This message was edited on
March 02, 2007 at
09:57:43 AM by Gary Thomas
Mini Gold Cup kicks off 2007 Golden State Challenge Series campaign
By Gary Thomas
Chico, CA - March 2, 2007... The Golden State Challenge King of California Series will begin its 22nd year of competition on Friday & Saturday March 9 & 10 as they compete in the annual Mini Gold Cup at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway. Following a rain out of the Mini Gold Cup last season, the GSC sprints will now look to write another chapter in the record books of the prestigious event which started out in 1987 under the sanction of the World of Outlaw Series. The first Mini Gold Cup was picked off by the "Wild Child" Jac Haudenschild. Haud would win another Mini Gold Cup in ‘89 and go on to win back to back Gold Cup Race of Champions in 1999 & 2000 to cement his name in the speedway’s history. Other nationally recognized names to taste victory at the Mini Gold Cup in the past include Steve Kinser, Bobby Davis Jr., Tim Shaffer, Jimmy Sills, Paul Mcmahan, Jason Meyers and the most recent winner Tim Kaeding.
The Mini Gold Cup has opened the season for the Golden State Challenge Series every year since 2000, with the exception of last year’s rain out, which also marked the first time in Mini Gold Cup history that both night’s of the event had been cancelled due to rain.
With the World of Outlaws Sprint Series having the weekend off, a few big name drivers are expected at this year’s version of the Mini Gold Cup.
Heading the early entry list is San Jose driver and current World of Outlaws competitor Tim Kaeding. Kaeding was the 2002 Golden State Challenge Series champion and has won two titles at the Silver Dollar Speedway. TK’s resume at the track doesn’t stop there however, as he’s won just about every major race except for the Gold Cup at the 1/4 mile bullring. As mentioned Kaeding is the most recent winner of the Mini Gold Cup and has also claimed victory at Chico in the past at the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial, the Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals and the two day GSC finale in July. He has captured one World of Outlaws main event win this season and currently sits near the top 10 in points. Kaeding is just one of the several possible big name entrants for the Mini Gold Cup this weekend.
The Morrie Williams owned No. 0 of Chico’s Jonathan Allard will head the local contingent at Mini Gold Cup. Last season Allard became the first Chico driver to ever win the Golden State Challenge Series championship. Allard’s stats with the Golden State Challenge Series were impressive as he tallied seven A-main wins, 13 top five finishes, 15 top tens, 10 heat race victories and 10 fast times in 19 events. His biggest win of the year came at the Skagit Speedway in Alger, Washington where he scored the $25,000 to win Dirt Cup for the second consecutive season. The Mini Gold Cup has eluded Allard however, as his best finish in the race is a seventh, which he accomplished in 2001. Always a fast time threat, Allard set the standard nine times at Silver Dollar Speedway last season in 14 starts. In his career at the track he has also won the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial three times and won the track championship in 2002.
One of stiffest challenges in the field will come in form of 12 time Golden State Challenge Series champion Brent Kaeding of Campbell. In addition to being a 12 time GSC champ, Kaeding is also the all-time winningest driver in Mini Gold Cup history having captured the race four times in his storied career. BK’s Mini Gold Cup wins came in 1991, ‘93, ‘96 and 2001. His ‘93 victory came in dramatic fashion as he passed Glen Boune down low off of turn two on the final lap to pick up the win. Kaeding has had much success throughout his career at the Silver Dollar Speedway bullring having captured countless wins including the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial on three separate occasions and two Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals titles.
In 2006, BK swept the two day Pombo/Sargent Classic in Tulare aboard his Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69, which bumped his all-time GSC career win total up to 70. BK missed two races last season but still finished sixth in the final GSC point standings.
1999 Mini Gold Cup champion Jason Meyers of Clovis will be one of the drivers to beat. The World of Outlaws Sprint Series driver is one of the top competitors in sprint car racing today driving for the potent Elite Racing team. Last season Meyers made two special appearances with the Golden State Challenge Series; winning at the Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway and finishing second at the Calistoga Speedway. The win in Tulare was Meyers 10th career with GSC, moving him into sole possession of sixth on the all-time list. Meyers’ first career 410 sprint car win came at the Mini Gold Cup in ‘99 where he had an epic battle with Rio Linda’s Randy Tiner. He has gone on to put together an impressive career and finished second in the season long point standings with the World of Outlaws in 2005.
Defending Silver Dollar Speedway track champion and Civil War Series champ Andy Forsberg of Auburn will lead the track regulars into the Mini Gold Cup. Last season Forsberg led all Northern California winged sprint car drivers with 12 wins, one ahead of J.Allard who had 11. Among Forsberg’s wins last season was the Civil War Series finale at Placerville Speedway, the Tribute to Al Hinds at Placerville, the Silver Dollar Speedway points finale and his biggest triumph, the Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals in Chico. Forsberg also scored an impressive third place finish during a prelim night at the Gold Cup Race of Champions when the World of Outlaws invaded Silver Dollar Speedway in September.
Another top driver competing over the two days will be 2000 GSC champion and defending Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway champ Ronnie Day of Salinas. Day had a consistent season last year en route to a second place finish in the final GSC standings. He drove the Elite Landscaping machine to 16 top ten finishes (which led the series), but he also ended the year without picking up a feature win. Don’t expect that to happen two year’s in a row, as the 48 year old father of one will be back stronger than ever in 2007 following his first full year of driving a 410 sprinter since 2000. Day ended the GSC season on fire, scoring 2nd place finishes in the last three events and was on the podium in four of the last five. In 2007 Day will be teamed up with Rick McCormick to make it a two car assault for the Elite team with the Golden State Challenge Series.
San Jose’s Jason Statler, the 2004 Golden State Challenge Series champion always runs well at Silver Dollar Speedway and will be another driver to look out for. The Mini Gold Cup will also be Statler’s debut driving the Rolfe Motorsports No. 10 machine. Statler is set for a full season of action behind the wheel of the No. 10 and will be running full time with GSC once again as well as looking for his first ever Silver Dollar Speedway track championship.
The "Big Guy" has never won the big money on Saturday night at the Mini Gold Cup, but has won two prelims in his career and also had a stout second place finish in the 40 lap A-main in 2004. Statler started out last season slowly but came on strong late in the year and finished third in the final GSC point standings. He failed to win a GSC race for the first time since 2002, but still captured one Silver Dollar Speedway point race win and two Civil War Series wins; included was his first career victory at the Calistoga Speedway ½ mile during the Civil War stop at the track on August 12.
Making his first career Golden State Challenge Series start at the Mini Gold Cup will be 20 year old Brandon Wimmer of Fairmont, Indiana. In the off-season Wimmer joined forces with Redi-Green Motorsports and will compete with GSC full time in 2007. The Redi-Green team also picked up new sponsor ARB Inc. in the off-season and they also plan to run at Silver Dollar Speedway regularly in the Friday night point series. Wimmer is a former traveler with the World of Outlaws Sprint Series and has what it takes to be a championship contender.
Oroville’s Sean Becker, the 2005 Golden State Challenge Series champion, won five races last season at Silver Dollar Speedway including the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial and the GSC season finale. "The Shark" also finished second in the track point standings and is always one of the drivers to beat at the competitive 1/4 mile bullring.
Former Silver Dollar Speedway track champion Stephen Allard of Chico will be driving for Skip Jones Racing this season looking for the track championship, as well as running select events with GSC . Allard and Jones teamed up last July after Allard parted ways with the Mcmillen No. 10 team and they ended up finishing third in the final Silver Dollar Speedway point standings. For 2007 the team has upgraded their equipment which should make Allard a certain contender at the Mini Gold Cup.
The Mini Gold Cup will also kick off Chico driver Brett Miller’s rookie campaign with the Golden State Challenge Series. Last August Miller won his first race at Silver Dollar Speedway, which came just a couple weeks after he turned 17. In November, Miller was named rookie of the year with the Civil War Series and co-rookie of the year at Silver Dollar Speedway. In addition to those titles he was also named as a finalist for the North American 360 rookie of the year award by the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.
Other drivers expected to pack the pit area at the 21st Mini Gold Cup include: ‘03 Silver Dollar Speedway champion Blake Robertson of Visalia, Grass Valley’s Brad Sweet, ‘04 Mini Gold Cup champion Willie Croft of Sacramento, Campbell’s Bud Kaeding, Santa Cruz’s Kevin Pylant, Elk Grove’s Kyle Hirst; Medford, Oregon’s Roger Crockett, Chico’s Johnny Gray and Matt Shelton, Discovery Bay’s Jim Skinner, Livermore native and current Indiana resident Chuck Gurney Jr, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Gilroy’s Jon Maiwald, Tracy’s Jason Botsford, Fresno’s Mark Worketine, Washington driver Steve Kilcup, Canadian youngster Travis Rutz, newcomer Shawn Wright and many more.
Upwards of 50 cars are expected to compete over the two night’s of action which kicks off on Friday night March 9 with qualifying, heats, a dash and feature events. The Mini Gold Cup will conclude on Saturday night March 10 with another complete program featuring qualifying, heats, a dash and it is all capped off with the big 40 lap main event that pays $6,000 to win.
Gates open up at 5pm both night’s and adult tickets will be $20 on Friday and $25 on Saturday. Children’s tickets will be $7 each night. All seating will be general admission.
Log onto www.johnpadjenmotorsports.com for more info on the Golden State Challenge Series and Silver Dollar Speedway.
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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