From Gary Thomas
Tulare, CA – April 12, 2011…The Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will head to the Central Valley for the first time this season on Saturday night for the 18th annual Chris & Brian Faria Memorial at Tulare’s Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway.
Chris Faria was an up and coming driver who was the youngest of five children to Danny Sr. & Arlet Faria. He grew up on their farm in Tipton and was known as the prankster of the family. Chris unfortunately lost his life at the age of 21 during a farming accident and his memory has been kept alive with a memorial race at the Thunderbowl Raceway ever since.
Brian was the oldest of the five Faria children and was taken from us in January of 2006 when a fallen tree hit his truck while driving on a highway. Brian enjoyed helping out with the track preparation at the Thunderbowl Raceway, as he drove the water truck and the grader among other things.
Following the season opener last weekend Chico’s Jonathan Allard leads the points entering the Thunderbowl and will look to make it back to back wins on Saturday. The former two-time Golden State 410 champ captured the Faria Memorial in ’03 and currently holds a six-point advantage at the top of the standings after also setting fast-time last week.
Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs is coming off a runner up finish last week and sits second to Allard in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings. The 24-year-old continues to close in on his first series win and will be searching to accomplish that on Saturday at the Thunderbowl.
Former Chris & Brian Faria Memorial winner Jason Statler of Grass Valley ranks third in the KWS points going into this weekend after a third place effort last Saturday night. Always a favorite at the Thunderbowl Raceway Tim Kaeding of San Jose goes into Tulare sitting fourth in the standings aboard the Central, CA based Roth Motorsports mount and rounding out the top-five is Stockton’s Brad Furr, who makes his return to full-time 410 racing in 2011.
Rounding out the top-10 in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings going into the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway is Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Sacramento’s Willie Croft, multiple-time Faria Memorial winner Brent Kaeding of Campbell, Hoseheads/Grant’s Fine Art Rookie of the Year contender Kenny Allen of Chico and 15-year-old Trey Starks of Puyallup, Washington.
Defending Chris & Brian Faria Memorial champion Kyle Larson of Elk Grove will look to rebound after getting upside down while racing for the lead last weekend in Antioch. The 18-year-old has been spectacular thus far in 2011, winning an ASCS National event in February and putting on a number of impressive charges with the World of Outlaws.
Other drivers expected for this Saturday will include Campbell’s Bud Kaeding, Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, Elk Grove’s Sean & Bobby McMahan, Visalia’s Cory Eliason and Danny Faria Jr., Clovis’ Peter Murphy, Tipton’s Mike Faria, Elk Grove’s Billy Strange Jr., Merced’s Mark Barroso, Rio Vista’s Dan and Danielle Simpson, Cuppertino’s Steve Osborne, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy and more.
The front gate will open at 5pm this Saturday night with qualifying scheduled for 6 and racing at 7. Reserved grandstand tickets will cost $20 with general admission bleacher seats costing just $17. For more info on tickets and to view a seating chart please log onto http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com or call (559) 688-0909.
The Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway is located at the Tulare County Fairgrounds on the corner of Bardsley and K Streets in Tulare.
Coming up:
Next Saturday April 23 the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will invade Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway for the first of four upcoming events at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds facility this season.
The tour will then travel to the Marysville Raceway Park in Marysville, CA on Saturday March 30, before getting set for the biggest night of the year on May 7 at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway, as the 21st running of the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial will take place at the famed quarter-mile oval.
As always lap money is up for grabs to interested parties or individuals. If anyone would like to purchase a lap for the Bradway Memorial please contact Dave and Dianne Durica at Durica1414@sbcglobal.net or 916-988-5958.
All the money goes back to the racers and helps make this event unique and special like it has been for so many years. The laps cost $100 and are split between the top 3 in the A-main and LCQ each lap. The leader gets $50, 2nd place $30 and 3rd place $20.
For more information on these fast approaching shows and to view the entire schedule of events for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series go to http://www.kwssprints.com
You can also follow KWS on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KWS410s#!/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s