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From The Grandstand by Ron Rodda
Lincoln, CA…After 20 years, the Trophy Cup has a very large group of fans that anticipate the race each October. Many times the Cup is mentioned as a can’t miss race on forums, or is an event that fans have on list of races they must see some day. The number one reason for its continued support by fans is, quite simply, the best format in racing.
Being satisfied with what has been created over these years is not something the Cup founder, Dave Pusateri, is willing to do. Always looking for ways to make it better, Pusateri has come up with a plan for 2014 that raises the bar even higher. Even with the most talked about main event finishes last year in its 20 years, this year’s 21st Annual may make last year’s dramatics a distant memory.
In 2008 a three day Cup was held at Tulare Thunderbowl and “only� 59 teams entered. The following year the idea of a three day show was dropped because of the smaller car count. Then a nonwing night was introduced in 2012 and two years of using Thursday for that show showed that the division just could not produce the car count needed to continue. Despite racing for much more money than usual, there just are not enough nonwing 360 sprints that can make a Thursday show to justify the race.
Cutting back to two nights for 2014 was not an option as it would have represented a step backward for the long running race event. The decision to go back to the three day winged plan comes with a new procedure that will produce an even higher level of drama and make the battle for the championship even tighter.
Thursday’s pill draw will create group A and B qualifying groups with each group having a fast time driver earning 150 points. Each group then is split into 5 heats each, ten total, inverting 6 and moving the top 2 directly to the A main. A series of preliminary mains lead to a 24 car field for the A main, inverting 12 by points.
Friday mirrors the Thursday format except group B qualifies first, then group A. Also, within each group the order is reversed from Thursday. Drivers are in the same group each night and the same racing format is followed as opening night. For qualifying and heats, it is like there were two separate fields of cars.
The higher point total from the two preliminary nights will be used for each driver for Saturday, the highest 48 moving to the final night heats. Cars ranked 49 and higher race in a trio of D mains. Once all the preliminary mains are contested, a 50 lap finale with a 24 car inversion by points will cap the 21st annual event.
This three day format will address the fairness of qualifying issue as well as give drivers two chances to have a good point night. The total purse will reach $150,000. Thursday pays $16,430, Friday is $23,110, and Saturday will be over $110,000 due to the final night paying a racing purse plus the point fund. One hundred priority entry forms were mailed and the format is designed around having 100 entries. It is very likely that the point battle will be the closest in the 21 years of the Trophy Cup. It all unfolds at Tulare Thunderbowl on October 16-18.
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