FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Silver Dollar Speedway
David Larabee is First Champion of 2011 at Silver Dollar Speedway
by Troy Hennig
CHICO, CA – AUGUST 20, 2011...David Larabee has been hanging around Silver Dollar Speedway for the past 30 years. He has seen it all and for the most part raced in an array of open wheeled and fendered race cars at Chico. He even watched as a young kid when his dad, Jim, was crowned as driving champion at the track. Well after last night, David can now call himself a Silver Dollar Speedway Champion. In the main event Larabee finished ahead of Ken Micheli, who was Larabee’s nearest championship rival, and secured the Dirt Solution Limited Late Model track championship. I’ve always been a street car guy,” said Larabee. “I got into the wingless sprints a few years ago and just decided I wanted to get back into the fendered cars. I had also wanted to always run a Late Model and Chico and I couldn’t be happier right now to win this championship.” Larabee thanked his wife and two daughters but also thanked his best friend Jimmy Pettit. “A few weeks ago I cracked up some of my ribs and it was hard for me to work on the car,” said Larabee. “Pettit took the car to his house and did a wonderful job getting it set up for me.” When asked about his dad and what it meant to the family Larabee said, “I know that the Micheli’s, McDaniel’s and Becker’s have all won championships as a father/son combination. This means a lot to be put in that category with me and my dad.”
The 20-lap main event was won by Matt Micheli. He led all 20 laps and was dominating in doing so. “I love this track and the way they prepare it,” said Micheli. He was joined in victory lane by his family. “I love this division and it continues to thrive. We are looking forward to maybe adding more races in 2012.” Micheli had a large lead over Tom Arbogast and Jay Norton at the checkered flag. If the fans concentrated on the battle for second, it was a heck of a race. Arbogast was able to hold off Norton. Norton was really impressive. Arbogast continues to be an inspiration for the division and will hopefully lead this group into the off season and renew the Dirt Solution championship.
Matt Micheli was good all night. He won the heat race for the clean sweep of the night. The Dirt Solution Limited Late Models were a huge success in 2011. Silver Dollar Speedway is looking forward to add more cars and drivers next season and also offer more race dates.
Peter Murphy took a gamble. The popular veteran sprint car driver decided to haul his team all the way up from the Fresno area to race Friday night at Chico. It is a five hour haul one way. Yet, the gamble paid off. Murphy took the lead on lap eight and withstood a furious charge from Kyle Hirst at the end of the race to win the $2,000 payday. “I had a great time up here,” said Murphy. “The track was real good and when the #35 car went to high in turn one he opened the door on the bottom and I took advantage of it.” Murphy is hopeful to return next week for the final 410 Friday night race of the year. I consider Murphy one of the true gentlemen of our sport. He also won the Dave Bradway Jr. King of the West main event earlier this year. Not a bad year in Chico. He also won $500 for the Tom Rolfe Trucking International Dash for Cash. All in all a total of 54 cars signed into the pit area for Wells Fargo Point championship racing event #14. Other winners during the night included Phil Marino and Joe Flower.
Chico’s David Tarter shot out to the early lead. He is the most improved sprint car driver in America. Tarter led the first seven laps until he entered slower traffic. On lap eight he went to the top and underestimated his speed. He drifted up and over the cushion and lost the lead to Murphy. While the race for the lead was heating up so was Andy Forsberg right rear tire. The team sent him out with a plugged right rear tire. The tire ended up going flat and he had to go to the pits. Once he resumed at the rear of the field he got into more problems. Coming around turn four he didn’t get a glimpse of the yellow flag that was being waived and ended up tagging Tyler Wolf in the rear end. This broke his shock tower and front nose wing. Luckily for Forsberg, Wolf’s night did not fair much better. Wolf struggled with his set up and finished ninth. Forsberg ran 11th. Unofficially, Wolf will lead Forsberg by six points going into the next Friday’s final night of racing.
The car owner championship tightened up. Brian Sperry has fielded a 410 car all year with Sean Becker. However, Becker missed two appearances that were filled in nicely by Daniel Becker. After tonight’s combined points and unofficially, Sperry should be the new leader of the owner points.
Jason York held down the second spot for most of the race. As he ran around the bottom, Kyle Hirst was zinging it around the top. Lap after the lap the two were equal. On lap 19 Hirst finally found enough momentum to pass York for second. Hirst did catch Murphy the final five laps but needed about five more to apply enough pressure for the lead. Tarter finished in the fourth spot. Sean Becker finished fifth.
Joe Flower led all 15 laps to win the Hobby Stock main event. He beat Larry Button and Brian Compton to the finish line. Flower thanked his car owners in victory lane. It was the third and final appearance of the year by the Hobby Stock division. Look for more announcements over the winter about this division at Silver Dollar Speedway. Button earned the top honors in the heat race.
Phil Marino won Friday night’s main event. It was his second in a row. “I am getting geared up for Pepsi night next week,” Marino said. Marino is the defending champion of the race. Kevin Lesch and Kevin Ward each won heat races. The top two in the points each had an up and down main event. Lesch spun around and finished down the list. Ward battled back from some fender damage and finished second. The street stocks will wrap up their 2011 season this Friday night. It was wonderful to see Scott Rogers back at the track. Expect him plus Heather Bartlett to bring excitement to the Pepsi night main event. Richard Workman and Mike Slightom have been solid all year and each has earned a lot of respect from the drivers and fans.
The Wells Fargo dirt modified championship has been one of the most exciting and memorable in the last 10 years. Week after week, race after race, two men have entered but after next Friday night, only one will leave as the Champion. Chico’s Mark Abouzeid passed Richard Papenhausen about half way through the main event on Friday night and went on to win his fifth feature of the year. With the win, Abouzeid now holds a one point ahead of Papenhausen going into the final Friday night. Also, the win now ties Abouzeid with Papenhausen at five Chico wins in 2011. Next Friday, it will be a winner takes all format. Win the main event and more than likely, you will win the championship. If neither Abouzeid nor Papenhausen win the main event next week but still tie in the point’s standings, then the next tie breaker would be heat race wins. As of press time, the heat race wins were not calculated. Either way, this upcoming Friday is going to be a can not miss, history making night at Silver Dollar Speedway. Papenhausen passed Kevin Pendergrass late in the main event to secure the second spot. Even though Abouzeid and Papenhausen have gotten most of the attention, Pendergrass has held his own and proved to be a top quality driver with a solid team. Abouzeid also won the heat race to help him take the point championship lead for the first time in 2011. “It has been a pleasure racing all year with Richard,” said Abouzeid. “It all comes down to next Friday night and let the best man win it all.”
Results at www.mylaps.com
END
- troy hennig on Aug 20, 2011
- Article Date: 8/20/2011 by Troy Hennig / Steve Cox Photo