From Tony Veneziano
Chico, CA-September 8, 2010 -There are not too many events in any form of auto racing that have been around as long as the Gold Cup Race of Champions, especially on the West Coast. The 57th Annual edition of the famed classic is set for September 9-11 for the World of Outlaws at the always racy Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California.
New to the Gold Cup in 2010, every driver will compete on all three nights, with the traditional event points from the first two nights being used to determine the starting line-up for the $50,000 to-win 40-lap finale on Saturday, September 11.
Joey Saldana won a thrilling Gold Cup last season by a mere 0.440 seconds, stealing the victory from Jason Sides coming off turn four on the final lap to score the $50,000 top prize for the second time in his career. Saldana won his first Gold Cup in 2007.
Steve Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaws champion, who is battling Saldana at the top of the World of Outlaws championship point standings this season, has won the Gold Cup a record 12 times in his illustrious career. He scored his first win in the event during the inaugural 1978 season for the World of Outlaws and has won the biggest sprint car race on the West Coast in four different decades. Kinser scored his most recent win in the Gold Cup in 2005, the same season he claimed his last World of Outlaws title.
Jac Haudenschild has won the Gold Cup three times in his Hall of Fame career, including most recently in 2008. The native of Wooster, Ohio won the Gold Cup for the first time in 1998 and followed that up with a triumph the following year as well.
Donny Schatz, the four-time and defending World of Outlaws champion, won the Gold Cup in 2004 and has won all of the crowd jewel events of Sprint Car racing at least once in his career. He won the opener of the 2004 Gold Cup as well en route to taking the top prize in the finale.
Danny Lasoski, the 2001 World of Outlaws champion, won the Gold Cup Race of Champions in 2000, driving for California native Dennis Roth’s team that year. He has seven Top-Five finishes in the event dating back to a runner-up performance in 1991.
The World of Outlaws first competed in the Gold Cup Race of Champions during the series inaugural 1978 season at West Capital Raceway in Sacramento, with Steve Kinser scoring the win. Since then 17 different drivers have taken the checkered flag in the legendary event to add their names to the history books, with the race being held each and every year at Silver Dollar Speedway since 1980.
The Buzz:
* Joey Saldana led just one lap last season en route to winning his second Gold Cup. He has five wins in his last eight starts at Silver Dollar Speedway dating back to 2007.
* Steve Kinser won his most recent Gold Cup in 2005, the same season he won his last World of Outlaws title. He has won the race 12 times, 10 of those at Silver Dollar Speedway and two at West Capital Raceway.
* Jason Meyers has won a preliminary feature each of the last two years at the Gold Cup Race of Champions as he looks for his first win in the famed event in his home state.
* Donny Schatz won the Gold Cup in 2004 and has two career wins at Silver Dollar Speedway.
* Jason Sides finished second on both nights of the Gold Cup that he ran last season and has five career Top-Five finishes at Silver Dollar Speedway as he looks for his first win at the track.
* California native Paul McMahan has 15 overall victories at Silver Dollar Speedway in his career, including a preliminary feature win in the 2003 Gold Cup. A third-place finish in the finale that same year is his best Gold Cup finish to-date.
* Danny Lasoski won the Gold Cup in 2000 and has 26 career Top-10 finishes at Silver Dollar Speedway.
* Jac Haudenschild has three Gold Cup wins under his belt and five overall victories with the World of Outlaws at Silver Dollar Speedway to go along with well over 40 Top-10 finishes with the series at the ¼-mile bullring.
* Craig Dollansky has won a preliminary feature at the Gold Cup three times in his career and has six career finishes of sixth or better, including four podium finishes as he looks for his first Gold Cup.
* Sam Hafertepe Jr. and Chad Kemenah will each be making their first trip to the Gold Cup since 2008 this coming week.
* Ben Gregg will be making his first trip to Silver Dollar Speedway for the Gold Cup.
By the Numbers: 57th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions
0.25- Miles around Silver Dollar Speedway
0.440- Margin of victory for Joey Saldana over Jason Sides in the Gold Cup last year
1- Lap led by Joey Saldana en route to winning the 2009 Gold Cup Race of Champions
2- Drivers that led laps in the A-Feature of the Gold Cup last year; Drivers from the state of California competing full-time with the World of Outlaws this season- Jason Meyers & Paul McMahan
4- Laps led by Joey Saldana en route to winning the second preliminary feature at the Gold Cup last season
5- Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that have won the Gold Cup Race of Champion; Total nights of racing for the World of Outlaws in California this season
6- Points that currently separate leader Joey Saldana and Steve Kinser in points
6.1- Average finish for Steve Kinser in his career at Silver Dollar Speedway to lead all drivers
10.918- Track record set at Silver Dollar Speedway by Joey Saldana in time trials last year
12- Gold Cup wins for Steve Kinser to lead all drivers; Drivers competing full-time with the World of Outlaws this season that competed in the Gold Cup in 2009
17- Drivers that have been quickest in time trials this season
18- Drivers that have won A-Feature events with the World of Outlaws this season
22- Overall wins for Steve Kinser with the World of Outlaws at Silver Dollar Speedway in his career to lead all drivers
25- Drivers that have led laps in A-Feature events in 2010 with the World of Outlaws
31- Consecutive years the Gold Cup Race of Champions has been held at Silver Dollar Speedway
34- Top-Five finishes for Joey Saldana & Steve Kinser through September 4 to lead the series
39- Laps led by Jason Sides en route to a runner-up finish in the Gold Cup last year
40- Laps in the main event on Saturday, September 11
41- Top-Five finishes for Steve Kinser with the World of Outlaws at Silver Dollar Speedway in his career to lead all drivers
50- Top-10 finishes for Steve Kinser with the World of Outlaws at Silver Dollar Speedway in his career to lead all drivers
76- Drivers that competed in the Gold Cup last year
82.433- Track record in miles per hour set by Joey Saldana at Silver Dollar Speedway in qualifying last year
333- Laps led by Joey Saldana this season in feature events to lead the series
615- Miles from Grays Harbor Raceway in Washington where the World of Outlaws were scheduled competed on September 7 to Silver Dollar Speedway in California
1,000- Dollars in the total purse for the first Gold Cup in 1951
1951- Year the Gold Cup Race of Champions was first held at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento
1978- Year the World of Outlaws first competed at Silver Dollar Speedway
1980- Year the Gold Cup was first held at Silver Dollar Speedway
50,000 – Dollars the winner will receive on Saturday, September 11
257,500- Dollars earned by Steve Kinser through September 4 to lead the series
Tickets:
On Thursday, September 9 at Silver Dollar Speedway, tickets will be $40, with all tickets being reserved. A three-day ticket is available for $130. For ticket information and to purchase tickets call the track at 916) 969-7484.
On Friday, September 10 at Silver Dollar Speedway, tickets will be $40, with all tickets being reserved. A three-day ticket is available for $130. For ticket information and to purchase tickets call the track at 916) 969-7484.
On Saturday, September 11 at Silver Dollar Speedway, tickets will be $50, with all tickets being reserved. A three-day ticket is available for $130. For ticket information and to purchase tickets call the track at 916) 969-7484.