King of the West Sprint Car Series announces updates to 2013 schedule including a return engagement to Petaluma Speedway
By Gary Thomas
Rio Vista, CA – January 15, 2013…Since the original release of the King of the West Sprint Car Series schedule there have been a couple of exciting modifications to detail, highlighted by the Winged 410 Sprint Car return to Petaluma Speedway on Saturday May 11.
The event at Petaluma Speedway will be billed as the “Tribute to Baylands Raceway Park” and marks the first Winged 410 Sprint Car race at the sticky three-eighths mile since 2010. Fans and teams alike have been hoping to see the King of the West Sprint Car Series back on the hooked up Petaluma gumbo and now they have their wish.
From Bobby Gerould’s Baylands Raceway Park page: "Baylands was a hot spot for great sprint car racing during a much too short-lived time in the 1980's. Located in Fremont, CA, in the heart of the thriving Bay Area, Baylands ran weekly winged sprints, as well as special World of Outlaws, CRA, BCRA, Golden State Challenge, and NARC shows. Opening in August, 1981 and racing until November, 1988, Baylands played a vital role in the booming sprint car scene in Northern California.”
To commemorate the evening on May 11 many names and faces from the days gone by at Baylands Raceway Park are expected to be on hand for autographs and interviews. The two most recent Winged 410 events at the Petaluma Speedway in 2010 were captured by reigning KWS champion Jonathan Allard in his familiar Williams Motorsports No. 0 sprinter.
“We are very excited to be back at the Petaluma Speedway in 2013 and want to thank Rick Faeth and John Soares for making it possible,” said KWS Operations Manager & former Baylands Raceway Park Announcer George Hague. “I have a lot of memories of Baylands from my days as an announcer there and we think it will be great to hold an event to relive the history of the track.”
To open up the date for Petaluma the King of the West Sprint Car Series and Merced promoter John Soares have moved the previous date for Merced Speedway to Saturday June 1. The quarter-mile bullring has played host to the World of Outlaws the last couple years, but in 2013 the KWS Series will be the only Winged 410 show at the facility.
Additional updates to the schedule include the annual “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” being added to the Sunday May 26 date at Thunderbowl Raceway. The event is part of a King of the West Series double-header during Memorial Day weekend at the Tulare, California oval on Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26. The “Faria Memorial” has been a mainstay on the schedule for a number of years.
The Saturday September 21 date at Thunderbowl Raceway will also be tabbed as the “John Anthony Sharp Memorial” and features the USAC West Coast Wingless Sprinters running alongside KWS to make for a great combo night of racing. Drivers such as Bud Kaeding and Peter Murphy are sure to pull double duty during the event at the blazing fast one-third mile clay oval.
More information on the traveling King of the West Sprint Car Series can be found online at http://www.kwssprints.com
You can also follow us on Instagram by searching “kwssprints” and contact us via phone at the King of the West office (707) 374-2222. For questions or comments please don’t be hesitate to shoot us an email at [email protected]
From an earlier release:
The 2013 racing season kicks off on Saturday April 20 with the traditional KWS opener at John Soares’ Antioch Speedway located on the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds. Quickly gaining a reputation as one of the raciest tracks in the West; the one-third mile clay oval will also host the King of the West 410 Sprints on Saturday July 20.
The high-banked quarter-mile bullring of Placerville Speedway will host the King of the West Series on two occasions once again this season. The first of those will be Saturday April 27 and the second is slated for Saturday June 29. The lightning fast track is a favorite among fans for its distinctive red clay and close action. The all-time KWS track record at Placerville is a blistering 9.913 shared by Tim Kaeding & Evan Suggs.
The always exciting Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway will play host to three nights of action in 2013, which will be anchored by a double header outing during Memorial Day weekend on Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26. The King of the West 410’s will then return to the lightning fast one-third mile clay oval for a single night showing on Saturday September 21. The Sunday May 26 event will be the annual “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” and the September 21 race will be tabbed as the “John Anthony Sharp Memorial.”
The famed Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico will hold one King of the West event this season and it happens to be the 23rd annual “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” on Saturday May 4. The event has been a cornerstone for the series and always features extra money and awards packed into the night. Expect a huge show as fans will get to see the KWS Series at SDS one time only in 2013, so don’t miss out on what is sure to be a definite special event on Saturday May 4.
Also hosting single events this season will be the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville on Saturday July 13, the new Stockton 99 Dirt Track on Saturday August 3, a return to the Santa Maria Speedway on Saturday July 27 and the 28th annual “Cotton Classic” at Kings Speedway in Hanford on Saturday October 12.
The event at Ocean Speedway on July 13 is the third annual “Howard Kaeding Classic,” which has become a very big event over the past two years at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds bullring. The “HK Classic” is part of an exciting two night weekend that also features USAC Sprints & Midgets during the Friday portion.
The Santa Maria Speedway visit on July 27 will mark the first KWS appearance at the track since 2011 and the Stockton event on August 3 will be the inaugural appearance for the series at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds track. The prestigious “Cotton Classic” on October 12 will mark the lone 2013 appearance at Hanford’s Kings Speedway and will be a huge event as always, with the USAC West Coast Wingless Sprints also competing that night.
Friday & Saturday May 17 & 18 will be the first of five weekends of competition at the newly refurbished Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway in Fernley, Nevada. During the off-season KWS Managing Director Dan Simpson became promoter of the track known as “Racings Field of Dreams” and is bringing 410 Sprint Car racing back to it for the first time since 2006.
In addition to May 17 & 18 the King of the West 410 Sprints will also invade the three-eighths mile oval on July 5 & 6 for the “Cherry Bomb Classic,” August 9 & 10 (during Hot August Nights in Reno), September 13 & 14 (during the Reno Air Races) and for the KWS season-finale on Friday & Saturday October 25 & 26. Stay tuned for all the exciting plans that are being put in place for RTF Speedway.
Another track located in Northern Nevada that joins the mix in 2013 is Rattlesnake Raceway in Fallon, hosting a pair of events with the first occurring on Friday & Saturday June 7 & 8. The two-night show is part of the town’s annual “Octane Fest” that features drag racing, monster trucks, tuff trucks and more. KWS will then return to Rattlesnake on Saturday & Sunday August 31 & September 1 during the “Cantaloupe Festival” in Fallon.
The amount of money on the line for teams this year with the King of the West Series during the Northern Nevada dates will be inflated as well, with each event at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway & Rattlesnake Raceway paying $3,500 to win the A-main and a very stout $1,000-to-start. The purses are focused on paying down solidly to make sure all teams in competition have a piece of the pie.
The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will invade Petaluma Speedway on Saturday May 11 for the "Tribute to Baylands Raceway Park!"
Baylands history from Bobby Gerould/Hammerdown USA and Auto Racing Legends of California
"Baylands" was a hot spot for great sprint car racing during a much too short-lived time in the 1980's. Located in Fremont, CA, in the heart of the thriving Bay Area, Baylands ran weekly winged sprints, as well as special World of Outlaws, CRA, BCRA, Golden State Challenge, and NARC shows. Opening in August, 1981, and racing until November, 1988, Baylands played a vital role in the booming sprint car scene in Northern California.
Winning wasn't easy at Baylands. The track required strong horsepower, and thus ruled out the underfunded teams. The Baylands Winners List is a Who's Who in sprint car racing. Close proximity to major Bay Area airports made it simple for car owners to fly drivers in from around the globe. Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Bobby Davis Jr., Rich Vogler, and many others flew in to drive unfamiliar cars.
Fans (including us), would get all hyped for the special races at Baylands, because you knew you would see something fresh or different. The late, Rich Vogler raced for Harold Casto, Steve Kinser drove for Richard Lovell, and Sammy Swindell was a driver for Jim Klein.
The regulars at Baylands were the among the best in the world. Jimmy Sills owned the joint. Not literally, but figuratively. Sills was special at Baylands driving for the Bailey Brothers in the black #01, but was equally strong in the Owen & Smith #14. Chuck Gurney, Jimmy Boyd, Tim Green, Ronnie Day, Darrell Hanestad, Chuck Miller, Steve Kent and the late Dave Bradway Jr., were there almost every Saturday night. Lealand McSpadden would buzz in from Arizona. Brent Kaeding was concentrating on NARC but ran as many Baylands races as he could. Oklahoma's Tommie Estes Jr., replaced Bradway in the Tri-C #3 and the ran often in 1987 and 1988.
I was around 8 years old when Baylands closed but I still have great memories of going to that track Saturday nights with my dad! I have fond memories of BK, Steve Kent, Tim Green, Jimmy Sills and many others. The track and surrounding areas does still remind me soo much of Petaluma speedway. My dad and I would also see this guy at every race with cowboy hat, white clothes, and he never wore a jacket, even on the coldest days! For some reason we never made a conversation with him. Well fast forward many years later at Calistoga. We got to talking to this man, who is none other than the greatest sprint car fan of all time Marcel! He remembered me as a small child and my dad at Baylands back in the early 80s until it closed. I was soo sad when Baylands and also San Jose Speedway closed, but going to Petaluma is a close reminder for me and many wonderful memories of speedways that should have never been shut down
Looking forward to the new Golden State King of the
West series schedule!
Winged sprintcars = the fastest and most exciting
racecars on dirt!
This message was edited on
January 15, 2013 at
11:59:05 PM by Ca Sprintcar fan
I was 10 when Baylands closed. I grew up at Watsonville Speedway in the early 80's watching late models, streetstocks and figure 8. In the mid 80's, my parents took me to San Jose Speedway, and I was hooked on real racecars.
My mom's brother lived in Fremont. When he heard I liked sprintcars more than latemodels and streetstocks, he would pick me up almost every Saturday morning to take me to Baylands or San Jose. He knew all the stats on all the drivers, which lead to me to doing the same.
I still went to Watsonville on Friday nights with my parents, so I got the best of both worlds. Watsonville had 35-40 latemodels along with 40-50 streetstocks every race. Baylands and San Jose with all the great drivers and cars. Those were the days. I will never forget them.
I went to the last race, but we didn't know it was the last race until hearing about the track closing the following season. (just like San Jose in 98)
I can't remember exactly why Baylands closed, but I remember a death on the dragstrip the last drag-race of the season. It could have been politics, or realestate moving in around the track. I remember something about a car-lot that never was built.
Does anyone know why Baylands Raceway Park closed???
Does anyone know Marcel's last name? Would be interesting to know more about him and his history. I've seen him at just about every sprint car race I've ever attended, which is quite a few. I can only imagine how many races he's attended over the years. Might be some kind of record!
Posted By: Ca Sprintcar fan on January 15 2013 at 10:33:53 PM
I was 10 when Baylands closed. I grew up at Watsonville Speedway in the early 80's watching late models, streetstocks and figure 8. In the mid 80's, my parents took me to San Jose Speedway, and I was hooked on real racecars.
My mom's brother lived in Fremont. When he heard I liked sprintcars more than latemodels and streetstocks, he would pick me up almost every Saturday morning to take me to Baylands or San Jose. He knew all the stats on all the drivers, which lead to me to doing the same.
I still went to Watsonville on Friday nights with my parents, so I got the best of both worlds. Watsonville had 35-40 latemodels along with 40-50 streetstocks every race. Baylands and San Jose with all the great drivers and cars. Those were the days. I will never forget them.
I went to the last race, but we didn't know it was the last race until hearing about the track closing the following season. (just like San Jose in 98)
I can't remember exactly why Baylands closed, but I remember a death on the dragstrip the last drag-race of the season. It could have been politics, or realestate moving in around the track. I remember something about a car-lot that never was built.
Does anyone know why Baylands Raceway Park closed???
Someone was willing to overpay for the land at the time and it was sold. Can't blame anyone in this case. I hear the owner, whose name is escaping me, made a killing. The land sat vacant for a time and now has an office complex there. About Vodden in the booth...Thats what we are shooting for. - Ron
This message was edited on
January 16, 2013 at
12:44:05 AM by Grove
Reply to:
Posted By: Gary Thomas on January 15 2013 at 01:13:31 PM
King of the West Sprint Car Series announces updates to 2013 schedule including a return engagement to Petaluma Speedway
By Gary Thomas
Rio Vista, CA – January 15, 2013…Since the original release of the King of the West Sprint Car Series schedule there have been a couple of exciting modifications to detail, highlighted by the Winged 410 Sprint Car return to Petaluma Speedway on Saturday May 11.
The event at Petaluma Speedway will be billed as the “Tribute to Baylands Raceway Park” and marks the first Winged 410 Sprint Car race at the sticky three-eighths mile since 2010. Fans and teams alike have been hoping to see the King of the West Sprint Car Series back on the hooked up Petaluma gumbo and now they have their wish.
From Bobby Gerould’s Baylands Raceway Park page: "Baylands was a hot spot for great sprint car racing during a much too short-lived time in the 1980's. Located in Fremont, CA, in the heart of the thriving Bay Area, Baylands ran weekly winged sprints, as well as special World of Outlaws, CRA, BCRA, Golden State Challenge, and NARC shows. Opening in August, 1981 and racing until November, 1988, Baylands played a vital role in the booming sprint car scene in Northern California.”
To commemorate the evening on May 11 many names and faces from the days gone by at Baylands Raceway Park are expected to be on hand for autographs and interviews. The two most recent Winged 410 events at the Petaluma Speedway in 2010 were captured by reigning KWS champion Jonathan Allard in his familiar Williams Motorsports No. 0 sprinter.
“We are very excited to be back at the Petaluma Speedway in 2013 and want to thank Rick Faeth and John Soares for making it possible,” said KWS Operations Manager & former Baylands Raceway Park Announcer George Hague. “I have a lot of memories of Baylands from my days as an announcer there and we think it will be great to hold an event to relive the history of the track.”
To open up the date for Petaluma the King of the West Sprint Car Series and Merced promoter John Soares have moved the previous date for Merced Speedway to Saturday June 1. The quarter-mile bullring has played host to the World of Outlaws the last couple years, but in 2013 the KWS Series will be the only Winged 410 show at the facility.
Additional updates to the schedule include the annual “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” being added to the Sunday May 26 date at Thunderbowl Raceway. The event is part of a King of the West Series double-header during Memorial Day weekend at the Tulare, California oval on Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26. The “Faria Memorial” has been a mainstay on the schedule for a number of years.
The Saturday September 21 date at Thunderbowl Raceway will also be tabbed as the “John Anthony Sharp Memorial” and features the USAC West Coast Wingless Sprinters running alongside KWS to make for a great combo night of racing. Drivers such as Bud Kaeding and Peter Murphy are sure to pull double duty during the event at the blazing fast one-third mile clay oval.
More information on the traveling King of the West Sprint Car Series can be found online at http://www.kwssprints.com
You can also follow us on Instagram by searching “kwssprints” and contact us via phone at the King of the West office (707) 374-2222. For questions or comments please don’t be hesitate to shoot us an email at [email protected]
From an earlier release:
The 2013 racing season kicks off on Saturday April 20 with the traditional KWS opener at John Soares’ Antioch Speedway located on the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds. Quickly gaining a reputation as one of the raciest tracks in the West; the one-third mile clay oval will also host the King of the West 410 Sprints on Saturday July 20.
The high-banked quarter-mile bullring of Placerville Speedway will host the King of the West Series on two occasions once again this season. The first of those will be Saturday April 27 and the second is slated for Saturday June 29. The lightning fast track is a favorite among fans for its distinctive red clay and close action. The all-time KWS track record at Placerville is a blistering 9.913 shared by Tim Kaeding & Evan Suggs.
The always exciting Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway will play host to three nights of action in 2013, which will be anchored by a double header outing during Memorial Day weekend on Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26. The King of the West 410’s will then return to the lightning fast one-third mile clay oval for a single night showing on Saturday September 21. The Sunday May 26 event will be the annual “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” and the September 21 race will be tabbed as the “John Anthony Sharp Memorial.”
The famed Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico will hold one King of the West event this season and it happens to be the 23rd annual “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” on Saturday May 4. The event has been a cornerstone for the series and always features extra money and awards packed into the night. Expect a huge show as fans will get to see the KWS Series at SDS one time only in 2013, so don’t miss out on what is sure to be a definite special event on Saturday May 4.
Also hosting single events this season will be the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville on Saturday July 13, the new Stockton 99 Dirt Track on Saturday August 3, a return to the Santa Maria Speedway on Saturday July 27 and the 28th annual “Cotton Classic” at Kings Speedway in Hanford on Saturday October 12.
The event at Ocean Speedway on July 13 is the third annual “Howard Kaeding Classic,” which has become a very big event over the past two years at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds bullring. The “HK Classic” is part of an exciting two night weekend that also features USAC Sprints & Midgets during the Friday portion.
The Santa Maria Speedway visit on July 27 will mark the first KWS appearance at the track since 2011 and the Stockton event on August 3 will be the inaugural appearance for the series at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds track. The prestigious “Cotton Classic” on October 12 will mark the lone 2013 appearance at Hanford’s Kings Speedway and will be a huge event as always, with the USAC West Coast Wingless Sprints also competing that night.
Friday & Saturday May 17 & 18 will be the first of five weekends of competition at the newly refurbished Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway in Fernley, Nevada. During the off-season KWS Managing Director Dan Simpson became promoter of the track known as “Racings Field of Dreams” and is bringing 410 Sprint Car racing back to it for the first time since 2006.
In addition to May 17 & 18 the King of the West 410 Sprints will also invade the three-eighths mile oval on July 5 & 6 for the “Cherry Bomb Classic,” August 9 & 10 (during Hot August Nights in Reno), September 13 & 14 (during the Reno Air Races) and for the KWS season-finale on Friday & Saturday October 25 & 26. Stay tuned for all the exciting plans that are being put in place for RTF Speedway.
Another track located in Northern Nevada that joins the mix in 2013 is Rattlesnake Raceway in Fallon, hosting a pair of events with the first occurring on Friday & Saturday June 7 & 8. The two-night show is part of the town’s annual “Octane Fest” that features drag racing, monster trucks, tuff trucks and more. KWS will then return to Rattlesnake on Saturday & Sunday August 31 & September 1 during the “Cantaloupe Festival” in Fallon.
The amount of money on the line for teams this year with the King of the West Series during the Northern Nevada dates will be inflated as well, with each event at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway & Rattlesnake Raceway paying $3,500 to win the A-main and a very stout $1,000-to-start. The purses are focused on paying down solidly to make sure all teams in competition have a piece of the pie.
I have every 410 race at baylands from the last two years on video.
The lighting was terrible but some awesome racing every week!
Terry Kniss was the track owner. The story I was told was he was fighting 3 law suits for the drag strip fatality, the guy that go hit on foot in turn one at the WoO show and another I can't remember. He had a lease from the railroad who owned the property that got terminated for an unspecified reason and the track closed. Can anyone shed more factual info on that?
Posted By: PetalumaPits on January 16 2013 at 12:19:51 AM
Someone was willing to overpay for the land at the time and it was sold. Can't blame anyone in this case. I hear the owner, whose name is escaping me, made a killing. The land sat vacant for a time and now has an office complex there. About Vodden in the booth...Thats what we are shooting for. - Ron
Thanks PetalumaPits. I thought it went something like that. I will be definitely be at this race. I enjoy going to Petaluma Speedway, and go to 4-5 of their sprintcar races a year. With some Saturdays with no 410 racing close buy, I'll be able to go to even more Petaluma sprintcar races.
I have clear memories of waiting in line to get in and Marcel being there. I was at the last sprint car race which was not the last race and the t-shirt I bought is still in the bag they gave me somewhere. I never wore it (not that it would fit in a million years any way now). It was advertised as the last sprint car race as was the LAST race which was a midget race won by Rich Vogler I believe. I worked for Terry Kniss for 5 years at the World of Motorsports show and the impression I got was that for a variety of reasons he was just done. The thrill was gone and with him being a pretty smart business man he moved on. I will always miss Baylands.
I recall when Baylands closed, the message from Terry was that land for a new "Baylands" was being looked for and rebuilt within a few years. Unfortunately, that never happened, and many other forms of racing (motocross, speedway bikes, go karts, drags, etc) had to find a new home. Baylands was a unique, one of a kind facility.
I went to Baylands from opening day (day race USAC midgets) till the last race. Sprintcars, midgets, drags, speedway bikes, go karts and motox. 17 min drive from home. Marcel ,my dad remembers him from San Jose speedway on Tully Rd
Posted By: 2dfloor2 on January 16 2013 at 09:13:08 PM
I went to Baylands from opening day (day race USAC midgets) till the last race. Sprintcars, midgets, drags, speedway bikes, go karts and motox. 17 min drive from home. Marcel ,my dad remembers him from San Jose speedway on Tully Rd
Marcel has been a fixture at NorCal sprint car races forever. At my very first NorCal sprint car race, i noticed this guy that was wearing whites and a cowboy hat, and i thought, who is this guy? He must be some big shot or something! He's everywhere! In the pits, in the stands, in victory circle, everywhere! I eventually found out who he was, and realized that he was the biggest fan and supporter of the NorCal sprint car scene period! Years later, i look forward to seeing Marcel at the track, and spending time talking to him. The stories he can tell you are absolutely priceless. If you want to know who's the "hot comodity" at the time, just look at the t-shirt that he's wearing! LOL! One things for sure, if you're at a race and Marcel is there, then you're at the right place!
I have a question for the bay area fans who remember the golden days of sprintcar racing before the 360 engine took over. Do any of you think we will ever get another dirt-track in our area? If so, I would want them to only run 410's.
To me, the Taco Bravo series at Watsonville, reminds me of San Jose Speedway (how hard it is for anyone to come in and win), and Petaluma reminds me of Baylands. Some of you could have a different opinion.
When we first started running at the Thunderbowl, I was talking with Jimmy Sills and asked him, "doesn't this place remind you of Baylands?" and he said "yes." That said alot to me since Jimmy was the biggest winner at Baylands.
Think about it. It's about the same shape and dimentions with a wall all around but with better lighting. It surely has a different surface but the banking is similar and the action is very similar. They can't keep the moisture in the surface like being at sea level in Femont did but the way Tulare slicks off really promotes GREAT slide jobs, dont you think!?
Posted By: Ca Sprintcar fan on January 17 2013 at 09:43:48 AM
I have a question for the bay area fans who remember the golden days of sprintcar racing before the 360 engine took over. Do any of you think we will ever get another dirt-track in our area? If so, I would want them to only run 410's.
To me, the Taco Bravo series at Watsonville, reminds me of San Jose Speedway (how hard it is for anyone to come in and win), and Petaluma reminds me of Baylands. Some of you could have a different opinion.
Hell I'm the guy who said we would never see non-winged racing at Calistoga again so what the hell do I know but I highly doubt you will see another race track being built in the Bay Area again. I agree with you about Watsonville in terms of how tough their regular talent is. Petaluma like Baylands? That's a bit of a stretch but I will say that when Baylands closed a lot of the classes that were at Baylands suddenly called Petaluma home back then. Delta Speedway in Stockton is a mini version of Baylands. Everything from the entrance and exit to the track as well as where the pits are is damned near identical. I don't think it's an accident as the people who built it used Baylands as their model. Given that the area where the racetrack at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds was (all of it including the mile) is still pretty much completely unused you COULD put a race track there but the idiots in charge of the fairgrounds had the grandstands demolished shortly after 911. Given that, the cost, and the almost certain mountain of political opposition gets me as close as I get to saying "never". It really is an example of how some people can screw up a sure thing because the fairgrounds and the fair is pretty much a complete fluster cuck now. For more on that story be sure to buy Dennis Mattish's first book: http://www.historysanjoseautoracing.com/. His second book was amazing to me as I had no idea of the amount of history in the area covered in it.
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