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Jonathan Allard charges from 13^th to claim $6,000 victory at 17^th annual Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – October 4, 2008…Countless times this season Chico’s Jonathan Allard has been in position to win main events at the Silver Dollar Speedway, but unlike in past years at his home track the wins just hadn’t seemed to be coming. With that in mind the 2008 King of California was poised to breakthrough going into the annual Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals and he didn’t disappoint, putting on a thrilling drive from the 13^th starting position to pick up his first career victory at the event.

Going into the final winged sprint car event of the ’08 season at Silver Dollar Speedway Allard had captured two main event wins at the quarter-mile bullring this year, but also had a number of other near wins and countless podium finishes, including a pair at the Gold Cup Race of Champions in early September. With the Fall Nationals victory under his belt he now moves into a tie for fifth on the all-time Silver Dollar Speedway win list. “This was a fun track tonight because we could run all over and make things happen, but I’m definitely worn out after that,” Allard said following the feature.

The final night of the 17^th annual Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals had a kink thrown in the format due to a rainout on Friday evening, which was also the night Allard was set to qualify on. The Saturday portion then saw an all draw show with no qualifying being held and was also a one-night shootout for the $6,000 top prize, with no points from Thursday evening being carried over into Saturday.

A total of 75 winged 360 sprint cars came back on Saturday to finish off the annual event and Allard drew a very high pill in the pre-race draw, which put the Williams Motorsports, K & N Filters, Platinum Powder Coating No. 0 in the sixth row during the night’s third heat race. A fast and rough track greeted competitors and “JA” was up on the wheel in the 10 lap contest as he charged forward right from the drop of the green flag. Allard was able to slice under Tim Kaeding midway through the heat and hold him off over the remaining laps to score a fifth place finish and lock himself into the feature.

When the 40 lap Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals main event pushed onto the speedway it saw Allard lining-up on the inside of the seventh row in the 13^th starting position and the Chico veteran moved his way forward quickly. Avoiding a few crashes and making some slick moves through the pack he was able to charge up to the top five by the time the 10 lap mark hit. Following a red flag situation Allard moved to the top and began ripping around the high-side of the speedway as he manhandled the JP’s Paint & Body, Red Line Oil, Butler Built Performance No. 0 sprinter through the ruts.

The 32 year-old driver then proceeded to make impressive moves to charge around the outside of both Tyler Walker and Roger Crockett to move into the runner-up spot by lap 15. He then gave chase after leader Brad Furr and tried everything to make something happen with the former World of Outlaw regular. Allard closed right up on his rear a couple different times, but caught the ruts badly and bounced around violently as he flung the Ashley Smith tuned machine around the Silver Dollar Speedway bullring. “JA” didn’t let it deter him however, as he regrouped and closed right back in when Furr was caught in heavy lapped traffic as the race reached the 30 lap mark.

Allard then gave it another shot and slid under Furr in turn three to take over the top spot that he would never relinquish. The former track champion picked his spots wisely through lapped traffic over the remaining 10 laps and drove away from the field to cross under the checkered flag and pick up his first career Fall Nationals title. “This has always been a race I’ve wanted to win and it feels outstanding to finally get it done,” Allard said. “I just have to thank Morrie & Katie Williams and this whole team who always stand behind me 100%.”

The rough track took its toll on a number of competitors and it very nearly bit Allard a few times as he hammered his way around the high side of the surface. “It certainly scared me a couple times and was a big handful, but it was a blast to be able to race with drivers like Brad Furr, Roger Crockett and Tyler Walker. Those guys are some of the best anywhere and to be able to come out on top in the main event after some of the tough luck we've had in Chico this year is pretty cool. We’ve had a great last handful of races as well and hope to keep it up with the Outlaws in Watsonville and Tulare in a couple weeks,” the two-time King of California concluded.

For more news and info on Chico, California’s Jonathan Allard log onto http://www.allardmotorsports.com

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Chico's Jonathan Allard charged from 13th starting to capture his first career Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals victory on Saturday night at the Silver Dollar Speedway. Photo by http://www.JohnsRacingPhotos.com

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Nice win by JA. He has a real good chance at winning one of the WOO races at Ocean & Watsonville in a few weeks!

Coming up:

Nov.6 - USAC @ PIR (AZ), Copper World Classic
Nov. 6-8 - USAC @ Manzanita (AZ) Speedway, Western 
World Championships

JA got lucky...

It's not LUCK! JA is awesome! Awesome race!!!! Congratulations!!!

Lucky? You really need to put that crack pipe down. All of the guys that were in the top 10 drove their asses off. Some of them did advance by missing the carnage but a lot of that is talent too. Case in point: When Johnny Gray went over Brent was a split second away from getting caught up in it but his experience allowed him to make the move that kept him "alive" in that race. Similar moves allowed others to make the most of a tricky racing surface.

Kyle Larson made a similar move in that wreck.

Allard worked his ass off for that win. And luck did play a part. Lucky that no one took him out.

When the track surface is as rutted as it is, one of the obvious keys in the feature has to be going into survival mode and making the most of what's raceable - and Allard, amongst others, clearly took advantage of his chances and more than survived. He thrived and definitely deserved that victory on Saturday.

- Chris

Yes he did!!

And I can't remember a time he went me that he wasn't up on the wheeel,

JA,Larson,Walker.. These guys were wheeling it fast and furious.

Outstanding Racing once it got going!!

Steve

i heard that heavy Ds track was dry slick and TK had faster laps there than he did at silver dollar.as for JA he was lucky cause BF gave that race to him.I see where SA wanted to ride bikes and not race around the dirt track.

Did you steal Al's secrect encoder ring?

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA....JOHN!!!!!!!! BEAUTIFUL!

I expected you to say that everyone was lucky Sammy didn't come back........:-).....

Jonathan Allard drove a good race but there was certainly some luck involved in the process that gave him the win. Since I enjoy writing down line ups and finishing orders I was calculating points for all the drivers as they raced on Saturday night. Jonathan Allard was scheduled to line up 11th in his heat race but one car from the inside row was a DNS and therefore he lined up 9th. He ended up finishing 5th. Since he moved up four places he should have received 6 passing points (four places times 1.5 passing points per place). He actually received 9 passing points as if he had started 11th. By my calculations, if he had not received those 3 extra points he would have ended up in the B (I think he would have started 4th in the B without the 3 extra points...).

I looked at the ASCS rules which they seemed to be using on Saturday night for the pill draw/passing points format and it specifically states that cars will receive passing points for the actual starting position from the "parade lap". Whether or not they were using the ASCS format, Allard received 3 points for a "lucky break" that gave him a much better starting position and a better chance of winning...

Read Ron Rodda's article on Hoseheads. It paints the proper picture. Jonathan started exactly where he should have due to what was stated on the pit board.

http://www.hoseheads.com/ron.html

Also when you pass Tyler Walker, Roger Crockett and Brad Furr fair and square on that kind of track, there isn't any luck involved. :)

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Furr had a lose wing ram with 10 to go thats why he backed up.

I think there were three issues with the Fall Nationals format this year:

1) The decision to abandon the point standings from Thursday night.

Given the weather forecast, the race organizers had ample warning that a portion of the race might have to be cancelled. This gave them time in which they could have formulated a well thought out contingency plan. Instead, the jumbling of the format resulted in the negation of the point standings from Thursday night.

This was unfair to the Thursday night drivers who had already earned their places in the Saturday night races. Those drivers made the commitment to come to a three day race program. They arrived on the first day of the three day event, stayed through the cancelled second day, and had their points cancelled for the third day. Based on drivers' comments in the pits on Saturday night, many drivers were "less than delighted" with the decision.

2) The decision to use a pill draw format on Saturday night.

The pill draw/passing points format which was used introduced too much randomness into the distribution of drivers into the five main events. Top drivers who started near the front of their heat races had little or no opportunity to earn passing points. Average drivers who started near the back of their heat races could easily earn passing points by passing mediocre drivers who were "moving backward" through the pack. Long arguments can be conducted on the relative merits of two point drops vs. three point drops per finishing place and how many points should be awarded per pass. In my opinion, however, this format did not achieve what I believe to be the goal of heat races and semi-main events: To produce an A Main event where the best drivers are racing the best drivers.

I think the grid for the Saturday night A Main shows the failure of the format. Some average drivers with a lucky draw in their heat races ended up in the A Main. Some top drivers in fast cars ended up in the B Main or the C Main because of the place they randomly drew in their heat races. While luck will always play a role in sprint car races, it should be luck on the race track, and not just luck in the pill draw.

3) The decision to base passing points on the pit board lineup instead of the actual lineup at the green flag.

Drivers received passing points based on the starting lineup on the pit board, not on the actual starting lineup at the green flag. This has been confirmed by other posters. This means that drivers received passing points for cars that were supposed to be in front of them in the lineup that did not even come onto the race track. Awarding passing points on this basis is ridiculous.

I think these problems could have been avoided. The Saturday format could have been structured several different ways:

1) Start qualifying at 4PM on Saturday and have the cars who should have competed on Friday night run their full program then. Then, run the Saturday night program. Extra racing for the fans, and I don't think we would have had a problem with the track drying out too much. The Friday night drivers would also have had a chance to compete for the Friday night purse.

2) Line up the Thursday night cars by points as the inside row of the Main events. Conduct a shortened race format for the cars who should have competed on Friday night, and line them up by points as the outside row of the Main events.

I think carefully thought out rain contingency plans which eliminate these problems should be developed and publicized in advance. What will be done next year at the Fall Nationals if Thursday night is rained out? What if Friday is rained out? What if Thursday night and Friday night are rained out? What if Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night are rained out? (That one's easy, I'll sit in my hotel and drink.).

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anyone who was there knows there wasnt any luck involved in the driving that took place. you had to work your car to the edge of falling apart just to finish the race. and he sure as hell did, if bf caught a rut and ja slipped by thats racing not luck, it was just a hardnight. great car provided by the zero heros and amazing driver piloting the car.

GO ALLARD!!!!!!

your right it wasnt luck its called cherry picking by the king of cali.