By Gary Thomas
Seven-time Knoxville Raceway champion Terry McCarl will be in action with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series on Saturday November 2 at the Stockton Dirt Track. The Altoona, Iowa veteran will be aboard the famed Clyde & Marion Lamar owned Tri-C Manufacturing No. 3c, for what will be the 18th and final King of the West 410 event of the season. McCarl has captured seven main event wins this year, including a World of Outlaws triumph at the Volusia Raceway Park in February.
With the event marking the 30th “Tribute to Gary Patterson” and with GP being known as a colorful and flamboyant personality, it’s only fitting that “T-Mac” is on hand driving a car that Patterson once sat aboard. McCarl recently brought home a 10th place finish in the final points tally at the “Trophy Cup” and should be very exciting to watch at the blazing fast 3/8 mile Stockton Dirt Track.
A car show from noon to 4pm on November 2 will also take place behind the grandstands featuring Classic Hot Rods, Restored Classics, Race Cars, Motorcycles, Custom Hot Rod Trucks and more. Registration is free at the event and will be located through the front gate of the fairgrounds off Airport Way. Two GA tickets will be given per car owner who participates. The Central Valley Cruisers are the host car club for the event and live music will be performed by the Robert Flores Band.
The evening will also be capped with a huge 4th of July style fireworks show to finish off the season in grand fashion.
To purchase your tickets for November 2 contact (916) 370-9417 and to view a seating chart log onto http://stocktondirttrack.com/g
Premium reserved grandstand seats cost $30, with general admission bleachers being $20. Kids 6-12 in the bleachers cost $10 with children five and under free. Box seats in sets of six will be sold for $180 and sets of eight for $240. There will also be a $5 convenience fee for each ticket purchased. Tickets will be left at will call on November 2 and can be picked up at 2pm that day.
With two classes of Winged Sprint Cars and a large field expected there will also be a slightly earlier than usual start time with things beginning just about an hour earlier than normal. The pit meeting will be held at 3:30pm with plans for wheel packing at 4pm, qualifying at 5pm and the first heat will be scheduled to push off at 6pm. The front gate will open at 3:30pm with the ticket booth opening at 2pm.
Known as the “Dancing Phantom from Stockton,” the “Preacher,” the “Hostile Hippie” or just simply “GP,” Gary Patterson was one of the most colorful characters of his time and captured a number of lucrative wins in his career, including the Gold Cup Race of Champions when it was held at West Capital Raceway in Sacramento, the Super Dirt Cup in Washington at Skagit Speedway and the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ascot Park in Gardena among others.
Patterson unfortunately lost his life in a Sprint Car crash at Calistoga Speedway on Memorial Day weekend 1983 and an event in his memory has been held every year since. The event began at Calistoga Speedway, before moving to Silver Dollar Speedway in 2008-2011, prior to going back to Calistoga last year. “GP” moved to Stockton, California in 1957 and actually began his career at the Stockton 99 Speedway, which makes for a perfect tie-in to pay tribute on the 30th anniversary of the event. More info on the late great “GP” can be found at http://garypattersonracing.