[i Chico, CA—September 8, 2009]
The 2009 Gold Rush Tour wraps up for the World of Outlaws this coming weekend with the biggest sprint car race of the year on the West Coast, the 56th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California, September 10-12. The winner will again receive $50,000 this year which will mark the fourth consecutive season that the victor will earn that amount.
Jac Haudenschild won the famed race for the third time in his career last season. It was the first time he had won it since the top prize was increased to $50,000. He took over the top spot on the 26th lap when Jason Meyers got tangled up with a lapped machine while leading. The native of Wooster, Ohio would go on to pace the field for the remainder of the 40-lap contest.
Steve Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaws champion, leads all drivers with 12 wins in the Gold Cup. He won the first-ever Gold Cup held at Silver Dollar Speedway in 1979. His most recent win in the storied race came in 2005.
Earlier this season in the Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway, it was Jason Meyers and Joey Saldana picking up wins.
Prior to the Gold Cup Race of Champions, the World of Outlaws will compete on a ¼-mile at Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon on September 8. Heading into that event, Donny Schatz holds a slim 38-point lead over Jason Meyers in the series championship standings, with Joey Saldana third just 59 markers out of the lead.
Slidejobs- 56th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions:
An amazing record: Steve Kinser has won the Gold Cup Race of Champions a record 12 times in his career to lead all drivers. In his career at Silver Dollar Speedway, the 20-time series champion has won a total of 22 times and has over 40 Top-Five finishes dating back to his debut at the ¼-mile bullring in 1979. He finished fifth on both nights of the Mini Gold Cup at the track earlier this season. The native of Bloomington, Indiana has won twice this season on ¼-mile tracks with those victories coming at Tri-State Speedway in his home state along with Limaland Motorsports Park in Ohio.
Three times golden: Jac Haudenschild is the defending winner of the Gold Cup and has won the famed race three times in his career, with the first of those coming in 1998 and following it up the next year with a win. In his career at Silver Dollar Speedway, the recent inductee into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame has won seven times and has nearly 50 Top-10 finishes. He is currently ninth in points as he closes in on his first win of the 2009 campaign.
Chasing the big money: Donny Schatz won the Gold Cup Race of Champions for the first time in his career in 2004. He is seeking his first victory in the event since the winner’s check was upped to $50,000. He picked up a large check earlier this season winning the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway and also scored his fourth consecutive win in the Knoxville Nationals to take home the largest payout of the season. The North Dakota native has won 12 times this season as he chases his fourth consecutive World of Outlaws title.
A golden win: Joey Saldana won the Gold Cup for the first time in his career in 2007. He has four career wins at Silver Dollar Speedway in his career, including earlier this season in the opener of the Mini Gold Cup. The native of Brownsburg, Indiana leads the World of Outlaws in A-Feature wins this year with 16, including two on ¼-miles. He is currently third in points as he chases his first career World of Outlaws title.
Oh so close: Jason Meyers who hails from Clovis, California came close to winning the Gold Cup last season, leading the first 26 laps of the 40-lapper before getting tangled up with a lapped car. He was victorious earlier this season at Silver Dollar Speedway in the finale of the Mini Gold Cup and finished second in the opener of that race. In his career at the ¼-mile, Meyers has six wins and over 40 Top-10 finishes with six of those coming in the finale of the Gold Cup. He has finished in the Top-10 in 26 of his last 28 starts at the track. He has won six times this season, including in the $20,000 finale at Skagit Speedway last weekend and is currently second in points as he chases his first series title.
Plenty of laps: Danny Lasoski won the Gold Cup Race of Champions for the first time in his career in 2000. He has finished in the Top-10 in the famed event 11 times in his career with six of those being Top-Five performances. In his career at Silver Dollar Speedway dating back to 1990, the 2001 World of Outlaws champion has nearly 30 Top-10 finishes. He finished second and fourth earlier this season at the track during the Mini Gold Cup. He is currently sixth in points on the strength of five wins in his first year driving for the Parsons Motorsports team.
One more spot: Craig Dollansky has won a preliminary feature during the Gold Cup Race of Champions three times in his career, including last season. He finished second in the finale last year and has finished on the podium four times in his career as he looks to win the biggest sprint car race on the West Coast for the first time in his career. Earlier this season he ran fourth in the finale of the Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway. He has won three times this season in his first year driving for Kasey Kahne Racing and is just outside of the Top-Five in the series standings.
Running up front: Jason Sides finished sixth in the finale of the Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway earlier this season. The 2003 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year has seven career Top-10 finishes at the track with three of those being Top-Fives, including a fifth-place performance in his rookie season in the finale of the Gold Cup. He picked up the best finish of his career at the track in 2004, coming home third in the second qualifying night of the famed event. The native of Bartlett, Tennessee won earlier this season at Ohsweken Speedway in Canada and is currently fifth in the series championship standings.
Back at the Gold Cup: Kraig Kinser returned to the Gold Cup last year for the first time since 2004 and finished fourth on his qualifying night and ninth in the finale. The third generation driver ran third on the final night of the Mini Gold Cup at the ¼-mile bullring earlier this season. He is currently eighth in points as he continues his second season driving for Tony Stewart Racing as he closes in on his first win of the 2009 season.
Second time around: Lucas Wolfe, the reigning Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year with the World of Outlaws, will make his second consecutive trip to the Gold Cup this week. After visiting the track for the first time last year he got a few more laps in this spring when the series returned for the Mini Gold Cup. The native of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania is currently 10th in the series standings on the strength of 11 Top-10 finishes.
First trip to the Gold Cup Brian Ellenberger, the leading contender for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award this season, made his first trip to Silver Dollar Speedway earlier this season for the Mini Gold Cup and finished a very solid 14th in the opener with a field of 50-plus cars in attendance. He will compete for the first time in the Gold Cup this coming week as he continues his first full year on the road with the World of Outlaws.
By the Numbers: Gold Cup Race of Champions:
0.25-Miles around Silver Dollar Speedway
1- Driver competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that hails from California, Jason Meyers
2- Drivers that led laps in the finale of the Gold Cup last season
3- Wins for Jac Haudenschild in the Gold Cup; Drivers from the state of California that have won A-Feature events with the World of Outlaws in 2009
4- Drivers that have won on ¼-mile tracks with the World of Outlaws this season
5- Total nights of racing this season for the World of Outlaws at Silver Dollar Speedway; Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws that have won the Gold Cup
10.918- Track record at Silver Dollar Speedway set by Joey Saldana on March 13, 2009
11- Drivers currently competing full-time with the World of Outlaws
12- Wins for Steve Kinser in the Gold Cup to lead all drivers
14- Drivers that have won A-Feature events with the World of Outlaws this season
15- Laps led by Jac Haudenschild to win the Gold Cup last season
16- Drivers that have won the Gold Cup since it’s been a World of Outlaws race
17- Drivers that have been quickest in time trials with the World of Outlaws through September 5
19- Drivers that have won a Crane Cams Dash this season to earn a pole position
22- Drivers that have won A-Feature events with the World of Outlaws at Silver Dollar Speedway dating back to 1979
40- Laps in the A-Feature on Saturday, September 12
42- A-Feature events contested by the World of Outlaws at Silver Dollar Speedway dating back to 1979
106- Drivers that competed in the Gold Cup last season
364- Miles from Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon where the World of Outlaws compete on September 8 to Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California
403- Laps led by Joey Saldana through September 5 to lead the series
1,000- Dollars in the total purse for the first Gold Cup in 1951
1951- Year the Gold Cup Race of Champions was first held at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento
1979- Year the World of Outlaws first competed at Silver Dollar Speedway
1980- Year the Gold Cup was first held at Silver Dollar Speedway
50,000-Dollars the winner will receive on Saturday, September 12
Tickets: On Thursday, September 10 at Silver Dollar Speedway, all tickets will be reserved seating and will be $40. Three-day tickets are also available for $130. For ticket information call (916) 969-7484 or visit http://www.goldcup.silverdollarspeedway.com.
On Friday, September 11 at Silver Dollar Speedway, all tickets will be reserved seating and will be $40. Three-day tickets are also available for $130. For ticket information call (916) 969-7484 or visit http://www.goldcup.silverdollarspeedway.com.
On Saturday, September 12 at Silver Dollar Speedway, all tickets will be reserved seating and will be $50. Three-day tickets are also available for $130. For ticket information call (916) 969-7484 or visit http://www.goldcup.silverdollarspeedway.com.
The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), Quaker State (Official Motor Oil), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, KSE Race Products, Penske Shocks, Racing Electronics, S&S Volvo; Engine Builder's Challenge participants Don Ott Racing Engines, Kistler Engines, Shaver Specialties and SpeedwayEngines; and Chassis Builder’s Challenge participants J&J Auto Racing, Maxim Racing and XXX Race Company.
- Tony Veneziano on Sep 09, 2009
- Article Date: 9/9/2009