Golden State Challenge Series heads to the hills for round 13 at Placerville Speedway this Saturday night June 4/ Western Speedweek just one week away
By Gary Thomas
Placerville, CA – June 2, 2010…With the summer approaching and June already here the Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car Series has hit the halfway mark of the 2010 season and will return to competition this Saturday evening with an event at the always entertaining Placerville Speedway quarter-mile bullring.
After competing at the biggest track on tour last weekend the traveling 410 series will be back to the traditional bullring style of racing that California is known for on Saturday at Placerville, which is located just 40 minutes from the capital city of Sacramento and is known for its challenging high-banks and trademark red-clay.
Following last weekend’s triple-header of racing Chico, California’s Jonathan Allard has stretched his Golden State Challenge 410 Series point lead to 22-markers over Campbell’s Brent Kaeding going into the track where he claimed victory at during the season-opener. The two-time King of California last Friday and Saturday picked up wins in Petaluma and Calistoga respectively, bringing his total with the series to five so far in 2010 aboard the Williams Motorsports, K&N Filters No. 0 sprinter. Allard’s win on March 27 was also his ninth finish of second or better in the past 12 GSC races at the track.
Continuing to look for his first Golden State Challenge Series win of the year Kaeding be searching to make that happen on Saturday at the helm of his familiar Al’s Roofing Supply, High Five Pizza No. 69 mount. Throughout the years “BK” has always been a strong force at the Placerville high-banks and in March tallied his season-best finish of second at the track. The 13-time King of California leads GSC this season in top-10 finishes with a perfect 12 out of 12, showing the type of consistency and smarts that it takes to win championships.
Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson will look to put his name up front on Saturday as he comes into the night 31-points back of Allard for the top-spot and just nine-behind Kaeding for second in the Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car Series standings. The 17-year-old ran fourth in the main event at Placerville in March and so far in 2010 with the series has tallied one victory and eight top-five finishes, which has put him in the thick of the championship battle for much of the season aboard his Stadelhofer Construction, Peppermill Casino No. 99 machine. In August of '07 Larson won his very first career sprint car race in Placerville at the ripe young age of 15.
Coming off possibly his best weekend of the season Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs will be searching to ride the momentum into Placerville on Saturday in an attempt to score his first ever Golden State Challenge Series victory. The 23-year-old driver of the Suggs Racing, HoservilleCA No. 33e scored a close runner up finish to Jonathan Allard in Petaluma last Friday and then had a fine run from 10th to fourth on Sunday in Calistoga to claim his career best result at the long and challenging half-mile. Although not an official record Suggs is also tied for the all-time track record at Placerville with a blazing fast clocking of 9.913.
The man Suggs is tied with for the track record at Placerville Speedway is San Jose’s Tim Kaeding, who will be gunning for his third win of the Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car Series season on Saturday, following a pair of runner up’s last weekend aboard the Roth Motorsports, DTR Transport No. 83. After coming back home a few weeks ago “TK” has scored wins with the tour at the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare and the Giant Chevrolet Speedway in Hanford respectively.
Last Sunday night’s winner Bud Kaeding will also be searching for his third Golden State Challenge Series victory of the year on Saturday at the Placerville Speedway behind the wheel of his Alviso Rock, K&N Filters No. 29. The Campbell racer battled with brother Tim over the late stages of the feature last weekend at Calistoga and came out on top to score his first ever triumph at the track. Kaeding has had a very successful campaign thus far in 2010, tallying seven top-five finishes in his nine GSC starts and also currently sits atop the USAC Silver Crown Series standings.
Other possibilities for Saturday will include Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan, Auburn’s Andy Forsberg, Grass Valley’s Jason Statler, Penngrove’s Alissa Geving, Roseville’s Colby Copeland, American Canyon’s Matthew Davis, Rio Vista’s Dan & Danielle Simspon, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey and more.
A full program of qualifying time-trials, heat races, a dash and the 30-lap $3,000-to-win/ $400-to-start main event will be on tap this Saturday night.
The front gate will open at 5pm this Saturday night with qualifying scheduled to get underway around 6:00 and racing at 6:30. All seating will be general admission with adult tickets being $17, juniors $12 and kids $5. The Placerville Speedway is located on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville, California. For more information on the high-banked bullring visit http://www.placervillespeedway.com
For the complete point standings, results and more information on the Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car Series please visit http://www.goldenstatechallengeseries.com
2010 Western Speedweek on the horizon next week:
Following the Placerville event this weekend the Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car Series will gear up for the inaugural running of “Western Speedweek- The Road to Dirt Cup” which kicks off on Friday night June 11 at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, with the 27th annual Tribute to Gary Patterson.
After that the Golden State Challenge Series will be in action the following night on Saturday June 12 at the Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, Oregon. That will then be followed by a day off on Sunday, before returning to action on Monday night June 14 with an event at the Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove, OR. The final Oregon stop then occurs on Tuesday June 15 with the inaugural GSC appearance at the Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, OR.
The Western Speedweek is all a lead-up to the non-point-paying, $25,000-to-win 39th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup at the Skagit Speedway in Alger, Washington on June 17, 18 and 19.
Although the actual racing at the Dirt Cup doesn't kick off until Thursday night June 17, the event will get a jump start with the annual Haggen Dirt Cup Party held on Wednesday June 16 at the Haggen Food and Pharmacy in Burlington, Washington. The party is held from 4pm to 7pm and features a live band, as well as sprint cars on display, vendor booths, driver interviews, autographs, local radio stations broadcasting live and more.
“Western Speedweek- The Road to Dirt Cup” Schedule
Friday June 11 GSC Round 14: 27th annual Tribute to Gary Patterson at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California- Information on the track can be found at http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com
Saturday June 12 GSC Round 15: Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, Oregon. Information on the track can be found http://www.sospeedway.com/
Monday June 14 GSC Round 16: Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Information on the track can be found at http://www.cottagegrovespeedway.com/
Tuesday June 15 GSC Round 17: Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Oregon. Information on the track can be found at http://www.trophymotorsports.com/willamettespeedway.htm
Thursday June 17, Friday June 18 and Saturday June 19: 39th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Washington. $25,000-to-win Saturday night. Information on the track can be found at http://www.skagitspeedway.com
- Gary Thomas on Jun 02, 2010
- Article Date: 6/2/2010