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Statler ready for Mini Gold Cup assault with new team
By Gary Thomas
March 8, 2007... With the Golden State Challenge King of California Series season opening Mini Gold Cup in Chico coming up this weekend, San Jose’s Jason Statler is ready to take to the track with a new team, and on deck is one of his most ambitious schedule’s in years.
The 2004 Golden State Challenge King of California will now have the opportunity to run for a pair of championships in 2007 as he pilots the Tom Rolfe Trucking No. 10 special with continued support from DF Rios Construction and Pheasant Run Shopping Center. The team will have expert help with veteran tuners Mark Bristow and Scott Mcmillen on the crew as they bring all of their years of knowledge to the table.
Major sponsors for the team will be Tom Rolfe Trucking, DF Rios Construction and Pheasant Run Shopping Center of Chico. Contingency sponsors at this time will be Trimble Motorsports, Yak Graphics, Weld Wheels, Ultra Shield, Rod End Supply, Bell Helmets and Ringers Gloves.
Driving the Tom Rolfe Trucking special gives a huge boost to the Jason’s career as well as hopes of bringing home another GSC King of California Series championship. Last season Statler finished 3rd in the final GSC point standings with five top 5 finishes, 15 top 10's and five heat race victories. He was winless with GSC though for the first time since 2002 and a certain goal for Jason this year is to get back into the GSC win column where he currently sits ninth all-time with six career victories.
Qualifying was a large part of what kept Jason out of victory lane last year with GSC. All too many times he was forced to come from deep in the field which makes it difficult when racing against the tough competition within the Northern California 410 sprint car scene. Jason however, is one of the best drivers on the West Coast when coming from the back of the field. In fact he was awarded the Kaeding Performance Hard Charger Award at the Golden State Challenge Series Awards Banquet on January 27th in Oroville. As the always joyful driver said on stage accepting the award, "Hard charger is just a nice way of saying you stunk at qualifying."
Once the GSC season ended however, Jason found victory lane on three separate occasions. The first was at the famed Calistoga Speedway ½ mile during Civil War action on August 10. It marked the first time he had ever won at the track and ultimately made it possible for him to take home the Calistoga Speedway track championship, which he did in the Fall. Less than a week later he ended up in victory lane again, this time at Silver Dollar Speedway in Point Race competition. Jason’s final win of the season came with the Civil War Series during their stop at the Petaluma Speedway on September 16. Perhaps his most impressive run of the season, however, came at the WOO sanctioned Gold Cup Race of Champions in Chico where he started 22nd in Saturday’s 40 lap main event and charged forward to finish eleventh in a talented field that saw over 100 cars compete in the event.
Jason and the No. 10 team will take to the track this Friday to kick off the 21st annual Mini Gold with the night being capped off with a 30 lap main event to open the Golden State Challenge Series season. They’ll then come back on Saturday for the 40 lap $6,000 to win Mini Gold Cup championship feature. This definitely has the makings of a championship year for the "Big Guy" and starting out strong will be a key.
For more info on Jason Statler visit him on the web at http://www.statlerracing.com
Photos courtesy http://www.johnsracingphotos.com
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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