Dan Simpson Racing ready to begin season at home track with Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series opener on April 9
By Gary Thomas
Rio Vista, CA – March 29, 2011…The Dan Simpson Racing team is geared up to kick off a new year with a new series, as the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprints get set to begin its inaugural campaign on Saturday April 9 at the Antioch Speedway.
Not only will the KWS Series be a new venture for the team, but Dan Simpson Racing has also welcomed veteran crew chief Richard Brown on board for the 2011 year.
Brown has crewed for a number of high profile teams during his career and has been working at the Simpson Racing facility since late last-year, organizing the effort for the upcoming season. The Elk Grove resident is enthused about the year and being a part of the team along with fellow crew members Jayson Debo, Bryan Schaffner, Roy VanConnet and John Hilbelink.
“It’s been great working out here and building cars for the 2011 season with the whole Simpson Racing crew,” said Brown, who tuned Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs to third in the final Golden State Series standings last year. “I’m looking forward to helping Dan and definitely excited to work with Danielle as she enters her second year in a 410.”
Last season saw the team compete on a semi-regular basis with the Golden State 410 Series and it ended with Dan scoring a 13th place finish in the standings at the helm of his DES Inc., DryVac Services Canada No. 4s Maxim. A year of gaining experience and learning the ins and outs of 410 racing saw Danielle cap her rookie season in 15th aboard the Simpson Percherons, DES Inc. No. 6up machine.
The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series is hoping to be the catalyst for a revival of 410 winged sprint car racing on the West Coast. With it already being well documented throughout the sprint car scene, Simpson Racing team owner Dan Simpson also happens to be the Managing Director for the traveling series.
During the actual nights of competition however, Simpson will focus on being a driver along with daughter Danielle, who as mentioned, returns for her sophomore season of 410 sprint car racing. With the season opener right around the corner the whole Simpson team is excited to get back on the track.
“We’re all eagerly anticipating the opener in Antioch on April 9 and certainly hope everyone comes out to support the inaugural King of the West Sprints event,” commented Dan Simpson. “It’s been a lot of work so far, but our whole staff has been putting in a ton of effort and we hope it will all pay off when KWS starts the season in Antioch.”
Since Simpson took over the series a number of changes have been implemented, which includes raising the cash point fund to $125,000 and increasing the contingency pot to $200,000 that will include giving away a complete sprint car with engine and a complete race engine at the year-end awards banquet.
Tickets for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series opener at the Antioch Speedway on April 9 are on sale, with a special VIP access pass also being offered for the very first time.
By purchasing the VIP pass, race fans have the opportunity to sit in a special reserved area of the grandstands known as the “Rio Vista Delta Section,” and will also have access to the pit area to see the drivers and teams up close and personal.
The special VIP grandstand ticket/ pit pass costs $45 and can be purchased at the King of the West Sprints office, located at 303 Main Street in Rio Vista, CA 94571. The contact number to buy tickets is (707) 374-2222. Reserved section tickets are also available for pre-sale and cost $20, which also allows access to the “Rio Vista Delta Section.”
For online ordering, tickets are also available in the ‘Store’ section of the King of the West Series website located at http://www.kwssprints.com
Tickets will also be available for purchase at various locations around Rio Vista, including “The Gym”, Tortilla Flats Mexican Restaurant, Napa Auto Parts, Pizza Factory, Hap's Bait and the Point Restaurant among others.
The Antioch Speedway is located at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds on the corner of 10th & L Streets in Antioch, California.
For more information on Rio Vista, California based Dan Simpson Racing please log onto http://www.dansimpsonracing.com and for more on the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series visit http://www.kwssprints.com
Also follow KWS on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KWS410s#!/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s
The Dan Simpson Racing team is sponsored in part by Dehydration & Environmental Services Inc., DryVac Services Canada, Simpson Percherons and Flowmaster Muffler.
- Gary Thomas on Mar 29, 2011
- Article Date: 3/29/2011