By Gary Thomas
Rio Vista, CA – November 4, 2011…The Golden State King of the West 410 Series is pleased to announce its championship point fund breakdown today, as teams will take part in a California sprint car record $116,000 total cash fund, plus over $200,000 in contingency prizes, giveaways and trophies at the awards banquet in January.
To put in perspective, last year’s total cash point fund with the Golden State 410 Series was $47,000 and the champion took home roughly the same as this seasons fourth place finisher will in the King of the West standings.
A new twist this year with KWS was that to qualify for point money a driver/team must not have missed more than two races. At the end of the season 15 teams made the cut to earn a part in the largest cash point fund for sprint car racing on the West Coast.
Those 15 teams are labeled as “members in good standing,” exemplifying their strong loyalty during the inaugural campaign of racing under the leadership of Rio Vista resident and racer Dan Simpson.
King of the West 410 champion Tim Kaeding and Roth Motorsports will get the biggest chunk of the point fund, taking home $20,000 for their very strong year, which included a series-high six victories in 2011.
The electrifying driver from San Jose dominated the point chase this year, due in part to his impressive consistency throughout the season. Wheeling the famous HR Cattle No. 83 Maxim, “TK” claimed top-five finishes in all but two events.
Kaeding however, is not the only driver that will reap the awards of the large point fund. Runner-up in points Evan Suggs and Suggs Racing will scoop up an impressive $15,000 to commemorate their best ever season of competition in the sprint car ranks.
The race for third in points came right down to the checkered flag at Hanford during the Cotton Classic. In the end it was Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding claiming the spot by just four-digits over this year’s Dirt Cup winner Jonathan Allard.
That ultra slim margin also features a difference of $2,000 in the point fund, as Kaeding and the No. 69 team will grab $12,000 for third in the standings and Allard/ Williams Motorsports earn $10,000 for fourth.
Former champion Jason Statler captured the fifth spot in points by just six-markers over Willie Croft and will score $9,000 for his efforts. After making his return to full-time 410 racing this season, Croft will get $8,000 for sixth in the standings.
Also making a jump to the full-time 410 ranks this year, Andy Gregg and Bret Ervin Racing will bring home $7,000 for the seventh spot in points. 1996 NARC Speedweek champion Bobby McMahan also returned to regular action and will claim $6,000 for eighth in the standings.
Sixteen-year-old “Hoseheads.com/ Grant’s Fine Art Rookie of the Year” Kenny Allen finished ninth in the KWS points and scores $5,500. Former World of Outlaw regular Brad Furr was another driver that returned to 410 racing this year and rounded out the top-10 in points. The five-time Outlaw main event winner will get $5,250 from the point fund.
As previously mentioned the “members in good standing” that rank 11th through 15th will also take part in the point fund for the first time. Those drivers/teams will be Brent Bjork ($4,500), Danielle Simpson ($4,000), Pat Harvey ($3,500), Eli Deshaies ($3,250) and Doug Gandy ($3,000).
“We really wanted to make sure that all our “members in good standing” had a piece of the pie in the point fund and we’re happy with how the break down came out,” said KWS Managing Director Dan Simpson. “The 15th place finisher will take home as much as a main event winner does with us, so that’s a pretty sweet deal.”
In addition to the cash fund at the awards banquet, drivers/teams will also see a record amount of contingency prizes handed out. It will be highlighted by a complete sprint car with engine, as well as an additional race engine that will be up for grabs to the “members in good standing” that are present at the banquet.
The top-20 drivers/teams in the KWS standings will receive contingency awards and trophies at the banquet, but to be eligible for that, they must be present during the night. Among the lucrative prizes given out will be Goodyear Racing tires and other special items.
The King of the West championship awards banquet is scheduled for Saturday January 28 at the Radisson Inn Sacramento. Along with teams, fans are also encouraged to attend the fun night and invitations will be
sent out soon. Special KWS room rates will be available.
The Golden State King of the West 410 Sprints would like to thank the following companies for their support this season: Goodyear Racing Tires, Pit Stop USA.com, Kaeding Performance, Hoseheads.com, Grant’s Fine Art, Auto Meter Products Inc., Contingency Connection, Maxim Chassis, Amerikote, Abel Chevrolet, Bully Dog, Red Horse Performance, JE Pistons, KSE Racing Products, Hunt Magnetos, Weld Racing, Racing Optics, Butler Built Performance, HoservilleCA, Angellos ATV Rental, Rogue Regency Inn, Williams Motorsports, DES Inc. and Simpson Percherons.
Don’t forget to “like” the Golden State King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kws410s
Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Cars.
Be sure to catch archived shows of “KWS Tonight” with Gary Thomas and George Hague, along with special KWS highlight clips from the 2011 season at http://vimeo.com/user5784994/videos and http://www.ustream.tv/channel/king-of-the-west-today/videos
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2011 Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series Championship Point Fund Breakdown
1. Tim Kaeding/ Roth Motorsports- $20,000
2. Evan Suggs/ Suggs Racing- $15,000
3. Brent Kaeding/ BK Racing- $12,000
4. Jonathan Allard/ Williams Motorsports- $10,000
5. Jason Statler/ Statler Racing- $9,000
6. Willie Croft/ Croft Racing- $8,000
7. Andy Gregg/ Bret Ervin Racing- $7,000
8. Bobby McMahan/ McMahan Racing- $6,000
9. Kenny Allen/ Allen Racing- $5,550
10. Brad Furr/ Furr Racing- $5,250
11. Brent Bjork/ Bjork Racing- $4,500
12. Danielle Simpson/ DES Racing- $4,000
13. Pat Harvey/ Harvey Racing- $3,500
14. Eli Deshaies/ Deshaies Racing- $3,250
15. Doug Gandy/ Gandy Racing- $3,000