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"The Shark" records 1st GSC clean sweep in 5 years
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA - May 6, 2007... Through the first eight races of the Golden State Challenge Series season, Oroville’s Sean Becker had finished sixth or better each night, but hadn’t been able to crack into the win column. That all changed Saturday night at Ocean Speedway when the driver known as the "Shark" dominated the night of competition scoring his first GSC win of the season and recording the first clean sweep in a GSC event since May of 2002. The super-talented 26 year-old set fast time, dominated his heat race from the third row, walked away in the dash and put together an impressive 30 lap performance in the feature. The Golden State Challenge Series implemented a dash for the first time last year, so Becker’s clean sweep is one of the most impressive night’s ever with the series and comes at a time where he’s in a heated point battle with Campbell’s Brent Kaeding and Chico’s Jonathan Allard.
Becker started on the pole in the 30 lap feature aboard the Tom Fisher/Kyle Main owned Cherry St. Mini Storage, Rolling Hills Reality, A.R.T. Enterprise, JEI Chassis No. 35m. He immediately jumped out to a huge lead and set the tone that he wasn’t going to be beat on this night. Strong day-time winds took its toll on the Ocean Speedway surface which had become dry slick and one lane on the bottom. The only thing that gave the other drivers a chance at Becker was traffic, but even that didn’t give them much of a chance as the ‘05 King of California carved his way through masterfully. A green-white-checkered restart occurred late in the going and with the cushion of a lap car, Becker drove away from the field to pick up his seventh career Golden State Challenge Series victory. The win at Ocean Speedway was the fourth different track Becker has won at with GSC in his career. He’s won in the past at Silver Dollar Speedway, Placerville Speedway and Petaluma Speedway. It also moved him into a tie for ninth on the all-time GSC win list with Jimmy Sills, Randy Hannagan and Greg Decaires. Becker will take the Golden State Challenge Series point lead into next weekend’s Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial, an event he is the defending champion of.
12-time King of California Brent Kaeding came into the night on a three race winning race streak with GSC and was able to get around a couple cars to record his seventh top five finish of the season. Kaeding drew the number one pill for the dash, but was a little early on the start and officials set him back two rows. This just made the veteran more focused and he got back up to a third place finish to give himself a second row starting spot in the 30 lap feature. BK fell into fourth on the start and on lap seven he was able to get under Salinas driver Ronnie Day to claim third. Two laps later he drove his Al’s Roofing Supply, Kaeding Performance, Selco Heating & Air No. 69 to the inside of Discovery Bay’s Jim Skinner to move into the runner-up spot. That was as far as Kaeding could get and had to settle for a second place finish, his fourth consecutive podium in GSC competition.
Day rebounded from a disappointing Tulare race last weekend and scored a third place finish in the Ridgeline Framing, Primerica Financial, Elite Landscaping No. 1. The 2000 King of California started fourth and ran a solid 30 lap race to record his third top five finish of the season. Day and his Brian Cannon wrenched No. 1 team are picking up the pace as the season goes on and it shouldn’t be too long before they’re seen in victory lane.
Defending King of California Jonathan Allard earned a fourth place finish in the Williams Motorsports, GT Trends, K & N Filters No. 0. It was the fifth top five of the season for Allard as he goes into his home track next weekend looking to make up some ground on Becker and Kaeding.
17 year-old Brett Miller scored his best career Golden State Challenge Series finish with a fifth place effort during his first ever visit to the Ocean Speedway. The Chico youngster had a good battle with Allard throughout the race and at one point he even got around the defending GSC champ. Allard was able to get back by but Miller stayed close to him the rest of the race and gave him a look to the inside late in the going. Miller ran him clean, however, and garnered his first ever top five with GSC in the Care Free Pools, Care Free Custom Graphics, Platinum Powder Coating No. 1x.
Sacramento’s Willie Croft finished sixth aboard the Holey Smokes BBQ No. 29. "Double Down" rebounded from a flip in the dash and was able to get around a few cars late in the race to score his sixth top 10 finish of the year. San Jose’s Jason Statler finished seventh in the Tom Rolfe Trucking No. 10, his sixth top 10 of the year. Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs scored his best career GSC finish by scoring eighth in the Riley Collins Body Shop No. 33e. It has been nice having Suggs run with the Golden State Challenge Series this season after a few successful years in the non wing sprint car ranks. Suggs also made his first career dash at Ocean Speedway showing that he’s beginning to get a handle on the winged car. Finishing ninth was the Adrad Radiator No. 11au of Australian Trevor Green who was making his first GSC start of the season. Jon Maiwald from nearby Gilroy rounded out the top 10 in the main event.
Sean Becker won the dash to earn the pole of the feature. Heat wins were scored by Becker, Green and Kaeding.
Becker’s fast time of 12.223 was his first quick time of the year with the Golden State Challenge Series.
Next Saturday the Golden State Challenge Series heads for the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. For all the news and info on this huge event log onto http://www.johnpadjenmotorsports.com
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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After finishing in the top 5 in seven of the first eight GSC feature's in 2007, Sean Becker finally broke through and put the Fisher/Main Motorsports 35m in victory lane
Photos by Paul Trevino Racing Photos
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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