By Bill Sullivan/Sullivan Images Media
ELK GROVE, CA (9-20-10) – After a successful regular season, Elk Grove's Billy Strange Jr. is geared up and ready to compete in a series of high profile races in California's post season. Strange and the entire crew of the #28x Strange Motorsports winged sprint car will return to the track as early as this Saturday at Placerville Speedway for the final Civil Series event of the year.
"We're ready to get back on track this weekend, I love these bigger races at the end of the year," said Strange. "We've had some mixed results in the past couple of weeks but for the most part we are very happy with how our regular season turned out this year."
Strange missed the final event of the year at Placerville Speedway due to a scheduling conflict with a planned family event. However, despite the absence he ended the season 13th in the overall point standings in the Red Hawk Casino weekly championship campaign. In the regular weekly competition, Strange garnered four top ten finishes and three heat race wins.
As he returns to action this Saturday night, Strange will make his fifth start in the traveling Civil War Sprint Car Series. This 13 race series will conclude the overall racing season at Placerville Speedway Saturday night and Strange hopes his team will be in the top running to end their run at home on a positive note.
"We were looking like we were going to be really fast for the recent Wednesday night Civil War in Chico that got rained out during qualifying," said Strange. "If we can pick up where we left off this week in Placerville it could be a good strong night for Strange Motorsports. It's going to be a wild event with that championship up in the air and such a strong field of cars."
Saturday's event will mark the first of three high profile races that Strange will compete in the next couple of months in California. Following the Civil War finale, he will make his return to Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico for the 19th Annual 360 Fall Nationals on October 1st and 2nd.
Strange recently competed at Silver Dollar Speedway in the Gold Cup Race of Champions. The team only raced on Thursday night following motor concerns in preliminary competition early in the night. After qualifying 18th in a field that included the nation's top drivers of the World of Outlaws' series. Strange started on the pole of his heat race next to defending champion Donny Schatz. He finished fifth in the event despite suffering a power loss that ended the team's weekend.
"It was really great to qualify that well and start next to Schatz in the heat race on the pole position," said Strange. "The engine laid down on us in the heat race so that pretty much ended our weekend. I'm looking forward to getting back to Chico."
Following the two-day Fall Nationals, Strange will wrap up the 2010 season in the prestigious Cotton Classic at Giant Chevrolet King's Speedway in Hanford. The October 16th event is presented by the Golden State Challenge Series and takes place with 410 sprint cars on one of the fastest tracks in California.
"We are really looking forward to doing the Cotton Classic this year," added Strange. "We've done very well in the 410 for our first year doing it and hopefully we can run well down there. It's a big track and it's very fast, I can't complain about that."
Strange competed in three events during the year in the Golden State Challenge Series. During his appearances he scored two top ten finishes and finished 30th in the season ending point standings.
Strange Motorsports has a number of marketing partners that they are thankful for. Among their supporters are QWK Racing Components, ART Enterprises, Kevin Sharrah Designs, Swepco Lubricants, Pronol Race Fuels, MotoWear International, America's Tire, High Country Painting and Amerikote.
The team is seeking primary sponsorship for the 2011 racing season. In the year to come Strange plans on competing in a variety of high profile events and campaigns including weekly events at Placerville Speedway, the Civil War Series and the traveling Golden State Challenge Series. To learn more about Billy Strange or to contact them about sponsorship opportunities, visit his official website at www.billystrangejr.com.
- Bill Sullivan on Sep 21, 2010
- Article Date: 9/21/2010