Cup winner and current series point leader Joey Saldana of Brownsburg, Indiana, who maintains a slim six-point advantage over 12-time Gold Cup titlist Steve Kinser of Bloomington, Indiana going into an event at the Grays Harbor Raceway tonight. Clovis, California’s Jason Meyers also sits right there within striking distance, just 25-markers back of Saldana for the top-spot.
California native Paul McMahan will also be making a homecoming this week, as he heads into the Gold Cup Race of Champions having a strong year while driving for Kasey Kahne Racing. McMahan has always been one of the drivers to beat at Silver Dollar Speedway and looks to have one of his best shots yet at adding the Gold Cup to his resume.
Three-night tickets are on sale for $130 with single day tickets also being available. The front gate is scheduled to open at 5pm each night with qualifying around 6:30 and racing to follow. For all your information on the 57th annual Gold Cup Race of Champions, including post race festivities visit http://goldcup.silverdollarspeedway.com/index.php