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Silver Cup Opening Night
Written by: Troy Hennig
_Gurney Jr. Captures First Career Main Event Win at Chico_
(March 23, 2007)...Chuck Gurney Jr., a California native who now
resides
in Indiana, led all 20-laps to get his first career win at at Silver
Dollar Speedway on Friday night. Gurney Jr. started on the pole and
held
off a mixture of challengers including Stephen Allard and Willie Croft.
Gurney Jr. recently posted a web-blog on a local Internet site that
told
of his eight greatest disappointments at Silver Dollar Speedway. But he
ended it by saying, “I have a feeling my luck is going to change this
weekend.” I don't think it was luck, however, skill that drove him
into
victory lane last night. A total of 21 winged 360 sprint cars raced on
night number one.
Also joining in on the racing action was the ultra popular wingless
sprints. To no one's surprise it was Darrell Hanestad winning the
20-lap
main event. Last season Hanestad captured eight main events. He led all
20 laps during the nights race but was challenged by Justin Funkhouser,
Chuck Gurney Jr. and eventually B.J. Martin. In fact, Martin closed to
within a car length as the two raced across the checkered flag.
Dirt modified racing drew 15 competitors. In the end it was four-time
track champion Randy McDaniel who survived an action filled main event
to get the early season win. McDaniel and team were never seriously
challenged for the victory. Finishing second was Matt Murphy. Mike
Sohnrey finished third. Justin Hall was the fourth place finisher.
Darin
Ruley rounded out the top five.
Gurney Jr. led from the get go during the 20-lap invitational main
event. Stephen Allard fell into the second spot while Mark Hall ran
third. An early yellow was brought out for Brad Bumgarner who tagged
the
front grandstand wall. Willie Croft soon became the driver to challenge
Gurney Jr. for the lead. Croft was fast all night and continued to
apply
pressure while the leader battled with slower traffic. Shain Matthews
was also charging to the front. Matthews started in the tenth spot but
now raced his way up into the fourth place. Hall was also in the mix
for
the win but could never get into the second spot late in the race to
challenge Gurney Jr. The class of the field was Gurney Jr. He stayed
calm and centered as he patiently drove around slower cars. In the end
he definitely earned his first win of his career at Silver Dollar
Speedway.
Hanestad seemed to be the easy pick to win the main event for the
wingless sprints when the green flag waived on their 20-lap main event.
However, Justin Funkhouser and Chuck Gurney Jr. had other plans. Both
drivers shadowed Hanestad for the first part of the race. On lap eight
the race changed when Funkhouser went to the top of the track in turn
one. As his car set into the apex it began to get loose and turn back
towards the bottom of the track. Gurney Jr. was committed to the bottom
and had no where to go. The two collided and spun into the infield
hooked together. The yellow came out and event though the two restarted
they were not a factor in the last 12 laps. Someone who was a factor
was
B.J. Martin. Martin earlier had dominated heat three and was now giving
Hanestad all he could handle for the lead. Behind those two was Kent
Stephens who in his own right was just a few car-lengths back of the
leaders. The driver on the charge and must be given a ton of credit is
Reyna Krueger. The lone female racer of the night passed the most cars
out of any division. She started in the sixteenth spot and raced her
way
up into fourth. For a team looking for sponsor help, hopefully someone
will realize this 18 year-olds talent and come on board. Another team
who passionately stated they needed sponsor help was Sparky Howard's
bunch. Howard started eleventh and finished fifth. On the white flag
lap
Martin closed to within striking distance of Hanestad. Yet, the veteran
was too much for Martin to overtake and won the race.
Winged heat races were won by Stephen Allard, Mark Hall and Chuck
Gurney Jr.
Dirt modified heats were captured by Mark Abouzeid and Richard
Papenhausen.
Chuck Gurney Jr. won the first non-wing heat race. Hanestad and Martin
captures the following two heats.
Racing resumes tonight with the finale. Heat race's and main events
will conclude the final night of the Silver Cup Race of Champions.
Results
Winged Sprint Cars
Heat 1: Stephen Allard, Willie Croft, Shain Matthews, Roger Crockett,
Garen Linder
Heat 2: Mark Hall, Dan Menne, Brad Bumgarner, Mason Moore, Dave Shanks
Heat 3: Chuck Gurney Jr., Brett Rollag, James Sweeney, Richard Bailey,
Mitch Olson
Main Event: Gurney Jr., Croft, Hall, Matthews, Rollag, Crockett,
Allard,
Moore, Linder, Bailey, Olson, Dean Freitas, Adam Main
Wingless Sprints
Heat 1: Chuck Gurney Jr., Justin Funkhouser, Doug Butterfield, Sparky
Howard, Cody Myers
Heat 2: Darrell Hanestad, Bobby Nichols, Kent Stephens, Jay Youngman,
Jim Neher
Heat 3: B.J. Martin, Jake Serven, Tony Richards, Tony Lederer, Jimmy
Pettit
Main Event: Hanestad, Martin, Stephens, Reyna Krueger, Howard,
Funkhouser, Pettit, Myers, Butterfield, Lederer, Brett Youngman, Gurney
Jr., Neher, Jay Youngman, Nathan Johnson
Dirt Modifieds
Heat 1: Mark Abouzeid, Mike Sohnrey, Matt Murphy, Alan Pace, Justin
Holt,
Heat 2: Richard Papenhausen, Randy McDaniel, Steve Boucher, Dave Duste
Jr., Eli Zucker
Main Event: McDaniel, Murphy, Sohnrey, Hall, Ruley, Pace, Papenhausen,
Chris Compton, Zucker, Duste Jr.
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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