This message was edited on
July 15, 2007 at
05:28:17 PM by goldcup
Jonathan Allard Sweeps Weekend at Chico
(Chico, CA 7-14-07)…Chico's Jonathan Allard led the final 27 laps to win his fourth King of California Golden State Challenge main event of the season. The defending King of California passed Trevor Green on lap three and survived numerous yellows and three red flags during the 30-lap race. Allard also won the Silver Dollar Speedway Friday night point race. For the weekend Allard and his Morrie and Katie Williams / GT Trends #0 won over $5,000 for the weekend. Allard said, "Anytime I can beat Brent I know I becoming a pretty good driver," said Allard in victory lane. Kaeding shadowed Allard for most of the race. "It would have been a little funnier for us if we were sitting in the spot the zero team is but it was another good run for us and we'll see if we can get them next week," said Kaeding. Ronnie Day finished in the third spot. Day said, "The track was real good tonight and it was a track that slide jobs were going to move you to the front," said Day. "I'm just glad we had a good finish and maybe come back in two weeks and get a win."
Australia driver Trevor Green started on the pole by virtue of winning the six-lap dash earlier in the night. On the original start Stephen Allard spun into the grandstand wall and came to a stop in turn one. Allard went to the work area and gave up his outside row two starting spot. Green took the original lead and was followed by Jonathan Allard. On lap two Ronnie Day moved from his third spot into second by using the top of the racetrack. He then went on to pass Green for the lead. It was a great display of Day's knowledge in finding the fastest part of the track before anyone had. However, while he was running around the top and taking the lead Chris Master's flipped down the backstretch and brought out the yellow. The accident neglected Day's passes and gave the lead back to Green. Day had to restart in the third spot.
Once Day showed everyone else the way to go, everyone else started to move to the top also. In turns three and four if you were not riding around the rim then you were getting passed. On lap three Allard passed Green for the lead. Four laps later Kaeding passed Green for second. On the next lap Jon Maiwald spun to bring out another caution.
Racing resumed until lap 12 when Johnny Gray tumbled down the backstretch and brought out the red. During the red the officials decided to open the pit area so crews could add fuel and tinker with their cars. Once Gray's accident was cleared the race resumed until two laps later when Kyle Larson spun off turn three. Up to this point Allard and Kaeding were the class of the field. Yet, with the cautions and reds neither had to do numerous laps under green and neither had to battle many slower cars. The race was turning into drivers hitting their marks on the speedway.
After a few more stops due to cautions, the final one flew on lap 27 for Brett Miller. Allard had three laps to get the win and during the final three laps he never faltered. Allard led Kaeding by 1.897 seconds at the checkered flag. Allard's win now moves him to 17-career main event victory's on the Golden State Challenge career win list. Day crossed the line in third. Sean Becker started in the tenth spot and finished fourth. Jason Statler finished in the fifth spot.
Willie Croft finished in the sixth spot. Earlier in the night Croft set the quickest lap in qualifying at an 11.884. It was his fifth fast time qualifying award for Croft this season.
Johnny Gray led all 10 laps to win the first heat race. Craig Stidham led all 10 laps to win the second heat race. Mason Moore dominated the third heat race.
Kyle Larson led all 12-laps to win the B main event. Jon Maiwald, Brett Miller and Pat Harvey followed Larson across the finish line.
Results
Fast Time: Willie Croft – 11.884
Heat 1: Johnny Gray, Sean Becker, Brent Kaeding, Croft, Robbie Whitchurch
Heat 2: Craig Stidham, Jon Allard, Ric McCormick, Jason Statler, Stephen Allard
Heat 3: Mason Moore, Jon Maiwald, Ronnie Day, Evan Suggs, Trevor Green
Dash: Green, Day, J. Allard, S. Allard, Kaeding, Croft, Statler, Suggs
B Main: Kyle Larson, Workentine, Miller, Harvey, Jeff Griffen, Chris Masters, Mike Mossi, Ken Fredenburg, Brian Boswell, Dan Simpson, Stuart Krum
A Main: J. Allard, Kaeding, Day, Becker, Statler, Croft, Green, Stidham, Larson, Maiwald, Suggs, Miller, Harvey, Workentine, Griffin
END
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