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Hot GSC points race heads to Ocean Speedway
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA - May 2, 2007... Just 10 points separate the top three drivers in the series standings as the Golden State Challenge Series gets set to invade the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville for Round #10 this Saturday. This will be the first stop of the season for GSC to the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds 1/4 mile bullring after raining out the first scheduled race at the track on April 14. After becoming promoter last season, John Prentice has reinvigorated the speedway and facility to a point where it’s one of the fastest rising dirt tracks in the state. Following the date this Saturday, the Golden State Challenge Series will make two more stops at the Ocean Speedway. The dates are Friday June 1 and Friday July 20. Be sure to get out to the Ocean Speedway this season because you’ll be in for a treat.
Oroville’s Sean Becker continues to lead the Golden State Challenge Series point standings driving for the Fisher Main-Motorsports, Cherry St. Mini Storage, Rolling Hills Reality No. 35m team. Becker scored his series leading seventh top five finish of the season last Saturday in Tulare with a fourth place drive at the Central, CA located Thunderbowl Raceway. "The Shark’s" best career finish at the Ocean Speedway is a third, which came in July of 2005.
The hottest driver right now in West Coast sprint car racing, however, is Campbell’s Brent Kaeding who has won three consecutive Golden State Challenge Series main events and comes into the Ocean Speedway, a track he has many wins at, just two digits behind Becker. BK drove the Al’s Roofing Supply, Kaeding Performance, Williams Roofing No. 69 to his 73rd career GSC win last Saturday in Tulare and garnered his first quick time of the year. The 12-time King of California has also won twice and has one second place finish in the first three Wright One Construction 360 winged sprint car races at Ocean Speedway this season.
Defending King of California Jonathan Allard of Chico sits just 10 points back of Becker for the lead, and eight behind Kaeding for second in the GSC standings. Allard’s Williams Motorsports, GT Trends, K & N Filters team debuted a brand new ‘07 Maxim Chassis last weekend and he drove it to a third place finish in Tulare, his best result with GSC since the season opening Mini Gold Cup where he posted finishes of first and third. Allard’s lone win at Ocean Speedway came at the Trophy Cup in 2000 when he drove the Bill Owen’s 8b sprinter to victory in the Saturday night main event.
Currently ranking fourth in the GSC standings is the driver of the Tom Rolfe Trucking, DF Rios Construction, Pheasant Run Shopping Center No. 10 of former King of California Jason Statler. The San Jose driver will look to rebound following a dnf last weekend in Tulare as he goes into the track where he came closest to winning at last year. Statler hasn’t won a GSC race since 2005 but came very close to winning the July Ocean Speedway date last season. "The Big Guy" started sixth in the feature that night and made a number of impressive moves to take the lead just after the midway point of the 30 lap contest. Statler appeared to be on his way to victory, but a last turn pass by Bud Kaeding prevented him from winning. Statler has experienced success at the bullring in the past and it’s the track he won his very first sprint car race at.
Sacramento’s Willie Croft comes into Ocean Speedway sitting fifth in the GSC points. The man known as "Double Down" has been the most improved driver this season with GSC having been fast at every event and has accumulating a pair of top five finishes and five top 10's in the first eight races aboard the Holey Smokes BBQ, LRB Manufacturing, Amerikote High Temp Coatings No. 29. Croft has always been known as a gasser and has become a more well rounded driver with the assistance of former NARC champion Rick Hirst this season. Last weekend in Tulare he started sixth in the feature, but mechanical woes put him out of the race before a lap was even completed.
Other drivers expected at Ocean Speedway include Ronnie Day from nearby Salinas, Grass Valley’s Brad Sweet, Chico’s Brett Miller, Fairmont, Indiana’s Brandon Wimmer, Tracy’s Jason Botsford, Gilroy’s Jon Maiwald, Discovery Bay’s Jim Skinner, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Fresno’s Mark Workentine, Redding’s Ric McCormick and more. If everything is set to go, expect to see Aussi Trevor Green make his GSC season debut this Saturday.
The front gate at Ocean Speedway opens at 4:30 pm with adult tickets costing $20 and children’s tickets $10. Racing is expected to start around 6.
The Ocean Speedway is located at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville. Fore more info contact 831-476-9466 or log onto http://www.oceanspeedway.com
For the full Golden State Challenge Series point standings visit http://www.johnpadjenmotorsports.com
The Week Ahead:
Next Friday and Saturday all eyes on Northern California sprint car racing will be tuned into the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico for the annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial. Although next Friday night’s Silver Dollar Speedway point race isn’t sanctioned by the Golden State Challenge Series, many of the top sprint car drivers in Northern California will be on hand battling for the $2,350 top prize. The evening will be sponsored by Fauver Race Ready Rentals and Fry’s metals.
The following night on May 12 is the cornerstone of the Golden State Challenge Series season, the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial. The event will be capped off with a 40 lap main event and features the highest purse of any race during the GSC season. John and Robbie Padjen are throwing in an extra $1,000 to bring the normal $3,000 winning payday up to $4,000. Lap money is also up for grabs and pays the top three drivers each lap during the 40 lap feature and 12 lap B-main. The leader of a lap gets $50, second $30 and third $20. Each lap is sponsored individually and it costs a $100 to purchase a lap. For the availability of laps contact the Durica family at D & D Roofing: 916-988-5958.
Don’t forget that brand new Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial T-shirts will be available for purchase during the weekend. All the news and info on this big event will be released by Silver Dollar Speedway PR Man/Announcer guru Troy Hennig in the coming week.
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