By Gary Thomas
Fernley, Nevada – May 14, 2013…One of the most anticipated weekend’s of the season is here for the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series, as the West’s top Winged 410 Sprint Car drivers get set to invade the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway in Fernley, Nevada this Friday & Saturday May 17 & 18.
A strong field of Winged 410 Warriors will invade the newly reconfigured & high-banked three-eighths mile clay oval for Summit Weekend, with the A-main each night paying $3500-to-win and a very stout $1000-to-start. The increased payoff has already gotten immense interest from teams all around the West Coast and will likely see teams from as far north as Washington make the town down to Fernley this weekend.
“We are really looking forward to competing at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway this weekend,” commented King of the West Series Operations Manager George Hague. “Dan Simpson and the whole staff up there have worked extremely hard over the off-season reconfiguring and rejuvenating the track surface, so fans will see a brand new track when they get to Fernley on Friday. It’s been a great season thus far and we’re expecting more of the same this weekend.”
On the strength of three podium finishes in the first four races this season, 21-year-old Rico Abreu sits atop the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series standings for the first time in his career. In just his third season driving a Sprint Car, Abreu has shown to have no fear whatsoever behind the wheel & has put together the consistency to go along with that early on in the year. The immensely exciting St. Helena driver is always worth the price of admission and will be fun to watch on the Fernley high-banks this Friday & Saturday.
Roth Enterprises driver Kyle Hirst goes into the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway sitting second in the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series standings. The hard charging Sacramento wheel-man has claimed one victory in this young season to go along with a trio of podium finishes. The 25-year-old will bring the famed Dennis & Teresa Roth owned No. 83jr Sprinter into Fernley looking for a strong weekend to get back into the points lead.
Past Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway winner Jonathan Allard is coming off his best finish of the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series season last weekend and will be gunning for victory in Fernley. The three-time & defending King of the West 410 champion dominated the 2006 running in Fernley and will hope for more of the same on Friday & Saturday. Allard comes into the weekend third in the standings and looks for a strong run to catapult his way up the points.
Last weekend’s big winner at the Petaluma Speedway, Willie Croft of Sacramento goes into the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway as the only repeat winner thus far in 2013 with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series. The man known as “Double Down” currently ranks fourth in the series standings and is off to the hottest start of his career driving for famed car owners Clyde & Marion Lamar. Croft battled Allard for the lead last Saturday and won out to claim his fifth career series win.
Rounding out the top-five in the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series standings is former “Trophy Cup” winner Craig Stidham of Fresno. The veteran Sprint Car driver has claimed top-10 finishes in all one but one race and will be looking to secure his first win of the season this weekend. Rookie of the Year contender Cory Eliason of Visalia has moved his way up to seventh in the standings and will make his Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway debut this weekend. Reigning RoY Chad Compton sits eighth in the points and will be another one making his Sprint Car debut at RTF Speedway.
National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding will be looking for a strong weekend at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway aboard the famous Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 Sprinter. The 13-time Golden State/ King of the West 410 Series champion & living legend currently ranks ninth in the KWS standings. Rounding out the top-10 in points is former Marysville Raceway Park Modified champ Richard Brace Jr. of Auburn. The 2013 season marks Brace’s first full time campaign in a 410 Sprint Car with the series.
Former Golden State/ King of the West 410 titlist Jason Statler brings his familiar DF Rios Motorsports No. 00 mount into the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway fresh off a charge from 15th to sixth last Saturday in Petaluma. Following a couple weeks of tough luck it was nice to see Statler have a strong run. Fan favorite Peter Murphy of Sydney, Australia rebounded last week to score a top-10 finish in the feature and will be looking to move up the ladder even more this week. In the off-season Murphy claimed the New Zealand Sprint Car title at the famed Western Springs Speedway.
Other drivers set to take on the Reno Tahoe Fernley high banks include Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson, Grass Valley’s Carl Droivold and Pat Harvey, Corning’s Bud Walberg, Clarksburg’s Justyn Cox, Laton’s Geoffrey Strole, Reno, Nevada’s Mark Tabor Jr. & Rusty Baglan, Spark’s, Nevada’s Mike Monahan, Washington drivers Kevin Smith and Jared Ridge, Des Moines, Iowa’s Chris Martin and more.
The pit gate at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway will open up at noon on Friday and Saturday May 17 & 18 with the front gate for spectators opening at 3pm. Racing is anticipated to get underway around 7pm. The Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway is located just off Highway 95a in Fernley, Nevada. From Sacramento take I-80 East to exit 46 towards West Fernley, Nevada. Follow the road to Highway 95a and then make a right turn into the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway Motor Sports Complex. The physical address is 1965 US 95a Fernley, Nevada 89408.
Advance tickets can be purchased by contacting 775-325-8800. Adult general admission is $25.00, reserve seating is $30.00, VIP All Access is $45.00. Reserve seating and VIP comes with preferred parking. All Access includes Pit Pass.
This weekend’s double header “Summit Weekend at the Races” will be just a taste of what’s to come at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway, as the mighty King of the West 410’s will return on July 5 & 6 for the “Cherry Bomb Classic,” August 9 & 10 for the “Hot August Nights Shootout,” September 13 & 14 during the Reno Air Races and championship weekend on October 25 & 26. Don’t forget to book your rooms at the John Ascuaga’s Nugget for all these weekends.
The Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Series competed at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway on two occasions, with those occurring in 2004 and ’06. The inaugural event saw Santa Cruz, California veteran Kevin Pylant race to the win driving his father Don’s No. 14p machine. The most recent event in ’06 then featured defending KWS champion Jonathan Allard dominating the main event en route to victory.
The new Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway is Northern Nevada’s premier three-eighths mile clay oval and is home to the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series and the Fernley 95A Racing Series. RTF Speedway runs from early-April until late-October and features everything from Winged 410 Sprint Cars to IMCA Dirt Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Dwarf Cars, Motorcycles, Outlaw Karts and more.
The Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway dirt track has been in existence since 1999 and is geared up for its best season to date in 2013. The overall facility also includes a road course, drag strip, motor cross track, off road course, gun range, paint ball facility and has been tabbed as “Racings Field of Dreams.” More information and the full schedule can be found at http://www.rtfspeedway.com
More information on the traveling King of the West Sprint Car Series can be found online at http://www.kwssprints.com and by tuning in to “KWS Tonight” every Thursday evening throughout the season on the homepage of the website.
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You can also follow us on Instagram by searching “kwssprints” and contact us via phone at the King of the West office (707) 374-2222. For questions or comments please don’t be hesitate to shoot us an email at kwsseries@yahoo.com