CALISTOGA, CA (8-4-09) - Defending champion Sean Becker will be looking to pad his lead toward a second consecutive title as the Civil War Series, Northern California's premier traveling series for "360" sprint cars, returns to Calistoga Speedway this Saturday night, August 8.
"The Shark" is an ill-fitting nickname for the mild-mannered and soft-spoken driver from Oroville, but there is no question he is taking a big bite out of the competition as the series makes its stretch run of the 2009 season. Becker's three main event wins in 10 races is the most of any other driver in the series. Had it not been for some bad luck, such as a flat tire while leading one race and getting run over by a lapped car while leading another, Becker could easily have won half of the races so far in a series known for deep talent and close racing.
"It helps that the team and I have been together for a year and a half now," said Becker, suggesting that has improved communication with his crew chief and car owners. His success, he says, is the result of "a lot of little steps" and he's confident that "the points will come if we run up front."
Becker, the only driver to win championships in both the Civil War and the prestigious Golden State Challenge Series, also believes that on any given Saturday night, "there's a lot of guys in this series that can still win."
Among the 30 drivers planning to prove Becker right at Calistoga are Sacramento area drivers Mike Henry and Rick Hirst, both of whom won Civil War events at Petaluma Speedway this season. Henry concedes that he has a long shot to take the title away from Becker, but has shown he can be a potential winner at every race. "We've run in the top three at every Civil War race we've run this season," said Henry, who missed the first four events in the series.
Hirst, son of a former Calistoga Speedway champion, also knows his way around the half mile oval, having won a Civil War event on the track last year.
A driver who could benefit in the championship run if Becker falters is Santa Rosa driver Brett Rollag, who is currently runner-up in the standings. Rollag, a former outlaw kart racer in Lakeport and Vallejo, has been in the series for four years and acknowledges the title is a bit out of reach. "With the year that Becker is having, we'd be happy if we finished second at the end of the season," he said.
Calistoga Speedway is located on the Napa County Fairgrounds (www.napacountyfairgrounds.com/speedway) in the town of Calistoga. A full racing program of heat races, a semi main event and a 25 lap feature race begins with qualifying at 6:30 pm on Saturday.
