Jonathan Allard to make California return this Friday during Coca-Cola Championship Night at Silver Dollar Speedway
By Gary Thomas
Chico, CA – August 20, 2008…After competing in the Midwest over the early part of this month 2008 “King of California” Jonathan Allard is set to make his first west coast start since late July this Friday during Coca-Cola Championship Night at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico.
The annual Coke Championship Night puts an end to the Silver Dollar Speedway weekly season each year, but Allard hasn’t competed in the event since ’02, the same season he brought home the track championship. “We’re looking forward to getting back and running at home once again,” Allard said. “We would have liked to follow the Outlaws back out here after Knoxville, but felt it would be smart to come back out and take last weekend off so we can get everything fresh for the west coast swing.”
The Feather Falls Casino 410 sprint car point series at the Silver Dollar Speedway has seen Allard have a bit of an up and down year, yet he still ranks fourth in the standings despite missing four races. The Chico native has made 11 starts in the weekly series tallying six top five finishes, five fast time efforts and two A-main victories, but there have been multiple occasions where it looked like he could have ended up in victory lane, but came up just short.
Allard’s most recent point race start on July 11 at the Silver Dollar Speedway however, netted him fast time and a main event victory. The Friday before that he looked to have all but wrapped up a victory, until the very last corner when a few lapped cars got together and left him with nowhere to go, resulting in the Williams Motorsports No. 0 coming to an abrupt stop and being put out of the race. Three of Allard’s four prior point race starts to that also resulted in three very close second place finishes.
Following this Friday’s event in Chico, Allard and the Williams Motorsports team will make the haul north to compete with the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaw Series at the Skagit Speedway on August 29 and 30. “JA” is looking forward to competing with the “Greatest Show on Dirt” over the next couple weeks and looks forward to having a good time racing against the best sprint car drivers in the world. “I think we’re definitely ready to run with the Outlaws next weekend because we really had this motor running well at the end of our stay in Iowa,” Allard said. “Competing against those guys certainly makes you a better driver and it’s always a lot of fun running with them.”
The focus this week though is on Friday’s Coca-Cola, Napa Auto Parts, Cherry St. Mini Storage Championship Night at the Silver Dollar Speedway, where Allard will look to take home the big six foot tall trophy that is given out to the winner of the main event. The night will also mark the final tune-up at the Chico track prior to the 55th annual Gold Cup Race of Champions, which kicks off in just a couple short weeks. The front grandstand gates open at 5pm this Friday night with tickets costing just $5, due to it being "fan appreciation night."
More news and info on Chico, California's Jonathan Allard can be found at http://www.allardmotorsports.com
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