By Gary Thomas
Hanford, CA – October 20, 2015…Lemoore’s Carson Macedo holds a 20-point lead in the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series standings going into the penultimate event of the season this Saturday at Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford, which also doubles as the 30th annual Cotton Classic.
The event has been one of the long standing & prestigious showcases in the Central Valley over the years. The Cotton Classic has traditionally been held later in the season and typically finishes off the Sprint Car season in the area. After being held in Tulare last year the event returns home to Keller Auto Speedway on Saturday.
Multiple-time Cotton Classic winners Jonathan Allard of Chico & Tim Kaeding of San Jose will be looking to add on to their win totals at the event on Saturday. Both have captured the cotton bale trophy three-times before, with Allard’s coming in 2005, 2007 & 2011. Kaeding claimed his in 2002, 2012 & 2013, with the bookends featuring last lap passes for the win. Kaeding & Allard also rank second & third in all-time KWS wins since the series began in 1986.
Other winners of the Cotton Classic since the year 2000 have been Visalia’s Blake Robertson, Aliquippa, PA’s Tim Shaffer, Clovis’ Jason Meyers, Chico’s Stephen Allard, Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson and last season Australian James McFadden, who captured victory in his first career series start.
With just two races remaining in the King of the West season Carson Macedo is looking to continue doing what he has done all year in his search to become the second youngest champion in series history. The 19-year-old is still looking for his first win, but has been consistently at the front of the field each week. Macedo is coming off an impressive runner up finish at last week’s Trophy Cup and also ran second at the most recent KWS event in Tulare on October 10.
After winning the $20,000 Trophy Cup last week Campbell’s Bud Kaeding looks to bring momentum into the Cotton Classic on Saturday. The three-time USAC Silver Crown champ now finds himself 20-points behind Macedo after some tough luck in Tulare on October 10. Kaeding has battled back & forth with the youngster Macedo over the last seven weeks and will be gunning for a victory this weekend to close the point gap. Kaeding has been strong at the track in his career.
Things are also very tight among the drivers ranking third through sixth in the King of the West standings, as only 29-digits separate Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan, Hanford’s DJ Netto, Allard & Campbell’s Brent Kaeding. Netto has two KWS wins so far this year and he’ll be a favorite going into his home track on Saturday. The 19-year-old was in position to claim the Cotton Classic last year and he’ll look to do so this time around.
Paradise resident Kyle Hirst leads the King of the West Series with five wins this year and will be searching for his first Cotton Classic on Saturday. The 27-year-old will also be hoping to give car owner’s Dennis & Teresa Roth another win at the event. Fresno’s Dominic Scelzi claimed the KWS visit to Hanford in September and will be another gunning for victory on Saturday. The 18-year-old was extremely fast during his win that night and goes for his third overall victory of 2015 this weekend.
Los Angeles driver Tyler Walker raced to his third win of the year at the most recent King of the West event in Tulare on October 10. The 2009 series champion has been very strong since returning to the seat in June and is another favorite to pick up his first Cotton Classic victory on Saturday. Walker has claimed wins at the Stockton Dirt Track, Ventura Raceway and the Tulare Thunderbowl.
More drivers looking to put their names towards the front of the field at the 30th annual Cotton Classic will include Keller Auto Speedway champion Cory Eliason of Fresno, Battle for the Milk Can winner Mitchell Faccinto of Hanford, along with Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Hollister’s Ryan Bernal, Penngrove’s Chase Johnson, Gilroy’s Jarrett Soares, Riverdale’s Landon Hurst, Coarsegold’s Scott Parker, Atwater’s Sean Watts and others.
The pit gate opens at 2pm on Saturday at Keller Auto Speedway, with the front gate opening at 4:30pm and first heat scheduled for around 7pm. Adult tickets cost $20, with students & seniors $15 and kids 5 & under free. All seating is general admission.
The Keller Auto Speedway is a 3/8 mile clay oval and is located on the Kings County Fairgrounds in Hanford, California. The physical address is 801 S. 10th Ave. Hanford, Ca 93230. More info can be found at www.racekingsspeedway.com
After this weekend the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will then close the season with the 32nd annual Tribute to Gary Patterson at the Stockton Dirt Track on Saturday November 7. The night of racing also features the championship finale for the Civil War 360 Sprint Car Series presented by Flowmaster for the second straight year.
Tickets are on sale for the KWS & Civil War season finale, with reserved upper deck seats $30 and general admission bleachers $20. Kids 6-12 are half price & five & under are free in the lower bleachers. Box seating is also available in increments of six & eight seats. To order tickets contact 916-370-9417. Pre-sale ends Thursday November 5 at 5pm. During the day on Saturday November 7 a car show & live band will entertain the crowd behind the grandstands.
Information on the King of the West 410 Series can be found at www.racepmg.com