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GSC 410 sprints head to Petaluma for final point race prior to Dirt Cup
By Gary Thomas
Petaluma, California – June 3, 2008…So far in 2008 the most thrilling main event of the Golden State Challenge King of California season occurred earlier in the year at the Petaluma Speedway and the series will reconvene at the track this Saturday night hoping for more of the same. It will also be the final GSC race before the big Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup, which is coming up in just a couple of weeks at the Skagit Speedway.
Leading the way into Saturday’s event will be the hottest sprint car driver in the Golden State, that being San Jose’s Tim Kaeding. The former World of Outlaw and National Sprint Tour driver has come back this season to regular competition in California and has been his usual exciting self wheeling the Tom Rolfe Racing No. 10. Last Saturday night Kaeding won his third GSC race of the season by leading the final 27 laps in the feature at Placerville Speedway. This Saturday will also be the first Petaluma Speedway start for “TK” since the series returned to the track in 2005.
Chico’s Jonathan Allard and Los Angeles’ Tyler Walker, the top two drivers in the Golden State Challenge Series standings, will look to rebound at Petaluma after both crashed out while battling for the lead during the first series stop in April. Allard had charged from eighth to second and was battling with Walker for the lead when an incident in lapped traffic on the 18th lap took both of them out of the running.
Allard goes into Petaluma this weekend holding a 46 point lead in the GSC point standings and will look to maintain that edge at a track he’s been very successful at in recent years. The 31 year-old has driven his Williams Motorsports No. 0 to three victories in the last five GSC events held at the 3/8 mile clay oval and will look to build momentum for the upcoming Dirt Cup, an event he’s won twice in the last three years. Allard comes into the weekend after finishing runner-up last Saturday night in Placerville.
Walker comes into the weekend fresh off his third Golden State Challenge Series win of the season last Friday in Watsonville. The Petaluma event in April saw him have a torrid battle with Oroville’s Sean Becker during the early stages of the feature as both drivers put on a stunning show in lapped traffic. Walker also raced his NMI Industrial Contractors sponsored sprinter to fast time during that night and will look for more good things this weekend as well as close the gap between himself and Allard.
The man who won with the Golden State Challenge Series during the previous Petaluma event was Campbell’s Bud Kaeding who will look to make it a sweep of the races at the track this weekend. The 28 year-old goes into Saturday ranking a season high third in the point standings on the strength of 12 top 10 finishes, which ranks second to Allard’s 13. The two-time defending Silver Crown champ also drove his K & N Filters No. 29 to a second place finish last Friday night with the series in Watsonville.
13-time King of California Brent Kaeding is expected back in action this weekend following his induction into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame last Saturday. “BK” has yet to win a main event this season, but has been one of the most consistent performers with a number of podiums and top five finishes. The man from Campbell certainly wants a win though and will be looking to put his Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 into victory lane on Saturday.
Sacramento’s Mike Henry finished third during the previous Petaluma Speedway event and goes into the weekend sitting fourth in the Golden State Challenge Series standings. The first year series competitor has found it a bit tough over the last month with a few finishes outside the top 10, but was able to regroup at his home track of Placerville Speedway last Saturday with a solid third place finish in the feature. Henry will look to build momentum from that finish in Petaluma this weekend aboard the Royal Lagoon Pools No. 93.
Second year GSC regular Evan Suggs from Scotts Valley will look to put his GLR Investments sponsored No. 33e up front on Saturday. Last weekend saw Suggs have a couple tough outings, which easily could have been the exact opposite. On Friday night in Watsonville Suggs had a front row starting spot in the main event until contact before the flag stand on the start took him out of the running. Then on Saturday in Placerville he qualified second fastest in the field and was running in the top 10 of the feature when he got over the cushion and flipped upside down. The 21 year-old will look for a good finish this weekend.
Los Gatos' Jason Statler comes into the Petaluma Speedway after a couple of sixth place finishes last weekend aboard his DF Rios Construction No. 00. “The Big Guy” had charged from mid-pack to the top five last Friday in Watsonville, before a shock issue slowed his bid at moving further up. Statler finished a season best second in Petaluma earlier this year and will look for his first 410 victory of '08 on Saturday at the tacky 3/8 mile clay oval. The Petaluma Speedway also happened to be the scene of Statler’s first Northern Auto Racing Club victory, which came during Speedweek 1996.
Current Petaluma Speedway point leader Alissa Geving will lead the local charge into the track on Saturday. The 16 year-old from Penngrove has shown the ability to mash the gas with the best of them and continues to improve, in what is just her second year behind the wheel of a sprint car. Geving finished sixth during the first Golden State Challenge Series stop at her home track and it also came with a 360 power plant under the hood of the Pit Stop USA No. 3x. With this weekend’s event paying local track points she’ll once again be utilizing a 360 as she attempts to break her way into the top five this time around.
Other possibilities for this Saturday in Petaluma will include Sacramento’s Willie Croft, Loomis’ Kyle Hirst, Fremont’s Brent Bjork, Gilroy’s Ken Fredenburg, Fresno’s Mark Workentine, Rio Vista’s Dan Simpson, Petaluma’s Mike Mossi, Morgan Hills Ricky Wright Jr. and more.
The front gate will open at 4:30 pm on Saturday with all seating being general admission. Adult tickets will be $16, kids 6-11 $12, seniors 65 and older $10 and children 5 and under free. The Petaluma Speedway is located at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds just off Highway 101 in Petaluma. For more information visit http://www.petaluma-speedway.com
Up next- The weekend following Petaluma will find the Golden State Challenge Series going dark to allow teams the chance to get ready for the upcoming Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup, which happens on June 19, 20 and 21. A select number of teams and drivers will also be in competition next Saturday night June 14 at the historic Calistoga Speedway half-mile during the Civil War 360 Series sanctioned Calistoga Cup. For more news and schedule info visit http://www.johnpadjenmotorsports.com
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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