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Photo by Graph X Designs
Mason Moore leads laps at Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial
By Gary Thomas
Chico, CA – May 17, 2008…Seventeen year-old Mason Moore led the first main event laps of his Golden State Challenge Series career this past Saturday night during the 18th annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway. After 40 laps of racing Moore ended up bringing home a ninth place finish aboard the Moore Insurance Services No. 22 and was among some good company in a very stout top 10.
Moore and the team kicked off the weekend by competing in another Feather Falls Casino Friday night point race at Silver Dollar and looked to make up ground on the point leaders. Going into the night Moore sat fourth in points behind veterans Andy Forsberg, Sean Becker and Jonathan Allard. The driver known as “Primetime” won the evening’s second heat race and went on to finish the 25 lap feature in ninth, scoring his seventh top 10 finish in the first seven Chico point races.
On Saturday night Moore stayed right in Chico for the prestigious Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial, which is the cornerstone of the Golden State Challenge Series season. A strong field of 43 cars signed in for the big night and the Princeton racer kicked off the evening by qualifying the Rolling Hills Casino, NOS Energy Drink sprinter 12th fastest overall. Moore then lined up on the outside of the second row in the night’s fourth and final heat race.
Warm temperatures during the day had dried out the surface considerably by the end of the heat races and traction was already becoming hard to come by. Early in the heat Moore battled it out with good friend Kyle Larson before setting his sights on leader Evan Suggs with a few laps left. “Primetime” closed in near the end of the heat, but couldn’t get by and settled for a second place finish to transfer out.
Due to a few higher qualified cars not making it out of the heats it gave Moore an opportunity to compete in the night’s six lap dash, which sets the first four rows of the main event. The youngster lined up third and held his own during the short contest to finish there and set him up with a second row starting spot for the main event.
After going four-wide to salute the fans, drivers got back into line and proceeded to put on a spectacular show on the racy Silver Dollar Speedway surface. As the green flag waved Moore sliced underneath outside front row starter Jonathan Allard on the initial lap to put the Platinum Powder Coating, Selover’s Body & Paint No. 22 into the runner-up spot. The youngster wasted no time going for the lead and on the second lap he got traction on the low side of turn four to shoot into the top spot past Kyle Hirst.
The next half of the race saw Moore and Hirst put on a show for the fans as they battled it out side by side for the lead of the race. On lap 10 Hirst moved to the lead as Tim Kaeding joined the battle. Moore remained composed racing against some of the best traveling 410 drivers on the west coast and on lap 18 he charged back into the lead off turn two. Unfortunately a red flag occurred simultaneously and the lap wasn’t scored complete so he was forced to move back to second behind Hirst.
On the restart Moore tried his best to hold off Kaeding and was able to do so until the 23rd lap. After this he began to fight the car on the changing track and after battling it out the rest of the way he crossed the line in ninth at the Willie Williams’ checkered. The ninth place finish was Moore's personal career best with the traveling Golden State Challenge Series and was a good night of experiance for the 17 year-old.
Just being in the kind of company that made up the top 10 of the A-main at the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial is definitely something to be proud of for the second year sprint car driver. Moore will return to Silver Dollar Speedway this coming weekend for a double header of 360 racing. On Saturday night it will be an open 360 show while Sunday’s event will mark the fourth race of the season for the California Civil War Series. The 410's will take a couple weeks off in Chico before returning on June 6 with another point race.
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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