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Busy Week for Dan Simpson Racing

By George Hague

Rio Vista, CA, September 8, 2008…The Dan Simpson racing team had a very busy week racing seven nights at four tracks in three states. Add the previous week in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and Billings MT., the team was ready to get back to California and the 55^th Annual Gold Cup in Chico, CA.

The week started with a Friday World of Outlaws race at the Skagit Speedway in Washington but Mother Nature won the night with heavy rains that moved the two day World of Outlaws event to Saturday and Sunday. Dan Simpson was making his second trip to the super fast 3/8 mile oval but team driver Destiney Hays had never even seen the track before the weekend. After the Saturday qualifying session, Simpson sat 40^th and Hays 26^th overall. In heat race competition Simpson finished 10^th and Hays 7^th in their respective heats. Dan Simpson was in the C-main and finished 9^th while Destiney Hays finished 8^th in the B-Main.

Skagit Speedway became very challenging on Sunday and many teams found traction at a premium. On Sunday Simpson clocked the 4s in 36^th and Hays put the 8s in the 26^th spot. Heat race finishes saw Simpson and Hays both finishing 9^th in their heats. The duo finished 9^th in the C-Main for Simpson and Hays a 10^th in the B-Main. Although the results were not what the team had hoped the learning experience continues and learning that qualifying is all important in the World of Outlaws format.

With the rainout on Friday the teams did not have Sunday off for travel and left immediately following the Skagit race for Elma, WA and the Grays Harbor Raceway. This is the first trip to this great facility for both Dan Simpson and Destiney Hays and with 57 cars signed in for the event, and another tough field for the team. The beautiful 3/8 mile track saw Simpson clock in 46^th and Hays stop the clocks 30^th. The heats found the 4s of Simpson finishing 12^th and the 8s of Hays 10^th. A 10 place C-Main finish for Simpson and 9^th place B-Main result for Hays sent the team to Cottage Grove, OR looking for more speed.

The team once again left right from Elma to travel to the small town of Cottage Grove OR, a 6 hour drive down I-5 and the very tight and narrow confines of this little tight ¼ mile. The setting for this facility is unique as both sides of the property is border by a creek and you pass over a bridge at the front entrance to get to the pits and grandstands, a must visit for any sprint car fan. Qualifying remained a challenge for the team as Simpson stopped the clocks 33^rd and Hays 26^th. In Heat race competition an 8^th place finish for Hays meant a battle in the B-Main where she finished 15^th and Simpson's 9^th place heat finish set him to the C-main and a 10^th place result.

The team headed to Chico, CA, an 8 hour drive, where they could get ready for the 55^th Annual Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway. This is by far, the biggest sprint car event on the West Coast and over 110 sprint cars made the trek to the famous high banked ¼ mile in a dog fight for the $50,000 first place money. With over 50 cars running the two preliminary nights talling points every time you hit the track was paramount. Qualifying saw Destiney Hays qualify 25^th in the Thursday field and Dan Simpson 44^th.

Heat race results found Hays finishing 7^th and Simpson 9^th in their hearts. Next it was on to the preliminary Main events where Hays finished 9^th in the B-Main and Simpson 8^th in the C-main. It was a day off on Friday to prep the cars and wait for the results from the race on Friday to see where the two drivers sat in the overall points. Saturday found the 4s of Dan Simpson starting 13^th in the E-Main and Destiney Hays 7th in the D-Main. Simpson drove to a 10^th place finish behind winner Shane Stewart. Hays finished 5^th, in front of such notables as Stewart and Tony Bruce, Jr., in a very competitive main.

The team gets a well deserved rest before competing at the Cotton Classic at Kings Speedway in Hanford, California on September 26^th and 27^th. You can see the Dan Simpson Race team trailer and race cars at the Santa Cruz County Fair September 10^th through the 14^th.

For information about the Race team or apparel go to www.dansinpsonracing.com.