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San Jose, California’s Tim Kaeding was recently honored for his King of the West Sprint Car Series title at the championship awards banquet and this Thursday evening at 7pm pst he will be in-studio on “KWS Tonight.”

It’s sure to be a can’t miss show with the popular driver and can be viewed on the homepage of http://www.kwssprints.com or on the KWS Vimeo page located at http://vimeo.com/user10076991

Kaeding won six main events throughout the 2011 KWS season en route to giving car owners Dennis & Teresa Roth their first title in California.

For “TK” it was the second traveling state 410 championship of his career and he will discuss how it compared to the one in 2002, which was a nail biter with eventual 2-time Outlaw champion Jason Meyers and Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding.

The always energetic and fun loving driver will also speak about his early days in racing and how much he is looking forward to defending his KWS title in 2012 aboard the HR Cattle No. 83 Maxim.

Along with having Kaeding on the show we will be taking a look at the highlights from August 5 at the Ocean Speedway, a night that saw Brad Furr lead laps early in the going, before “TK” was able to get the upper hand and pick up the victory.

Towards the end of the show we will be previewing races four through six in the 2012 King of the West season, which includes the 410 return to Placerville Speedway on April 28, the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” at Silver Dollar Speedway on May 5 and the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” on May 12 at the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway.

Don't forget to “like” the King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kwssprintracing for the most timely and up to date information on the series.

A rundown of the 2011 awards banquet will be presented by “KWS Tonight” this Thursday evening on http://www.kwssprints.com at 7pm pst. It can also be viewed on the KWS Vimeo page at http://vimeo.com/user10076991

We’ll give a breakdown of the awards and money given out during the banquet that totaled in the ballpark of $300,000 in cash, contingencies and prizes. The top-20 drivers and teams in the King of the West Series standings were honored at the event and everybody walked away with something.

We will also recognize the many great companies and supporters that made the banquet possible.

Included in the show will be highlights from last July’s event at the Antioch Speedway. The main event featured a classic duel between Tim and Brent Kaeding, which ended with “TK” just winning out to pick up one of his six victories on the year with KWS.

At the end of the show we’ll also give some insight on a couple of things that occurred on Saturday, which aren’t seen very often at awards banquets, however, they certainly made it a night to remember!

The Golden State King of the West Sprints will open the 2012 season on Saturday night April 7 at the Antioch Speedway. The three-eighths mile oval is sure to provide some very exciting action to kick off the year. For the tentative schedule log onto http://www.kwssprints.com

King of the West Series Awards Banquet honors champions Tim Kaeding & Roth Motorsports and hands out $300,000 in cash and prizes during the night

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – January 31, 2012…The King of the West Sprint Car Series presented its championship Awards Banquet on Saturday night at the Hilton Garden Inn Fairfield, where series champion Tim Kaeding of San Jose & Fresno’s Roth Motorsports were honored for winning the $20,000 title.

The team also made the announcement during the night that they will be returning to KWS in 2012 to defend their championship, which is great news for all the fans in the Golden State. Roth Motorsports also brought the immaculate HR Cattle No. 83 sprint car to the banquet on Saturday and had it on display in the room.

“I really have to thank Dennis & Teresa Roth and my whole team for a great season,” said Kaeding on stage. “I also can’t thank Dan Simpson and KWS enough for all the work they put in. It really made everyone step up their game and was a lot of fun all year. We are coming back this season and going to try and make it back to back.”

Car owner Dennis Roth also shared much of the same sentiment. “I want to thank Tim Kaeding for a great season and of course our team and my wife Teresa for all the support over the years. Dan Simpson and KWS did a wonderful job in stepping up and bringing back 410 sprint car racing after it looked like it was going down out here.”

The $116,000 total cash point fund was handed out to the top-15 drivers that made the cut and along with Roth Motorsports taking home $20,000, runner up Suggs Racing were awarded with $15,000, third place Brent Kaeding went home with $12,000, fourth place Jonathan Allard/Williams Motorsports scored $10,000 and rounding out the top-five was Jason Statler, who claimed $9,000.

Sixth place Willie Croft picked up a check worth $8,000, seventh place Andy Gregg got $7,000, eighth place Bobby McMahan was awarded with $6,000, ninth place Kenny Allen took home $5,550 and Brad Furr, who finished 10th claimed $5,250. 11th through 15th were Brent Bjork ($4,500), Danielle Simpson (4,000), Pat Harvey ($3,500), Eli Deshaies ($3,250) and Doug Gandy ($3,000).

“Grant’s Fine Art/ Hoseheads.com Rookie of the Year” Kenny Allen was also honored during the night. For the award the 16-year-old captured $1,000 cash, a custom framed picture drawing courtesy Tim Grant of Grant’s Fine Art and a custom made trophy. The Chico native has now won Rookie of the Year four times in his young sprint car career, as he’s also won it at Silver Dollar Speedway, Placerville Speedway and the Civil War Series.

The top-15 KWS “members in good standing” also went home with a Goodyear Right Rear tire and two Front Goodyear tires. The drivers 16 through 20, who were on hand at the banquet (Mark Barroso & Dan Simpson), also went home with two Goodyear Front tires and plaques. The top-20 teams also were awarded with a Contingency Connection packet worth $1,000.

Each of the top-15 teams also received a Bob Olson custom painted die cast replica of their own sprint car, along with a unique steering wheel trophy.

Other special awards during the night included the JE Pistons Sportsman of the Year, which went to Suggs Family Racing. Most Improved Driver was given to Eli Deshaies, Crew Chief of the Year went to Roth Motorsports tuner Dean “Bonzai” Bruns and KWS Managing Director Dan Simpson was given a set of custom flags that were signed by all the series winners in 2011 from flagman Ryan Riley.

The evening was capped with the “Last Man Standing” drawing that included roughly $140,000 worth or prizes, with the ultimate awards being a complete 410 Sprint Car and an S&S 410 Engine. The 15 drivers/teams eligible (those that didn’t miss more than two races throughout the season) pulled a pill when they registered at the beginning of the night and then those 15 pills went back into the tumbler. One by one a pill was rolled out of the tumbler, until there were just two drivers left, which happened to be Pat Harvey and Danielle Simpson.

As it turned out Harvey’s pill was the next to roll out of the tumbler and that meant he would claim the S&S 410 Engine and Simpson would go home with the complete 410 Sprint Car. The interesting aspect about Harvey winning the engine is the fact that he has campaigned the 410 trail with a home built 360 over the last few years.

Contributors for the King of the West giveaway car included Kaeding Performance, S&S Automotive, Maxim Chassis, Guts Racing Graphics, Amerikote, Vortex Wings, Saldana Racing Products, Weld Wheels, SCI, Santo Mauro Racing Products, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Pro Shocks, Butler Built Performance, Goodyear, DES Inc., Dryvac and Simpson Percherons.

Additional prizes in the “Last Man Standing” drawing included a Bell Dominator 2 helmet that was graciously donated by Ed Coughenour of Pit Stop USA, a Bully Dog $4,000 prize package, a $1000 certificate for Bully Dog, a $1000 package from Red Horse Performance, five $200 certificates from Auto Meter Products Inc., a $200 certificate for Scorpion Racing Products, a $100 certificate for Performance Parts.com, a $100 gift package for Mallory Ignition and a number of cases of Pennzoil Motor Oil.

“I think there was a lot of energy and excitement in the room all night,” said King of the West Operations Manager George Hague. “It was definitely a successful night overall and we can’t thank everyone enough for coming and being a part of the banquet. We want to congratulate all of the winners during the evening, especially Tim Kaeding and the whole Roth Motorsports team for the championship.”

King of the West Series sponsors, officials and staff were also recognized during the night for their support of the KWS season. Other highlights included a tribute portion that paid respects to Anita Zwern, Chuck Stickley and “Carwash” Mike Avilla, who all passed away over the last half a year.

King of the West Managing Director Dan Simpson also introduced Cancen Oil Company as the new title sponsor for the series, which is some very exciting news for the tour. Cancen Oil founder and CEO Rick Moraski was invited up to the podium to say some words and share how excited he is for the company to become a part of the King of the West Sprint Car Series. More details will follow soon.

The event was emceed by George Hague, Gary Thomas and Dan Simpson, with live entertainment by the Sterling Silver Band on stage. Simpson spoke highly of all the teams, officials, sponsors and fans on hand, thanking them for their support during the inaugural King of the West season. The people in attendance also gave Simpson a standing ovation for his efforts this past season.

Photos from the evening can be viewed on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.309389325779542.90638.150145691703907&type=1

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will hold a general meeting for teams and drivers on Saturday February 11, before kicking off the season on Saturday April 7 at the Antioch Speedway.

For the tentative 2012 schedule of events visit our website at http://www.kwssprints.com

Also follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kwssprintracing and look for us on Facebook at Golden State King of the West Series.

Be sure to catch archived shows of “KWS Tonight,” along with special highlight clips from the 2011 season at http://vimeo.com/user5784994/videos and http://www.ustream.tv/channel/king-of-the-west-today/videos

A look back at the 2011 King of the West 410 Sprints Royal Court

KWS Champion- “The TK Express” Tim Kaeding

Rio Vista, CA – January 25, 2012…In the year 2002 Tim Kaeding won the Golden State 410 championship and many would agree that it created a changing of the guard so to speak. Since that season no driver has been more dominant in California than the San Jose native, but despite that, up until last season he hadn’t scored another championship since the initial title.

The reason for that however, is due in large part to the fact he hadn’t competed full-time in the Golden State since 2003, as he had bounced back and forth between the World of Outlaws and California each of those seven-years in between.

Included in that was a year-long stint with Steve Kinser Racing on the now defunct National Sprint Tour, where he captured a series leading 15 main event victories in 2006. Also in that time frame were a pair of Knoxville Nationals preliminary night wins and an impressive fourth place finish in ’09 at the event aboard the Roth Motorsports No. 83 mount.

With the King of the West Sprint Car Series stepping up the bounty last season though, car owner Dennis Roth committed a car full-time to the tour and it brought Kaeding back to California gunning to get another title on his resume. “TK” was nothing short of spectacular during the year and led KWS with six wins en route to the $20,000 championship.

“We had a great season overall and I’m really excited that I was able to get the title for Dennis and Teresa Roth,” said Kaeding. “They’ve given me a great chance the last few years and coming into the 2011 season our number one goal was to get the King of the West championship.”

The title in fact was the initial with the Golden State Series for the well known Roth Motorsports team and Kaeding accomplished it not only because of his win total, but also due to his stellar consistency during the season. The 34-year-old finished fourth or better in all but two events and also brought home a series leading nine heat wins, as well as three dash victories and one fast time.

“It was a really fun year out here and was one of the most competitive for 410 Sprint Cars in a long time in California,” commented Kaeding. “None of the races were easy to win last season, but my guys did a great job every week. I can’t thank ‘Bonzai’ Bruns, Todd Ventura and my whole team enough for all their hard work last season.”

Roth Motorsports team manager Todd Ventura also spoke about the team’s championship. “It was special for the whole team to get the King of the West championship last year and we couldn’t be happier. Tim did an awesome job all year and was really consistent each and every night.”

Kaeding also accomplished a bit of history last year by becoming just the second driver to reach 50 career wins with the Golden State 410's. He ended the season with 54 triumphs and trails only Brent Kaeding on the all-time list.

“It was definitely an awesome feeling to get that 50th win last year,” said Kaeding, who also tallied a trio of podium finishes with the World of Outlaws this past season. “I’ve grown up around this sport out here and to have my name that high up on the career win list is pretty special.”

King of the West announcer Troy Hennig, who was also behind the microphone during both of Tim Kaeding’s championships at Silver Dollar Speedway, speaks highly of the champ. “Tim Kaeding was a huge asset to have back on tour last season. The fans just love the guy because he is so fun to watch and is extremely energetic. TK always brings an exciting element to the sport when he is out here and we’re definitely better off when he is in the Golden State.”

To learn more about Tim Kaeding visit his website at http://www.tkaedingracing.com and also check out his “KWS Tonight” in studio appearance at http://vimeo.com/33353111

The Golden State King of the West 410 Sprints would like to thank the following companies for their support this season: Goodyear Racing Tires, Kaeding Performance, Pit Stop USA.com, Hoseheads.com, Grant’s Fine Art, Auto Meter Products Inc., Contingency Connection, Maxim Chassis, Amerikote, Abel Chevrolet, Bully Dog, Red Horse Performance, JE Pistons, KSE Racing Products, Hunt Magnetos, Weld Racing, Racing Optics, Butler Built Performance, HoservilleCA, Angellos ATV Rental, Rogue Regency Inn, Williams Motorsports, DES Inc. and Simpson Percherons.

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Cars.

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Tim Kaeding finished fourth or better in all but two events this past season with the Golden State King of the West Series.

That consistency combined with his six A-main wins helped propel "TK" and Roth Motorsports to the $20,000 KWS title.

A look back at the 2011 King of the West 410 Sprints Royal Court

Driver Number Two- “The Engineer” Evan Suggs

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – January 23, 2012…Continuing to climb the ladder in California 410 Sprint Car racing, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs experienced a career best season in 2011, highlighted by his very first King of the West victory and a second place finish in the series standings.

In fact since 2008 Suggs has improved one position in the Golden State 410 points each year, with a fifth place effort seen in ’08, followed by a fourth in ’09, third in ’10 and now second in ’11.

“We had a great season and to finish second in the points and get a win was a really cool accomplishment for our team,” said Suggs, who concluded his fifth year of competition in a winged sprint car. “It was a fun year with the King of the West Series and probably the toughest fields we’ve had since I got into the winged ranks.”

On the King of the West 410 Series season Suggs had the second most Grant’s Fine Art fast time awards, having set the quickest mark on four separate occasions, including track records at Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway and the Antioch Speedway. He also had the third most top-five finishes behind series champion Tim Kaeding and two-time champ Jonathan Allard.

Suggs’ most impressive night of the year came on July 2 at the inaugural “Howard Kaeding Classic” where he won his heat race, the dash and then passed both Tim Kaeding and Tommy Tarlton in the main event to claim his biggest career victory.

“We had come really close in the past so to finally get our first Golden State King of the West win was an awesome thing and to do it at the “HK Classic” made it even better,” commented the 25-year-old Suggs. “Tommy Tarlton and TK don’t get passed very often so to do it in one main event was pretty amazing.”

An interesting stat for the season was the fact that the other drivers in the top-five of points with KWS (Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Brent Kaeding and Jason Statler) have combined for 18 of the 26 Golden State 410 titles. All four of those drivers have also captured World of Outlaws wins and Suggs is extremely happy to be part of such a stout top-five in points with KWS this past year.

“It’s pretty special to be in a group with guys like that and to finish ahead of some of them is an honor when you look at what they’ve done in this sport,” said Suggs. “I think we showed last year that when we’re on our game we can run with anyone out here and that gives us a lot of confidence going into next season.”

Suggs would like to thank Riley Collins Body Shop, Lucas Oil, Jeff Pippin, S&S Automotive, Brad Scadden, HoservilleCA, their longtime friend and mechanic Brian Poe, Erik Peterson, Jason Riley and everybody for their support this past season and throughout the years.

Suggs also made two appearances on “KWS Tonight” and they can be viewed at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/15873356 and http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/13673407

Also visit Suggs Racing on the web at http://www.evansuggs.com

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Cars.

A look back at the 2011 King of the West 410 Sprints Royal Court

Driver Number Three- National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding

Rio Vista, CA – January 21, 2012…When it comes to West Coast Sprint Car racing, no driver draws more of a reaction from the crowd than our third place finisher in the King of the West Series standings, who just happens to be a member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.

In 2011 Campbell, California’s Brent Kaeding continued to be a mainstay in the Golden State 410 Sprint Car scene and was able to edge out Jonathan Allard by only four-digits to lock down the third position in KWS points.

“It wasn’t too bad of a finish in the points, but we definitely would have liked to get a win,” Kaeding had said. “A few times I thought that we had a chance to end up in victory lane, but it just didn’t happen. There was lots of great competition this year and these races are never easy to win.”

Throughout his career Kaeding has put together the best numbers California has ever seen in sprint car racing and leads many statistical categories, including the most career wins with the Golden State Series (83), the Northern Auto Racing Club (roughly 160) and Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway (88) among other various tracks he is also tops at.

He has also claimed the most Golden State Series titles with 13 under his belt and the most Northern Auto Racing Club championships, having captured 13 of those as well.

His storied career includes a number of wins with the World of Outlaws, along with multiple victories at the Mini Gold Cup, the Dirt Cup, the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial, the Trophy Cup, the Pombo/Sargent Classic and many other major events. Kaeding even has a victory at the prestigious Turkey Night Grand Prix, with that coming in 1985 at the Ascot Raceway.

You can go on and on about the accomplishments he has put together in his career, but quite simply, “BK” has been the man synonymous with California Sprint Car racing across the globe.

“Since I’ve been going to the sprint car races Brent has been the guy that most everyone looks to for advice,” said KWS Operations Manager George Hague. “What he has done to help mentor young, up and coming drivers is pretty amazing. Even the things you don’t see that are behind the scenes is why Brent is so special to the sport out here.”

Despite not picking up a feature win this past season Kaeding led the King of the West Sprint Car Series with 15 top-10 finishes and also had seven top-fives, three dash victories and five heat race wins aboard the famed Al’s Roofing Supply, High Five Pizza, Kaeding Performance No. 69 Maxim.

The veteran’s best night of the season came on July 16 at Antioch, where he led a number of laps in the main event and brought home a runner up finish to Tim Kaeding at the checkered. Kaeding also had another second place result during the Pombo/Sargent Classic in May, and one impressive stat for the year was the fact that he had zero dnf’s, showing just how strong his 69 team and the “hog’s” are.

Brent Kaeding and the Kaeding Performance gang have been a huge supporter of KWS and for more information on them log onto http://www.kaedings.com/

The Golden State King of the West 410 Sprints would like to thank the following companies for their support this season: Goodyear Racing Tires, Pit Stop USA.com, Kaeding Performance, Hoseheads.com, Grant’s Fine Art, Auto Meter Products Inc., Contingency Connection, Maxim Chassis, Amerikote, Abel Chevrolet, Bully Dog, Red Horse Performance, JE Pistons, KSE Racing Products, Hunt Magnetos, Weld Racing, Racing Optics, Butler Built Performance, HoservilleCA, Angellos ATV Rental, Rogue Regency Inn, Williams Motorsports, DES Inc. and Simpson Percherons.

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Cars.

A look back at the 2011 King of the West 410 Sprints Royal Court

Driver Number Four- “Dirt Cup 40 winner” Jonathan Allard

Rio Vista, CA – January 20, 2012…Winning the second most races this past season with the King of the West Sprint Car Series former two-time champion Jonathan Allard eventually ended the year fourth in points, missing out on third in the standings by just four scant markers.

The Chico, California native was his usual exciting self in 2011 and captured four main event victories throughout the season with KWS. The win total was enough to move him into a tie with Steve Kent for third on the all-time Golden State 410 win list, with each now having 28-victories apiece.

“I can’t thank Morrie and Katie Williams, Ashley Smith and the whole Zero team enough for a great year,” Allard had said. “We obviously would have wanted to win the title, but to get four wins was nice and we were in contention pretty much every night.”

Allard book ended the King of the West Series season by claiming victory on opening night in Antioch and then closing the year in that same fashion at the Cotton Classic in Hanford. His other two wins with the tour came on June 11 at the Southern Oregon Speedway and July 9 during the “Doug Fort Memorial” at Santa Maria Speedway.

The highlight of his year however, came in June at the 40th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup in Washington. Having already won the event twice before in his career, Allard started from the front row and held off the challenges of Shane Stewart and then Tim Kaeding to lead all 40-laps during Saturday’s finale.

“It was unbelievable to win another Dirt Cup and to do it this past year was the best yet because of the money on the line,” said Allard, who took home a staggering $40,000 for the victory. “Steve Beitler and the crew up there do a great job and we always look forward to racing at the Dirt Cup every year.”

Amazingly the 2011 season marked Allard’s seventh year behind the wheel of the Williams Motorsports No. 0 sprint car, which represents one of the longest running driver/team combos in California. To go along with his four King of the West wins he also led the series in fast times with six and dash victories with four. In addition to that he brought home 10 top-five finishes, 10 top-10’s and five heat race triumphs.

The coming season will find Allard looking to get back into championship contention and bring home the King of the West title after having immense success in New Zealand, where he has already won six main events.

To learn more insight on two-time Golden State champion Jonathan Allard make sure to check out his two appearances on “KWS Tonight” that can be seen at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/15576979 and http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/13992756 and also visit his website http://www.allardmotorsports.com

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Cars.

A look back at the 2011 King of the West 410 Sprints Royal Court

Driver Number Five- “The Big Guy” Jason Statler

Rio Vista, CA – January 16, 2012…Jason Statler has been a staple in California 410 Sprint Car Racing for 20-years and this past season continued to be one of the state’s very best by rounding out the top-five in the Golden State King of the West Series standings.

Throughout his career Statler has racked up a loaded resume that includes a World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series win, which came at Santa Maria Speedway in 1999. He has also won multiple races at the famed Calistoga Speedway half-mile, including the Salute to Walter T Ross.

Another of Statler’s most special victories came in 2004 at the annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial, the same season he captured the Golden State 410 Series championship in his familiar DF Rios No. 00 sprinter.

In addition to that the “Big Guy” has also won the famed Johnny Key Classic, opening night of the prestigious Mini Gold Cup twice and sits tied with Bud Kaeding for 12th on the all-time Golden State win list, having scored eight career triumphs.

Media personality Bobby Gerould once put it perfectly of Statler:

“Jason Statler, the 2004 Golden State Challenge "King of California," is a driver I admire for his tenacity and toughness. The large pro-football size man is a prime example of what a racer can become if he sticks with it. I've seen Jason upside down and on-fire. I've seen his knees bend cockpits. But I've never seen Jason Statler quit. His desire to achieve success in his racing endeavors propelled him to improve steadily over a period of years. He also happens to be a cool guy that is friendly with fans.”

In 2011 Statler remained one of the fan favorites in the Golden State and despite not picking up a feature win, took home five top-five finishes, twelve top-10’s, two heat race wins, one fast time and one Pit Stop USA hard charger award.

“I think we were hoping for a little more but it was a good year overall,” said Statler. “We just seemed to have to fight back for one reason or another too many times whether it was in qualifying, the heat race or the dash. One night we were running up front in the dash and lost a rear end so that kind of summed it up.”

Statler’s best finish of the season came at the Kings Speedway on August 6, where he started from the third row in the main event and drove forward to earn a runner up finish to Tim Kaeding. The Grass Valley, California competitor also claimed a podium finish during the season opener at Antioch on April 7.

“You always remember the bad stuff more, but I felt that we definitely picked it up as the year went on with a better handle on our shock package and the car,” he commented. “We wanted to get a win for Dave Rios this past year and weren’t able to do that, but had some good finishes throughout the year.”

Going into the final race of the Golden State King of the West Series season in Hanford, Statler was part of a tightly bunched three-way fight for fifth in the standings. He held the spot by just 10-points over Willie Croft and Andy Gregg and used a fifth place finish in the feature to lock up that elusive fifth spot.

“It was nice to win out on that fight for fifth and ending the year on a good note was a positive thing,” Statler said. “I think Dan Simpson and the KWS team did a great job this year. Someone really needed to step up and help 410 racing out here and Dan did that. Just looking at the weekly car counts and how many full time drivers we had, shows the success of the series. The purse and point fund was great and the tire giveaway program was awesome.”

For the year Statler would like to thank Dave Rios, his wife Stephanie and their two boys, Mark Bristow, Kevin Fisher, Aaron Colburn, Kyle Riley, Kaeding Performance, Yak Graphics, Amerikote, Riley Collins Body Shop, Hot Rod Service Company, Ultra Shield, Rod End Supply, Santo Mauro Racing, SCI Racing Products, Kistler Engines, Maxim Chassis and everyone that supported the team.

To hear Statler talk about his season check out a call-in interview on “KWS Tonight” at http://vimeo.com/30868908

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Cars.

A look back at the 2011 King of the West 410 Sprints Royal Court

Driver Number Six- “Double Down” Willie Croft

Rio Vista, CA – January 16, 2012…Becoming a father for the first time this past year Sacramento, California’s Willie Croft finished within an arm’s reach of the top-five in points with the Golden State King of the West Series, locking down the sixth spot in the final tallies.

The number six seemed to run wild for the driver known as “Double Down,” as he finished only six-points behind Jason Statler in the standings and also ran sixth in the main event on four separate occasions during the season aboard his Amerikote No. 29 mount.

“This past year was probably one of my most fun and best years in racing without a doubt,” said Croft. “Every week there were great crowds with the King of the West Series and as a driver that’s what you want to have. It’s always more enjoyable when you’re racing in front of a lot of people and we had that last year.”

Croft’s shining moment on the season came in April at the Marysville Raceway Park, a track he spent much time at early in his career. The 40-year-old opened that night by setting a new track record for fast time and then made a slick move under Jonathan Allard on lap-eight in the feature to grab the lead.

From there on out Croft had to fend off Tim Kaeding on a handful of double file restarts, but was able to pull away at the end and tally his third career traveling 410 Sprint Car Series win. His previous two Golden State victories had come at the Mini Gold Cup in 2004 and Quincy’s American Valley Speedway in ’07.

“That was a really important win for me not only because it was early in the season, but it’s a track that I pretty much grew up racing sprint cars at during my early years,” he commented. “There was really no pressure, but I definitely wanted to get a win or two at some point on the year. It was even more special because I had some family there so it was great that they got to witness it.”

During the Golden State King of the West Series season Croft grabbed a couple of top-five finishes, including an additional podium on August 5 at Ocean Speedway to go along with his win, eleven top-10’s, two heat race wins, one fast time and was the Pit Stop USA hard charger at the season opener in Antioch.

“Dan Simpson and the KWS guys did a great job last year with getting big crowds and making everything good for the teams,” Croft said. “For the season I really have to thank Dave Wasney of Holy Smokes BBQ, the Christian Stover Foundation, Scott Brown & MRO Inc., ART Enterprise, Kaeding Performance, Samantha & Derrick Hirst, AJ, the King of the West Series and everyone that supported our team.”

Croft also built quite a fan following around the state of California in 2011, with his exciting and hard charging driving style that pleased the crowd on a number of occasions. “I’ve always been a fan of watching Willie Croft drive a sprint car,” said KWS announcer Troy Hennig. “I think the rest of the state saw just how good he is last year. There aren’t many more exciting drivers out here than Willie.”

For more on Willie Croft you can check out his appearance on “KWS Tonight,” where he talks about his Marysville win at http://vimeo.com/34676188 and visit his website http://www.williecroftracing.com

Also take a peek at a great promo video done for Willie Croft Racing by Ryan Cornilsen and Studio 5 Photography at http://vimeo.com/32760842

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Cars.

A look back at the 2011 King of the West 410 Sprints Royal Court

Driver Number Seven- “The Hurricane” Andy Gregg

Rio Vista, CA – January 10, 2012…Finishing seventh in the Golden State King of the West Series standings this past season was none other than Seven-Industries driver Andy Gregg, who returned to the traveling 410 Sprint Car tour for the first time since winning Rookie of the Year in 2004.

Gregg had competed part time in the Golden State Series over the last few seasons, but at the beginning of the year made the commitment with car owner Bret Ervin to follow KWS full time in the beautifully designed No. 53 sprinter.

“I’ve really wanted to follow the 410 stuff full time over the last few years and we were excited to be able to do it this past year,” said Gregg. “We definitely wanted to come out on tour because we knew the competition level would be high and the extra purse and tire giveaways helped a lot as well.”

The decision to follow the Golden State King of the West Series paid off for Gregg, as he accomplished a long time goal in May of this past year. Twice before in his career the Placerville, California driver had taken the white flag as the leader of a Golden State 410 main event, but both occasions resulted in him not making it to the checkered in that position.

Ironically one of those races came at the Santa Maria Speedway in 2010 and when KWS visited the track for the first time this past season, Gregg had a night to remember. Starting sixth in the feature, the always flamboyant driver worked his way forward and eventually passed former series champs Jonathan Allard and Brent Kaeding to finally secure that elusive first traveling 410 series win.

“That was a real important win for our whole team,” commented Gregg. “I had won with Civil War and various other tracks, but to get my first Golden State KWS win was something I’ve always wanted to do. It was great to knock that off my bucket list and being on the podium with Jonathan (Allard) and Tim (Kaeding) made it even better.

At the end of the season Gregg was locked in a three-way fight for the fifth position with Willie Croft and Jason Statler, before finishing just behind the duo to lock up seventh in the standings. He earned five top-five finishes, seven top-10’s, one dash win and one Pit Stop USA hard charger award.

“I think the year overall was everything that we expected,” said the 31-year-old. “Starting out the season we were just hoping to make every race and we did that, so that was a big thing. To get a win was awesome and now in 2012 my expectations will be even bigger. I really have to thank Bret Ervin Racing, 7-Industries, Wheel Vintiques, Autism Awareness Steve & Scott Van Den Broeke, College Cyclery, the Hot Rod Shop, BR & King Racing, Peterson Media, Tarvin Images, Studio 5 Photography, Myers Motorsports, Hinchman and Bell.”

To get more inside on Andy Gregg take a glimpse at his appearances on “KWS Tonight” located at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/15873356 and http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/14322151

Also check out 7-industries on the web at http://www.7industries.com

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Cars.

A look back at the 2011 King of the West 410 Sprints Royal Court

Driver Number 8- Elk Grove veteran Bobby McMahan

Rio Vista, CA – January 8, 2012…Drivers and teams are always searching to get better as the year goes on and that’s exactly what Bobby McMahan did this past season with the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series.

McMahan experienced a hot streak as the summer kicked into full gear and ultimately finished the season eighth in the final KWS standings. Over the final seven events of the year he brought home four top-five finishes & ran among the top-seven all but once.

“I would probably sum up our season as okay, but we’re definitely not disappointed in our year,” commented the Elk Grove veteran. “Our goal was to end up in the top-five and we got close to that at one point, but just couldn’t quite squeeze our way in there. We had some good runs though and we’re happy with that.”

McMahan began racing sprint cars in 1982, garnering Rookie of the Year honors at the Placerville Speedway that season.

It started a successful career that lasted around 20-years, prior to taking a hiatus from racing for roughly five-seasons beginning in 2003. Following the time off, he then returned to the racing scene full time in ‘09 and claimed the Silver Dollar Speedway 410 track championship.

In his career McMahan also finished runner up in points with the Golden State Series in 1997 and the Northern Auto Racing Club in ’96. Among his finest accomplishments came in ’96 when he captured the NARC Speedweek title with car owner Clyde Lamar.

“The competitiveness of this past season with the King of the West Series really stood out to me,” McMahan noted. “Every night there were about 10 or so cars capable of winning and you had to bring your A-game at every race. We thoroughly enjoyed all the things that KWS did and it was the most fun I’ve had racing for points in a long time.”

The KWS season opener in 2011 looked as though McMahan would come out with a strong finish, as he paced the field early in the feature, but an incident in lapped traffic took away any chance of that. It then seemed to prolong a string of tough luck for the team. After acquiring a fresher engine in July however, “Bobby Mac” and the No. 25 mount found success right off the bat.

“Getting that newer engine was really a huge boost for this team and I can’t thank everyone enough for chipping in to make it happen,” McMahan said. “We ended the year on a great run and I’m definitely excited to get the coming season started. For the past year though I have to thank Keith Espindola, Steven Soares, Glen Gaveron, my wife Linda & family for allowing us to have fun on the weekends and everyone that helped us out. I also want to thank companies like A.R.T. Enterprise, Bailey Bros Engines, Performance Powder Coating, Red Line Oil and Simpson. We appreciate everything they did for us as well.”

McMahan made a pair of appearances on “KWS Tonight” and they can be viewed at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/13825099 and http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/14823310. He was also featured on a “Behind the Wheel” segment early in the year and it can be seen at http://vimeo.com/22704565

The 2012 Golden State King of the West Series season will find McMahan Motorsports coming back with two cars on tour, as son Sean returns to the seat looking to bring home Rookie of the Year.

Don't forget to “like” the Golden State King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kwssprintracing for the most timely and up to date information on the series. Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Cars.

A look back at the 2011 King of the West 410 Sprints Royal Court

Driver Number 10- Former World of Outlaw regular "Flyin" Brad Furr

Rio Vista, CA – January 6, 2012…Returning to the 410 Sprint Car scene full time this past season was former World of Outlaw regular Brad Furr and when all the dust had settled the Stockton, California driver rounded out the top-10 in the KWS standings.

After running part time for the last handful of years, Furr committed to the full Golden State King of the West 410 Series schedule in 2011 and despite not quite having the kind of campaign he wanted, the veteran driver seemed to get stronger as the season went on.

“Well we would have definitely liked to finish higher up in the points, but it is what it is,” commented Furr, who competed in all but one race this past season with KWS. “We had a good time though and it was fun to get back out on the road with the 410 and visit so many different tracks.”

During the season Furr brought home a trio of top five finishes, with his best outing coming on August 5 at the Ocean Speedway. That night saw him win a heat race and then jump into the lead of the main event ahead of Tim Kaeding. He proceeded to lead the first 12 laps and eventually scored a second place finish to Kaeding at the conclusion of the race.

“We have a lot of laps at Ocean Speedway over the last few years so I think that kind of played into our favor on August 5,” said Furr, whose career wins span from coast to coast and down under. “It was a good night for us even though I would have liked to get the win. These races are always tough though and you have to be on the top of your game every night.”

In his career Furr has captured five main event victories with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, scoring a highest point finish of eighth in 2002. In addition to his Outlaw wins the 35-year-old has also claimed multiple triumphs in Australia, including four with the World Series Sprintcars.

Furr, a father of two, has also won other big races such as the Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico and the annual Cheaters Day race held in the Midwest. He once also swept all five days of Northwest Speedweek in Oregon and Washington.

“Whenever you get out on the road it throws a different kind of challenge at you and there’s definitely some stout competition out here with the King of the West Series,” he explained. “I really have to thank my dad, our entire crew, Ray Scheidts Electric, Sander Engineering and everyone that supported us this year.”

For more info on Brad Furr check out his “KWS Tonight” appearance at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/15723769 and visit his website http://www.bradfurrracing.com

A look back at the 2011 King of the West 410 Sprints Royal Court

Driver Number 11- “Tough guy” Brent Bjork

Rio Vista, CA – January 5, 2012…Persevering through some less than stellar luck in 2011 Fremont, California’s Brent Bjork capped off his third year of 410 Sprint Car racing by bringing home an eleventh place finish in the final Golden State King of the West Series standings.

The recently turned 21-year-old competed in all but one event on the KWS trail this past season and also scored a career best finish in April with the series.

The lone race Bjork missed came on August 6 at Kings Speedway, just one night after a grinding crash resulted in a concussion, which ultimately left him just on the cusp of the top-10 in the final point tallies.

“It was a good year overall and we can’t thank Dan Simpson and the King of the West Series enough for all of the hard work they put in,” Bjork commented. “The payout and prizes are pretty unbelievable and it’s the best thing going out here right now. Nobody in California has ever done what Dan did for the drivers and fans this past year.”

The KWS campaign started off with Bjork suffering a dislocated elbow in the main event at the season opener, but even despite the pain, he was able to finish the race. Showing grit and toughness he came back just two weeks later and tallied a sixth place finish at his home track of Ocean Speedway.

“That was a pretty rough way to start the season no doubt,” Bjork said. “I actually think it happened when I caught the berm midway through the main event and had the steering wheel jerk my arm. During one of the red flags I had the elbow popped back in and told them to push me off, because I wasn’t going to call it a night.”

Bjork’s best outing of the season came at the Marysville Raceway Park on April 30, where he qualified solidly and claimed a fifth place finish in the feature. It marked his first ever top-five finish with the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series.

“Even despite the bad luck we had some good finishes over the course of the season and had a fast car,” he said. “I really have to thank Mike Johnson & Johnson Lumber, Bobby Miller & RM Aluminum Products, Joel Kaeding, Bob Passama and my mom and dad for their support.”

The former Golden State Rookie of the Year also claimed a Pit Stop USA hard charger award this past season, with that coming at the prestigious Pombo/Sargent Classic in Tulare. During that night Bjork started 21st on the grid and picked his way forward to earn a fine seventh place finish in the main event, a career best at the Thunderbowl.

To learn more about Brent Bjork and Bjork Racing log onto his website at http://www.bjorkracing.com/home.html

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Cars.

A look back at the 2011 King of the West 410 Sprints Royal Court Driver Number 12- Rio Vista, California’s Danielle Simpson

Rio Vista, CA – January 4, 2012…Maintaining a love for horse-power on two different levels Rio Vista, California’s Danielle Simpson finished off her second season of 410 Sprint Car racing with a 12th place finish in the final Golden State King of the West Series standings.

Simpson is the daughter of KWS Managing Director Dan Simpson and happens to be the manager of Simpson Percherons in Rio Vista. The younger Simpson also showcased her World Championship Percheron 6-up hitch first hand at the season ending Cotton Classic.

“It was pretty fun to have the hitch at Hanford for the Cotton Classic,” said Simspon. “It was a cool experience having the horses in front of so many people that have never seen them. We did a couple of special things as well on the track that I haven’t done before, so it was a nice ceremony.”

Simpson also spent this past season with a new crew chief in the form of veteran tuner Richard Brown, who had spent the last couple years with Evan Suggs.

“Working with someone like Richard Brown was a great experience for me and the whole team,” commented Simpson, who took home roughly seven first place trophies this past year in draft horse competition. “Richard has been around the sport for so many years and helped me out with a lot of pointers so he was a great coach.”

Continuing to gain laps and experience in 2011 Simpson put together her best night of the year on April 23 at the Ocean Speedway.

That event saw Simpson lead a number of laps in her heat race, until Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding was able to sneak by on a double file restart. In the feature she then brought home a 10th place finish after 30 laps of hard fought racing on the tight quarter-mile.

“I definitely felt like I learned a lot more in my second year racing a 410 sprinter,” Simpson explained. “I certainly feel more comfortable in the car and I have a better handle inside of it now. We’re really excited for next year and can’t wait for April 7 in Antioch so we can get back on the track.”

As she gets ready for her third year behind the wheel of a 410 Sprint Car, Simpson also had some people to show her appreciation too. “I really have to thank my dad, our entire crew Jayson, Bryan, Roy, Richard and everyone that supports us. With my dad running the series we do a lot more stuff with the actual events now so that has been a change, but we enjoyed it all.”

Simpson also appeared on an episode of “KWS Tonight” this past May alongside Willie Croft and it can be viewed at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/14509716

For more on Danielle Simpson and Simpson Percherons please visit http://www.dansimpsonracing.com and http://www.simpsonpercherons.com/contact.htm

A look back at the 2011 King of the West 410 Sprints Royal Court Driver Number 13- “The Iron Man” Pat Harvey Jr.

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – December 29, 2011…Dedication and tenacity are a couple of great words to describe Grass Valley, California racer Pat Harvey Jr., who even despite a grinding crash at the end of 2010, came back this season to complete the entire Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series schedule.

Harvey is the owner of Nevada City Auto Service in Nevada City, CA and has been following the state’s premier 410 sprint car series over the last few years. Affectionately dubbed the “Iron Man” Harvey is also the father-in-law of fellow KWS driver and former series champion Jason Statler.

“I think it was a fun year overall in the grand scheme of things,” said the recently turned 65-year-old competitor, who has been racing for over 30-years. “The previous season ended in a pretty rough fashion so to have everything finish on a much better note this year was nice.”

The 2010 Golden State 410 Series finale saw Harvey get upside down in a big way during the main event and it had left the veteran wondering if it was time to hang up the racing shoes. “That was a pretty major accident at the end of the year and I had thoughts of calling it quits,” he said. “But when the season rolled around I was ready to get back at it.”

Harvey also has a unique aspect about his racing efforts, which is the fact that he campaigns the KWS 410 trail with a home-built engine under the hood of his Nevada City Auto Service No. 15 sprinter.

“I actually didn’t know that Pat built his own engines until a couple years ago,” said King of the West Sprint Car Series operations manager George Hague. “Pat is truly one of the backbones of the sport and has been one of the biggest supporters of 410 racing out here over the last few years.”

Since becoming a regular with the Golden State tour, Harvey has logged a number of miles up and down California and wanted to recognize some people for their support. “It’s not an easy thing to travel around as much as we do,” said Harvey. “I want to thank my son-in-law Jason Statler and my girlfriend Kay because she puts up with a lot. I also want to thank Bill Winkle, Ray Clarke and Mario Landy, who also help me out.”

Harvey was also the subject of a short “Behind the Wheel” segment earlier this year produced by the KWS production unit and it can be viewed at http://vimeo.com/20565564

For all of your end of the season sponsor awards please keep Grant’s Fine Art in mind! GFA is a big supporter of KWS and their website can be seen at http://www.grantsfineart.com/

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Cars.

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will hold its championship awards banquet on Saturday night January 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn, located in Fairfield, CA. Tickets are $50 each, which includes dinner, and we will begin taking reservations on Monday January 2. To order tickets contact the KWS office at (707) 374-2222. Cocktail hour will start at 5pm with dinner and awards to follow.

There will be limited seating so teams are encouraged to get their reservations in early. Fans are welcomed to attend the banquet and witness the official crowning of the 2011 “King of the West” as well as the “Last Man Standing” drawing. The winner of the drawing will take home a complete 410 Winged Sprint Car.

There will be a special KWS room rate with standard rooms being $84 and junior suites $99. To reserve your rooms contact the hotel at (707) 426-6900. The code to use is KWS128.

We are also looking into special activities at places such as the Driven Go Kart Facility, Budweiser Brewery, Jelly Belly Factory and others. There are over 200 stores across the street from the hotel as well, so there are plenty of establishments in the area to check out during your stay.

The Hilton Garden Inn is located at 2200 Gateway Court, Fairfield, California 94533.

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will hold our championship awards banquet on Saturday night January 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn, located in Fairfield, CA. Tickets are $50 each, which includes dinner, and we will begin taking reservations on Monday January 2. To order tickets contact the KWS office at (707) 374-2222. Cocktail hour will start at 5pm with dinner and awards to follow.

There will be a special KWS room rate with standard rooms being $84 and junior suites $99. To reserve your rooms contact the hotel at (707) 426-6900. The code to use is KWS128.

The Hilton Garden Inn is located at 2200 Gateway Court, Fairfield, California 94533.

A look back at the 2011 King of the West 410 Sprints Royal Court Driver Number 14- Rhode Island transplant Eli Deshaies

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – December 22, 2011…Often times in racing there can be unique stories everywhere you look and during the 2011 season, East Coast native Eli Deshaies certainly filled that role with the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series.

Originally from North Kingstown, Rhode Island, Deshaies first came to California for work related reasons in 2004, but just recently entered into the venture of racing in the Golden State. Even more compelling about Deshaies is the fact that he drives the 2008 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame giveaway car.

“We had a really enjoyable year with the King of the West Series and there are a lot of great people that we race with,” said Deshaies. “At the start of the year I was a little nervous if I made the right choice, but as the season went on I got more and more comfortable and everyone made me feel as if I were at home.”

Some of Deshaies best moments came during the summer months, as he began to log more laps at the tracks that make up the King of the West schedule. On July 16 he scored a season best finish of ninth at the Antioch Speedway and just before that, tallied an impressive third quick qualifying effort out of 28-cars during the finale of the “Howard Kaeding Classic” on July 2.

“For the season I really have to thank Andy Richardson, Richard Brace Jr., Pit Stop USA, Suggs Racing, DES Racing and of course my sister for winning the car in the Hall of Fame giveaway raffle a couple years ago,” the 41-year-old chuckled with his distinctive East Coast accent. “As a team I feel that we got better as the year went on and that gives me confidence heading into 2012.”

After getting a year under his belt with the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series, Deshaies is excited about next season. “Dan Simpson and the whole KWS crew have done a great job with the purse and point fund payout, as well as the tire giveaway program. That all really helps out a lot and it’s the only place I’d want to race out here.”

Deshaies also paid a visit to Rio Vista to be a guest on “KWS Tonight” in June along with series Managing Director Dan Simpson and it can be viewed in two parts at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/15126346 and http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/15127287

For all of your end of the season sponsor awards please keep Grant’s Fine Art in mind! GFA is a big supporter of KWS and their website can be seen at http://www.grantsfineart.com/

Don't forget to “like” the Golden State King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kws410s for the most timely and up to date information on the series. Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Cars.

Christmas is the air and “KWS Tonight” will be back this week with a special holiday show on http://www.kwssprints.com at 7pm pst Thursday. As always it will replay immediately after the first showing and will be available on the homepage 24/7 for your viewing pleasure.

On this week’s show we will debut the tentative Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series schedule. Everyone will get a first glimpse of the dates for the coming season, as we break down the various weekends that should be must sees for dirt track fans in California.

The midway point in our 2011 walk back down memory lane will also be reached this week with highlights from June at the Silver Dollar Speedway and Southern Oregon Speedway being showcased.

The event in Chico happened to be the annual “Tribute to Gary Patterson/ Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” and fan favorite Peter Murphy was the winner. The following day we then made the trek up I-5 to Medford, OR where Jonathan Allard made a late race charge to get by Tim Kaeding and score one of his four victories on the year.

Speaking of Peter Murphy we’ll have the Australian native on the line for a call-in interview discussing the huge triumph he had with KWS at the “Tribute to GP/Bradway Memorial.” That night saw four different leaders in the 40-lapper and happened to be one of the most exciting races of the season.

Murphy will also give everyone an update on his plans for next year, which could be very exciting for fans throughout the state.

Also on the show this week we will talk about the fast approaching Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, OK and feature a short segment on health and nutrition for the holiday season, with Rio Vista Gym trainer Pocket.

The “KWS Tonight” staff would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and very happy and prosperous New Year. We hope you all have a fun and safe remainder of the holidays and we will see you in 2012.

Don't forget to “like” the Golden State King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kws410s for the most timely and up to date information on the tour.

Back from the Promoters Workshop this week “KWS Tonight” will return for a new show on Thursday with an update on the proceedings held in Reno last Monday through Wednesday.

The show can be viewed starting at 7pm pst on the homepage of http://www.kwssprints.com this Thursday and will replay over the course of next week.

With 2012 scheduling being hammered out last week, we will give everyone a brief rundown and detail some of the exciting things to expect this coming season with the Golden State King of the West 410 Series.

Included in the discussion will be information regarding a few new venues that are expected to be on tap for KWS, in which we didn’t visit last year. All of it is sure to make next season a great one for teams and fans alike, so for all the info don’t miss “KWS Tonight” this week.

We’ll also continue our walk down memory lane from the 2011 season with highlights from the Calistoga Speedway in May being featured this week. That night saw Tim Kaeding score his sixth career victory at the historic Napa County Fairgrounds facility and move into a tie with Jac Haudenschild, Darrell Hanestad & Ron Horton on the all-time win list.

In addition to the sneak peek at next year we’ll debut a segment featuring health and fitness with King of the West Managing Director Dan Simpson and Rio Vista Gym trainer Tyler Wink. As the holiday season is in full-gear it makes going the gym and being active even that much more important to lose those extra few pounds.

A look back at the 2011 King of the West 410 Sprints Royal Court Driver Number 15- “The Mongoose” Doug Gandy

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – December 14, 2011…With the holiday season upon us we’ll be taking a look back at the 2011 season for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series from the drivers perspective, as we feature a glimpse at the year for each of the “members in good standing” from the inaugural KWS campaign.

This past season saw a total of 15 drivers/teams finish the year as “members in good standing,” meaning they didn’t miss more than two events throughout 2011. The impressive loyalty earned those entrants the chance to be eligible for the point fund at the awards banquet and also the opportunity to take part in the drawing for a complete sprint car and engine.

Number 15 on the list was none other than a living legend in the Northern California dirt track scene, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy. The 67-year-old veteran returned to winged sprint car racing for a couple of events in 2010, before making the jump back to full-time competition this past season.

“When I came back last year it was the first time I had driven a winged sprint since 1993,” said Gandy, who spent six-years driving for well-known Nor Cal car owner Morrie Williams. “I was unsure what kind of schedule I’d run this year, but after talking to Ashley Smith it made for an easy choice to decide on running the King of the West Series.”

In his career Gandy has won over 100 main events and is a three-time track champion at the Placerville Speedway, which is located on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds. The driver known as the “Mongoose” also captured the Silver Dollar Speedway track title in 1976, etching his name in the record books at the famed quarter-mile oval in Chico.

“The King of the West Series was a lot of fun this year and I’m really excited about coming back next season,” commented Gandy. “I noticed it was like a family traveling down the road with KWS and it hasn’t been that way for a while, so it was a great thing. I want to thank my team of Doug, Brandon, Scott Adelsbach and everyone that pitched in like Ashley Smith and Williams Motorsports, as well as Dan Simpson and DES Racing.” Gandy would also like to thank Scott Brown of MRO Inc., Oakhurst Tire and Lemire Tractor Inc.

To learn more about the “Mongoose” Doug Gandy please take a look at his appearance on “KWS Tonight” at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/16159861

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Cars.

King of the West

Another “KWS Tonight” classic episode will be presented this week on the homepage of http://www.kwssprints.com as we take a look back at an interview with eventual Golden State King of the West champion Tim Kaeding. The show will be uploaded to the website tomorrow night for everyones viewing pleasure.

The interview was recorded on April 20 and came just a handful of days prior to “TK” becoming the second driver to reach 50 career wins with the Golden State Series. Kaeding ultimately ended the season with six King of the West 410 victories en route to dominating the point chase.

The San Jose charger also had several strong efforts with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series this past year, including podium finishes at the Merced Speedway, Skagit Speedway and the Antioch Speedway. His strong campaign also netted big wins at the Fall Nationals in Chico and the ASCS National Tour opener in February at Tulare.

Kaeding speaks about his career and the success he's had over the years with Roth Motorsports and other teams. The interview with the always energetic and popular driver reminds everyone why he is such a hit with the fans.

Don't forget to “like” the Golden State King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kws410s for the most timely and up to date information on the tour.

Currently in the process of moving offices and getting ready for the promoters workshop, “KWS Tonight” this week showcases a classic episode featuring two-time Golden State 410 champion Jonathan Allard. The show is now playing on the homepage of http://www.kwssprints.com

The Chico, California native discusses his racing background and gives people a little more insight on his career, which has taken off since hooking up with car owners Morrie & Katie Williams in 2005. The episode was filmed on April 13 of this year.

In 2011 Allard finished his seventh season behind the wheel of the familiar No. 0 sprint car that is tuned by long-time crew chief Ashley Smith. It was highlighted by his third career Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup victory at the Skagit Speedway, which was worth $40,000.

Allard also claimed four wins with the King of the West 410 Series, including the season-ending Cotton Classic and then capped the California year by earning a very close runner up finish at the Trophy Cup in Tulare. The veteran also tallied a win at Western Springs Speedway in New Zealand on November 5 and scored a runner up to Donny Schatz last weekend at the track.

Don't forget to “like” the Golden State King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kws410s for the most timely and up to date information on the tour.

Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series concludes successful and entertaining inaugural season of competition

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – November 25, 2011…Going into the year the Golden State King of the West Series’ major goal was to improve the overall health of 410 winged sprint car racing in California and as the inaugural season came to a close that goal appears to be in reach.

The King of the West Series experienced a season that featured growth throughout the campaign and teams were rewarded with more cash and contingencies than ever before in the history of Northern California sprint car racing.

One indicator of success this season was the fact that the average car count for the King of the West 410 Series jumped up to 28.1, after averaging 22 cars a night in 2010 under the Golden State Challenge banner.

A Nor Cal sprint car record $116,000 total cash point fund will be handed out at the awards banquet and was a big reason for the increased participation from drivers and teams. Another $200,000 in contingency awards and prizes, including a complete sprint car with motor will also be given out at the banquet.

The extra incentives allowed the series to have 15 drivers that made 95% of the races, vastly more than in years past, making for a strong and cohesive group of travelers.

The eclectic mix of teams included those such as National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding, as well as series champion Tim Kaeding, all the way to 16-year-old Kenny Allen, who was this year’s “Hoseheads.com/ Grant’s Fine Art” Rookie of the Year.

Throw in 1976 Silver Dollar Speedway track champ Doug Gandy, Hall of Fame giveaway car winner Eli Deshaies, former World of Outlaws regular Brad Furr, the eccentric and flamboyant Andy Gregg, and it made for a multitude of different back-grounds traveling the highways.

This season saw seven different main event winners; with Tim Kaeding leading the way by claiming six victories, Jonathan Allard with four, Tommy Tarlton with two and then Willie Croft, Peter Murphy, Andy Gregg and Evan Suggs capturing one triumph a piece.

For Gregg and Suggs it was their very first Golden State 410 Series wins after coming extremely close on various occasions in the past. Gregg’s win came in May at the Santa Maria Speedway and Suggs’ victory was at Ocean Speedway’s “HK Classic” in July. Another impressive tidbit was that there were no flag-to-flag winners of any main event in 2011, exemplifying the stout competition this year.

One of the most thrilling races this season was the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial/ Tribute to Gary Patterson” in Chico, where Australian native Peter Murphy charged from 15th starting to score the biggest win of his career. The back and forth 40-lapper saw four different leaders, as Jonathan Allard, Kyle Hirst and Willie Croft also spent time out front. Roger Crockett ultimately finished second after starting 18th on the grid.

Three Golden State 410 track records also fell this year, with those coming at the Antioch Speedway in July, Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway in August and the Marysville Raceway Park in April. Throughout the season Jonathan Allard led the tour in fast time awards, having set the quickest mark on five different occasions.

Special event wins this year were picked off by Tim Kaeding (Chris & Brian Faria Memorial), Tommy Tarlton (Pombo/Sargent Classic), Peter Murphy (Bradway Jr. Memorial/ Tribute to Gary Patterson), Tim Kaeding (Salute to Walter T Ross), Evan Suggs (Howard Kaeding Classic), Jonathan Allard (Doug Fort Memorial), Jonathan Allard (Cotton Classic).

The consistency award this season went to King of the West 410 champion Tim Kaeding and Roth Motorsports, who finished among the top-five in all but two races this year. Not always considered to be a point racer, the San Jose throttle-masher put together one of the most consistent years of his career, which was the main reason he claimed the series title by 65-markers over Evan Suggs.

Many things made this season extra special from the past number of years in Northern California 410 sprint car racing, including pre-race autograph sessions each night, double-file restarts, a new format, traveling announcers, more timely results during and after the races, increased social media presence, amped up series signage at events, a series souvenir trailer, a T-shirt shooter at intermissions and more.

“We really are striving to make our events a “show” rather than just your standard dirt track race,” said Operations Manager George Hague. “People go to the sprint car races to have a good time so that’s definitely what we want the fans to do. We’re trying different things here and there to see what works and it’s all a learning experience.

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Cars.

A special Thanksgiving week show of “KWS Tonight” will be highlighted by a look back at Andy Gregg’s first career Golden State 410 win and also an interview we did in April with the always colorful driver out of Placerville.

The show can be viewed as usual on the homepage of http://www.kwssprints.com at 7pm pst on Thursday and will be available for replay immediately after the first showing.

Gregg’s victory at the Santa Maria Speedway in May fulfilled a long time goal of winning a traveling 410 sprint car series main event and came about by passing both Brent Kaeding and Jonathan Allard. We will then get to know Gregg a little more during a sit down interview we recorded less than a month before his triumph.

In addition to that we’ll also give a little more detail on the Alternative 410 Motor Program after getting a lot of response last week from viewers. We will place the A4MP Engine alongside a Kistler 410 to show some of the differences between each power-plant.

As the off-season kicks into full gear we’ll also show the progress being made on the KWS giveaway car that will be awarded to one of 15 teams at the championship awards banquet. Along with that we’ll continue looking at the companies that will be supporting the banquet, this week showcasing Bully Dog.

Bully Dog products are developed with you in mind. Each of you has a different need, want and desire. Their products, all the way back to their first propane kits, reflect that. Bully Dog products are built to be flexible, allowing each user to get their own desired result, from outrageous performance on the race track to improved fuel economy driving down the highway. More info can be found at http://www.bullydog.com/

We want to wish everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving and hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.

During the cold and chilly winter months be sure to catch archived shows of “KWS Tonight”, as well as special highlight videos and more from the 2011 season at http://vimeo.com/user5784994/videos and http://www.ustream.tv/channel/king-of-the-west-today/videos

The Alternative 410 Motor Program (A4MP) will be the cornerstone of discussion on this Thursday’s edition of “King of the West Tonight” at 7pm pst. The show can be viewed as always on the homepage of http://www.kwssprints.com and will be available for replay immediately after the first showing.

The A4MP is a motor package that derived from GM's LS engine program, primarily because of the high volume of production and after market engine components. The motor can be built in the ballpark of $20,000.

As documented previously the A4MP Engine was utilized by Dan Simpson Racing over the final three events of the KWS season. Former Golden State 410 Series Rookie of the Year Kyle Hirst drove the car at the final race of the year and showed the potential of the engine.

Hirst won his heat race in thrilling fashion and was running solidly in the main event, until a rear end failure on the ninth circuit sidelined him for the remainder of the 30-lapper. On Thursday we will have a phone-in interview with the 23-year-old competitor, getting his thoughts and perspective on the A4MP Engine.

In addition to that we will also relive highlights from the fourth and fifth rounds of the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series season. Round four took place at the Marysville Raceway Park bullring and ended with a popular winner in the form of Sacramento’s “Double Down” Willie Croft.

The fifth round of action marked the annual “Pombo/Sargent Classic” and featured Tim Kaeding and Jonathan Allard getting into a mix up early in the race, before Easton’s Tommy Tarlton took the checkered flag to earn his third career victory in the prestigious event.

During the off-season be sure to catch archived shows of “KWS Tonight”, as well as special highlight videos and more from the 2011 season at http://vimeo.com/user5784994/videos and http://www.ustream.tv/channel/king-of-the-west-today/videos

“KWS Tonight” will be on the road once again this Thursday coming to you from the beautiful Sacramento Delta. The show can be viewed at the homepage of http://www.kwssprints.com on Thursday evening at 7pm pst and will be available to watch at your leisurely pleasure immediately after the first showing.

This week will feature updates on our California past & present drivers from last weekend, a great piece showcasing Bobby McMahan, an update on the awards banquet, a look at the soon-to-be new KWS office and more.

McMahan this season finished eighth in the King of the West standings and led the tour in PitStopUSA.com hard charger awards.

The 2009 Silver Dollar Speedway champ began his career by garnering Rookie of the Year at Placerville Speedway in 1982 and has also gone on to capture the Northern Auto Racing Club Speedweek title in 1996.

McMahan finished runner up in the ’96 NARC standings driving for Clyde Lamar and scored second in points with the Golden State 410 Series in ’97, while wheeling the Bumgarner Racing No. 88 machine.

The clip on Thursday highlights McMahan and his team’s commitment to the sport, following a tough opening night in Antioch that ended with him upside down after leading the first seven laps of the feature.

Along with that we’ll give a sneak peak of the soon-to-be KWS headquarters, which is located just off the bridge entering Rio Vista, California on Highway 12.

We will also relive highlights from Round three of the season at the Ocean Speedway that were seen on SPEED TV. The event saw history be made by Tim Kaeding, as he joined father Brent Kaeding to become just the 2nd driver to reach 50 career series wins.

King of the West 410 Series prepared to give out upwards of $300,000 at championship awards banquet in January

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – November 4, 2011…The Golden State King of the West 410 Series is pleased to announce its championship point fund breakdown today, as teams will take part in a California sprint car record $116,000 total cash fund, plus over $200,000 in contingency prizes, giveaways and trophies at the awards banquet in January.

To put in perspective, last year’s total cash point fund with the Golden State 410 Series was $47,000 and the champion took home roughly the same as this seasons fourth place finisher will in the King of the West standings.

A new twist this year with KWS was that to qualify for point money a driver/team must not have missed more than two races. At the end of the season 15 teams made the cut to earn a part in the largest cash point fund for sprint car racing on the West Coast.

Those 15 teams are labeled as “members in good standing,” exemplifying their strong loyalty during the inaugural campaign of racing under the leadership of Rio Vista resident and racer Dan Simpson.

King of the West 410 champion Tim Kaeding and Roth Motorsports will get the biggest chunk of the point fund, taking home $20,000 for their very strong year, which included a series-high six victories in 2011.

The electrifying driver from San Jose dominated the point chase this year, due in part to his impressive consistency throughout the season. Wheeling the famous HR Cattle No. 83 Maxim, "TK" claimed top-five finishes in all but two events.

Kaeding however, is not the only driver that will reap the awards of the large point fund. Runner-up in points Evan Suggs and Suggs Racing will scoop up an impressive $15,000 to commemorate their best ever season of competition in the sprint car ranks.

The race for third in points came right down to the checkered flag at Hanford during the Cotton Classic. In the end it was Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding claiming the spot by just four-digits over this year’s Dirt Cup winner Jonathan Allard. That ultra slim margin also features a difference of $2,000 in the point fund, as Kaeding and the No. 69 team will grab $12,000 for third in the standings and Allard/ Williams Motorsports earn $10,000 for fourth.

Former champion Jason Statler captured the fifth spot in points by just six-markers over Willie Croft and will score $9,000 for his efforts. After making his return to full-time 410 racing this season, Croft will get $8,000 for sixth in the standings.

Also making a jump to the full-time 410 ranks this year, Andy Gregg and Bret Ervin Racing will bring home $7,000 for the seventh spot in points. 1996 NARC Speedweek champion Bobby McMahan also returned to regular action and will claim $6,000 for eighth in the standings.

Sixteen-year-old "Hoseheads.com/ Grant’s Fine Art Rookie of the Year" Kenny Allen finished ninth in the KWS points and scores $5,500. Former World of Outlaw regular Brad Furr was another driver that returned to 410 racing this year and rounded out the top-10 in points. The five-time Outlaw main event winner will get $5,250 from the point fund.

As previously mentioned the “members in good standing” that rank 11th through 15th will also take part in the point fund for the first time. Those drivers/teams will be Brent Bjork ($4,500), Danielle Simpson ($4,000), Pat Harvey ($3,500), Eli Deshaies ($3,250) and Doug Gandy ($3,000).

“We really wanted to make sure that all our “members in good standing” had a piece of the pie in the point fund and we’re happy with how the break down came out,” said KWS Managing Director Dan Simpson. “The 15th place finisher will take home as much as a main event winner does with us, so that’s a pretty sweet deal.”

In addition to the cash fund at the awards banquet, drivers/teams will also see a record amount of contingency prizes handed out. It will be highlighted by a complete sprint car with engine, as well as an additional race engine that will be up for grabs to the “members in good standing” that are present at the banquet.

The top-20 drivers/teams in the KWS standings will receive contingency awards and trophies at the banquet, but to be eligible for that, they must be present during the night. Among the lucrative prizes given out will be Goodyear Racing tires and other special items.

The King of the West championship awards banquet is scheduled for Saturday January 28 at the Radisson Inn Sacramento. Along with teams, fans are also encouraged to attend the fun night and invitations will be sent out soon. Special KWS room rates will be available.

Don't forget to “like” the Golden State King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kws410s

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Cars.

Be sure to catch archived shows of “KWS Tonight” with Gary Thomas and George Hague, along with special KWS highlight clips from the 2011 season at http://vimeo.com/user5784994/videos and http://www.ustream.tv/channel/king-of-the-west-today/videos

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2011 Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series Championship Point Fund Breakdown

1. Tim Kaeding/ Roth Motorsports- $20,000

2. Evan Suggs/ Suggs Racing- $15,000

3. Brent Kaeding/ BK Racing- $12,000

4. Jonathan Allard/ Williams Motorsports- $10,000

5. Jason Statler/ Statler Racing- $9,000

6. Willie Croft/ Croft Racing- $8,000

7. Andy Gregg/ Bret Ervin Racing- $7,000

8. Bobby McMahan/ McMahan Racing- $6,000

9. Kenny Allen/ Allen Racing- $5,550

10. Brad Furr/ Furr Racing- $5,250

11. Brent Bjork/ Bjork Racing- $4,500

12. Danielle Simpson/ DES Racing- $4,000

13. Pat Harvey/ Harvey Racing- $3,500

14. Eli Deshaies/ Deshaies Racing- $3,250

15. Doug Gandy/ Gandy Racing- $3,000

Visit http://www.kwssprints.com for a special “On the Road” edition of “KWS Tonight” that was filmed this past week outside of a studio for the very first time. The show can also be viewed at http://vimeo.com/31576063

We will show clips & interviews from our special VIP day at the KWS Test Facility last weekend in Rio Vista, which saw sprint car fan Bobby Macek and Pit Stop USA owner Ed Coughenour get their first taste of sitting behind the wheel of a sprint car.

Along with that we’ll also share information on the special Nor Cal promoter’s symposium that was held on Tuesday of this week at the Double Tree Hotel in Modesto. The meeting was held to discuss the health of auto racing in California and what the struggles and challenges are for various tracks and series.

Finally we will relive exciting highlights from the second round of the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series season at the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway. That event saw Tim Kaeding and Jonathan Allard battle for the win right down to the wire, with Tommy Tarlton and Kyle Larson also in the mix.

During the winter be sure to catch archived shows of “KWS Tonight”, as well as special KWS highlight videos and more from the 2011 season at http://vimeo.com/user5784994/videos and http://www.ustream.tv/channel/king-of-the-west-today/videos

Don't forget to “like” the Golden State King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kws410s for the most up to date news and information on KWS.

This Thursday evening at 7:00 pm pst “KWS Tonight” features a year-end reflection and highlights show, as the off-season now begins for many Northern California sprint car teams.

The special Halloween week episode will also bring back the KWS “hot seat” with hosts Gary Thomas and George Hague taking part in the segment for the first time. This week the “hot seat” will be presented by Hoseheads.com and JE Pistons, a pair of great partners with KWS.

We will look back on the inaugural season for the tour under the leadership of Dan Simpson and share some interesting facts and figures, as well as discuss our surprises and favorite races throughout the campaign, drivers we’d like to see next year and more.

During the show we’ll also showcase highlights from the very first race of the season in Antioch on April 9 and play a pair of promo videos that were put together before the year started. To catch it all simply log onto http://www.kwssprints.com at 7pm this Thursday evening.

The show will replay on the King of the West homepage immediately following the broadcast for everyone to watch at their leisurely pleasure.

You can also view archived episodes at http://vimeo.com/user5784994

KWS awards banquet giveaway car back in Rio Vista after getting powder coated by Willie Croft & Amerikote

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – October 26, 2011…Recently picking up the new Maxim Chassis giveaway car at Kaeding Performance in Campbell, California the King of the West Sprints team proceeded to haul it up to Sacramento for a beautiful powder coating job courtesy of Amerikote.

Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series driver Willie Croft and Amerikote Powdercoating took tremendous care in their work, making the car turn out exceptional. It is now back in Rio Vista at the DES Racing complex and ready to be assembled for the championship awards banquet.

“It’s really great when a sprint car guy does the powder coating, because he goes the extra mile and knows how to make it come out right,” commented DES Racing manager Jayson Debo. “The car looks awesome and we want to give a big thanks to Willie Croft and Amerikote.”

Whether you spell it powder coating or powdercoating, the next time you need metal finishing, contact AIC Amerikote Coatings of Carmichael, California. They serve the Northern California area including Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom, Elk Grove, Placerville, Chico, Marysville and Yuba City.

“I was really impressed by Willie and Amerikote’s diverse body of work including customized medical lighting fixtures, entry gates, chassis for sprints and hot rods, custom folding chairs and more,” said KWS Operations Manager George Hague. “They’ve even done work for my wife and I definitely trust them with her business needs so that's where I go.”

AIC has specialized in metal finishes for over 15 years and is one of the area’s oldest and most reliable metal finishing companies in the greater Sacramento area.

They have new equipment and greater capabilities that enable them to powdercoat up to 20ft pieces. They use nothing but the best powder coating supplies, combined with the best service standards. Stop by or give them a call for a quote, you will be glad you did!

AIC - Amerikote Coatings is centrally located off I-80, situated between downtown Sacramento and Roseville. They are five minutes off Interstate 80 on Fair Oaks Blvd and Leos Lane. For more information give them a call at (916) 944-3300 or log onto http://www.amerikotecoatings.com/index.html#

Stay tuned for additional information on the giveaway car and our championship awards banquet that will be held in late-January.

Don't forget to “like” the Golden State King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kws410s

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Cars.

Be sure to catch archived shows of “KWS Tonight” with Gary Thomas and George Hague, along with special KWS highlight clips from the 2011 season at http://vimeo.com/user5784994/videos

A special extended edition of “KWS Tonight” will be presented this Thursday with a recap of the 26th Cotton Classic, as well as interviews with fan favorite and former California Golden State 410 champion Jason Statler and the voice of the King of the West Sprints Mr. Troy Hennig.

Gary Thomas & George Hague will put a cap on a great championship night this past weekend that saw a large crowd pack into the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway. We will also showcase highlights from the King of the West Sprints portion of evening, which saw Jonathan Allard bring home the big money and scoop up his fourth win of the season.

Tune in for some special information regarding next year with the Golden State King of the West 410 Series, along with other tidbits and thanks to all of the people who made this season possible. It was a total partnership to make everything happen and we are looking forward to 2012.

Statler will call-in and discuss his season that concluded with him wrapping up the fifth spot in the KWS standings last weekend. “The Big Guy” ranks 12th on the all-time Golden State 410 win list, sitting in a tie with Bud Kaeding, having scored eight career victories with the tour. Statler is also a former champion of the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial & a World of Outlaw winner at the Santa Maria Speedway in 1999.

Media personality Bobby Gerould once said of Statler:

“Jason Statler, the 2004 Golden State Challenge "King of California", is a driver I admire for his tenacity, and toughness. The large pro-football size man is a prime example of what a racer can become if he sticks with it. I've seen Jason upside down and on-fire. I've seen his knees bend cockpits. But I've never seen Jason Statler quit. His desire to achieve success in his racing endeavors propelled him to improve steadily over a period of years. He also happens to be a cool guy that is friendly with fans.”

Hennig will then phone-in and give his thoughts on the season, in what was his first full year of traveling with the Golden State KWS 410 Sprint Cars. One of the best looking announcers in the business will speak about who he’d like to see run with the King of the West Series next year, what his favorite new track was this season and what moments highlighted the campaign in 2011 for him.

To catch “KWS Tonight” just log onto http://www.kwssprints.com at 7pm pst this Thursday night. The show will replay on the King of the West homepage immediately following the broadcast for everyone to watch at their leisurely pleasure.

You can also view archived shows at http://vimeo.com/user5784994

Be sure to “like” the Golden State King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kws410s

You can also contact the KWS office Monday-Friday from 7am to 4pm at (707) 374-2222.

Jonathan Allard surges to third career Cotton Classic victory in front of large crowd on Saturday/ Tim Kaeding takes home King of the West 410 Sprints championship

By Gary Thomas

Hanford, CA – October 15, 2011…Two of the very best sprint car drivers on the west coast celebrated on the front stretch Saturday night in Hanford, as Chico’s Jonathan Allard brought home his fourth King of the West 410 victory of the year and San Jose’s Tim Kaeding became the inaugural KWS champion.

“It’s just a great feeling to bring home the first California title for Dennis and Teresa Roth,” said Kaeding after the race. “This was a great year with the King of the West Series and I owe it all to my guys. Todd, Bonzai and our whole crew busted their tails every week and gave me a great car at every race.”

The 2002 Golden State 410 champion ended the year with a King of the West Series-high six victories aboard the HR Cattle, Roth Motorsports No. 83 Maxim. He also led the tour in top-five finishes, having only finished outside of the top-five on two occasions, showing the type of consistency needed to win championships.

“I really have to thank Dennis and Teresa Roth for giving me the opportunity these last few years, because it’s been a fun ride so far and this season has been icing on the cake,” he commented. “I also want to give a big thanks to Dan Simpson for stepping up and making the King of the West a premier 410 series. Hopefully next year we can get more backing and make it even better.”

For much of the main event on Saturday it looked as if youth would prevail over experience, with Northwest traveler Trey Starks outgunning the field from the pole position in his family’s black No. 55 sprinter. The 15-year-old from Puyallup, Washington impressively pulled away from the field on many occasions, but had a hair-raising first turn, where he got sideways and nearly spun out.

It resulted however, in outside front row starter Andy Gregg spinning around and coming to a stop, along with Tim Kaeding. St. Helena’s Rico Abreu also looped the car on the opposite end of the speedway, forcing him to the rear of the field after having a third row starting spot.

The next attempt saw Starks get a clean entry into the first set of corners and lead the field until a yellow flag with three laps complete. During it T. Kaeding had the rear end lock up and resulted in his first dnf of the year.

When things got going again Starks shot to the lead and began to stretch his advantage over the rest of the pack, whom were fighting for position behind him. The Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway surface had changed drastically as the night went on and became very treacherous and slick, which made finesse paramount to cutting good laps.

A yellow on lap 17 then changed the complexion of the race and tightened up the battle for the top-spot. When the green flag waved Easton’s Tommy Tarlton showed his muscle and carved the Tachi Palace No. 21 mount into the lead. It didn’t last long though as Starks continued his impressive night and went right back around Tarlton shortly after to re-take the point.

It soon became an exciting three-way tussle with two-time Golden State 410 champ Jonathan Allard entering the mix at the helm of his familiar Morrie and Katie Williams’ No. 0 machine. The 3/8 mile clay oval then started to take rubber more and more in the later stages, making speeds go up all around the speedway.

Using his experience from racing all around the globe Allard charged hard after the top-two and on lap 24 sliced underneath Tarlton for second.

The three-time & reigning Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup winner then tracked down Starks and coming off turn four on lap 26 made a great move to cut to the bottom and steal the lead away. After that it was clear sailing for Allard, who took the Willie Williams checkered flag by 2.788 seconds and claim his third career “Cotton Classic” victory. It was also his 28th career Golden State 410 triumph, which ties Steve Kent for third on the all-time win list.

“It’s been a back and forth season for us so to be able to finish the year with another win at the Cotton Classic is a great feeling,” said Allard, who also won the KWS season-opener in April. “That was an awesome race right there and I have to thank my whole team and my car owners Morrie and Katie Williams. I want to dedicate this win to Carwash Mike Avilla. I tried to get a win for him a couple weeks ago, but that didn’t work out so I’m glad I could get it tonight.”

Starks and Tarlton had the huge crowd on their feet as they fought it out for second in lapped traffic. Tarlton got around the youngster with only a few laps left, but the Northwest driver executed a beautiful maneuver off the fourth corner on the final lap to narrowly get the runner up spot. It was a very strong outing for Starks, who has limited starts in Hanford. Thirteen-time Golden State 410 champion Brent Kaeding had a solid night and came home in fourth to wrap up the third spot in the KWS standings.

Also having a nice run in the main event was ’04 series champ Jason Statler, who came home in fifth to lock up the fifth position in the King of the West standings. New daddy Willie Croft ironically crossed the line in sixth to solidify the sixth spot in the KWS points. Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan finished seventh in the feature after starting from row seven. Wooster, Ohio’s Jac Haudenschild earned the Pit Stop USA hard charger award by coming from 18th to eighth, with the remainder of the top-10 being comprised of Brad Furr and Peter Murphy.

The evenings Last Chance Qualifier was picked off by Willie Croft and the Grants Fine Art/ KSE Racing Products dash was won by Trey Starks. The four Richmond Gear Weekend Warrior heat races were captured by Andy Gregg, Rico Abreu, Kyle Hirst and Trey Starks. The night was started off by Jonathan Allard earning his series high fifth Grants Fine Art fast time award of the season with a lap of 13.167.

On behalf of us all at the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series we’d like to thank everyone for their support this year and look forward to a great 2012 campaign. This season we had 17 full time teams compete with KWS and the support from our teams meant a lot to all of us. Thank you to all the fans and sponsors that made this year a great one. Best of luck to all who are competing at next weekends Trophy Cup in Tulare.

Remember to stay glued to http://www.kwssprints.com for updates throughout the off-season and information regarding our championship awards banquet that is tentatively scheduled for the last weekend in January.

Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series Results “Cotton Classic” – Saturday October 15, 2011

28-cars

Fast time: Jonathan Allard

Heat one: Andy Gregg, Bobby McMahan, Jonathan Allard, Tommy Tarlton, Brent Bjork, Sean McMahan, Eli Deshaies

Heat two: Rico Abreu, Jason Statler, Evan Suggs, Kenny Allen, Andy Forsberg, Danielle Simpson, Pat Harvey

Heat three: Kyle Hirst, Peter Murphy, Brad Furr, Jac Haudenschild, Willie Croft, Gary Paulson, Koen Shaw

Heat four: Trey Starks, Tim Kaeding, Brent Kaeding, Cody Lamar, Doug Gandy, Mark Barroso

Dash: Trey Starks, Andy Gregg, Jonathan Allard, Evan Suggs, Rico Abreu, Tommy Tarlton, Brent Kaeding, Kyle Hirst

LCQ: Willie Croft, Sean McMahan, Koen Shaw, Andy Forsberg, Gary Paulson, Eli Deshaies,

Amain: Jonathan Allard, Trey Starks, Tommy Tarlton, Brent Kaeding, Jason Statler, Willie Croft, Bobby McMahan, Jac Haudenschild, Brad Furr, Peter Murphy, Andy Gregg, Rico Abreu, Cody Lamar, Evan Suggs, Sean McMahan, Kenny Allen, Eli Deshaies, Mark Barroso, Koen Shaw, Gary Paulson, Kyle Hirst, Tim Kaeding

Tim Kaeding looks to wrap up first California title for Roth Motorsports this Saturday at King of the West "Cotton Classic" in Hanford

By Gary Thomas

Hanford, CA – October 12, 2011…For as many years that Fresno, California’s Dennis Roth has owned a 410 Winged Sprint Car, he had never had the opportunity to win a title in his home state of California.

Coming into this season though he made the commitment to keep a car in the Golden State full-time and this Saturday night in Hanford, his driver Tim Kaeding looks to be crowned as the very first King of the West Series champion.

“We’ve had a great season overall and I’m really excited that it appears I’ll get the title for Dennis and Teresa Roth this weekend,” said Kaeding. “They’ve given me a great chance the last few years and coming into the season our number one goal was to get the King of the West championship.”

Kaeding has certainly done everything he can to reach that goal, winning a total of six races thus far and has finished among the top-five in all but one event aboard the HR Cattle No. 83 sprinter. The 2002 Golden State 410 champ has won three consecutive KWS races and will be searching to finish off the season in style on Saturday.

“It’s been a fun year out here and has been one of the most competitive for 410 Sprint Cars in a long time,” commented Kaeding. “None of these races have been easy to win this season, but my guys have been doing a great job every week. I can’t thank ‘Bonzai’ and my whole team enough for all their hard work this year.”

This Saturday’s Golden State King of the West 410 Series finale also comes at a track Kaeding has had immense success at in his career. “The TK Express” has won three of the last four Winged 410 Sprint Car events at the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway, including the KWS visit to the 3/8 mile clay oval in early August.

“Kings Speedway has always been one of my favorite tracks and it will definitely be a great show on Saturday, because it’s a perfect place for sprint cars,” said the 33-year-old San Jose resident. “I’ve won a lot of races there in the past and won the Cotton Classic back in ’02, so I’d like to get another one this weekend.”

Other winners of the prestigious Cotton Classic since the year 2000 have been Visalia’s Blake Robertson; Aliquippa, PA’s Tim Shaffer; Chico’s Jonathan Allard (twice); Clovis’ Jason Meyers; Chico’s Stephen Allard and then last year Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson.

As previously noted, to commemorate the final night of the inaugural KWS season Roth Motorsports will also field a second entry with National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member Jac Haudenschild at the helm. “The Wild Child” is sure to add some excitement to the Cotton Classic and is coming off a third place finish last week in Tulare.

As Kaeding looks to cap off the title this weekend, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs will be shooting to lock up the second position in the KWS standings. The 24-year-old San Jose State graduate has put together his finest Winged Sprint Car season to date, which was highlighted by a victory during the Howard Kaeding Classic in July at Ocean Speedway.

Close battles within the top-10 in points going into championship night include the fight for third between Brent Kaeding and Jonathan Allard, who are separated by just 15-markers, as well as the fight for fifth, in which Jason Statler, Willie Croft and Andy Gregg sit only 10-digits apart. Completing the top-10 in the standings going into the night include Bobby McMahan, Kenny Allen and Brad Furr.

Other top contenders this Saturday are sure to include Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, Clovis’ Peter Murphy, St. Helena’s Rico Abreu, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Tipton’s Mike Faria, Visalia’s Cory Eliason, Puyallup, Washington’s Trey Starks and many more.

Tickets for the 26th Cotton Classic are on sale now and can be acquired by contacting the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway box office at (559) 584-7223. Qualifying is scheduled to get underway just after 6pm with racing beginning at 7.

The Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway is located on the Kings County Fairgrounds in Hanford, California. The physical address is 801 S. 10th Ave, Hanford, Ca 93230. More information can be found at http://www.giantchevroletspeedway.com

Be sure to “like” the Golden State King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kws410s

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for results, standings and more. You can also contact the KWS office at (707) 374-2222.

Championship night for the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series is on deck this Saturday evening in Hanford, with the 26th Cotton Classic ready to fire off!

Keeping that in mind “KWS Tonight” this Thursday at 7pm pst will feature two of the top sprint car drivers in California calling in to discuss the season and preview this weekend’s big event.

First up we will have Placerville competitor and former Golden State 410 Rookie of the Year Andy Gregg on the line, as he and his Bret Ervin Racing team get ready for a huge night on Saturday. The always colorful driver currently ranks seventh in the KWS points, but is only 10-markers out of the fifth position.

Following Andy we’ll have current KWS point leader Tim Kaeding phone in to speak about his solid 2011 campaign, which includes six wins and top-five finishes in all but one race. The San Jose veteran will look to put a cap on the championship this Saturday at the Cotton Classic and give Roth Motorsports its first California title.

Gary Thomas and George Hague will also give last minute thoughts on the 26th Cotton Classic and what to expect on Saturday at the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway.

To view “KWS Tonight” simply log onto http://www.kwssprints.com at 7pm pst this Thursday and to catch archived shows visit http://vimeo.com/user5784994

Be sure to “like” the Golden State King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kws410s

You can also contact the KWS office at (707) 374-2222.

Three-way battle for 5th in the points another storyline for Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series finale this Saturday

By Gary Thomas

Hanford, CA – October 10, 2011…Money and prestige will be on the line this Saturday night at Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway’s “Cotton Classic” when the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprints invade the blazing fast 3/8 mile oval for championship night.

One of the most interesting facets of the event is sure to be the extremely close three-way fight for fifth in the KWS standings between Grass Valley’s Jason Statler, Sacramento’s Willie Croft and Placerville’s Andy Gregg.

The talented trio is separated by just 10-markers, with Statler currently holding down the fifth spot, Croft in sixth and Gregg in seventh. Not only would rounding out the top-five in points be something in the way of bragging rights, but it will also be a difference in money to be gathered at the championship awards banquet.

Of the three drivers, Statler is the only one to have captured a Golden State 410 Sprint Car title, with that feat coming in 2004. “The Big Guy” however, is also the lone driver of the three that hasn’t found victory lane yet in 2011.

Statler though is coming off a season best runner up finish during the most recent KWS event in Hanford on August 6 and will look for more of the same at the Cotton Classic to solidify his position in the standings.

Lurking just six-digits behind Statler is Croft, who became a father on Monday when fiancée Samantha gave birth to baby Cole. “Double Down” picked up a victory earlier this season at the Marysville Raceway Park in April, but suffered a dnf at Giant Chevy Kings Speedway in August after getting upside down on the front stretch.

Gregg goes into the night only four-points back of Croft for sixth and 10 back of Statler for that lucrative fifth spot in the Golden State King of the West 410 standings. The former motocross racer scored victory at the Santa Maria Speedway in May and had a solid night at Hanford in August, winning the dash and finishing fifth in the main event.

Another close battle among the top-10 includes the fight for third between Campbell’s Brent Kaeding and Chico’s Jonathan Allard. “BK” currently holds the spot by 15-points over “JA” and will be looking for his first win of the year at the Cotton Classic. Allard on the other hand is in search of his fourth triumph of the season to help give him the added points and overtake the National Sprint Car Hall of Famer in the standings.

Everyone however, is chasing the Roth Motorsports No. 83 machine of Tim Kaeding, who comes into the 26th Cotton Classic with an almost definite lock on the title. “TK” will be gunning for his fourth consecutive KWS victory and seventh of the overall season. The San Jose throttle-masher captured the Cotton Classic in 2002, the same year he won the Golden State 410 title.

“It will be an exciting night on Saturday and the battle for fifth is going to be awesome to watch with it coming right down to the wire,” said KWS Operations Manager George Hague. “Jason, Willie and Andy are all great racers and great people so it should be a fun show to see who locks down that important fifth position. There's a lot of money on the line for that spot.”

In addition to the actual racing don’t forget about the Breast Cancer Awareness Spaghetti Feed starting at noon on Saturday in the grandstand area, which benefits the Adventist Health Breast Care Center. Stop by to support a good cause and do some bench racing to commemorate the final night of the KWS season.

Tickets for the 26th Cotton Classic are on sale now and can be acquired by contacting the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway box office at (559) 584-2223. The Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway is located on the Kings County Fairgrounds in Hanford, California. The physical address is 801 S. 10th Ave. Hanford, Ca 93230. More information can be found at http://www.giantchevroletspeedway.com

Be sure to “like” the Golden State King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kws410s

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for results, standings and more. You can also contact the KWS office at (707) 374-2222.

Cotton Classic on October 15 adds another super star driver to the line up with Jac Haudenschild at King of the West 410 finale in Hanford

By Gary Thomas

Hanford, CA – October 7, 2011…One of the most exciting sprint car drivers on the planet is scheduled to make an appearance next week at the 26th Cotton Classic in Hanford, with National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member Jac Haudenschild expected to be in action wheeling a car for Central Valley owners Dennis & Teresa Roth.

“The Wild Child” has claimed a number of major victories in his storied career including the Kings Royal, the Historical Big One, the Gold Cup Race of Champions, the Mopar Million and the Front Row Challenge among others.

Haudenschild also picked up a big win at the Kings Speedway in Hanford at the annual Trophy Cup in 2004, while driving for Roth Motorsports. During that weekend the Wooster, Ohio competitor passed a total of 34-cars and narrowly beat out Ronnie Day for the overall title.

At the Cotton Classic Haudenschild will be paired with Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series point leader Tim Kaeding, making for an electrifying team combination in the famed Roth Motorsports stable. The HR Cattle sponsored No. 83 machine already has a win this year at Giant Chevy Kings Speedway, when “TK” triumphed with KWS on August 6.

Going into the Cotton Classic Kaeding also maintains a hefty advantage in the standings, as he looks to wrap up the first California sprint car title for Dennis & Teresa Roth. The former Golden State 410 champ has won the three most recent King of the West races and will look to finish off the season with his seventh triumph of the year with the series.

“I’ve known Jac for a long time and it’s great that Dennis & Teresa Roth are bringing him back out to California,” said King of the West Operations Manager George Hague. “I don’t know if there are two more thrilling drivers in the country than Haud and TK, so to have them at a track like Hanford in 410’s will be a real pleasure. The fans definitely won’t want to miss the Cotton Classic.”

The night will also feature various special activities, with the Cotton Classic being the final show of the season for the KWS 410’s. It all starts at noon with a spaghetti feed in the patio area of the grandstands that will benefit breast cancer awareness. Opening ceremonies will also be a souped-up extravaganza, with the world championship Percheron 6up hitch, with teamster and KWS driver Danielle Simpson at the helm of the powerful six Percheron Draft horses.

“For any fans that haven’t been to one of our races we certainly hope they can make it out to celebrate the final event of our inaugural season,” said Hague. “We want to thank the Woodhouse Family for holding the spaghetti feed and then we have some special stuff planned for opening ceremonies with the 6up team and our full time drivers. We will also have a couple autograph sessions during the night, have our t-shirt shooter going and have some specials at the souvenir trailer among other things.”

Promoter Scott Woodhouse also paid a visit to Rio Vista this week and filmed an episode of “KWS Tonight” that can be seen at http://vimeo.com/30157494

Be sure to stay tuned at the end of the show for an audio clip with Bobby Gerould, speaking about “Carwash” Mike Avilla, which is a must listen.

Be sure to “like” the Golden State King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kws410s

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for results, standings and more. You can also contact the KWS office at (707) 374-2222.

This week on “KWS Tonight” we will feature an information loaded show, highlighted by Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway promoter Scott Woodhouse being in-studio for an extended interview.

Woodhouse will speak about why he ventured into promoting and how he got involved in racing, as well as talk about the special things he does to promote Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway in Hanford.

In addition to that we’ll spend some time discussing and previewing the fast approaching Cotton Classic on October 15 and also give information about the fifth-mile Plaza Park Raceway in Visalia, another track Woodhouse promotes.

With the Fall Nationals held last weekend in Chico we will give a rundown of how King of the West drivers did at the event, which was ultimately captured by KWS point leader Tim Kaeding for the fourth time in his illustrious career.

We’ll also preview the 64th annual Rio Vista Bass Derby & Festival that will be held this Friday through Sunday in the hometown of the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series. On Sunday the always fun soap box derby will be run from 2pm to 5pm, with the finish line located by the KWS office on Main Street.

Finally we will give a mention and update on the KWS giveaway car, share some tidbits and teasers on the year end awards banquet and play an audio file speaking about “Carwash Mike” that Bobby Gerould recorded in Pennsylvania this past weekend.

The show will air at 7pm pst this Thursday evening on http://www.kwssprints.com/webcast

To view archived “KWS Tonight” shows visit http://vimeo.com/user5784994

Special activities including spaghetti feed for breast cancer coincide with KWS Cotton Classic week at Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway

By Gary Thomas

Hanford, CA – October 3, 2011….The 2011 season for the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will conclude in a big way on Saturday October 15 at the Cotton Classic in Hanford and will feature some special activities during the weekend.

The Cotton Classic will mark the final event of the year for the Golden State King of the West Series and wraps up the inaugural season under the leadership of Rio Vista resident Dan Simpson.

The weekend will kick off on Thursday night October 13, with the Downtown Hanford Farmers Market from 6pm to 9pm. Live bands and fun will be had by all so stop on by the Farmers Market and enjoy the festivities. The KWS Show car along with drivers to be announced will be in attendance at the market.

More info on the Market can be found at http://www.local-farmers-markets.com/market/692/hanford/thursday-night-market-place

On Friday night October 14 the “Race for the Cure” will then be held at the Plaza Park Raceway in Visalia with adult tickets $8, students $3 and kids six and under free. More info can be found at www.plazaparkraceway.com

The stars of the future will be on hand at Plaza Park so be sure to go down early and check out the event.

On Saturday afternoon a spaghetti feed will be offered in the patio area of the grandstands at Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway in support of Breast Cancer awareness, with donations encouraged. The feed will start at noon and run until 2pm. Donations go to Adventist Health Breast Care Center.

Later that night the Golden State King of the West Sprint Cars will take to the lightning fast 3/8 mile clay oval to cap the 410 Winged Sprint Car season in Northern California. Going into the evening Tim Kaeding has a stranglehold on the title, but there are several intriguing battles behind him.

Evan Suggs holds a firm grip on second in the points, however, third place Brent Kaeding is just 15-markers up on Jonathan Allard. The best race to watch will be the fight for fifth in the standings, where Jason Statler, Willie Croft and Andy Gregg are all just 10-points apart.

The difference in point position could mean thousands of dollars at the year-end banquet, so drivers will be giving it their all with dollar signs in sight. As previously noted when adding up cash and contingencies we currently have over $300,000 that will be handed out at the banquet.

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series competed at Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway in early August and that night saw T. Kaeding claim his tour leading sixth victory of the season. The remainder of the podium was rounded out by Statler and Suggs.

Other drivers expected at the 26th Cotton Classic on October 15 will be local favorite Tommy Tarlton of Easton, Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan, Clovis’ Peter Murphy, St. Helena’s Rico Abreu, Stockton’s Brad Furr, Chico’s Kenny Allen, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Visalia’s Cory Eliason, Tipton’s Mike Faria and more.

Also on hand for the night will be the USAC West Coast Wingless 360’s and should make for a great evening of Winged and Non Winged Sprint Car racing.

The Make-A-Wish two seater sprint car will be on display at the track for the Cotton Classic as well. This car will be available for rides at both Hanford and Tulare next season, with the proceeds going to Make-A-Wish.

The Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway is located on the Kings County Fairgrounds in Hanford, California. The physical address is 801 S. 10th Ave. Hanford, Ca 93230. More information can be found at http://www.giantchevroletspeedway.com or by calling 559-584-7223.

Be sure to “like” the Golden State King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kws410s

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for results, standings and more. For more contact the KWS office at (707) 374-2222.

King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series giveaway car coming together for banquet

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – September 28, 2011…One of most lucrative prizes drivers have been chasing this season with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series has been the opportunity to win a complete sprint car, which will be given away at the championship awards banquet.

To be eligible for the sprint car giveaway, drivers/teams must have not missed more than two races and at this point there are currently 15 drivers in the running for the huge prize at the banquet. The awards banquet will be held towards the end of January and when adding up cash and contingencies we currently have over $300,000 that will be handed out.

With that said, the King of the West team picked up a new 87/40 Maxim raised rail Chassis with body work, floor pan, dash and motor plate last week courtesy of Kaeding Performance located in Campbell, California.

“We can’t thank Kaeding Performance enough for donating a Maxim Chassis kit for the giveaway car,” said KWS Operations Manager George Hague. “We appreciate Brent’s guidance and the support he’s given us through contingencies and the giveaway car this season. We’re looking forward to announcing others that are supporting the giveaway car as well so stay tuned.”

The Kaeding family has had a long and successful history in both racing and business in California and over the years they combined the two into a successful racing business. The property where the business is located has been in the family since the early 1940’s.

The family is represented by three generations of champions including Howard, Brent, Tim and Bud. Kaeding Performance relies on this racing experience to offer their customers the latest in sprint car technology, set-up advice and confidence in the parts they sell.

Their staff has many years of racing experience as well so feel free to rely on them for any and all of your racing needs.

To learn more about Kaeding Performance visit http://www.kaedings.com/index.php

The Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will conclude its season on October 15 at the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway in Hanford, California, with the running of the annual Cotton Classic. Last season Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson claimed the Cotton Classic after an epic battle with Tim Kaeding and Jonathan Allard.

T. Kaeding goes into the night on October 15 with a large advantage in the standings, as he looks to wrap up the first California 410 Sprint Car title for car owners Dennis & Teresa Roth. “TK” has won six main events this season and has been a model of consistency, having finished among the top-five in all but one event. The race to watch though will be the fight for fifth, in which Jason Statler, Willie Croft & Andy Gregg are all separated by just 10-markers.

Be sure to “like” Golden State King of the West Series on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kws410s

Also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com

Coming off his giant night at the 4 Crown Nationals, last years Golden State 410 Sprint Car champion Kyle Larson will be a call in guest on "KWS Tonight" this Thursday)

Carwash Mike tribute show & Kyle Larson interview on "KWS Tonight" this Thursday

Rio Vista, CA - September 28, 2011...After a two-week hiatus “KWS Tonight” will return to the air waves this Thursday night at 7pm pst with a special mini tribute show to “Carwash” Mike Avilla.

We will have former crew chief Jamie Skinner call in and share her thoughts on “Carwash Mike” and give an update on what the Skinner family is up to nowadays.

Her brother Jim was a former winner of the “Salute to Walt Ross” at the Calistoga Speedway and campaigned a car on the Golden State 410 tour for a number of years.

In addition to that we’ll have Elk Grove youngster Kyle Larson calling in to discuss his huge season to date and his first experience at the famed Eldora Speedway last weekend, where he did the unthinkable and swept the USAC portion of the 4 Crown Nationals.

The 19-year-old is preparing for this weekend’s Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals in Chico, as he returns to California and gets back behind the wheel of the Stadelhofer Construction No. 99 machine. Larson also speaks about what his favorite track is and how special it would be if he could win there at the end of the month.

We’ll also briefly touch on our season ending event at the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway in Hanford on Saturday October 15. The evening of competition will mark the 26th Cotton Classic and will put an exciting cap on the inaugural KWS season.

To watch “KWS Tonight” log onto http://www.kwssprints.com/webcast at 7pm pst this Thursday evening. To view archived shows visit http://vimeo.com/user5784994

Northern California 410 drivers show well with World of Outlaws

By Gary Thomas

September 14, 20ll...With the World of Outlaws invading the Golden State for three nights of racing this past week, Northern California 410 sprint car drivers were up to the challenge and put together a great showing during each event of the swing.

Golden State King of the West Series point leader Tim Kaeding & 2010 Golden State 410 champion Kyle Larson had impressive efforts to finish on the podium Monday night in Antioch with 20-time World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser.

Larson tallied the KSE hard charger award by carving his way from 14th to 2nd in the main event on Monday. It was the second race in row that the 19-year-old reigning Golden State champ had a strong run with WOO, after claiming the Gold Cup this past Saturday in Chico.

The Elk Grove native led all 40-laps at Silver Dollar Speedway to pick up his biggest career victory at the quarter-mile bullring, while driving the Stadelhofer Construction No. 99 mount. We’d like to congratulate car owner Brent Kaeding, Kyle, Rich, Clarke and the whole team on the big triumph.

Tim Kaeding, who leads the KWS standings by 86-markers, rebounded from an incident in the dash at Antioch on Monday to score his second podium of the Outlaw swing aboard the Roth Motorsports No. 83jr on Monday. "TK" was also the KSE hard charger in the main event on Saturday night at the Gold Cup in Chico.

Placerville’s Andy Gregg had one of the biggest nights of his career during the finale of Gold Cup on Saturday, as he won his heat race and ran a stout third in the main event driving for Care Free Pools Racing No. 1x. The former Golden State 410 Rookie of the Year currently sits seventh in the KWS points, but is just 10-back of Jason Statler for fifth.

Two-time California Golden State 410 champion Jonathan Allard, who ranks fourth in the KWS points, also had a solid outing in Antioch on Monday by racing to an eight place finish in the 30-lapper. The Chico native also brought home a fifth place effort during opening night of the Gold Cup at his home track of SDS.

Scotts Valley's Evan Suggs had a nice showing during opening night of the Gold Cup in Chico last week, as the 24-year-old tallied the KSE hard charger award in the feature. The San Jose State graduate currently sits second in the KWS standings, having his best winged sprint car season to date.

Former NARC & Golden State competitor Paul McMahan, who is fourth in the WOO points, claimed victory on opening night of the Gold Cup at the helm of the Roth Motorsports No. 83 sprinter. The feature that night saw a California sweep of podium with Jason Meyers finishing second and Shane Golobic earning his best WOO result by claiming third.

Prunedale’s Justin Sanders, who set fast time with the Golden State King of the West Series earlier this year, took home fast time honors on opening night of the Gold Cup in just his seventh ever 410 start. Silver Dollar track champ Tyler Wolf finished an impressive 10th during the finale of Gold Cup for his best WOO finish.

KWS part timer Rico Abreu raced to his best career Outlaw finish on Monday in Antioch by scoring an 11th place effort. It also marked the youngster's first night of racing at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds facility.

Elk Grove's Sean McMahan did a great job to win the c-main on Saturday of the Gold Cup and then on Monday in Antioch made the A-main for the first time in his Outlaw career.

We'd like to congratulate all of the California drivers on a job well done this past weekend.

More info on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series can be found at http://www.kwssprints.com or by contacting 707-374-2222. Also follow us on Facebook and Twitter for up to date news on the series.

With the Golden State King of the West Sprints having some time off “KWS Tonight” returns this Thursday at 7pm with an update & review of the season, as well as a recap of the Knoxville Nationals and a preview of the 58th Gold Cup Race of Champions at the Silver Dollar Speedway.

Gary Thomas and George Hague will discuss how the KWS season has gone from the series operations standpoint, where the tour is at during its inaugural year and the challenges of trying to put on “shows” rather than standard racing events.

We will also give an update on the year-end awards banquet and talk about the many lucrative prizes that KWS full-time drivers will have a chance at winning, or have already won this season.

A full rundown of the week at the 51st annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals will also be given, with Thomas sharing his experiences during the week of racing that also included the Challenges at Oskaloosa.

Finally, we will preview the last two 410 Sprint Car Point Races and the Gold Cup Race of Champions at the Silver Dollar Speedway. This Friday will mark “Kids Bike Night” and all children 11 and under will be admitted free with one paid adult. Those children will also receive a free popcorn and soda.

To view the show log onto http://www.kwssprints.com/webcast at 7pm pst this Thursday evening.

“TK Express” continues to roll on with weekend sweep of Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series events at Ocean Speedway and Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway

By Gary Thomas

Hanford, CA – August 6, 2011…Drivers and teams always strive to get stronger as the season goes on and that has certainly been the case for San Jose’s Tim Kaeding, after completing a two-night sweep to make it three consecutive wins with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series.

The victories at Ocean Speedway and Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway this past weekend marked Kaeding’s 53rd and 54th career Golden State 410 wins and rolled his total up to a KWS leading six in 2011 aboard the Roth Motorsports, HR Cattle No. 83 Maxim.

“I really have to thank Dennis & Teresa Roth and my whole team for giving me such a great car as always,” commented Kaeding. “We are doing what we need to build some momentum with Knoxville coming up next week and we are definitely looking forward to getting back there. I also want to thank all you fans for coming out and supporting 410 sprint car racing because we really appreciate it.”

Friday:

The action on Friday night at the Ocean Speedway started out with a bang, as Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs blistered the quarter-mile in 11.345 seconds to set a new Golden State KWS 410 track record and earn his fourth Grant’s Fine Art fast time award of the season.

The 30-lap A-main started out with Stockton’s Brad Furr jumping into the lead for the first time this season aboard the Ray Scheidts Electric No. 2 sprinter. The former World of Outlaw driver was in search of his first win of the year and looked strong early on, but had to deal with an inordinate amount of yellows and reds.

A restart on lap-nine then saw Tim Kaeding get side by side with Furr, but couldn’t quite make it stick and had to settle back into second. The very hooked up speedway saw amazing speeds in the main event and with 12 laps complete “TK” finally got the momentum he needed and charged to the top-spot off turn four.

After taking the lead Kaeding then had to deal with numerous slowdowns himself that included red flag periods for Kenny Allen, Jonathan Allard and Brent Bjork on laps 22, 26 and 28 respectively. Through it all though the former Golden State 410 champion never faltered and rocketed off to cross the checkered flag for victory.

Furr did a great job finishing the race in second to score his best finish of the KWS season and Sacramento’s Willie Croft came home in third to tally his second podium effort of the year. Easton’s Tommy Tarlton rebounded nicely from an early race spin to charge all the way back to fourth by the conclusion. The top-10 was rounded out by Evan Suggs, Brent Kaeding, Jason Statler, Andy Gregg, Jerry Bonnema and Brent Bjork.

The 12-lap Last Chance Qualifier was picked off by Prunedale’s Justin Sanders with the KSE/ Grant’s Fine Art Dash being won by Tim Kaeding. Heat race wins for the night went to Brad Furr, Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard and Tommy Tarlton. As previously noted Evan Suggs set fast time to begin the night.

Saturday:

The Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series then made the trip down to Hanford on Saturday for its first appearance of the year at the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway. The evening opened up with Tim Kaeding continuing his march towards a KWS title by setting his first Grant’s Fine Art fast time of the season and earning seven bonus points in the process.

When things got underway in the main event it was dash winner Andy Gregg of Placerville grabbing the lead. Like the previous night however, the feature was plagued by cautions and reds and took four starts to get just one lap in. During the first few attempts though the action was very exciting, as Gregg, Tim Kaeding and Jonathan Allard battled it out on each start, even going three-wide at one point.

The fourth complete restart saw a single file attempt and it turned out to be the magic charm, with Gregg leading the field to click off the opening lap.

It didn’t last long though, as Kaeding and Allard both finessed their way by Gregg to grab first and second on lap-two. Early on Allard charged hard after Kaeding and took a peak to his outside a couple times, but on lap-seven “JA” would overshoot the corner and allow Jason Statler and Evan Suggs to get by.

Cautions continued to hamper the flow of the feature as the race went on, but during it all the fight for second on back was an entertaining one, as Kaeding pulled away from the field. Statler, Allard and Suggs would remain in a race-long fight for the runner up spot going to wheel to wheel and running close together with regularity.

As the laps wound down drivers tried to get everything they could and on lap 26 Willie Croft found some tough luck after he and Gregg made contact on the front stretch, which resulted in him getting upside down to end a good run he had going. The remaining laps saw Kaeding have no worries out front and he rocketed off to record yet another victory at the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway.

Statler came home in second to earn his best finish of the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series season aboard the DF Rios Motorsports No. 00 mount. “This feels like a win for us after some of the luck we’ve had this year,” Statler joked on the front stretch. “It seems like we have been in the wrong place at the wrong time all year so to get on the podium is great for this whole team.”

Suggs won out in a thrilling last lap battle with Allard to secure the final spot on the podium and continue his impressive season. Allard crossed the stripe in fourth with Gregg completing the top-five. The rest of the top-10 was completed by Clovis, CA’s Peter Murphy, Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan, Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, Stockton’s Brad Furr and Chico’s Kenny Allen.

The evening’s KSE/ Grant’s Fine Art Dash as mentioned was won by Andy Gregg and the three 10-lap heat races were claimed by St. Helena’s Rico Abreu, Gregg and Brent Kaeding. Tim Kaeding’s fast time to begin the night was a 13.406 around the three-eighths mile clay oval.

Full results from both nights of racing this past weekend can be found at http://www.kwssprints.com

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Results- Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway Saturday August 6, 2011

24 cars

Fast-time: Tim Kaeding 13.406

Heat one: Rico Abreu, Evan Suggs, Tim Kaeding, Bobby McMahan, Cory Eliason, Doug Gandy, Koen Shaw

Heat two: Andy Gregg, Jason Statler, Mike Faria, Peter Murphy, Kenny Allen, Willie Croft, Kevin Smith, Dan Simpson

Heat three: Brent Kaeding, Tommy Tarlton, Jonathan Allard, Craig Stidham, Danielle Simpson, Brad Furr, Pat Harvey, Eli Deshaies

Dash: Andy Gregg, Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Brent Kaeding, Jason Statler, Evan Suggs, Tommy Tarlton, Rico Abreu

A-main: Tim Kaeding, Jason Statler, Evan Suggs, Jonathan Allard, Andy Gregg, Peter Murphy, Bobby McMahan, Brent Kaeding, Brad Furr, Kenny Allen, Danielle Simpson, Koen Shaw, Eli Deshaies, Pat Harvey, Kevin Smith, Rico Abreu, Willie Croft, Charlie Louden, Mike Faria, Cory Eliason, Doug Gandy, Tommy Tarlton, Craig Stidham, Dan Simpson

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Results- Ocean Speedway Friday August 5, 2011

26-cars

Fast-time: Evan Suggs 11.345 (New Golden State KWS track record)

Heat one: Brad Furr, Brent Kaeding, Evan Suggs, Jason Statler, Zane Burke, Kurt Nelson, Kevin Shmith

Heat two: Tim Kaeding, Bobby McMahan, Andy Gregg, Doug Gandy, Danielle Simpson, Jerry Bonnema

Heat three: Jonathan Allard, Willie Croft, Ken Fredenburg, Brent Bjork, Pat Harvey, Rico Abreu

Heat four: Tommy Tarlton, Kenny Allen, Eli Deshaies, Dan Simpson, Nick Ringo III, Justin Sanders

Dash: Tim Kaeding, Brad Furr, Tommy Tarlton, Jonathan Allard, Brent Kaeding, Evan Suggs, Willie Croft, Andy Gregg

Last Chance Qualifier: Justin Sanders, Rico Abreu, Jerry Bonnema, Danielle Simpson, Kurt Nelson, Pat Harvey, Nick Ringo, Kevin Smith, Zane Burke

A-main: Tim Kaeding, Brad Furr, Willie Croft, Tommy Tarlton, Evan Suggs, Brent Kaeding, Jason Statler, Andy Gregg, Jerry Bonnema, Brent Bjork, Justin Sanders, Doug Gandy, Danielle Simpson, Jonathan Allard, Pat Harvey, Kurt Nelson, Kenny Allen, Rico Abreu, Dan Simpson, Ken Fredenburg, Eli Deshaies, Bobby McMahan

Big double-header weekend on tap for Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series this Friday and Saturday in Watsonville and Hanford

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – August 3, 2011…The fight for the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series title will kick back into full gear this weekend with events at Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway on Friday and Hanford’s Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway on Saturday.

Friday’s show at Ocean Speedway will be the fourth race of the year at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds bullring, which has provided some exciting thrills this season. In the three prior visits there have been three different winners including Tim Kaeding, Tommy Tarlton and most recently Evan Suggs.

On Saturday KWS then visits the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway for the very first time this season. It will be the 15th overall event of the 2011 campaign. The three-eighths mile clay oval has long been one of the most famed dirt tracks in the west and the race on Saturday is much anticipated by teams and fans alike.

Tim Kaeding will bring his healthy Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series point lead into the weekend looking for a tour leading fifth victory of the season. “TK” maintains a staggering 73-point advantage in the standings aboard Dennis & Teresa Roth’s No. 83 mount and last season won both Golden State 410 races at the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway.

Despite Kaeding having a large point lead, the remainder of the top-10 features a number of close battles and with the season winding down drivers are sure to give it their all, as this weekend’s double-header will be critical in the outcome.

Hoping to make it back to back at the Ocean Speedway and coming into Friday ranking second in the standings is Evan Suggs, who has been one of the most consistent performers all season long. Wheeling his family’s black No. 33e sprinter the Scotts Valley resident picked up a popular win on July 2 in Watsonville and will look to duplicate it Friday.

Already a two-time winner with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series, Tommy Tarlton of Easton will be gunning for his third victory of the year this weekend. The defending Ocean Speedway champion runs well at both tracks and will for sure be a top contender this weekend in the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino No. 21 machine.

Entrenched in a battle for the third spot in the points are Campbell’s Brent Kaeding and Chico’s Jonathan Allard, who are separated by just eight-markers. “BK” is still searching for his first win of the year, while “JA” has claimed three so far this season. Rounding out the top-five in the standings going into the weekend is Sacramento’s Willie Croft, who has one victory on the year with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series.

Continuing to move up the ladder each week has been Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan and the veteran is now only four-digits out of the top-five in points. The former NARC Speedweek champion has scored three consecutive podium finishes and appears to be on the cusp of getting his first win of the year.

The remainder of the top-10 going into the weekend is comprised of 2004 Golden State 410 champion Jason Statler of Grass Valley, Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Hoseheads/ Grant’s Fine Art Rookie contender Kenny Allen from Chico and Fremont’s Brent Bjork.

Other drivers expected to take part in the weekend’s action will include Stockton’s Brad Furr, St. Helena’s Rico Abreu, Visalia’s Cory Eliason, Clovis’ Peter Murphy, North Kingstown, Rhode Island’s Eli Deshaies, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Tipton’s Mike Faria, Rio Vista’s Dan and Danielle Simpson, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey, Merced’s Mark Barroso, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy and more.

The front gate of the Ocean Speedway opens at 4:30pm on Friday with qualifying around 5:30 and racing scheduled to start around 6. Adult tickets will cost $20, children 6-12 $15 and seniors 65 and older will be $18.

The Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, two miles east of Watsonville, California on SR 152. The physical address is 2601 East Lake Ave, Watsonville, CA 95076. More information can be found at http://www.oceanspeedway.com or by calling 831-662-9466.

The front gate of the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway opens at 5pm on Saturday with racing expected to begin just after 6:30. Reserved grandstand tickets will be $20 with general admission tickets $17.

Reno/Fernley Raceway Cancels 2011 Major Events

Aug 2, 2011, Rio Vista CA…..The Reno/Fernley Raceway has canceled the DirtCar Western All Start Late Model weekend Aug 13-14, 2011 and the Golden State King of the West Sprint car weekend September 17 and 18. “The poor economy in the Reno/Fernley area has forced these tough decisions” stated track owner, Rich Cable. We are working with the sanctioning groups to reschedule these events for the 2012 season.

The KWS race on September 17 and 18, 2011 has been canceled due to these announcements and has been tentatively rescheduled for early June of 2012.

The management of the KWS sprint car series is working to replace these races in the 2011 scheduled and hope to have an announcement in the coming days.

The next event for the Golden State King of the West series is August 5th at the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, CA and the August 6th at the Kings Speedway in Hanford, CA. For details on these and other upcoming KWS events go to http://www.kwssprints.com or contact the office at 707-374-2222.

Legendary Northern California driver Doug Gandy of Oakhurst will be the featured guest on “King of the West Tonight” this Thursday at 7pm pacific time on http://www.kwssprints.com/webcast

Gandy was the 1976 Silver Dollar Speedway track champion and also won titles at the Placerville Speedway in 1975, ’78 and ’79.

In his career he has won over 100 main events and this season has been a regular with the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series.

We will also have highlights from Tomas Scheckter’s debut in a sprint car this past Sunday and give everyone an update on the KWS season with 13 races down and six to go.

Point leader Tim Kaeding won his series leading fourth main event of the year last Saturday in Antioch and extended his lead to 73-markers.

“TK” was able to muscle his way underneath Brent Kaeding in traffic on lap-12 en route to his 52nd career Golden State victory. It also continued the streak of every KWS feature so far this season having a lead change.

The Golden State King of the West 410 Series is set for a couple weekends off, with the next events taking place at Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway on Friday August 5 and Hanford’s Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway on Saturday August 6.

More information on the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series can be found at http://www.kwssprints.com

You can also follow KWS on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KWS410s#!/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

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Remaining Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series events this season

Friday August 5: Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, CA

Saturday August 6: Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway in Hanford, CA

Saturday September 17: Reno-Fernley Raceway in Fernley, NV Sunday September 18: Reno-Fernley Raceway in Fernley, NV

Saturday October 1: Chowchilla Speedway in Chowchilla, CA

Saturday October 15: Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway in Hanford, CA "Cotton Classic"

Tomas Scheckter gets first-hand feel of sprint car racing at KWS test facility on Sunday

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – July 18, 2011…Many young short track drivers dream about competing at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where speeds can reach upwards of 225 mph and has a history as rich as any in all of motorsports.

For Indy Car veteran Tomas Scheckter however, he had been looking to go in a slightly different direction. The driver who finished eighth at this year’s Indy 500 had been wanting to get into a 900hp fire-breathing 410 Sprint Car and on Sunday that became a reality for the South African.

After watching the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series event at the Antioch Speedway on Saturday night, Scheckter suited up on Sunday and got his first laps in a Winged 410 Sprint Car, which took place at the KWS test facility in Rio Vista, California.

Sitting behind the wheel of Brent Kaeding’s No. 69 sprinter Scheckter turned about a hundred laps around the quarter-mile during the day and was smiling from cheek to cheek following the session. “Wow that is certainly a huge rush,” said Scheckter after pulling in for the first time. “I can’t even explain how cool it is driving one of these things.”

Scheckter got better and better as the day went on and showed that he could adapt well to slinging a sprint car around on the dirt. After getting the initial laps under his belt it gave a definite glimpse of how physically demanding these cars are, as he had sweat pouring down his face. The day after he tweeted, “My neck and forearms are hurting today. You can't imagine how deep you can go in and how much throttle you can carry on dirt.”

Both Brent and Bud Kaeding coached Scheckter during the day, giving tips and lending their many years of expertise and knowledge of the sport to the aspiring sprint car driver. “Tomas is having a blast and it’s always great to see someone having fun like that,” said Brent Kaeding. “He is definitely not shy with the throttle and hopefully we can get him in an actual race sooner or later.”

Scheckter is the son of 1979 Formula One World Champion Jody Scheckter and has competed at the Indianapolis 500 on 10 different occasions, with a best finish of fourth, which came in 2003 while driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. He also has a pair of victories and eight career poles with the IZOD Indy Car Series.

KWS Operations Manager George Hague was also impressed by Scheckter’s first experience in a sprint car on Sunday. “It was really cool to see Tomas get in a sprinter yesterday and you can see he will be exciting to watch,” said Hague. “Hopefully everything will come together and he can run some races out here, because it would be an awesome thing. It was nice to have him on hand at our KWS race this past Saturday in Antioch as well.”

Scheckter was appreciative of everyone who made it possible for him to get into a sprint car. "I really want to thank Brent, Bud and the Kaeding's, as well as the KWS Series for giving me the chance to try out a sprint car," he said. "I had a great time and hope to do more of it."

If everything falls in place Scheckter could be in a sprint car before too long so keep your eyes and ears peeled.

For more information on Tomas Scheckter and Team Redline Extreme visit http://www.redlinextremeracing.com/

You can also learn more on the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series at http://www.kwssprints.com or on Facebook and Twitter.

Stay tuned to the KWS website for some video clips of Tomas Scheckter's first experiance in a sprint car.

Tim Kaeding passes Brent Kaeding to score fourth Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series victory of the season

By Gary Thomas

Antioch, CA – July 16, 2011…Whenever you have Tim and Brent Kaeding fighting for the lead of a race it almost guarantees to make for an incredible show. That was evident once again on Saturday night at the Antioch Speedway, as the younger Kaeding got the best of the battle to claim his fourth Golden State King of the West victory of the year.

“TK” stalked the Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 sprint car for a number of laps while riding the high scary side, before scooping up the lead on lap 12 en route to his 52nd career Golden State 410 triumph, in front of a packed and very vocal house at the Antioch Speedway.

“I’m really excited to finally get another win with the King of the West, because it seems like it’s been a while,” said a pumped up T. Kaeding, whose last KWS win came in Calistoga over Memorial Day weekend. “We were only running on seven cylinders there at the end and I think it’s like the third time this year we’ve won a race and hurt a motor, which isn’t good but we’ll take the win.”

An extremely hooked up Antioch Speedway was seen on Saturday that made for lightning-fast speeds all night long. The event on Saturday also marked the two-year anniversary of the last time Brent Kaeding had won a Golden State 410 race. The National Sprint Car Hall of Famer appeared hungry to get back into victory lane after winning his heat race and the dash to give himself the pole for the 30-lap feature.

At the waving of Ryan Riley’s green flag in the main event it was “BK” jumping into the lead, but over the first few circuits he felt intense pressure from Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs and T. Kaeding. Following an early race caution “TK” then put his Roth Motorsports No. 83 mount to the top-side of the track and was able to charge past Suggs to grab second. It would set up a classic battle between father and son at the front of the field.

With Brent Kaeding running the bottom, Tim Kaeding found his customary high-line to his liking and charged hard after the leader of the race. As fans sat on the edge of their seats “BK” tried everything to hold off “TK” and did a great job to do so, until lapped traffic gave the current KWS point leader an opportunity to pounce. Racing through heavy traffic T. Kaeding then sliced to the inside of the speedway and shot to the lead with 12-laps down.

Shortly after taking the lead however, T. Kaeding’s engine began to emit a sour sound, as definite issues were occurring underneath the hood. The final stoppage of the night would then occur on lap 19 when Suggs spun sideways and collected Stockton’s Brad Furr and Sacramento’s Willie Croft. After going back green T. Kaeding led the field, but Brent Kaeding would remain within striking distance, giving it his all and trying everything to find a way by the No. 83 car. With Brent closing in though, Tim made some extremely nifty moves in traffic to give him the breathing room needed and take the checkered flag by over two seconds.

“I really have to thank Dennis & Teresa Roth and all my guys for giving me a great car,” said the ’02 Golden State 410 champ. “I also want to thank all you fans for coming out and supporting 410 sprint car racing because without you we couldn’t do any of this. My old man did a great job tonight and he means so much to this sport out here so I have to congratulate him as well.”

Brent Kaeding tried hard to catch Tim, but came up just short and crossed the stripe in second to cap a very strong night for the 13-time Golden State 410 champion. “Second place pretty much sucks is about all I can say,” said a disappointed “BK” on the front stretch. “I feel like we had a better car, but I got hung up in traffic and it just cost us tonight. Tim did a really good job though and deserved to win.”

Coming home in third for the third consecutive race and having another solid night was Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan in the American Tool and Mfg. No. 25 machine. “It’s great to be back up here on the podium again, but I’m getting tired of finishing third every week,” McMahan joked on the front straightaway. “I really have to thank my whole team for their support and thank all the fans for coming out, because this place has some of the best fans on tour.

Chico’s Jonathan Allard rebounded from an early race spin to charge back through the field and finish in fourth, with Placerville’s Andy Gregg tallying fifth to score his first top-five finish in over a month. Rounding out the top-10 were Sacramento’s Willie Croft, Suggs, Chico’s Kenny Allen, North Kingstown, Rhode Island’s Eli Deshaies and Prunedale’s Justin Sanders. For Deshaies it was his first career KWS top-10.

Picking up victory in the 12-lap Last Chance Qualifier was Vacaville’s Matthew Davis and winning the Grant’s Fine Art/ KSE Racing Products Dash was Brent Kaeding. The three 10-lap heat races were captured by Brent Kaeding, Jason Statler and Bobby McMahan. Beginning the night by setting a new Antioch Speedway track record was Evan Suggs who beat out 24 other drivers to set the Grant’s Fine Art fast time with a lap of 11.770.

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will now take a couple weekends off until resuming action at the Ocean Speedway on Friday August 5 and the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway on Saturday August 6.

Don’t forget to check out “King of the West Tonight” every Thursday at 7pm pst on http://www.kwssprints.com/webcast

More information on the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series can be found at http://www.kwssprints.com

You can also follow KWS on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KWS410s#!/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Results- Antioch Speedway Saturday July 16

25 cars

Fast time: Evan Suggs 11.770 (New Track Record)

Heat one: Brent Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Evan Suggs, Brad Furr, Danielle Simpson, Eli Deshaies, Brent Bjork, Pat Harvey, Dusty Green

Heat two: Jason Statler, Andy Gregg, Tim Kaeding, Justin Sanders, Art McCarthy, Matthew Davis, Dan Simpson, John Coughran

Heat three: Bobby McMahan, Willie Croft, Kenny Allen, Colton Heath, Doug Gandy, Mark Tabor Jr., Nick Ringo Jr., Mark Barroso

Dash: Brent Kaeding, Evan Suggs, Tim Kaeding, Bobby McMahan, Willie Croft, Brad Furr, Andy Gregg, Jason Statler

Last Chance Qualifier: Matthew Davis, Eli Deshaies, Mark Barroso, Brent Bjork, Pat Harvey, Mark Tabor Jr., Dan Simpson, Nick Ringo Jr., John Coughran, Dusty Green

A-main: Tim Kaeding, Brent Kaeding, Bobby McMahan, Jonathan Allard, Andy Gregg, Willie Croft, Evan Suggs, Kenny Allen, Eli Deshaies, Justin Sanders, Matthew Davis, Dan Simpson, Doug Gandy, Pat Harvey, Art McCarthy, Brad Furr, Danielle Simpson, Colton Heath, Jason Statler, Mark Barroso, Brent Bjork, Mark Tabor Jr.

410 Sprint Cars rumble into Antioch Speedway this Saturday with Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Round 13

By Gary Thomas

Antioch, CA – July 12, 2011…The thunder of 410 Sprint Cars will return to the Antioch Speedway this Saturday night when the Golden State King of the West Series invades the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds track for the final time this season.

The event on Saturday will be the 13th night of competition for the tour, as the series continues its march towards championship night in mid-October. Including this weekend there are seven races remaining on the schedule and Saturday’s show brings KWS back to where it started in April.

As the season slowly winds down former Golden State 410 champion Tim Kaeding continues to have a firm grip on the point lead, as he attempts to become the first “King of the West” while driving the famed Roth Motorsports No. 83 machine.

The San Jose veteran has captured three main event wins so far this season and in his career has scored a pair of 410 victories at the Antioch Speedway. “TK” has finished among the top-five in all but one KWS event so far this season, using the type of consistency it takes to win championships.

Tying Kaeding for the most wins this season with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series last week was Chico’s Jonathan Allard, who claimed victory during the Antioch Speedway opener in April. The win that night was the first for Allard in Antioch and he goes into Saturday ranking fourth in the KWS points.

Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs sits second in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings and will look for another strong run in Antioch, a track he finished second at in April. The 24-year-old currently stands 60-points behind T. Kaeding going into the weekend and will be looking to make up some ground.

Thirteen-time Golden State 410 champion Brent Kaeding comes to Antioch third in the standings and has won the most races at the track since 410 racing returned to the facility in 2003. This weekend will also mark the two-year anniversary of the last time “BK” won a Golden State 410 main event, which he’ll be looking to change on Saturday.

When 410 Sprint Car racing returned to the Antioch Speedway in ’03 it was Grass Valley’s Jason Statler who claimed victory that night. “The Big Guy” currently rounds out the top-five in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings and will be searching to return to victory lane on Saturday.

Sitting just outside the top-five in points is Sacramento’s Willie Croft, who will be searching for his second Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series win of the season on Saturday. In the April race at Antioch Speedway “Double Down” went from 16th to sixth in the main event to earn the PitStopUSA hard charger award.

Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan continues to move up the ladder in the standings and goes into Antioch seventh in the KWS points. The former NARC Speedweek champ led laps in the feature during the April event at Antioch, but his night came to a tough end when contact with a lapped car left him upside down in the first corner.

Looking to change up his luck this weekend will be Placerville’s Andy Gregg, who is coming off a rough night in Santa Maria that saw him get upside down in the main event. Gregg sits eighth in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings going into Antioch, where he finished seventh at in April.

Fremont’s Brent Bjork ranks ninth in the KWS standings coming into the weekend and will be looking for a strong run at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds oval. The youngster has scored a best finish of fifth so far this season and has been fast at Antioch in the past.

Completing the top-10 in KWS points going into the Antioch Speedway is 16-year-old rookie contender Kenny Allen of Chico. Allen has gained vast experience this season traveling with the Golden State King of the West Sprints and will try to battle his way forward over the remainder of the year.

Other drivers expected to be in action at the Antioch Speedway on Saturday will include Stockton’s Brad Furr, Campbell’s Bud Kaeding, St. Helena’s Rico Abreu, Merced’s Mark Barroso, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey, North Kingstown, Rhode Island’s Eli Deshaies, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Rio Vista’s Dan and Danielle Simpson, Salinas’ Orval Burke Jr. and more.

On Saturday July 16 the front grandstand gate will be open at 5pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 6pm, with qualifying at 6:30 and racing anticipated to start around 7.

Antioch Speedway is located on the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds at the corner of 10th and L Streets in Antioch, California. Take SR-4 East (Highway 4) to the Somersville Road North Exit. Follow Somersville Road to 10thStreet. Turn Right on 10th Street. The address for the track is 1201 W. 10th Street Antioch, CA 94509.

Tickets are on sale for Saturday’s event at the Antioch Speedway and can be pre-purchased at the KWS office in Rio Vista. Race fans can purchase either a $20 ticket by calling or visiting the office. The contact number for the office is (707) 374-2222. Tickets will also be available the day of the race with adults being $20, children 6-12 $10, seniors 65 & older $10 and children 5 & under free. A family pack with two adults & two children will also be available for $50.

More information on the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series can be found at http://www.kwssprints.com

You can also follow KWS on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KWS410s#!/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Notes & Pertinent Info

Antioch Speedway – Saturday July 16

What:

The Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will finish off the slate of events for the month of July this Saturday night with a show at the Antioch Speedway in Antioch, California. The night of racing will mark the 13th round of action for KWS, with six more events remaining in the season after this weekend.

When:

On Saturday July 16 the front grandstand gate will be open at 5pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 6pm, with qualifying at 6:30 and racing anticipated to start around 7.

Where:

Tickets:

Tickets are on sale for Saturday’s event at the Antioch Speedway and can be purchased at the KWS office in Rio Vista. Race fans can purchase either a $20 reserved section ticket or a $45 VIP pit pass/ reserved section ticket. The contact number for the office is (707) 374-2222.

About the track:

The Antioch Speedway was lengthened and re-configured prior to the 2009 season and is now a one-third mile semi-banked dirt oval. Since the extension of the track Chico’s Jonathan Allard holds the track record at 11.840 seconds, which was set on April 3 of last year.

This past April at the Antioch Speedway:

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series opened the season at Antioch Speedway on April 9 and Jonathan Allard raced to victory in the main event over Evan Suggs, Jason Statler, Tim Kaeding and Brad Furr. Allard also began the night by setting fast time.

Past winners at Antioch Speedway since the Golden State 410 Series returned to the facility in 2003 are:

2011- Jonathan Allard in April

2010- Jonathan Allard in April and Kyle Larson in July

2009- Tyler Walker in April and Brent Kaeding in July

2008- Tyler Walker in April and Tim Kaeding in July

2007- Brent Kaeding in April and Tim Kaeding in July

2006- Dennis Moore Jr. in July

2005- Lawrence Edlund in April and Robert Ballou in July

2004- Brent Kaeding in April and Brent Kaeding in July

2003- Jason Statler in July

Top-10 in KWS standings going into Antioch:

1. Tim Kaeding 1814; 2. Evan Suggs 1754; 3. Brent Kaeding 1711; 4. Jonathan Allard 1708; 5. Jason Statler 1635; 6. Willie Croft 1617; 7. Bobby McMahan 1611; 8. Andy Gregg 1598; 9. Brent Bjork 1503; 10. Kenny Allen 1493

On the Internet:

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series- Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

Antioch Speedway- http://www.antiochspeedway.com

Upcoming for KWS:

Following this Saturday's race the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will get a couple weekends off, before resuming action at the Ocean Speedway on Friday August 5 and the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway on Saturday August 6. The race in Hanford will be the first KWS visit of the season to the three-eighths mile clay oval.

Jonathan Allard charges to first career Santa Maria Speedway victory with the King of the West 410 Sprints at third annual “Doug Fort Memorial” on Saturday night

By Gary Thomas

Santa Maria, CA – July 9, 2011…After making a thrilling move to get around Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan on lap-10 in the main event, former two-time Golden State 410 champion Jonathan Allard proceeded to put on a clinic and dominate the final 20-circuits to tally his third King of the West Sprint Car Series victory of the season.

The triumph ties Allard with San Jose’s Tim Kaeding for the most wins this season in Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series competition.

It was also Allard’s 27th career Golden State 410 victory, putting him just one shy of tying fellow two-time champion Steve Kent on the all-time win list.

“I really have to thank my guys for giving me such a great car tonight and it’s nice to finally get a win here in Santa Maria,” Allard commented. “We’ve seemed to struggle here, but tonight it all came together and it feels great. I also want to thank Chris Kearns for having us down here.”

The initial eight-laps in the main event were some of the most entertaining all season long, as McMahan, St. Helena’s Rico Abreu, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs and Allard all fought it out for the lead on the lightning fast Santa Maria clay. McMahan had captured the Grant’s Fine Art/ KSE Racing Products Dash and got the jump into turn one, but Abreu hounded his rear bumper with authority.

With six-laps down the 19-year-old Abreu ducked to the inside of McMahan to get side by side with the leader, but couldn’t make it stick and settled back into second.

As the leaders raced in heavy lapped traffic Allard took advantage, blasting to the top of the speedway and charged passed Suggs and got alongside Abreu heading down the back stretch. Contact was made between the pair though and resulted in Abreu spinning sideways and collecting Jason Statler, who got upside down in the melee. It was a tough break for both drivers, as both were done for the night with eight-laps down.

The upcoming double file restart saw McMahan get the jump on Allard, but the driver of the Morrie and Katie Williams No. 0 rocketed to the high side in exciting fashion and on lap-10 would make a crowd pleasing move off the fourth corner to grab the lead. “JA” was able to then pull away from the field running the top of the speedway to perfection, but the remainder of the field continued to put on a show racing for position.

Placerville’s Andy Gregg would bring out the caution flag with 22-laps down and on the very next restart things got even worse for the driver of the Bret Ervin owned No. 53, when he flipped down the front stretch to force a red flag period. The final restart of the night was a single file one and the top-five during it were Allard, McMahan, Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, Suggs and Tim Kaeding.

When the green lights came on for the final time Allard checked out from the pack, however, the drivers running behind him continued to slice and dice as the race neared its conclusion. Tarlton was able to make the move around McMahan over the final handful of circuits to claim second, but up front it was all Allard who would take the checkered flag by over two-seconds to claim his first Santa Maria win.

For Tarlton it was his third straight podium finish in KWS competition and continued his strong year aboard the Tarlton and Son Inc. No. 21 sprinter. “We’ve been running really well lately and I owe it all to Paul Baines and the great team I have behind me,” said Tarlton. “I love racing at this place and just wish we could do more of it. I want to thank all my sponsors and my whole family for their support.”

Crossing the line in third to score his second consecutive podium finish with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series was McMahan in the American Tool & Mfg. No. 25 mount. “It was a real good night for us again and to be back up here on the podium for the second straight race is awesome,” said McMahan. “All my team chipped in to get this new motor and it’s definitely paid off. I want to thank all you fans for coming out tonight as well.”

Rounding out the top-10 in the main event were KWS point leader Tim Kaeding, Suggs, PitstopUSA hard charger Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, Brent Kaeding of Campbell, Sacramento’s Willie Croft, Campbell’s Bud Kaeding and Clovis’ Peter Murphy. The Dash as previously noted was captured by Bobby McMahan, with the three 10-lap heat races being picked off by McMahan, Rico Abreu and Tommy Tarlton. Evan Suggs began the night by setting the Grant’s Art Fast Time with a lap of 11.928.

The third annual Angello’s ATV Rental Wheelie Contest was also held during the night and created some excitement with Bud Kaeding, Dan Simpson and Orval Burke Sr. taking part in it. In the end Burke Sr. brought home the victory when he did a reverse track wheelie and caught the infield berm at the end of it, which resulted in him flipping end over end. He emerged from the car okay though to the delight of the crowd.

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will now head for the Antioch Speedway in Antioch, California next Saturday night July 16. Don’t forget tickets are on sale for the event at the KWS office and can be acquired by contacting (707) 374-2222.

To keep up with the latest happenings from the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series visit http://www.kwssprints.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

“Doug Fort Memorial” on tap for Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series this Saturday at the Santa Maria Speedway

By Gary Thomas

Santa Maria, CA – July 6, 2011…Following an entertaining double-header of racing over 4th of July weekend the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will continue its trek around California this Saturday July 9 with the third annual “Doug Fort Memorial” at the Santa Maria Speedway.

The event will mark the 12th round of action for KWS and including this weekend, eight races remain in the fight to see who will become the first “King of the West.”

Doug Fort built the Santa Maria Speedway in 1964 and helped mold it into one of the top dirt tracks in the country as the owner/promoter until his passing in 1999.

The one-third mile clay oval has been named "Best Short Track Operation West of the Mississippi" on two separate occasions and is nestled in a semi amphitheater of natural terrain, sheltered by dense eucalyptus trees at the top and to the back of the bleacher area.

So far this season there has been seven different winners in 11 Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series races. Each main event has also featured at least one lead change, showing the immense competition level that has been seen thus far.

Continuing to maintain a healthy advantage at the top of the standings San Jose’s Tim Kaeding will enter the Santa Maria Speedway on Saturday searching for his fourth victory of the season aboard the Dennis & Theresa Roth owned No. 83 mount. “TK” drove to a runner up finish at Santa Maria in May and will look to improve one more position this weekend.

Fresh off his first career KWS victory this past weekend Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs will look to make it back to back on Saturday night in Santa Maria driving the Suggs Racing No. 33e. The 24-year-old scored an exciting win at the “Howard Kaeding Classic” last week and goes into a track this weekend that he has had success at in the past.

National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member Brent Kaeding of Campbell was the Santa Maria Speedway Rookie of the Year in 1978 and will be gunning to get into victory lane for the first time this season at the helm of his famed Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 machine. “BK” finished fifth at the track back in May.

Two-time Golden State 410 champion Jonathan Allard from Chico will look to rebound this weekend after a tough night at the Ocean Speedway last Saturday. The driver of the Morrie & Katie Williams owned No. 0 sprinter sits fourth in the KWS standings and finished third at Santa Maria Speedway in May.

Former World of Outlaw winner at Santa Maria Speedway Jason Statler of Grass Valley has moved to fifth in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings. “The Big Guy” scored a fifth place finish at the “HK Classic” finale last Saturday and will be looking to break into victory lane this weekend aboard the DF Rios No. 00.

After picking up his first ever Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series victory at the Santa Maria Speedway in May Placerville’s Andy Gregg will look to sweep the events on Saturday. The driver of the Seven Industries No. 53 sprinter ranks sixth in the standings going into the weekend and will try to chip away at the top-five.

Sacramento’s Willie Croft comes into the weekend seventh in the KWS standings and will be going for his second win of the season on Saturday in the Christian Stover Foundation No. 29 sprinter. “Double Down” had a tough outing at the “HK Classic” this past Friday and Saturday, but will be looking to rebound in Santa Maria.

Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan is coming off his best weekend of the season and will look for another strong outing in Santa Maria on Saturday. The former NARC Speedweek winner tallied his first podium of the year this past week. Fremont’s Brent Bjork ranks ninth in the KWS standings going into the weekend and rounding out the top-10 in series points is 16-year-old rookie Kenny Allen of Chico.

Other drivers set to take to the Santa Maria Speedway for the “Doug Fort Memorial” will include Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson, Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, Campbell’s Bud Kaeding, Stockton’s Brad Furr, Visalia’s Cory Eliason, North Kingstown, Rhode Island’s Eli Deshaies, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy and more.

The third annual Angello’s ATV Rental Wheelie contest will also be held on Saturday and always makes for a fun time.

On Saturday July 9 the front grandstand gate will open at 4pm with qualifying getting underway around 5 and racing at about 6. Adult tickets will cost $20 on Saturday with seniors, student and military costing $18, kids 6-12 $6 and children five and under free.

The Santa Maria Speedway is located 12 miles inland from the Pacific coast, three miles north of the city of Santa Maria and is located a 1/4-mile north of the US 101/166 interchange on Hutton Road. The facility is one hundred seventy miles north of Los Angeles and 260 miles south of San Francisco.

More information on Saturday’s event can be found at http://www.kwssprints.com and http://www.racesantamariaspeedway.com

Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series Notes & Pertinent Info

Santa Maria Speedway – Saturday July 9

What:

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will make its second and final stop of the season to Chris Kearns’ Santa Maria Speedway this Saturday night July 9. It will be the 12th round of action for KWS as the tour kicks off the final half of the schedule.

When:

On Saturday July 9 the front grandstand gate will open at 4pm with qualifying getting underway around 5 and racing at about 6.

Where:

Tickets:

Adult tickets will cost $20 on Saturday with seniors, student and military costing $18, kids 6-12 $6 and children five and under free.

About the track:

The Santa Maria Speedway is a one-third mile clay oval and the all-time Golden State 410 track record is 11.272 set by Brent Kaeding on July 10, 2004. The track also offers free parking and free camping.

This past May at Santa Maria Speedway:

Placerville’s Andy Gregg picked up a popular victory when he raced to his first career Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series win in May at the Santa Maria Speedway. San Jose’s Tim Kaeding finished second with Chico’s Jonathan Allard in third, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs fourth and Campbell’s Brent Kaeding in fifth.

Top-10 in KWS points going into the night:

1. Tim Kaeding 1666; 2. Evan Suggs 1603; 3. Brent Kaeding 1571; 4. Jonathan Allard 1548; 5. Jason Statler 1524; 6. Andy Gregg 1486; 7. Willie Croft 1472; 8. Bobby McMahan 1460; 9. Brent Bjork 1383; 10. Kenny Allen 1368

On the internet:

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

Santa Maria Speedway-

http://www.racesantamariaspeedway.com/index.php

Exciting “Howard Kaeding Classic” finale sees Evan Suggs capture first career Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series victory

By Gary Thomas

Watsonville, CA – July 2, 2011…At the end of last year one of the hottest drivers on tour with the Golden State 410 Series was Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, which has carried over into this season with the Golden State King of the West Sprints.

Despite running up front all year long and ranking 2nd in the series standings going into the weekend however, Suggs had been unable to find victory lane.

That all changed on Saturday night though when the 24-year-old put on a thrilling display to pass both Tim Kaeding and Tommy Tarlton over the final half of the race to become the inaugural winner of the “Howard Kaeding Classic.”

The only thing keeping Suggs from a clean sweep for the night was the fact that he qualified second fastest, before winning his heat race, the dash and then the 30-lap feature.

Suggs also became the seventh different winner in 11 KWS events so far this season and kept up the streak of every race having a lead change.

“This is just an awesome feeling to finally come out here and win one of these races,” Suggs said. “I really have to thank my parents and family because they’re been so important to all of this. I also have to thank Brian Poe who has been with me for so long and everyone who has supported us.”

At the waving of the green flag in the 30-lap “Howard Kaeding Classic” main event it was outside front row starter Tommy Tarlton of Easton jumping into the lead. The two-time Ocean Sprints champ looked large and in charge early on, as he looked to make it back-to-back wins after claiming Friday’s opener at the Ocean Speedway.

Current Golden State King of the West point leader Tim Kaeding would make the move around Suggs on lap seven to take over the runner up position. A number of green flag laps would be clicked off until the caution flag waved with 16-laps complete and brought everything to a halt. Prior to the caution Suggs had fallen back to fourth on lap nine, before reclaiming the position on lap 12.

On the double-file restart Tarlton pulled out to the lead once again, but had Kaeding and Suggs tucked in closely behind. Lap 17 saw Kaeding catch the cushion extremely hard and bicycle the car losing a few spots. This allowed Suggs to take over second and he proceeded to close in on Tarlton for the lead of the race.

The next couple laps saw Suggs get closer and closer to Tarlton and with just 10-circuits remaining he would throw a slider in turn one to charge into the lead at the delight of the crowd. Suggs tried to pull away, but Tarlton would remain glued to the rear of the Suggs Racing No. 33e mount over the next handful of laps.

As the five to go signal approached however, Suggs kicked it into overdrive and began to pull away through lapped traffic. The final few laps then saw the Scotts Valley driver hit his marks and drive off to accept Ryan Riley’s checkered flag, as the crowd roared their approval for his first ever Golden State King of the West main event victory.

“It’s just been a great season so far and I have to thank Dan Simpson and the whole King of the West staff for putting so much effort into this series,” Suggs commented. “I have so many people to thank tonight and just hope they all know how much we appreciate their support.”

Tarlton was able to fend off the relentless challenges of Sacramento’s Willie Croft to finish the race in second aboard the Corporate America Lending No. 21 mount. Croft had passed Tarlton on lap 25, but was able to slice his way back around with just three-laps left. Croft eventually got out of the groove late in the race and dropped to seventh by the conclusion.

Following a season-best finish the previous night Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan came home in third to tally his first podium effort of the year with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series. It was nice to see the veteran driver have a solid weekend while utilizing a fresher 410 power-plant under the hood of his American Tool and Manufacturing No. 25 sprint car.

Completing the top-five in the 30-lap “Howard Kaeding Classic” finale were Tim Kaeding and Grass Valley’s Jason Statler. Rounding out the top-10 were Gilroy’s Kurt Nelson, who did a tremendous job utilizing a 360 engine for the weekend, Croft, Prunedale’s Justin Sander’s, Campbell’s Brent Kaeding and St. Helena’s Rico Abreu.

The 12-lap Last Chance Qualifier went to Fremont’s Brent Bjork and the six-lap KSE Racing Products/ Grant’s Fine Art Dash was captured by Evan Suggs. The four 10-lap heat races were picked off by Tommy Tarlton, Evan Suggs, Tim Kaeding and Willie Croft. Scoring the Grant’s Fine Art Fast Time award was Tommy Tarlton, who turned a 12.271 around the Ocean Speedway quarter-mile.

To keep up with the latest happenings from the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series visit http://www.kwssprints.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Tommy Tarlton comes from 11th to muscle out second Golden State King of the West 410 Series win of the season at “Howard Kaeding Classic” opener on Friday

By Gary Thomas

Watsonville, CA – July 1, 2011…Easton’s Tommy Tarlton continued his mastery of the Ocean Speedway on Friday and raced from 11th starting to claim his second Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series win of the season during opening night of the inaugural “Howard Kaeding Classic.”

The victory for Tarlton was the ninth of his career with the Golden State 410 Sprints and moved him into a tie with Sean Becker and Ronnie Day for ninth on the all-time win list. His previous KWS win this season had come at the Pombo/Sargent Classic in May at Thunderbowl Raceway.

“I grew up a fan of the Kaeding's and to win the first night of the HK Classic is really special to me,” said Tarlton. “This is awesome to win our second race of the season with the King of the West guys as well because this is a great thing Dan Simpson has built and we enjoy running whenever we can.”

A very strong crowd was on hand for the “Howard Kaeding Classic” opener and saw San Jose’s Tim Kaeding lead the field into turn one at the waving of the green flag in the 30-lapper. The current Golden State King of the West point leader was in search of his fourth win of the year with the series, but things were slowed early on with a number of stoppages.

With the yellows and reds plaguing the early going it never allowed drivers to get into a groove over the first 10-laps, but after the bumping and banging was over, the final 18-laps were clicked off caution free. Once the action got going it was very entertaining up front, as Chico’s Jonathan Allard applied heavy pressure to Kaeding’s tail tank.

Allard a couple times looked to ride the high line around Kaeding in turns three and four, but on each occasion “TK” was able to hang on and maintain the lead. With “JA” continuing to try and find a way around the Roth Motorsports entry Easton’s Tommy Tarlton closed in on the front runners and made it a three-car battle for the top-spot.

Tarlton had started from 11th on the grid and progressively moved forward to challenge the leaders late in the race aboard his potent Corporate America Lending No. 21 mount. With just about 10-laps remaining in the race the two-time defending Ocean Sprints champion made his way around Allard to claim second and then set his sights on leader Kaeding.

As lap 22 clicked off “Tommy T” flung his machine into the first corner and was able to slide by Kaeding to take command of the race. After this Tarlton had no worries out front and charged off to pick up the huge victory. “I really have to thank my crew chief Paul Baines and my whole team, as well as my family for all their support,” Tarlton commented. “This is one of the biggest wins of my career.”

Tim Kaeding came home second to pad his current Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series point lead and Allard rounded out the podium at the helm of the Williams Motorsports No. 0 sprinter.

Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan had his strongest night of the season and came from 15th to fourth in the feature to earn the PitStopUSA hard charger award. Likewise Stockton’s Brad Furr also had his best night of the year and crossed the stripe in fifth at the conclusion.

Completing the top-10 in the main event were St. Helena’s Rico Abreu, who scored his best ever KWS finish, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, Grass Valley’s Jason Statler and Fremont’s Brent Bjork.

Furr won the 12-lap Last Chance Qualifier with Allard claiming the KSE Racing Products/ Grant’s Fine Art Dash. Capturing the four 10-lap heat races were Andy Gregg, Shane Golobic, Tim Kaeding and Jonathan Allard. Starting off the night by setting his first career KWS Grant’s Fine Art Fast-Time was Prunedale’s Justin Sanders who blistered the quarter-mile in 11.670 seconds.

To keep up with the latest happenings from the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series visit http://www.kwssprints.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Results – Night one “Howard Kaeding Classic at Ocean Speedway July 1

30 cars

Fast time: Justin Sanders 11.670

Heat 1: Andy Gregg, Rico Abreu, Bobby McMahan, Austen Wheatley, Willie Croft, Justin Sanders, Pat Harvey Jr., Nick Ringo Jr.

Heat 2: Shane Golobic, Brent Kaeding, Brent Bjork, Kenny Allen, Danielle Simpson, Eli Deshaies, Mark Barroso, Kurt Nelson

Heat 3: Tim Kaeding, Evan Suggs, Tommy Tarlton, Bud Kaeding, Brad Furr, Doug Gandy, Nick Rescino Jr.

Heat 4: Jonathan Allard, Jason Statler, Cory Eliason, Jamie Veal, Craig Stidham, Matthew Davis, Koen Shaw

Dash: Jonathan Allard, Tim Kaeding, Shane Golobic, Brent Bjork, Andy Gregg, Brent Kaeding, Cory Eliason, Austen Wheatley

LCQ: Brad Furr, Justin Sanders, Craig Stidham, Eli Deshaies, Danielle Simpson, Kurt Nelson, Willie Croft, Matthew Davis, Koen Shaw, Mark Barroso, Nick Ringo Jr., Pat Harvey

A-main: Tommy Tarlton, Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Bobby McMahan, Brad Furr, Rico Abreu, Craig Stidham, Brent Kaeding, Jason Statler, Brent Bjork, Kenny Allen, Kurt Nelson, Andy Gregg, Danielle Simpson, Justin Sanders, Cory Eliason, Bud Kaeding, Evan Suggs, Jamie Veal, Shane Golobic, Eli Deshaies, Austen Wheatley

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Legendary announcer and writer Kenny Takeuchi presents legendary driver Howard Kaeding with a plaque during opening night of the "Howard Kaeding Classic."

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Results- “Howard Kaeding Classic” July 2 Ocean Speedway

28 cars

Fast time: Tommy Tarlton 12.271

Heat one: Tommy Tarlton, Justin Sanders, Andy Gregg, Kurt Nelson, Brent Bjork, Doug Gandy, Art McCarthy

Heat two: Evan Suggs, Jason Statler, Kenny Allen, Brad Furr, Koen Shaw, Matthew Davis, Nick Rescino Jr.

Heat three: Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Bobby McMahan, Rico Abreu, Eli Deshaies, Danielle Simpson, Nick Ringo Jr.

Heat four: Willie Croft, Brent Kaeding, Craig Stidham, Austen Wheatley, Cory Eliason, Pat Harvey, Mark Barroso

Dash: Evan Suggs, Tommy Tarlton, Willie Croft, Tim Kaeding, Jason Statler, Austen Wheatley, Bobby McMahan, Kurt Nelson

LCQ: Brent Bjork, Eli Deshaies, Danielle Simpson, Art McCarthy, Cory Eliason, Matthew Davis, Pat Harvey, Koen Shaw, Nick Ringo Jr., Doug Gandy, Mark Barroso

A-Main: Evan Suggs, Tommy Tarlton, Bobby McMahan, Tim Kaeding, Jason Statler, Kurt Nelson, Willie Croft, Justin Sanders, Brent Kaeding, Rico Abreu, Craig Stidham, Andy Gregg, Cory Eliason, Brent Bjork, Eli Deshaies, Kenny Allen, Matthew Davis, Art McCarthy, Danielle Simpson, Jonathan Allard, Brad Furr, Austen Wheatley

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Results – Night one “Howard Kaeding Classic at Ocean Speedway July 1

30 cars

Fast time: Justin Sanders 11.670

Heat 1: Andy Gregg, Rico Abreu, Bobby McMahan, Austen Wheatley, Willie Croft, Justin Sanders, Pat Harvey Jr., Nick Ringo Jr.

Heat 2: Shane Golobic, Brent Kaeding, Brent Bjork, Kenny Allen, Danielle Simpson, Eli Deshaies, Mark Barroso, Kurt Nelson

Heat 3: Tim Kaeding, Evan Suggs, Tommy Tarlton, Bud Kaeding, Brad Furr, Doug Gandy, Nick Rescino Jr.

Heat 4: Jonathan Allard, Jason Statler, Cory Eliason, Jamie Veal, Craig Stidham, Matthew Davis, Koen Shaw

Dash: Jonathan Allard, Tim Kaeding, Shane Golobic, Brent Bjork, Andy Gregg, Brent Kaeding, Cory Eliason, Austen Wheatley

LCQ: Brad Furr, Justin Sanders, Craig Stidham, Eli Deshaies, Danielle Simpson, Kurt Nelson, Willie Croft, Matthew Davis, Koen Shaw, Mark Barroso, Nick Ringo Jr., Pat Harvey

Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series heads for "Howard Kaeding Classic" at Ocean Speedway this Friday and Saturday July 1 and 2

By Gary Thomas

Watsonville, CA – June 28, 2011…Following a week off the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will get ready for a big double-header on the 4th of July weekend paying honor to the legendary Howard Kaeding this Friday and Saturday at Watsonville's Ocean Speedway.

Howard Kaeding was a multiple-time California state super-modified champion, a four-time Johnny Key Classic winner and once captured 17-straight races at the San Jose Speedway, which is a record. The driver known as the "Campbell Comet" claimed over 300 main event victories in his career and even raced into his 60's, before retiring in the 1990's.

The Kaeding entourage will try and keep the family name towards the front of the field at the "Howard Kaeding Classic" with Tim Kaeding leading the way, currently holding a 44-point lead in the Golden State King of the West standings. The driver of the Roth Motorsports No. 83 raced to victory during the most recent series event at the Ocean Speedway in April and will look for his fourth KWS victory of the year this weekend.

Campbell's Brent Kaeding goes into the "Howard Kaeding Classic" ranking third in the KWS 410 standings and will be searching for his first win of the 2011 season this weekend aboard the famed Al's Roofing Supply No. 69 mount. "BK" led laps at the Ocean Speedway series event in April, before finishing the race in fourth at the conclusion.

Three-time USAC Silver Crown Series champion Bud Kaeding will be in action at the "HK Classic" on Friday night at the helm of his Buster & Ziggy Enterprise No. 29 sprint car. The veteran driver was a winner last season in 410 competition at the Ocean Speedway and will be gunning to claim his first KWS win of the year on Friday.

Fresh off a $40,000 score at the Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup two-week's back Chico's Jonathan Allard will be trying to ride the wave of momentum he has built up recently. The two-time Golden State 410 champ picked off the most recent KWS event held in Medford, OR to score his second series win of 2011.

Continuing his consistent season Scotts Valley's Evan Suggs goes into his home track of Ocean Speedway sitting second in the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series standings. The 24-year-old has had an impressive year thus far and appears close to getting his first ever KWS win.

Sacramento's Willie Croft comes into the "Howard Kaeding Classic" rounding out the top-five in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series points. "Double Down" was extremely fast during the April KWS visit, but tough luck left him further back in the rundown than he would have hoped.

Former Golden State 410 champ Jason Statler of Grass Valley currently sits sixth in the KWS standings while driving the familiar DF Rios Motorsports No. 00 mount. Placerville's Andy Gregg ranks seventh in the points and has one win already on the season, which came at the Santa Maria Speedway in May.

Elk Grove's Bobby McMahan sits seventh in the standings and will be shooting for his first victory of the season this weekend. Fremont's Brent Bjork is ninth in the points and completing the top-10 is Hoseheads/ Grant's Fine Art Rookie of the Year contender Kenny Allen of Chico.

A top contender this weekend is sure to be two-time and defending Ocean Speedway champion Tommy Tarlton of Easton, who claimed victory with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series in May at the Tulare Thunderbowl. Prunedale's Justin Sanders had an impressive runner up finish with KWS in April at Ocean and will try to move up one more position at the "Howard Kaeding Classic."

Other drivers expected this weekend will include Stockton's Brad Furr, Clovis' Peter Murphy, Fremont's Shane Golobic, St. Helena's Rico Abreu, Australian Jamie Veal, Merced's Mark Barroso, Rio Vista's Dan and Danielle Simpson, Lake Stevens, Washington's Austen Wheatley, American Canyon's Matthew Davis, Oakhurst's Doug Gandy, North Kingstown, Rhone Island's Eli Deshaies and more.

On Friday night when the front gate opens there will be four Kaeding's signing autographs with Howard, Brent, Bud and Tim so be sure to get there early for the autograph session located just inside the front gate. Also on hand for the two nights will be the vintage Okiebowl Hardtops, bringing back a glimpse of the days gone by from when Howard Kaeding first began his racing career back in the 50's.

For fans wanting to camp at the "HK Classic" on the grass area by the front gate of Ocean Speedway, please contact the fairgrounds at (831) 724-5671. For those wishing to camp by the pit gate please check in at the pit gate. The camping at the fairgrounds costs $25 a night and will have full hook ups. The camping on the road by the pit gate has no charge and no hook ups.

On Friday July 1 the front grandstand gate will open at 4:30pm with racing scheduled to start around 6. On Saturday July 2 there will be an earlier start with the front grandstand gate opening at 3:30pm, wheel packing at 4, qualifying around 4:45 and racing to follow.

Adult tickets will cost $20 each night, children 6 to 12 will be $15, seniors 65 and older are $18 and kids five and under will be free. A family pack featuring two adults and two children will be available for $60.

More info on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series can be found at http://www.kwssprints.com or by contacting 707-374-2222.

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Notes & Pertinent Info

Ocean Speedway Friday July 1 and Saturday July 2 “Howard Kaeding Classic”

What:

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will get set for a big double-header weekend coming up on July 1 and 2 at the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville. The event will be billed as the “Howard Kaeding Classic” paying honor to the legendary racer from the San Jose area.

“HK” was a multiple-time California state super-modified champion, a four-time Johnny Key Classic winner and once captured 17-straight races at the San Jose Speedway. The driver known as the “Campbell Comet” claimed over 300 main event victories in his career.

When:

On Friday July 1 the front grandstand gate will open at 4:30pm with racing scheduled to start around 6.

On Saturday July 2 there will be an earlier start with the front grandstand gate opening at 3:30pm, wheel packing at 4, qualifying around 4:45 and racing to follow.

Where:

The Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, two miles east of Watsonville, California on SR 152. The physical address is 2601 East Lake Ave, Watsonville, CA 95076.

Tickets:

About the track:

The Ocean Speedway is semi-banked quarter mile clay oval with the Golden State 410 Series track record being 11.496 set by Jonathan Allard on August 8, 2009. The all-time track record was set by Mark Kinser in 2000 with a blistering 10.949.

Last April at the Ocean Speedway:

San Jose’s Tim Kaeding made an early pass of father Brent Kaeding and held off a hard-charging Justin Sanders of Prunedale to pick up his 50th career Golden State 410 victory. Sander’s ended up finishing an impressive third with Chico’s Jonathan Allard in third, Brent Kaeding fourth and Placerville’s Andy Gregg in fifth.

Camping at the track:

For fans wanting to camp at the “HK Classic” on the grass area by the front gate of Ocean Speedway, please contact the fairgrounds at (831) 724-5671. For those wishing to camp by the pit gate please check in at the pit gate. The camping at the fairgrounds costs $25 a night and will have full hook ups. The camping on the road by the pit gate has no charge and no hook ups.

Top-10 in points going into the Howard Kaeding Classic:

1. Tim Kaeding 1364; 2. Evan Suggs 1320; 3. Brent Kaeding 1293; 4. Jonathan Allard 1281; 5. Willie Croft 1251; 6. Jason Statler 1240; 7. Andy Gregg 1224; 8. Bobby McMahan 1164; 9. Brent Bjork 1117; 10. Kenny Allen 1113

On the internet:

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

Ocean Speedway-

http://www.oceanspeedway.com

Racing event to honor San Jose area legend Howard Kaeding at Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway on July 1& 2

By Gary Thomas

Watsonville, CA – June 22, 2011…San Jose racing icon Howard Kaeding will be honored during the upcoming and much anticipated “Howard Kaeding Classic” at the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville on Friday and Saturday July 1 and 2.

The event will be headlined by the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series, which travels up and down the West Coast and will make its second and third stops of the season to the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds facility.

Howard Kaeding was a multiple-time California state super-modified champion, a four-time Johnny Key Classic winner and once captured 17-straight races at the San Jose Speedway, which is a record. The driver known as the “Campbell Comet” claimed over 300 main event victories in his career and even raced into his 60’s, before retiring in the 1990’s.

Kaeding officially began racing hard tops in 1954, which began a family tradition in racing that has been passed down to son Brent and his sons Bud and Tim, who have gone on to have immensely successful careers. Another grandson of Howard’s, Adam, is also racing and has been victorious in wingless sprint car competition this season at Ocean Speedway.

The Kaeding family has had a long and successful history in both racing and business in California, owning Kaeding Performance in Campbell. Over the years they have combined the two into a successful racing business. The property where Kaeding Performance is located has been in the family since the early 1940’s, after Howard’s father Sam moved the family from Nebraska to Campbell.

San Jose based designer and artist Brad Scadden said of Howard, “HK” is the greatest I have ever seen wheel a car and an even better person for someone to have in their lives.” San Jose racing enthusiast Mike Avilla also commented, “It’s great to have an event honoring Howard Kaeding, because he was truly my racing hero growing up.”

Ocean Speedway promoter John Prentice is also excited to bring the “Howard Kaeding Classic” to Watsonville. “We’re definitely looking forward to the “HK Classic” and are honored to be holding this event at Ocean Speedway,” he said. “The 410 sprint cars are always fun to watch and having them here for two-night’s will be a great thing for the fans and teams.”

Howard’s grandson Tim is currently leading the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series point standings going into the “HK Classic” on July 1 & 2. He has tallied a series leading three main event victories so far this year. Brent ranks third in the point standings and will be looking for his first win of the season at his father’s event.

Along with Tim and Brent a number of the biggest names in West Coast sprint car racing will be on hand for the “Howard Kaeding Classic” including Bud Kaeding, a 3-time USAC National champion, two-time California state champ Jonathan Allard, two-time Ocean Speedway titlist Tommy Tarlton, ’04 state champion Jason Statler, former World of Outlaw star Brad Furr and many more.

Also on hand for the two nights will be the vintage Okiebowl Hardtops, bringing back a glimpse of the days gone by.

More info on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series can be found at www.kwssprints.com or by contacting 707-374-2222.

King of the West 410 drivers Jonathan Allard and Tim Kaeding finish one-two at the 40th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup

By Gary Thomas

Alger, Washington – June 20, 2011…The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series would like to give congratulations to Chico’s Jonathan Allard and San Jose’s Tim Kaeding for finishing first and second at the 40th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup this past weekend.

The prestigious event at the Skagit Speedway paid $40,000-to-win and saw Allard lead all 40-laps on Saturday night, holding off Oklahoma's Shane Stewart and then a late-race challenge from KWS point leader T. Kaeding.

The two-time Golden State 410 champion never faltered and crossed the checkered flag to score his third career Dirt Cup victory aboard the Morrie & Katie Williams No. 0 sprint car. Allard came into the night second in points and took full advantage of his front row starting spot to claim the huge payday.

"It's unbelievable to win another Dirt Cup,” said Allard. “I want to thank my car owners Katie and Morrie Williams, my whole team Ashley and Shawn and all the guys, as well as Chris, Paul, Drake and everyone that helps us out. They put a lot of effort in especially over the last month we've had."

T. Kaeding had a solid weekend and ended up with yet another runner up finish at the Dirt Cup. The 2002 Golden State 410 champion went into the final night ranking fourth in points and made a late charge to try and get by Allard. After passing Shane Stewart for second “TK” closed in quickly on “JA”, but ran out of time and had to settle for second in the Roth Motorsports No. 83.

“We seem to be a day late and dollar short here,” commented Kaeding following the race. “Congratulations to Jonathan Allard though because he did a great job tonight. We had a good car as well so I really have to thank “Bonzai” and all my guys for making that possible. We got into second there, but just ran out of laps at the end.”

Sacramento’s Willie Croft ended the 40-lap feature in the seventh position to cap a good Dirt Cup for the driver of the Christian Stover Foundation No. 29 machine. The veteran wheel-man currently rounds out the top-five in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings and continued his strong season to date.

Campbell’s Brent Kaeding transferred through the b-main and raced his way up to ninth in the 40-lapper aboard the Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 mount. The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member sits third in the KWS standings, as the tour gets set for an event paying honor to his also legendary father on 4th of July weekend.

Grass Valley’s Jason Statler also transferred through the b-main, but was caught in a wreck during the A-main and finished the contest in 18th at the helm of his DF Rios Motorsports No. 00 sprinter. Other California entrants in the main event included drivers that also fought through issues including 17th place finisher Cory Eliason, 20th place Tommy Tarlton and 21st place Peter Murphy.

The Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will now get set for another weekend off, before returning to action with the inaugural Howard Kaeding Classic at the Ocean Speedway on Friday & Saturday July 1 & 2. The event at the Watsonville based quarter-mile bullring is expected to be a can’t miss night of racing, as the powerful 410’s hit the clay for back to back evening’s of competition.

Adult tickets will cost $20 each night, kids 6-12 will be $15, seniors 65 and older with id will be $18 and kids 5 and under will be free. A family pack featuring two adults and two children will be available for $55. More info can be found by calling (831) 662-9466 or by visiting http://www.oceanspeedway.com

The Howard Kaeding Classic will be the 10th and 11th point races of the season for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series and current point leader Tim Kaeding will look to back up his win at the track from April 23. That night saw him pass father Brent for the lead of the race and hold off a fast-moving Justin Sanders for the victory. Allard finished third with Brent Kaeding 4th and Andy Gregg 5th.

Winners so far this season with KWS include Tim Kaeding on three separate occasions, Jonathan Allard twice, along with single victories by Andy Gregg, Willie Croft, Peter Murphy and Tommy Tarlton. A pack of hungry drivers will also be looking for their first win of the year at the HK Classic including Evan Suggs, Brent Kaeding, Jason Statler, Bobby McMahan and many more.

For more info on the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series log onto http://www.kwssprints.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

In front of huge crowd on Saturday Jonathan Allard rebounds for Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series victory at Southern Oregon Speedway

By Gary Thomas

Medford, OR – June 13, 2011…Despite some tough finishes recently Chico, California's Jonathan Allard put that all behind him on Saturday night at the Southern Oregon Speedway and scored his second Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series victory of the season in front of an overflowing crowd of 4,000 people.

Allard was able to make a beautiful move to get under San Jose's Tim Kaeding with just eight-laps left in the race and tally his first ever Southern Oregon Speedway 410 sprint car win. It was a nice rebound for Allard, who had led the first 19-laps in the feature the night before at Silver Dollar Speedway, until contact took him out of the top-spot.

"Lately we haven't been having the greatest luck so to come out here tonight and win in Medford is pretty special," said Allard in victory lane. "I have to really thank my car owners Morrie & Katie Williams and this whole team for sticking with me. We haven't won in Medford before and to do it like this is just awesome."

The 30-lap main event started out with Allard leading the field into the first corner, but Tim Kaeding was able to charge his way by and take command. With one-lap down Grass Valley's Jason Statler got upside down to bring out the red flag. He was okay though and restarted the race at the tail of the field. On the restart Kaeding charged into the lead once again aboard the Roth Motorsports No. 83.

A number of yellows and reds slowed the flow of things in the feature, but all along Allard stalked Kaeding trying his best to get by for the lead of the race. A well prepared track was offered to competitors and during green flag racing the action was very good all throughout the field. As Kaeding sat out front Allard was cutting the bottom of the speedway to perfection and ran as close as possible to his rear bumper for much of the contest.

With just under 10-laps left in the race Allard finally got the momentum he needed and charged under Kaeding to steal the lead of the race, but a yellow flag negated the pass and forced him back to second. That didn't deter Allard however, and just after the restart he was able to duplicate the move and once again slice his way to the lead.

One final caution would come out with five laps remaining in the race, but "JA" didn't hesitate on the final restart of the night and charged off for his second KWS win of the year. T. Kaeding crossed the line in second to continue his consistent season and Australian Ian Madsen finished third to keep up his impressive results since joining the KWS tour in early May.

Scotts Valley's Evan Suggs had another solid night to finish fourth and Campbell's Brent Kaeding rounded out the top-five to cap a consistent weekend for the 13-time champ. Completing the top-10 was Sacramento's Willie Croft, Fort Jones, CA's Dan Menne, Jason Statler, Everett Washington's Jayme Barnes and Elk Grove's Bobby McMahan.

The 12-lap Last Chance Qualifier was an exciting one that saw Stockton's Brad Furr make a last lap pass for victory while racing through heavy traffic. Jonathan Allard picked off the Dash as well as the night's opening heat race. Other heat race wins were taken by Roger Crockett, Tim Kaeding and Ian Madsen. Hoseheads/ Grant's Fine Art Rookie of the Year contender Kenny Allen began the night by setting his first ever KWS fast-time with a clocking of 11.360 seconds.

Everyone involved with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series would like to thank promoter John Skinner and his staff for being very gracious hosts on Saturday night. It was a great evening of racing and was really nice to see so many people in the stands for the event.

Some KWS teams will now continue north on I-5 to take part in the non-sanctioned Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Washington On June 16-18. The 40th annual event will pay $40,000 to the winner of Saturday night's 40-lap A-main.

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will now get a couple weekends off, before resuming competition at the Ocean Speedway on July 1 and 2 for the inaugural Howard Kaeding Classic.

To keep up with the latest happenings from the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series visit http://www.kwssprints.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Peter Murphy comes from 15th to bring home biggest career victory on Friday at the “Tribute to Gary Patterson/ Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial”

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – June 12, 2011…Whenever you mix in 410 sprint cars, a tight quarter-mile bullring and tons of money on the line it will make things interesting and on Friday night at the Silver Dollar Speedway that certainly came true.

With the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series sanctioning the “Tribute to Gary Patterson/ Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” the action continued to be intense for the tour and in the end it was the "Awesome Aussi" Peter Murphy bringing home the checkered flag for victory.

“This is just so amazing I don’t know what to say and I’m almost tearing up a bit,” said an emotional Murphy in victory lane. “I’ve never had a bigger win in my career and to come out on top with the King of the West Series is a great feeling.”

A very strong field of 38-sprint cars signed in for the eighth Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series race of the season and to begin the night Chico’s very own Jonathan Allard set fast-time. For his efforts Allard earned $1000 plus a beautiful custom-made “Tribute to Gary Patterson” plaque from Grant’s Fine Art.

After some exciting preliminary competition the 40-lap A-main took to the Silver Dollar bullring and at the waving of the green flag it was hometown hero Jonathan Allard charging into the lead. Early on the two-time Golden State 410 champ looked large and in charge pulling away to a comfortable lead. Once traffic came into play however, it began to bunch things up as Kaeding and Kyle Hirst made it a three-car fight.

The trio proceeded to put on a stunning wheel-to-wheel show for the lead, slicing and dicing with the crowd roaring their approval. The thrilling battle took place over a handful of laps, but with 19-complete everything changed when Allard and Kaeding banged wheels, which resulted in “TK” flipping and “JA” also coming to a stop.

Hirst would inherit the lead and when the green lights came on again he beat Sacramento’s Willie Croft on a double-file restart to take command. The Hirst family was instrumental in getting the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” off the ground and it’s always been a race that the 23-year-old has wanted to win.

Driving for McMillen Motorsports Hirst looked like a rocket ship out front, but on lap 25 more drama would unfold when contact with a lapped car in turn two ended his hopes at victory. This gave the lead to Hirst’s soon to be brother-in-law Croft and when racing got back underway “Double Down” distanced himself from the pack.

With Croft out front the rest of the field put on a tremendous show, as Australian’s Ian Madsen and Peter Murphy, along with Brent Kaeding, Evan Suggs and a fast-moving Allard diced it up among the top-five. Murphy eventually won out in the fight and claimed the runner up spot after starting 15th on the grid.

After winning the Mini Gold Cup in 2004 Croft looked to add another major victory to his resume and appeared to be on way to doing so, until lap-35 when he slowed to a stop with reported brake issues. It was a tough break for the driver that has been doing such a great job all season long with the Golden State King of the West Sprints.

The always likeable Murphy now found himself in the top-spot and with five-laps left he led the field back to green. Things would come to a stop however, as Allard spun around in turn four to bring out a yellow and put an unfortunate end to his night. The final restart of the night saw Brent Kaeding and Medford, Oregon’s Roger Crockett try everything to get by Murphy for the lead, but that didn’t happen and the Australian native crossed the stripe to win his first “Tribute to GP/ Bradway Memorial.”

For his efforts Murphy will bring home more than $4500, with extra money courtesy of Butler Built Performance and lap money that was collected by Dave and Dianne Durica. Murphy not only received lap money in the A-main, but also the Last Chance Qualifier where he finished second. Making an impressive charge to finish second at the checkered was LCQ winner Crockett, who also claimed the PitStopUSA hard charger award & an extra $556 for the night after starting 18th.

Tim Kaeding made a strong rebound at the end to charge all the way back up to third at the conclusion and maintain his Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series point lead. Rounding out the top-five in the 40-lapper were Brent Kaeding and Ian Madsen. The top-10 was completed by Chico’s Brad Bumgarner, Evan Suggs, 22nd starter Jason Statler of Grass Valley, Chico’s Robby Whitchurch and Chico’s Jason York.

An exciting Last Chance Qualifier was picked off by Roger Crockett and the four 10-lap heats were won by Princeton’s Mason Moore, Ian Madsen, St. Helena’s Rico Abreu and Tim Kaeding. All heat race winners received a Goodyear right rear tire and five sleeves of tear offs courtesy of Hoserville, as well as a free powder coating job courtesy of Amerikote. The Dash was claimed by Tim Kaeding, with the C-main being won by New Zealander Jason Scott. Allard’s fast-time to begin the night was a 12.093.

It was definitely a night to remember as we paid honor to legends Gary Patterson and Dave Bradway Jr. We would also like to thank everyone that made the event possible and all who contributed to make it a success.

Full results are available at http://www.kwssprints.com and http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=668990

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The Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series goes 4-wide in front of a strong crowd at the "Tribute to Gary Patterson/ Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial" on Friday night

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Results- Southern Oregon Speedway June 11, 2011

32 cars

Fast time: Kenny Allen 11.360

Heat 1: Jonathan Allard, Jayme Barnes, Danielle Simpson, Kenny Allen, Garren Linder, Rico Abreu, Dan Simpson, Pat Harvey

Heat 2: Roger Crockett, Evan Suggs, Brent Kaeding, Peter Murphy, Jason Statler, Brad Bumgarner, Todd Zeitler, Kevin Smith

Heat 3: Tim Kaeding, Tyler Wolf, Willie Croft, Andy Gregg, Bobby McMahan, Dean Brindle, Dave Hibbard, Eli Deshaies

Heat 4: Ian Madsen, Brent Bjork, Mason Moore, Dan Menne, Brad Furr, Jason Scott, Doug Gandy, Danielle Anderson

Dash: Jonathan Allard, Tim Kaeding, Evan Suggs, Ian Madsen, Dan Menne, Willie Croft, Roger Crockett, Kenny Allen

Last Chance Qualifier: Brad Furr, Jason Statler, Rico Abreu, Brad Bumgarner, Bobby McMahan, Dean Brindle, Kevin Smith, Garren Linder, Todd Zeitler, Dan Simpson, Doug Gandy, Eli Deshaies, Dave Hibbard, Pat Harvey, Jason Scott, Danielle Anderson

A-main: Jonathan Allard, Tim Kaeding, Ian Madsen, Evan Suggs, Brent Kaeding, Willie Croft, Dan Menne, Jason Statler, Jayme Barnes, Bobby McMahan, Roger Crockett, Andy Gregg, Peter Murphy, Kenny Allen, Rico Abreu, Brent Bjork, Brad Furr, Tyler Wolfe, Brad Bumgarner, Danielle Simpson, Mason Moore, Dean Brindle

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Results- Silver Dollar Speedway June 10, 2011

38-cars

Fast-time: Jonathan Allard 12.093

Heat 1: Mason Moore, Andy Gregg, Jonathan Allard, Shane Golobic, Steven Tiner, Peter Murphy, Dean Brindle, Mark Tabor Jr., Mark Barroso, Eli Deshaies

Heat 2: Ian Madsen, Tyler Wolf, Brad Furr, Kenny Allen, Jason Scott, Robbie Whitchurch, Danielle Simpson, Daniele Anderson, Andy Forsberg, Dan Simpson

Heat 3: Rico Abreu, Willie Croft, Jason York, Kyle Hirst, Jason Statler, Roger Crockett, Josh Ruhs, Korey Lovell, Pat Harvey

Heat 4: Tim Kaeding, Brent Kaeding, Evan Suggs, Brad Bumgarner, Brent Bjork, Bobby McMahan, Cody Lamar, Doug Gandy, Sean Becker

C-main: Jason Scott, Pat Harvey, Mark Barroso, Doug Gandy, Daniele Anderson

Dash: Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Ian Madsen, Willie Croft, Kyle Hirst, Mason Moore, Brad Furr, Rico Abreu

Last Chance Qualifier: Roger Crockett, Peter Murphy, Robbie Whitchurch, Bobby McMahan, Cody Lamar, Jason Statler, Jason Scott, Korey Lovell, Pat Harvey, Brent Bjork, Josh Ruhs, Dean Brindle, Danielle Simpson, Andy Forsberg, Mark Tabor Jr., Eli Deshaies, Steven Tiner, Sean Becker

A-main: Peter Murphy, Roger Crockett, Tim Kaeding, Brent Kaeding, Ian Madsen, Brad Bumgarner, Evan Suggs, Jason Statler, Robbie Whitchurch, Jason York, Andy Gregg, Mason Moore, Kenny Allen, Cody Lamar, Shane Golobic, Willie Croft, Jonathan Allard, Kyle Hirst, Rico Abreu, Brad Furr, Bobby McMahan, Tyler Wolf

“King of the West Tonight” for this Thursday evening June 9 will feature the KWS crew going off-site to Pit Stop USA in Petaluma, California for a special edition previewing the upcoming 410 sprint car "Western Swing."

Guests for the show will include owner Ed Coughenour, as well as sprint car drivers Alissa Geving of Penngrove and Evan Suggs of Scotts Valley.

Geving is the reigning Golden State 410 Sprints Rookie of the Year and is a two-time Petaluma Speedway track champion. Suggs this season has had a strong start to the campaign and ranks second in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings.

PitStopUSA.com is the "Official Online Motorsports Superstore" for the Golden State King of the West Sprints and is also sponsoring the nightly hard charger award for the series in 2011.

To view the show log onto http://www.kwssprints.com/webcast at 7pm pst this Thursday night June 9.

Exciting weekend expected for Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series at Chico and Medford this Friday and Saturday

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – June 8, 2011…The biggest weekend so far this season for the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series is set to go green this Friday and Saturday nights with events at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico and the Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, Oregon.

Friday’s opener is expected to be a huge night of competition with a number of special awards and prizes up for grabs during the annual “Tribute to Gary Patterson/ Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial.”

A large car count is anticipated for the evening of racing that is expected to be a night that surely won’t want to be missed, as the extra money on the line always seems to bring out the best in California’s top winged sprint car drivers.

Saturday’s event at the Southern Oregon Speedway is also expected to be a big night at a track that has become a fun stop on way to the non-point Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup. Former winners of Golden State 410 events at the track include Brent Kaeding on two separate occasions, as well as Tim Kaeding, Tim Shaffer and Kyle Larson, who captured last year’s race.

San Jose’s Tim Kaeding leads the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series into the weekend, currently holding a 35-point lead in the standings. “TK” is a two-time winner of the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial and was the winner of the Tribute to GP in 2008 aboard his Roth Motorsports No. 83 mount. Kaeding will be in search of his series leading fourth KWS win of the season on Friday.

Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs continues to be a consistency machine and goes into Chico ranking runner up in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings while driving his family’s Suggs Racing No. 33e. The 24-year-old has been right in the thick of things all season & will look for his first KWS win this week.

Moving up to third in the standings is National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member and 13-time Golden State 410 Series champion Brent Kaeding of Campbell. “BK” is tied for the most wins in both Bradway Memorial & Tribute to GP history, having claimed four wins apiece in each race and will look to get back into victory lane on Friday.

Chico’s Jonathan Allard will be looking to rebound this weekend, starting with Friday’s “Tribute to GP/ Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” at his home track of Silver Dollar Speedway. The two-time Golden State Series champion is tied with “BK” for most wins in Bradway Memorial history and captured the Tribute to GP in ’07.

Rounding out the top-five in KWS points coming into the weekend is Sacramento’s “Double Down” Willie Croft, who has been having a strong season thus far in the Holey Smokes BBQ No. 29 sprint car. After winning at Marysville on April 30 the veteran driver will be looking for his second victory of the season this Friday at the “Tribute to GP/ Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial.”

Completing the top-10 in Golden State King of the West points going into Friday evening are ’04 Golden State 410 Series champion Jason Statler of Grass Valley, Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan, Fremont’s Brent Bjork and Hoseheads/ Grant’s Fine Art Rookie of the Year contender Kenny Allen of Chico.

More drivers expected to take part in some of the weekend’s action will include Stockton’s Brad Furr, ’05 Golden State 410 Series titlist Sean Becker of Oroville, Auburn’s Andy Forsberg, Oregon’s Roger Crockett, Loomis’ Kyle Hirst, Australian Ian Madsen, Chico’s Brad Bumgarner and Jason York, Princeton’s Mason Moore, Clovis’ Peter Murphy, St. Helena’s Rico Abreu, Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Redding’s Tyler Wolf, New Zealander’s Dean Brindle, Danielle Anderson, Jason Scott and more.

The Silver Dollar Speedway is located on the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico, CA. Adult tickets for Friday will cost $20, juniors 12-15 will be $14, children 6-11 are $12 and kids five and under will be free. More information on the Tribute to Gary Patterson/ Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial can be found by logging onto http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com

The Southern Oregon Speedway is located at the Jackson County Sports Park just outside of White City, OR and is about 15 minutes from downtown Medford. General admission tickets for Saturday will be $20 for adults with seniors, juniors & veterans $15 and children $5. More info on the Southern Oregon Speedway is available at http://www.sospeedway.com

For results, point standings and much more on the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series visit http://www.kwssprints.com

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Notes & Pertinent Info

Silver Dollar Speedway Friday June 10 & Southern Oregon Speedway Saturday June 11

What:

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series is set for a big double-header weekend that will be kicked off with this Friday’s “Tribute to Gary Patterson/ Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway.

The series attempted to race at the famed quarter-mile bullring on May 7, but a pesky rain system moved over the area just before heat race competition. All of the special awards from that night’s Bradway Memorial will carry over into this coming Friday’s event, as we pay honor to a pair of legends.

The following night on Saturday June 11 KWS will then make the trek up to the Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, Oregon. It will be the sixth appearance for the Golden State 410’s at the track, which has become a traditional stop on way to the Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup in Washington.

When:

On Friday June 10 the front grandstand gate will open at 5pm, with qualifying at 6:30 and racing scheduled to begin around 7.

On Saturday June 11 the front grandstand gate will open at 4pm, with qualifying just after 5pm and racing to follow.

Where:

The Silver Dollar Speedway is located at 2357 Fair Street on the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico, California. The office number is (530) 350-7275.

The Southern Oregon Speedway is located at the Jackson County Sports Park just outside of White City, Oregon and is about 15 minutes from downtown Medford. The track number is (541) 826-6825.

Tickets:

At Silver Dollar Speedway adult tickets will cost $20, juniors 12-15 will be $14, children 6-11 are $12 and kids five and under will be free.

At Southern Oregon Speedway adult general admission tickets will be $20 with seniors, juniors & veterans $15 and children $5. A special reserved area is available for $25.

About the tracks:

The Silver Dollar Speedway is a high-banked quarter-mile clay oval and is considered one of the most famous dirt tracks in the country. The all-time Golden State KWS 410 track record at SDS was set by Jonathan Allard on May 9, 2009 at a time of 11.119 seconds.

The Southern Oregon Speedway is a one-third mile clay oval with the all-time track record being 10.930 set by Donny Schatz on August 30, 2006. Previous Golden State 410 winners at the track include Kyle Larson, Tim Kaeding, Tim Shaffer and Brent Kaeding on two separate occasions.

Last June at Silver Dollar Speedway and Southern Oregon Speedway:

Vancouver, Washington’s Zach Zimmerly became the youngest winner in Golden State 410 history when he captured the Tribute to Gary Patterson last June at Silver Dollar Speedway. Brent Kaeding finished second with Jonathan Allard in third, Sean Becker fourth and Jason York rounding out the top-five.

Eventual Golden State 410 champion Kyle Larson raced to victory at the Southern Oregon Speedway last June, holding off a furious late-race charge from Jonathan Allard, who ended up a close second. Brent Kaeding finished third while Willie Croft and Logan Forler completed the top-five in the 30-lapper.

Top-10 in Golden State King of the West standings going into the weekend:

1.Tim Kaeding 1060; 2. Evan Suggs 1025; 3. Brent Kaeding 1000; 4. Jonathan Allard 996; 5. Willie Croft 974; 6. Jason Statler 966; 7. Andy Gregg 960; 8. Bobby McMahan 923; 9. Brent Bjork 915; 10. Kenny Allen 852

On the internet:

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

Silver Dollar Speedway- http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com

Southern Oregon Speedway- http://www.sospeedway.com

2011 will be the fourth year that the Tribute to Gary Patterson is held at Silver Dollar Speedway and will also mark the eighth race of the season for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series.

Known as the "Dancing Phantom," the "Preacher," the "Hostile Hippie" or just simply "GP," Patterson was one of the most colorful characters of his time. He claimed a number of major victories in his career including the Gold Cup Race of Champions, the Super Dirt Cup in Washington and the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ascot Park among others.

Patterson unfortunately lost life his life in a sprint car crash at the Calistoga Speedway in 1983 and an event in his memory had been held at the half-mile track until 2007, when the Tribute to GP was moved to Silver Dollar Speedway the following year.

More information on the Tribute to Gary Patterson/ Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial for this Friday June 10 can be found by logging onto http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com and www.kwssprints.com

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series heads next for Patterson/Bradway Memorial in Chico on June 10 & Southern Oregon Speedway on June 11

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – June 1, 2011…With no racing on tap this weekend the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will get ready for a busy two-night’s of racing next week on Friday June 10 in Chico and Saturday June 11 in Medford, Oregon.

The opener for the big weekend on June 10 at Silver Dollar Speedway will be billed as the “Tribute to Gary Patterson/ Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” and will have a number of special prizes up for grabs to drivers, which are carried over from the Bradway rainout on May 7.

This will be the fourth year that the Tribute to Gary Patterson is held at Silver Dollar Speedway and will also mark the eighth race of the season for KWS.

The Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial pays tribute to fallen race car driver Dave Bradway Jr., who lost his life in a sprint car crash at Skagit Speedway's Dirt Cup in 1987. It is the biggest event of the season for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series and packs extra money and awards all night.

Dave and Diane Durica have collected lap money and each lap of the A-main and Last Chance Qualifier will pay $100 to be distributed among the top three each lap. The leader of the lap gets $50, second $30 and third $20. Butler Built Performance has also donated $500 to the winners’ share of the Tribute to Gary Patterson/ Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial, making the 40-lap A-main on Friday $3500-to-win plus the lap money.

The hard charger in the A-main will receive $550 courtesy of donations from Cherry St. Mini Storage, American Tool & Mfg, Bobby McMahan Racing, the Mussell Brothers of Santa Maria and Steward Ranches Eat Beef! The hard charger, as always with KWS, will also receive a $200 certificate to PitStopUSA.com

Fast-time at the event on June 10 will also pay $550, as the decision was made to award Kyle Larson with half of the fast-time money during the rainout last month. Donations for the fast-time money were from Brent Kaeding, Rich Stadelhofer, Carwash Mike, Paul Brandon, GT Promotions & Shaver Racing Engines. Like at all KWS events the fast time driver will also receive a custom plaque from Grant’s Fine Art.

Sponsoring the heat races at the Tribute to GP/ Bradway Memorial will be the fan group known as Hoserville. Each heat race winner will stop on the front stretch to be interviewed and will receive a right rear tire, five sleeves of tear offs and a trophy to hand out to a kid in the stands. Each heat race winner will also receive a coupon towards powder coating one sprint car chassis courtesy of Willie Croft and Amerikote.

The Silver Dollar Speedway is located on the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico, CA. Adult tickets will cost $20, juniors 12-15 will be $14, children 6-11 are $12 and kids five and under will be free. More information on the Tribute to Gary Patterson/ Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial can be found by logging onto http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com

On Saturday June 11 the tour heads outside of California for the first time this season with an event at the Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, OR. Each season the Golden State 410’s make a traditional stop at the track on way to the non-point, $40,000-to-win Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Washington.

Last season saw a strong car count and great racing in the main event at the one-third mile oval, which was highlighted by a tremendous late-race duel with Chico’s Jonathan Allard and Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson. In the end it was the youngster picking up the win with Allard in second and Campbell’s Brent Kaeding in third.

The Southern Oregon Speedway is located at the Jackson County Sports Park just outside of White City, OR and is about 15 minutes from downtown Medford. General admission tickets will be $20 for adults with seniors, juniors & veterans $15 and children $5.

More info on the Southern Oregon Speedway is available at http://www.sospeedway.com

For results, point standings and much more on the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series visit http://www.kwssprints.com

Tim Kaeding claims Golden State King of the West Sprints win number three for 2011 on Sunday night at Salute to Walt Ross in Calistoga

By Gary Thomas

Calistoga, CA – May 29, 2011…Current Golden State King of the West Sprint Car point leader Tim Kaeding of San Jose was able to add to his advantage in the series standings on Sunday night, racing to his third victory of the season in the annual Salute to Walt Ross at the famed Calistoga Speedway.

Kaeding’s win came during a curfew shortened race, as the 11pm state mandated curfew forced the feature to a conclusion with 13-laps down. An excessive amount of reds and yellows were seen in the main event, which took multiple attempts to get a lap completed at the start.

“We’ve been having a pretty good season and I have to thank Dennis & Teresa Roth, ‘Bonzai’ Bruns, Todd Ventura and this whole team,” Kaeding said in victory lane. “We’re fortunate to be standing up here right now, because Kyle Larson was coming fast and I was doing everything I could to hold him back.”

The scheduled 25-lap feature began with Kaeding and Australian traveler Ian Madsen racing wheel to wheel for the lead of the race, but the first three attempts saw various issues bring things to a halt. The biggest of which was a red flag period that saw Jeff Griffin, Mark Barroso, Kenny Allen and Brent Bjork come together on the front stretch. All drivers were thankfully okay, but Griffin’s night came to an end with damage too severe to continue on.

The fourth attempted start turned out to be successful and Madsen charged to the front of the field with the rest of the pack trying to get settled into a groove. Kaeding kept Madsen in his sights and stalked the No. 28 sprinter for the first few laps, before slicing his way past to grab the lead in turn three with five-laps complete. Just after that the red lights would come on once again, this time for Andy Gregg who got upside down in the third and fourth corners.

Gregg was luckily okay and on the restart Kaeding assumed command of the race, but the action behind him started to heat up among the top-five. Just as soon as that happened though, the red flag would come out again on lap-seven for St. Helena’s Rico Abreu, who was making his first career 410 start and initial start at the Calistoga Speedway. Abreu’s night came to an end, but was after a very impressive debut at the half-mile for the 19-year-old.

After getting everything cleared away racing resumed and the intensity level seemed to pick up even more, as Madsen, Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson, Chico’s Jonathan Allard and Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs put on a great show fighting for positions two through five. Allard in particular was rocketing into the corners trying to make up ground, but lap 10 would spell disaster for the two-time Golden State champ, when he got upside down in turns three and four. Allard was alright, but it left him with a 17th place finish in the final rundown.

With curfew looming ahead the ensuing restart would be the final one of the night and Larson turned up the heat by racing past Madsen to take over the runner up position. The reigning Golden State 410 champ then closed in quickly on Kaeding for the lead of the race and was all over the Roth Motorsports No. 83, but a yellow flag on lap 13 for Brad Furr brought out the checkered flag, as the 11pm curfew had been reached.

At the finish it was “TK” bringing home the win, with Larson finishing second in the Stadelhofer Construction No. 99 and Madsen rounding out the podium aboard the Grenade Gloves No. 28 mount. It marked Larson’s best finish of the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series season.

"We were definitley faster the last few laps and just wish we could have finished the race, because I think we could have won this thing," said Larson. "It's dissapointing to have it end like that, but I want to thank all my sponsors for supporting me and can't thank them enough, especially Rich Stadelhofer who lives here in Calistoga."

For Madsen it was a very strong night that also marked the very first time he had ever competed at the Calistoga Speedway. Madsen's only other KWS start saw him finish fourth at the Tulare Thunderbowl two weeks ago.

"It's been a great few races in California so far and this was a pretty good night for us," commented Madsen after the race. "This King of the West deal has something really good going on so I just hope everyone out there supports it and we'll see you all in a couple weeks."

Completing the top-10 in the main event were Evan Suggs, White Rock, British Columbia’s Toni Lutar, Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan, Sacramento’s Willie Croft, Grass Valley’s Jason Statler and Everett, Washington’s Jayme Barnes. Barnes was also the winner of the PitStopUSA.com hard charger award coming from 19th to 10th.

The evening’s Last Chance Qualifier was picked off by Stockton’s Brad Furr and the six-lap KSE Racing Products/ Grant’s Fine Art Dash was captured by Tim Kaeding. Claiming wins in the four eight-lap heats were Kyle Larson, Tim Kaeding, Evan Suggs and Ian Madsen. Jonathan Allard began the night by winning the Grant’s Fine Art fast time award with a lap of 17.469 around the half-mile.

Remember next Saturday’s previously scheduled event at the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway has been canceled, so the next race for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will be Friday June 10th's Tribute to Gary Patterson/ Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway.

The tour will then head to the Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, Oregon on Saturday June 11. Also keep in mind that the June 13 date at Cottage Grove Speedway will be a non-point event. More info on the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series can be found at http://www.kwssprints.com

--------------

Two-time Golden State 410 champion Jonathan Allard set fast time to begin the night in Calistoga, but ended it in tough fashion by getting upside down in the main event while trying to work his way to the front. Allard is shown here during the KWS National Anthem ceremony in the Able Chevrolet Pacetruck. Photos by Steven Cox of http://www.sprintcarphotos.com

Mother Nature and Weak Economy Force Cancelations at Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway on June 4 and Petaluma Speedway on July 30

Rio Vista, CA –Wednesday May 25, 2011…It has been announced the Golden State King of the West Sprints event for next week at the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway on June 4 has been canceled due to a poor start of the season, weather issues and the current weak economic situation in the area.

Promoter Scott Woodhouse will also be adjusting the 2011 Kings Speedway schedule in the following days. With a tough start to the year due to weather and the economy it has been decided to cancel the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series event for next Saturday June 4, said Woodhouse.

The Saturday July 30 KWS event at the Petaluma Speedway has also been canceled, with the date needed to make up one of the Petaluma Championship Point races due to a number of local early season rainouts, stated Petaluma Promoter, Jim Soares.

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will be in action this Saturday & Sunday at the Calistoga Speedway in Calistoga, CA.

Calistoga Speedway hosts Memorial Day weekend double-header for Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series this Saturday and Sunday

By Gary Thomas

Calistoga, CA – May 25, 2011…Racing on Memorial Day weekend at the Calistoga Speedway is as traditional as anything in Northern California and this Saturday and Sunday May 28 & 29 the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will be in action at the historic track.

Sunday's event will be the running of the "Salute to Walter T. Ross," paying respect to the former Northern Auto Racing Club President and long time car owner.

Ross' famous No. 56 graced victory lane at the Calistoga Speedway on 11 occasions and was one of the most recognizable sprint cars of its era. His car was driven by some of the biggest names in Northern California sprint racing including Gary Patterson, Dave Bradway Jr., Leroy Van Connett, Mike Andreetta, Rendy Boldrini and others.

As president of NARC Ross was crucial in moving the club forward following the retirement of Louis Vermeil in the mid-1980's. He was also named one of the 40 most influential people in Northern Auto Racing Club history. Ross passed away in 1987 from A.L.S. and a race recognizing him has become a tradition on Memorial Day weekend.

Former Calistoga Speedway & Napa County Fair manager Mike Kenney said of Ross in a past racing program, "As a former president of NARC, Ross brought the racing club into the era of sponsorship, but most of all Walter T. Ross was best known for his heart. He cared about people, sprint car racing and his friends and family."

San Jose’s Tim Kaeding will lead the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series into Calistoga this weekend continuing to maintain a 21-point lead in the standings. The wheel-man of the Roth Motorsports No. 83 has claimed five victories in his career at the historic half-mile and will look to add more to that total this weekend. As a team Roth Motorsports also sits tied with Walt Ross for third on the all-time car owner win list at Calistoga Speedway.

Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs keeps looking solid each and every weekend and goes into the Calistoga Speedway sitting second in the KWS standings while driving the Suggs Racing No. 33e. Suggs last season scored a career best Calistoga finish of fourth during the Sunday feature and will be searching for his first career Golden State main event win this week.

Two-time Golden State 410 Series champion Jonathan Allard ranks third in the standings and will be looking for his third career Calistoga Speedway win this weekend at the helm of the familiar Williams Motorsports No. 0 mount. Last season the Chico driver held off Tim Kaeding to score his second career victory at the historic track and goes into Saturday just nine-digits out of second in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series points.

Thirteen-time Golden State 410 Series titlist Brent Kaeding is the second winningest driver in Calistoga Speedway history with 21-career triumphs and comes into Saturday sitting fourth in the KWS point standings. The driver of the famed Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 has been gaining momentum the last couple of weeks and will be looking for his first win of the season this weekend.

Fresh off his first Golden State 410 victory last Saturday at Santa Maria, Andy Gregg currently rounds out the top-five in the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series standings going into Calistoga aboard the Bret Ervin Racing No. 53. The 31-year-old tallied a career best finish of second at the track in 2007 and will look for his first ever victory at the speedway this weekend.

Completing the top-10 in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings coming into the weekend are Sacramento’s “Double Down” Willie Croft, multiple-time Calistoga Speedway winner & former Salute to Walt Ross champ Jason Statler of Grass Valley, Fremont’s Brent Bjork, many-time Calistoga winner & past Salute to Walt Ross winner Bobby McMahan and KWS Hoseheads/Grant’s Fine Art Rookie of the Year contender Kenny Allen of Chico.

Last year’s Salute to Walter T. Ross saw Campbell’s Bud Kaeding pick up an exciting win to score his first career victory at the famed Calistoga Speedway. The three-time USAC Silver Crown Series champion will be on hand this weekend looking to claim his first KWS win of the season in the Alviso Rock No. 29.

Reigning Golden State 410 Series champion Kyle Larson of Elk Grove is set to fly back from Indiana to be in action during Sunday’s Salute to Walt Ross aboard the Stadelhofer Construction No. 99. Earlier this season the 18-year-old had a tremendous run with the World of Outlaws in Calistoga, coming from 21st to third to tally the hard charger award in the feature.

Other drivers expected to take part in some of the weekend’s racing will include Stockton’s Brad Furr, Australian Ian Madsen, Auburn’s Andy Forsberg, St. Helena’s Rico Abreu, Rio Vista’s Dan and Danielle Simpson, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey, Merced’s Mark Barroso, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, North Kingstown, Rhode Island’s Eli Deshaies, Santa Rosa’s Marty Hawkins and more.

As always in Calistoga, there will be a pancake breakfast held on Sunday morning at the fairgrounds with a TV for viewing of the Indianapolis 500. Vintage hardtops will also be on hand during the weekend.

Adult tickets will cost $20 with children 4-12 being $10 and kids 3 and under free. On Saturday and Sunday the front grandstand gate will open at 4pm with cars getting on the track at 5, qualifying around 6 and racing about 6:30.

The Calistoga Speedway is located on the beautiful Napa County Fairgrounds in Calistoga, California and is located at 1435 North Oak Street. Don't forget to get to the track early each day, as most of the teams will be on the grounds working on their race cars and many will also have merchandise for sale at the same time.

More info on the weekend can be found at http://www.kwssprints.com and http://www.calistogaspeedway.org

The first off-site excursion for "King of the West Tonight" will air this Thursday evening May 26 at 7pm pt on http://www.kwssprints.com/webcast

This week’s show is a special edition with the "KWS Tonight" team on hand at Pit Stop USA in Petaluma, California. We will speak with owner Ed Coughner about his business and opening the brand new showroom located at 1310 Ross Street in Petaluma.

We will also be joined by sprint car drivers Alissa Geving of Penngrove, Novato resident Eli Deshaies and Rico Abreu from St. Helena.

Geving is the reigning Golden State 410 Series Rookie of the Year, while Deshaies is a Rhode Island native and first-year competitor with KWS. Abreu is in his first-year of sprint car racing, after a successful career in Outlaw Karts and along with Deshaies is expected to make his Calistoga Speedway debut this weekend

In addition to that we will also put a wrap on the Santa Maria event and preview this weekend’s big Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series two-night show at the Calistoga Speedway half-mile on Saturday and Sunday.

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Notes & Pertinent Info

Calistoga Speedway – Saturday May 28 and Sunday May 29

What:

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will travel next to the famed Calistoga Speedway half-mile for two nights of racing this Saturday & Sunday May 28 & 29. The event on Sunday night will be the annual Salute to Walter T Ross, a night that pays respect to the former Northern Auto Racing Club president and car owner.

When:

On Saturday and Sunday the front grandstand gate will open at 4pm with cars getting on the track at 5, qualifying around 6 and racing about 6:30.

Where:

The Calistoga Speedway is located on the beautiful Napa County Fairgrounds in Calistoga, California and is located at 1435 North Oak Street. The track number is (707) 942-5111.

Tickets:

Adult tickets will cost $20 with children 4-12 being $10 and kids 3 and under free.

About the track:

The Calistoga Speedway is a semi-banked half-mile dirt oval and the all-time track record is 16.016, which was set by Mark Kinser on September 1, 2000. The Golden State 410 Series track record is 16.304 and was set by Randy Hannagan on May 24, 1998.

Last year at Calistoga Speedway:

Chico’s Jonathan Allard and Campbell’s Bud Kaeding were victorious over Memorial Day weekend last season at the Calistoga Speedway. Allard claimed Saturday’s opener by holding off Tim Kaeding for his second career win at the track. On Sunday Bud Kaeding passed Tim Kaeding just after halfway to score his first ever Calistoga victory.

Top-10 in points going into Saturday night:

1. Tim Kaeding 897; 2. Evan Suggs 876; 3. Jonathan Allard 867; 4. Brent Kaeding 856; 5. Andy Gregg 845; 6. Willie Croft 837; 7. Jason Statler; 8. Brent Bjork 786; 9. Bobby McMahan 781; 10. Kenny Allen 726

On the internet:

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

Calistoga Speedway-

http://www.calistogaspeedway.org

Looking for victory no more- Andy Gregg comes from sixth to claim first career Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series win on Saturday at Santa Maria Speedway

By Gary Thomas

Santa Maria, CA – May 21, 2011…Placerville’s Andy Gregg has been trying hard for years to win a traveling 410 sprint car series main event. On two separate occasions in the past he had led until the final lap of a Golden State 410 feature, but each time it ended in disappointment.

Having come that close before it made him even hungrier entering the 2011 season full-time with KWS and on Saturday night in Santa Maria, Gregg accomplished that goal by racing to his first ever Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series victory.

“It’s awesome to come out here and win our first KWS race tonight and just being up here with guys like Tim Kaeding and Jonathan Allard is an honor,” said an emotional Gregg in victory lane. “I have about a million people to thank for helping me get to this point, but have to definitely give big thanks to Bret Ervin and this whole team.”

When the 30-lapper went green on Saturday night it was front starters Brent Kaeding and Jonathan Allard going side by side all the way through the first set of corners. As the duo raced down the back stretch Allard got the momentum he needed on the high-side and led the field to the flag stand to complete the opening lap.

The first few circuits saw San Jose’s Tim Kaeding look nearly unstoppable running the high-line of the Santa Maria Speedway in the Roth Motorsports No. 83. “TK” picked off multiple cars and was up to second at one point, but the yellow lights came on with three-laps down and forced him to go back to fifth for the double file restart.

When the green lights flashed on again the pack roared into turn one and Gregg made a beautiful move to slice by Brent Kaeding and take over the runner up position, after originally starting sixth on the grid. With traffic soon coming into play Gregg rapidly closed in on Allard and then pounced when the two-time Golden State champ got a bit too high in turns three and four.

As the leaders raced off the fourth corner Gregg shot to the bottom in his 7-Industries No. 53 and took over the top-spot as the crowd cheered with approval. Allard tried to stay with Gregg, but had another challenge of his own when Tim Kaeding joined the fray. “JA” and “TK” would then battle back and forth for a couple laps, before Kaeding took the spot for good on lap 16.

Out front Gregg proceeded to do a masterful job through lapped traffic and started to build up a large advantage over the rest of the field, much like he did in the Santa Maria Speedway event last July. Just like last season though when it looked as if he’d be headed for certain victory, circumstances late in the race changed things with a trio of stoppages occurring.

The slowdowns created multiple double file restarts, but even despite Tim Kaeding lining up alongside him, who has 50-career Golden State 410 wins, Gregg never flinched and got great starts each time to charge off and pick up his first ever series triumph. He becomes the fifth different winner in six KWS events this season and also earned the PitStopUSA.com hard charger award for the night.

T. Kaeding crossed the line in second to maintain his Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series point lead. It marked Kaeding’s fifth top-five finish in six races, as he continues his bid to become the first King of the West driving for Dennis and Teresa Roth.

After leading early in the race Allard completed the podium in the feature aboard the Williams Motorsports No. 0. The top-five was rounded out by the Suggs Racing No. 33e of Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs and Campbell’s Brent Kaeding at the helm of his Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 mount. The remainder of the top-10 was comprised of Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan, Chico’s Kenny Allen, Stockton’s Brad Furr, Grass Valley’s Jason Statler and Sacramento’s Willie Croft.

The six-lap KSE Racing Products/ Grant’s Fine Art Dash was captured by Brent Kaeding and the three 10-lap heat races were picked off by Evan Suggs, Brent Kaeding and Kenny Allen. For the 16-year-old Allen it marked his first KWS heat race win of the season behind the wheel of his Chico Truck & RV No. 7k sprinter. The night started out with Evan Suggs claiming the Grant’s Fine Art fast time award by carving his way around the one-third mile oval in 13.059 seconds.

Promoter Chris Kearns also hosted the first Last Man Standing Dash that created some excitement during the night.

Suggs, Allard, T. Kaeding and Gregg took part in the four car fight with $1000 up for grabs to the winner. After Gregg and Suggs were eliminated following the first two segments, Allard and TK went at it for two-laps. The duo gave everyone a glimpse of why they are two of the very best in the west, never backing off for one another and at the checkered flag it was Allard winning the war to bring home a cool grand.

Next up for the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will be a Memorial Day weekend two-night stand at the famed Calistoga Speedway half-mile on Saturday and Sunday May 28 and 29. The Sunday event will be the annual Salute to Walter T Ross. To keep up with the latest happenings from the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series visit http://www.kwssprints.com or catch us on Facebook and Twitter.

Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series motors into Santa Maria Speedway this Saturday night May 21

By Gary Thomas

Santa Maria, CA – May 18, 2011…One of the more unique dirt track facilities in California will be on tap for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series this Saturday night when the tour makes a stop at the Santa Maria Speedway for round number six on the season.

An earlier start time will be in place for Saturday with the front grandstand gate opening at 3pm, qualifying around 5 and racing at 6. The pit meeting is scheduled for 3:45pm. The pit area will also be open for fans to wander around in and see the teams from 9am to just after 1pm.

Doug Fort built the Santa Maria Speedway in 1964 and helped mold it into one of the top dirt tracks in the country as the owner/promoter until his passing in 1999.

Since taking over as the current promoter of Santa Maria Speedway Chris Kearns has continued the tradition and has done a tremendous job with the track and facility. Each time the Golden State 410 Sprints have been in action at the track over the last couple years the series has competed in front of a packed house.

Something exciting for Saturday night is sure to be the Last Man Standing Trophy Dash that will have $1000 up for grabs and will be winner take all! When adding up prize money and contingencies for the night drivers will be racing for nearly $30,000 total during the event.

The top-4 qualifiers will be part of the Last Man Standing Dash that starts out with four cars going four laps. The last place car will then pull off and the three remaining cars will go green for three more laps. After that the last place car will pull off again and the last two cars will race for two laps with the winner taking home a grand!

Current Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series point leader Tim Kaeding of San Jose will make his Santa Maria Speedway return on Saturday behind the wheel of the renowned Roth Motorsports No. 83 mount. “TK” was a winner with the Golden State 410 Sprints in 2004 at Santa Maria and will be trying to rebound after a 20th place finish in Tulare last week. Kaeding hasn’t competed at the Santa Maria one-third mile oval in seven-years.

A new driver has moved to second in the KWS standings following this past Saturday, as Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs now sits 22-markers back of the point lead going into the Santa Maria Speedway. Suggs has had success in the past at the one-third mile clay, setting fast time and finishing runner up at the track in July of 2009 aboard the Suggs Racing No. 33e.

After getting upside down while battling with T. Kaeding for the lead last week in Tulare Jonathan Allard of Chico will be gunning to regroup at the Santa Maria Speedway on Saturday. The two-time California Golden State 410 champ is now third in the KWS points and eight-markers behind Suggs, as he continues his seventh season driving the familiar Oakhurst, CA based Morrie and Katie Williams No. 0 sprint car.

1978 Santa Maria Speedway Rookie of the Year Brent Kaeding is coming off his best run of the season and comes into the weekend ranking fourth in the KWS standings. “BK” last Saturday finished runner up in the feature and will bring his famed No. 69 machine into Santa Maria looking for victory. The living legend was also a winner with the World of Outlaws in 1997 at the Santa Maria Speedway.

Continuing to be one of the strongest drivers so far this season is Sacramento’s Willie Croft, who had a great run going last week until contact with the wall resulted in a flat and left him with a 14th place finish. The driver known as “Double Down” rounds out the top-five in points and will be trying for his second win of the year on Saturday in the Amerikote No. 29 mount.

Other drivers expected this weekend will include 1999 World of Outlaws winner at Santa Maria Speedway Jason Statler of Grass Valley, 7-Industries factory driver Andy Gregg of Placerville, ’08 Golden State 410 Rookie of the Year Brent Bjork, 1996 NARC Speedweek champ Bobby McMahan of Elk Grove, Hoseheads/Grant’s Fine Art KWS Rookie of the Year contender Kenny Allen from Chico, Former Outlaw driver Brad Furr from Stockton, Visalia’s Steven Tiner, Merced’s Mark Barroso, Rio Vista’s Dan and Danielle Simpson, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy and more.

Adult tickets will cost $20 on Saturday with seniors, student and military costing $18, kids 6-12 $6 and children five and under free.

More information on Saturday’s event can be found at http://www.kwssprints.com and http://www.racesantamariaspeedway.com

Coming up:

Next weekend the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will head for the picturesque and beautiful Calistoga Speedway for two-night’s of racing on Saturday and Sunday May 28 and 29. Sunday’s event will be the annual Salute to Walter T Ross, paying respect to the former Northern Auto Racing Club president and car owner.

On Saturday June 4 KWS will be in action at the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway in Hanford, before heading to the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico on Friday June 10 for the Tribute to Gary Patterson/ Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial. One night later on Saturday June 11 the series will venture north to the Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, Oregon.

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Notes & Pertinent Info

Santa Maria Speedway – Saturday May 21

What:

The Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will venture to Chris Kearns’ Santa Maria Speedway this Saturday night May 21. The facility has been named "Best Short Track Operation West of the Mississippi" on two separate occasions and is nestled in a semi amphitheater of natural terrain, sheltered by dense eucalyptus trees at the top and back of the bleacher area.

When:

On Saturday May 21 the front grandstand gate will open at 3pm with qualifying around 5 and racing at 6. The pit area will be open to the public until about 1:45, before being swept and pit passes then being sold. The pit meeting is scheduled for 3:45.

Where:

Tickets:

Adult tickets will cost $20 on Saturday with seniors, student and military costing $18, kids 6-12 $6 and children five and under free.

About the track:

The Santa Maria Speedway is a one-third mile clay oval and the all-time Golden State 410 track record being 11.272 set by Brent Kaeding on July 10, 2004. The track also offers free parking and free camping.

Last year at Santa Maria Speedway:

The Golden State 410’s last season made a pair of stops in Santa Maria with Easton’s Tommy Tarlton and Oroville’s Sean Becker claiming victories respectively. In May Tarlton scored a clean sweep of the night’s racing and in July Becker won a thrilling duel with Placerville’s Andy Gregg.

Top-10 in KWS points going into the night:

1. Tim Kaeding 742; 2. Evan Suggs 720; 3. Jonathan Allard 712; 4. Brent Kaeding 709; 5. Willie Croft 697; 6. Jason Statler 692; 7. Andy Gregg 686; 8. Brent Bjork 670; 9. Bobby McMahan 637; 10. Kenny Allen 583

On the internet:

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

Santa Maria Speedway-

http://www.racesantamariaspeedway.com/index.php

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series point standings after Tulare Thunderbowl May 14

1. Tim Kaeding 742

2. Evan Suggs 720

3. Jonathan Allard 712

4. Brent Kaeding 709

5. Willie Croft 697

6. Jason Statler 691

7. Andy Gregg 686

8. Brent Bjork 670

9. Bobby McMahan 637

10. Kenny Allen 583

11. Billy Strange Jr. 561

12. Brad Furr 537

13. Danielle Simpson 521

14. Pat Harvey 459

15. Tommy Tarlton 428

16. Dan Simpson 406

17. Mark Barroso 399

18. Peter Murphy 383

19. Doug Gandy 381

20. Nick Rescino Jr. 359

21. Craig Stidham 291

22. Kyle Larson 277

23. Eli Deshaies 273

24. Brad Bumgarner 268

25. Mike Faria 262

Tommy Tarlton becomes a three-time Pombo/Sargent Classic champ with Golden State King of the West 410 victory at Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway Saturday

By Gary Thomas

Tulare, CA – May 14, 2011…Already a two-time winner of the Pombo/Sargent Classic in his career Easton, California’s Tommy Tarlton added his name to the prestigious list one more time on Saturday night, picking up an entertaining Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series feature event at the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway.

Tarlton was part of a back and forth battle with Sacramento’s Willie Croft early in the main event, before grabbing the lead for good halfway through and then cruising to his eighth career Golden State 410 Series win. It now puts him into a tie with Jason Statler and Bud Kaeding for 11th on the all-time list.

“It has been a long time since I won a 410 race in Tulare so this is just awesome,” said a jubilant Tarlton in victory lane. “It was a lot of fun out there tonight and I have to thank my family and my whole team, because they work so hard for me every week. The last couple races hadn’t gone exactly like we wanted, but this definitely makes it all better.”

The 30-lap Pombo/Sargent Classic main event began with KSE/Grant’s Fine Art Dash winner Jonathan Allard jumping into the lead with current KWS point leader Tim Kaeding hot on his heels. The first couple laps saw Kaeding try everything to get below Allard, but with three-circuits complete the complexion of the race changed. As the duo raced hard into the second corner Kaeding slid up and they touched wheels, sending both upside down to bring out a red flag.

Allard was unable to restart, but Kaeding got back out and would go on to finish 20th. When racing got back underway Tarlton assumed the lead and was able to beat Willie Croft into the first set of corners on the double-file restart. Croft had won the most recent KWS event in Marysville and stayed right with Tarlton though and on lap-five he was able to impressively charge around him to grab the lead.

The driver known as “Double Down” pulled away from the pack until the caution lights came on with 10-laps down for Bobby McMahan and Andy Gregg, who sat sideways in turns one and two. It set up another thrilling double-file restart that saw Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs make a great move to get under Tarlton and steal second. Tarlton wasn’t having anything of it however, as he rocketed to the high-side to get back around Suggs and re-assume the runner up spot off turn four.

The action started to intensify on lap 12 when Australian Ian Madsen charged around Suggs to claim third and was followed along by Campbell’s Brent Kaeding for fourth. At this point Tarlton had also found a nice groove in turns three and four and came hard after Croft for the lead. After a few exciting attempts to get by, “Tommy T” finally made it happen on lap 16 when he blasted to the outside and moved back by Croft to claim the top-spot as the crowd came to their feet.

Croft tried to stay with Tarlton, but his hopes came to an end on lap 21 when reported contact with the wall resulted in him suffering a flat tire to bring out a caution.

The final double-file restart of the night saw Campbell’s Brent Kaeding make his presence known, as he jumped past Madsen to take second and then pressure Tarlton for the lead. After a couple laps though Tarlton kicked it into overdrive and checked out from the pack to go on and cross the checkered flag for his third career Pombo/Sargent Classic triumph. It marked Tarlton’s first win in the event at the Thunderbowl, with his previous two wins coming at Kings Speedway.

Brent Kaeding ended the race in second to score his best finish of the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series season. The 11-time Pombo/Sargent Classic winner looked the best he has all season and will go into Santa Maria next week searching to break a winless drought with the 410 tour that dates back to July of 2009.

Finishing just behind Kaeding in third and scoring his best ever 410 finish at the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway was Suggs. The 24-year-old looked solid all evening long, also scoring a dominating heat race win earlier in the program to make for a great points night.

Madsen capped a strong outing by finishing fourth in the main event during his first ever night at the Thunderbowl. The Aussi also began the evening by earning the Grant’s Fine Art fast time award. Rounding out the top-five and having another good run with the Golden State King of the West Sprints was Fresno’s Craig Stidham. Completing the top-10 were Campbell’s Bud Kaeding, Fremont’s Brent Bjork, Clovis’ Peter Murphy, Grass Valley’s Jason Statler and Stockton’s Brad Furr.

The PitStopUSA.com hard charger award went to Brent Bjork for his great movement from 21st to seventh in the feature.

Prior to the A-main Visalia’s Cory Eliason won a thrilling Last Chance Qualifier with Jonathan Allard leading every lap of the KSE Racing Products/Grant’s Fine Art Dash. The four 10-lap heat races held during the night were picked off by Jonathan Allard, Tim Kaeding, Tommy Tarlton and Evan Suggs. As noted the Grant’s Fine Art fast time award went to Ian Madsen who tripped the clocks at 13.684 seconds.

Next Saturday night May 21 the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will head for the Santa Maria Speedway in Santa Maria, California. Also remember the previously scheduled event for next Sunday in Merced has been canceled, so KWS will be in action at just Santa Maria next weekend. To keep up with the latest happenings with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series visit http://www.kwssprints.com or catch us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Results – Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway May 14, 2011 “Pombo/Sargent Classic”

30-cars

Fast time: Ian Madsen 13.684

Heat 1: Jonathan Allard, Ian Madsen, Charlie Louden, Kenny Allen, Brent Bjork, Garrett Ishii, Billy Strange Jr.

Heat 2: Tim Kaeding, Willie Croft, Mike Faria, Andy Gregg, Rico Abreu, Dan Simpson, Danielle Simpson

Heat 3: Tommy Tarlton, Craig Stidham, Jason Statler, Peter Murphy, Cory Eliason, Brad Furr, Pat Harvey, Doug Gandy

Heat 4: Evan Suggs, Bobby McMahan, Brad Bumgarner, Brent Kaeding, Bud Kaeding, Mark Barroso, Eli Deshaies

Dash: Jonathan Allard, Tim Kaeding, Tommy Tarlton, Evan Suggs, Brent Kaeding, Willie Croft, Mike Faria, Ian Madsen

Last Chance Qualifier: Cory Eliason, Bud Kaeding, Brad Furr, Garrett Ishii, Brent Bjork, Rico Abreu, Danielle Simpson, Mark Barroso, Doug Gandy, Eli Deshaies, Dan Simpson, Pat Harvey, Billy Strange Jr.

A-main: Tommy Tarlton, Brent Kaeding, Evan Suggs, Ian Madsen, Craig Stidham, Bud Kaeding, Brent Bjork, Peter Murphy, Jason Statler, Brad Furr, Cory Eliason, Brad Bumgarner, Willie Croft, Charlie Louden, Rico Abreu, Bobby McMahan, Garrett Ishii, Kenny Allen, Andy Gregg, Tim Kaeding, Mike Faria, Jonathan Allard

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Results – Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway May 14, 2011 “Pombo/Sargent Classic”

30-cars

Fast time: Ian Madsen 13.684

Heat 1: Jonathan Allard, Ian Madsen, Charlie Louden, Kenny Allen, Brent Bjork, Garrett Ishii, Billy Strange Jr.

Heat 2: Tim Kaeding, Willie Croft, Mike Faria, Andy Gregg, Rico Abreu, Dan Simpson, Danielle Simpson

Heat 3: Tommy Tarlton, Craig Stidham, Jason Statler, Peter Murphy, Cory Eliason, Brad Furr, Pat Harvey, Doug Gandy

Heat 4: Evan Suggs, Bobby McMahan, Brad Bumgarner, Brent Kaeding, Bud Kaeding, Mark Barroso, Eli Deshaies

Dash: Jonathan Allard, Tim Kaeding, Tommy Tarlton, Evan Suggs, Brent Kaeding, Willie Croft, Mike Faria, Ian Madsen

Pombo/Sargent Classic up next for Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series at Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway this Saturday

By Gary Thomas

Tulare, CA – May 11, 2011…One of the biggest races in the Central Valley each year is the annual Pombo/Sargent Classic and on this Saturday night at the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will be in action at the prestigious event.

The Pombo/Sargent Classic has been going on for over 20 years and it honors California racing icons Al Pombo and Marshall Sargent. It originally started at nearby Kings Speedway in Hanford, before moving to the Thunderbowl in 2006.

Pombo began his career in the 1940's and is credited with more than 500 main event victories, including multiple wins in the Gold Cup at Capital Speedway, the same event which is now held at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. He also won five San Jose Speedway titles, seven NASCAR super-modified championships, nine titles at Kearney Bowl and six at Clovis Speedway. Pombo had been a staple in Tulare the last handful of seasons, but passed away at the end of last year.

Early in Sargent's career he won a pair of San Jose titles, which included two wins in the Johnny Key Memorial and also won the Australian championship in 1964. A pair of crashes unfortunately cut his career short and he enjoyed retirement until his passing in 1990. His legend and memory is kept alive each year as part the Pombo/Sargent Classic and on Saturday night we'll once again pay homage to a pair of legends who helped set the foundation for the sport in our state.

Reigning Pombo/Sargent Classic winner Tim Kaeding of San Jose will lead the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series into the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl on Saturday. “TK” maintains a 29-point lead in the standings following a rainout out last weekend in Chico and will look to claim his third career classic victory this Saturday. Kaeding was also the winner with KWS in Tulare last month.

Chico’s Jonathan Allard will be gunning to make up ground on Kaeding in the standings and rebound in Tulare after a final-lap flip last month resulted in a 17th place finish. The wheel-man of the Williams Motorsports No. 0 machine raced to victory last October at the Trophy Cup in Tulare and comes into Saturday sitting runner up in the KWS standings.

A closely contested battle for third in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series points will resume at the Pombo/Sargent Classic with Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs and Sacramento’s Willie Croft all separated by just three-markers.

Gregg is coming off a third place finish during the most recent KWS event in Marysville and will be searching for his first ever Tulare win this weekend. Suggs is just one-point behind Gregg and will be looking to move up the order even further after a seventh place finish in Tulare last month. Croft currently rounds out the top-five in the standings and will be hoping to carry momentum from his recent victory in Marysville when the series invades Tulare on Saturday.

Eleven-time Pombo/Sargent Classic winner Brent Kaeding of Campbell currently ranks sixth in the KWS standings, with former Golden State 410 champion Jason Statler of Grass Valley in seventh, former Rookie of the Year Brent Bjork eighth, ’09 Silver Dollar Speedway titlist Bobby McMahan from Elk Grove sitting ninth and Elk Grove’s Billy Strange Jr. completing the top-10.

Other drivers expected this weekend include two-time Pombo/Sargent Classic winner Tommy Tarlton of Easton, Chico’s Kenny Allen and Brad Bumgarner, Australian Ian Madsen, Stockton’s Brad Furr, Clovis’ Peter Murphy, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Tipton’s Mike Faria, Visalia’s Cory Eliason, Merced’s Mark Barroso, Rio Vista’s Dan and Danielle Simpson, North Kingstown, Rhode Island’s Eli Deshaies, St. Helena’s Rico Abreu and more.

The front gate will open at 5pm this Saturday night with racing starting a half hour earlier than usual at 6:30. Reserved grandstand tickets will cost $20 with general admission bleacher seats costing just $17. For more info on tickets and to view a seating chart please log onto http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com or call (559) 688-0909.

The Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway is located at the Tulare County Fairgrounds on the corner of Bardsley and K Streets in Tulare.

More information on the Golden State King of the West Sprints can be found at http://www.kwssprints.com

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Notes & Pertinent Info

“Pombo/Sargent Classic” Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway - Saturday May 14

What:

The annual Pombo/Sargent Classic is up next for the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series this Saturday May 14 at the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway. The Pombo/Sargent Classic has been going on for over 20 years and it honors California racing icons Al Pombo and Marshall Sargent.

This Saturday’s event will be the second and final stop of the season in Tulare for KWS.

When:

On Saturday May 14 the front grandstand gate will open at 5pm with racing starting a half hour earlier than usual at 6:30pm.

Where:

The Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway is located at the Tulare County Fairgrounds on the corner of Bardsley and K Streets in Tulare, California. From the junction of SR 99 and SR 137, go west on SR 137. At South K go south one-half mile to the Fairgrounds.

Tickets:

Advance tickets are on sale and be acquired by contacting the track ticket office at (559) 688-0909. Reserved grandstand seats cost $20 with general admission bleacher tickets $17. Pit pass prices will be $37 for members and $45 for non members.

About the track:

Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway is a one-third mile clay oval with the all-time track record being 12.651, which was set by Tim Kaeding on March 5, 2010.

Last year at the Pombo/Sargent Classic:

San Jose’s Tim Kaeding took advantage of a final lap 360-degree spin by leader Tommy Tarlton to get by and grab the Pombo/Sargent Classic win last season. Tarlton was able to regroup and cross the line in second with Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson, Campbell’s Bud Kaeding and Chico’s Jonathan Allard rounding out the top-five.

Top-10 in KWS points going into this Saturday night:

1. Tim Kaeding 625; 2. Jonathan Allard 596; 3. Andy Gregg 570; 4. Evan Suggs 569; 5. Willie Croft 567; 6. Brent Kaeding 555; 7. Jason Statler 554; 8. Brent Bjork 531; 9. Bobby McMahan 513; 10. Billy Strange Jr. 486

On the internet:

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway:

http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Exciting night on tap when the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series invades Silver Dollar Speedway for the 21st annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial on Saturday

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – May 4, 2011…Much of the focus on Northern California sprint car racing this weekend will be turned to the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico as the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series is set for the 21st annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial on Saturday.

The Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial pays tribute to fallen race car driver Dave Bradway Jr., who lost his life during a sprint car crash at Skagit Speedway's Dirt Cup in 1987. It is the biggest event of the season for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series and packs extra money and awards all night.

Dave and Diane Durica have once again collected lap money and each lap of the A-main event and Last Chance Qualifier will pay $100 to be distributed among the top three each lap. The leader of the lap gets $50, second $30 and third $20.

Butler Built Performance has also donated $500 to the winners share of the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial so the A-main on Saturday will pay $3500 to win!

Fast time & hard charger will also have extra money on the line. As of press time, the driver that sets fast time will receive $950 courtesy of donations from Brent Kaeding, Rich Stadelhofer, Carwash Mike, Paul Brandon, GT Promotions & Shaver Racing Engines. Like all KWS events the fast time qualifier will also be awarded with a custom plaque from Grant’s Fine Art.

The hard charger in the A-main will receive $500 courtesy of donations from Cherry St. Mini Storage, American Tool & Mfg, Bobby McMahan Racing, the Mussell Brothers of Santa Maria and Steward Ranches Eat Beef! The hard charger as always with KWS will also get a $200 gift certificate from PitStopUSA.com

Two-time Bradway Memorial winner Tim Kaeding of San Jose will lead the charge into Silver Dollar Speedway this Saturday aboard the Roth Motorsports No. 83 sprint car.

“TK” will bring a 29-point lead into Chico on the strength of podium finishes in each of the first four races of the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series season. The former Silver Dollar Speedway 410 champion has claimed a pair of wins so far this year with KWS and will be gunning for number three on Saturday.

Home-town favorite Jonathan Allard from Chico will be searching to make up some ground on Kaeding in the points, as he comes into Saturday sitting runner up in the standings. The driver of the Williams Motorsports No. 0 captured the season opener in Antioch on April 9 and has won the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial four-times in his career.

Following a podium effort last week Placerville’s Andy Gregg has jumped to third in the KWS standings while driving the Bret Ervin Racing No. 53 mount. The former Golden State Rookie of the Year has had a pair of good runs during the last two weekends and goes into a track on Saturday he always seems to run strong at.

Coming into the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial ranking fourth in the KWS standings is Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs. The 24-year-old sits just one-digit back of Gregg for the third spot and will be searching to rebound after a late spin in the feature last week left his Suggs Racing No. 33e with a 14th place finish.

Fresh off his big victory last Saturday in Marysville “Double Down” Willie Croft now rounds out the top-five in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings. The Sacramento wheel-man also set fast time last weekend to catapult his way up in the standings and is just three-markers out of third in the points.

Four-time Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial winner Brent Kaeding of Campbell ranks sixth in the KWS standings. “BK” fought a badly wounded car to a seventh place finish in the main event last weekend. Seventh in the points and just two-digits behind Kaeding is 2004 Bradway champion Jason Statler of Grass Valley. “The Big Guy” last year brought home a fifth place finish in the prestigious event.

Fremont’s Brent Bjork has had a great past couple of weekend’s and goes into the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial eighth in the standings. Bjork tallied his first Golden State KWS top-five finish last week in Marysville. Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan is ninth in the points and will be looking for a good run at a track he was champion at in ‘09. Rounding out the top-10 in points is first year traveler Billy Strange of Elk Grove, who finished 11th last weekend in Marysville.

A trio of special drivers looking to throw their name into the mix this weekend will include reigning Golden State 410 champion Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, Loomis resident Kyle Hirst and Australian native Ian Madsen.

Larson last season finished second at the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial and will return to KWS competition after a couple of weekend’s racing out of state. The 18-year-old ran third during his most recent KWS start at Tulare and was also a winner in Golden State competition at Silver Dollar Speedway on July 4 of last year.

Hirst will join forces with McMillen Motorsports for the Bradway, as he looks to win the race that has been so special to his family for so many years. Hirst came close to winning the Bradway a few seasons back, until contact late in the race ended his chances. Madsen, the brother of the “Madman” Kerry Madsen will be spending time in California with KWS over the next handful of weeks and is expected to have special advisor Lee Watson at his side.

Other drivers expected on Saturday will include 1976 Silver Dollar Speedway champion Doug Gandy of Oakhurst, Hoseheads.com/Grant’s Fine Art Rookie of the Year contender Kenny Allen of Chico, Stockton’s Brad Furr, Chico’s Brad Bumgarner and Jason York, Clovis’ Peter Murphy, San Francisco’s Nick Rescino Jr., Merced’s Mark Barroso, Rio Vista’s Dan and Danielle Simpson, Gilroy’s Ken Fredenburg, North Kingstown, Rhode Island’s Eli Deshaies and more.

Sponsoring the heat races at the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial for the ninth consecutive season will be the fan group known as Hoserville. Each heat race winner will stop on the front stretch to be interviewed and will receive a right rear tire & five sleeves of tear offs. Each driver will also receive a trophy to hand out to a kid in the stands.

Each heat race winner will also receive a coupon towards powder coating one sprint car chassis courtesy Willie Croft and Amerikote.

The front grandstand gate will open at 5pm this Saturday night, with qualifying around 6:30 and racing beginning around 7. Adult tickets will cost $20, juniors 12-15 will be $14, children 6-11 are $12 and kids five and under will be free. The Silver Dollar Speedway is located on the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, a half-mile west of SR 99 on Park Ave in Chico, California. More info can be found at http://www.kwssprints.com

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Notes & Pertinent Info

Silver Dollar Speedway – Saturday May 7 “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial”

What:

The 21st annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial is on tap this Saturday for the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. The event is considered the biggest of the season for the series with special awards and extra money on the line all night. The evening will be capped with a big 40-lap main event.

Dave and Diane Durica have once again collected lap money and each lap of the A-main and Last Chance Qualifier will pay $100 to be distributed among the top three each lap. The leader of the lap gets $50, second $30 and third $20.

Sponsoring the heat races for the ninth consecutive season will be the fan group known as Hoserville. Each heat race winner will stop on the front stretch to be interviewed and will receive a right rear tire & five sleeves of tear offs. Each driver will also receive a trophy to hand out to a kid in the stands.

Mothers on Saturday night will be pampered by the Speedway. A locally owned Spa will give away free samples to the moms in attendance and also offer the chance for a massage. Flowers by Rachelle will give away 30 individual flowers to mothers throughout the night. There is also a drink special throughout the weekend. Margaritas and Wine will be served at only $2.50 a drink.

When:

The pit gate will open at 3pm with the front grandstand gate opening at 5 and racing beginning around 7.

Where:

The Silver Dollar Speedway is located on the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, a half-mile west of SR 99 on Park Ave in Chico, California. For directions and a map visit http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com/location.php

Tickets:

Adult tickets will cost $20, juniors 12-15 will be $14, children 6-11 are $12 and kids five and under will be free.

About the track:

The Silver Dollar Speedway is a high-banked quarter-mile clay oval and is considered one of the most famous dirt tracks in the country. Each September the facility plays host to the famed Gold Cup Race of Champions that brings world-wide attention to the track. The all-time Golden State KWS 410 track record at SDS was set by Jonathan Allard on May 9, 2009 at a time of 11.119 seconds.

Last May at Silver Dollar Speedway:

Bixby, Oklahoma’s Shane Stewart made a rare Golden State 410 start pay off by racing to victory at the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial and brought home $5700 for his efforts in Paul Silva’s No. 57 mount. Eventual series champion Kyle Larson came home in second, with Bud Kaeding charging from 13th to third, Chico’s Jonathan Allard finished fourth and Grass Valley’s Jason Statler completed the top-five.

Top-10 in KWS points going into this Saturday night:

KWS main event winners so far this season:

Antioch April 9- Jonathan Allard; Tulare April 16- Tim Kaeding; Watsonville April 23- Tim Kaeding; Marysville April 30- Willie Croft.

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings after Marysville April 30

1. Tim Kaeding- 625

2. Jonathan Allard- 596

3. Andy Gregg- 570

4. Evan Suggs- 569

5. Willie Croft- 567

6. Brent Kaeding- 555

7. Jason Statler- 554

8. Brent Bjork- 531

9. Bobby McMahan- 513

10. Billy Strange Jr.- 486

11. Kenny Allen- 465

12. Danielle Simpson- 446

13. Brad Furr- 402

14. Pat Harvey- 384

15. Nick Rescino Jr.- 359

16. Dan Simpson- 331

17. Mark Barroso- 324

18. Doug Gandy- 306

19. Kyle Larson- 277

20. Tommy Tarlton- 271

21. Trey Starks- 248

22. Peter Murphy- 245

23. Eli Deshaies- 198

24. Ken Fredenburg- 195

25. Sean McMahan- 153

26. Justin Sanders- 152

27. Roger Crockett- 150

28. Mason Moore- 147

29. Craig Stidham- 145

30. Mike Faria- 143

31. Brad Bumgarner- 137

32. Jerry Bonnema- 135

33. Korey Lovell- 130

34. Rico Abreu- 124

35. Nick Ringo Jr.- 124

36. Chase Wood- 122

37. Garrett Ishii- 120

38. Charlie Louden- 118

39. Shane Golobic- 116

40. Cory Eliason- 116

41. Brandon Dozier- 116

42. Kurt Nelson- 114

43. Mark Tabor Jr.- 112

44. Mike Monahan- 106

45. James Bondurant- 78

46. Steve Osborne- 75

47. Keith Collins- 75

48. Mark Workentine- 75

49. Geoff Duppman- 10

50. Art McCarthy- 0

Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series at Marysville Raceway Park goes to “Double Down” Willie Croft

By Gary Thomas

Marysville, CA – April 30, 2011…After opening the night with a bang on Saturday at the Marysville Raceway Park Willie Croft ended the evening in that same fashion, making a pass of Jonathan Allard early in the feature and then cruising to his first Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series victory of 2011.

Previously in his career Croft had picked up Golden State 410 wins at Chico’s Mini Gold Cup in 2004 and at the American Valley Speedway in Quincy during the ’07 year. On Saturday the Sacramento gasser also set a new track record in qualifying at Marysville Raceway Park aboard his Holey Smokes BBQ, AIC Powder Coating, MRO Inc. No. 29 mount.

“Wow it’s just great to come here and put this car in victory lane at Marysville tonight,” Croft commented. “We’ve always ran pretty good here and I have to thank everyone that helps us out. We made the decision to come and race with the King of the West Series this year and it’s been really fun the first four races.”

Extremely gusty day-time winds had left the track surface very dry and tricky for the main event and when the green flag waved it was Dash winner Jonathan Allard of Chico getting the lead. Early on Allard looked to be in control of the 30-lapper, but would soon feel pressure from Croft, who hounded the rear bumper of the Williams Motorsports No. 0 sprinter.

A couple of restarts over the first handful of laps saw Allard maintain control of the top-spot, but Croft quickly stepped up his challenges and on lap-eight he would slice to the inside and impressively steal the lead away. The driver known as “Double Down” then checked out from the field and built up a fairly large advantage, before the caution lights flashed on with 13-laps complete.

It created a double file restart and when the field came back for green current KWS point leader Tim Kaeding of San Jose made the most of it and got to the inside of Allard to grab second. He then looked to close on Croft, but the Sacramento driver wasn’t having anything of that and once again pulled away from the pack.

The remaining distance saw Croft work the track, as well as lapped traffic to perfection and despite a late-race double file restart he would go on to take the checkered flag and record a huge victory. In addition to setting fast time he also scored second place finishes in both his heat race and the dash to put together a strong evening of competition.

T. Kaeding came across the line in second to tally his third podium finish in the first four races with the Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series. The wheel-man of the Roth Motorsports, HR Cattle No. 83 mount will maintain the KWS point lead going into Chico next week.

“It’s good to be back up here on the podium” Kaeding said. “I want to thank Dennis & Teresa Roth and my guys for giving me great stuff and have to thank everyone for coming out tonight and supporting 410 sprint car racing in Marysville. We’ll go on to the Bradway next week and try to get another victory and put on a show for all you fans.”

A wild final couple of laps in the main event ended with Placerville’s Andy Gregg shooting by a few cars and bringing the Bret Ervin Racing, 7-Industries No. 53 home in third place to score his first podium finish of the season with KWS.

“It feels really nice to get on the front stretch tonight,” Gregg commented. “It’s an honor just to be up here with a guy like Tim Kaeding and I definitely want to congratulate my buddy Willie Croft for winning. We’ve been getting better each week and I’m excited for the Bradway next Saturday.”

After leading early in the main event Allard slipped to fourth at the conclusion, with Fremont’s Brent Bjork having a strong run in the Bjork Construction No. 7b to finish fifth and score his first career top-five with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series. Bjork has been very impressive the past couple weekends and it has been great to see after suffering a dislocated elbow at the season opener.

Princeton’s Mason Moore made his first Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series start of the season and had a solid outing in the main event to finish sixth, even despite having to go to the rear of the field at one point. After winning the LCQ Campbell’s Brent Kaeding came home in seventh, with Chico’s Brad Bumgarner in eighth, Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan in ninth and Yuba City’s Korey Lovell rounding out the top-10.

Lovell received the PitStopUSA.com hard charger award by coming from 18th to 10th in the feature. It was a nice run for the five-time MRP track champion, who was utilizing a 360 power plant during the night.

As mentioned Brent Kaeding captured the Last Chance Qualifier with Jonathan Allard winning the KSE Racing Products/ Grant’s Fine Art Dash. Allard, Andy Gregg and Bobby McMahan picked off the three 10-lap heat races. Willie Croft won the Grant’s Fine Art fast-time award by cutting a 12.111 to set a new Marysville Raceway Park track record.

Next Saturday night May 7 the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will head for its biggest night of the season, with the 21st annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial on deck at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway. The prestigious event is always one of the most special shows each year and next Saturday is expected to be an action packed night of racing as KWS makes its debut at SDS. To keep up with the latest happenings with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series visit http://www.kwssprints.com or catch us on Facebook and Twitter.

As a note King of the West Tonight will switch to Thursdays starting this week. The show will continue to air live at 7pm pst each week at http://www.kwssprints.com/webcast

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Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Results - Marysville Raceway Park April 30, 2011

25 cars

Fast time Willie Croft: 12.111 NTR

Heat 1: Jonathan Allard, Willie Croft, Danielle Simpson, Kenny Allen, Brad Bumgarner, Dan Simpson, Brent Kaeding, Eli Deshaies

Heat 2: Andy Gregg, Mason Moore, Tim Kaeding, Billy Strange Jr., Mark Barroso, Mike Monahan, Doug Gandy

Heat 3: Bobby McMahan,Jason Statler, Evan Suggs, Brent Bjork, Nick Rescino Jr., Korey Lovell, Brandon Dozier, Pat Harvey

Dash: Jonathan Allard, Willie Croft, Andy Gregg, Tim Kaeding, Evan Suggs, Bobby McMahan, Brent Bjork, Mason Moore

LCQ: Brent Kaeding, Mike Monahan, Brandon Dozier, Korey Lovell, Mark Tabor Jr., Eli Deshaies, Dan Simpson, Pat Harvey, Doug Gandy

A-main: Willie Croft, Tim Kaeding, Andy Gregg, Jonathan Allard, Brent Bjork, Mason Moore, Brent Kaeding, Brad Bumgarner, Bobby McMahan, Korey Lovell, Billy Strange Jr., Jason Statler, Nick Rescino Jr., Evan Suggs, Kenny Allen, Dan Simpson, Brandon Dozier, Pat Harvey, Mark Tabor Jr., Eli Deshaies, Danielle Simpson, Mike Monahan

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Willie Croft and the 29 team in Golden State King of the West Series victory lane at the Marysville Raceway Park. Photo courtesy Paul Gould.

Marysville Raceway Park hosts Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series this Saturday night April 30

By Gary Thomas

Marysville, CA – April 27, 2011…The thundering sound of 410 sprint cars will invade Marysville Raceway Park this Saturday night when the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series hits the “Action Track of the West” for the fourth round of action in the 2011 season.

Since taking over the Marysville Raceway Park promoters Paul and Kathy Hawes have made a number of improvements to the track and facility, which is located just 45 miles north of Sacramento and 50 miles south of Chico.

Last season the Golden State Series brought 410 winged sprint car racing back to the track for the first time since 1999 and it saw eventual champion Kyle Larson of Elk Grove bring home the victory. This year KWS will be looking to bring even more excitement to the track with numerous things planned throughout the evening, including giveaways and driver autographs in the grandstands.

As noted Saturday’s event will be round number four in the battle for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series championship, which includes a $125,000 cash point fund that will be distributed at season’s end. The series is scheduled to visit 15 different tracks in 2011 and the show in Marysville will be a prelude of what is expected to come at next weekend’s annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial in Chico.

Sitting atop the KWS point standings going into the Marysville Raceway Park is San Jose’s Tim Kaeding, who has won two of the three main events for far this season aboard Dennis & Teresa Roth’s beautiful No. 83 sprint car. Always worth the price of admission wherever he races “TK” captured his 50th career Golden State 410 victory last week and will be searching for three in a row on Saturday night.

Two-time Golden State 410 champion Jonathan Allard has moved to second in the standings after a third place effort last week and will be trying to chip away at Kaeding’s 25-point advantage on Saturday. The driver of the Morrie & Katie Williams No. 0 mount claimed victory in the opening round at Antioch, before an accident on the final lap in Tulare left him with a 17th place finish in week two.

Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs has had a consistent start to the year and currently ranks third in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings while driving his family’s No. 33e machine. A runner up finish on opening night for Suggs has been followed by a pair of top-10 finishes during the ensuing events and places him just six-digits back of Allard for second. Suggs last season finished third in the feature at MRP.

Fan-favorite Jason Statler of Grass Valley comes into Marysville sitting fourth in the Golden State KWS standings. Last season at MRP the “Big Guy” won the dash and led the first seven-laps in the main event, before finishing second to Larson aboard his familiar DF Rios Motorsports No. 00 mount. Statler is also coming off a fast-time effort last week and will be gunning to return to victory lane on Saturday.

Going into the Marysville Raceway Park there is currently a tie for fifth in the standings between Placerville’s Andy Gregg and Campbell’s Brent Kaeding.

Gregg is coming off his best night of the young season last week at Ocean Speedway, where he won a heat race and finished fifth in the main event at the helm of the Bret Ervin Racing No. 53 sprinter. The 7-Industries factory driver claimed his first ever California sprint car victory at MRP in 2007 and will be looking for his initial Golden State KWS win on Saturday.

Brent Kaeding is also fresh off his best outing of the year last weekend, which saw him win the dash and lead the first 11-laps of the main event, before finishing fourth at the conclusion. The driver of the famed Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 sprinter will return to Marysville Raceway Park this Saturday hoping to break a winless drought with the Golden State 410 Series that dates back to July of 2009.

Completing the top-10 in KWS points coming into Saturday is Sacramento’s Willie Croft, Stockton’s Brad Furr, Fremont’s Brent Bjork and Elk Grove veteran Bobby McMahan. Other drivers expected will include Elk Grove’s Billy Strange Jr., Chico’s Kenny Allen and Brad Bumgarner, Princeton’s Mason Moore, Merced’s Mark Barroso, Gilroy’s Ken Fredenburg, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Rio Vista’s Dan & Danielle Simpson, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey and more.

The pit gate will open at 3pm on Saturday, the front gate opens at 5 and cars will be hitting the track for wheel packing around 5:30, with qualifying and racing to follow. A full program of qualifying Time-Trials, Heat Races, a Dash, Last Chance Qualifier and the 30-lap $3,000-to-win/ $500-to-start main event will be on tap in Marysville.

Adult tickets will cost $18 with juniors 10-17 being $15, seniors, disabled and active military also $15, kids 6-9 $10 and children 5 and under free.

The Marysville Raceway Park is located in Marysville, California. From the Junction of HWY 70 and HWY 20 (12th Street), go a quarter-mile east on HWY 20. Turn south onto Ramirez Road for 1.5 miles. The physical address is 1468 Simpson Ln, Marysville, CA 95901. Directions & hotels can be found at http://marysvilleracewaypark.com/maps.html

Upcoming events-

Next Saturday night May 7 the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will head for the 21st annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway. Lap money and extra goodies will be up for grabs during the night and for anyone that would like to contribute to the prestigious event please contact Dave & Dianne Durica at Durica1414@sbcglobal.net or call 916-988-5958.

More info on the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial can be found during the coming week at http://www.kwssprints.com

You can also follow KWS on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KWS410s#!/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Notes & Pertinent Info

King of the West Tonight will return tomorrow evening at 7pm pst with scheduled guests being Placerville’s Andy Gregg and Prunedale’s Justin Sanders.

Sander’s last week finished second in the main event at Ocean Speedway with the Golden State King of the West Sprints, in what was just his second 410 start. The 18-year-old gave eventual winner Tim Kaeding a run for his money and missed out on the upset victory by just inches.

Gregg also had a solid outing this past weekend by finishing fifth in the main event at Ocean Speedway.

The wheel-man of the Bret Ervin Racing No. 53 is currently tied for fifth in the KWS standings with 13-time Golden State champ Brent Kaeding. Gregg won his first ever main event in California at the Marysville Raceway Park in 2007 and will talk about his chances for the coming weekend.

If anyone has questions for our guests email them to gary7n@sbcglobal.net

We will also recap last weekend and give an in-depth preview of this Saturday nights event at the Marysville Raceway Park.

To view King of the West Tonight log onto http://www.kwssprints.com/webcast at 7pm pst on Wednesday evening.

Archived shows can also be found at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/king-of-the-west-today

Marysville Raceway Park – Saturday April 30

What:

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series continues its 2011 season this Saturday night at Paul & Kathy Hawes’ Marysville Raceway Park. It will be just the second 410 sprint car event held at the track since 1999 after the Golden State Series returned to the facility last season.

When:

The pit gate opens at 3pm on Saturday, the front gate will open at 5 and cars will be hitting the track for wheel packing around 5:30, with qualifying and racing to follow.

Where:

Tickets:

Adult tickets will cost $18 with juniors 10-17 being $15, seniors, disabled and active military also $15, kids 6-9 $10 and children 5 and under free.

About the track:

The Marysville Raceway Park is a quarter-mile semi banked clay oval and has undergone a number of changes in recent years, including upgrades to the facility and a reconfiguration of the track surface. Prior to last season 410 sprint cars hadn’t competed at the track for 10-years. Fast time last season was set by Alissa Geving with a lap of 12.455 seconds.

Last July at Marysville Raceway Park:

The Golden State 410 Series return to the Marysville Raceway Park saw Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson race to victory after an exciting duel with Grass Valley’s Jason Statler. The 18-year-old also took over the series point lead that night, which he would never relinquish. Statler finished second, with Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs in third, Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan fourth and Campbell’s Brent Kaeding rounding out the top-five.

Top-10 in KWS points going into this Saturday night:

1. Tim Kaeding 468; 2. Jonathan Allard 443; 3. Evan Suggs 437; 4. Jason Statler 422; 5. Andy Gregg 419; 6. Brent Kaeding 419; 7. Willie Croft 404; 8. Brad Furr 402; Brent Bjork 387; 10. Bobby McMahan 374

On the internet:

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

Marysville Raceway Park-

http://www.marysvilleracewaypark.com

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San Jose’s Tim Kaeding will look to make it three in a row with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series when the tour invades Marysville Raceway Park on Saturday. “TK” will bring the always potent Roth Motorsports No. 83 into MRP with a 25-point lead in the standings. Photo courtesy Dennis Mattish.

Top-25 in Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Point Standings after Round 3

Pos. Driver. Points

1. Tim Kaeding- 468

2. Jonathan Allard- 443

3. Evan Suggs- 437

4. Jason Statler- 422

5. Andy Gregg- 419

6. Brent Kaeding- 419

7. Willie Croft- 404

8. Brad Furr- 402

9. Brent Bjork- 387

10. Bobby McMahan- 374

11. Billy Strange Jr. - 354

12. Kenny Allen- 341

13. Danielle Simpson- 333

14. Mark Barroso- 311

15. Kyle Larson- 277

16. Tommy Tarlton- 271

17. Pat Harvey- 270

18. Trey Starks- 248

19. Peter Murphy- 245

20. Nick Rescino Jr. – 232

21. Doug Gandy- 231

22. Dan Simpson- 213

23. Ken Fredenburg- 195

24. Sean McMahan- 153

25. Justin Sanders- 152

Tim Kaeding blazes to 50th career Golden State 410 victory with King of the West Sprints on Saturday night at Ocean Speedway

By Gary Thomas

Watsonville, CA – April 23, 2011…Milestone victories only come around every so often and on Saturday night San Jose, California’s Tim Kaeding accomplished a special one at the Ocean Speedway with the Golden State King of the West Sprints.

The man simply known as “TK” made an early pass of father Brent Kaeding and then held off a fast-moving and hard-charging Justin Sanders to score his 50th career Golden State 410 Series win. The 32-year-old wheel-man becomes just the second driver to reach that mark in series history.

“It’s an awesome feeling to get that 50th win and I can’t say enough about Dennis & Teresa Roth and my whole team, because Bonzai and the guys gave me an awesome car,” said Kaeding. “That was some great racing right there and Justin Sanders did a heck of a job to finish second so I want to congratulate him as well.”

Despite a drizzly evening as the night wore on everything went off without a hitch and fans were treated to some tremendous racing throughout the program. Campbell’s Brent Kaeding scored victory in the KSE Racing Products/ Grant’s Fine Art Dash to earn the pole for the A-main and when the green lights came on he would blast into the lead on the hooked-up quarter mile clay oval.

The action was extremely intense over the opening laps of the feature with Tim Kaeding hounding “BK” for the lead and Jonathan Allard right there within striking distance. Lap-eight would see the first caution for fifth running Willie Croft, who slowed to a stop. “Double Down” restarted and made a valiant charge through the field to get back up to fifth at one point, before issues ended his night late in the race.

Following Croft’s first stop it created a double-file restart and during it Brent Kaeding jumped back into the lead, but “TK” and “JA” raced inches away from the black No. 69 machine. Rounding turn four to complete lap 12, T. Kaeding finally got the momentum he needed and rocketed around his dad to claim the lead. A caution just prior to the midway point then slowed things down, but on the restart young Justin Sanders made his presence known.

The 18-year-old had already made some nifty moves to get up to fourth and on the double file restart he would beat Allard into the first corner to claim third. Sanders wasn’t done just yet however, as he closed in on Brent Kaeding for second and on lap 18 sliced to the bottom and took over the runner-up spot. With the crowd coming to their feet he then closed in on T. Kaeding and made it a battle for the lead.

The final stoppage of the night came on lap 24 when Ken Fredenburg got upside down in the third and fourth corners to bring out a red flag. Also involved in the accident were Billy Strange Jr. and Nick Ringo Jr. The final restart of the night then saw T. Kaeding get a nice jump and pull away to a fairly healthy advantage, but with just a couple laps left he was slowed by traffic and it allowed Sander’s to close back in.

Entering the final corners T. Kaeding got a bit high and Sanders charged to the inside, but didn’t quite have enough and “TK” was able to hang on by a slim margin to score his second straight Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series win in the Roth Motorsports, HR Cattle No. 83.

The runner up finish for Sanders came during just his second night with a 410 power plant under the hood of his North County Plastering, Taco Bravo sponsored No. 17 mount. Sander’s last season finished fifth in the Taco Bravo 360 standings and showed just much local track knowledge means by putting together an impressive night of racing at his home track.

“I have to give a big thanks to Dennis Wuolett of Taco Bravo for letting me run his 410 tonight and this is just awesome to finish on the podium with the King of the West Series,” said Sanders. “I want to thank everyone that helps us out and it was pretty cool being able to get pass guys like Jonathan Allard and Brent Kaeding. I just got into a groove and it was a lot of fun.”

Allard made the move around Brent Kaeding for third with five-laps left in the race to record his second podium finish of the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series season aboard the Williams Motorsports, Red Line Oil No. 0. “It was a pretty good run for us tonight and I want give Justin Sanders congrats for getting second and Tim for another win,” Allard said. “We’ll just move on to Marysville and try to make up some points.”

Brent Kaeding finished the race in fourth at the helm of the Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 with Placerville’s Andy Gregg rounding out the top-five aboard the 7-Industries No. 53 machine. Fremont’s Brent Bjork put together a very solid night and came home sixth, Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan scored seventh, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs was eighth, Corralitos’ Jerry Bonnema was ninth and Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson completed the top-10 to tie her best ever Golden State KWS finish.

Bonnema brought home the PitStopUSA.com hard charger award by carving his way from 21st to ninth in the main event and Willie Croft will receive the Dirt Solution hard luck award after problems took him out of the top-five on a pair of occasions in the main event.

The Last Chance Qualifier was picked off by Statler, with Brent Kaeding winning the dash as previously noted. The four 10-lap heat races were won by Andy Gregg, Tim Kaeding, Willie Croft and Brent Kaeding. Statler opened the night by setting fast time to earn $250 courtesy of Carwash Mike & a custom plaque courtesy of Tim Grant from Grant’s Fine Art.

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will be back in action next Saturday night April 30 at the Marysville Raceway Park in Marysville, California. To keep up with the latest happenings with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series visit http://www.kwssprints.com or catch us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Results - Ocean Speedway Saturday April 23

28 cars

Fast time: Jason Statler 11.582

Heat 1: Andy Gregg, Kurt Nelson, Brad Furr, Billy Strange Jr., James Bondurant, Eli Deshaies, Jason Statler

Heat 2: Tim Kaeding, Justin Sanders, Bobby McMahan, Rico Abreu, Nick Rescino Jr., Pat Harvey, Kenny Allen

Heat 3: Willie Croft, Peter Murphy, Jonathan Allard, Evan Suggs, Jerry Bonnema, Dan Simpson, Nick Ringo Jr.

Heat 4: Brent Kaeding, Ken Fredenburg, Brent Bjork, Mark Barroso, Doug Gandy, Danielle Simpson

Dash: Brent Kaeding, Tim Kaeding, Andy Gregg, Jonathan Allard, Brad Furr, Willie Croft, Brent Bjork, Justin Sanders

Last Chance Qualifier: Jason Statler, Danielle Simpson, Jerry Bonnema, Nick Ringo Jr., Kenny Allen, Nick Rescino Jr., Dan Simpson, Doug Gandy, James Bondurant, Pat Harvey

A-main: Tim Kaeding, Justin Sanders, Jonathan Allard, Brent Kaeding, Andy Gregg, Brent Bjork, Bobby McMahan, Evan Suggs, Jerry Bonnema, Danielle Simpson, Billy Strange Jr., Kenny Allen, Nick Ringo Jr., Mark Barroso, Rico Abreu, Willie Croft, Jason Statler, Ken Fredenburg, Brad Furr, Nick Rescino Jr., Kurt Nelson, Peter Murphy

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series race to Ocean Speedway in Watsonville on Saturday/ Note earlier start time

By Gary Thomas

Watsonville, CA – April 20, 2011…Fresh off his victory last weekend San Jose, California’s Tim Kaeding will lead the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series into his home track at Ocean Speedway this Saturday night April 23.

Please note an earlier start time will be in place on Saturday with the pit gate open at noon, front gate opening at 3pm, drivers meeting around 3:30, wheel packing at 4, qualifying around 4:45 and racing to follow. A full program of qualifying Time-Trials, Heat Races, Dash, Last Chance Qualifier and the 30-lap $3,000-to-win/ $500-to-start main event will be on tap in Watsonville.

On Friday night the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will also be holding its first Fan Fest event at Chevrolet of Watsonville, which is located at 490 Auto Center Drive Watsonville, CA 95607. The event will run from 4pm to 7:30 and will feature show cars and displays, including Andy Gregg's 7-Industries sponsored No. 53, driver autographs, sprint Car simulators, KPIG remote with music and giveaways, free hot dogs for fans, special fan test drives and more.

Fast time on Saturday will also have a special bonus with $250 up for grabs to the quick qualifier courtesy of sprint car super-fan Carwash Mike. Along with that a custom wood plaque will also be given out courtesy of Tim Grant of Grant’s Fine Art.

The always exciting Tim Kaeding currently holds a six-point lead in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings heading into Ocean Speedway on Saturday.

“TK” picked up his 49th career Golden State 410 Series victory last Saturday in Tulare and will be gunning for back to back wins this weekend. The third generation driver also won a Taco Bravo Series main event last Friday night at Ocean Speedway and captured the $5,000-to-win Johnny Key Classic last season at the track.

There is currently a dead-heat for second in the standings between Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs and Grass Valley’s Jason Statler.

So far this year Suggs has finished second and seventh in the first two events, placing him close to the point lead in what is his fifth season of winged sprint car racing. The 24-year-old is also the 360 track record holder at the Ocean Speedway and will be searching for his first ever Golden State Series win on Saturday.

Statler last weekend earned the PitStopUSA.com hard charger award by carving his way from 11th to fourth in the main event at the Thunderbowl Raceway. “The Big Guy” has had a strong start to the KWS season and also tallied a podium finish in Antioch two weeks ago. Statler last won with the Golden State 410 Series in ’08 and will be searching to change that on Saturday.

Round one winner Jonathan Allard will be hoping to rebound after a flip while battling for the lead on the last lap at Tulare dropped him to fourth in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings. The Ocean Speedway is one of the few tracks in Northern California that Allard hasn’t won a 410 main event at, but a victory this week would be a huge boost in making up ground in the points.

The top-five in points going into this weekend is rounded out by Stockton’s Brad Furr, who has a number of laps around the Ocean Speedway over the last few seasons. The Stockton driver has made a return to the 410 ranks in 2011 and also experienced one of his career highlights at the Watsonville based track in 2002, winning a main event with the World of Outlaws.

Other drivers expected for this weekend include 13-time Golden State 410 Series champion Brent Kaeding of Campbell, Sacramento’s “Double Down” Willie Croft, Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan, Clovis’ Peter Murphy, Fremont’s Brent Bjork, Chico’s Kenny Allen, Elk Grove’s Billy Strange Jr., St. Helena’s Rico Abreu, Gilroy’s Ken Fredenburg, Merced’s Mark Barroso, Rio Vista's Dan & Danielle Simpson, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy and more.

Adult tickets will cost $20 on Saturday night, children 6 to 12 will be $15, seniors 65 and older are $18 and kids five and under will be free. A family pack featuring two adults and two children will be available for $55.

Upcoming events-

Next Saturday night April 30 the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will head to the Marysville Raceway Park in Marysville, California for the fourth round of action in 2011. After that the tour will get set for the 21st annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway on Saturday May 7.

Bradway Memorial lap money is still for sale and is up for grabs in the Last Chance Qualifier and the 40-lap A-main. Laps cost $100 each and the money is split up among the top-three drivers each lap with the leader getting $50, second place $30 and third place earning $20.

Those looking to purchase a lap for the Bradway Memorial please contact Dave & Dianne Durica at Durica1414@sbcglobal.net or call 916-988-5958.

For more information on these fast approaching shows and to view the entire schedule of events for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series go to http://www.kwssprints.com

King of the West Tonight returns tomorrow evening at 7pm pacific time on http://www.kwssprints.com/webcast

We will be recapping last Saturday’s event at the Thunderbowl Raceway and previewing this coming weekend’s race at the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, as well as our first Fan Fest event that will be taking place on Friday at Chevrolet of Watsonville.

Current Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series point leader Tim Kaeding of San Jose is also scheduled to be in-studio discussing his victory last week in Tulare and his career in general. If anybody has questions for “TK” please email them to gary7n@sbcglobal.net

The KWS Production Crew will also debut a new Behind the Wheel segment featuring Elk Grove driver Bobby McMahan, so please join us on Wednesday night for what should be a fun show.

Archived shows can be found at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/king-of-the-west-today

Ocean Speedway

April 23, 2011

Early Start Time

3:30 Pit Meeting

Cars On Track 4:00pm

SOUND---SOUND---SOUND

Ocean Speedway promoter John Prentice has advised that everyone be aware strict enforcement of the 95 DBA @ 100 FT sound limit will be in effect. Please understand everyone needs to do what they need to make sure they comply. Whether it is by mufflers or under hood sound deadening insulation or other means, everyone needs to understand the importance of this and try to work together to come up with ways to assure everyone meets the requirements. This is not the doing of the track or the promoter. There is a strong attempt being made to shut down racing at the track. Sound and land use attorneys have been hired by the speedway, the fairgrounds and track neighbors. We know the racing family will try to do everything it can to co-exist with everything and everyone. Racing in the area has been a valued and loved form of family entertainment for many years, it brings an added income to the county and the local area. We don't want now to be the time it ends.

NOTE: There were THREE different groups taking sound readings last Friday during the event. You must pass sound to run at Watsonville. Only unaltered Big Flowmaster and Big Spintech wil be allowed. No small Spintech or Schoenfeld mufflers allowed.

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Notes & Pertinent Info

Ocean Speedway – Saturday April 23

What:

John Prentice’s Ocean Speedway will be next up for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series this Saturday night April 23. The track has grown to be one the premier sprint car venues on the West Coast over the last few seasons and this weekend will be the first of four events this year for KWS at the facility.

When:

An earlier start time will be in place on Saturday with the pit gate open at noon, front gate opening at 3pm, drivers meeting at 3:45, wheel packing at 4, qualifying around 4:45 and racing to follow.

Where:

The Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, two miles east of Watsonville, California on SR 152. The physical address is 2601 East Lake Ave, Watsonville, CA 95076.

Tickets:

Adult tickets cost $20, children 6 to 12 will be $15, seniors 65 and older are $18 and kids five and under will be free. A family pack featuring two adults and two children will be available for $55.

About the track:

Last April at the Ocean Speedway:

Campbell’s Bud Kaeding won a thrilling Golden State 410 Series main event at the Ocean Speedway last April. The three-time USAC Silver Crown champion passed father Brent Kaeding for second with 10-laps left in the feature and then made the winning move around Kyle Larson on lap-24. Larson came home a close second, with Tommy Tarlton third, Brent Kaeding fourth and Peter Murphy rounding out the top-five.

Top-10 in KWS points going into the night:

1. Tim Kaeding 305; 2. Jason Statler 299; 3. Evan Suggs 299; 4. Jonathan Allard 289; 5. Brad Furr 282; 6. Willie Croft 279; 7. Kyle Larson 277; 8. Andy Gregg 272; 9. Tommy Tarlton 271; 10. Brent Kaeding 270

On the internet:

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

Ocean Speedway-

http://www.oceanspeedway.com

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series point standings after Round 2

1. Tim Kaeding- 305
2. Jason Statler- 299
3. Evan Suggs- 299
4. Jonathan Allard- 289
5. Brad Furr- 282
6. Willie Croft- 279
7. Kyle Larson- 277
8. Andy Gregg- 272
9. Tommy Tarlton- 271
10. Brent Kaeding- 270
11. Trey Starks- 248
12. Brent Bjork- 240
13. Bobby McMahan- 233
14. Billy Strange Jr. 222
15. Kenny Allen- 215
16. Danielle Simpson- 203
17. Pat Harvey- 195
18. Mark Barroso- 185
19. Sean McMahan- 153
20. Doug Gandy- 153
21. Roger Crockett- 150
22. Craig Stidham- 145
23. Mike Faria- 143
24. Bud Kaeding- 139
25. Dan Simpson- 138
26. Peter Murphy- 133
27. Chase Wood- 122
28. Garrett Ishii- 120
29. Nick Rescino Jr.- 119
30. Charlie Louden- 118
31. Cory Eliason- 116
32. Shane Golobic- 116
33. Eli Deshaies- 78
34. Steve Osborne- 75
35. Keith Collins- 75
36. Mark Workentine- 75
37. Ken Fredenburg- 75
38. Art McCarthy- 0
39. Kurt Nelson- 0

Tim Kaeding races to victory with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series at Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway on Saturday night

By Gary Thomas

Tulare, CA – April 16, 2011…Going into the season one of the heavy championship favorites was San Jose's Tim Kaeding and on Saturday night at the Thunderbowl Raceway he definitely showed why, making an early pass of Tommy Tarlton for the lead, before holding off a surge from Jonathan Allard to score victory with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series.

The triumph for Kaeding was the 49th of his career with the Golden State 410 Series and came aboard the Central Valley based Roth Motorsports, HR Cattle No. 83 at the 18th annual Chris & Brian Faria Memorial.

“I just love racing at this place and it was fun there for a while racing with Tommy and then Jonathan came out nowhere too,” commented the 2002 series champion. “We’re racing back home this year with the King of the West Series and I have to thank Dennis & Teresa Roth for giving me the opportunity and my whole team for giving me a great car.”

When the green lights came on in the 30-lap main event at the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway it was Easton’s Tommy Tarlton jumping into the lead by way of his pole position. An early caution created a double-file restart and during it things began to heat up with both Medford, Oregon’s Roger Crockett and T. Kaeding making a pair of bold moves to dispatch of Tarlton.

It was all for naught however, as the yellow lights would come on for a spun car and made for a single file restart on the next attempt. When things went back green a couple more laps would click off before the red lights came on for Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, who tipped over in the third and fourth corners. The 13-time Golden State champ was okay though and was even able to restart the race.

When racing got back underway “TK” would step up his challenges and shoot to the lead just prior to another caution period on lap-eight. On the restart Chico’s Jonathan Allard made his presence known and with 10-laps down made the move around Tarlton for second. “JA” let it all hang out riding the high-side of the one-third mile clay oval and charged passed T. Kaeding for the lead on lap 13, but a yellow flag would negate the pass.

After this the track surface began to take rubber more and more, but Allard continued to charge hard after the No. 83 sprinter. Late in the race T. Kaeding was fighting apparent engine problems and with just a couple laps left Allard closed up to his rear bumper. Looking to make a move with the white flag waving Allard’s bid would then come to a tough end, as he caught the front stretch wall and flipped to bring out a red flag.

With curfew looming ahead and concerns over the abrasive conditions, the decision was made to conclude the race and T. Kaeding officially tallied his second win of the season at the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway. "TK" also earned a $100 certificate for Auto Meter Products Inc. by way of his win.

“We had the motor going away there late in the race so I’m really happy we were able to make it,” he said. “We’ll move on to Watsonville now and hope all you fans come and support us.”

Tarlton came home in second and fifth row starter Kyle Larson of Elk Grove completed the podium. Rounding out the top-10 was Grass Valley’s Jason Statler, Crockett, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Campbell’s Bud Kaeding, Tipton’s Mike Faria and Sacramento’s Willie Croft.

The PitStopUSA.com hard charger award for the main event went to Jason Statler who came from 11th to fourth aboard the DF Rios Motorsports No. 00 mount.

Puyallup, Washington’s Trey Starks claimed the 12-lap Last Chance Qualifier and Tommy Tarlton picked up victory in the KSE Racing Products/ Grant’s Fine Art Dash. Heat race wins during the night were picked off by Evan Suggs, Tim Kaeding, Craig Stidham and Tommy Tarlton.

Jonathan Allard set fast time for the second week in a row by cutting a 13.587 and earned seven championship points for doing so. Mike Faria, Brad Furr, Roger Crockett and Kyle Larson also earned points in qualifying. For setting quick time in the 32-car field Allard was awarded with a custom plaque from Grant’s Fine Art.

Allard will also receive the Dirt Solution hard-luck award for the night after his flip on the final lap relegated him to a 17th place finish.

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will resume competition next Saturday night April 23 at Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway. Please note an earlier start time will be in place with the drivers meeting scheduled for around 3:45pm, wheel packing at 4 and qualifying about 4:45.

To keep up with the latest happenings with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series visit http://www.kwssprints.com or catch us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series Results- Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” Saturday April 16, 2011

32 cars

Top-10 in Qualifying-

Fast time: Jonathan Allard 13.587. 2nd Mike Faria 13.749; 3rd Brad Furr 13.786; 4th Roger Crockett 13.796; 5th Kyle Larson 13.861; 6th Willie Croft 13.887; 7th Jason Statler 13.924; 8th Cory Eliason 14.024; 9th Trey Starks 14.030; 10th Tim Kaeding 14.064

Heat 1: Evan Suggs, Kyle Larson, Peter Murphy, Jonathan Allard, Trey Starks, Kenny Allen, Ken Fredenburg, Sean McMahan

Heat 2: Tim Kaeding, Willie Croft, Mike Faria, Bobby McMahan, Brent Bjork, Charlie Louden, Mark Barroso, Doug Gandy

Heat 3: Craig Stidham, Jason Statler, Bud Kaeding, Brad Furr, Andy Gregg, Garrett Ishii, Danielle Simpson, Pat Harvey

Heat 4: Tommy Tarlton, Roger Crockett, Brent Kaeding, Cory Eliason, Eli Deshaies Billy Strange Jr., Mark Workentine

Dash: Tommy Tarlton, Craig Stidham, Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Roger Crockett, Evan Suggs, Mike Faria, Brad Furr

Last Chance Qualifier: Trey Starks, Brent Bjork, Andy Gregg, Charlie Louden, Garrett Ishii, Billy Strange Jr., Kenny Allen, Sean McMahan, Mark Workentine, Danielle Simpson, Doug Gandy, Eli Deshaies, Pat Harvey, Ken Fredenburg, Mark Barroso

A-main: Tim Kaeding, Tommy Tarlton, Kyle Larson, Jason Statler, Roger Crockett, Craig Stidham, Evan Suggs, Bud Kaeding, Mike Faria, Willie Croft, Peter Murphy, Brad Furr, Brent Kaeding, Andy Gregg, Garrett Ishii, Charlie Louden, Jonathan Allard, Billy Strange Jr., Cory Eliason, Trey Starks, Bobby McMahan, Brent Bjork

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San Jose's Tim Kaeding is just one win shy of reaching 50 for his career with the Golden State 410 Series after claiming Saturday's KWS main event at the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway.

Chris & Brian Faria Memorial next up for Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series this Saturday at Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway

By Gary Thomas

Tulare, CA – April 12, 2011…The Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will head to the Central Valley for the first time this season on Saturday night for the 18th annual Chris & Brian Faria Memorial at Tulare’s Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway.

Chris Faria was an up and coming driver who was the youngest of five children to Danny Sr. & Arlet Faria. He grew up on their farm in Tipton and was known as the prankster of the family. Chris unfortunately lost his life at the age of 21 during a farming accident and his memory has been kept alive with a memorial race at the Thunderbowl Raceway ever since.

Brian was the oldest of the five Faria children and was taken from us in January of 2006 when a fallen tree hit his truck while driving on a highway. Brian enjoyed helping out with the track preparation at the Thunderbowl Raceway, as he drove the water truck and the grader among other things.

Following the season opener last weekend Chico’s Jonathan Allard leads the points entering the Thunderbowl and will look to make it back to back wins on Saturday. The former two-time Golden State 410 champ captured the Faria Memorial in ’03 and currently holds a six-point advantage at the top of the standings after also setting fast-time last week.

Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs is coming off a runner up finish last week and sits second to Allard in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings. The 24-year-old continues to close in on his first series win and will be searching to accomplish that on Saturday at the Thunderbowl.

Former Chris & Brian Faria Memorial winner Jason Statler of Grass Valley ranks third in the KWS points going into this weekend after a third place effort last Saturday night. Always a favorite at the Thunderbowl Raceway Tim Kaeding of San Jose goes into Tulare sitting fourth in the standings aboard the Central, CA based Roth Motorsports mount and rounding out the top-five is Stockton’s Brad Furr, who makes his return to full-time 410 racing in 2011.

Rounding out the top-10 in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series standings going into the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway is Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Sacramento’s Willie Croft, multiple-time Faria Memorial winner Brent Kaeding of Campbell, Hoseheads/Grant’s Fine Art Rookie of the Year contender Kenny Allen of Chico and 15-year-old Trey Starks of Puyallup, Washington.

Defending Chris & Brian Faria Memorial champion Kyle Larson of Elk Grove will look to rebound after getting upside down while racing for the lead last weekend in Antioch. The 18-year-old has been spectacular thus far in 2011, winning an ASCS National event in February and putting on a number of impressive charges with the World of Outlaws.

Other drivers expected for this Saturday will include Campbell’s Bud Kaeding, Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, Elk Grove’s Sean & Bobby McMahan, Visalia’s Cory Eliason and Danny Faria Jr., Clovis' Peter Murphy, Tipton’s Mike Faria, Elk Grove’s Billy Strange Jr., Merced’s Mark Barroso, Rio Vista’s Dan and Danielle Simpson, Cuppertino's Steve Osborne, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy and more.

The front gate will open at 5pm this Saturday night with qualifying scheduled for 6 and racing at 7. Reserved grandstand tickets will cost $20 with general admission bleacher seats costing just $17. For more info on tickets and to view a seating chart please log onto http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com or call (559) 688-0909.

The Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway is located at the Tulare County Fairgrounds on the corner of Bardsley and K Streets in Tulare.

Coming up:

Next Saturday April 23 the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will invade Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway for the first of four upcoming events at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds facility this season.

The tour will then travel to the Marysville Raceway Park in Marysville, CA on Saturday March 30, before getting set for the biggest night of the year on May 7 at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway, as the 21st running of the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial will take place at the famed quarter-mile oval.

As always lap money is up for grabs to interested parties or individuals. If anyone would like to purchase a lap for the Bradway Memorial please contact Dave and Dianne Durica at Durica1414@sbcglobal.net or 916-988-5958.

All the money goes back to the racers and helps make this event unique and special like it has been for so many years. The laps cost $100 and are split between the top 3 in the A-main and LCQ each lap. The leader gets $50, 2nd place $30 and 3rd place $20.

For more information on these fast approaching shows and to view the entire schedule of events for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series go to http://www.kwssprints.com

You can also follow KWS on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KWS410s#!/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Notes & Pertinent Info

Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway - Saturday April 16

What:

After opening the season last weekend the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will return to action this Saturday night for the running of the annual Chris & Brian Faria Memorial. This year will mark the fifth season in a row that the event, which began as the Chris Faria Memorial, pays tribute to both brothers

When:

On Saturday April 16 the front grandstand gate will be open at 5pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 6pm, with qualifying at 6:30 and racing anticipated to start around 7.

Where:

Tickets:

About the track:

Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway is one-third mile clay oval with the all-time track record being 12.651, which was set by Tim Kaeding on March 5, 2010.

Last April at the Thunderbowl:

Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson captured the Chris & Brian Faria Memorial last season after an exciting duel with Campbell’s Brent and Bud Kaeding. It marked the youngsters first ever victory at the track. Bud Kaeding ended the feature in second, with Easton’s Tommy Tarlton in third, Brent Kaeding in fourth and Chico’s Jonathan Allard rounding out the top-five.

Top-10 in KWS points going into Saturday:

1. Jonathan Allard; 2. Evan Suggs; 3. Jason Statler; 4. Tim Kaeding; 5. Brad Furr; 6. Andy Gregg; 7. Willie Croft; 8. Brent Kaeding; 9. Kenny Allen; 10. Trey Starks.

On the internet:

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway-

http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series point standings after Round 1

Pos. Driver Points

1. Jonathan Allard 162

2. Evan Suggs 156

3. Jason Statler 151

4. Tim Kaeding 148

5. Brad Furr 147

6. Andy Gregg 147

7. Willie Croft 143

8. Brent Kaeding 141

9. Kenny Allen 140

10. Trey Starks 135

11. Brent Bjork 131

12. Dan Simpson 128

13. Danielle Simpson 128

14. Kyle Larson 124

15. Chase Wood 122

16. Bobby McMahan 121

17. Pat Harvey 120

18. Nick Rescino Jr. 119

19. Tommy Tarlton 118

20. Shane Golobic 116

21. Mark Barroso 110

22. Billy Strange Jr. 108

23. Sean McMahan 78

24. Doug Gandy 78

25. Steve Osborne 75

26. Keith Collins 75

27. Kurt Nelson 0

28. Art McCarthy 0

Back and forth Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series opener goes to Jonathan Allard at Antioch Speedway on Saturday

By Gary Thomas

Antioch, CA – April 9, 2011…There was no shortage of excitement during Saturday’s season opener for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series and when all was said and done it was Chico’s Jonathan Allard standing in victory lane at the Antioch Speedway.

A huge crowd was on hand to witness the inaugural King of the West Series event and they also saw a bit more history, as the triumph marked Allard’s 25th career Golden State 410 win, making him the fourth driver to reach that mark.

“It’s great to come out here and win the first King of the West race tonight and I just can’t thank my guys enough,” said Allard, who joins Brent Kaeding, Tim Kaeding & Steve Kent as drivers who have won at least 25 races with the Golden State Series. “Getting fast time and winning the main event is a tremendous way to begin the season and we’ll try to do it again in Tulare next week.”

The 30-lap Golden State King of the West Series main event started out with dash winner Bobby McMahan getting the jump and pacing the field in the first set of corners at the helm of his McMahan Racing No. 25 sprinter. The Elk Grove driver looked strong in the early stages with drivers trying to find their groove on the extremely hooked up 1/3 mile oval.

As traffic came into play McMahan looked solid trying to keep the rest of the competitors at bay, but things came to a crashing halt on lap seven when contact with a lapped car left him upside down in turn one. It was a tough way to end the night for the veteran driver, who was looking to score his first series victory in a number of years.

Just one lap prior to McMahan’s accident, Allard had passed Grass Valley’s Jason Statler for second so when racing went back green it was the Chico driver leading the field back down for the double file restart. When the green lights came back on however, a big melee ensued when a car got sideways coming out of turn four and resulted in multiple cars flipping down the front stretch, including Tommy Tarlton, Shane Golobic and Billy Strange Jr.

After getting the accident scene cleared things went back green and the action began to intensify with some great side by side racing seen at the front of the field. On lap nine Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs would dispatch of Statler to assume second and then started to close in on Allard for the top-spot. At the same time the man on the move was reigning Golden State 410 champ Kyle Larson, who was marching his way to the front in the Stadelhofer Construction No. 99 mount.

Making some hair-raising moves on the rough and fast surface the 18-year-old soon found himself in second and quickly tracked down leader Allard. With the crowd coming to their feet Larson charged to the high side and blasted around Allard to take command of the race on lap 18. The youngster then pulled away and worked traffic like a magician until the caution lights came on with just eight-circuits remaining.

On the restart Allard then shot to the bottom of the speedway and made a great move to slide in front of Larson and put the Williams Motorsports No. 0 back out front. The duo remained stuck together over the next couple laps as Larson hounded the rear of Allard, but his chance at victory came to an end when he bicycled hard in the third and fourth corners and flipped to bring out a red flag.

The final restart with six laps to go saw Allard easily pull away and drive off to record victory for the second year in a row at the Golden State 410 Series opener. The two-time series champion also set fast time to begin the night, earning seven bonus points for doing so and will be the point leader after one night of racing.

Suggs and Statler had a close battle for second over the final couple of laps and in the end it was Suggs narrowly winning out for the runner up position aboard the Suggs Racing No. 33e. It also marked the second April event in a row at the Antioch Speedway that Suggs has finished second to Allard.

“It seems like we keep finishing second to Jonathan around here, but one of these days we’re going to get him,” Suggs joked on the front stretch. “I really have to think my whole team, because we had some extra people helping out tonight and that made it nice. I also want to give props to Dan Simpson and everyone with KWS for doing such a great job and it’s going to be a fun year.”

Statler’s third place finish continued the consistency that he put together at the end of last year’s Golden State 410 campaign, as he looks to get back into victory lane with the series this season while driving his familiar DF Rios Motorsports No. 00.

“Last year we didn’t have all that many podiums so to get one right out of the box this season is pretty cool,” said Statler, who captured a Golden State victory at the Antioch Speedway in 2003. “We had the car pretty good all night so I have to thank my crew and definitely want to thank all you fans for coming out and supporting us tonight.”

Completing the top five was row six starter Tim Kaeding of San Jose in the Roth Motorsports No. 83 and Stockton’s Brad Furr in the Ray Scheidts Electric No. 2 machine. Finishing sixth and earning the Pit Stop USA.com hard charger award after starting 16th was Sacramento’s Willie Croft, with Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, Puyallup, Washington’s Trey Starks and Chico’s Kenny Allen rounding out the top-10. B. Kaeding was running among the top-five on the final lap when an incident in turn two resulted in him not crossing the stripe.

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Managing Director Dan Simpson of Rio Vista captured the 12-lap Last Chance Qualifier with Bobby McMahan claiming the six lap dash. Heat race victories were taken by Brent Kaeding, Bobby McMahan, Jason Statler and Andy Gregg. A total of 28-cars were on hand for the KWS opener and Antioch Speedway track record holder Jonathan Allard kicked off the night by setting fast time with a clocking of 12.483 seconds around the 1/3 mile oval.

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will return to action next Saturday night April 16 for the running of the annual Chris & Brian Faria Memorial at the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare. Tickets are on sale for the event and can be acquired by contacting the track office at 559-688-0909. Reserved tickets cost $20 with general admission bleachers being $17.

More information can be found during the coming week at http://www.kwssprints.com and http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com

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Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Results Antioch Speedway April 9

Fast time- Jonathan Allard 12.483

Heat 1: Brent Kaeding, Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Brad Furr, Trey Starks, Dan Simpson, Chase Wood

Heat 2: Bobby McMahan, Tommy Tarlton, Brent Bjork, Kenny Allen, Nick Rescino Jr., Steve Osbourne, Keith Collins

Heat 3: Jason Statler Shane Golobic, Evan Suggs, Danielle Simpson, Sean McMahan, Pat Harvey, Kurt Nelson

Heat 4: Andy Gregg, Kyle Larson, Willie Croft, Mark Barroso, Doug Gandy, Billy Strange Jr., Art McCarthy

Dash: McMahan, Statler, Allard, Suggs, Furr, B. Kaeding, Allen, Gregg

Last Chance Qualifier: Dan Simpson, Rescino Jr., Starks, Strange Jr., Wood, Harvey, Sean McMahan, Gandy, Osbourne, Collins

A-main: Allard, Suggs, Statler, T. Kaeding, Furr, Croft, Gregg, B. Kaeding, Starks, Allen, Simpson, Bjork, Danielle Simpson, Wood, Harvey, Larson, Rescino Jr., B. McMahan, Tarlton, Golobic, Strange Jr., Barroso

Drivers and teams set for Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series opener in Antioch on Saturday

By Gary Thomas

Antioch, CA – April 6, 2011…With the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series season-opener set for this Saturday night at the Antioch Speedway drivers and teams are geared up to begin what is expected be a huge year for Northern California 410 sprint car racing.

This Saturday’s Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series opener will be the 15th winged 410 sprint car event at the Antioch Speedway since the Golden State Series returned to the track in 2003. Prior to the ‘09 season the Antioch Speedway was revamped, with additional banking added and the track surface lengthened to what is now a one-third mile dirt oval.

Arguably two of the biggest KWS championship contenders judging by wins last season are sure to include Tim Kaeding and Jonathan Allard, who combined for nearly half of the main event victories last year with the Golden State Series. Last season “TK” led the tour with six triumphs and “JA” was just behind that mark scoring five victories throughout the campaign.

Kaeding is coming off a runner up finish with the World of Outlaws last Friday in Merced and will look to kick off the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series season in grand fashion aboard the famed Roth Motorsports No. 83 mount. The 32-year-old won the Golden State Series title in ’02 and is expected to be back full time with the series for the first time in nearly eight years. “TK” has claimed a pair of 410 victories in his career at the Antioch Speedway and will be searching to make it number three on Saturday.

Last season Allard led the Golden State 410 Series standings for much of the year, before taking off for the Midwest. However, in 2011 he is set to stay in California full-time to compete for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series title at the helm of the Williams Motorsports No. 0 sprinter. The Chico veteran scored his first ever Antioch Speedway Golden State Series victory last April and will be gunning to duplicate that performance on Saturday night.

Since his return to the Antioch Speedway in ’03, Campbell’s Brent Kaeding has won a series high four main events at the track and always seems to be a factor when signing in at the back gate. This Saturday “BK” will be looking to break an uncharacteristically long winless drought with the Golden State 410 Series that dates back to 2009 aboard the Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 machine.

Despite not running full-time this season reigning Golden State champion Kyle Larson will be in the field at Antioch Speedway on Saturday and will be searching for back-to-back wins, after racing to victory last July at the track. The 18-year-old is also fresh off a fantastic weekend with the World of Outlaws, where he earned the hard-charger award on consecutive nights behind the wheel of his Stadelhofer Construction No. 99. The Saturday event in Calistoga saw Larson earn a strong podium finish after starting 21st.

Former Golden State 410 Series champion Jason Statler of Grass Valley captured the 410 return to Antioch Speedway in 2003 and will be looking to put his name at the front of the field this year with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series. “The Big Guy” came close to victory last July in Marysville and ended the 410 year in consistent fashion while driving the DF Rios No. 00.

After putting together a strong year in 2010 Vancouver, Washington’s Zach Zimmerly will be back at it with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series this season in the McMillen Motorsports No. 94. The 16-year-old became the youngest winner in series history last June when he claimed the annual Tribute to Gary Patterson in Chico.

Former Golden State Rookie of the Year Andy Gregg of Placerville has thrown his name into the mix this season with the King of the West Sprint Car Series. The driver of the Bret Ervin Racing No. 53 nearly scored his first career Golden State 410 victory in Santa Maria last season, only to finish third after a tremendous duel with Sean Becker on the final lap.

Returning to full-time 410 sprint car competition this year with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will be Stockton’s Brad Furr, who has spent the last few seasons running primarily at Ocean Speedway on Friday nights. Despite not getting into victory lane the former World of Outlaws regular had a number of strong runs last season in the Brad Furr Racing No. 2 mount.

Also making a return to the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series this year will be Clovis resident and Australian native Peter Murphy, who ran full-time with the tour from 1998-2002. This likable driver has experienced much success in the wingless 360 ranks over the past few years and will be a welcomed addition back to the traveling 410 roster.

Veteran Bobby McMahan is sure to be a contender this year with the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series while driving his own No. 25 sprinter. The former NARC Speedweek champion had a hiatus from racing from 2003-’08 before returning to full-time competition in ’09 and capturing the Silver Dollar Speedway track title.

The Hosheads.com/Grant’s Fine Art Rookie of the Year Award is expected to see a number of drivers in the running this season. Those scheduled to start out in Antioch this weekend that are considered rookies will include Chico’s Kenny Allen, Puyallup, Washington’s Trey Starks, Elk Grove’s Sean McMahan, Rhode Island’s Eli Deshaies and Canadian Noah Ennis.

Other competitors expected to compete at the Antioch Speedway on Saturday will include Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Sacramento’s Willie Croft, Fremont’s Shane Golobic and Brent Bjork, Prunedale’s Justin Sanders, Elk Grove’s Billy Strange Jr., San Martin’s Craig Smith, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey, Cupertino’s Steve Osbourne, Elk Grove’s Geoff Duppman, Rio Vista’s Dan and Danielle Simpson and more.

The front grandstand gate will open at 5pm this Saturday April 9 with hot laps around 6, qualifying at 6:30 and racing to follow. Adult tickets cost $20.

The Antioch Speedway is located at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds on the corner of 10th & L Streets in Antioch, California. Take SR-4 East (Highway 4) to the Somersville Road North Exit. Follow Somersville Road to 10thStreet. Turn Right on 10th Street. The address for the track is 1201 W. 10th Street Antioch, CA 94509.

Coming events-

After this weekend’s season opener, the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will be back in action on Saturday April 16 at the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare for the annual Chris & Brian Faria Memorial. Tickets are on sale for the event and can be acquired by contacting (559) 688-0909.

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will then head to the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville on Saturday April 23, before finishing off the month of April with an event at the Marysville Raceway Park on April 30. For more information on these shows and to view the entire schedule of events go to http://www.kwssprints.com

You can also follow KWS on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KWS410s#!/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

Golden State King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series ready for action packed season opener this Saturday at Antioch Speedway

By Gary Thomas

Antioch, CA – April 6, 2011…Following months of preparation the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series is set to officially kick-off the 2011 racing season this Saturday night April 9 at the Antioch Speedway.

During the off-season, a number of changes have gone on within the California sprint car racing scene and the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series has certainly been a big part of that.

At the top of the list of changes for the traveling 410 series is new management, which has introduced a much increased point fund, extra money to start the A-main & Last Chance Qualifier, the implementation of double-file restarts and a different format among others.

For 2011, the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will be racing in 26-point paying events at 15 different tracks and features an overall cash and contingency fund that currently stands at $1.4 million.

An extensive contingency program is in place, as a complete sprint car with engine and a complete race engine will be given away at the year-end banquet.

The standard nightly A-main will see $3,000 going to the winner and a minimum $500-to-start each night. The Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) with KWS will have a total payout of $3,250 with $350 going to the first non-transfer and a guaranteed $200-to-start the LCQ.

For the Antioch opener this weekend however, there is also extra money on the line with the C-main paying $200-to-start and the Last Chance Qualifier awarding a very solid $300-to-start.

A slightly different format will be in place this year that sends the heat race winners and the next four fastest qualifiers that transfer through their heat (in a four heat race format) to the dash. Those heat winners will then draw for the first two rows in the dash lineup with the balance of the six-lap contest lined up by qualifying times. It is hoped that the new format will create competitive racing in the heats, with more emphasis on winning.

Extra officials, fan fest parties, a souvenir trailer, a show car, traveling push trucks, a weekly internet show, the VIP Road Warrios Club and much more will be among the various other additions that KWS is introducing this season.

The front grandstand gate at the Antioch Speedway will open at 5pm this Saturday April 9 with hot laps around 6, qualifying at 6:30 and racing to follow. Adult tickets cost $20 Saturday.

The Antioch Speedway is located at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds on the corner of 10th & L Streets in Antioch, California. Take SR-4 East (Highway 4) to the Somersville Road North Exit. Follow Somersville Road to 10th Street. Turn Right on 10th Street. The address for the track is 1201 W. 10th Street Antioch, CA 94509.

Visit KWS on the internet at:

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

PitStopUSA.com to sponsor hard charger award with Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – April 5, 2011…With excitement in the air for the fast approaching Golden State King of the West 410 Sprints season we are pleased to announce that Petaluma, California based PitStopUSA.com has partnered with the series and will present the hard charger award each night.

PitStopUSA.com will also become “The Official Online Motorsports Superstore” of the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series for 2011 and will award the hard charger a $200 product certificate each week. The KWS Series is slated for 26 events at 15 different tracks in California, Oregon and Nevada this season.

“We are excited to partner with the King of the West Sprint Car Series this year as a sponsor of the hard charger award and proud to become ‘The Official Online Motorsports Superstore’ for KWS,” said Pit Stop USA President Ed Coughenour. “Dan Simpson and his staff have done a great job so far with the KWS and it’s an exciting time for 410 sprint car racing on the West Coast.”

Pit Stop USA recently announced the Grand Opening of their new retail showroom April 6th adjacent to the company’s corporate offices located at 1310 Ross Street in Petaluma, California. The store will feature a full assortment of Sprint Car parts and accessories in addition to a huge selection of driver Safety Equipment.

"We are pleased to be opening our new Pit Stop USA retail showroom", commented Coughenour. "We have had so many requests over the years from our customers to open a retail outlet, so we are very excited to finally have the opportunity to welcome them to our new store opening in April."

In April of 2000, Pit Stop USA became one of the first companies ever to open a circle track online store. Since that time the company has grown very rapidly and 2011 is shaping up to be the biggest year yet for the California based company.

Things started in November of 2010 when the company unveiled their new website that had been in development for over a year. The new website allows customers to search through their huge inventory and order parts online with same day shipping and low prices.

Pit Stop USA has become a leading retailer of circle track parts and accessories and currently offers over 40,000 parts and accessories from over 400 manufacturers. Pit Stop USA’s goal is provide a one-stop shopping environment featuring the widest assortment of circle track racing products available at low everyday prices.

For more on Pit Stop USA please log onto http://www.pitstopusa.com

The 2011 season for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will kick off on Saturday April 9 at the Antioch Speedway. More information can be found at http://www.kwssprints.com

King of the West Tonight debuts this Wednesday at 7pm with guests Dan Simpson and Evan Suggs

Closing in on the season opener for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series a new internet video web show known as “King of the West Tonight” will debut this Wednesday March 30 at 7pm West Coast time.

The show will be hosted by Gary Thomas and George Hague and will air on Wednesday night’s at 7 throughout the season at http://www.kwssprints.com/webcast

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Managing Director Dan Simpson will be the first guest on “King of the West Tonight” and will be discussing his plans for the series and the various special promotions that are going on for the season.

After Simpson we will bring in Scotts Valley, California driver Evan Suggs, who finished third in the Golden State 410 Series standings last season and will be searching for his first career victory with the tour this year. Suggs is a former preliminary night winner at the Dirt Cup and an engineering graduate from San Jose State.

Tune in on Wednesday night for the first announcement regarding a pair of special bonuses up for grabs to drivers at the KWS season opener in Antioch on April 9.

So please join us on Wednesday at 7pm pacific time at http://www.kwssprints.com/webcast for the inaugural edition of “King of the West Tonight.”

Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series Notes & Pertinent Info

Season-opener at Antioch Speedway-

Antioch, California – Saturday April 9

What:

The inaugural Golden State 410 Sprint Car event held under the King of the West Series banner will fire-off on Saturday April 9 at the Antioch Speedway. An off-season of hard work and determination has been put in after Rio Vista’s Dan Simpson assumed the role of Managing Director for the series at the end of last year. All of the efforts are poised to make the 2011 season one of the best in recent memory.

When:

On Saturday April 9 the front grandstand gate will be open at 5pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 6pm, with qualifying at 6:30 and racing anticipated to start around 7.

Where:

Tickets:

Tickets for the opener at Antioch Speedway on April 9 are on sale, with a special VIP access pass also being offered for the very first time.

By purchasing the VIP pass, race fans have the opportunity to sit in a special reserved area of the grandstands known as the “Rio Vista Delta Section,” and will also have access to the pit area to see drivers and teams up close and personal.

The special VIP grandstand ticket/ pit pass costs $45 and can be purchased at the King of the West Sprints office, located at 303 Main Street in Rio Vista, CA 94571. The contact number to buy tickets is (707) 374-2222. Reserved section tickets are also available for pre-sale and cost $20, which also allows access to the “Rio Vista Delta Section.”

For online ordering of tickets visit the ‘Store’ section of the King of the West Series website located at http://www.kwssprints.com

Tickets will also be available for purchase at various locations around Rio Vista, including “The Gym”, Tortilla Flats Mexican Restaurant, Napa Auto Parts, Pizza Factory, Hap's Bait and the Point Restaurant among others.

As an added benefit, those who have bought pre-sale tickets will also have a special admission line at the front gate which will help alleviate the long line that is expected to be seen prior to the opening of the grandstands.

On the Internet:

About the track:

Past winners at Antioch Speedway since the Golden State 410 Sprint Car Series returned to the facility in 2003 are:

2010- Jonathan Allard in April and Kyle Larson in July

2009- Tyler Walker in April and Brent Kaeding in July

2008- Tyler Walker in April and Tim Kaeding in July

2007- Brent Kaeding in April and Tim Kaeding in July

2006- Dennis Moore Jr. in July

2005- Lawrence Edlund in April and Robert Ballou in July

2004- Brent Kaeding in April and Brent Kaeding in July

2003- Jason Statler in July

Last season with the Golden State 410 Sprint Car Series:

Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson became the youngest Golden State 410 Series champion ever when he locked up the title less than a month after celebrating his 18th birthday. Larson joined an impressive list of past champions with the Golden State Series including Brent and Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Steve Kent, Jason Statler, Tyler Walker, Tim Green, Ronnie Day, Randy Hannagan and Sean Becker.

Main event winners in 2010 (number of wins in parentheses):

Tim Kaeding (6), Kyle Larson and Jonathan Allard (5), Bud Kaeding and Tommy Tarlton (2), Shane Stewart, Zach Zimmerly and Sean Becker (1).

Final top-10 in driver standings for 2010:

1. Kyle Larson; 2. Brent Kaeding; 3. Evan Suggs; 4. Alissa Geving; 5. Jonathan Allard; 6. Jason Statler; 7. Zach Zimmerly; 8. Matthew Davis; 9. Bobby McMahan; 10. Pat Harvey.

Pre-sale reserved section & VIP tickets are now available for the inaugural King of the West Sprint Car Series event/ “Rio Vista Delta Days” at Antioch Speedway on April 9

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – March 7, 2011…Tickets for the much anticipated Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series season-opener at the Antioch Speedway on April 9 are now on sale, with a special VIP access pass also being offered for the very first time.

“Some of the tracks back in the Midwest have done this special ticket/pit pass combo package and it has worked really well so we definitely want to give it a try out here,” said KWS Managing Director Dan Simpson. “It gives all our great fans an opportunity to see what goes on in the pits and have the option to go back and forth from the grandstands.”

The special VIP grandstand ticket/ pit pass costs $45 and can currently be purchased at the King of the West Sprints office, located at 303 Main Street in Rio Vista, CA 94571. The contact number to buy tickets is (707) 374-2222. Reserved section tickets are also available for pre-sale and cost $20, which also allows access to the “Rio Vista Delta Section.”

For online ordering, tickets are also available in the ‘Store’ section of the King of the West Series website located at http://www.kwssprints.com

Tickets will also be available for purchase at various locations around Rio Vista, including “The Gym”, Gemma T’s Drive In, Tortilla Flats Mexican Restaurant and the Point Restaurant among others.

As an added benefit, those who have bought pre-sale tickets will also have a special “Will Call” admission line to stand in at the front gate, which will help alleviate the long line that is expected to be seen prior to the opening of the grandstands.

The Golden State KWS season-opener at Antioch Speedway on April 9 is expected to be a can’t miss night of racing featuring drivers such as reigning series champion Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, former titlists Tim Kaeding of San Jose, Jonathan Allard of Chico, Brent Kaeding of Campbell and Grass Valley’s Jason Statler, as well as Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Clovis’ Peter Murphy, Stockton’s Brad Furr, Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Vancouver, Washington’s Zach Zimmerly and many more.

The Golden State King of the West Series is a traveling Winged 410 Sprint Car Association that will be racing in California, Oregon and Nevada during the upcoming season. The 2011 season will be the 26th year of competition for the Golden State 410 Sprint Car Series. For the schedule, registration forms and more info please visit http://www.kwssprints.com

Follow KWS on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KWS410s#!/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

The Antioch Speedway is located at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds on the corner of 10th & L Streets in Antioch, California.

King of the West production crew at Kaeding Performance today

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – March 3, 2011…The King of the West production crew will be on hand today at Kaeding Performance, gathering footage with 13-time Golden State 410 Series champion Brent Kaeding and three-time USAC Silver Crown titlist Bud Kaeding among others.

Jeff Shewmaker, Dean Mills and “Tailgate Rodriguez” are currently on the road and headed for Campbell to interview the legendary California racing family.

Brent Kaeding is the all-time winningest driver in Golden State Series competition, having claimed 83-career victory’s with the series and is coming off a year that saw him finish second in the standings to teammate Kyle Larson.

“BK” was also inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2008 and will be in search of yet another title this season with the King of the West Sprints.

Bud Kaeding is coming off one of the most successful seasons of his career and tallied Golden State 410 Series wins at Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway and the Calistoga Speedway, which marked his first ever triumph at the historic half-mile.

The 31-year-old last year missed out on a record fourth USAC Silver Crown Series championship by just two-points, but also raced to big victories in August with the USAC National Sprints at Knoxville Raceway and the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

Look for an upcoming KWS “Behind the Wheel” segment with the Kaeding’s to be featured on http://www.kwssprints.com

Find Kaeding Performance on the internet at http://www.kaedings.com

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series will open the 2011 season on Saturday April 9 at the Antioch Speedway in Antioch, California.

Hoseheads Sprint Car Photos & News and Grant's Fine Art to sponsor Rookie of the Year Award with Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – February 16, 2011…The ever popular sprint car news website Hoseheads.com and custom print maker Grant's Fine Art are partnering with the Golden State King of the West Sprints this season to present the Rookie of the Year Award for the tour.

Hoseheads founder Allan Holland has built and grown Hoseheads.com to be the leader in sprint car news and information on the net and is happy to be supporting the King of the West Sprint Car Series this season. Hoseheads will be awarding the Rookie of the Year this year with $500 and to be eligible, rookie contenders must run the Hoseheads decal on their cars, which will be provided.

“I really like what the whole staff of the Golden State KWS Series is doing to help rebuild 410 sprint car racing in California,” said Holland. “410 sprint car racing has seemed to be going down in California and it’s great to see the King of the West Series making an effort to keep 410’s alive.”

Likewise Tim Grant of Grant's Fine Art is also excited to be supporting the Rookie of the Year Award and will be donating a one of a kind, custom print. Grant’s Fine Art offers some of the best art designs in the country and offers more than photo replication and generic art creations. They tailor each and every art piece to the customer’s individual needs & desires.

“I’ve always been partial to the Rookie of the Year through the years so I’m happy to support the award with the King of the West Series this season,” said Grant. “They’re doing a great job with things so it’s an exciting time for sprint car racing out here.”

Golden State King of the West Operations Manager George Hague is also pleased to have Holland and Grant’s support for the 2011 season.

“It’s real nice to have Allan Holland and Hoseheads, as well as Tim Grant with Grant's Fine Art on board with us to sponsor the Rookie of the Year Award,” Hague commented. “To have a nationally known website giving us their support is a great asset and we can’t thank Allan enough for his kind words and support. Tim Grant also makes some beautiful custom prints so it’ll be another really cool award for the Rookie of the Year.”

For “all the news that’s fit to sprint” log onto http://www.hoseheads.com

Information on Grants Fine Art can be found at http://www.grantsfineart.com

For 2011 the Golden State KWS Series will be competing in 26-events at 14 different tracks and features an overall cash point fund that currently stands at $125,000. An extensive contingency program will also be in place, with a complete sprint car with engine, as well as a complete race engine to be given away at the year-end banquet. To be eligible for the car and engine giveaways drivers must run 95% of the events with the series.

For the Golden State King of the West Sprints schedule, registration forms and more info please visit http://www.kwssprints.com

Also like KWS on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KWS410s#!/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

Golden State King of the West Sprints gives congrats to Tim Kaeding & Kyle Larson for recent ASCS National victories

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – February 14, 2011…The King of the West Sprint Car Series would like to congratulate 2002 Golden State 410 Sprint Car titlist Tim Kaeding and reigning series champion Kyle Larson on their ASCS National Series victories this past week in California.

A year after winning 15 main events on the West Coast T. Kaeding opened up the 2011 season in victorious fashion last Wednesday night at the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare.

Wheeling the Roth Motorsports, HR Cattle No. 83 mount at the season-opener for the Lucas Oil ASCS National tour, “TK” opened the evening by tallying a heat race win, before charging under veteran Gary Wright on lap 13 of the feature en route to victory.

The win marked Kaeding’s second straight winged sprint car triumph in Tulare, after winning the final night of the Trophy Cup last October. “I just love racing at this place and if anyone is going to beat me here they better get up on the fence, because to go fast around the Thunderbowl that’s the place to be,” he said after the main event.

With Kaeding staking claim as the first driver to win an ASCS National event in California, the home state flavor continued on Saturday when Larson drove to a dominating victory at the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway in Hanford.

Competing for Finley Farms/ Jason Johnson Racing the 18-year-old took full advantage of his pole position in the main event on Saturday to outdistance himself from the rest of the field and record his first ever ASCS National win.

Like Kaeding in Tulare, it was Larson’s second consecutive triumph at the Hanford facility, as he also claimed the annual Cotton Classic this past October. “I definitely like it when the surface gets hooked up and rough so this was a perfect track for me tonight,” said Larson. “It’s great to come out here and win with these guys.”

The podium on Saturday was filled with Californians, as Wednesday winner Tim Kaeding came home second and Easton’s Tommy Tarlton claimed third after starting 22nd on the grid, making it the same top-three as the Cotton Classic in 2010.

“We’re all proud of the way our California drivers performed during the first two ASCS National Series of the season,” said King of the West Operations Manager George Hague. “It was pretty cool to have Kyle Larson signing autographs at our KWS Autorama booth on Friday and then go down and win with the ASCS National guys the following night. We definitely want to give congrats to both Tim Kaeding and Kyle for their great runs last week.”

For more information on the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series log onto http://www.kwssprints.com

Also follow KWS on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KWS410s#!/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 and Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

“Work’N Woody” coming back home to California with Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – January 24, 2010…With excitement continuing to build towards the 2011 Golden State King of the West Sprints season, more major news is coming out today with the announcement of “Work’N Woody” returning home to be the official Push Truck and Safety Vehicle for the series.

“Work’N Woody” was built by Art Malies in 1978 and was originally operated by he and wife Carol of Carmichael, California. Woody then traveled the California highways supporting the now defunct Northern Auto Racing Club for a number of years, until hitting the road with the World of Outlaws in 1988.

After the 2008 season Art and Carol retired and son Eric took over the operations of “Work’N Woody” and traveled with the World of Outlaws the past two seasons. Once it was announced that Woody wouldn’t return to the WOO trail for the 2011 year, Golden State King of the West team members tossed around the idea of bringing the famed push truck back to California.

With that in mind an agreement was made recently and “Work’N Woody” will in fact be returning to its roots as the official Push Truck and Safety Vehicle of the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series.

“I’m really looking forward to becoming part of the team when I get out to California and am very excited to be with KWS,” said Eric Malies. “I really wasn’t sure what I was going to do this year. We were weighing our options and then one day Dan Simpson called me out of the blue and offered me the position, so I jumped on it.”

Golden State King of the West Production Manager Dean Mills, who grew up in Carmichael and has also come back home this season, will be glad to have Woody at the track each week.

“I couldn’t be happier to see “Work’N Woody” coming back to California this year,” Mills commented. “Having grown up in Carmichael I would pass Woody every day on the way to High School so it definitely brings back some memories. It’s good to have Woody back home where he came from.”

George Hague, Operations Manager for the traveling KWS 410 Series, who also lives in Carmichael, shared much of the same sentiment with having the notable push vehicle back in California.

“Work’N Woody” is a legend in sprint car racing and to have it with the KWS Series brings a lot of history back to our fans,” he said. “We are definitely happy to have Eric as part of the organization and look forward to working with him.”

For more history on “Work’N Woody” log onto http://www.worknwoody.com/home

The season opener for the Golden State King of the West Sprints is slated for Saturday evening April 9 at the Antioch Speedway in Antioch, California. It’s sure to be a can’t miss night of racing with a talented field expected for the first event run under the KWS banner.

The Golden State King of the West Sprint Series is a traveling Winged 410 Sprint Car Association that will be racing in California, Oregon and Nevada during the upcoming season. 2011 will be the 26th year of competition for the Golden State 410 Sprint Series. For the schedule, registration forms and more info please visit http://www.kingofthewestsprintcarseries.com

Also follow KWS on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KWS410s#!/pages/Golden-State-King-of-the-West-Series/150145691703907 and Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KWS410s

2011 King of the West Sprint Car Series Schedule

Date Location
April 9 Antioch Speedway, Antioch, CA - KWS Race 1
April 16 Tulare Thunderbowl, Tulare, CA - KWS Race 2
April 23 Ocean Speedway, Watsonville, CA - KWS Race 3
April 30 Marysville Raceway Park, Marysville, CA - KWS Race 4
May 7 Silver Dollar Speedway, Chico, CA - KWS Race 5
May 14 Tulare Thunderbowl, Tulare, CA - KWS Race 6
May 21 Santa Maria Speedway, Santa Maria, CA - KWS Race 7
May 22 Merced Speedway, Merced, CA - KWS Race 8
May 28 Calistoga Speedway, Calistoga, CA - KWS Race 9
May 29 Calistoga Speedway, Calistoga, CA - KWS Race 10
June 4 Giant Chevrolet Speedway, Hanford, CA - KWS Race 11
June 10 Silver Dollar Speedway, Chico, CA - KWS Race 12
June 11 Southern Oregon Speedway, Medford, OR - KWS Race 13
June 13 Cottage Grove Speedway, Cottage Grove, CA - KWS Race 14
July 1 Ocean Speedway, Watsonville, CA - KWS Race 15
July 2 Ocean Speedway, Watsonville, CA - KWS Race 16
July 9 Santa Maria Speedway, Santa Maria, CA - KWS Race 17
July 10 Merced Speedway, Merced, CA - KWS Race 18
July 16 Antioch Speedway, Antioch, CA - KWS Race 19
July 30 Petaluma Speedway, Petaluma, CA - Race 20
August 5 Ocean Speedway, Watsonville, CA - KWS Race 21
August 6 Giant Chevrolet Speedway, Hanford, CA - KWS Race 22
September 17 Reno Fernley Raceway, Fernley, NV - KWS Race 23
September 18 Reno Fernley Raceway, Fernley, NV - KWS Race 24
October 1 Chowchilla Raceway, Chowchilla, CA - KWS Race 25
October 15 Giant Chevrolet Speedway, Hanford, CA - KWS Race 26

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