By Gary Thomas
Hanford, CA – July 5, 2016….One of the most exciting stretches of the season for the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series fires-off with a big double header of action starting this Saturday at the Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford, followed by the Stockton Dirt Track’s rescheduled Salute to LeRoy Van Conett on Sunday.
The event this Saturday marks the first of two season appearances at the Keller Auto Speedway 3/8 mile clay oval, located on the Kings County Fairgrounds. The series has a rich history competing at the “King of the Dirt Tracks” in the month of July, which dates back to the days of the Pombo/Sargent Classic that was held every summer in Hanford. Following this weekend’s outing the King of the West 410’s will also return on Saturday October 15 for the prestigious Cotton Classic.
The special showcase honoring LeRoy Van Conett at the Stockton Dirt Track then gives fans something they’ve always asked for in California, Sunday racing! The event came about following a rainout on May 21 of the previously scheduled attempt of the show. Instead of canceling the night all together, track & series officials decided to give Sunday July 10 a try. It will certainly be a trial run to see if Sunday racing is a viable part of the landscape in Northern California.
Things will begin one hour early on Sunday in Stockton, with drivers meeting at 3:45pm and opening ceremonies/ heat races at 6pm.
LeRoy Van Conett was born in Stockton and would go on to become one of the very best to ever sit behind the wheel of a Sprint Car in California. The driver simply known as the “Dragon from Galt” is the all-time leader in wins at the famed Calistoga Speedway half-mile, with 31 total victories to his name. He also ranks second in all-time Northern Auto Racing Club wins & championships. T-shirts will be available and Van Conett will be on hand during the night for autographs, plus a meet & greet.
Going into the weekend two-time King of the West 410 champion Kyle Hirst sits atop the series standings by nine-markers over Bud Kaeding of Campbell. Hirst has two victories to his credit so far this year and has been a mark of consistency, finishing on the podium in four of the seven events held thus far aboard his Roth Motorsports/ Tarlton & Son No. 21x machine. After another solid tour of Australia in the off-season the 28-year-old has been ultra sharp since the start of the U.S. campaign.
Kaeding is fresh off his King of the West leading third win of the season on June 25 in Calistoga at the helm of the familiar Williams Motorsports/ Alviso Rock 0 Sprinter. The three-time USAC Silver Crown champ also captured the recent series event at the Stockton Dirt Track on June 18. Kaeding will look for a strong weekend to try and close even further on the point lead. Last season’s King of the West championship battle was also between the Tarlton & Williams Motorsports teams and looks to be the same again.
Hanford’s DJ Netto goes into his home track on Saturday sitting 72-points out of the lead and within striking distance going into a busy stretch. The driver of the Netto Agriculture No. 88n will be gunning for his first victory of the 2016 season this weekend. Continuing his first full King of the West campaign Clarksburg’s Justyn Cox rounds out the top-five going into weekend. Cox is coming off his first career King of the West fast time & a top-five finish in the feature on June 24 at Ocean Speedway behind the wheel of the Berco Redwood No. 31c mount.
One of the new combinations that has come to fruition since the last King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series event is Los Angeles driver Tyler Walker taking over controls of the Tri-C Manufacturing No. 3c machine. Walker, the 2009 series champion, captured three main event wins last season in KWS competition. During his championship year in ’09 he also set the King of the West single-season win record by capturing nine features overall.
More drivers expected to take part in the weekend will include Watsonville’s Justin Sanders, Grass Valley’s Jason Statler, Hollister’s Ryan Bernal, Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Atwater’s Sean Watts, Penngrove’s Chase Johnson, Gilroy’s Jarrett Soares, Fresno’s Craig Stidham & Steven Kent, Penngrove’s Buddy Kofoid, Auburn’s Richard Brace Jr., Sacramento’s Stephen Ingraham, Murrieta’s Cori Andrews and others.
The pit gate opens at 1:30pm this Saturday at Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford, with the front gate opening at 5pm and first heat scheduled for around 7pm. Adult tickets cost $20, with students & seniors $17 and kids 5 & under free. All seating is general admission. Box seats are available for reservation. Box includes 8 folding chairs. Cost to reserve is $200.00. Call 559-651-1990.
The Keller Auto Speedway is a 3/8 mile clay oval 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
Fans that pre-purchase their Sunday tickets for Stockton by Wednesday at 5pm can save $5 as opposed to buying them at the gate. To pre-order your tickets for will call pickup starting at 3pm simply contact 916-370-9417. Fans that pre-buy their tickets will be allowed to enter the grandstands one hour early at 3pm through a special gate. Seating is first come first serve. The front gate for tickets bought the day of will open at 4pm.
Pre-sale lower deck tickets for Sunday cost $15 & pre-sale upper deck tickets cost $20. Kids 10 & under are free in the lower deck. Adult tickets on the day of the race will cost $20 for the lower deck & $25 for the upper deck. All the info you need to know can be found at www.stocktondirttrack.com
The Stockton Dirt Track is a lightning fast 3/8 mile clay oval located on the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds in Stockton, California. The physical address is 1658 S Airport Way, Stockton, CA 95206.
Info on the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series can be found at http://www.racepmg.com
Upcoming King of the West Series events through July
Saturday July 9: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds in Hanford
Sunday July 10: Stockton Dirt Track (Salute to LeRoy Van Conett)
Saturday July 16: Ocean Speedway – Watsonville (Sixth annual Howard Kaeding Classic)
Friday July 22: Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare (Third annual Peter Murphy Classic)
Saturday July 23: Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare (Third annual Peter Murphy Classic)
Saturday July 30: Placerville Speedway – Placerville