From Gary Thomas
Aptos, CA – (January 8, 2014) – The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series has announced an update to its 2014 schedule of events, with the previously TBD weekend in September being filled by an exciting two nights of action down the beautiful California coast. The final copy of the KWS schedule showcases 18 events at 12 different facilities throughout the Golden State of California.
On Friday September 12 the series will return to the luxurious confines of the Santa Maria Speedway for the second straight season. The King of the West 410’s routinely play host to a packed house of fans whenever the series invades the one-third mile clay oval, which was built by the late Doug Fort in 1964.
Fort helped mold Santa Maria Speedway into one of the top dirt tracks in the country as the owner/promoter until his passing in 1999. The unique one-third mile clay oval has been named “Best Short Track Operation West of the Mississippi” on two separate occasions and is nestled in a semi amphitheater of natural terrain, sheltered by dense eucalyptus trees at the top and to the back of the bleacher area.
The following night will see history take place when the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series heads to the Ventura Raceway on Saturday September 13, for what will be the first ever Winged Sprint Car event at the track. The facility has been a favorite stop among Wingless Sprint Car & Midget fans/teams over the years and features one of the most picturesque settings you’ll find at any dirt track.
A past column by racing journalist Norm Bogan said of Ventura Raceway: “If you could pick a scenic location for a racing facility, the Fairgrounds at Ventura, California would be near the top of the list. As you sit in the grandstands, you can look to your right and watch surfers riding the waves of the Pacific. To your left, is a background of mountains, covered with many Spanish style, white stucco and red tile homes, interspersed with tall palm trees, while in the foreground, the Coastal Amtrak trains sweep by and blow their whistles. In front of you is one of the best maintained racing facilities in the country.”
A Winged Sprint Car event at the Ventura bullring had been talked about behind the scenes for quite some time and it will finally become a reality in 2014. Make plans now for a great weekend of KWS 410 racing that will be capped with a historical event at the “Best Little Dirt Track in America.”
“This is going to be a really fun weekend for fans and teams alike,” commented Brent Kaeding, who captured Rookie of the Year honors at the Santa Maria Speedway in 1978. “It’s always a great trip heading down to Santa Maria and the fans really do an amazing job of packing that place when we come to town. Then on Saturday at Ventura it’s going to be an exciting night with KWS bringing the first ever Winged Sprint Car show to the track. You’re definitely not going to want to miss it, so be sure and put it on your calendar now. We have a lot of great events on tap this season and the September weekend at Santa Maria & Ventura is going to be as highly anticipated as any on the slate.”
The upcoming 2014 season will mark the fourth campaign held under the King of the West Sprints banner and the 29th overall year since the Golden State 410 Series came into existence back in 1986. It will also be the first full season contested with the direction & leadership of John Prentice and Brent Kaeding, who took over helm of the KWS Series this past September. The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series is the latest generation of what began in 1960 as the Northern Auto Racing Club – the West Coast’s premier traveling Sprint Car series. Since its inception it has evolved over the years, but the series and its drivers continue to be internationally recognized and its champions have been regarded as some of the best in the sport.
From earlier release:
For the first time the King of the West 410 Sprint Cars will kick off the season at the Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare during the inaugural “Spring Thunder Nationals presented by KRC Safety Company” on Saturday April 12. The one-third mile clay oval has become one of the most popular venues on the west coast over the last handful of years and will also host KWS on Saturday May 17, for what will be the 21st annual “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial.” The Faria Memorial will also include the always entertaining USAC West Coast Wingless 360 Sprints that night.
The high-banked bullring of Placerville Speedway once again plays host to a pair of KWS 410 events next season, with those occurring on Saturday April 19 & Saturday July 19. The lightning fast and exciting track is a favorite among fans for its distinctive red clay and extremely close action. Both of last year’s events at the track were nail biters right down to the end and featured over-flowing crowds that packed the stands. The all-time King of the West 410 track record at Placerville is also a blistering 9.913 and is shared by Tim Kaeding & Evan Suggs.
The famed Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico will hold two King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series events in 2014, with both being special shows. The first will be on Saturday May 3, which marks the always prestigious 24th annual “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” & the second will be on Friday June 6, in what will be the 2nd annual “David Tarter Memorial.” The Bradway Memorial each season is a major cornerstone event for the series and the Tarter Memorial is expected to become one as well at the quarter-mile clay oval. More information on both of these marquee events will be out as the season grows closer.
The Kings Speedway in Hanford will feature two dates during the upcoming season, including the return of the prestigious “Pombo/Sargent Classic” as a King of the West 410 event on Saturday June 14, which also coincides with the Kings County Fair for the first time. The 29th annual “Cotton Classic” on Saturday October 11 is another surely can’t miss show, with the KWS Winged 410’s paired with the Wingless 410 Sprint Cars of the USAC/CRA Series. It’s going to be one of the most anticipated events of the year, with the best of both “California 410 Worlds” coming together on one night at the 3/8 mile clay oval.
Hosting a pair of events in 2014 is the always pristine Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, with the first coming on Friday June 20 and the second on Saturday July 12, which will be the fourth annual “Howard Kaeding Classic.” The event has become a very special one paying honor to the legendary “Campbell Comet.” The “HK Classic” weekend also features the Civil War 360 Sprint Car Series vs. Taco Bravo Ocean Sprints on Friday July 11, which will make for an exciting double-header weekend at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds quarter-mile. Extra info on the “HK Classic” weekend will also be out closer to the start of the season.
California’s newest dirt venue, the Stockton Dirt Track, will also see the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series on two occasions, including Saturday August 2 and on Saturday November 1, which marks the season-finale for the second year in a row. The finale will also be the 31st annual “Tribute to Gary Patterson” and was a very successful one last season, with this coming year expected to be even bigger & better, as it also marks championship night for the Civil War 360 Sprint Car Series presented by Flowmaster. Fans and teams alike won’t want to miss November 1 when both of California’s premier traveling Winged Sprint Car Series’ cap the season in grand fashion at the Stockton Dirt Track.
Holding single-night KWS showcases in 2014 will be the Petaluma Speedway on Saturday May 10, Marysville Raceway Park on Saturday June 7, Calistoga Speedway on Saturday June 21 and the Antioch Speedway on Saturday July 26.
The King of the West 410’s returned to Petaluma Speedway last season for the first time in a few years and the series is excited to be back at the 3/8 mile clay oval in 2014. Racing through lapped traffic at Petaluma is some of the best you’ll see anywhere & always creates great action. The event at Marysville Raceway Park will be the first time 410’s have graced the quarter-mile clay oval since 2011 and is paired with the “Tarter Memorial” at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico the prior night on June 6, making for an action packed weekend of KWS racing in the North State.
After being off the KWS schedule last year the famed Calistoga Speedway returns in a big way with the “Wine Country Classic” and will be a much anticipated stop during the season, after numerous improvements were made to the track and facility last year. The show will be held during NASCAR weekend in Sonoma and is also paired that weekend with Ocean Speedway in Watsonville the night before on June 20. The Antioch Speedway visit in late-July will be another show that’s looked forward to and is your only chance to catch the series at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds track in 2014.
Info on the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series can be found at http://www.kwssprints.com
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