From Gary Thomas
TULARE, Ca. (September 27, 2017) — The biggest event of the season at Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway is less than a month away with the much anticipated 24th annual Southwest Contractors Trophy Cup ready to invade Tulare on October 19, 20 and 21.
The Trophy Cup has catapulted itself into being one of the premier Winged Sprint Car showcases in the country and the 2017 version is sure to be another must attend weekend of racing & fun.
The event originally started out at San Jose Speedway in 1994 and was held at the track until its closing in ’99. It then moved to Ocean Speedway for one year, before heading to the Kings Speedway in Hanford from 2001-2004. In ’05 the Trophy Cup was moved to Thunderbowl Raceway, where it has been held ever since.
With its unique format the Trophy Cup regularly produces some of the best Winged Sprint Car racing that fans will witness all season. Each time a driver hits the raceway for competitive racing there are points on the line. It’s all a lead-up to the 50-lap feature on Saturday night, which features the top-20 in overall points inverted, plus the four transfers out of the B-main making up the final four spots.
All cars that start the Saturday A-main are guaranteed at least $2,050 and the overall champion is guaranteed a stout $20,000 in winnings. The Trophy Cup is always an all-star showcase in California, with champions & winners from all over the state and beyond in action. This season is all a lead-in to next year’s 25th anniversary spectacle that will pay $25,000 to the champion and $5,000-to-start.
Tickets continue to be on sale for the Trophy Cup with all seating in the house reserved during the weekend. Grandstand tickets cost $45 on Thursday and Friday and $50 on Saturday. Bleacher tickets are $40 on Thursday and Friday and $50 on Saturday. Kids 6-12 are half price and 5 & under are free.
A seating chart is available at www.thunderbowlraceway.com and tickets can be acquired by calling 559-688-0909. The pit gate opens at 10am on Thursday October 19, with the drivers meeting at 3:30pm sharp. Qualifying is scheduled for 4:45pm, with first race at 6:15pm.
All the special events are returning once again, including the Thursday Chili Dog Night sponsored by Taco Bravo, the Taco Bravo Fiesta Night on Friday and the Saturday afternoon spaghetti feed sponsored by La Villa Delicatessen. The post-race parties start 20 minutes after the checkered flag, while the spaghetti feed goes from 1:30pm to 3:30pm. A DJ will be on hand for music, with drinks available for purchase inside.
A Friday morning breakfast sponsored by the Tulare County Fairgrounds is also going to occur from 8am to 11am.
Thursday’s Chili Dog Night will feature Karaoke with drivers and fans, while Friday’s Fiesta Night will showcase the “Not So Newlywed Game” with your favorite racing couples. During Saturday’s Spaghetti Feed there will be a corn hole tournament that will award a solid $750 to the winning team and $250 for second place. The cost is $40 per team and signups will take place at the T-shirt booth.
A donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation at the door during all these events is appreciated. Over the last 23-years Dave Pusateri and the Trophy Cup team have raised over $1,420,000 in donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Fans and teams are all encouraged to attend the special eating events. More info on the Trophy Cup, as well as an entry list can be found at www.trophycup.org
Prior to the Trophy Cup, Thunderbowl Raceway will host the two-night Dirt Nationals on Friday and Saturday October 6 and 7 for IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks, IMCA Stocks and Mini Stocks. Seating is general admission during the weekend with adult tickets $15 each night.
Special thanks to all our partners for making things happen at the Thunderbowl including Merle Stone Chevrolet, Budweiser, Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino, Roth Motorsports, KRC Safety, Western Metal Company, Southwest Contractors, Double “D” Towing and JD Heiskel & Company.
For more info on Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway visit www.thunderbowlraceway.com and like our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Tulare-Thunderbowl-Raceway-392991907541396/?fref=ts
The Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway is located at the Tulare County Fairgrounds on the corner of Bardsley and K Streets in Tulare, California. From the junction of SR 99 and SR 137, go west on SR 137. At South K go south one-half mile to the Fairgrounds. #TachiPalace