This message was edited on
July 15, 2007 at
09:25:36 PM by Gary Thomas
Photo by Graph X Designs
Jonathan Allard records clean sweep in Chico
By Gary Thomas
Chico, CA - July 15, 2007...On his final weekend in California until early September, Chico’s Jonathan Allard brought his A-game and drove an immaculately prepared Ashley Smith tuned No. 0 to a weekend sweep and brought his season win total up to nine. Following an incredible performance on Friday night, Jonathan and Williams Motorsports came back on Saturday and put together a strong run to get into Golden State Challenge Series victory lane for the fourth time in 2007. Going into the weekend Jonathan hadn’t won in a month and hoped for good things at his home track of Silver Dollar Speedway.
Friday’s track point race was sponsored by GT Trends, owned by Ron Armstrong, who has been a big supporter of Jonathan for years. After qualifying second quick and finishing fifth in his heat, JA lined up fifth in the feature aboard the GT Trends, JP’s Paint & Body, Platinum Powder Coating No. 0. The first handful of laps looked like it was going to be tough to pass as the Silver Dollar Speedway clay remained more hooked up than it had been all year. As traffic came into play around lap six though, it gave Jonathan a chance to close in on the leaders.
Sitting in fourth when he hit traffic, JA proceeded put on a thrilling three lap charge to get around Trevor Green on lap nine, Korey Lovell on lap 10, and then get around leader Johnny Gray on lap 11. Once in front, however, Jonathan had to deal with Gray who continued to stick to the rear of the Zero machine. JA did his job though and went on to pick up his fifth Silver Dollar Speedway point race win of the season. In victory lane Jonathan thanked Morrie and Katie Williams, GT Trends and everybody that supports the team. Not only was it GT Trends night, it also happened to be Katie’s birthday which made the victory double sweet.
Jonathan and Williams Motorsports came back on Saturday night to compete with the Golden State Challenge Series for the final time in 2007. The evening began with JA qualifying second quick for the second straight night in the Red Line Oil, Sharp Insurance, Chris Jones Racing BR Motorsports No. 0. A charge from sixth to second in his heat race put him in the dash where he started from the sixth position. Jonathan was again on the move and he got up the third position by the finish to put him in good shape for the 30 lap feature.
The initial start of the feature saw JA get up to second, but a yellow appeared to create a complete restart. Jonathan remained poised however, and on the next start got around Ronnie Day for second on the opening lap. It then only took JA a couple laps before he powered around Trevor Green to take command of the race. He soon had company in the form of Brent Kaeding, but on this night BK didn’t have anything for the K & N Filters, Williams Motorsports No. 0. Jonathan had to survive multiple restarts, but did a great job every time and hit his marks lap after lap as Ashley Smith and the crew gave him an extremely fast race car. JA drove on to pick up his 17th career GSC win and sweep the Chico weekend to give him and the team some major momentum heading into the big trip.
Jonathan emerged from the ZERO machine on the front stretch and pumped his first high into the air as with the win it ties him with Brent Kaeding for the most 410 winged sprint car wins in California this season.
Following the Chico sweep Jonathan and Williams Motorsports will leave California this week and travel North to Elma, Washington to kick off Northwest Speedweek with the first ever Fred Brownfield Memorial at the Grays Harbor Raceway this coming weekend. JA and the team are really looking forward to competing in the NSCS Speedweek and hope to bring home the big $10,092 top prize at the Brownfield Memorial.
To follow along with Jonathan’s progress on the trip visit http://www.allardmotorsports.com
Photo by Johns Racing Photos
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