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Photo's by http://www.stevesracingphotos.com
Stephen Allard carves his way from 15th to sixth at Petaluma Civil War 360 Series show
By Gary Thomas
Petaluma, CA – July 6, 2009…Competing with the California Sprint Car Civil War Series in Petaluma for the second time this season two-time Silver Dollar Speedway track champion Stephen Allard brought home a sixth place finish after starting from the eighth row in the main event on Friday night.
Allard and Double-D Motorsports went into the event this past Friday fresh off a podium finish with the Civil War tour on June 20 in Quincy and looked to move forward in the standings at the Petaluma Speedway, a track the 36 year-old veteran finished third at earlier this season.
With a 39 car field on hand for the evening Allard drew an early qualifying number and it left him further back than he's accustomed to with his fastest lap of 13.502 putting the Double-D Customs, Butler Built Performance, JP's Paint & Body Works No. 4 machine 18th fastest.
The qualifying time gave Allard a front row starting spot in the second heat race though and he used it to his advantage to pick up his first heat victory of the Civil War season and transfer into the main event. The Chico driver then lined-up 15th on the grid and was able to move his way through the field nicely during the 30 lap contest aboard the Medi-Pro Billing, Platinum Powder Coating Maxim.
A caution and red flag plagued feature slowed the pace of the event, but in the end Allard would cross under the checkered in sixth to pick up his third top 10 finish of the Civil War season. "It was a good run for us in the main event tonight and we'll take a sixth after starting that far back," Allard said. "Getting an early number in qualifying hurt us a bit, but in this sport you have to just keep digging because you never know how things will play out. I have to thank these guys for giving me a good car in the feature and wish we could have started a little further up front to see what we could have done because this thing was fast as usual."
The next scheduled event for Stephen Allard and Double-D Motorsports will be a California Sprint Car Civil War Series/GLR Investments co-sanctioned race at the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville on Friday July 17. Going into the event "SA" sits fourth in the Civil War standings, 31 points behind leader Sean Becker, but is just 10 digits behind second place Herman Klein and three back of third running Brett Rollag.
Last season saw Allard run a handful of times at the Ocean Speedway and he is looking forward to getting back to the track on July 17. "We had some good runs in Watsonville last year and can't wait to hit the track at this Civil War/GLR event," said Allard. "This should be a real good show when you throw in Brent and Bud Kaeding, Evan Suggs, Jason Statler and all the other Ocean guys with the Civil War drivers."
Allard had a pair strong runs last season at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds bullring with the first coming in June when he set fast-time and scored a fourth place finish in the main event with the Golden State Challenge Series, while driving the David Key Trucking No. 86 sprinter.
Then in August he put on a strong charge from 22nd to fifth in the feature during a weekly 360 event. "I was really fast in the 86 car last year at Ocean, but fought a lot of mechanical problems that took away some other good finishes that we might have had," commented Allard. "Ocean Speedway has seemed to do a great job with the track and we're ready to see if we can get this car in victory lane with Civil War."
For more news on two-time Silver Dollar Speedway 410 track champion Stephen Allard log onto http://www.stephenallard.com
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Chico's Stephen Allard drove the Double-D Motorsports No. 4 sprint car to a sixth place finish from the eighth row in the feature with the California Sprint Car Civil War Series in Petaluma on Friday night
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