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Hirst looks for success at car owners' home track

Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst will bring the Fresno, California based Roth Enterprises No. 83jr into the Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway sitting second in the King of the West 410 standings. The one-third mile clay oval is a home track for car owner’s Dennis & Teresa Roth and the 25-year-old Hirst will look to give them a win this weekend in their backyard.

Last Friday night in Fernley the second generation driver appeared to be on way to his second victory of the year, until Rico Abreu made a final corner charge to steal that opportunity away. Hirst last October scored his first ever Thunderbowl victory when he charged from 17th starting during the 50-lap “Trophy Cup” finale. Last season he brought home a pair of fifth place finishes at the “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial Weekend” in Tulare.

"That win at the Trophy Cup last year was pretty special when considering how far back we started," said Hirst, who finished third in the overall Trophy Cup standings last season behind only Jason Meyers and Shane Stewart. "Dennis & Teresa Roth have given me the opportunity of lifetime this year and I really hope I can bring them home a win in Tulare this weekend. There should be a great field of cars so it will be fun."

As a team Roth Motorsports captured the “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” in 2011 with San Jose’s Tim Kaeding behind the wheel. Kaeding won the main event that night over Tommy Tarlton, Kyle Larson, Jason Statler and Roger Crockett.

This Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26 the front grandstand gate at the Tulare Thunderbowl will open at 4pm during the "Chris & Brian Faria Memorial Weekend." Hot laps are scheduled for 6pm, with qualifying at 6:30pm and racing anticipated to start around 7pm. Also on hand during the Memorial Day Weekend extravaganza will be the Vintage Hardtops to give a glimpse of the days gone by.

The double-header event will pay tribute to brothers Chris & Brian Faria, who both lost their lives far too soon.

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 during an accident 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. The “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” has become a cornerstone of the track schedule and is always a special night for the Faria family. Advance tickets for the weekend are on sale and be acquired by contacting the track ticket office at (559) 688-0909. Reserved grandstand seats cost just $20 with general admission bleacher tickets $18. For a seating chart visit the track website at http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com/

The track has gained a reputation of providing some of the most spectacular and memorable moments in all of California Sprint Car Racing and also hosts the prestigious “Trophy Cup” each October. The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will return to Tulare later this year on Saturday September 21 for the “John Anthony Sharp Memorial.”

On Saturday night immediately following the races and once the front stretch interviews are completed there will be a free concert in the grandstands featuring Nashville recording artist Jon Webber. The beer booth will remain open after the races and soft drinks will also be available. Amigo’s Mexican Restaurant will also be in the grandstands selling tacos and burritos during the concert, so we invite everyone to stay after the races, hang out and listen to some great music to commemorate Memorial Day Weekend.

The Tulare County Fairgrounds also features a great campground so we invite everyone to come on down, camp out and make a weekend out of it. Memorial Day Weekend is always a traditional time to camp out and it’s always a fun time at the Tulare County Fairgrounds.

Another group will also be sharing the fairgrounds so RV Spots will fill rapidly. To make sure you get the best spot available be sure and contact the Tulare County Fairgrounds Office at 559-686-4707.

Peter Murphy returns to the site of 1st Nor Cal 410 Win after top-five effort last weekend with King of the West Sprint Car Series

By Gary Thomas

Tulare, CA...Sydney, Australia's Peter Murphy scored his first top-five finish of the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series season last Saturday in Fernley. The veteran driver has suffered through bad luck at times so far this year, but has cracked his way back into the top-10 of points going into the Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway this weekend.

The current Clovis, California resident was involved in an opening lap incident last Saturday, but rebounded nicely to get back up to fifth by the conclusion of the 30-lapper at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway. "It was a good night for us, but we have to stop getting into these wrecks on the start," Murphy commented. "We'll look forward to Tulare this weekend and hope to put this Dalton's 1nz up front."

Murphy claimed his first ever traveling Nothern Auto Racing Club 410 victory at the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway in 1998, at the time driving the Williams Motorsports No. 0 sprinter.

A look back at Murphy's first career NARC win in May of 1998:

"AUSSIE" PETER MURPHY CLAIMS FIRST EVER NARC WIN AT TULARE

Tulare, CA (May 30) . . . Australian sprint car driver Peter Murphy claimed his first Northern Auto Racing Club feature event victory of his career, posting top honors in the 30-lap NARC-Budweiser Black & White Classic at the Thunderbowl Raceway Saturday night.

Wearing a drivers uniform that was proudly adorned with his country's flag, Murphy powered past Paul McMahan on lap 10 and went on to score a popular ten-car length victory. The winning march was performed in Morrie Williams' Katie's BJ's Kountry Kitchen/Mountain View Mortgage Brokers Maxim.

"Morrie could have stuck a bunch of good American drivers in his car," said the jubilant winner, with a down under accent. "I am just glad that he gave me a chance to drive and even happier that I could provide him with a win."

A-main finish that night: Peter Murphy, Paul McMahan, Randy Hannagan, Brent Kaeding, Jason Meyers, Bobby McMahan, Randy Tiner, Jason Lund, Jimmy Sills, Brian Coelho, Lee Brewer, Steve Kent, Graydon Cross, Greg DeCaires, Jason Statler, Todd Bammer, Tommy Tarlton, Steve Coelho, Ryan Riley, Ryan Bailey, Jimmy Trulli, Kevin Pylant.

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This Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26 the front grandstand gate at the Tulare Thunderbowl will open at 4pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 6pm, with qualifying at 6:30pm and racing anticipated to start around 7pm. Also on hand during the Memorial Day Weekend extravaganza will be the Vintage Hardtops to give a glimpse of the days gone by.

Advance tickets for the weekend are on sale and be acquired by contacting the track ticket office at (559) 688-0909. Reserved grandstand seats cost just $20 with general admission bleacher tickets $18. For a seating chart visit the track website at http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com/

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

Rounds seven & eight at Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway

“Chris & Brian Faria Memorial Weekend”

Tulare, California – Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26

What:

With six rounds complete in the 2013 racing season the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will charge into its first outing of the year in the Central Valley this coming Memorial Day Weekend at Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway. The double-header event on Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26 will pay tribute to brothers Chris & Brian Faria, who both lost their lives far too soon.

Current King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series point leader Rico Abreu goes into this weekend as the defending “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” winner aboard his potent Paul Silva wrenched Abreu Vineyards No. 24 machine. The St. Helena, California racer is off to a blazing hot start in 2013, having claimed five podium finishes in the first six events of the KWS season, including two victories. Over the last few weeks Abreu has racked up the dough, taking home $16,000 over that span.

“I can’t wait for Tulare this weekend,” said the 21-year-old third-year Sprint Car driver, who also won opening night of the Trophy Cup last October in Tulare. “The Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway is my favorite track to compete at, because you can usually move around and it’s a lot of fun to bang off that wall. Paul Silva and my guys have been working hard and giving me great cars every week. We’ve been on a roll to start the season and hopefully we can continue that on Memorial Day Weekend.”

Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst will bring the locally based Roth Enterprises No. 83jr into the Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway sitting second in the King of the West 410 standings. The one-third mile clay oval is a home track for car owner’s Dennis & Teresa Roth and the 25-year-old Hirst will look to give them a win this weekend. Last Friday night in Fernley the second generation driver appeared to be on way to his second victory of the year, until Abreu made a final corner charge to steal that opportunity away.

Fresh off his first King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series win of the year last weekend Chico’s Jonathan Allard comes into the Thunderbowl ranking third in the standings and has closed to within just six-markers of Hirst for the runner up spot. The wheel-man of the Williams Motorsports No. 0 sprinter captured the “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” in 2003, at the time driving for car owner Rick Wright. Allard was also the 2010 “Trophy Cup” champion at the Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl and will be gunning to get on a hot streak this weekend.

Sacramento’s Willie Croft is off to the best start of his Sprint Car career and invades the Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway maintaining the fourth spot in the KWS points, just nine-digits behind Allard for the third position. The newlywed has driven the Clyde & Marion Lamar owned Tri-C Machine to a pair of wins already this season and has claimed three consecutive podium finishes in King of the West competition. “Double Down” very nearly won a Golden State/ KWS 410 main event at Tulare in ’07, but was passed by Brent Kaeding with just a few laps left that night.

Fresno’s Craig Stidham goes into a track he calls home rounding out the top-five in the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series standings. The former Rebel Cup 360 Series champion has come out strong in 2013 and is fresh off his best outing of the season last weekend in Fernley, which saw him set fast time and finish fourth in the main event on Friday. Stidham looked very impressive last week and will be a strong threat for victory this Saturday & Sunday at the Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway aboard his KRC Safety Equipment No. 3 mount.

Completing the top-10 in points going into Tulare this weekend is 2004 Golden State/ King of the West 410 Sprint Car champion Jason Statler of Grass Valley, National Sprint Car Hall of Famer & 13-time series titlist Brent Kaeding from Campbell, King of the West Rookie of the Year contender Cory Eliason of nearby Visalia, Auburn’s Richard Brace Jr. and reigning New Zealand Sprint Car champion Peter Murphy of Sydney, Australia.

A strong field of powerful 410 Sprint Cars are set to invade the blazing fast one-third mile clay oval this weekend including two-time World of Outlaws champion Jason Meyers of Clovis, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Fresno’s Dominic Scelzi, Carson Macedo and DJ Netto, Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Tipton’s Mike Faria, Visalia’s Danny Faria Jr., Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Fair Oak’s Chad Compton, Grass Valley’s Carl Droivold & Pat Harvey, Laton’s Geoffrey Strole, Corning’s Bud Walberg, Coarsegold’s Scott Parker, Elk Grove’s Sean McMahan, Merced’s Mark Barroso and more.

When:

On Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26 the front grandstand gate will open at 4pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 6pm, with qualifying at 6:30pm and racing anticipated to start around 7pm. Also on hand during the Memorial Day Weekend extravaganza will be the Vintage Hardtops to give a glimpse of the days gone by.

Where:

The Merle Stone Chevrolet 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. For directions visit http://www.mapquest.com/maps?address=E+ ... code=93274

Tickets:

On the Internet:

King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/KWSSprintRacing You Tube- http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewe ... ature=mhee Instagram- kwssprints

Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway:

http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thunderb ... -Tulare-Ca

About the track:

The Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway is a one-third mile clay oval with the all-time track record being 12.651, which was set by two-time Golden State/ King of the West 410 champion Tim Kaeding of San Jose on March 5, 2010. The track has gained a reputation of providing some of the most spectacular and memorable moments in all of California Sprint Car Racing and also hosts the prestigious “Trophy Cup” each October. The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will return to Tulare later this year on Saturday September 21 for the “John Anthony Sharp Memorial.”

Last year’s “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” at the Thunderbowl:

The “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” last season also featured a double-header weekend at the Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway. Opening night saw Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson make a mid-race pass of Easton’s Tommy Tarlton to grab the lead and then hold off a fast moving Jonathan Allard for victory.

The following night Larson looked to be on way to sweeping the weekend aboard the Paul Silva 57, but a problem with the oil filter left him parked on the infield late in the race. This allowed St. Helena’s Rico Abreu the chance to assume the lead and he would go on to score at the time, his first ever King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series victory.

Results from last year’s “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial Weekend”

Opening night

26-cars

Fast time: Cody Lamar 13.361

Heat one: Tommy Tarlton, Jason Statler, Kyle Hirst, Bud Kaeding, Bobby McMahan, Craig Stidham, Doug Gandy, Pat Harvey

Heat two: Evan Suggs, Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Cory Eliason, Peter Murphy, Sean McMahan, Trey Starks, Danielle Simpson, Geoffrey Strole

Heat three: Kyle Larson, Roger Crockett, Brent Kaeding, Andy Gregg, Mike Faria, Chad Compton, Willie Croft, Rico Abreu

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

LCQ: Rico Abreu, Willie Croft, Sean McMahan, Chad Compton, Danielle Simpson, Geoffrey Strole, Doug Gandy, Craig Stidham, Pat Harvey, Trey Starks, Cody Lamar

Amain: Kyle Larson, Jonathan Allard, Tommy Tarlton, Roger Crockett, Kyle Hirst, Evan Suggs, Bud Kaeding, Peter Murphy, Bobby McMahan, Andy Gregg, Cory Eliason, Mike Faria, Chad Compton, Brent Kaeding, Sean McMahan, Danielle Simpson, Doug Gandy, Geoffrey Strole, Tim Kaeding, Jason Statler, Rico Abreu, Willie Croft

Night two

28-cars

Fast time: Roger Crockett 13.800

Heat one: Kyle Hirst, Shane Golobic, Roger Crockett, Cory Eliason, Trey Starks, Sean McMahan, Doug Gandy

Heat two: Tommy Tarlton, Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Bud Kaeding, Andy Gregg, Mike Faria, Koen Shaw

Heat three: Willie Croft, Brent Kaeding, Bobby McMahan, Peter Murphy, Cody Lamar, Chad Compton, Geoffrey Strole

Heat four: Kyle Larson, Evan Suggs, Rico Abreu, Jason Statler, Craig Stidham, Pat Harvey, Danielle Simpson

Dash: Rico Abreu, Willie Croft, Kyle Hirst, Kyle Larson, Tommy Tarlton, Roger Crockett, Bobby McMahan, Jonathan Allard

LCQ: Andy Gregg, Sean McMahan, Trey Starks, Craig Stidham, Cody Lamar, Chad Compton, Mike Faria, Doug Gandy, Danielle Simpson, Pat Harvey, Geoffrey Strole

Amain: Rico Abreu, Jonathan Allard, Tim Kaeding, Tommy Tarlton, Kyle Hirst, Roger Crockett, Trey Starks, Brent Kaeding, Andy Gregg, Peter Murphy, Evan Suggs, Craig Stidham, Chad Compton, Kyle Larson, Cody Lamar, Sean McMahan, Bobby McMahan, Bud Kaeding, Shane Golobic, Cory Eliason, Jason Statler, Willie Croft

Top-10 in King of the West driver standings after six rounds of competition:

1. Rico Abreu 937; 2. Kyle Hirst 902; 3. Jonathan Allard 896; 4. Willie Croft 887; 5. Craig Stidham 866; 6. Jason Statler 767; 7. Brent Kaeding 755; 8. Cory Eliason 738; 9. Richard Brace Jr. 728; 10. Peter Murphy 722

Winners so far this season with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series:

Antioch Speedway April 20: Willie Croft Placerville Speedway April 27: Kyle Hirst Silver Dollar Speedway May 4: Rico Abreu Petaluma Speedway May 11: Willie Croft Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway May 17: Rico Abreu Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway May 18: Jonathan Allard

Upcoming King of the West events:

As noted in a prior release the June 1 date at Merced Speedway has been cancelled with no makeup date being scheduled.

On Friday & Saturday June 7 & 8 the King of the West 410’s will invade Rattlesnake Raceway in Fallon, Nevada for the very first time ever. The exciting weekend of action will be held in conjunction with the Fallon Octane Fest. Along with Sprint Cars the Octane Fest will also feature the Monster Truck Jamboree including a Freestyle Nevada vs. California Motocross jump show, and the Lucas Oil Drag Races featuring a jet duel in the desert: The Beast jet car vs. Jet-Lagg diesel truck. For more information visit http://visitfallonnevada.com/octanefest/

Jonathan Allard races to first King of the West 410 victory of the year on Saturday night at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway

By Gary Thomas

Fernley, Nevada – May 18, 2013…After battling through adversity at times early in the season three-time & defending King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series champion Jonathan Allard put it all together on Saturday night at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway and charged to his first win of the year, during what was the sixth round of competition for the tour.

Allard the previously weekend had scored his best KWS finish of the season up to that point by running second in Petaluma and this past Saturday executed a veteran move on a double file restart to get under rookie contender Cory Eliason for the lead. After that it was clear sailing for the Chico, California veteran as he drove off to claim the $3500 top prize and his 33rd career Golden State/ King of the West 410 Series win, which ranks third all-time.

“We’ve had our ups and downs to begin the season, but my guys have stuck with me and I couldn’t be happier to be standing in victory lane right now,” said a very ecstatic Allard on the front stretch. “This car was a rocket ship tonight and I really have to thank Ashley Smith, Bob Scovel, our new addition this week Randy V and my whole team that works so hard. I also want to thank you fans for coming out tonight and we’ll look forward to seeing you all again soon here in Fernley.”

The second night of the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway weekend saw 26-cars return for the finale and earning the pole in the main event was Visalia’s Cory Eliason, who picked up his first career King of the West 410 Dash victory earlier in the evening. When the green lights flashed on Eliason charged into the lead and took command of the 22-car starting field in the 30-lapper. The Central Valley youngster was also in search of his first ever King of the West win and early on did a great job to hold off the pack of hungry racers.

Eliason soon had Allard breathing down his neck, while at the same time having to deal with lapped traffic around the 3/8 mile oval. “JA” hounded the rear bumper of the Eliason Racing Composites No. 00x mount and looked to find an opportunity to get by, but Eliason hit his marks to perfection. It then became a five car fight for the lead just before the halfway point with Corning’s Bud Walberg, St. Helena’s Rico Abreu and Sacramento’s Willie Croft joining the fray. Just as things looked to get interesting however, the yellow lights would flash on and bring the party to a stop.

With a double file restart on tap Eliason led the field into turn one, but slipped up just enough to allow Allard the opportunity to slice his way to the inside and steal the lead away. Allard showed his strength following that as he blasted away from the rest of the pack and looked extremely motivated to get that first KWS win of the season. With just over five-laps remaining it was then heartbreak city for Eliason, as the throttle linkage broke on his sprinter and caused him to slow to a stop. This moved Abreu up to second, but despite a pair of double file restarts, nothing could slow the fast moving Allard who crossed the checkered by 1.303 seconds for victory in the Morrie & Katie Williams owned No. 0 machine.

Abreu capped a strong weekend by finishing second at the conclusion aboard his Abreu Vineyards No. 24 mount. The 21-year-old has now finished on the podium in all but one King of the West event so far this season, showing great consistency and maturity behind the wheel during his third season in Sprint Car racing. “I have to give a big thanks to Paul Silva, Trevor Canales and all my guys once again,” said Abreu, who hasn’t finished worse than fourth this season with KWS. “I want to congratulate Jonathan Allard on the win and we’re excited to move on to Tulare next weekend.”

Croft also continued his impressive start to the season and came home third at the checkered flag behind the wheel of the Tri-C Manufacturing No. 3c Machine. It marked the fourth podium finish of the season for “Double Down” and his third podium in a row dating back to his win on May 11 in Petaluma. “It’s just been a great start to the season for us and I can’t thank Lee Lindgren and my whole team enough,” said Croft, who is also getting married on Sunday to long time fiancée Samantha Hirst. “I’m happy to be standing up here on the podium again. We really are in a groove right now and I can’t wait for next weekend.”

Bringing home his career best King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series finish in fourth was Bud Walberg, who did a tremendous job all night in the Walberg Inc. No. 55 mount. The former dirt modified driver also qualified fifth quick and ran third in the Dash to complete a very impressive night. Rounding out the top-five and rebounding nicely after a first lap incident was Sydney, Australia’s Peter Murphy in the Dalton’s Landscaping No. 1nz Sprinter. It marked Murphy’s best finish of the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series season up to this point. Grass Valley’s Jason Statler scored sixth for the second consecutive night at RTF Speedway. The “Big Guy” in fact has finished in sixth the last three events.

Youngster Chris Martin from Des Moines, Iowa claimed his best ever KWS finish in seventh after winning the Last Chance Qualifier and starting 14th in the feature. Fresno’s Craig Stidham crossed the stripe in eighth, with Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst and Laton’s Geoffrey Strole completing the top-10. For Strole it also marked his first career top-10 finish with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series and earned him the Pit Stop USA Hard Charger Award after starting 19th.

As previously mentioned Chris Martin won the LCQ, with Cory Eliason claiming the six-lap Dash. Kaeding Performance heat race wins went to Jason Statler, Cory Eliason and Kyle Hirst. Willie Croft paced the 26-car field in BR Motorsports qualifying by turning a new track record at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway. Croft toured the 3/8 mile oval in 13.673 seconds.

The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will return to action next Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26 at the Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, California. The Memorial Day Weekend double-header will pay tribute to brothers Chris & Brian Faria in the annual “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” at the one-third mile clay oval. Advance tickets can be purchased by contacting the Thunderbowl box office at 559-688-0909 and for more info on the track visit www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Rico Abreu makes last lap count at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway Friday night

By Gary Thomas

Fernley, Nevada....St. Helena's Rico Abreu made a final corner charge on the high side of the speedway to get by Kyle Hirst in thrilling fashion and score his second King of the West 410 Sprint Car main event win of the year on Friday night in Fernley, Nevada. Hirst hung on for second with Sacramento’s Willie Croft, the night's fastest qualifier Craig Stidham of Fresno and defending KWS champ Jonathan Allard from Chico rounding out the top five.

“That was pretty awesome right there and I hope you fans enjoyed that show,” said Abreu on the front stretch. “I was just hoping that Kyle (Hirst) would follow those lappers and I’d get a chance to make something happen up high. Luckily for us that’s how it worked out and we are standing here in victory lane again. Big thanks to Paul Silva and all my guys. We’ve been running strong and hopefully we can come back tomorrow and do it again.”

A total of 28-cars signed into the pits on Friday at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway, for what was the first of 10-nights of racing for the King of the West 410’s at the track this season. The 30-lap main event came to the line with Dash winner Craig Stidham and Kyle Hirst on the front row. After a few spins and a red flag during the early portion things got going after one-lap was complete, in fact the final 29-circuits were clicked off caution free.

Hirst led the fast moving field once green flag laps ticked away and weaved his way by lapped cars with perfection, as he looked for his second win of the year. All along however, Rico Abreu stayed within striking distance of the Roth Enterprises No. 83 jr mount. With the race winding down Abreu closed right up to the bumper of Hirst and when the white flag waved, he looked to make his move. Going into the final set of corners a big gaggle of lapped cars was just ahead of Hirst, which gave the 21-year-old Abreu the opportunity he needed.

Abreu blasted to the high scary side and got the momentum he needed to charge around Hirst and score the thrilling victory. It marked the fourth career win with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series for the talented St. Helena youngster. Abreu also continues to lead to lead the KWS points going into tonight’s action at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway. For Hirst the runner up finish was another consistent effort with the series and was his fourth podium in the first five races of the season. After his win last week Croft rounded out the podium in Fernley on Friday to continue his impressive start to the year.

Craig Stidham capped a strong night by earning his best finish of the KWS season in fourth and Jonathan Allard rebounded nicely from an opening lap incident to complete the top-five. The remainder of the top-10 was filled by Grass Valley’s Jason Statler, Sydney, Australia’s Peter Murphy, Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, Washington driver Jared Ridge and Des Moines, Iowa’s Chris Martin, who started last on the grid.

Racing continues tonight for the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway for round six of the 2013 season. Qualifying is slated for 6:30pm with racing at 7pm.

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King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series Results – Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway Friday May 17, 2013

28 cars

Fast time: Craig Stidham 13.781 New Track Record

Heat one: 1. 69 Brent Kaeding, 2. 3 Craig Stidham, 3. 7n Jared Ridge, 4. 1nz Peter Murphy, 5. 17 Doug Gandy, 6. 6up Danielle Simpson, 7. 15 Pat Harvey

Heat two: 1. 5h Justyn Cox, 2. 83jr Kyle Hirst, 3. 00x Cory Eliason, 4. 7c Andy Forsberg, 5. 7x Kevin Smith, 6. 55 Bud Walberg, 7. 2w Adam Walters

Heat three: 1. 3c Willie Croft, 2. 38n Mark Tabor Jr, 3. 00 Jason Statler, 4. 91ri Eli Deshaies, 5. 3d Carl Droivold, 6. 44 Chris Martin, 7. 5 Brian Boswell

Heat four: 1. 24 Rico Abreu, 2. 21j Richard Brace Jr, 3. 0 Jonathan Allard, 4. 09s Geoffrey Strole, 5. 49 Mike Monahan, 6. 69c Chad Compton, 7. 44r Rusty Baglan

Dash: 1. Craig Stidham, 2. Kyle Hirst, 3. Brent Kaeding, 4. Rico Abreu, 5. Justyn Cox, 6. Cory Eliason, 7. Willie Croft, 8. Peter Murphy

LCQ: 1. Adam Walters, 2. Doug Gandy, 3. Mike Monahan, 4. Carl Droivold, 5. Danielle Simpson, 6. Chris Martin, 7. Bud Walberg, 8. Kevin Smith, 9. Pat Harvey, 10. Chad Compton, 11. Brian Boswell

A-main: 1. Rico Abreu, 2. Kyle Hirst, 3. Willie Croft, 4. Craig Stidham, 5. Jonathan Allard, 6. Jason Statler, 7. Peter Murphy, 8. Brent Kaeding, 9. Jared Ridge, 10. Chris Martin, 11. Richard Brace Jr, 12. Eli Deshaies, 13. Doug Gandy, 14. Geoffrey Strole, 15. Danielle Simpson, 16. Carl Droivold, 17. Adam Walters, 18. Mike Monahan, 19. Cory Eliason, 20. Justyn Cox, 21. Mark Tabor Jr, 22. Andy Forsberg

Point leader Rico Abreu leads the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series into lucrative double header Summit Racing Weekend at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway this Friday & Saturday

By Gary Thomas

Fernley, Nevada – May 14, 2013…One of the most anticipated weekend’s of the season is here for the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series, as the West’s top Winged 410 Sprint Car drivers get set to invade the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway in Fernley, Nevada this Friday & Saturday May 17 & 18.

A strong field of Winged 410 Warriors will invade the newly reconfigured & high-banked three-eighths mile clay oval for Summit Weekend, with the A-main each night paying $3500-to-win and a very stout $1000-to-start. The increased payoff has already gotten immense interest from teams all around the West Coast and will likely see teams from as far north as Washington make the town down to Fernley this weekend.

“We are really looking forward to competing at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway this weekend,” commented King of the West Series Operations Manager George Hague. “Dan Simpson and the whole staff up there have worked extremely hard over the off-season reconfiguring and rejuvenating the track surface, so fans will see a brand new track when they get to Fernley on Friday. It’s been a great season thus far and we’re expecting more of the same this weekend.”

On the strength of three podium finishes in the first four races this season, 21-year-old Rico Abreu sits atop the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series standings for the first time in his career. In just his third season driving a Sprint Car, Abreu has shown to have no fear whatsoever behind the wheel & has put together the consistency to go along with that early on in the year. The immensely exciting St. Helena driver is always worth the price of admission and will be fun to watch on the Fernley high-banks this Friday & Saturday.

Roth Enterprises driver Kyle Hirst goes into the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway sitting second in the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series standings. The hard charging Sacramento wheel-man has claimed one victory in this young season to go along with a trio of podium finishes. The 25-year-old will bring the famed Dennis & Teresa Roth owned No. 83jr Sprinter into Fernley looking for a strong weekend to get back into the points lead.

Past Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway winner Jonathan Allard is coming off his best finish of the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series season last weekend and will be gunning for victory in Fernley. The three-time & defending King of the West 410 champion dominated the 2006 running in Fernley and will hope for more of the same on Friday & Saturday. Allard comes into the weekend third in the standings and looks for a strong run to catapult his way up the points.

Last weekend’s big winner at the Petaluma Speedway, Willie Croft of Sacramento goes into the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway as the only repeat winner thus far in 2013 with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series. The man known as “Double Down” currently ranks fourth in the series standings and is off to the hottest start of his career driving for famed car owners Clyde & Marion Lamar. Croft battled Allard for the lead last Saturday and won out to claim his fifth career series win.

Rounding out the top-five in the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series standings is former “Trophy Cup” winner Craig Stidham of Fresno. The veteran Sprint Car driver has claimed top-10 finishes in all one but one race and will be looking to secure his first win of the season this weekend. Rookie of the Year contender Cory Eliason of Visalia has moved his way up to seventh in the standings and will make his Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway debut this weekend. Reigning RoY Chad Compton sits eighth in the points and will be another one making his Sprint Car debut at RTF Speedway.

National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding will be looking for a strong weekend at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway aboard the famous Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 Sprinter. The 13-time Golden State/ King of the West 410 Series champion & living legend currently ranks ninth in the KWS standings. Rounding out the top-10 in points is former Marysville Raceway Park Modified champ Richard Brace Jr. of Auburn. The 2013 season marks Brace’s first full time campaign in a 410 Sprint Car with the series.

Former Golden State/ King of the West 410 titlist Jason Statler brings his familiar DF Rios Motorsports No. 00 mount into the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway fresh off a charge from 15th to sixth last Saturday in Petaluma. Following a couple weeks of tough luck it was nice to see Statler have a strong run. Fan favorite Peter Murphy of Sydney, Australia rebounded last week to score a top-10 finish in the feature and will be looking to move up the ladder even more this week. In the off-season Murphy claimed the New Zealand Sprint Car title at the famed Western Springs Speedway.

Other drivers set to take on the Reno Tahoe Fernley high banks include Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson, Grass Valley’s Carl Droivold and Pat Harvey, Corning’s Bud Walberg, Clarksburg’s Justyn Cox, Laton’s Geoffrey Strole, Reno, Nevada’s Mark Tabor Jr. & Rusty Baglan, Spark’s, Nevada’s Mike Monahan, Washington drivers Kevin Smith and Jared Ridge, Des Moines, Iowa’s Chris Martin and more.

The pit gate at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway will open up at noon on Friday and Saturday May 17 & 18 with the front gate for spectators opening at 3pm. Racing is anticipated to get underway around 7pm. The Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway is located just off Highway 95a in Fernley, Nevada. From Sacramento take I-80 East to exit 46 towards West Fernley, Nevada. Follow the road to Highway 95a and then make a right turn into the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway Motor Sports Complex. The physical address is 1965 US 95a Fernley, Nevada 89408.

Advance tickets can be purchased by contacting 775-325-8800. Adult general admission is $25.00, reserve seating is $30.00, VIP All Access is $45.00. Reserve seating and VIP comes with preferred parking. All Access includes Pit Pass.

This weekend’s double header “Summit Weekend at the Races” will be just a taste of what’s to come at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway, as the mighty King of the West 410’s will return on July 5 & 6 for the “Cherry Bomb Classic,” August 9 & 10 for the “Hot August Nights Shootout,” September 13 & 14 during the Reno Air Races and championship weekend on October 25 & 26. Don’t forget to book your rooms at the John Ascuaga’s Nugget for all these weekends.

The Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Series competed at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway on two occasions, with those occurring in 2004 and ’06. The inaugural event saw Santa Cruz, California veteran Kevin Pylant race to the win driving his father Don’s No. 14p machine. The most recent event in ’06 then featured defending KWS champion Jonathan Allard dominating the main event en route to victory.

The new Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway is Northern Nevada’s premier three-eighths mile clay oval and is home to the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series and the Fernley 95A Racing Series. RTF Speedway runs from early-April until late-October and features everything from Winged 410 Sprint Cars to IMCA Dirt Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Dwarf Cars, Motorcycles, Outlaw Karts and more.

The Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway dirt track has been in existence since 1999 and is geared up for its best season to date in 2013. The overall facility also includes a road course, drag strip, motor cross track, off road course, gun range, paint ball facility and has been tabbed as “Racings Field of Dreams.” More information and the full schedule can be found at http://www.rtfspeedway.com

More information on the traveling King of the West Sprint Car Series can be found online at http://www.kwssprints.com and by tuning in to “KWS Tonight” every Thursday evening throughout the season on the homepage of the website.

Be sure to like us on the KWS Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and become a member of our Twitter community at https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing along with subscribing to us on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints?feature=mhee

You can also follow us on Instagram by searching “kwssprints” and contact us via phone at the King of the West office (707) 374-2222. For questions or comments please don’t be hesitate to shoot us an email at kwsseries@yahoo.com

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

Rounds five & six at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway

Fernley, Nevada - Friday & Saturday May 17 & 18

What:

The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series is locked and loaded for two night’s of exciting action at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway this Friday & Saturday May 17 & 18. It will be the first of five weekends of competition this season at Dan Simpson’s high-banked RTF Speedway and the double header outing this weekend is the first time 410 Sprint Cars will grace the blazing fast speedway in a number of years.

The KWS 410 fields are expected to be fully loaded, with extra money on the line. The lucrative purses will be $3,500 to win the A-main and a very stout $1,000-to-start. The purses are focused on paying down solidly to make sure all teams in competition have a piece of the pie. The stout payoff has already gotten immense interest from teams all around the West Coast and a stout field is expected.

Rounding out the top-five in the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series standings is former “Trophy Cup” winner Craig Stidham of Fresno. The veteran Sprint Car driver has claimed top-10 finishes in all one but one race and will be looking to secure his first win of the season this weekend. Completing the top-10 in the standings going into Fernley is Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Visalia’s Cory Eliason, Fair Oak’s Chad Compton, Campbell’s Brent Kaeding and Auburn’s Richard Brace Jr.

This weekend’s double header featuring “Summit Night at the Races” will be just a taste of what’s to come at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway, as the mighty King of the West 410’s will return on July 5 & 6 for the “Cherry Bomb Classic,” August 9 & 10 for the “Hot August Nights Shootout,” September 13 & 14 during the Reno Air Races and championship weekend on October 25 & 26. Don’t forget to book your rooms at the John Ascuaga’s Nugget for all these weekends.

When:

The pit gate at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway will open up at noon on Friday and Saturday May 17 & 18, with the front gate for spectators opening at 3pm. Racing is anticipated to get underway around 7pm.

Where:

The Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway is located just off Highway 95a in Fernley, Nevada. From Sacramento take I-80 East to exit 46 in Fernley, Nevada. Follow the road to Highway 95a and then make a right turn into the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway motor sports complex.

Tickets:

Ticket prices Kids under 6 FREE Children 6-16 $10.00 General Admission $25.00 Reserve Seating $30.00 VIP All Access $45.00 Reserve seating and VIP comes with preferred parking.

All Access includes Pit Pass

Advance tickets can be purchased for KWS events at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway & Rattlesnake Raceway by contacting 775-325-8800.

On the Internet:

King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series-

Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway: http://www.rtfspeedway.com http://www.fernley95aspeedway.com http://www.facebook.com/ninetyfiveA?fref=ts

About the track:

Recent history of 410 Winged Sprint Car Racing in Fernley:

The former Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car Series competed at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway on two occasions, with those occurring in 2004 and ’06. The inaugural event saw Santa Cruz, California veteran Kevin Pylant race to the win driving his father Don’s No. 14p machine. The most recent event in ’06 then featured defending King of the West 410 champion Jonathan Allard dominating the main event en route to victory.

2004 Golden State 410 Series Results

Fast Time-Jason York 15.340

Heat 1-Trevor Green, Wayne Williams, Andy Forsberg, Billy Wallace, York.

Heat 2- Shain Matthews, Steve Kent, Kyle Hirst, Mark Beck, Jim Skinner.

Heat 3- Ivan Worden, Willie Croft, Roger Crockett, Brent Kaeding, Jason Statler.

Heat 4-Kevin Pylant, Sean Becker, Blake Robertson, Herman Klein, Pat Harvey Jr.

B Main-York, Statler, Skinner, Craig Stidham, Mike Quigley, Harvey, Mark Tabor Jr, Doug Lippincott, Bob Maiwald, Mark Tabor Sr.

A Main-Pylant, Crockett, Kent, Forsberg, Becker, Kaeding, Hirst, Robertson, York, Matthews, Statler, Stidham, Green, Croft, Williams, Worden, Skinner, Quigley, Tabor Jr, Klein, Harvey Jr, Beck.

2006 Golden State 410 Series Results

Fast Time-Sean Becker 14.730

Heat 1-Stephen Allard, Ronnie Day, Jon Maiwald, Becker, Peter Murphy.

Heat 2- Johnny Gray, Jason Statler, Jason York, Brent Kaeding, Jonathan Allard.

Heat 3- Robert Ballou, Dennis Moore Jr, Shain Matthews, Mike Monahan, Steve Kent.

Dash- Kaeding, Becker, Murphy, J Allard, York, Day, Kent, Moore.

Main-J Allard, Kaeding, Moore, Day, Ballou, Kent, S Allard, York, Gray, Jim Skinner, Eddy Lewis, Carl Droivold, Jim Richardson, Mark Tabor Sr, Chase Wood, Maiwald, Pat Harvey, Tom Haxall, Mark Tabor Jr, Monahan, Statler, Murphy, Becker, Matthews.

Top-10 in King of the West driver standings after four rounds of competition:

1. Rico Abreu 619; 2. Kyle Hirst 605; 3. Jonathan Allard 592; 4. Willie Croft 477; 5. Craig Stidham 565; 6. Evan Suggs 555; 7. Cory Eliason 492; 8. Chad Compton 490; 9. Brent Kaeding 488; 10. Richard Brace Jr. 483

Winners so far this season with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series:

Antioch Speedway April 20: Willie Croft; Placerville Speedway April 27: Kyle Hirst; Silver Dollar Speedway May 4: Rico Abreu; Petaluma Speedway May 11: Willie Croft

Upcoming King of the West events:

Following the Fernley weekend the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will then head for another double header outing over Memorial Day Weekend at the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway on Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26. The two-night show at the Tulare County Fairgrounds based one-third mile clay oval will pay honor to brothers Chris & Brian Faria in the running of the annual “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial.”

As noted in a prior release the June 1 date at Merced Speedway has been cancelled with no makeup date being scheduled.

Willie Croft brings back the past & takes the Clyde Lamar Tri-C Machine to KWS victory lane during the “Salute to Baylands” at Petaluma Speedway on Saturday

By Gary Thomas

Petaluma, CA – May 11, 2013…On a night paying respect to the famed Baylands Raceway Park there were a few select cars that everyone pointed to as sentimental favorites and when all had been settled, one of them parked in victory lane, as Sacramento’s Willie Croft continued the hottest start of his career to claim his second KWS 410 win of the year aboard the Clyde & Marion Lamar owned Tri-C Machine Sprinter.

Throughout the night a number of past Baylands Raceway Park stories were told from the likes of David Vodden, George Hague, Jimmy Sills, Chuck Gurney, Lee James, Paul Torzilli, Ron Lingron, Willie Williams and more. The Baylands Raceway announcing duo of Vodden & Hague also took part in the event by announcing the second KWS heat race, bringing back some memories of the days gone by at the historic track that was located in Fremont, California.

The victory for Croft makes him the first repeat winner of the King of the West Sprint Car Series season and marked his first ever 410 triumph at the sticky 3/8 mile clay oval. It was also the fifth Golden State/ King of the West 410 win of Croft’s career and places him into a tie for 21st on the all-time list with current series competitor Kyle Hirst; Grinnell, Iowa’s Dennis Moore Jr. and Gilroy’s Eric Rossi. All in all it was certainly one of the best drives of his career, as he battled toe to toe with Jonathan Allard, along with lapped traffic much of the race.

“This is just such a great feeling and I’m really pumped to bring home a win here at Petaluma during the Salute to Baylands night,” commented an extremely happy Croft on the front stretch. “I grew up watching races at Baylands and to win tonight knowing that guys like Jimmy Sills, Chuck Gurney, Lee James and others were here makes it so special for us. I couldn’t be happier to bring home another win for Clyde & Marion Lamar and the Tri-C Machine team with the King of the West Series. It’s been a great start to the year and we aren’t done yet.”

The 30-lap main event came to the line with Dash winner Jonathan Allard and Croft on the front row. The Petaluma Speedway black adobe gumbo surface remained hooked up all night long in typical fashion and when the green lights came on the action became intense right from the get go. Croft jumped out to the lead, but had Allard right on his back bumper as the field blasted around the 3/8 mile oval in very fast fashion. As often times at Petaluma lapped traffic created some of the best racing seen all season and after a number of laps Allard would charge his way by Croft to steal the top spot.

The fight for the lead didn’t stop there however, as Croft showed his muscle by staying right with the Williams Motorsports No. 0 and would re-pass the defending King of the West champ in impressive fashion to reclaim the point shortly after. As the race continued on the fight for the lead proved to be a torrid one, but in the open track Croft was a rocket ship and pulled away to a steady advantage. Lapped traffic though allowed Allard to close in multiple times and kept fans on the edge of their seats.

Things then got interesting as Allard was called for a jump during a double file restart and was put back two spots for the ensuing start. This now moved the Abreu Vineyards No. 24 of St. Helena’s Rico Abreu up to the front row with Croft for the double file restart. When the green flag waved again Croft jumped back out to the lead with Abreu following along in second and Allard right there in third. The intensity level heated up with the race winding down and it soon became a three car battle for the lead over the closing laps.

The lead trio darted in and out of lapped traffic playing a high speed game of chess and looked to set up an epic finish, but everything came to a slow down on lap-27 when the yellow lights flashed on for a spun car in turns one & two. The final restart of the night saw Croft choose the outside, which put Abreu on the inside and when flagman Willie Williams waved the green Abreu popped a huge wheelie in dramatic fashion and gave Allard the chance to charge back into second. Allard tried to get close to Croft, but “Double Down” drove a perfect final few circuits and crossed the checkered by 1.203 seconds for victory.

“This car was absolutely perfect tonight and I can’t thank my crew chief Lee Lindgren and all my guys enough because I could put this thing anywhere on the track,” said Croft. “To get passed by Jon Allard and then pass him back is pretty cool. Jonathan is one of the best there is and you don’t get that chance very often, so it’s definitely a confidence builder. I also want to thank everyone for coming out and supporting us tonight. We’re all really excited to be back in Petaluma and had a lot of fun tonight and hope all the fans did too.”

Allard’s runner up finish was his best result of this young King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series season and continued his strong consistency at the Petaluma Speedway. “To put it quite frankly this track is bad ass,” said Allard of Petaluma Speedway. “Every time we come here the racing is tremendous and we always have multiple lines to use. It’s great to see all of you fans pack this place for us and we hope you’ll let the promoter know how much fun you had. We love coming here and hope to do so once again next season. I want to give a big thanks to Morrie & Katie Williams and my whole team for their support.”

One week after picking up the biggest win of his young career Abreu crossed the stripe in third to also earn his third podium finish of the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series season. “I want to thank Paul Silva and all my guys for getting me back up here on the podium tonight,” commented the 21-year-old throttle masher. “The track was really hooked up tonight and got crazy there a few times. I had a lot of fun racing with Willie and Jonathan there in traffic, but I wish that last restart would have gone a little better for me. I got the wheels up in the air and did everything I could to straighten it back up and continue on.”

Fremont’s Shane Golobic continued his strong start to the season and brought the Soltis Brothers backed No. 121 home in fourth to record his second straight top-five finish with KWS. Fresno’s Dominic Scelzi came from the sixth row to score fifth and earn his first career King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series top-five finish in the Scelzi Enterprise No. 41 mount. It was another very impressive night for the recently turned 16-year-old Scelzi, who was making his first ever start at the Petaluma Speedway.

Grass Valley’s Jason Statler had a strong run in the main event and earned the PitStopUSA Hard Charger Award by coming from 15th to sixth in the 30-lapper. It was very nice to see the former Golden State/ KWS 410 champ have a solid night after two straight weeks of tough luck. Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs rebounded nicely to finish seventh after an early incident in traffic forced him to the rear. Rounding out the top-10 in the feature were Sydney, Australia’s Peter Murphy; Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst and Campbell’s Brent Kaeding.

The 12-lap Last Chance Qualifier was captured by Brent Kaeding with the six-lap Dash being won by Jonathan Allard. The three 10-lap Kaeding Performance heat races were picked off by Shane Golobic, Watsonville’s Justin Sanders and Kyle Hirst. Earning his first career King of the West BR Motorsports fast time award to begin the night was young and talented 18-year-old Christopher Bell from Norman, Oklahoma. Making his first ever Petaluma Speedway start Bell took the Finley Farms No. 77 machine around the 3/8 mile oval in 12.518 seconds to set the mark out of the 25-cars on hand.

Drivers that competed at Petaluma Speedway and displayed the Kaeding Performance decal, along with the Kaeding Performance contingency company’s decals’ will also have the chance to take part in over $1000 of contingency awards for the night. The Kaeding Performance contingency program is in effect for each and every King of the West Sprint Car Series event. For details on companies involved with the program and how to take part please visit http://kwssprints.com/sponsors.html and for more on Kaeding Performance log onto www.kaedings.com

The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will now head for two night’s of action at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway in Fernley, Nevada next Friday & Saturday May 17 & 18. Don’t forget to book your rooms at the JA Nugget in Sparks, Nevada! The double header outing will be the first of five weekend’s of competition at the RTF Speedway, which is promoted by KWS Managing Director Dan Simpson. The event will also feature a beefed up purse each night, with the A-main’s being $3500-to-win & $1000-to-start both nights. The high-banked 3/8 mile oval will make for some great racing and we invite everyone to come out and have some fun with us.

King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series & Kaeding Performance announce continuation of extensive contingency program for 2013 season

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – May 9, 2013…The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series, in association with Kaeding Performance in Campbell, California are pleased to announce that the extensive contingency program put together by the company will return this season, bigger and better than ever.

The Kaeding Performance staff has rounded up a number of quality sprint car parts & manufacturers once again to give the King of the West 410 Series a thorough list of contingency awards to hand out each week and at the end of the year awards banquet. Last season the program was a very popular one among teams each week and will be so again in 2013.

“We once again wanted to put something together so the teams that support KWS events will have the opportunity to earn contingency awards that will be very beneficial to each and every team that wants to be involved,” Kaeding Performance has worked on putting together a solid contingency program with the most prominent manufacturers involved in Sprint Car Racing today. These manufacturers stepped right up to give back to the racers and support California Sprint Car Racing.

Companies taking part in the contingency program and awarding nightly certificates at each race include KSE Racing Products, Red Devil, Weld Racing, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Kaeding Performance, MAXIM, FK Rod Ends, Wilwood Brakes, Astro Titanium, QTM Brakes, Kwik Change, Factory Kahne Shocks, MPD Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Outerwears, Racing Optics, SCI Racing Products, Conroy Pneu Control, CRV Carbon Solutions, Saldana Racing Products, Dirt Solution, Joes Racing Products, Winters Performance and Go-Pro cameras.

“I can’t tell you how pumped we are to be working with Kaeding Performance again on the contingency program,” said King of the West Communications Director Gary Thomas. “They have been great partners with the King of the West Series and the program they have put together is just simply amazing. We really hope all the teams can see just how big of a supporter the Kaeding Performance team is for the sport. The contingency program they have gathered up is second to none across the country.”

To take part in the contingency program competitors must display the Kaeding Performance decal on both sides of their car, along with each individual company’s decal that you wish to have a chance at winning. Decal packages will be available at the Kaeding Performance trailer and the KWS Officials Trailer each and every race night.

“We’re excited about continuing our partnership with Kaeding Performance on the contingency program this season,” said King of the West Operations Manager George Hague. “The guys at Kaeding Performance have put together an outstanding package for the series once again and the teams will certainly benefit from it.”

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 or visit them at their beautiful facility in Campbell, California.

King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series set for much anticipated return to Petaluma Speedway this Saturday for the “Salute to Baylands”

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – May 7, 2013…When hanging around the track and bench racing with fans throughout Northern California the now defunct Baylands Raceway Park often comes up in conversation. The famous dirt track located in Fremont, California was a favorite among many and this Saturday night at the Petaluma Speedway we will be paying honor to the famed Baylands Raceway.

Sprint Car Announcer, Writer & Historian Bobby Gerould has said of Baylands: "Baylands was a hot spot for great sprint car racing during a much too short-lived time in the 1980's. Located in the heart of the thriving Bay Area, Baylands ran weekly winged sprints, as well as special World of Outlaws, CRA, BCRA, Golden State Challenge and NARC shows. Opening in August, 1981, and racing until November, 1988, Baylands played a vital role in the booming sprint car scene in Northern California.”

Former champions at the track included Jimmy Sills, who dominated action at Baylands and led the speedway in all-time wins, as well as Jimmy Boyd, Dave Bradway Jr., Ed Organ, Steve Kent and “Charging” Chuck Miller on two occasions. A vintage Baylands Raceway Park autograph session is scheduled to go on from 5pm to 5:30pm this Saturday so be sure and stop by to see past racers & officials such as Tim Green, Chuck Gurney, John Golobic, Brent Kaeding, Bruce Homer, David Vodden, George Hague and more.

“We are very excited to be back at the Petaluma Speedway on Saturday and want to thank Rick Faeth and John Soares for making it possible,” said KWS Operations Manager & former Baylands Raceway Park Announcer George Hague. “I have a lot of memories of Baylands from my days as an announcer there and we think it will be great to hold an event to relive the history of the track. We love racing at Petaluma Speedway and getting back on that famous black gumbo will be fun.”

Petaluma Speedway had been commonplace on the Northern Auto Racing Club/ Golden State 410 Series schedule over the years, but a hiatus from the track occurred from the late 90’s to 2004. In 2005 the Golden State 410 Series returned to Petaluma and ran each season through 2010, until another hiatus was seen over the last couple years. In total there have been 11 Winged 410 Sprint Car events held at Petaluma Speedway since ’05.

Three-time & defending King of the West 410 champion Jonathan Allard has been the most dominant driver in 410 competition at Petaluma since 2005 and currently ranks third in the series standings. The Chico native has claimed five victories at Petaluma Speedway out of the last 11 Winged 410 events held at the track, including the most recent race in 2010. Allard is coming off his first podium of the KWS season last Saturday in Chico.

“We’ve had a lot of success at Petaluma Speedway over the last eight or nine years and have really missed going there the last couple seasons,” said Allard. “The racing at Petaluma can be some of the best you will see anywhere and when we get into traffic it can be real hairy. Definitely excited that we have the opportunity to get there on Saturday with the King of the West Series and we hope all the fans will come out and support the show.”

Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst leads the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series standings going into the “Salute to Baylands” on Saturday. The 25-year-old has scored podium finishes in each of the first three events, including a runner up effort last weekend at the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” aboard his Dennis & Teresa Roth owned Roth Enterprises No. 83jr mount. Hirst claimed victory in round two at the Placerville Speedway and will be looking for another on Saturday.

Sitting just one-point back of Hirst in second happens to be last Saturday’s big winner at the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” young Rico Abreu. The hard charging driver from St. Helena picked up the biggest win of his young career last weekend at the Silver Dollar Speedway and went home with over $8500 for his efforts during the night. Abreu has claimed finishes of fourth or better in all of the first three races in his Abreu Vineyards No. 24 sprinter.

Fresno’s Craig Stidham has had a consistent start to the year and goes into the “Salute to Baylands” on Saturday holding down the fourth spot in the standings. The former “Trophy Cup” winner has scooped up top-10 finishes in every race so far this season. Opening night winner Willie Croft currently rounds out the top-five in KWS points while driving the Clyde Lamar Tri-C Machine mount, which was seen quite often at the Baylands Raceway Park.

Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs ranks sixth in the standings and brought home a runner up finish during the most recent Winged 410 Sprint Car event at the Petaluma Speedway in May of 2010. Reigning Rookie of the Year Chad Compton holds down the seventh spot in points during his sophomore season with the King of the West Series. 2013 Rookie of the Year contender Cory Eliason sits eighth in the standings, while 13-time champion Brent Kaeding and Auburn’s Richard Brace Jr. complete the top-10.

Just on the cusp of the top-10 is past Petaluma Speedway winner Jason Statler of Grass Valley, who has been bit by bad luck the last couple weekends. Statler’s last Golden State/ KWS win came at the Petaluma Speedway and he will be trying hard to make a return to victory lane on Saturday. Elk Grove youngster Sean McMahan is 12th in the series standings, with Sydney, Australia native Peter Murphy 13th, Fresno young gun Dominic Scelzi 14th and Coarsegold, CA youngster Scott Parker completing the top-15 in the standings.

Scelzi is coming off a strong performance at the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” last Saturday, where he won a heat race and tied his career best KWS finish with a sixth place effort in the feature. Murphy suffered through his second straight week of tough luck last Saturday, which saw him get upside down in the Last Chance Qualifier. After finishing fourth in the KWS points last season Murphy will look to make up ground in the standings beginning at Petaluma this weekend.

Other’s expected to take on the sticky 3/8 mile clay oval Saturday will include World of Outlaw winner earlier this season Shane Golobic of Fremont, Clarksburg’s Justyn Cox, Fresno’s Carson Macedo, Chico’s Brad Bumgarner, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey & Carl Droivold, Laton’s Geoffrey Strole, Corning’s Bud Walberg, San Jose’s Nick Green, Rhode Island native Eli Deshaies, Des Moines, Iowa’s Chris Martin and more.

The front gate at the Petaluma Speedway will open at 4pm on Saturday May 11 with racing anticipated to get underway around 7pm. Adult tickets cost $20, with it being $15 for seniors/juniors. The pit gate will open at noon for competitors. Petaluma Speedway is located in the southern part of the wine country at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds just off Highway 101 in Petaluma, California. Fans are recommended to bring a jacket and warm clothes if you have never been to the Petaluma Speedway, as temperatures usually do chill off once the sun goes down.

More information on the traveling King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series can be found online at http://www.kwssprints.com and by tuning in to “KWS Tonight” every Thursday evening throughout the season on the homepage of the website.

Upcoming King of the West events:

Next Friday & Saturday May 17 & 18 the King of the West 410’s will head for the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway in Fernley, Nevada for the first of five weekends of action at the facility. KWS Managing Director Dan Simpson also happens to be the promoter at RTF Speedway and during the off season a revitalization of the track surface took place. The high-banked 3/8 mile oval should provide great racing over the two-night’s of action.

Be sure and reserve your rooms at the host hotel for KWS in Sparks, Nevada the John Ascuaga’s Nugget. The KWS fan code to use is GKWS2 and to book your rooms visit http://www.janugget.com/hotel/book-a-group.asp or by contacting 800-648-1177. All the teams & crews will be staying at the Nugget & we will have a fan fest party on Friday night after the races! Book your rooms now! You won't wanna stay anywhere else! The JA Nugget is the place to be during KWS weekends at RTF Speedway!

On Memorial Day Weekend the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will be in action at the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway for the “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial.” The exciting double header will occur on Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26 and will hopefully be the start of a new Memorial Day tradition for 410 Sprint Car fans and teams in California. The Tulare County Fairgrounds offers a great campground so we invite everyone to come on down and camp out for the special event at Thunderbowl Raceway. More information on the one-third mile clay oval can be found at http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com

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

Round four at Petaluma Speedway “Salute to Baylands”

Petaluma, California – Saturday May 11

What:

The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series is geared up and ready for round number four in the fight for the season long title this Saturday night at the always exciting Petaluma Speedway. So far this year the KWS warriors have visited Antioch, Placerville, Chico and it’s now on to the coastal climate of Petaluma for the much anticipated return to the facility this weekend.

The event on Saturday is billed as the inaugural “Salute to Baylands” and marks the first Winged 410 Sprint Car race at the sticky 3/8 mile oval since 2010. Fans and teams alike have been wanting to see the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series back on the hooked up Petaluma gumbo and now they have their wish. It is expected to be a fun night for all involved, as we pay homage to the now defunct Baylands Raceway Park that was located in Fremont, California.

Petaluma Speedway had been a staple on the Northern Auto Racing Club/ Golden State 410 Series schedule over the years, but a multiple-season hiatus from the track occurred from the late 90’s to 2004. In 2005 the Golden State 410 Series returned to Petaluma and ran each season through 2010, until another hiatus was seen over the last couple years. In total there have been 11 Winged Sprint Car events held at Petaluma Speedway since ’05.

Second generation driver Kyle Hirst leads the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series standings going into the “Salute to Baylands” on Saturday. The 25-year-old from Sacramento has scored podium finishes in each of the first three events, including a runner up effort last weekend at the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” aboard his Dennis & Teresa Roth owned Roth Enterprises No. 83jr mount.

When:

The front gate at the Petaluma Speedway will open at 4pm on Saturday May 11 with racing anticipated to get underway around 7pm. Adult tickets cost $20, with it being $15 for seniors/juniors. The pit gate will open at noon for competitors. The vintage Baylands Raceway Park autograph session is scheduled to go on from 5pm to 5:30pm so be sure and stop by to see past racers & officials such as Tim Green, Chuck Gurney, John Golobic, Brent Kaeding, David Vodden, George Hague and more.

Where:

The Petaluma Speedway is located in the southern part of the wine country at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds just off Highway 101 in Petaluma, California. Fans are recommended to bring a jacket and warm clothes if you have never been to the Petaluma Speedway, as temperatures usually do chill off once the sun goes down.

On the Internet:

King of the West Sprint Car Series-

Petaluma Speedway Official Website- http://www.petaluma-speedway.com Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Petaluma-Speedway/195710236914?fref=ts Twitter- https://twitter.com/PetalumaSpeedwy

About the track:

The Petaluma Speedway is a 3/8 mile clay oval and has been a welcomed stop over the years for teams with the Golden State/ King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series. The tacky and hooked-up speedway has often produced exciting competition, as lapped traffic seems to create some of the most hectic racing towards the front of the field of any track on tour.

The all-time 410 track record at Petaluma Speedway is held by 2009 Golden State/ KWS titlist Tyler Walker, who set the mark on August 1 of his championship year. “T-Dub” toured the 3/8 mile oval for the track record in 11.990 seconds aboard the Scott Chastain owned NMI Industrial Contractors No. 24 machine.

Recent winners of Golden State/ King of the West 410 Winged Sprint Car events at Petaluma:

2005- Sean Becker 2006- Jonathan Allard twice 2007- Sean Becker & Jonathan Allard 2008- Bud Kaeding & Jason Statler 2009- Tyler Walker twice 2010- Jonathan Allard twice

Baylands Raceway Park history from Bobby Gerould/HammerdownUSA and Auto Racing Legends of California:

"Baylands" was a hot spot for great sprint car racing during a much too short-lived time in the 1980's. Located in Fremont, CA, in the heart of the thriving Bay Area, Baylands ran weekly winged sprints, as well as special World of Outlaws, CRA, BCRA, Golden State Challenge and NARC shows. Opening in August, 1981, and racing until November, 1988, Baylands played a vital role in the booming sprint car scene in Northern California.

Winning wasn't easy at Baylands. The track required strong horsepower, and thus ruled out the underfunded teams. The Baylands Winners List is a Who's Who in sprint car racing. Close proximity to major Bay Area airports made it simple for car owners to fly drivers in from around the globe. Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Bobby Davis Jr., Rich Vogler, and many others flew in to drive unfamiliar cars.

Fans (including us), would get all hyped for the special races at Baylands, because you knew you would see something fresh or different. The late, Rich Vogler raced for Harold Casto, Steve Kinser drove for Richard Lovell, and Sammy Swindell was a driver for Jim Klein.

The regulars at Baylands were among the best in the world. Jimmy Sills owned the joint. Not literally, but figuratively. Sills was special at Baylands driving for the Bailey Brothers in the black #01, but was equally strong in the Owen & Smith #14. Chuck Gurney, Jimmy Boyd, Tim Green, Ronnie Day, Darrell Hanestad, Chuck Miller, Steve Kent and the late Dave Bradway Jr., were there almost every Saturday night. Lealand McSpadden would buzz in from Arizona. Brent Kaeding was concentrating on NARC but ran as many Baylands races as he could. Oklahoma's Tommie Estes Jr., replaced Bradway in the Tri-C #3 and ran often in 1987 and 1988.

Former champions at Baylands Raceway Park:

1982 – Jimmy Sills 1983 – Jimmy Boyd 1984 – Dave Bradway Jr 1985 – Ed Organ 1986 – Chuck Miller 1987 – Steve Kent 1988 – Chuck Miller

1st race – 8/14/81 – LeRoy Van Connett Last Race – 10/8/88 – Steve Kent Track closed November 1988

Top-10 in King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series driver standings after three rounds of competition:

1. Kyle Hirst 466; 2. Rico Abreu 465; 3. Jonathan Allard 437; 4. Craig Stidham 431; 5. Willie Croft 419; 6. Evan Suggs 416; 7. Chad Compton 368; 8. Cory Eliason 360; 9. Brent Kaeding 358; 10. Richard Brace Jr. 357

Winners so far this season with King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series:

Antioch Speedway April 20: Willie Croft; Placerville Speedway April 27: Kyle Hirst; Silver Dollar Speedway May 4: Rico Abreu

Upcoming King of the West events:

St. Helena wheel-man Rico Abreu races to the biggest win of his career & goes home with over $8500 at the 23rd annual “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” on Saturday

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – May 4, 2013…The annual “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico is always a race that Northern California Sprint Car drivers mark on their calendar. The past winners list of the event is a practical who’s who of Sprint Car racing in the Golden State over the years and after Saturday a new name has been etched on the list, with that driver being 21-year-old Rico Abreu.

The talented St. Helena, California youngster had a near perfect night at the 23rd edition of the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial,” setting the Carwash Mike Fast Time to begin the night and also winning the six-lap Dash. The fast time effort earned him $1140 cash, plus a custom Jagermeister Trophy & Coors Light Cowboy hat in honor of late Sprint Car fan Carwash Mike Avilla. His victory in the Dash also paid $1000 cash, with that ironically coming courtesy of Abreu Vineyards.

Overall Abreu will walk out of the Silver Dollar Speedway with over $8500, during what was his third career King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series victory. His other two wins with the series also came during special races and included the Tribute to Gary Patterson at Calistoga and the Chris/Brian Faria Memorial in Tulare last season. Abreu scooped up the lead on Saturday with just under 10-laps left in the feature when race long leader Shane Stewart suffered a reported broken U-Joint.

“Ah man this is just awesome to come out here and win the Bradway,” Abreu said after leaping from the top wing of his car on the front stretch. “I can’t thank Paul Silva and this whole team enough. This is a brand new ART Chassis and it really worked well all weekend. It’s pretty special to add my name to the list of Bradway winners, because this is a huge race and it’s such a big honor to win it. I felt bad for Shane Stewart to drop out like that, but that’s how racing goes sometimes and I couldn’t be happier to be standing here in victory lane at Chico.”

Fans, teams, drivers and officials showed definite grit to begin the night as a freak wind and rain storm pounded down on the Chico area just as hot laps were getting started. Despite forecasts of mid-90’s and no rain the Midwest-like storm came in and threatened to put a damper on things, but everyone hunkered down and waited things out. Once the brief rain shower passed the track was worked back in and the program was run to completion.

The 40-lap main event came to the line with Dash winner Abreu and Bixby, Oklahoma’s Shane Stewart on the front row. Stewart jumped out to the early lead and seemed to have the car to beat as he looked for his second career “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” victory aboard the Silva Motorsports No. 57 mount. In the open track the two-time ASCS National champion had no problems pulling away to a healthy advantage, but his biggest challenges came on a number of double-file restarts, where Abreu tried his hardest to get by while running the high-side.

As Stewart stayed committed to the bottom Abreu attempted to sail his Abreu Vineyards No. 24 sprinter around the top, but each time would come up just short of getting by off the second corner. With the race winding down and just 10-laps left Stewart entered turn three and a puff of smoke emitted from the 57 machine, which ultimately saw him slow and park it in the infield to end his night in heartbreaking fashion. This handed the lead to Abreu, who had a fast closing Kyle Hirst and Jonathan Allard trying to run him down and take command.

The lead trio had to deal with lapped traffic and a couple times Hirst closed right up to Abreu’s back bumper, but the youngster drove a perfect final few laps and crossed the checkered for the biggest victory of his three-year Sprint Car career. Extra money to bump up the normal A-main winners share was donated from Red Line Oil, Butler Built Performance, Roth Motorsports and Gil & Al Velo. For setting fast time, winning the dash, winning the A-main and also receiving lap money, Abreu as mentioned earned over $8500 for the night, which is an all-time record in the 23-year history of the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial.”

Hirst came home second to record his career best “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” finish and also claim his third consecutive podium to start the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series season. “I gave it everything I had right there to try and get by Rico but he did a great job so I want to congratulate him on the win. I want to win this race really bad and one of these years I’ll get a Bradway. We’ve had a great start to the season and I can’t thank Dennis & Teresa Roth and this whole Roth Enterprises team enough for giving me great stuff each week.”

Allard crossed the stripe in third to score his first podium finish of the season with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series. “I’m happy to be up here on the podium tonight and tried to find another groove to make up ground on some guys and luckily it paid off. I want to thank the Durica’s for always doing a great job with the Bradway Memorial and want to give a big thanks to Dan Simpson for giving us just a tremendous series to run with KWS, because he doesn’t get enough thanks for all he does as well. We’ll go on to Petaluma and try to get this Williams 0 in victory lane.”

Placerville’s Andy Gregg did a great job in the main event to battle among the top few cars much of the race and bring home a fourth place finish at the helm of the Coors Light No. 53 mount. It marked Gregg’s career best result at the Bradway Memorial. Former Bradway winner Sean Becker rounded out the top-five in the feature and earned the “Abreu Vineyards Hard Charger Award” for the night after starting from the sixth row, which paid $1000 cash. “The Shark” will also go home with a custom award donated by Alan Bradway & Grant’s Foto Art. The top-10 was rounded out by Dominic Scelzi, Justyn Cox, Craig Stidham, Christopher Bell and Willie Croft.

The 12-lap Last Chance Qualifier was captured by Corning’s Bud Walberg, who will go home with $1000 cash courtesy of Abreu Vineyards plus lap money. As previously mentioned Rico Abreu took home the $1000 Abreu Vineyards Dash, while Justin Sanders won the 10-lap C-main. The four 10-lap heat races were picked off by Shane Stewart, Willie Croft, Jonathan Allard and Dominic Scelzi. The heat winners received $500 cash from Abreu Vineyards, a right rear tire & five sleeves of tear offs from HoservilleCA and a case of gear oil from Red Line Oil.

As also noted Rico Abreu kicked off the night by earning the Carwash Mike Fast Time Award with a clocking of 12.199 around the quarter mile. Donations for the $1140 to win Carwash Mike Fast Time Award came in from Gloria & Manny Avilla, Gary Thomas, Chico Truck & RV, Steve & Donna Gomez, All Transmission & Fleet Service, Brody & Lauren Vickers and Sheree & Loree Toller. It marked Abreu’s second career fast time with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series.

On behalf of everyone with the King of the West Sprint Car Series we’d like to thank everybody for their support of the 23rd annual “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” and for continuing to make it one of the biggest events each season on the West Coast. Special thanks to Dave & Dianne Durica for all the hard work they put in to organize all the lap money and special awards that are gathered for the Bradway.

The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will now get ready for the inaugural “Salute to Baylands” this coming Saturday night May 11 at the Petaluma Speedway in Petaluma, California. It will be the first 410 Winged Sprint Car event at the sticky three-eighths mile clay oval since 2010 and has been a much anticipated outing on the schedule. For more info on Petaluma Speedway visit them on the web at http://www.petaluma-speedway.com

“Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” Silver Dollar Speedway Results – King of the West Sprint Car Series

41-cars

Fast time: Rico Abreu

Heat one: 1. Shane Stewart, 2. Christopher Bell, 3. Sean Becker, 4. Rico Abreu, 5. Jason Statler, 6. Keith Bloom Jr., 7. Jason York, 8. Brad Bumgarner, 9. Scott Parker, 10. Clint Wilson

Heat two: 1. Willie Croft, 2. Andy Gregg, 3. Mason Moore, 4. Craig Stidham, 5. Mich...ael Tarter, 6. Eli Deshaies, 7. Chad Compton, 8. Doug Gandy, 9. Pat Harvey, 10. Andy Forsberg

Heat three: 1. Jonathan Allard, 2. Evan Suggs, 3. Nick Green, 4. Cory Eliason, 5. Brent Kaeding, 6. Chris Martin, 7. RC Smith, 8. Bud Walberg, 9. Mike Funkhouser, 10. Carl Droivold

Heat four: 1. Dominic Scelzi, 2. Justyn Cox, 3. Kyle Hirst, 4. Carson Macedo, 5. Peter Murphy, 6. Justin Sanders, 7. Richard Brace Jr., 8. Kevin Sharrah, 9. Sean McMahan, 10. Geoffrey Strole

C-main: 1. Justin Sanders, 2. Brad Bumgarner, 3. Brent Kaeding, 4. Pat Harvey, 5. Clint Wilson, 6. Mike Funkhouser, 7. Doug Gandy, 8. Geoffrey Strole

Dash: 1. Rico Abreu, 2. Shane Stewart, 3. Kyle Hirst, 4. Andy Gregg, 5. Jonathan Allard, 6. Dominic Scelzi, 7. Craig Stidham, 8. Willie Croft

LCQ: 1. Bud Walberg, 2. Keith Bloom Jr., 3. Chad Compton, 4. Richard Brace Jr., 5. Kevin Sharrah, 6. RC Smith

A-main: 1. Rico Abreu, 2. Kyle Hirst, 3. Jonathan Allard, 4. Andy Gregg, 5. Sean Becker, 6. Dominic Scelzi, 7. Justyn Cox, 8. Craig Stidham, 9. Christopher Bell, 10. Willie Croft, 11. Mason Moore, 12. Bud Walberg, 13. Evan Suggs, 14. Richard Brace Jr., 15. Keith Bloom Jr., 16. RC Smith, 17. Chad Compton, 18. Shane Stewart, 19. Kevin Sharrah, 20. Nick Green, 21. Cory Eliason, 22. Carson Macedo

Jonathan Allard on "KWS Tonight"

Buzz is in the air over Saturday’s “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” at Silver Dollar Speedway & “KWS Tonight” will be on the air this Thursday evening getting everyone ready for the special event. We will also showcase a great highlight package from last Saturday’s event at the Placerville Speedway, along with putting a wrap on what was a great night of racing at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds bullring.

Kyle Hirst won his fifth career Golden State/ King of the West 410 main event in Placerville and leads the points heading into this Saturday’s “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” in Chico. During the show we also have a sound bite with Hirst on the “Kaeding Performance Winners Circle” with some words about what it would mean to win the Bradway.

If you didn’t make Placerville last weekend be sure and tune into the show this Thursday for all the exciting action that took place last week. It was a spectacular finish to the 30-lapper with Hirst and Fremont’s Shane Golobic fighting it out for the win. Easton’s Tommy Tarlton put on a stunning charge from the rear to third in his first time competing at the track driving a 410 in many years.

We also caught up with our own “Mr. 5-time” himself, Jonathan Allard last weekend in the pits at Placerville & got some words with him about the 23rd annual “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial.” Allard last year became the first ever 5-time Bradway Memorial champion and actually won his very first Golden State/ King of the West feature at the event in 2001.

George Hague will also share various quotes about Dave Bradway Jr. from a few members of the racing community including David Vodden, Grove Hill and Brent Kaeding. Troy Hennig will also call in to discuss his excitement for the weekend ahead at Silver Dollar Speedway. Dave Bradway Jr. was a hero of Hennig’s growing up so it has always been a special event for him personally.

We will break down some of the special awards on the line and give thanks to everyone for their generosity shown towards this year’s Bradway Memorial. Saturday will be your one-time only this season to catch the King of the West 410 Sprint Cars at Silver Dollar Speedway, so don’t miss it! We’re excited and we hope you all are too!

We'll also introduce everyone to Tex Raceworthy during the show! If you don't know him yet, you will after watching "KWS Tonight!"

The pit gate this Saturday May 4 will open at 3pm with the front grandstand gate for fans opening at 5pm, qualifying around 6:30pm and racing is scheduled to begin around 7pm. Adult tickets will cost just $20 on Saturday, juniors will be $15 and children are $6. There will also be 150 complimentary hot dogs & Pepsi’s available to children on Saturday night, so bring the kids and come enjoy what will be a great night of entertainment.

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

Don't forget to make your reservations now at the JA Nugget for the first King of the West Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway weekend on May 17 & 18 by logging onto http://www.janugget.com/hotel/book-a-group.asp & enter the code GKWS2 for the KWS rate!

To view “KWS Tonight” log onto http://www.kwssprints.com/ starting at 7pm on Thursday May 2. The show will then replay on the homepage to watch at your leisurely pleasure over the next week and will be archived on our You Tube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints

Packed house sees Kyle Hirst make the closing laps count to win a thriller at Placerville Speedway with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series

By Gary Thomas

Placerville, CA – April 27, 2013…The Placerville Speedway always has a reputation of providing late race drama whenever the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series visits the tight, high-banked bullring. On Saturday night that certainly rang true, as Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst made a late charge to ride the high-line and get around Shane Golobic with just a couple laps left to score his fifth career series victory in thrilling fashion.

Driving the Roth Enterprises No. 83jr Hirst claimed a bit of redemption at his home track, after another thrilling King of the West event last June in Placerville saw him come home second to Brent Kaeding following a wheel-to-wheel battle over the closing laps. This time however, the 25-year-old came out on the winning end to give car owners’ Dennis & Teresa Roth yet another 410 Sprint Car victory on the red clay.

“That was one awesome race right there and I hope all you fans enjoyed it,” said an immensely excited Hirst on the front stretch after leaping from the car. “I kept trying that high line in three and four and finally got close enough there at the end to sweep past Shane (Golobic) and get the lead. I can’t thank Dennis & Teresa Roth and this whole Roth Enterprises team for giving me a great car and a great opportunity. It’s awesome to see these grandstands so full tonight so thank you everyone for coming out.”

The 30-lap main event began with Dash winner Shane Golobic of Fremont getting the lead aboard his Soltis Brothers No. 121 mount. The recent World of Outlaws winner looked extremely strong much of the race with no challengers seemingly in sight early on. The action behind him though was intense with drivers trying to find the fastest way around the slicked off quarter mile clay oval.

Lap seven saw Golobic dodge a big bullet as he got sideways into the infield and looked to have lost the lead, but a yellow flag at that same time for Chad Compton saved it. As the race went on Hirst, who had got up to second, began to the find the high side in turns three and four to his liking. The hard charging Sacramento wheel man blasted around the cushion on that end of the speedway and tried to get close enough to Golobic to make something happen.

A double file restart with just over five laps remaining gave Hirst his chance and when the green lights came on he stayed within striking distance of the leader. As the crowd sensed the upcoming fight for the lead Hirst closed in quickly riding the cushion and coming off turn four he executed the move of the night to slice past Golobic and take the top spot with just a couple laps left.

Golobic stayed close, but Hirst drove a perfect final two circuits and crossed the checkered flag to pick up the ultra exciting victory. Hirst’s fifth career Golden State/ King of the West win places him into a tie for 21st on the all-time list with Grinnell, Iowa’s Dennis Moore Jr. and Gilroy’s Eric Rossi. The triumph also gives him and his Roth Enterprises team lots of momentum heading into next Saturday’s “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” in Chico, an event Hirst wants to win as much as any other.

Golobic crossed the line in second to pick up another strong finish aboard the JoeVonschriltz No. 121 machine. The 21-year-old has had a very strong start to 2013 and it was great to have him in the field on Saturday. “I’m happy to be up here on the podium, but real disappointed to get second after leading so many laps. We were pretty much a sitting duck out there and Kyle Hirst did what he had to do and found something up top. Sometimes it’s better to be in second late in the race and that was the case here. I want to thank my whole team for giving me a great car all night long.”

Easton’s Tommy Tarlton put on arguably the drive of the night to rebound after getting in an early incident and charge all the way back through the field to earn a strong third place finish. “The Terminator” originally started from 18th on the grid and earned the Pit Stop USA Hard Charger Award in the feature. “That was so much fun out there being able to come through the field like we did and I can’t say enough about Paul Baines and this whole crew. It’s been a long time since I’ve ran here in a 410 and we really got rolling good there in the main event. It’s great to see this place packed with fans and I want to thank all you for coming out and supporting us.”

St. Helena’s Rico Abreu also charged from the rear of the field to thrill the capacity crowd on hand aboard his Abreu Vineyards No. 24 mount. The 21-year-old got in an early spin and carved his way back forward to earn a solid finish. Abreu was able to hang onto his car despite contact on the final corner with Grass Valley’s Jason Statler, which left the DF Rios 00 stopped off the surface. For Statler it was a tough way to end what was a great run going for the former Golden State/ KWS champ. Defending King of the West champion Jonathan Allard from Chico rounded out the top-five in the feature behind the wheel of the Williams Motorsports No. 0 Sprinter.

Coming home sixth in the 30-lapper was Fresno’s Craig Stidham, seventh went to 22nd starter Jimmy Trulli, who had a very impressive run after earning the final transfer spot out of the Last Chance Qualifier. It’s always a pleasure to have Trulli and the 33t team on hand when we visit Placerville Speedway. 15-year-old young guns Dominic Scelzi of Fresno and Chris Martin of Des Moines, Iowa came home eighth and ninth respectably for solid 410 debuts at the Placerville Speedway. Rounding out the top-10 was National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding of Campbell.

Sacramento’s Willie Croft captured the night’s 12-lap Last Chance Qualifier and Shane Golobic claimed the six-lap Dash. The four 10-lap Kaeding Performance Heat Races went to Visalia’s Cory Eliason, Rico Abreu, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs and Craig Stidham. Cory Eliason paced the 32-car field in qualifying to earn his first career King of the West BR Motorsports Fast Time Award. The youngster toured the quarter-mile in 10.286 seconds.

Next Saturday night May 4 the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will be in action for the only time this season at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway. It also marks the 23rd annual “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” and looks to be the best field we will see all season long.

There will be extra money & awards on the line all night next Saturday. The “Carwash Mike Fast Time Award” currently stands at $1100 cash plus a custom Jagermeister Trophy & Coors Light Cowboy Hat, along with a $100 certificate from BR Motorsports. The “Abreu Vineyards Hard Charger Award” will pay $1000 cash to the hard charger in the 40-lap A-main. The hard charger will also receive the usual KWS $200 certificate from Pit Stop USA & $50 certificate from KSE Racing Products.

The 40-lap A-main will also pay a guaranteed $4500-to-win, courtesy donations from Butler Built Performance, Red Line Oil and Roth Motorsports. Dave and Diane Durica have once again collected lap money for the night. 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.

The six-lap Dash during the night will pay a shocking $1000 cash to win courtesy Abreu Vineyards.

Each heat race will pay $500 cash to win courtesy Abreu Vineyards, plus a right rear tire & five sleeves of tear offs courtesy HoservilleCA, plus a case of gear oil courtesy Red Line Oil. The Last Chance Qualifier also will feature an extra perk during the night, with $1000 cash going to the winner courtesy of Abreu Vineyards. If a driver could lead all 12-laps in the Last Chance Qualifier and with lapped money added in, they would go home with $1600 just for the LCQ!

To keep up to date with all the great happening’s at the 23rd annual “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” stay glued to http://www.kwssprints.com and http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com

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

Round three at Silver Dollar Speedway - 23rd annual “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial”

Chico, California – Saturday May 4

What:

The 23rd annual “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” is on tap this Saturday night for the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway. The event is always one of the biggest each season and packs special awards and extra money all night long. It will also be the only time this season to catch the KWS 410’s at the historic quarter-mile bullring.

Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst goes into the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” sitting atop the King of the West Series standings for the first time in his career. The 25-year-old last Saturday drove the Roth Enterprises No. 83jr to an exciting victory at the Placerville Speedway and will be trying hard to make it two in a row this weekend.

"The Bradway means so much to me and my family and I really hope to add my name to the winners list,” said Hirst, whose middle name is David in tribute to Junior. “It's the one race that always sticks out in my mind and one I always have circled on my calendar. My mom & dad were such good friends of David and put so much into this race for so many years that I would love to win it for them.”

Former “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” winners scheduled to compete include five-time & defending event champion Jonathan Allard, four-time victor Brent Kaeding, 2010 winner Shane Stewart, ’04 winner Jason Statler, ’06 champion Sean Becker and 2011 winner Peter Murphy. The Alan Bradway/Steve Tuccelli owned No. x1 will also make its return to the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” with two-time Silver Dollar Speedway 410 champion Andy Forsberg at the helm.

Keep in mind that this is T-Shirt year at the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” so be sure and bring some extra money to pick up your commemorative event shirt that turned out great, designed by artist extraordinaire Randy Frank. Bradway shirts are $20 and will be available at the Durica Family RV in the campground over the weekend.

The “Carwash Mike Fast Time Award” currently stands at $1100 cash plus a custom Jagermeister Trophy & Coors Light Cowboy Hat in memory of the late sprint car super fan Mike Avilla, along with a $100 certificate from BR Motorsports. Mancamp Motorsports has also donated $100 to the second fastest qualifier.

The “Abreu Vineyards Hard Charger Award” at the Bradway will pay $1000 cash to the hard charger in the 40-lap A-main. The hard charger will also receive the usual KWS $200 certificate from Pit Stop USA & $50 certificate from KSE Racing Products.

The 40-lap A-main will also pay a guaranteed $4500-to-win, courtesy donations from Butler Built Performance, Red Line Oil and Roth Motorsports. Dave and Diane Durica have once again collected lap money for the night so 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.

The six-lap Dash during the night will pay a shocking $1000 cash to win courtesy of Abreu Vineyards. The Dash is always oh so important in determining the fate of a drivers night, so the six-lapper this Saturday is sure to be an all out war going for the pole position of the feature and a cool grand that goes along with it.

Each heat race will also pay $500 cash to win courtesy of Abreu Vineyards, plus a right rear Hoosier Tire & five sleeves of tear offs courtesy of HoservilleCA, plus a case of gear oil courtesy of Red Line Oil. Each heat race winner will also receive a trophy from HoservilleCA that they will give to a child in the stands following a short interview on the front stretch.

The Last Chance Qualifier also will feature an extra perk during the night, with $1000 cash going to the winner courtesy of Abreu Vineyards. If a driver could lead all 12-laps in the Last Chance Qualifier and with lap money added in, they would go home with $1600 just for the LCQ!

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. Bradway Jr. was a driver destined for stardom in Sprint Car racing and the event held in his memory has become a cornerstone for the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series each season. With all the money and awards on the line this year it looks to be one of the very best Bradway’s on record.

“I can’t wait for the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial this weekend,” said Silver Dollar Speedway announcer and communications director Troy Hennig. “The King of the West Series has had two great car counts so far this season and we’re expecting a huge field on Saturday. We also had a terrific race last Friday here in Chico so that has us all pumped up. When it comes to Sprint Car racing in California it doesn’t get much better than what we will see on Saturday night at the Bradway.”

When:

The pit gate this Saturday May 4 will open at 3pm with the front grandstand gate for fans opening at 5pm, qualifying around 6:30pm and racing is scheduled to begin around 7pm. Be sure and get there early for a special autograph session that you won’t want to miss!

Where:

Tickets:

Adult tickets will cost just $20 on Saturday, juniors will be $15 and children are $6. There will also be a number of complimentary hot dogs & Pepsi’s available to children on Saturday night, so bring the kids and come enjoy what will be a great night of entertainment.

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. The all-time King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series track record at SDS was set by Chico’s Jonathan Allard during the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” on May 9, 2009 at a time of 11.119 seconds. The all-time track record stands at a blistering 10.918 and was set in 2009 by Brownsburg, Indiana’s Joey Saldana.

Last year’s “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” at Silver Dollar Speedway:

History was made last year when Chico’s Jonathan Allard became the first driver to win the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” on five occasions. The three-time and defending series champion in fact has captured five of the last 12 Bradway Memorial’s after getting his first career series win at the 2001 event. Oroville’s Sean Becker had a strong run last season to charge from 11th to second and San Jose’s Tim Kaeding rounded out the podium. Shane Stewart brought home a fourth place finish and Roger Crockett completed the top-five in the 40-lapper.

Rounding out the top-10 last year was 14th starter Bobby McMahan, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, Placerville’s Andy Gregg and Mitch Olson. Earning the hard charger award in the main event was Suggs, who drove from 17th to seventh. The "Carwash Mike Fast Time Award" last season was Tim Kaeding, who toured the quarter-mile in 12.165 seconds.

Top-10 in King of the West points going into this Saturday night:

1. Kyle Hirst 311; 2. Rico Abreu 304; 3. Craig Stidham 287; 4. Evan Suggs 286; 5. Willie Croft 282; 6. Jonathan Allard 281; 7. Brent Kaeding 280; 8. Shane Golobic 271; 9. Jason Statler 260; 10. Chad Compton 252

KWS main event winners so far this season:

Antioch Speedway April 20- Willie Croft; Placerville Speedway April 27- Kyle Hirst

On the internet:

King of the West Sprint Car Series-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/kwssprintracing You Tube- http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints?feature=mhee Instagram- kwssprints

Silver Dollar Speedway-

Official Website- http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Silver-Dollar-Speedway-Chico-Ca/245116138498 Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/sdspeedway

Upcoming King of the West events:

Round number four for the King of the West 410’s is slated for the Petaluma Speedway on Saturday May 11 and will be the inaugural “Salute to Baylands,” as we pay tribute to the now defunct Baylands Raceway Park that was located in Fremont, CA.

The event also marks the very first Winged 410 Sprint Car race at the sticky three-eighths mile clay oval since 2010 and is a much anticipated stop on the schedule. A number of past Baylands Raceway Park stars will be on hand for autographs and interviews during the night. The Petaluma Speedway is located on the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds & information on the track can be found at http://www.petaluma-speedway.com

On Friday & Saturday May 17 & 18 the King of the West 410’s will head for the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway in Fernley, Nevada for the first of five weekends of action at the facility. KWS Managing Director Dan Simpson also happens to be the promoter at RTF Speedway and during the off season a revitalization of the track surface took place. Be sure and reserve your rooms at the host hotel for KWS in Sparks, Nevada the John Ascuaga’s Nugget. The KWS fan code to use is GKWS2 and to book your rooms visit http://www.janugget.com/hotel/book-a-group.asp

The month of May will then be capped with a double-header at the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway over Memorial Day Weekend on Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26. The much anticipated weekend will pay tribute to brothers Chris & Brian Faria in the annual “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” at the one-third mile clay oval. The Thunderbowl Raceway is located on the Tulare County Fairgrounds in Tulare. More information can be found at http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com

King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series Results – Saturday April 27 Placerville Speedway

32-cars

Fast time: Cory Eliason 10.286

Heat one: 1. Cory Eliason, 2. Jonathan Allard, 3. Scott Parker, 4. Todd Wanless, 5. Pat Harvey, 6. Willie Croft, 7. Danielle Simpson

Heat two: 1. Rico Abreu, 2. Kyle Hirst, 3. Richard Brace Jr., 4. Jason Statler, 5. Chris Martin, 6. Carson Macedo, 7. Bud Walberg

Heat three: 1. Evan Suggs, 2. Dominic Scelzi, 3. Andy Gregg, 4. Tommy Tarlton, 5. Sean McMahan, 6. Carl Droivold, 7. Doug Gandy, 8. Peter Murphy

Heat four: 1. Craig Stidham, 2. Shane Golobic, 3. Brent Kaeding, 4. Chad Compton, 5. Jimmy Trulli, 6. Geoffrey Strole, 7. Eli Deshaies, 8. Justin Johnson

Dash: 1. Shane Golobic, 2. Jason Statler, 3. Kyle Hirst, 4. Andy Gregg, 5. Evan Suggs, 6. Craig Stidham, 7. Rico Abreu, 8. Cory Eliason

Last Chance Qualifier: 1. Willie Croft, 2. Sean McMahan, 3. Chris Martin, 4. Carson Macedo, 5. Mark Barroso, 6. Jimmy Trulli, 7. Justin Johnson, 8. Pat Harvey, 9. Carl Droivold, 10. Geoffrey Strole, 11. Eli Deshaies, 12. Peter Murphy, 13. Doug Gandy

A-main: 1. Kyle Hirst, 2. Shane Golobic, 3. Tommy Tarlton, 4. Rico Abreu, 5. Jonathan Allard, 6. Craig Stidham, 7. Jimmy Trulli, 8. Dominic Scelzi, 9. Chris Martin, 10. Brent Kaeding, 11. Evan Suggs, 12. Scott Parker, 13. Mark Barroso, 14. Chad Compton, 15. Jason Statler, 16. Willie Croft, 17. Carson Macedo, 18. Cory Eliason, 19. Sean McMahan, 20. Andy Gregg, 21. Richard Brace Jr., 22. Todd Wanless

With the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series season off & running the “KWS Tonight” gang will put a wrap on the Antioch Speedway opener last weekend & showcase highlights from the night’s action starting tonight at 7pm pst on www.kwssprints.com

We also have a sound bite with last Saturday’s big winner Willie Croft, who won his fourth career Golden State/ King of the West main event in Antioch. We had the chance to talk with him about the special bounty that has been put up for Friday night’s point race at Silver Dollar Speedway. Croft has won three races in a row & if he could win Friday & make it four in a row, then he will earn a $400 bonus from SDS promoter Dennis Gage.

Our featured guest on the show this week is Pit Stop USA President Ed Coughenour, who talks about Pit Stop USA, what products they focus on and how excited he is for the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series return to Petaluma Speedway on May 11. Pit Stop USA is also returning as the KWS hard charger partner for the third straight season and also sponsors the Friends & Family Racing No. x1 Sprint Car driven by Andy Forsberg.

We will preview KWS Round two this Saturday night at the Placerville Speedway and give a first look at some of the special awards on the line at next weekend’s “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” at Silver Dollar Speedway. All in all it looks to be one the biggest Bradway’s in many years, if not ever!!!

To view “KWS Tonight” log onto http://www.kwssprints.com starting at 7pm on Thursday April 25. The show will then replay on the homepage to watch at your leisurely pleasure over the next week and will be archived on our You Tube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints

This Saturday April 27 the front grandstand gate at the Placerville Speedway will open at 5pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 6pm, with qualifying at 6:30pm and racing anticipated to start around 7pm. Adult tickets on Saturday will cost $20, seniors will be $16, juniors $12 and children $6. All seating is general admission and fans are encouraged to get there early.

The Placerville Speedway is located on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville, California. Take Hwy US-50 to Forni Road/Placerville Drive exit. Then go north on Placerville Drive to the Fairgrounds. The physical address is 100 Placerville Dr., Placerville, CA 95667. More information on the track can be found at http://www.placervillespeedway.com

High-banks of Placerville Speedway play host to the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series this Saturday night April 27

By Gary Thomas

Placerville, CA – April 23, 2013… Famous for its steep banks, distinctive red clay & extremely close action the Placerville Speedway is also known for having some of the most loyal fans in Northern California racing and this Saturday night the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will hit the quarter-mile for round number two of the 2013 season.

The Placerville Speedway is located just 40 minutes from the capital city of Sacramento and is known for its challenging high-banks and trademark red-clay, which makes for a unique style of racing that can't be seen anywhere else in the state. Saturday will mark the first of two season appearances by KWS with the other occurring later in the summer on June 29.

“The fans at Placerville are always great and really get into the racing,” said King of the West Series Operations Manager George Hague. “They all have their local favorites and it’s a lot of fun to see so many people that love sprint car racing. The track itself is as action-packed as it gets. Any time you are turning low 10-second laps you know it’s going to be wild. We like to call it jet fighters in a gymnasium.”

“Double Down” Willie Croft leads the King of the West Series standings going into Saturday on the strength of his win last weekend at the Antioch Speedway aboard his Clyde & Marion Lamar owned No. 3c sprinter. Placerville Speedway is also a home game for Croft and the Tri-C Machine team, as both call the Sacramento area home.

Last season the former “Mini Gold Cup” winner brought home a pair of top-five finishes in the two Placerville events, including a podium in April.

Croft also recently scored a weekly main event win at the Placerville Speedway on April 13 and at the Silver Dollar Speedway this past Friday. With three wins in his last three starts the Sacramento wheel-man will look to keep up his hot streak on Saturday. By winning last week Croft tied Kyle Hirst, Peter Murphy, Andy Forsberg, Chuck Miller and Darrell Hanestad on the all-time Golden State/ King of the West win list with four triumphs.

Last June Campbell's Brent Kaeding broke a long winless streak with the King of the West 410 Series by picking up a thrilling victory at the Placerville Speedway. The National Sprint Car Hall of Famer that night battled toe to toe with Kyle Hirst over the final laps of the feature and kept the packed house on the edge of their seats. “BK” also tallied a runner up finish at the track last April after charging from the 12th starting spot. Kaeding is coming off a sixth place effort at the KWS opener in Antioch.

Rico Abreu had a solid outing at the opener in Antioch and goes into Placerville Speedway looking to claim his third career King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series win. The 21-year-old finished second at Antioch and had a great run going in weekly action at Placerville on April 6, until a spin in traffic while chasing down leader Kyle Larson relegated him to the rear. The hard charging driver from St. Helena is always worth the price of admission and will be fun to watch on the high banks this Saturday.

KWS competitor Doug Gandy was a fixture at the Placerville Speedway in his day and claimed a trio of track title’s in the 1970’s. "I have some great memories at Placerville," Gandy has said. “I'm not quite sure what we would have done as a family back then if they hadn't built it. It's a special place to me and I look forward to coming back. I will always appreciate those days racing there and all the great fans.” This Saturday night Gandy will join Jason Statler & Chad Compton in the pre-race King of the West Series autograph session at 5pm when the front gate opens.

The always consistent Evan Suggs ranks third in the King of the West points after finishing fifth in the main event at Antioch during the opener. The 26-year-old Scotts Valley native shares the Placerville Speedway 410 track record with Tim Kaeding at a blazing fast 9.913 seconds. In August of 2010 Suggs led all but three laps in the main event at Placerville, eventually scoring a second place finish to Tim Kaeding.

A tie for the fourth spot in points is currently seen between Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst and Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan. Hirst last week was the Pit Stop USA Hard Charger coming from 11th to third in the 30-lapper. The 25-year-old also routinely runs strong at the Placerville Speedway and has multiple wins at the track in his career. Hirst last year ran second to Brent Kaeding in the June event at Placerville aboard his Roth Enterprises No. 83jr.

McMahan began his Sprint Car career at the Placerville Speedway in 1982 by earning Rookie of the Year honors and always loves going back to the high-banked bullring. "It's always special for me to go back to Placerville since that's where I started racing sprint cars,” the veteran driver has said. McMahan scored a fourth place finish in the feature at the opener and will be looking to break his way into victory lane at Placerville on Saturday.

Ranking seventh through 10th in the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series standings after one round of competition are Sydney, Australia native Peter Murphy, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Australian traveler Todd Wanless and Grass Valley’s Jason Statler. In 2004 Statler picked up a Golden State/ King of the West victory at Placerville Speedway and is another driver that typically runs strong on the red clay.

Three-time & defending King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series champion Jonathan Allard will look to rebound following a tough main event at the opener that saw him finish 13th. The Chico veteran has been one of the most consistent drivers in 410 action at the Placerville Speedway over the last 10-years and will be trying hard to get back into victory circle at the bullring. Allard claimed a Golden State/ King of the West win at the track in 2006 aboard the familiar Williams Motorsports No. 0 sprinter.

Other drivers expected to tackle the Placerville Speedway on Saturday include Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Chico’s Brad Bumgarner & Kenny Allen, Fair Oak’s Chad Compton, Visalia’s Cory Eliason, Fresno’s Dominic Scelzi & Carson Macedo, Hanford’s DJ Netto, Auburn’s Richard Brace Jr., Laton’s Geoffrey Strole, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey, Placerville’s Jimmy Trulli, Corning’s Bud Walberg, Elk Grove’s Sean McMahan, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson, Rhode Island native Eli Deshaies and more.

This Saturday April 27 the front grandstand gate will be open at 5pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 6pm, with qualifying at 6:30pm and racing anticipated to start around 7pm. Adult tickets on Saturday will cost $20, seniors will be $16, juniors $12 and children $6. All seating is general admission and fans are encouraged to get there early.

Abreu Vineyards announces extensive & gracious support of the 23rd annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial on Saturday May 4 at Silver Dollar Speedway

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – April 23, 2013….Excitement is in the air about next weekend’s 23rd annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico & the incentives keep getting better & better! We’re proud to announce a gracious donation coming in from Abreu Vineyards that teams will definitely want to take a look at!

Abreu Vineyards has donated money to make the hard charger in the 40-lap A-main worth $1000 cash, the Dash winner will also receive $1000 cash and each heat race winner will earn $500 cash apiece. For more information on Abreu Vineyards visit their website at http://abreuvineyard.com/

“We can’t thank Dave Abreu of Abreu Vineyards enough for his support of the Bradway,” said Dave Durica. “Dianne and I have been blown away by the support this year from a number of people and it really means a lot. We’re really excited for next weekend and hope all the fans will come out and support the race”

The Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial takes place next Saturday May 4 at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. It will be the only time this season that the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series visits Silver Dollar Speedway and is always a cornerstone on the series schedule. With the extra money on the line drivers are sure to get their elbows up even that much higher throughout the night.

“I can’t wait for the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial next weekend,” said Silver Dollar Speedway announcer and communications director Troy Hennig. “Dave Bradway Jr. was a hero of mine growing up and this race has always been special to me. To see so many people getting on board and giving their support is just awesome. It’s also the only time KWS will be here this year so fans don’t want to miss it.”

Don’t forget that brand new Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial shirts will be on sale at the event and can be purchased from Dave & Dianne Durica in the campground during the weekend. The “Carwash Mike Fast Time Award” at the event currently stands at $1100 cash plus the custom Jager trophy & Coors Light cowboy hat. All of this is adding up to be an event that can’t be missed!

Even more incentives and awards are set to be announced over the next week so stay tuned!

A number of former Bradway Memorial champions are expected at the event next Saturday May 4 including 2010 winner Shane Stewart, who will reunite with car owner Paul Silva in the potent No. 57 machine. The talented driver has driven the Silva Motorsports mount to a trio of Knoxville Raceway 360 Nationals wins and a pair of ASCS National titles.

Five-time & defending Bradway Memorial champ Jonathan Allard will also be in the field, along with four-time winner Brent Kaeding, 2004 winner Jason Statler, ’06 winner Sean Becker and 2011 winner Peter Murphy. The Alan Bradway/Steve Tuccelli owned No. x1 will also make its return to the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial with two-time Silver Dollar Speedway 410 champion Andy Forsberg at the helm.

An immensely talented field made up of World of Outlaws winners, King of the West winners, ASCS winners, Silver Dollar Speedway winners, Civil War winners and more will tackle the challenging quarter-mile clay oval on Saturday May 4. 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 more information on the Silver Dollar Speedway visit the track website at http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com

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

Round two at Placerville Speedway “Battle on the red clay bullring”

Placerville, California – Saturday April 27

What:

After opening the season last weekend the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will head for round number two this Saturday night at the always fun Placerville Speedway. The quarter-mile bullring located on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds routinely produces great racing and is a fan favorite among many in Northern California.

This Saturday’s event will be the first of two season appearances for the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series at the Placerville Speedway, with the other occurring on Saturday June 29.

Sacramento’s Willie Croft has confidence flowing after his victory at the KWS season opener this past weekend at the Antioch Speedway. It was the first 410 Sprint Car win for car owners’ Clyde & Marion Lamar since 1996 and because of that, the Tri-C Machine sits atop the points going into the second round of competition. Croft also captured victory at Placerville Speedway on April 13 & Silver Dollar Speedway on April 19.

“This is just so unreal I don’t even know what to say,” said Croft last week. “I can’t thank Clyde & Marion Lamar and the whole Lamar family enough for the opportunity to drive the Tri-C Machine. Lee Lindgren gave me a great car tonight and I really focused on hitting my marks. I truly know that we had an angel riding with us tonight with Stephen Allard looking down on us, so to get this win is so special I can’t even put it into words.”

Rico Abreu had a solid outing at the opener and goes into Placerville Speedway looking to claim his third career King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series win. The 21-year-old finished second at Antioch and had a great run going in weekly action at Placerville on April 6, until a spin in traffic while chasing down leader Kyle Larson relegated him to the rear. The hard charging driver from St. Helena is always worth the price of admission and will be fun to watch on the high banks this Saturday.

The top-five in the standings following the opener is rounded out by Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst and Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan. For McMahan it’s a return home to the track where he began his Sprint Car career way back in 1982. Completing the top-10 in points going into Placerville are Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, Sydney, Australia’s Peter Murphy, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Queensland, Australia’s Todd Wanless and Grass Valley veteran Jason Statler.

Other drivers looking to fight their way to the front this Saturday will include three-time & defending KWS champion Jonathan Allard of Chico, Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Visalia’s Cory Eliason, Fresno’s Dominic Scelzi & Carson Macedo, Chico’s Brad Bumgarner & Kenny Allen, Hanford’s DJ Netto, Fair Oak’s Chad Compton, Auburn’s Richard Brace Jr., Elk Grove’s Sean McMahan, three-time Placerville champion Doug Gandy, local favorite Jimmy Trulli and more.

When:

The pit gate at Placerville Speedway on Saturday opens at 2pm, with the front gate opening at 5pm, cars will be hitting the track for wheel packing around 6pm, qualifying is scheduled for 6:30pm and racing is anticipated to begin around 7pm. Fans are encouraged to arrive early as the grandstands always pack in at the Placerville bullring.

Where:

The Placerville Speedway is located on the beautiful El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville, California. Take Hwy US-50 to Forni Road/Placerville Drive exit. Then go north on Placerville Drive to the Fairgrounds. The physical address is 100 Placerville Dr., Placerville, CA 95667. The fairgrounds offers a great grass area for tailgating, so everyone is encouraged to make a day out of it and come have some fun with many of your fellow race fans during the afternoon.

Tickets:

Adult tickets on Saturday will cost just $20, seniors will be $16, juniors $12 and children $6. All seating is general admission during the night.

On the Internet:

King of the West Sprint Car Series-

Placerville Speedway Official Website- http://www.placervillespeedway.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Placerville-Speedway-Placerville-Ca/246478558924 Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/pvllspeedway

About the track:

The Placerville Speedway is a high-banked quarter-mile oval with distinctive red clay and features an all-time track record that stands at a blistering fast 9.913. The mark was set in the spring of 2004 by San Jose’s Tim Kaeding and then was amazingly matched by Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs in March of 2009. The tight confines of Placerville Speedway offers a perspective very unique in Northern California and makes it one of the most popular tracks throughout the region.

Recent history of 410 Winged Sprint Car Racing at Placerville:

Last season saw the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series return to the Placerville Speedway after being absent during the 2011 year. A pair of events were held with the early season showcase being captured by Tim Kaeding after fending off his father Brent Kaeding who started 12th on the grid. The top-five was filled out by Willie Croft, Shane Golobic and Jason Statler.

In the June event it turned out to be a huge night of racing, as 13-time series champion Brent Kaeding made a glorious return to victory lane and break a Golden State/ KWS winless streak that dated back to 2009. The packed house on hand showed their respect to the Hall of Famer during one of the most memorable front stretch celebrations in recent memory. Kyle Hirst gave Kaeding everything he could handle and came home second, with Andy Gregg, Golobic and Croft completing the top-five.

In 2010 Tim Kaeding won a pair of Golden State/ King of the West 410 main events at Placerville Speedway, with Jonathan Allard earning a single win. In 2009 Brent Kaeding scored one victory at Placerville and eventual series titlist Tyler Walker scored two triumphs. The second victory for Walker also capped his championship year and was his ninth win during the season, which stands as an all-time record for the series in one year.

Top-10 in driver standings after one round of competition:

1. Willie Croft 161; 2. Rico Abreu 155; 3. Evan Suggs 151; 4. Kyle Hirst 149; 4. Bobby McMahan 149; 6. Brent Kaeding 145; 7. Peter Murphy 142; 7. Craig Stidham 142; 9. Todd Wanless 137; 10. Jason Statler 136

Upcoming King of the West events:

Coming up on Saturday May 4 the King of the West 410 warriors will invade Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico for the 23rd annual “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” race. The prestigious event will mark the lone race at Silver Dollar this season for KWS and is expected to be a huge night as always, which will be capped with a 40-lap main event.

There is currently $900 cash on the line for the “Carwash Mike Fast Time Award” plus the $100 weekly certificate from BR Motorsports and a special Jagermeister Trophy & Coors Light Cowboy Hat in honor of Carwash Mike Avilla. The Hard Charger Award currently stands at $250 cash plus the weekly $200 certificate from Pit Stop USA & $50 certificate from KSE Racing Products. There is also talk of a special custom “Alan Bradway/ Grant’s Foto Art Hard Charger Award.” More details on all the special awards & giveaways will be documented over the next week.

To inquire about supporting the event with giveaway items or sponsorship money please contact Dave & Dianne Durica at durica1414@sbcglobal.net or by phone (916) 988-5958. The Silver Dollar Speedway is located on the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico and info can be seen at http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com

Round number four is slated for the Petaluma Speedway on Saturday May 11 and will be the inaugural “Salute to Baylands,” as we pay tribute to the now defunct Baylands Raceway Park that was located in Fremont, CA.

Willie Croft scores an emotional win to park the Tri-C Machine Sprinter in KWS victory lane at the 2013 season opener in Antioch

By Gary Thomas

Antioch, California – April 20, 2013…In late-January Sacramento, California’s Willie Croft received the biggest opportunity of his career by getting the chance to pilot the famed Clyde Lamar owned No. 3c sprinter. Over the years the Tri-C Machine mount has remained one of the more well known cars throughout California, but it hadn’t made a trip to 410 Sprint Car victory lane since 1996.

That all changed on Saturday night at the King of the West Series season opener however, when Croft drove a flawless 30-laps to pick up one of the biggest victories of his career. Croft’s most recent KWS win had come in 2011 at Marysville Raceway Park and his triumph on Saturday was the second time he has kicked off the Golden State/ King of the West season in victory lane, with his win at the 2004 “Mini Gold Cup” being the first.

“This is just so unreal I don’t even know what to say,” said an emotional Croft on the front stretch. “I can’t thank Clyde & Marion Lamar and the whole Lamar family enough for the opportunity to drive the Tri-C Machine. Lee Lindgren gave me a great car tonight and I really focused on hitting my marks. I truly know that we had an angel riding with us tonight with Stephen Allard looking down on us, so to get this win is so special I can’t even put it into words.”

The 30-lap feature came to the line with St. Helena’s Rico Abreu on the pole and Croft to his outside. The original start had seen Abreu get the jump, but would be penalized one row, after being deemed to have picked up the throttle a little early in turn four.

The ensuing complete restart then saw Croft get the advantage over new pole sitter Bobby McMahan of Elk Grove. As the night wore on the track surface had gotten extremely slick and treacherous and drivers fought for the bottom side of the speedway at both ends.

Abreu was able to get back up to second early on and try his best to close in on Croft, but each time traffic came into play the yellow lights of caution would seem to flash on. In the open track there was no catching the fast moving Tri-C Machine as Croft distanced himself from the rest of the pack with ease. The 41-year-old veteran hit his marks all race long and drove off to claim the checkered flag and pick up his fourth career Golden State/ King of the West 410 victory.

Croft’s other previous Golden State/ King of the West 410 Series wins as mentioned came at the Silver Dollar Speedway in the 2004 “Mini Gold Cup” & the Marysville Raceway Park in 2011, along with a triumph at Quincy’s American Valley Speedway in ’07. Other drivers with four career victories under their belt with the series’ include Kyle Hirst, Peter Murphy, Andy Forsberg, Chuck Miller and Darrell Hanestad.

Abreu crossed the line in second to record a podium finish for the second straight year at the King of the West Sprint Car Series opener aboard his Abreu Vineyards, Stadelhofer Construction No. 24 mount. “It’s nice to bring home a strong finish tonight, but I’m disappointed we couldn’t win this thing because whoever got the start had a good shot at it. Paul Silva is doing a great job with this car and it’s giving me more confidence each week. I wanna congratulate Willie Croft on the win and we’ll go on to Placerville and try to get one there.”

Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst made some nice moves as the race went on and carved his way from 11th to third at the finish line behind the wheel of the Roth Enterprises, 3-H Cattle No. 83jr sprinter. It also earned the 25-year-old the Pit Stop USA Hard Charger Award in the main event. “The track was tough tonight in the feature, but my guys made the right adjustments and this was a nice way to start out the year. I wanna thank Dennis & Teresa Roth for the opportunity this season and we’re looking forward to Placerville next week.”

Bobby McMahan continued his strong prowess at the Antioch Speedway by claiming fourth at the checkered flag in his American Tool & Mfg No. 25 machine. The former NARC Speedweek champion has now finished among the top-five on five consecutive occasions at the track with the King of the West Series. Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs rounded out the top-five to cap a solid night that also saw him qualify second fastest aboard the S&S Automotive No. 33e mount. It also marked the KWS debut for Suggs having veteran crew chief Scott McMillen turning the wrenches.

Completing the top-10 in the season opening main event were Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, Sydney, Australia’s Peter Murphy, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Grass Valley’s Jason Statler and Queensland, Australia’s Todd Wanless.

The 12-lap Last Chance Qualifier was picked off by veteran Doug Gandy from Oakhurst, with the six-lap Dash being won by Rico Abreu. The four 10-lap Kaeding Performance Heat Races were captured by Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Bobby McMahan, Todd Wanless and Brent Kaeding. Defending King of the West champion Jonathan Allard earned the first BR Motorsports Fast Time Award of the year by pacing the 30-car field in qualifying with a lap of 11.940 seconds.

The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will return to action next Saturday night at the Placerville Speedway in Placerville, California. Adult tickets will cost $20, seniors $16, juniors $12 and children $6. The front gate will open at 5pm and an early arrival is recommended to get the best seat possible at the action packed red clay quarter-mile bullring. More information can be found at http://www.placervillespeedway.com

More information on the traveling King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series can be found online at [url=http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2F]http://www.kwssprints.com%2F&h=sAQH0L_ra&s=1]http://www.kwssprints.com/ and by tuning in to “KWS Tonight” every Thursday evening throughout the season on the homepage of the website.

King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series Results – Antioch Speedway Saturday April 20

Fast Time: Jonathan Allard 11.940

Heat one: 1. Shane Golobic, 2. Peter Murphy, 3. Craig Stidham, 4. Jonathan Allard, 5. Scott Parker, 6. Chad Compton, 7. Carl Droivold, 8. Dusty Green

Heat two: 1. Bobby McMahan, 2. Cory Eliason, 3. Evan Suggs, 4. Jason Statler, 5. Brad Bumgarner, 6. Danielle Simpson

Heat three:... 1. Todd Wanless, 2. Willie Croft, 3. Kyle Hirst, 4. Richard Brace Jr., 5. Pat Harvey, 6. Geoffrey Strole, 7. Eli Deshaies

Heat four: 1. Brent Kaeding, 2. Sean McMahan, 3. Rico Abreu, 4. Tanner Swanson, 5. Bud Walberg, 6. Doug Gandy, 7. Chase Wood, 8. Kenny Allen

Dash: 1. Rico Abreu, 2. Willie Croft, 3. Jonathan Allard, 4. Shane Golobic, 5. Bobby McMahan, 6. Brent Kaeding, 7. Evan Suggs, 8. Todd Wanless

LCQ: 1. Doug Gandy, 2. Brad Bumgarner, 3. Chad Compton, 4. Bud Walberg, 5. Pat Harvey, 6. Geoffrey Strole, 7. Scott Parker, 8. Danielle Simpson, 9. Carl Droivold, 10. Chase Wood, 11. Mark Barroso, 12. Dusty Green, 13. Eli Deshaies

A-main: 1. Willie Croft, 2. Rico Abreu, 3. Kyle Hirst, 4. Bobby McMahan, 5. Evan Suggs, 6. Brent Kaeding, 7. Peter Murphy, 8. Craig Stidham, 9. Jason Statler, 10. Todd Wanless, 11. Brad Bumgarner, 12. Chad Compton, 13. Jonathan Allard, 14. Doug Gandy, 15. Geoffrey Strole, 16. Richard Brace Jr., 17. Pat Harvey, 18. Cory Eliason, 19. Bud Walberg, 20. Tanner Swanson, 21. Shane Golobic, 22. Sean McMahan

Opening a new season always brings anticipation to the forefront & that is certainly the case for this Saturday night at the Antioch Speedway. With that on the horizon “KWS Tonight” will present a sit down interview with Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst this evening, along with a preview of the weekend ahead.

The 25-year-old is set to contend for the King of the West 410 Series title this season as driver of the Roth Enterprises No. 83jr Sprint Car. It also marks his first attempt at a title with the series since way back in 2005 when he was driving the Hirst family owned No. 1k mount.

Kyle's father Rick Hirst was the 1986 Northern Auto Racing Club Champion in the famed Duwayne Starr No. 18 machine. This year the younger Hirst will look to follow in his fathers footsteps as a King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series Champion and it all starts on Saturday night at the Antioch Speedway.

During the interview we discuss the excitement he has for the year ahead & also talk about his career in general. The driver known as ‘pickles’ captured nine main event wins last season, while driving for a number of different car owners, including a KWS triumph in June at Antioch and the final night of the Trophy Cup in October for Roth Motorsports.

To view “KWS Tonight” log onto http://www.kwssprints.com starting at 7pm on Thursday April 18. The show will then replay on the homepage to watch at your leisurely pleasure over the next week and will be archived on our You Tube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints

This Saturday April 20 the front grandstand gate of the Antioch Speedway will open at 5pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 6pm, with qualifying at 6:30pm and racing anticipated to start around 7pm. Tickets will 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.

The pre-race King of the West autograph session at 5pm when the gates open will include Antioch Speedway winners last season, Kyle Hirst & Craig Stidham, along with recent World of Outlaws winner Shane Golobic. Be sure and get there early to meet the trio and get an autograph.

Be sure to like us on the KWS Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and become a member of our Twitter community at https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing You can also follow us on Instagram by searching “kwssprints”

Strong field set to fire off the 2013 King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series season at Antioch Speedway this Saturday night April 20

By Gary Thomas

Antioch, CA – April 16, 2013…Three-time & defending King of the West 410 Sprint Car champion Jonathan Allard of Chico, California will lead a stout cast of stars into the Antioch Speedway this Saturday night to finally open the long awaited 2013 racing season for the traveling series.

It will be the first of 28 scheduled events for the KWS 410 Series, marking the biggest season in over 10-years for the tour. As documented the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will also be expanding into several new markets this season with a number of new tracks on tap. All in all it looks to be one of the largest years in recent memory for Winged 410 Sprint Car racing on the West Coast.

Allard last season became just the second driver to earn three Golden State/ King of the West 410 titles since the Golden State Series was founded in 1986. The veteran wheel-man claimed four victories during the season, including his all-time leading fifth “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” at Silver Dollar Speedway and for the very first time in his career the “Howard Kaeding Classic” in Watsonville. This season Allard enters his ninth season of competition aboard the Williams Motorsports No. 0 sprinter.

“It was a great accomplishment for our whole team to win the King of the West title last year,” said Allard. “I can’t thank Morrie & Katie Williams and all my guys enough. I also have to thank Dan Simpson and the King of the West Series because we have a great organization and it’s the best thing going out here. Seeing all these great fans each week is what makes it so much fun for all of us and we’ll look forward to seeing everyone once again during the year.”

National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding made a popular return to victory lane last year and will look to do it once again on April 20 in Antioch. The Campbell, California legend and 13-time series champion ended last season third in the King of the West standings on the strength of 13 top-ten’s in 17 starts aboard his famed Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 machine. “BK” routinely runs strong at the Antioch Speedway and has four wins at the facility since 410 Sprint Car racing returned there in 2003.

Former King of the West champion Jason Statler of Grass Valley is a past winner at the Antioch Speedway and will be another driver looking for a fast start in 2013. The “Big Guy” came oh so close to another top-five finish in the points last season, missing out on it by just four-scant markers. Along the way Statler earned six top-five finishes, including a pair of runner up efforts, with one of those coming at Antioch Speedway in July behind the wheel of his DF Rios Motorsports No. 00 sprinter.

Recent World of Outlaws winner at the Antioch Speedway, Shane Golobic of Fremont will bring his Joe VonSchriltz Racing No. 121 machine back to the track looking for another victory. Golobic picked up the biggest win of his career on April 5 at Antioch when he topped a talented field of STP World of Outlaws Sprint Cars. The 21-year-old also battled for the lead last June in Antioch with KWS until an incident in lapped traffic took away his shot at victory.

Australian native and current Clovis, California resident Peter Murphy made his return to the King of the West Sprint Car Series last season and brought home a fourth place finish in the standings. It had been over six-years since the fan favorite had competed full time in Winged 410 Sprint Car racing and was a welcomed addition back to the tour driving the Dalton’s Landscaping mount. Over the winter Murphy also claimed the New Zealand Sprint Car title while aboard the very same Dalton’s sprinter.

One of the most the consistent drivers last season at the Antioch Speedway was Elk Grove, California veteran Bobby McMahan, who rounded out the top-five in points last season with the King of the West Sprint Car Series. The former NARC Speedweek champ scored a trio of top-five finishes in the three Antioch events last year, including a podium effort in July aboard his American Tool & MFG No. 25 machine. McMahan has been knocking on the door of victory lane the last couple years and will look to kick off the season on the front stretch in Antioch.

Among the other title contenders this season is Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst, who takes over the seat of the Roth Enterprises No. 83jr Sprint Car. The 25-year-old last year drove the Roth Motorsports mount to a King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series victory on June 23 in Antioch and also captured the 50-lap Saturday finale at the prestigious Trophy Cup in Tulare. Hirst finished among the top-five in eight races last season, the third most of any driver all year long with the King of the West Series.

Sacramento’s Willie Croft will look to have a breakout season driving for famed car owner Clyde Lamar with the King of the West Sprint Car Series. “Double Down” last year finished seventh in the points driving his own No. 29 machine and was tied for the most BR Motorsports Fast Times with three, along with the most Kaeding Performance Heat Race wins with six. Croft is going to be gunning to move his way up the ladder in 2013 aboard the Tri-C Machine Special and it all begins at the Antioch Speedway on Saturday.

The only driver other than Tim Kaeding and Jonathan Allard last season to earn multiple victories during the year with the King of the West Series was St. Helena, California throttle-masher Rico Abreu. The 21-year-old rising star scored big wins last year at the “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” in Tulare and the “Tribute to Gary Patterson” at his home track of Calistoga Speedway. Abreu last season scored a third place finish at the KWS season opener in Antioch and will be searching to move up a couple more spots on Saturday in his Abreu Vineyards No. 24 sprinter.

A strong field of fire breathing 410 Sprint Cars will be on hand Saturday to kick off the season and will also include Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, who has finished second in points the last two years with KWS, Fresno's Craig Stidham, Visalia’s Cory Eliason, Chico’s Kenny Allen & Brad Bumgarner, Fair Oak’s Chad Compton, Australian Todd Wanless, Elk Grove’s Sean McMahan, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey, Auburn’s Richard Brace Jr., Rhode Island native Eli Deshaies, Laton’s Geoffrey Strole, Merced's Mark Barroso and more.

On Saturday April 20 the front grandstand gate of the Antioch Speedway will open at 5pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 6pm, with qualifying at 6:30pm and racing anticipated to start around 7pm. Tickets will 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.

The pre-race King of the West autograph session at 5pm when the gates open will include Antioch Speedway winners last season, Kyle Hirst & Craig Stidham, along with World of Outlaws winner Shane Golobic. Be sure and get there early to meet the trio and get an autograph.

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.

Kyle Hirst & Craig Stidham look to parlay 2012 wins at Antioch Speedway into even more success at King of the West Series opener on April 20

By Gary Thomas

Antioch, CA – April 15, 2013…Two drivers that are certainly looking forward to opening the King of the West Sprint Car Series season at the Antioch Speedway on April 20 have to be Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst and Fresno native Craig Stidham, who both scored big victories with the tour at the one-third mile clay oval last year.

The Antioch Speedway has gained a reputation of always providing excitement and drama when the powerful King of the West 410 Sprint Cars are on hand at the sticky and hooked up speed plant located on the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds. Last season saw three different winners in the three KWS events at the track, with the final two being captured by Kyle Hirst and Craig Stidham.

The victory for Hirst came on June 23 and happened to be during his first ever night driving the Dennis & Teresa Roth owned, Roth Enterprises No. 83jr machine. The 25-year-old charger also began that evening by setting a brand new KWS track record at the Antioch Speedway by touring the one-third mile oval in 11.705 seconds. That night and many other impressive runs have earned Hirst a full time ride with Roth Motorsports this season.

“It was awesome to come out and win with the King of the West Series in Antioch last year during my first night driving for Roth Motorsports,” Hirst commented. “I couldn’t have asked for a better debut to set a new track record and win the main event. We had a lot of success together over the last half of the season and definitely want to continue where we left off and bring home that KWS title this year.”

Hirst showed solid consistency driving for Roth Motorsports last season, including top-five finishes in all of his five starts with the King of the West Series aboard the 83jr mount. During the year overall the talented second generation driver claimed nine wins while competing for a number of different car owners. One of his biggest came during the final night of the Trophy Cup, where he carved his way from 17th to first in the 50-lap feature.

“It was a great feeling to win that main event at the Trophy Cup after starting so far back in the field,” said Hirst, who ended the prestigious event with a third place result in the points, finishing behind only two-time World of Outlaws champ Jason Meyers & multiple-time ASCS National titlist Shane Stewart. “I can’t say enough about Dennis & Teresa Roth for giving me this opportunity to drive for such a great team. It’s been a blast and we’re looking forward to having some fun this season.”

Craig Stidham has been an accomplished racer for a number of years, having claimed championships with the Rebel Cup Winged 360 Sprint Car Series and USAC West Coast 360 Wingless Sprints, along with a victory at the prestigious Trophy Cup in 2001. Last July however, the Fresno veteran knocked another item off his bucket list, when he claimed his first career 410 Sprint Car win with the King of the West Series at the Antioch Speedway.

“It’s hard to put into words what that victory in Antioch last season meant to me and the whole team,” Stidham stated. “I’ve been trying for so long to win a 410 Sprint Car race and to finally do so was just a feeling like no other. I definitely can’t thank Dan Simpson enough for putting on the King of the West Series. It’s like one big family out here and that’s how racing should be.”

Stidham not only captured victory at the Antioch Speedway on July 21, but he also scored a runner up finish to Hirst at the track on June 23 during the second KWS visit to the one-third mile oval. Last season marked his first campaign running full time in a Winged 410 Sprint Car since 2003 and he capped it by finishing ninth in the King of the West standings. With last year under his belt Stidham will look to move his way up the ladder and that all begins in Antioch on April 20.

Another driver that experienced success at the Antioch Speedway last season was former NARC Speedweek champion Bobby McMahan, who finished among the top-five in all three of the KWS events at the track. At season’s end the Elk Grove veteran solidified the fifth spot in the King of the West Sprint Car Series standings and will be another driver gunning to slice his way even further forward in 2013.

“They’ve done a lot of work at Antioch over the last few years and it has become a really racy track once again,” commented McMahan, who has finished in the top-five on four consecutive occasions at Antioch with KWS dating back to 2011. “Both ends of the speedway are different and it kind of throws a challenge at you, but it’s had a top and bottom groove lately so that’s all you can ask for as a driver. We’ll hope to continue our success there on April 20 and can’t wait to get the season started.”

Other drivers set to tackle the Antioch clay include three-time & defending KWS champion Jonathan Allard, 13-time time titlist Brent Kaeding, 2004 champ Jason Statler, along with Evan Suggs, Peter Murphy, Willie Croft, Rico Abreu, Justin Sanders, Shane Golobic, Chad Compton, Cory Eliason, Kenny Allen, Brad Bumgarner, Sean McMahan, Richard Brace Jr., Eli Deshaies, Doug Gandy, Danielle Simpson, Pat Harvey, Geoffrey Strole, Todd Wanless and more.

The pre-race King of the West autograph session at 5pm when the gates open will include Antioch Speedway winners last season, Hirst & Stidham, along with recent World of Outlaws winner Shane Golobic. Be sure and get there early to meet the trio and get an autograph.

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

Season opener at Antioch Speedway

Antioch, California – Saturday April 20

What:

The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will officially kick off the 2013 racing season at John Soares’ always action packed Antioch Speedway on Saturday April 20. The upcoming campaign will mark the third year under the KWS banner and includes 28 races at 12 different tracks in California and Nevada.

The schedule this season is the largest in a number of years for the series, as it comes off a strong 2012 campaign that saw the largest cash point fund in the history of West Coast 410 Sprint Car Racing handed out. The top-14 "Members in Good Standing" took part in a $121,500 cash point fund and car owner champion Roth Motorsports walked away with $20,000.

The Saturday April 20 opener in Antioch will be the first of two season appearances at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds facility, with the other occurring on Saturday July 20. A fully loaded roster of 410 Sprint Cars will hit the exciting one-third mile clay oval to finally kick off the much anticipated campaign.

Reigning KWS champion Jonathan Allard will look to jump start his title defense at the Antioch Speedway opener on April 20. He will however, face strong challenges from a number of other competitors, including KWS track record holder Kyle Hirst, who won at Antioch last June and takes over the seat of the Roth Enterprises 83jr full time in 2013.

Recent World of Outlaws winner at Antioch Speedway, Shane Golobic of Fremont will bring his Von Schriltz Racing No. 121 machine back to the track looking for another victory. Golobic picked up the biggest win of his career this past Friday in Antioch when he bested a stout field of WOO STP Sprint Cars to claim a non-stop feature.

Sacramento’s Willie Croft will be at the helm of the famed Clyde Lamar owned Tri-C Machine No. 3c sprinter, as he guns for his first King of the West Series championship. Other drivers looking to make a splash at the season opener will include Evan Suggs, Brent Kaeding, Peter Murphy, Rico Abreu, Bobby McMahan, Jason Statler, Craig Stidham, Cory Eliason, Chad Compton, Kenny Allen and many more.

When:

On Saturday April 20 the front grandstand gate of the Antioch Speedway will open at 5pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 6pm, with qualifying at 6:30pm and racing anticipated to start around 7pm. An early arrival is suggested as the Antioch Speedway routinely has a packed house of fans in attendance.

Where:

The 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:

Tickets will be available the day of the race with adults being just $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.

On the Internet:

King of the West Sprint Car Series-

Antioch Speedway-

Official Website- http://www.antiochspeedway.com Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Antioch-Speedway

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 clay oval. This past June saw the KWS 410 track record fall when Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst blistered the speedway in 11.705 seconds aboard the Roth Motorsports No. 83jr sprinter.

Past winners of Golden State/King of the West events at Antioch Speedway since 410 racing returned to the facility in 2003:

2012- Tim Kaeding in April, Kyle Hirst in June & Craig Stidham in July

2011- Jonathan Allard in April and Tim Kaeding in July

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 King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series:

Chico’s Jonathan Allard claimed four victories en route to his third career King of the West Sprint Car Series title last year. The three-time Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup champion picked up a pair of wins at his home track of Silver Dollar Speedway along the way, including the fifth Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial triumph of his career.

San Jose wheel man Tim Kaeding and Sacramento driver Kyle Hirst combined forces to bring home the owner championship for Roth Motorsports at seasons’ end. It marked the second consecutive owner title for the Fresno based team that is owned by Dennis & Teresa Roth.

The top-five in the final driver standings for 2012 was rounded out by Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, who finished runner up for the second straight year, 13-time champion & Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding of Campbell, fan favorite Peter Murphy from Clovis and 1996 NARC Speedweek titlist Bobby McMahan of Elk Grove.

Main event winners in 2012 (number of wins in parentheses):

Tim Kaeding (6), Jonathan Allard (4), Rico Abreu (2), Kyle Hirst (1), Brent Kaeding (1), Kyle Larson (1), Craig Stidham (1), Bud Kaeding (1)

Final top-10 in driver standings for 2012:

1. Jonathan Allard; 2. Evan Suggs; 3. Brent Kaeding; 4. Peter Murphy; 5. Bobby McMahan; 6. Jason Statler; 7. Willie Croft; 8. Andy Gregg; 9. Craig Stidham; 10. Tim Kaeding

Upcoming King of the West events:

After opening the season in Antioch, the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will then head for the Placerville Speedway on Saturday April 27. The high-banked quarter-mile bullring with its distinctive red clay is always a favorite among fans for its close action and high speeds. Placerville Speedway is located on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville and more info can be found at http://www.placervillespeedway.com

On Saturday May 4 the King of the West 410 warriors will invade Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico for the 23rd annual “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” race. The prestigious event will mark the lone show at Silver Dollar this season for KWS and is expected to be a huge night as always, which will be capped with a 40-lap main event.

The second part of our interview with National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding airs tonight starting at 7pm pst on www.kwssprints.com & takes a look at the business side, as well as the personal side of the Campbell, California veteran.

Brent talks about the devastating fire that occurred at Kaeding Performance in 2005 and how they were able to recover from it with the help of numerous individuals.

Along with that we discuss the upcoming KWS season with Brent & what his thoughts are on the health of 410 Sprint Car Racing out West. We also talk about the drivers that have come through the BK Racing stable including Kyle Larson, Rico Abreu and now young Dominic Scelzi.

Throughout the show we include various highlights from Grove Hill of Quality Race Video that will bring back some memories for long time fans and introduce new fans to just a few of the accomplishments that BK has garnered in his career.

We hope everyone will tune in as we try & bring a side of Kaeding to you that many may not always see. Once again tune into www.kwssprints.com starting at 7pm pst this evening to catch part two with the living legend Brent Kaeding.

When it comes to famous Sprint Car drivers from the West Coast there have been few more notable over the last 30-years than Campbell, California’s Brent Kaeding. The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Member in his career has captured 13 Northern Auto Racing Club titles & 13 (Golden State) King of the West 410 Series championships, among countless other accolades he has gathered.

The living legend sat down with “KWS Tonight” recently and discussed his storied career that began in 1978 at the Santa Maria Speedway. Our interview with Kaeding will be a two-part series with the first being shown this Thursday night starting at 7pm on http://www.kwssprints.com

On the show this week “BK” talks about growing up around the track watching his father Howard race and some of the early parts of his career, which included his first Northern Auto Racing Club title in 1982 and his triumph in the prestigious “Turkey Night Grand Prix” at Ascot Raceway in 1985.

We also talk to Kaeding about some of the special people in his life and career that include among others, past car owners Bob Miller & Al Peterson, along with long time crew chief Billy Albini. Throughout the show we’ll also share some vintage Quality Race Video highlights from a few of Kaeding’s wins at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico.

“BK” is the all-time leader in wins at the famed quarter-mile bullring with 88 victories at SDS in his career. One of the highlights during the show happens to be the 1991 "Mini Gold Cup" at Silver Dollar Speedway, where Kaeding charged to the front on a rough and treacherous surface to beat the World of Outlaws.

To view “KWS Tonight” log onto http://www.kwssprints.com starting at 7pm on Thursday March 28. It will then replay on the homepage to watch at your leisurely pleasure over the couple weeks and will be archived on our You Tube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints

Be sure to like us on the KWS Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and become a member of our Twitter community at https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing

The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will open the 2013 season on Saturday April 20 at the Antioch Speedway located on the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds in Antioch, California.

Grand Sierra Resort & Casino in Reno, Nevada hosts Christopher Lindor during recent Big Al Kids & Motorsports Foundation trip

Reno, Nevada – March 25, 2013…When it comes to inspiring stories six-year-old race fan and Washington native Christopher Lindor, who has Spina Bifida, is certainly one of them. Christopher & his family recently had the opportunity to take part in a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada with the Big Al Kids & Motorsports Foundation for the World of Outlaws/ NASCAR weekend.

From a recent Shawn Miller Press Release: "Christopher’s spinal cord didn't close all the way when he was in the womb," said his mother, Amy. "He is on a ventilator to breathe. Many of his problems he had because of his birth defect were problems with his brain stem, so he can't swallow or breathe very well on his own. But his intelligence is completely unaffected. He's as sharp as a little tack."

To say that Christopher is a racing fan is about as obvious of a statement as the sun is bright. There are countless stories of his knowledge and passion toward the sport, including last year when he cried "hysterically" throughout an entire church service because the Daytona 500 was in a rain delay.

Not only does he know who NASCAR star Tony Stewart is, Christopher can name his two World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series drivers. His favorite sprint car driver is five-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz - one of the stars of the Tony Stewart Racing stable.”

While on way to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the Big Al Kids & Motorsports Foundation in early March, young Christopher & his family stopped in and were hosted by the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. King of the West Sprint Car Series Managing Director Dan Simpson also had the series’ show car placed inside the hotel with Christopher’s name on the car to surprise the group upon arrival.

“We definitely want to thank everyone at the Grand Sierra Resort for being gracious hosts to Christopher Lindor & his family during their recent stay at the hotel,” Simpson commented. “Christopher and his family are a great group of people and we certainly hope he had the trip of a lifetime with the Big Al Kids & Motorsports Foundation to Las Vegas. We had a great time meeting them all and were happy to host them.”

The mission of the Big Al Kids & Motorsports Foundation is to provide Motorsports trips and racing opportunities for Kids battling life threatening conditions and illnesses. The man behind the foundation is 38-year-old Al Tschider, a Washington native known as “Big Al.”

“I want to give a big thanks to the Grand Sierra Resort, Dan Simpson and the King of the West Series for playing host to Christopher and his family in Reno,” Big Al said. “The Lindor’s had a great trip all around and it was awesome to see all the support we received for the Big Al Kids & Motorsports Foundation trip. It shows there are some really great people in the world and everyone during the trip was so nice it made for an amazing time.”

Information on the Big Al Kids & Motorsports Foundation and photos of the trip can be viewed at http://bigalkidsandmotorsportsfoundation.org/

The Grand Sierra Resort and Casino is located in the heart of Reno/Tahoe USA. Guests have access to over 40 championship golf courses, 18 legendary ski resorts, hiking, biking and equestrian trails, fishing, boating and guided tours to Tahoe, Carson and Virginia City. GSR is northern Nevada's largest resort destination with 1,990 guest rooms, 850 of them luxury suites.

The property offers a wide variety of accommodations for the everyday business traveler to the complete family vacation with amenities that include 200,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, branded retail shopping, headliner entertainment, a movie theater, a 50-lane championship bowling center, outdoor thrill rides, aqua golf driving range, the largest casino north of Las Vegas, plus much more.

To learn more about the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino and to book a stay there visit http://www.grandsierraresort.com/

Summit Racing Equipment of Sparks forms partnership with Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway & King of the West Sprint Car Series

By Gary Thomas

Sparks, Nevada – March 18, 2013…The Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway & King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series are pleased to announce a partnership with Summit Racing Equipment of Sparks, Nevada for the upcoming 2013 racing season.

For over 40 years, Summit Racing Equipment has set and reset the standard for fast shipping, customer service, and tech expertise. Since the beginning, they’ve followed a simple formula: Give customers the parts they want at a fair price, deliver those parts fast, and back them with the best customer service on the planet.

As an active member in the Specialty Equipment Market Association, National Hot Rod Association, International Hot Rod Association, and National Street Rod Association, Summit Racing Equipment is the leader in the high performance automotive industry.

Take a look at the history page on the Summit Racing website http://www.summitracing.com/customerservice/about/history to see how a small side business turned into the largest mail order, retail, and Internet supplier of high performance automotive parts and accessories.

“We are really looking forward to the fast approaching season at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway and with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series,” commented RTF Promoter & KWS Managing Director Dan Simpson. “Having a great company like Summit Racing Equipment come on board is a very good thing for us and we’re excited for the partnership.”

Summit Racing Equipment in Sparks, Nevada is located at 960 E Glendale Ave, Sparks, NV 89431 and they can be contacted via phone at (775) 352-8787. Also visit them online at http://www.summitracing.com/

The 2013 season for the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway will kick off with a play day on Saturday April 6, before the actual racing campaign begins on Saturday April 13, with the first of 10 point races for the Fernley 95a Series. Divisions set to tackle the three-eighths mile oval on opening night will include IMCA Modifieds, Sports Mods, Pro Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Dwarf Cars, Outlaw Karts, Mod Minis & KWS Lites.

The 2013 racing season for the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will get underway on Saturday April 20. Three-time & defending series champion Jonathan Allard will look to open the season in a big way, but will face a strong field of challengers at the always action packed one-third mile clay oval.

Among the drivers looking to take over the top spot from Allard this season is Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst, who assumes the seat of the Dennis & Teresa Roth owned Roth Enterprises No. 83jr sprint car. Hirst last year drove the Roth Motorsports mount to a King of the West victory on June 23 and also claimed the 50-lap finale at the prestigious Trophy Cup.

Just a few of the other title contenders are sure to include Sacramento’s Willie Croft, who is behind the wheel of the Clyde Lamar owned 3c machine this year, 13-time champion Brent Kaeding, former titlist Jason Statler, New Zealand Sprint Car Champion Peter Murphy, past Silver Dollar Speedway 410 champion Bobby McMahan, former Trophy Cup titlist Craig Stidham and more.

More drivers set to open the season April 20 will include two-time KWS champ Tim Kaeding of San Jose, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, St. Helena’s Rico Abreu, Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Prunedale’s Justin Sanders, Visalia’s Cory Eliason, Fair Oak’s Chad Compton, Chico’s Brad Bumgarner & Kenny Allen, Auburn’s Richard Brace Jr., Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Laton’s Geoffrey Strole, Rhode Island transplant Eli Deshaies, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey and others.

Information on the fire breathing King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series can be found online at http://www.kwssprints.com and by tuning in to “KWS Tonight” every Thursday evening throughout the season on the homepage of the website.

K&N Filters joins on as contingency partner with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series in 2013

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – March 14, 2013…The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series is happy to welcome Riverside, California based K&N Filters to its growing list of contingency partners for the upcoming 2013 racing season that kicks off Saturday April 20 at the Antioch Speedway.

At each of the 28-nights of competition for the King of the West Sprint Car Series this year, K&N Filters will award the main event winner with a $100 certificate and the runner up with a $50 certificate. K&N will also support the season ending championship awards banquet with other giveaways as well.

“A lot of engine builders in the industry stand by K&N Filters and I know that for my racing endeavors I certainly do too,” said three-time USAC Silver Crown champion & last year’s KWS Pombo/Sargent Classic winner Bud Kaeding. “K&N makes the best oil and air filters on the market and I’ve been proud to be associated with them for many years now.”

K&N Engineering in Riverside, California is the world's leading manufacturer of washable performance air filters and air intake systems. K&N invented the reusable high flow cotton air filter in 1969 and has been perfecting the technology ever since. K&N is a world class filtration company selling air filters, oil filters, and intake systems worldwide.

K&N sells over 5,000 products designed for cars, trucks, motorcycles, engines, and industrial applications. From their Million Mile Warranty to their Consumer Protection Pledge, K&N stands behind their products and their consumers 100%. The distinctive K&N logo represents performance from one of the original performance companies. For more information, visit http://www.knfilters.com

Three-time King of the West 410 Sprint Car champion Jonathan Allard and his Williams Motorsports team are also associated with K&N Filters and had this to say: “K&N Filters provide us with the components that we need to win races. My Crew Chief Ashley Smith busts his tail in the shop during the week using K&N products to get our car ready to go compete and have the opportunity to win races and championships.”

To be eligible for the K&N Filters contingency awards with the King of the West Sprint Car Series, competitors must display the K&N Filters decal on their car. The K&N decals will be provided each night at the KWS command center.

The 2013 racing season for the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will get underway on Saturday April 20 at the Antioch Speedway in Antioch, California. Three-time & defending series champion Jonathan Allard will look to open the season in a big way, but will face a strong field of challengers at the always action packed one-third mile clay oval.

Among the drivers looking to take over the top spot from Allard this season is Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst, who assumes the seat of the Dennis & Teresa Roth owned Roth Enterprises No. 83jr sprint car. Hirst last year drove the Roth Motorsports mount to a King of the West victory in Antioch and also claimed the 50-lap finale at the prestigious Trophy Cup in Tulare.

More drivers set to take on the Antioch Speedway April 20 will include two-time KWS champ Tim Kaeding of San Jose, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, St. Helena’s Rico Abreu, Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Prunedale’s Justin Sanders, Visalia’s Cory Eliason, Fair Oak’s Chad Compton, Chico’s Brad Bumgarner & Kenny Allen, Auburn’s Richard Brace Jr., Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Laton’s Geoffrey Strole, Rhode Island transplant Eli Deshaies, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey and others.

Be sure to like us on the KWS Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and become a member of our Twitter community at https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing along with subscribing to us on You Tube by checking out http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints?feature=mhee

“KWS Tonight” returns on Thursday evening & will feature an interview with veteran sprint car driver Mike Monahan at his business Superior Hydraulics in Sparks, Nevada. Monahan returned to action last season after a work related injury kept him out of the seat for a couple months. We will talk to him about his long career in racing & learn a little about what he does for a living at Superior Hydraulics.

We will also show a tour of Gilson’s Autobody in the Reno-Sparks area, which won the Mercedes-Benz body shop of the year award in 2011. We spoke with Gilbert of Gilson’s Autobody and learned about the type of business they do and the kinds of high performance cars that come into the shop. To view the show simply log onto www.kwssprints.com starting at 7pm Thursday night.

In two weeks time we will present the first of a two part series with legendary sprint car driver & Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding discussing his storied career. Past “BK” highlights from Grove Hill will also be featured to make for a solid two-part episode that should bring back some memories for long time fans & give a little insight to the life & career of Kaeding to new fans. Remember to stay glued to our Facebook, Twitter & website to keep up with any late breaking news on the upcoming 2013 season.

Past King of the West 410 champs run strong at “Sin City Showdown” in Las Vegas with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – March 8, 2013…For the second consecutive year San Jose, California’s Tim Kaeding put on a strong display of driving & parked the Dennis & Teresa Roth owned Roth Enterprises No. 83 in victory lane at the Dirt Track at Las Vegas during the “Sin City Showdown” with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series.

The two-time King of the West 410 Series champion lined up third in the feature and made a bold move on the start to slide under both Joey Saldana and Donny Schatz to claim the lead. Schatz, the five-time & defending WOO champ, would take the lead on lap-14, but Kaeding returned the favor with 21 laps complete and that was all she wrote for the “TK Express” as he went on to accept the checkered flag. It capped a successful two-night’s for Kaeding, who also finished fourth on the prelim night at Las Vegas.

"I think a couple of years ago I lost all my luck at the casinos and it's paying me back out here at the race track," TK said. "We had a great race car all night long and we did what we had to do and that was run up front and steal the win from everybody."

Kaeding last year drove the Roth Motorsports sprinter to four victories with the World of Outlaws and also captured six King of the West wins throughout the course of the season to help Dennis & Teresa Roth earn their second straight KWS car owner championship.

Along with Kaeding, 2010 King of the West 410 titlist Kyle Larson sat aboard the Morrie & Katie Williams owned Williams Motorsports No. 0 mount and earned the KSE Hard Charger Award in the main event on Thursday. The Elk Grove, California native started 15th in the feature and carved his way through the field to cross the stripe in fifth after 30-laps of competition. Larson also scored a third place finish during the prelim night after battling Schatz for the lead over the final laps. Normal Williams Motorsports pilot Jonathan Allard, the defending King of the West champ returns home from New Zealand this coming week in time for the two-night double header at Thunderbowl Raceway next Friday & Saturday.

The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series would like to congratulate both teams on their success in “Sin City” and representing the Golden State extremely well!

The 2013 racing season for the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will get underway on Saturday April 20 at the Antioch Speedway in Antioch, California. Three-time & defending series champion Jonathan Allard will look to open the season on the right note, but will face a strong field of challengers at the always action packed one-third mile clay oval.

Among the drivers looking to take over the top spot from Allard this season is Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst, who assumes the seat of the Dennis & Teresa Roth owned Roth Enterprises No. 83jr sprint car. Hirst last year drove the Roth Motorsports mount to a King of the West victory in Antioch and also claimed the 50-lap finale at the prestigious Trophy Cup in Tulare.

Just a few of the other title contenders are sure to include Sacramento’s Willie Croft, who is behind the wheel of the Clyde Lamar owned 3c machine this year, 13-time champion Brent Kaeding, former titlist Jason Statler, Clovis fan favorite Peter Murphy, past Silver Dollar Speedway 410 champ Bobby McMahan, former Trophy Cup titlist Craig Stidham and more.

Information on the traveling King of the West Sprint Car Series can be found online at http://www.kwssprints.com and by tuning in to “KWS Tonight” every Thursday evening throughout the season on the homepage of the website.

Be sure to like us on the KWS Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and become a member of our Twitter community at https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing along with subscribing to us on You Tube by checking out http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints?feature=mhee

BR Motorsports & King Racing Products partner with King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series once again to present Fast Time & “Show Maker Award”

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – March 6, 2013…Visalia, California based companies BR Motorsports and King Racing Products are pleased to announce that they will continue their partnership with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series by presenting the Fast Time Award and the Show Maker Award once again.

Qualifying is always critical part of the program each night and BR Motorsports will award the driver that sets fast time at every King of the West Sprint Car Series event with a $100 product certificate. Last season parody reigned supreme in qualifying, as 12 different drivers set a “BR Motorsports Fast Time” out of the 17 races that were held.

The “Show Maker Award” will be given to the driver that earns the final transfer spot into the A-main event from the Last Chance Qualifier. King Racing Products will award that driver with a $100 product certificate. If no LCQ is run during a particular night then the award will go to the last place finisher in the A-main.

“We’re excited to have Blake Robertson and BR Motorsports, along with King Racing Products back with the King of the West Sprint Car Series this season,” said KWS Operations Manager George Hague. “It’s always nice to have great companies like BR Motorsports & King Racing support 410 Sprint Cars in California and it’s another key piece of our overall contingency program for the 2013 year.”

To be eligible for the “BR Motorsports Fast Time Award” and “King Racing Products Show Maker Award” teams must display each company’s decal respectively on both sides of the top wing at King of the West Series events. The decals will be provided each night at the KWS command center.

BR Motorsports was established in 1993 and has become the world’s leader in sprint car technology. They are the world’s largest supplier of sprint car & midget parts. It doesn’t matter if it’s just a nut & bolt or a complete car BR Motorsports has what you need. To receive your free copy of the BR Motorsports super parts catalog call today 1-800-328-3333.

King Racing Products is located in Visalia, California. In 2006 King Racing Products stormed into the sprint car world leading the way to the future of sprint car & midget parts. The purpose for King Racing Products being started was to build the best product out of the finest American materials. Racers depend on quality and durability and that is what King Racing Products is all about. From axels to steering arms and leak down testers to front hubs King Racing Products has what you need.

The 2013 racing season for the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will get underway on Saturday April 20 at the Antioch Speedway in Antioch, California. Three-time & defending series champion Jonathan Allard will look to open the season on the right note, but will face a strong field of challengers at the always action packed one-third mile clay oval.

Among the drivers looking to take over the top spot from Allard this season is Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst, who assumes the seat of the Dennis & Teresa Roth owned Roth Enterprises No. 83jr sprint car. Hirst last year drove the Roth Motorsports mount to a King of the West victory in Antioch and also claimed the 50-lap finale at the prestigious Trophy Cup in Tulare.

Just a few of the other title contenders are sure to include Sacramento’s Willie Croft, who is behind the wheel of the Clyde Lamar owned 3c machine this year, 13-time champion Brent Kaeding, former titlist Jason Statler, Clovis fan favorite Peter Murphy, past Silver Dollar Speedway 410 champ Bobby McMahan, former Trophy Cup titlist Craig Stidham and more.

Be sure to like us on the KWS Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and become a member of our Twitter community at https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing along with subscribing to us on You Tube by checking out http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints?feature=mhee

King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series announces tow money & hotel package for Northern Nevada events

By Gary Thomas

Fernley, Nevada – March 5, 2013…The anticipation continues to mount for the upcoming 2013 King of the West Sprint Car Series season and the already lucrative events in Northern Nevada just got even that much better, with the announcement of a tow money & hotel package for the seven KWS 410 weekends in the Silver State.

As previously announced the amount of money on the line for teams this year with the King of the West Series during the Northern Nevada dates will be inflated as well, with each event at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway & Rattlesnake Raceway paying $3,500 to win the A-main and a very stout $1,000-to-start each night. All teams are eligible for the beefed up nightly purses in Nevada.

For King of the West Sprint Car Series teams that compete on a full time basis in 2013, there is also an extra incentive for the Northern Nevada events, with tow money and complimentary hotel rooms being offered.

To be eligible for the extra benefits a team must be in the top-25 of points & also be a “Member in Good Standing,” which specifies you can’t miss more than two races at any point during the season. The “Member in Good Standing” system has been used for the end of the season point fund payout the last two years and will once again be used in 2013.

At each of the seven Northern Nevada weekends for the King of the West Series this year, the top-25 “Members in Good Standing” will receive a complimentary hotel room on Friday & Saturday night.

In addition to the free hotel rooms, tow money will also be handed out for the top-25 “Members in Good Standing” during the Nevada weekends. A team will earn $100 if they attend the race on Friday night & another $100 for Saturday to make for a total of $200 a weekend.

“The community support has been just phenomenal up here in Northern Nevada and we’re excited to get the season started,” said KWS Managing Director & RTF Speedway Promoter Dan Simpson. “Many of our events in Nevada are held in conjunction with major festivals & that will give all our great supporters something fun to do when they visit Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway and Rattlesnake Raceway.”

The first weekend of competition in Northern Nevada for the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series is slated for May 17 & 18 at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway in Fernley. The double-header outing will mark round’s five and six in the battle for the KWS crown in 2013. The series is set to compete on five weekend’s at the RTF Speedway, along with a pair at the Rattlesnake Raceway in Fallon.

The two-night weekends in Nevada for the King of the West Sprint Car Series are evenly spread throughout the season and in addition to the May 17 & 18 event at RTF others include June 7 & 8 at Rattlesnake, July 5 & 6 at RTF, August 9 & 10 at RTF, August 31 & September 1 at Rattlesnake, September 13 & 14 at RTF and KWS championship weekend on October 25 & 26 at RTF.

The 2013 season for the King of the West Sprint Car Series will officially kick off on Saturday April 20 at the Antioch Speedway in Antioch, California.

More information on the traveling King of the West Sprint Car Series can be found online at http://www.kwssprints.com and by tuning-in to “KWS Tonight” every Thursday evening throughout the season on the homepage of the website.

Be sure to like us on the KWS Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and become a member of our Twitter community at https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing along with subscribing to us on You Tube by checking out http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints?feature=mhee

Pit Stop USA continues support of the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series Hard Charger Award in 2013

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – February 28, 2013…The thrill of watching drivers charge through the field is one of the most intense aspects of sprint car racing and in 2013 King of the West Sprint Car Series competitors will have more incentive to do so once again, with the announcement of the PitStopUSA.com Hard Charger Award returning to the tour this season.

Overall the King of the West Sprint Car Series schedule features 28-events at 12 different tracks and Pit Stop USA will award the hard charger each night with a $200 product certificate. The award has been a very popular one among teams that compete with KWS and we’re happy to have the support of Pit Stop USA once again.

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 2013 is looking to be another great year for the Petaluma, California based company.

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.

“We are very excited to partner with the King of the West Sprint Car Series again this year as a sponsor of the Pit Stop USA Hard Charger Award,” said Pit Stop USA President Ed Coughenour. “Dan Simpson and his staff have done a great job with the series and they’ve done an outstanding job the last two years promoting Pit Stop USA to the competitors and fans. We are especially looking forward to the return of the KWS series to Petaluma Speedway this year with the “Salute to Baylands” event on May 11 and proud to be a part of this great series again in 2013.”

To be eligible for the Pit Stop USA Hard Charger Award with the King of the West Sprint Car Series, competitors must display the Pit Stop USA decal on their car. The decals will be provided each night at the KWS command center.

“Ed Coughenour and the Pit Stop USA staff have been great supporters of KWS over the past couple years and we’re looking forward to working with them again on the Hard Charger Award,” said KWS Operations Manager George Hague. “It really does give the drivers starting further back in the field an extra incentive to get their elbows up and charge to the front. Like Ed we are also excited about returning to the Petaluma Speedway on May 11 for the Salute to Baylands.”

To shop for products at “The Online Motorsports Superstore” please visit http://www.pitstopusa.com and check them out on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pitstopusa?ref=ts&fref=ts

The 2013 racing season for the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will get underway on Saturday April 20 at the Antioch Speedway in Antioch, California. Three-time & defending series champion Jonathan Allard will look to open the season on the right note, but will face a strong field of challengers at the always action packed one-third mile clay oval.

Among the drivers looking to take over the top spot from Allard this season is Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst, who assumes the seat of the Dennis & Teresa Roth owned Roth Enterprises No. 83jr sprint car. Hirst last year drove the Roth Motorsports mount to a King of the West victory in Antioch and also claimed the 50-lap finale at the prestigious Trophy Cup in Tulare.

Be sure to like us on the KWS Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and become a member of our Twitter community at https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing along with subscribing to us on You Tube by checking out http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints?feature=mhee

Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial lap money on sale for Saturday May 4 King of the West event at Silver Dollar Speedway

By Gary Thomas

Sacramento, CA – February 26, 2013...The 23rd annual King of the West Sprint Car Series sanctioned “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” at Silver Dollar Speedway is coming up on Saturday May 4 and to get a head start on things lap money is on sale for the prestigious event.

If anyone would like to purchase a lap please contact Dave and Dianne Durica at Durica1414@sbcglobal.net or 916-988-5958.

All of the money goes back to the racers as always 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 receives $50, 2nd place $30 and 3rd place $20.

In addition to lap money if anyone has anything they would like to donate for the event don’t hesitate to contact Dave and Dianne to give them the details. In the past there has been money and awards on the line for fast time, hard charger, heat races and lots more.

The “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” is one of the cornerstone events on the King of the West Sprint Car Series schedule and will be the third round of action in the fight for the title this season. The May 4 extravaganza also marks the lone appearance in 2013 for the series at Silver Dollar Speedway and will feature a large car count as we pay respect to fallen driver Dave Bradway Jr.

Last season’s edition of the event saw history be made when Chico, California native and eventual King of the West Series champion Jonathan Allard became the first driver to win the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” on five occasions. With lap money & more added in Allard walked home with over $6,000 for the night. The stout top-five was rounded out by Sean Becker, Tim Kaeding, Shane Stewart & Roger Crockett.

For more info on the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series visit http://www.kwssprints.com and for more on Silver Dollar Speedway log onto http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com

Be sure to like us on the KWS Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and become a member of our Twitter community at https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing along with subscribing to us on You Tube by checking out http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints?feature=mhee

Auto Meter Products Inc. returns as contingency partner with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series in 2013

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – February 18, 2013…The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series is pleased to announce that Sycamore, Illinois based Auto Meter Products Inc. will return as a contingency partner for the 2013 racing season.

Since 1957 Auto Meter has been driven to provide performance enthusiasts with the information they need to win, revolutionizing the way that racers and vehicle builders think about instrumentation and vehicle electronics for more than 50 years.

During each of the 28 KWS events this season Auto Meter will be awarding a total of $150 in certificates. The breakdown will be $100 for the winner of the A-main and $50 each for the fifth place finisher and 10th place finisher in the feature. An additional $1000 in certificates will be given out at the championship awards banquet.

“It’s great to have the support once again of an industry leader such as Auto Meter involved with the King of the West Sprint Car Series,” said KWS Operations Manager George Hague. “We’re excited about our contingency program once again this year and we will have more announcements coming up documenting the whole program for 2013.”

To be eligible for Auto Meter Products Inc. contingency awards with the King of the West Sprint Car Series, competitors must run the Auto Meter decal on their car. The decals will be provided each night at the KWS command center in the pit area.

For more information on Auto Meter Products Inc. log onto http://autometer.com/ or http://www.facebook.com/AutoMeterProductsInc

The 2013 racing season for the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will get underway on Saturday April 20 at the Antioch Speedway in Antioch, California. Three-time & defending series champion Jonathan Allard looks to open the season in strong fashion, but will face challenges from a number of competitors at the always action packed one-third mile clay oval.

Among the drivers looking to steal the top spot from Allard this season is Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst, who takes over the seat of the Dennis & Teresa Roth owned HR Cattle No. 83jr sprint car. Hirst last year drove the Roth Motorsports mount to a King of the West Series victory in Antioch and also claimed the 50-lap finale at the annual Trophy Cup in Tulare.

Just a few of the other title contenders are sure to include Sacramento’s Willie Croft, who is behind the wheel of the Clyde Lamar owned 3c machine this year, 13-time champion Brent Kaeding, former titlist Jason Statler, Clovis fan favorite Peter Murphy, past Silver Dollar Speedway 410 champ Bobby McMahan, former Trophy Cup titlist Craig Stidham and more.

Be sure to like us on the KWS Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and become a member of our Twitter community at https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing along with subscribing to us on You Tube by checking out http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints?feature=mhee

KWS Lites division to make splash at the Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway during 2013 racing season

By Gary Thomas

Fernley, Nevada – January 22, 2013…The motorsports community in Northern Nevada is eagerly awaiting the 2013 season at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway and the Winged Sprint Car crowd will get even more than expected, with the announcement of the newly formed KWS Lites.

The initial meeting for the class was held in mid-December in Fernley, Nevada and featured nearly 30 people representing 18 teams in attendance. The basic concept behind the Winged KWS Lites division is to help organize the many Economy Sprint Cars in the area that utilize low cost engine packages, such as those seen in Spec Sprints.

“I think it was a very productive first meeting for the KWS Lites division,” said King of the West Operations Manager George Hague. “We are very enthused about having a 12-race series for the Lites and look forward to working with Gary Thomas on helping to promote the division, much like we have with the King of the West 410’s. There will be a championship fund & weekly purse announced in a few weeks, with 10 of the 12 races counting towards the championship.”

Rules packages are currently being finalized for the KWS Lites and another meeting will be held prior to the start of the season. A consistent set of rules will be put together to make things equal for all the competitors involved and to keep costs down. There have been a number of Economy Sprints race throughout Northern Nevada and the idea is to build an organization and tie it all together at RTF Speedway.

“We will continue having meetings to get everyone on board with what we are doing,” commented Simpson. “We’re really excited to get the season started at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway, because it’s going to be a great year. We also look forward to working with the Ruby Mountain Winged Sprints in the 2013 year as well, which is really going to help build up an economic sprint car class for people to get into.”

More info on the KWS Lites can be acquired by contacting the KWS Series office at 707-374-2222 and will also be on our RTF Speedway website that is under construction at http://www.rtfspeedway.com

…………

KWS Lites 2013 Schedule of Events at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway & Rattlesnake Raceway

Saturday April 6 (Playday)

Saturday April 13

Saturday May 18

Saturday June 8 (Rattlesnake Raceway in Fallon)

Saturday June 22

Thursday July 4 Friday July 5

Saturday August 10

Saturday August 31 (Rattlesnake Raceway in Fallon)

Saturday September 7

Saturday September 14

Saturday October 5

Saturday October 26

"KWS Tonight" will present a tribute show to Stephen Allard this evening at 7pm, showcasing a handful of his victories from the 2005 & '06 seasons, including his 1st ever Golden State 410 Sprint Car win. We will also discuss lasting memories of Stephen, along with a brief Chili Bowl recap and breakdown some of the major events on the 2013 King of the West schedule.

To view “KWS Tonight” log onto http://www.kwssprints.com starting at 7pm on Thursday December 13. It will then replay on the homepage to watch at your leisurely pleasure over the couple weeks and will be archived on our You Tube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints

The wins we will highlight for Stephen Allard came while driving the Redi-Green Motorsports 1k in 2005 and then the McMillen/Rolfe No. 10 sprint car in '06. All three of his Golden State 410 Series career triumphs will be included in the show. Special thanks to Grove Hill of Quality Race Video for the video highlights.

Don't forget the 2013 King of the West Sprint Car Series schedule is available on our website at www.kwssprints.com so please take a look and get your plans ready. The season will kick off on Saturday April 20 at John Soares' always action packed Antioch Speedway, located on the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds.

Be sure to like us on the KWS Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and become a member of our Twitter community at https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing

King of the West Sprint Car Series announces updates to 2013 schedule including a return engagement to Petaluma Speedway

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – January 15, 2013…Since the original release of the King of the West Sprint Car Series schedule there have been a couple of exciting modifications to detail, highlighted by the Winged 410 Sprint Car return to Petaluma Speedway on Saturday May 11.

The event at Petaluma Speedway will be billed as the “Tribute to Baylands Raceway Park” and marks the first Winged 410 Sprint Car race at the sticky three-eighths mile since 2010. Fans and teams alike have been hoping to see the King of the West Sprint Car Series back on the hooked up Petaluma gumbo and now they have their wish.

From Bobby Gerould’s Baylands Raceway Park page: "Baylands was a hot spot for great sprint car racing during a much too short-lived time in the 1980's. Located in Fremont, CA, in the heart of the thriving Bay Area, Baylands ran weekly winged sprints, as well as special World of Outlaws, CRA, BCRA, Golden State Challenge, and NARC shows. Opening in August, 1981 and racing until November, 1988, Baylands played a vital role in the booming sprint car scene in Northern California.”

To commemorate the evening on May 11 many names and faces from the days gone by at Baylands Raceway Park are expected to be on hand for autographs and interviews. The two most recent Winged 410 events at the Petaluma Speedway in 2010 were captured by reigning KWS champion Jonathan Allard in his familiar Williams Motorsports No. 0 sprinter.

“We are very excited to be back at the Petaluma Speedway in 2013 and want to thank Rick Faeth and John Soares for making it possible,” said KWS Operations Manager & former Baylands Raceway Park Announcer George Hague. “I have a lot of memories of Baylands from my days as an announcer there and we think it will be great to hold an event to relive the history of the track.”

To open up the date for Petaluma the King of the West Sprint Car Series and Merced promoter John Soares have moved the previous date for Merced Speedway to Saturday June 1. The quarter-mile bullring has played host to the World of Outlaws the last couple years, but in 2013 the KWS Series will be the only Winged 410 show at the facility.

Additional updates to the schedule include the annual “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” being added to the Sunday May 26 date at Thunderbowl Raceway. The event is part of a King of the West Series double-header during Memorial Day weekend at the Tulare, California oval on Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26. The “Faria Memorial” has been a mainstay on the schedule for a number of years.

The Saturday September 21 date at Thunderbowl Raceway will also be tabbed as the “John Anthony Sharp Memorial” and features the USAC West Coast Wingless Sprinters running alongside KWS to make for a great combo night of racing. Drivers such as Bud Kaeding and Peter Murphy are sure to pull double duty during the event at the blazing fast one-third mile clay oval.

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

Be sure to like us on the KWS Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and become a member of our Twitter community at https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing along with subscribing to us on You Tube by checking out http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints?feature=mhee

From an earlier release:

The 2013 racing season kicks off on Saturday April 20 with the traditional KWS opener at John Soares’ Antioch Speedway located on the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds. Quickly gaining a reputation as one of the raciest tracks in the West; the one-third mile clay oval will also host the King of the West 410 Sprints on Saturday July 20.

The high-banked quarter-mile bullring of Placerville Speedway will host the King of the West Series on two occasions once again this season. The first of those will be Saturday April 27 and the second is slated for Saturday June 29. The lightning fast track is a favorite among fans for its distinctive red clay and close action. The all-time KWS track record at Placerville is a blistering 9.913 shared by Tim Kaeding & Evan Suggs.

The always exciting Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway will play host to three nights of action in 2013, which will be anchored by a double header outing during Memorial Day weekend on Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26. The King of the West 410’s will then return to the lightning fast one-third mile clay oval for a single night showing on Saturday September 21. The Sunday May 26 event will be the annual “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” and the September 21 race will be tabbed as the “John Anthony Sharp Memorial.”

The famed Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico will hold one King of the West event this season and it happens to be the 23rd annual “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” on Saturday May 4. The event has been a cornerstone for the series and always features extra money and awards packed into the night. Expect a huge show as fans will get to see the KWS Series at SDS one time only in 2013, so don’t miss out on what is sure to be a definite special event on Saturday May 4.

Also hosting single events this season will be the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville on Saturday July 13, the new Stockton 99 Dirt Track on Saturday August 3, a return to the Santa Maria Speedway on Saturday July 27 and the 28th annual “Cotton Classic” at Kings Speedway in Hanford on Saturday October 12.

The event at Ocean Speedway on July 13 is the third annual “Howard Kaeding Classic,” which has become a very big event over the past two years at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds bullring. The “HK Classic” is part of an exciting two night weekend that also features USAC Sprints & Midgets during the Friday portion.

The Santa Maria Speedway visit on July 27 will mark the first KWS appearance at the track since 2011 and the Stockton event on August 3 will be the inaugural appearance for the series at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds track. The prestigious “Cotton Classic” on October 12 will mark the lone 2013 appearance at Hanford’s Kings Speedway and will be a huge event as always, with the USAC West Coast Wingless Sprints also competing that night.

Friday & Saturday May 17 & 18 will be the first of five weekends of competition at the newly refurbished Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway in Fernley, Nevada. During the off-season KWS Managing Director Dan Simpson became promoter of the track known as “Racings Field of Dreams” and is bringing 410 Sprint Car racing back to it for the first time since 2006.

In addition to May 17 & 18 the King of the West 410 Sprints will also invade the three-eighths mile oval on July 5 & 6 for the “Cherry Bomb Classic,” August 9 & 10 (during Hot August Nights in Reno), September 13 & 14 (during the Reno Air Races) and for the KWS season-finale on Friday & Saturday October 25 & 26. Stay tuned for all the exciting plans that are being put in place for RTF Speedway.

Another track located in Northern Nevada that joins the mix in 2013 is Rattlesnake Raceway in Fallon, hosting a pair of events with the first occurring on Friday & Saturday June 7 & 8. The two-night show is part of the town’s annual “Octane Fest” that features drag racing, monster trucks, tuff trucks and more. KWS will then return to Rattlesnake on Saturday & Sunday August 31 & September 1 during the “Cantaloupe Festival” in Fallon.

The amount of money on the line for teams this year with the King of the West Series during the Northern Nevada dates will be inflated as well, with each event at Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway & Rattlesnake Raceway paying $3,500 to win the A-main and a very stout $1,000-to-start. The purses are focused on paying down solidly to make sure all teams in competition have a piece of the pie.

King of the West Sprint Car Series unveils a fully loaded & lucrative schedule of events for 2013 season

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, California – January 6, 2013…The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series office has unveiled a 2013 slate of events that is truly fitting of a “Western King” and encompasses 27-dates at 11 different tracks in California and Nevada.

“The upcoming season is looking to be one of the best in recent memory for 410 Sprint Car racing on the West Coast,” commented KWS Operations Manager George Hague. “We are looking forward to having some new faces join KWS and many familiar ones returning as well. We’re also excited to welcome Hoosier Racing Tires into the King of the West family and building a great relationship with the company.”

Also hosting single events this season will be the Merced Speedway on Saturday May 11, the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville on Saturday July 13, the new Stockton 99 Dirt Track on Saturday August 3, a return to the Santa Maria Speedway on Saturday July 27 and the 28th annual “Cotton Classic” at Kings Speedway in Hanford on Saturday October 12.

The Merced outing on May 11 will be the first KWS event at the track and also marks the lone 410 Sprint Car race for the facility in 2013. The event at Ocean Speedway on July 13 is the third annual “Howard Kaeding Classic,” which has become a very big event over the past two years at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds bullring. The “HK Classic” is part of an exciting two night weekend that also features USAC Sprints & Midgets during the Friday portion.

“The community support has been phenomenal up here in Northern Nevada and we’re excited to bring our style of sprint car racing to the many fans in the area,” said KWS Managing Director Dan Simpson. “The majority of our events in Nevada are held with major festivals & that will give all our great supporters something fun to do when they visit Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway and Rattlesnake Raceway.”

“When you add up our nightly purses, contingencies and point fund we’ll be racing for more money & awards than we have in many years out here,” said Simpson. “Each season we continue to build the KWS brand and look for new things to do with the series. I think we’re in for a very exciting 2013 season and can’t wait to get it started. We’ll have even more to announce in the weeks to come so stay tuned.”

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

Be sure to like us on the KWS Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and become a member of our Twitter community at https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing along with subscribing to us on You Tube by checking out http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints?feature=mhee

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King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series 2013 Schedule

Saturday April 20: Antioch Speedway

Saturday April 27: Placerville Speedway

Saturday May 4: Silver Dollar Speedway (23rd annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial)

Saturday May 11: Merced Speedway

Friday May 17: Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway Saturday May 18: Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway

Saturday May 25: Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway Sunday May 26: Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway

Friday June 7: Rattlesnake Raceway (Octane Fest Fallon, NV) Saturday June 8: Rattlesnake Raceway (Octane Fest Fallon, NV)

Saturday June 29: Placerville Speedway

Friday July 5: Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway (Cherry Bomb Classic) Saturday July 6: Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway (Cherry Bomb Classic)

Saturday July 13: Ocean Speedway (3rd annual Howard Kaeding Classic)

Saturday July 20: Antioch Speedway

Saturday July 27: Santa Maria Speedway

Saturday August 3: Stockton 99 Dirt Track

Friday August 9: Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway Saturday August 10: Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway

Saturday August 31: Rattlesnake Raceway (Fallon Cantaloupe Festival) Sunday September 1: Rattlesnake Raceway (Fallon Cantaloupe Festival)

Friday September 13: Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway (Reno Air Races) Saturday September 14: Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway (Reno Air Races)

Saturday September 21: Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway

Saturday October 12: Kings Speedway (28th annual Cotton Classic)

Friday October 25: Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway (Championship Weekend) Saturday October 26: Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway (Championship Weekend)

We will be joined in the KWS Studio by reigning Rookie of the Year Chad Compton for a sit down interview on "KWS Tonight" presented by Hoosier Racing Tire this week.

This week’s holiday episode of “KWS Tonight” is presented by Hoosier Racing Tire and includes a phone interview with renowned ‘Track Chaser’ Randy Lewis and an in-studio sit down with reigning King of the West Series Rookie of the Year Chad Compton, as well as a sneak peak at the first few races of the 2013 season.

Randy Lewis is known as the “World’s Number One Track Chaser” and has visited 1806 tracks in 62 different countries during his travels. He resides in San Clemente, California and once called Ascot Park in Gardena a home track prior to its closing in the early 1990’s. Lewis set the track chasing record in 2005 by traveling to an amazing 182 new tracks that season.

Last season Fair Oaks, California’s Chad Compton competed in his first season of 410 Sprint Car racing and brought home the King of the West Series Rookie of the Year award. We were joined in the KWS Studio by Compton and discussed his career in racing thus far, as well as his family life and what his goals are for next year. Compton’s family has been in the Super Market business for a number of years with “Compton’s Markets” in Sacramento.

Our special holiday episode will also feature a glimpse at the first three races of the 2013 King of the West Sprint Car Series season. With the schedule having the final touches put on it as we speak, the release date is fast approaching, but prior to that we’ll take a look at races one, two and three on the show this week.

Hoosier Racing Tire has grown to be one of the largest employers in Plymouth, Indiana, and produces over 1000 different types of race tires. The company has its own 300-mph test wheel; a technology center; state-of-the-art, fully-integrated production facilities; and a model sales and distribution network in Lakeville, Indiana, which others seek to emulate.

The pride that exists among those associated with the Hoosier "family" continues to be the focal point of the success that the company has enjoyed over the years. This philosophy has been, and will continue to be, the secret behind Hoosier's success in building, "Tires Designed for Champions." More information on Hoosier Racing Tire can be found at http://www.hoosiertire.com and for more on Hoosier Tire West please visit http://www.hoosiertirewest.com

Be sure to like us on the KWS Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and become a member of our Twitter community at https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing

King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series hands out over $160,000 in cash & awards during the 2012 championship banquet this past Saturday at the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort

By Gary Thomas

Jackson, CA – November 14, 2012…The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series presented its annual championship awards banquet on Saturday November 10 at the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort, where driving champion Jonathan Allard, owner titlist Roth Motorsports and others were honored for their achievements this past season.

During the banquet on Saturday the largest cash point fund in the history of California Sprint Car racing was given out and totaled $121,500 for the top-14 “Members in Good Standing,” who didn’t miss more than two races this season. The championship awards banquet was part of a three day weekend at Jackson Rancheria that featured a fan kickoff party on Friday evening, a car show & model car show on Saturday afternoon and a general business meeting on Sunday morning.

The KWS driving title for Allard was the third of his career with the traveling 410 Sprint Car Series. Although he was unable to attend due to being in New Zealand, car owner Morrie Williams accepted the honor. Allard and Williams walked away with $17,500 from the cash point fund and spoke highly of the teams that compete with KWS and all the people that make it happen.

”This has been such a great year and tough at times, but it sure puts things in perspective,” Allard said in a previously typed speech. “I'm very fortunate to be a part of such a great team. We push so hard to win every time we race and to win championships. I have been given an opportunity to do both, but there is so much more than that with this team. Katie and Morrie Williams have given me the ability to grow as a leader inside the car and out.”

Winning the King of the West Series owner championship for the second year in a row, Roth Motorsports was well represented at the awards banquet on Saturday and took home $20,000 from the cash point fund. One of the biggest rounds of applause during the night came when it was announced that Dennis Roth would be donating out of his championship winnings $5000 to the Northern Auto Racing Club Benevolent Fund and $5000 to the Tyler Wolf Memorial Fund.

Roth Motorsports this past season utilized Tim Kaeding and Kyle Hirst for the 17-race schedule and as a team totaled seven main event victories, along with scoring five BR Motorsports Fast Time Awards. “I really want to thank Tim Kaeding & Kyle Hirst for doing a great job with Roth Motorsports this year,” said Dennis Roth. “I also have to thank our whole team, my wife Teresa and Dan Simpson for giving us a great series to run in California.”

For the first time the teams that ranked 15 through 35 in the standings, who missed the cut for the main point fund, were also honored and brought up on stage. They received plaques in appreciation of their support and took part in a secondary point fund. Those on hand included Cody Lamar, Jeff Griffin, Golobic Motorsports, Richard Brace Jr. and Kenny Allen. Along with Peter Murphy, who was representing Scott Parker & Dean Brindle, and Brent Kaeding who was representing BK Racing & Brian Matherly.

The 2012 King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series Rookie of the Year Chad Compton of Fair Oaks was also honored during the night and received a custom plaque from Tim Grant of Grant’s Fine Art, along with certificates from Auto Meter Products Inc., KSE Racing, Winters Racing, Racing Optics, Pro Shocks and Red Devil Brakes. He also went home with a $200 concert package courtesy Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort. Compton stated that he’s never had more fun in racing than he had this year with KWS.

The KWS Hard Luck Award this year went to Rio Linda’s Cody Lamar, who suffered through various tough luck all season long. Driving the famed Tri-C No. 3c sprint car Lamar made all but five events this year and as a team they missed just four races with the series. For the award Lamar took home a very unique trophy made by Bob Carter, a $250 detail at Carters Detailing in Chico, along with a certificate for Auto Meter Products Inc. and A.R.T. Manufactured Products in Sacramento.

Each of the top-14 teams also received a custom Bob Olson painted die cast replica of their own sprint car, along with a unique steering wheel trophy. Tim Kaeding and Willie Croft earned the fast time award this season by setting the most BR Motorsports Quick Time efforts in 2012. “TK” and “Double Down” each set three fast times this year and were awarded with custom plaques by Grant’s Fine Art that depicted the honor. Williams Motorsports crew chief Ashley Smith received the crew chief of the year award that featured a custom spark plug trophy. Smith also earned a standing ovation from the packed room.

King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series partner Kaeding Performance gathered some great items for this year’s “Royal Court Drawing,” which saw the top-14 teams/drivers that didn’t miss more than two events during the season take part. Those included Roth Motorsports, Williams Motorsports, Evan Suggs, Brent Kaeding, Peter Murphy, Bobby McMahan (Danielle Simpson filled in for Bobby, who couldn’t attend due to work), Jason Statler, Willie Croft, Andy Gregg, Craig Stidham, Chad Compton, Doug Gandy and Pat Harvey. Prizes in the “Royal Court Drawing” totaled to $15,000.

The major items in the drawing included a Maxim Chassis & Body donated by Kaeding Performance that was powder coated by Hot Coats Powder Coating, in addition to a Red Devil Inboard Brake Kit, a Butler Built seat, a Vortex Wing & Ben Cook Racing Products Wing Tree, a Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Cockpit Hose Kit, a set of four Pro Shocks, a set of SCI Racing Products arms and Pittman Arm, a Maxim set of arms, two sets of FK Rod Ends, a KSE Racing Products Steering Pump, a set of Schoenfeld Headers & Mufflers, an Astro Titanium Nut Stud Kit, a MPD 8x3 Wheel Bead Lock and a Kwik Change Econo Bleeder Kit.

More companies taking part in the drawing included fellow year-long KWS partners Auto Meter Products Inc., Winters Racing, Weld Racing, Flowmaster Muffler, Conroy Control and MPD Racing Products.

The “Royal Court Drawing” utilized the envelope draw that is seen during the KWS Dash at each series event, where the drivers/teams could trade one another at their discretion. Everyone had some fun with it, but when it came down to the last person that got a chance to trade, Dennis Roth’s young grandson Cole decided to swap envelopes with Peter Murphy. As it turned out that was a wise choice & Roth Motorsports claimed the Maxim Chassis & Body donated by Kaeding Performance.

Other giveaways during the night also included those from Van De Pol Distributors; Allied Washoe Petroleum; Western Central Petroleum; Summit Racing Equipment; the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada; Pioneer Crossing Casino in Fernley, Nevada; multiple cases of Pennzoil racing motor oil and Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort goodie bags.

King of the West Series sponsors, officials and staff were also recognized during the night for their support of the KWS season. Other highlights at the banquet included a tribute portion of the night paying respect to Tyler Wolf, Duke McMillen and David Tarter. The event was emceed by George Hague and Gary Thomas, with live entertainment by the Sterling Silver Band on stage. Series Managing Director Dan Simpson spoke highly of all the teams, officials, sponsors and fans on hand, thanking them for their contributions during the King of the West season.

Northern Auto Racing Club Benevolent Fund coordinators Ashley Smith and Brent Kaeding put on a terrific silent and live auction that saw nearly $20,000 collected for the benevolent fund. The Northern Auto Racing Club Benevolent Fund uses 100% of the funds raised to support the families of drivers, crew members and officials running 410 Sprint Car Series’ in California. We’d like to thank everyone for their support of the auction and give big thanks to Ashley Smith and Brent Kaeding.

KWS Video Productions Manager Brandon Skaggs put together a fabulous video presentation to begin the night, along with great vignettes featuring the top-14 drivers/teams, plus the special awards given out. Special thanks to the staff at the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort for being gracious hosts all weekend long. Thank you to the executive chef for the great dinner menu, along with Jackson Rancheria Special Events Director Emily Tirapelle for all her help in organizing the weekend.

Photos from the night’s festivities can be viewed at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.463836053668201.123265.150145691703907&type=1

Don't forget to “like” the King of the West 410 Series on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and follow us on Twitter @kwssprintracing for the most timely and up to date information on the series. Also subscribe to us on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints

You can also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series.

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2012 King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series Cash Point Fund Payout

1st place owner- Roth Motorsports $20,000

1st place driver/ 2nd place owner- Jonathan Allard & Williams Motorsports $17,500

2nd place driver/3rd place owner- Evan Suggs $13,500

3rd place/4th place owner- Brent Kaeding $11,000

4th place driver/5th place owner- Peter Murphy $9,500

5th place driver/6th place owner- Bobby McMahan $8,500

6th place driver/7th place owner- Jason Statler $7,500

7th place driver/8th place owner- Willie Croft $6,500

8th place driver/9th place owner- Andy Gregg $5,800

9th place driver/10th place owner- Craig Stidham $5,400

10th place driver/11th place owner- Chad Compton $4,875

11th place driver/12th place owner- Doug Gandy $4,250

12th place driver/14th place owner- Pat Harvey $3,625

13th place driver/13th place owner- Danielle Simpson $3,500

Jonathan Allard claimed this year's King of the West driving title by 98-points over Evan Suggs from Scotts Valley

King of the West Sprint Car Series champion Jonathan Allard and Elk Grove, California’s Bobby McMahan will be featured guests on “KWS Tonight” this Thursday evening during our season-finale recap show.

To view “KWS Tonight” log onto http://www.kwssprints.com starting at 7pm on Thursday. It will then replay on the homepage to watch at your leisurely pleasure over the next week and will be archived on your You Tube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints

Allard became a three-time California state 410 champion by winning the King of the West title this past weekend by 98-points over Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs. We’ll talk to the Chico native about that accomplishment, as well as what it’s been like driving for Williams Motorsports the last eight years.

McMahan went into last weekend locked in a tight three-way fight for fifth in the King of the West standings and when all the dust had settled the former NARC Speedweek champion secured that elusive fifth spot. McMahan had the biggest jump of any driver this season, moving up from 8th in points last year.

The KWS Video Productions unit will showcase some extended highlights from last Saturday’s “Cotton Classic” to go along with our recap of the night. A large crowd was on hand to witness one of the strongest KWS fields of the season at the always exciting Kings Speedway in Hanford.

Remember to get you tickets ordered for the upcoming KWS banquet weekend on November 9 & 10 at the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort. You can get your banquet reservations in now by contacting (707) 374-2222. To reserve hotel rooms for the weekend contact Jackson Rancheria at (209) 223-1677. The special KWS pricing on rooms will be available until next Friday October 26.

We’ll also have some new announcements regarding the championship banquet weekend, including an added twist to the Friday night fan party, which now features beer tasting to go along with hor devours, music, vintage Grove Hill videos and more. Tickets to the party are free with a paid banquet reservation or $10.

Don't forget to “like” the King of the West Series presented on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and follow us on Twitter @kwssprintracing for the most timely and up to date information on the series. Also subscribe to us on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints

Late race move nets Tim Kaeding 60th career Golden State/ King of the West main event victory on Saturday at the “Cotton Classic”

By Gary Thomas

Hanford, CA – October 13, 2012…Kyle Larson’s misfortune was Tim Kaeding’s gain at the Kings Speedway on Saturday during the 27th annual “Cotton Classic” in Hanford. The 20-year-old Elk Grove native took the lead on lap-seven, but fuel starvation on a green, white, checkered restart allowed the “TK Express” an opportunity to gobble up the lead that he wouldn’t relinquish.

In front of a packed house Kaeding crossed the line by 0.986 seconds to record his sixth King of the West Sprint Car Series win of the season over two-time World of Outlaws champion Jason Meyers and 2012 KWS titlist Jonathan Allard. It was also the 60th combined Golden State/ KWS win of Kaeding’s career, making him the second driver to reach that mark, joining father Brent Kaeding who has 84 wins to his credit.

“It’s been a great season for us and I can’t say enough about Dennis & Teresa Roth for giving me the opportunity of a life time to drive this 83 car,” said Kaeding, who helped Roth Motorsports wrap up the KWS car owner title for the second straight year. “My guys have given me a great car all season long and Kyle Hirst has done a great job for us as well, so it feels good to give Roth Motorsports another owner’s championship. I also want to thank all the fans for coming out tonight and supporting KWS.”

Kaeding started from the pole by way of winning the KSE Racing Products Dash and when the green came out he would jump into the lead aboard his HR Cattle No. 83 mount. “TK” had his way out front over the early laps, but on a lap-six restart outside front row starter Kyle Larson sliced to the inside off turn four and took the lead. Various yellows would slow the pace at times, but all along Larson was able to maintain a steady advantage out front until the final laps started to approach.

Lapped traffic allowed Kaeding the chance to close and the San Jose driver charged hard after Larson looking to find a way back by. With only five-circuits remaining Kaeding hounded the bumper of the Finley Farms No. 77, but just when it looked like it’d be a shootout in thick lapped traffic, the yellow lights came on to set up a green, white, checkered restart.

During it Larson led the field into turn one, but off the second corner it was Kaeding who made a quick move to blast by and take command as the 77 car was running low on fuel. “TK” then charged off to score his second career 410 “Cotton Classic” victory at the Kings Speedway and give himself momentum heading into the annual “Trophy Cup” next week. Larson was ultimately able to limp the car home and cross the checkered flag in the eighth spot.

Coming home second at the finish was Clovis, California driver Jason Meyers, who was making his first 410 Sprint Car start in his home state since March. “We haven’t raced a whole lot this year, but I can’t say enough about this Tarlton & Son team and want to thank them for allowing me to drive such a great car,” commented the two-time World of Outlaws champion. “It’s great to see so many people come out tonight for the Cotton Classic and we always love racing at Kings Speedway.”

Rounding out the podium and becoming the 2012 “King of the West” was Jonathan Allard, who finished the season with four wins, ten top-five’s and a series leading thirteen top-ten’s. The Chico native started 11th in the feature and methodically picked his way forward to claim another solid finish.

“This is just a great accomplishment for our whole team,” said Allard, who has now won three state 410 titles since joining Williams Motorsports in 2005. “I wish we could have got a few more wins, but that’s part of racing and we’re happy with how the season went. I can’t thank Morrie & Katie Williams and all my guys enough. I also have to thank Dan Simpson and the King of the West Series because we have a great organization and it’s the best thing going out here. Seeing all these great fans is what makes it so much fun for all of us.”

Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst ended the feature in fourth while making his fifth start of the season for Roth Motorsports. The talented driver scored top-five finishes in every event that he drove for the team and has put together one of the best seasons of his career. Hirst in fact scored the third most top-five finishes with KWS this year, behind only Jonathan Allard and Tim Kaeding.

Completing the top-five and earning the Pit Stop USA Hard Charger Award in the main event was Visalia’s Cory Eliason aboard the Elite Acid No. 00x sprinter. The youngster charged from 16th to fifth in the 30-lapper and is always a great addition to the roster whenever he signs in at the back gate. The remainder of the top-10 was comprised of Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Larson, 20th starter Jason Statler of Grass Valley and young Carson Macedo of Fresno.

Winning the 12-lap Last Chance Qualifier with a late race pass was Sacramento’s Willie Croft and claiming the KSE Racing Products Dash was Tim Kaeding. The four ten-lap Kaeding Performance Heat Races were picked off by St. Helena’s Rico Abreu, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Bobby McMahan and Jason Meyers. Scoring his first BR Motorsports Fast Time of the year to begin the night was Abreu, who blistered the Kings Speedway in 13.361 seconds to beat out a 32-car field. Abreu became the 12th different driver to set fast time with KWS in 17 events this season.

On behalf of everyone involved with the King of the West Sprint Car Series we’d like to thank everyone for their support this season because it truly is appreciated! Please stay glued to our website and social media outlets for updates throughout the off-season. We’d also like to wish all teams competing in next week’s “Trophy Cup” at Thunderbowl Raceway the best of luck. We look forward to seeing everybody at the KWS Banquet in November at the Jackson Rancheria. Tickets are still available by calling our office at 707-374-2222.

Our official website can be found at http://www.kwssprints.com and don't forget to “like” the King of the West Series on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and follow us on Twitter @kwssprintracing for the most timely and up to date information on the series. Also subscribe to us on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints

King of the West Sprint Car Series Results – “Cotton Classic” Kings Speedway October 13

32-cars

Fast time: Rico Abreu

Heat one: Rico Abreu, Kyle Hirst, Mike Faria, Carson Macedo, Steven Tiner, Willie Croft, Pat Harvey, Peter Murphy

Heat two: Craig Stidham, Kyle Larson, Sean Becker, Kenny Allen, Andy Gregg, Trey Starks, Richard Brace Jr., Cole Wood

Heat three: Bobby McMahan, Evan Suggs, Stephen Allard, Brent Kaeding, Koen Shaw, Chad Compton, Doug Gandy, Jason Statler

Heat four: Jason Meyers, Tim Kaeding, Tyler Wolf, Jonathan Allard, Cory Eliason, Eli Deshaies, Bud Walberg, Danielle Simpson

Dash: Tim Kaeding, Kyle Larson, Jason Meyers, Kyle Hirst, Evan Suggs, Rico Abreu, Craig Stidham, Bobby McMahan

Last Chance Qualifier: Willie Croft, Cory Eliason, Peter Murphy, Jason Statler, Trey Starks, Cole Wood, Andy Gregg, Bud Walberg, Koen Shaw, Doug Gandy, Pat Harvey, Richard Brace, Danielle Simpson, Eli Deshaies, Chad Compton

A-main: Tim Kaeding, Jason Meyers, Jonathan Allard, Kyle Hirst, Cory Eliason, Bobby McMahan, Evan Suggs, Kyle Larson, Jason Statler, Carson Macedo, Brent Kaeding, Peter Murphy, Sean Becker, Trey Starks, Mike Faria, Kenny Allen, Cole Wood, Craig Stidham, Rico Abreu, Tyler Wolf, Willie Croft, Stephen Allard

Kyle Hirst/ Scott Woodhouse/ Tailgate Rodriguez/ 1997 Mini Gold Cup/ a look at Fernley 95a Speedway & more

It’s time to crown a King of the West Sprint Car Series champion this Saturday night at the Cotton Classic! Before that however, the “KWS Tonight” gang will hit the net to get everyone ready for the big show at Kings Speedway in Hanford!

To view the show log onto http://www.kwssprints.com starting at 7pm on Thursday. It will then replay on the homepage to watch at your leisurely pleasure over the next week.

This week’s show will be fully loaded with fun stuff and features interviews with Sacramento wheel-man Kyle Hirst, Kings Speedway promoter Scott Woodhouse and former KWS Video Productions Manager “Tailgate” Rodriguez.

Hirst this weekend will be aboard the Roth Motorsports No. 83Jr. sprinter & we’ll get his thoughts on the season so far, which has seen him claim a number of victories, both with and without the wing. We’ll then have Woodhouse on the line to discuss the year at Kings Speedway and how excited he is for the “Cotton Classic” this Saturday night.

In addition to the many KWS regulars that will be on hand at Kings Speedway this Saturday, other big names set to be in action include Jason Meyers, Kyle Larson, Rico Abreu, Bud Kaeding, Sean Becker, Shane Golobic, Stephen Allard and more.

Finally we’ll have an update from our old pal and former KWS Video guru “Tailgate” Rodriguez on what he has been up to. Fans have been asking us at every event what “Tailgate” has been up to and this week on “KWS Tonight” we will find out.

We will also share with everyone our recent visit to the Fernley 95A Speedway in Nevada for their two day shootout event. The Golden State 410 Series competed at the track in 2004 & ’06 and the King of the West Series will be bringing 410 Sprint Car racing back to Fernley next season.

The 410 Flashback presented by Kaeding Performance will take a look back at the 1997 “Mini Gold Cup” at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway. The always exciting and hard charging Randy Tiner ended the weekend in victory lane while driving brother Rodney’s No. 83 mount. Jason Statler opened the weekend in victory lane aboard his DF Rios No. 00 machine.

We will also finish up our look back at this season’s weekly highlights with the most recent KWS event held on August 18 at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. Two-time Golden State KWS champ Tim Kaeding scored his fifth win of the year that night with Andy Gregg and Peter Murphy rounding out the popular podium.

Tweet us your best photos on Saturday from the Cotton Classic @kwssprintracing with the hash-tag #kwscottonclassic & the three best photos will win a free King of the West Series T-shirt! https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing

The three best non wing photos from Saturday in Hanford using the #kwscottonclassic will also win a free "Puttin It In Sideways" T-shirt!

The front gate will open at 5:00pm on Saturday October 13 at the Kings Speedway, with qualifying around 6:30pm and racing around 7:00pm. Grandstand reserved tickets cost $25 for the “Cotton Classic” with general admission bleachers being $23. Tickets are on sale now and to reserve your seats simply contact the track box office at (559) 584-7223.

Remember to get you tickets ordered for the upcoming KWS championship banquet weekend on November 9 & 10 at the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort. You can get your banquet reservations in now by contacting (707) 374-2222. To reserve hotel rooms for the weekend contact Jackson Rancheria at (209) 223-1677.

Don't forget to “like” the Cancen Oil King of the West Series presented by Goodyear on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and follow us on Twitter @kwssprintracing for the most timely and up to date information on the series. Also subscribe to us on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints

Close King of the West Series point battles & special entrants highlight 27th annual “Cotton Classic” this Saturday October 13 at Kings Speedway

By Gary Thomas

Hanford, CA – October 8, 2012…What started out in early-April will come to a close this Saturday night when the King of the West Sprint Car Series heads for the Central Valley to cap the 2012 season during the prestigious 27th annual “Cotton Classic” at Hanford’s Kings Speedway.

So far this season there have been sixteen King of the West Series events held, with eight different winners throughout the campaign, including Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Rico Abreu, Kyle Larson, Bud Kaeding, Brent Kaeding, Craig Stidham and Kyle Hirst. All of those drivers will be in action on Saturday for what looks to be one of the strongest fields of the year.

“It’s been a great year for KWS and the racing has just been phenomenal all season,” said Managing Director Dan Simpson. “The group of people we have behind us is second to none when you look at the teams, staff and fans that follow the King of the West Series. I really want to thank everyone for their support this season and hope all will come out this Saturday for the “Cotton Classic” at Kings Speedway.”

A big highlight for Saturday will be the return of local favorite Jason Meyers from nearby Clovis to a 410 Sprint Car in California, as he climbs behind the wheel of the Tarlton & Son Inc. No. 21m machine. The two-time World of Outlaws champion charged to victory at the 2006 “Cotton Classic” and is looking for more of the same on Saturday, as he warms up for next week’s “Trophy Cup” in Tulare. Meyers drove the 21m sprinter to a top-five finish at the Knoxville Nationals in August, along with a preliminary night victory.

Another former “Cotton Classic” champion looking to add a second cotton bail trophy to his possession on Saturday is Elk Grove native Kyle Larson, who will be at the helm of the Finley Farms No. 77 sprinter. The 2010 Golden State 410 champion captured the event that same season he claimed the series title and came in just his fourth ever start at Kings Speedway. Larson has put together another spectacular season, highlighted by a $20,000 score at the “Gold Cup Race of Champions” among a number of other victories.

Young rising star Rico Abreu will make his King of the West Sprint Car Series return at the “Cotton Classic” aboard the Abreu Vineyards No. 89 mount. The always exciting driver has won his two most recent starts with KWS, including triumphs at the Tulare Thunderbowl and his home track of Calistoga Speedway in May. Abreu has become a fan favorite around the country and should be fun to watch at the three-eighths mile clay oval on Saturday.

Campbell’s Bud Kaeding is also set to make his first series start since winning the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” at Kings Speedway in June at the helm of Brian Matherly’s No. 19 sprint car. The three-time USAC Silver Crown Series champion has tallied a trio of top-five finishes in his limited KWS starts this season and is always a welcomed addition to the roster. Kaeding will also be competing with the USAC West Coast Wingless Sprinters at the “Cotton Classic.”

A very intriguing part of the night is sure to be the fight to decide who will round out the top-five in the King of the West Sprint Car Series standings, which is currently held by Grass Valley’s Jason Statler. The former Golden State 410 champ has knocked on the door for his first win of the year a couple of times, including runner up finishes in two of the last six events. Statler was also the Pit Stop USA Hard Charger during the most recent KWS race held in Chico on August 18.

Hot on Statler’s heels however, is Sacramento’s Willie Croft, who sits only three-markers back in sixth. It’s a bit of de ja vu for Croft, as he went into the finale last season just six-points behind Statler for the fifth position. “Double Down” would ultimately go on to finish sixth in the standings after the final race in Hanford last year, but this time around he’ll be searching to change that and overtake the “Big Guy” at the “Cotton Classic” on Saturday.

Nipping at those two drivers happens to be Elk Grove veteran Bobby McMahan in the seventh spot, who is just nine-digits behind Statler for fifth in the King of the West Series standings. The former NARC Speedweek titlist spent much of the season among the top-five, but a tough finish at Silver Dollar Speedway on August 18 dropped him from fourth to seventh in the driver points. McMahan will be gunning for a strong night at the “Cotton Classic” to climb his way back forward.

The other close point battle is the fight for second in the driver standings between Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs and National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding of Campbell. Suggs holds the spot by only 13-digits and will look to secure the position for the second consecutive season.

As documented Chico’s Jonathan Allard has an almost definite lock on the King of the West Series driving title, as he holds a commanding 97-point lead over Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs. It would be the third career state 410 driving title for Allard, who is also the defending “Cotton Classic” champion at Kings Speedway. The veteran wheel-man of the Williams Motorsports No. 0 has captured four wins so far this year with KWS and will be looking to make it number five on Saturday.

Fresno based Roth Motorsports has the car owners title in grasp for the second year in a row and will be featuring two cars at the “Cotton Classic” with both San Jose’s Tim Kaeding and Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst in action on Saturday. The No. 83 machine has used Kaeding in 12 events and Hirst in the other four. As a team they have claimed six overall wins with the King of the West Series. “TK” has claimed a KWS series-leading five triumphs, along with Hirst scoring a win at the Antioch Speedway on June 23.

Other drivers set to be on hand Saturday will include Clovis’ Peter Murphy, Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Chico's Stephen Allard, Fresno's Carson Macedo & Koen Shaw, Redding’s Tyler Wolf, Fair Oak’s Chad Compton, Elk Grove’s Sean McMahan, Visalia’s Cory Eliason, Chico’s Kenny Allen, Puyallup, Washington’s Trey Starks, Coarsegold’s Scott Parker, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, North Kingstown, Rhode Island’s Eli Deshaies, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson, Merced’s Mark Barroso and more.

The "Cotton Classic" will also see a fully loaded pre-race autograph session featuring Brent Kaeding, Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard and Craig Stidham. When you combine GSC & KWS all-time victories "BK", "TK" and "JA" happen to rank one, two and three on the career win list. Stidham in the past has captured the prestigious "Trophy Cup" and is also a former Rebel Cup Series champion in the Central Valley.

The talented foursome will be inside the front gate when it opens up at 5pm and fans are encouraged to stop by, say hi and pick up a free King of the West Sprint Car Series autograph poster. The first number of people through the front gate will also receive a complimentary program, so be sure and get to the races early. We will also have the KWS t-shirt shooter in full gear to finish off the season in style.

The Kings Speedway is located on the Kings County Fairgrounds in Hanford, California and the physical address is 801 S. 10th Ave. Hanford, Ca 93230. More information can be found at http://www.kingsspeedway.net or by contacting (559) 584-7223.

In just two week's time the 19th annual Trophy Cup will be held at Tulare's Thunderbowl Raceway and the "KWS Tonight" crew will share a glimpse at the history of the event, with a behind the scenes look at event founder Dave Pusateri.

We were able to travel down to Trophy City this past week and interview Dave to get his thoughts and reflections on the first 19 year's of the prestigious event, which has gained the reputation of being one of the most exciting throughout the country.

During the show we'll also showcase highlights from past Trophy Cup's courtesy Grove Hill and Quality Race Video. We also learn a little more about the future of the Trophy Cup, as next year will pay $50,000 to the overall winner & is reportedly Pusateri's final one as event organizer.

To view the show log onto http://www.kwssprints.com

The Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear will cap the season with the annual “Cotton Classic” at the Kings Speedway in Hanford, California on Saturday October 13. Tickets for the event are on sale and can be acquired by contacting the track box office at (559) 584-7223.

Prestigious Cotton Classic closes out 2012 season in exciting fashion for the King of the West Sprint Car Series at Hanford’s Kings Speedway on Saturday October 13

By Gary Thomas

Hanford, CA – October 2, 2012…Following a long break between races the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear is geared up and ready to return to action for championship night on Saturday October 13 at the Kings Speedway in Hanford, California.

The event marks the 27th annual “Cotton Classic” and is the final Winged 410 Sprint Car event in California for the 2012 season. The prestigious show will also feature the USAC West Coast Wingless Sprint Cars & Vintage Modifieds, making for an all open wheel night of racing at the blazing fast three-eighths mile clay oval.

Winners of the “Cotton Classic” since the year 2000 have been Visalia’s Blake Robertson; Aliquippa, PA’s Tim Shaffer; San Jose's Tim Kaeding; Clovis’ Jason Meyers; Chico’s Stephen Allard, Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson and Chico’s Jonathan Allard, who captured last season’s event to make it his third triumph in the event since ’05.

“Kings Speedway promoter Scott Woodhouse and his wife Lisa have done an amazing job with the track and facility over the last few years,” commented KWS Operations Manager George Hague. “The atmosphere has returned back to Hanford and it’s a really fun place to enjoy a night of racing at if you’re a fan. The Cotton Classic has always been one of the big events in California so we’re excited for October 13.”

Three-time and defending “Cotton Classic” champion Jonathan Allard goes into the night holding a 97-point advantage in the King of the West driver standings, as he looks to take home his third career state 410 driving title. The Chico native’s previous two championships have come in 2006 and ’08. Allard this season has claimed four main event victories and nine top-five finishes in the 16 events held thus far.

“I can’t thank Morrie and Katie Williams enough for their support over the years and it’s been another great season,” said Allard, who has driven the familiar No. 0 sprint car for the last eight years, making it one of the longest running driver/owner combos in California. “Ashley Smith and my guys have given me a great car and hopefully we can go out and get another Cotton Classic on October 13.”

The KWS car owners’ title finds Fresno, California based Roth Motorsports sitting at the top of the hill, leading Williams Motorsports by 73-markers. The potent No. 83 team has used San Jose’s Tim Kaeding in 12 events and Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst in the other four.

As a team they have claimed six overall wins, with Kaeding capturing five and Hirst scoring a win at the Antioch Speedway on June 23.

At the “Cotton Classic” both Kaeding and Hirst will be competing for Roth Motorsports as Dennis & Teresa Roth showcase twin 83’s. Kaeding, the reigning King of the West champion, won the most recent series event held at the Silver Dollar Speedway on August 18 and will be searching to match his win total from last year if he can claim victory at the “Cotton Classic” on October 13.

Hirst’s four King of the West Series starts in the Roth 83 have been very impressive and he’ll hope to continue that at Kings Speedway. Along with his victory on June 23 he tallied top-five finishes in each attempt and scored a pair of BR Motorsports Fast Time Awards. During the World of Outlaws California swing Hirst also brought home a trio of hard charger efforts at the helm of the 83jr.

Adding some spice to the night will certainly be two-time World of Outlaws champion and 2006 “Cotton Classic’ winner Jason Meyers from nearby Clovis. Meyers will climb aboard the Tarlton & Son Inc. No. 21m for the KWS finale, which marks his first 410 start in California since way back in March. At the “Knoxville Nationals” in August Meyers drove the Tarlton machine to a preliminary night victory and a fifth place finish in the 50-lap finale.

The lone King of the West Series held at the Kings Speedway this season featured one of the best main events of the year and when all the dust had settled, it was three-time USAC Silver Crown champion Bud Kaeding standing in victory lane. The Campbell wheel-man was able to narrowly beat Evan Suggs to the line after exchanging slide jobs off the final corner. Kaeding will be doing double duty at the “Cotton Classic” competing with and without the wing.

One of the close King of the West point battles to watch will include the fight for second in the driver standings between Kings Speedway runner up in June Evan Suggs and thirteen-time Golden State champion Brent Kaeding of Campbell. The 25-year-old Suggs holds the spot by 13-digits and will look to lock up the position for the second consecutive season aboard his families’ black No. 33e mount.

The race for fifth in the standings is also an extremely close one with ’04 Golden State champion Jason Statler, former “Mini Gold Cup” winner Willie Croft & ’96 Speedweek titlist Bobby McMahan separated by only nine-points. With the tightly knit battle, each and every point will count at the “Cotton Classic” when it comes to qualifying, heat races and the main event.

Other competitors expected at the “Cotton Classic” will include Clovis, CA’s Peter Murphy, Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Chico’s Kenny Allen, Fair Oaks Chad Compton, Elk Grove’s Sean McMahan, Rio Linda’s Cody Lamar, Coarsegold’s Scott Parker, Visalia’s Cory Eliason, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson and more.

Remember to get you tickets ordered for the fast approaching KWS championship banquet weekend on November 9 & 10 at the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort. You can get your banquet reservations in now by contacting (707) 374-2222. To reserve hotel rooms for the weekend contact Jackson Rancheria at (209) 223-1677.

Our official website can be found at http://www.kwssprints.com and more information on the awards banquet can be seen on the homepage, along with the latest episode of “KWS Tonight” and much more.

Zach Zimmerly/ Troy Hennig/ Willie Croft & more on "KWS Tonight" this evening

Smack dab in the middle of the usual sprint car late-year “special events season” in California “KWS Tonight” will be on the net this evening featuring interviews with young gun Zach Zimmerly, Silver Dollar Speedway announcer Troy Hennig, Willie Croft and more.

To view the show log onto http://www.kwssprints.com starting at 7pm on Thursday. It will then replay on the homepage to watch at your leisurely pleasure over the next week. Archived shows from this year are available at http://vimeo.com/kingofthewestsprints/videos and new shows can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints

One of those special events on tap this weekend is the 21st annual Fall Nationals at Silver Dollar Speedway and we’ll get thoughts on upcoming weekend from track announcer/ communications guru Troy Hennig. In addition to that we’ll talk with Hennig about the great championship battle during the weekly 410 Sprint Car series at SDS this season.

In 2010 Vancouver, Washington’s Zach Zimmerly made a big splash in California and west coast sprint car racing, before taking most of last season & this year off. The now 18-year-old has been back behind the wheel the last two weeks and we’ll get him on the line to talk about his excitement to be back in action driving for Willie Croft.

Along those lines we’ll also talk with Croft about what it’s like to be a car owner and see someone else behind the wheel of his Holy Smokes BBQ No. 29 mount. “Double Down” will jump back aboard the 29 for the KWS season ending “Cotton Classic” and we’ll get some words about how he is preparing for it. Croft sits just three points behind Jason Statler for fifth in the series standings.

On the “Kaeding Performance Flashback” we’ll take a peek at the 2006 “Pombo/Sargent Classic” at Thunderbowl Raceway, where Campbell’s Brent Kaeding showed why he’s a 13-time Golden State 410 champion by sweeping the weekend. There was also drama on and off the track between Robert Ballou & Jonathan Allard, making for a memorable weekend at the very warm Tulare oval.

One of the most exciting events from this season came on July 7 at the “Howard Kaeding Classic” in Watsonville and we’ll showcase that during our continuing look back at 2012 to get ready for championship night on October 13. Jonathan Allard and Shane Golobic kept fans on the edge of their seats for the duration of the 30-lapper.

Next week’s episode of “KWS Tonight” will feature an evening with Trophy Cup founder Dave Pusateri, as we learn the history behind the prestigious event and introduce everyone to the man behind the scenes. This season’s Trophy Cup will be held on October 18, 19 & 20 at Thunderbowl Raceway and pays $20,000 to the overall champion of the Winged Sprint Car portion event.

King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series signs agreement with Hoosier Racing Tires to become official tire of KWS in 2013

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – September 21, 2012…The King of the West Sprint Car Series is pleased to announce a new partnership with Hoosier Racing Tires for the upcoming season that will make the company the “official race tire” in 2013 for the tour.

Hoosier is the largest race tire manufacturer in the world and all Hoosier race tires are still proudly "Made in the USA." The company continues to be privately owned and operated by the Newton family.

King of the West Sprint Car Series Managing Director Dan Simpson is excited to sign with Hoosier for the upcoming season to align all winged sprint car series and tracks in California with the same tire. “This will be great for west coast sprint car racing and will help unify the sport out here by having everyone on Hoosier Racing Tires. We are looking forward to our new partnership and can’t wait for next season to roll around.”

Hoosier Racing Tire Sales Manager Paul Menting shared the same sentiment about the upcoming season. “On behalf of Hoosier Tire corporate and Hoosier Tire West we are really excited about partnering up with the King of the West Series for next year. Hoosier has had a long tradition in sprint car racing and we’re eager to showcase our tires with KWS and 410 sprint car racing out west.”

Hoosier has grown to be one of the largest employers in Plymouth, Indiana, and produces over 1000 different types of race tires. The company has its own 300-mph test wheel; a technology center; state-of-the-art, fully-integrated production facilities; and a model sales and distribution network in Lakeville, Indiana, which others seek to emulate.

The pride that exists among those associated with Hoosier "family" continues to be the focal point of the success the company has enjoyed over the years. Bob and Joyce, as well as others involved in the racing industry, marvel at the success and growth of the original business they started over 50 years ago. This philosophy has been, and will continue to be, the secret behind Hoosier's success in building "Tires Designed for Champions."

More information on Hoosier Racing Tires can be found at http://www.hoosiertire.com and for more on Hoosier Tire West please visit http://www.hoosiertirewest.com and for info on a dealer near you contact (559) 485-4612.

There will also be a four race grace period at the beginning of the year for Goodyear tires to allow teams to use up their inventory.

Don't forget to “like” the King of the West Series on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and follow us on Twitter @kwssprintracing for the most timely and up to date information on the series. Also subscribe to us on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/user/kingofthewestsprints

You can also check out our official website at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series.

The King of the West Sprint Car Series will finish off the 2012 season during the annual “Cotton Classic” on Saturday October 13 at the Kings Speedway in Hanford, California. Tickets are on sale for the event and can be acquired by contacting (559) 584-7223. For more info on the lightning fast three-eighths mile clay oval log onto http://www.kingsspeedway.net

Continuing to gear up for the season finale on October 13 in Hanford “KWS Tonight” will have a fresh show this Thursday evening that will feature interviews with St. Helena, CA’s Jeff Griffin, KWS driver Danielle Simpson, series managing director Dan Simpson and more.

Griffin has competed in 11 of the 16 King of the West Sprint Car Series events this season and has been a nice addition to the roster aboard his Layer Cake Wines No. 50m sprint car. Danielle Simpson is in her third season of 410 Sprint Car racing at the helm of the DES Racing No. 6up and we spoke with the Rio Vista driver to get an update on her season. Finally we were able to catch up with Dan Simpson to hear his thoughts on how the 2012 year has gone and what to expect next season.

The “Kaeding Performance Flashback” this week takes a look back at the 2005 “Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup” at the Skagit Speedway in Washington. Current King of the West driver standings leader Jonathan Allard scooped up the $25,000 score during the final night for his first win at the event. Prelim wins were captured by former series champion Ronnie Day & KWS driver Peter Murphy.

On the highlight reel this Thursday we’ll present the June 30 King of the West show at Placerville Speedway, where 13-time state 410 champion & National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding scored his first series win since 2009. It turned out to be a thrilling event with “BK” battling Kyle Hirst for the win right down to the checkered flag at the high-banked quarter mile bulling.

We will also give information on the annual Octane Fest that is held in Fallon, Nevada, which the King of the West Sprint Car Series will be a part of next season. The motor sports extravaganza features everything a gear head would want to see and takes place in early-June each year. To take a look at what Octane Fest entailed this past year log onto http://www.octanefest.com

Outlaw winners Sean Becker/ Tim Kaeding & more on "KWS Tonight" this week

Coming off a big and exciting week of racing in Northern California the “KWS Tonight” team will be on the net this evening putting a wrap on it all, in addition to featuring interviews with past Golden State KWS champions and recent Outlaw winners the “Shark” Sean Becker and the “TK Express” Tim Kaeding.

Becker is coming off his first career World of Outlaws win during Friday night of the Gold Cup Race of Champions and eventually backed that up with an impressive third place effort during the finale. We’ll get Sean’s thoughts on the successful outing at Gold Cup, as well as the meaning behind winning his second Silver Dollar Speedway 410 title this season. “The Shark” is in his first year driving the M&S Racing No. 27 mount.

Kaeding on Monday night picked up a thrilling victory at the Antioch Speedway, executing a picture perfect slider to steal the win away on the last corner from four-time World of Outlaws champ Donny Schatz. The reigning King of the West champion has finished among the top-four in five of last six World of Outlaws events, showing tremendous consistency in the Dennis & Teresa Roth 83. Kaeding will be searching for his sixth KWS win of the season at the "Cotton Classic" on October 13.

On the “Kaeding Performance Flashback” this week we showcase a double header weekend of Golden State 410 racing in 2006 at Ocean Speedway and Placerville Speedway. That season’s eventual Rookie of the Year Robert Ballou made his name known by sweeping the action and taking home a $1000 bonus for doing so. Two-time champ Jonathan Allard gave him all he could handle in what was a great two nights of action.

Continuing our walk down memory lane from 2012 to get ready for the King of the West season finale on October 13 we will relive the June 23 event at Antioch Speedway. That night saw Sacramento throttle-masher Kyle Hirst make his debut in the Roth Motorsports No. 83jr. a very special one by setting a new track record to start the event and claiming the 30-lap feature to conclude it. Hirst will be back in the Roth Motorsports 83jr. sprinter at the “Cotton Classic” in Hanford on October 13.

King of the West Sprint Car Series contenders look for Gold Cup Race of Champions glory come next week

Chico, CA…One of the more intriguing story lines each and every season at the prestigious Gold Cup Race of Champions is seeing how the California locals stack up against the traveling stars of the World of Outlaws. With that in mind it’s no different this year, as a number of drivers from the traveling King of the West Sprint Car Series look to contend for the $20,000 grand prize on Saturday night.

Leading the way is Chico’s very own Jonathan Allard, who stands atop the KWS driver standings and has raced to four victories this season at Silver Dollar Speedway. In 2007 “JA” scored a preliminary night victory for car owners Morrie & Katie Williams. Allard’s two best finishes during the final night have been a third in ’08 and fourth in ’09.

The familiar Roth Motorsports team out of Fresno features an all star two-car team of Tim Kaeding and Kyle Hirst. Kaeding is a past preliminary night winner and tallied his best ever final night finish in 2002, which was a runner up effort to Steve Kinser. The San Jose driver leads the KWS tour this year with five wins, including the “Prelude to Gold Cup” on August 18.

While Kaeding spent time in the Midwest racing with the World of Outlaws the potent 83 machine was driven by Hirst and the 24-year-old was able to keep the Roth Motorsports entry at the top of the King of the West owner standings. Hirst captured a KWS victory on June 23 in Antioch and has been extremely impressive each time he has sat behind the wheel of the car.

Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs has been solid at times in the past at the Gold Cup Race of Champions and currently ranks second in the King of the West Series points. The 25-year-old was running near the top-five last year at the event until contact resulted in him having to go to the rear of the field.

Defending Gold Cup champion and former Golden State KWS titlist Kyle Larson is another top contender that will be hoping for his second consecutive triumph at the event. The 20-year-old picked up a KWS victory in May at the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway aboard the Paul Silva Motorsports No. 57 and is searching to duplicate that on Saturday night in Chico.

Other King of the West Series competitors looking to place their names at the front of the field will include Clovis, CA fan favorite Peter Murphy, past California state 410 champion Jason Statler of Grass Valley, former NARC Speedweek champ Bobby McMahan and Rio Linda’s Cody Lamar.

For ticket information and more on the Gold Cup Race of Champions log onto www.silverdollarspeedway.com

The King of the West Series will conclude its 2012 season on Saturday October 13 with the annual “Cotton Classic” at Kings Speedway in Hanford.

Special wins happen to come around from time to time each year and on “KWS Tonight” this evening we take a look back at two memorable nights from last season, along with continuing our recap of the 2012 campaign.

To view the show log onto http://www.kwssprints.com starting at 7pm pst on Thursday. It will then replay on the homepage to watch at your leisurely pleasure over the next week. Archived shows from this year are available at http://vimeo.com/kingofthewestsprints/videos

First up we’ll relive Willie Croft’s victory from April of 2011 in Marysville, which marked his third career traveling 410 series win.

We also had the chance to catch up with Croft in the pits a couple weeks ago in Chico to talk about the current season and get his thoughts on how his year has gone. The Sacramento driver sits just three-markers out of fifth in the King of the West standings going into the finale at Kings Speedway on October 13.

After that we will take a look back at Andy Gregg’s first career traveling 410 series win that occurred in May of last year at the Santa Maria Speedway.

Like Croft, we also had the opportunity to speak with Gregg in Chico on August 18 and we’ll feature that interview on the show as well. The Placerville wheel-man currently stands eighth in the KWS driver standings and is coming off a runner up effort to Tim Kaeding during that most recent event at Silver Dollar Speedway.

One of the most exciting races of this season so far was the annual “Pombo/Sargent Classic” at Kings Speedway and that is next up in our continuing recap of 2012, as we gear up for championship night on October 13. Campbell’s Bud Kaeding & Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs had fans on the edge of their seats at the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” in June, with it ending in Kaeding’s third career win at the event.

"KWS Tonight" presents our 30th show of the season this evening at 7pm

The penultimate event of the 2012 season for the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear occurred last weekend and the “KWS Tonight” crew will be on the net this evening putting a wrap on it, as we gear up for championship night on October 13.

Last year’s King of the West champion Tim Kaeding returned home in victorious fashion at the “Prelude to Gold Cup” this past Saturday, taking the lead from Andy Gregg on lap 13 and leading the rest of the way for his fifth win of the KWS season. We will showcase highlights from the night courtesy KWS Productions and Mike Doyle Video.

We also caught up with Tim Kaeding in the pits prior to the races to get his thoughts on returning home after a successful two-month stint in the Midwest racing with the World of Outlaws. “TK” tallied a ninth place finish at the Knoxville Nationals recently and will be looking to bring home the “Gold Cup” in a couple weeks at Silver Dollar Speedway.

With just one more race left in the 2012 season we’ll give a first glimpse at championship night, which takes place at the Kings Speedway in Hanford on Saturday October 13. The event marks the annual “Cotton Classic” and current King of the West point leader Jonathan Allard is the defending winner of the prestigious show.

We will also discuss a couple of special events going on at the upcoming “Gold Cup Race of Champions” in Chico, with those being the Clyde Lamar Gold Cup Golf Classic and the Kick-It for Cancer Kickball game. Info on the golf tournament can be found by calling (916) 709-8652 and info on the Kick-It game http://www.facebook.com/events/178376422287367/178717648919911/?ref=notif&notif_t=plan_mall_activity

Remember to get you tickets ordered for the upcoming KWS championship banquet weekend on November 9, 10 & 11 at the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort. You can get your banquet reservations in now by contacting (707) 374-2222. To reserve hotel rooms for the weekend contact Jackson Rancheria at (209) 223-1677.

We’ll share more information on the car show and model car show that will be a part of the championship banquet weekend on Saturday November 10.

Tim Kaeding claims fifth win of the 2012 KWS season at Silver Dollar Speedway’s “Prelude to Gold Cup” on Saturday

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – August 18, 2012…Tim Kaeding hadn’t raced in California since early-June, however, the reigning KWS champion returned home on Saturday night at the Silver Dollar Speedway and promptly raced to his series leading fifth win of the season with the Cancen Oil King of the West Sprints presented by Goodyear.

For the Fresno, California based Roth Motorsports team it marked their sixth overall victory of the KWS campaign, with Kyle Hirst’s win on June 23 added in. It was also the 59th triumph in Kaeding’s career with the Golden State/ King of the West Series and his first since June 9 at the Southern Oregon Speedway.

“I really have to thank Dennis & Teresa Roth and this whole Roth Motorsports team for giving me the opportunity to drive such a great race car,” said the reigning King of the West Series champion. “We’ve been out on the road the last couple months and have run really well. Now we’re back home getting ready for the Gold Cup so hopefully we come back in a few weeks and be standing in this same spot.”

The 30-lap main event came to the line with KSE Dash winner Andy Gregg and Tim Kaeding on the front row and when the green flag waved it was Gregg getting the lead. In search of his first win of the season Gregg hit his marks over the early laps and persevered through a number of stoppages that slowed things down considerably. The fight for second early on changed hands a couple times, as Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson tried to battle his way forward.

Larson’s bid at victory took a hit around lap 10 when contact resulted in him suffering a flat tire, while at the same time Willie Croft got upside down in turn four with KWS point leader Jonathan Allard also involved. On the restart Kaeding stepped up his challenges and stayed glued to the rear bumper of Gregg’s Guts Racing No. 53 mount. On lap 13 “TK” then made the winning move to slip by and take command of the race.

Once in front it was all Kaeding as he cruised off and worked lapped traffic to perfection, taking the checkered flag by over five seconds for his first victory of the year at Silver Dollar Speedway. Gregg was able to hold off a fast moving Peter Murphy to record his second runner up finish of the season with the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear.

“It’s really great to be up here on the podium and if you’re going to get beat by anyone a cherry picker like Tim Kaeding is the guy,” Gregg chuckled jokingly with a big smile. “We’re just happy to be on the front stretch because we’ve had some tough luck at times this season. We’ll try and go on to finish the season strong at the Cotton Classic in October at Hanford.”

Murphy’s third place effort was a season best and unofficially moved him up to fourth in the KWS standings. The driver of the Dalton’s Landscaping No. 11 also set fast time to begin the night and won the Last Chance Qualifier. “This was a good run for us tonight and going into it our goal was to try to move up in the points, so we’re pretty happy. Congrats to Tim Kaeding and the “Windshield Wiper” Andy Gregg for great drives tonight.”

Campbell’s Brent Kaeding started 13th on the grid and moved his way forward to score a fourth place finish, with Grass Valley’s Jason Statler charging from 15th to fifth, which earned him the Pit Stop USA hard charger award. Rounding out the top-10 were Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Chico’s Brad Bumgarner, Kyle Larson, 19th starter Cody Lamar of Rio Linda and Fair Oaks Chad Compton. For Lamar it marked his first top-10 finish of the season with KWS.

Bringing home the Last Chance Qualifier was Peter Murphy and winning the KSE Dash was Andy Gregg. The four Kaeding Performance heat races were captured by Evan Suggs, Auburn’s Richard Brace Jr., Kyle Larson and Tim Kaeding. Setting his first BR Motorsports fast time of the season to begin the night was Peter Murphy, who toured the quarter-mile in 12.118 seconds.

The Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear will now take nearly two months off, before heading for championship night at the Kings Speedway in Hanford for the annual “Cotton Classic” on Saturday October 13. Two-time state 410 champion Jonathan Allard will go into the event with a large lead in search of another title and is also the defending winner of the “Cotton Classic.”

Also check out our official website http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Cancen Oil King of the West 410 Sprint Cars presented by Goodyear. Archived shows of “KWS Tonight” are also available on the website for your viewing pleasure.

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Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear Results – “Prelude to Gold Cup” Silver Dollar Speedway Saturday August 18, 2012

28-cars

Fast time: Peter Murphy

Heat one: Evan Suggs, Andy Gregg, Jason Statler, Brent Kaeding, Peter Murphy, Kenny Allen, Steve Tatterson

Heat two: Richard Brace Jr., Tyler Wolf, Bud Walberg, Chad Compton, Doug Gandy, Danielle Simpson, Brad Bumgarner

Heat three: Kyle Larson, Bobby McMahan, Sean McMahan, Jeff Griffin, Pat Harvey, Adam Brenton, Scott Parker

Heat four: Tim Kaeding, Willie Croft, Jonathan Allard, Craig Stidham, Stu Krum, Dan Simpson, Cody Lamar

Dash: Andy Gregg, Tim Kaeding, Richard Brace Jr., Jonathan Allard, Kyle Larson, Evan Suggs, Bobby McMahan, Tyler Wolf

LCQ: Peter Murphy, Brad Bumgarner, Cody Lamar, Doug Gandy, Scott Parker, Pat Harvey, Steve Tatterson, Kenny Allen, Adam Brenton, Stu Krum, Danielle Simpson

A-main: Tim Kaeding, Andy Gregg, Peter Murphy, Brent Kaeding, Jason Statler, Evan Suggs, Brad Bumgarner, Kyle Larson, Cody Lamar, Chad Compton, Jonathan Allard, Craig Stidham, Sean McMahan, Willie Croft, Richard Brace, Tyler Wolf, Bud Walberg, Scott Parker, Doug Gandy, Pat Harvey, Bobby McMahan, Jeff Griffin

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Peter Murphy claimed the BR Motorsports Fast Time Award and finished third in the main event on Saturday at the "Prelude to Gold Cup" in Chico. By doing so Murphy has taken over the fourth spot in points with the KWS Series.

With the “Prelude to Gold Cup” on deck for the King of the West Sprints this Saturday, the “KWS Tonight” gang will be on the air Thursday night to get everyone geared up for what is expected to be an exciting evening of competition at the Chico bullring.

To view the show log onto http://www.kwssprints.com starting at 7pm pst on Thursday. It will then replay on the homepage to watch at your leisurely pleasure over the next week.

The event this weekend at Silver Dollar Speedway will mark the 16th round of the season for the Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear and the third appearance at the Chico based quarter-mile in 2012.

It’s also the first “Prelude to Gold Cup” and gives KWS drivers a chance to tune up for the big show in a few weeks. Reigning KWS champ Tim Kaeding and “Yung Money” Kyle Larson will be making their return to California this weekend to add some definite excitement to the program.

Going into Saturday hometown driver Jonathan Allard has a large lead in the driver standings, as he looks to wrap up his third career state 410 title with just two events remaining in the season. Fresno’s Craig Stidham is coming off his big win in the most recent KWS event and will be looking for back-to-back victories on Saturday.

The always colorful Andy Gregg, Tim Kaeding & Jonathan Allard will be part of our pre-race autograph session on Saturday. The trio will be by the front gate at 5pm when the gates open at Silver Dollar Speedway so be sure to get there early to say hi & pick up an autograph.

We’ll also take a look back at rounds seven and eight of the KWS season, which took place over Memorial Day weekend at the Calistoga Speedway. The annual “Salute to Walt Ross” & “Tribute to Gary Patterson” featured some great racing on the historic half-mile, with wins scored by Tim Kaeding & Rico Abreu.

We’ll take a look back at the final night of the 2005 “Pombo/Sargent Classic” at Kings Speedway in our “Kaeding Performance Flashback” this week. Veteran driver Ronnie Day charged to victory at the event while driving the Elite Racing No. 1 sprinter.

In addition to all of that we will put a wrap on the Knoxville Nationals, where former California state 410 champions Jonathan Allard, T. Kaeding and Kyle Larson all made the A-main on Saturday at the $150,000-to-win event.

Be sure to catch archived shows of “KWS Tonight” and much more at our website http://www.kwssprints.com

King of the West Sprints roar into Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway for the third and final time this season on Saturday night/ Tim Kaeding & Kyle Larson add names into the mix

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – August 14, 2012…The Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear is eagerly set to return to action this Saturday night, with the “Prelude to Gold Cup” on tap at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California.

This Saturday will mark the 16th round of competition in the fight for the King of the West crown and the third appearance of the year at the quarter-mile clay oval located on the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds. It also gives KWS drivers the opportunity to get tuned up for the fast approaching “Gold Cup Race of Champions,” which takes place on September 5-8.

Leading the way into the “Prelude to Gold Cup” on Saturday and in search of his third state 410 title is Chico’s very own Jonathan Allard, who has driven the familiar Williams Motorsports No. 0 to wins in both of the previous visits to Silver Dollar Speedway this season.

The veteran began his sprint car career at SDS and captured the track title in 2002. Allard also ran second to four-time Outlaw champ Donny Schatz at this year’s “Mini Gold Cup” in March and made the A-main at the prestigious Knoxville Nationals last week for the second time in his career.

A couple drivers certain to be contenders on Saturday will include San Jose’s Tim Kaeding and Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson. Kaeding will return to the series for the first time since early-June and is fresh off a strong ninth place finish at the Knoxville Nationals last weekend in Iowa. “TK” charged from deep in the field to come home second during the most recent KWS event at SDS in June.

Larson also had an impressive outing last week at “Iowa Speedweek” and captured the overall “Mr. Sprint Car” title, in addition to the Knoxville Nationals Rookie of the Year Award. The 20-year-old claimed victories during the Ultimate Challenge prelim night & finale in Oskaloosa, along with winning opening night of the Knoxville Nationals. Larson will be aboard the Finley Farms No. 77 this Saturday at Silver Dollar Speedway.

The battle for second in KWS points is a close one between last year’s runner up Evan Suggs of Scotts Valley and National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding from Campbell. After losing the second spot a month ago, Suggs has reclaimed the position following the Antioch event on July 21 and holds an 11-point advantage over Kaeding. Suggs is looking for his first win of the season, while Kaeding claimed victory on June 30 in Placerville.

Another extremely close race in the standings is the fight for fourth, which sees three drivers separated by just eight-digits as the season comes down to the wire. Former Silver Dollar Speedway champion Bobby McMahan currently holds down the fourth spot going into Saturday. The Elk Grove veteran brought home a third place finish at the most recent KWS event in Antioch last month and will look to jump two more spots on Saturday.

Hot on McMahan’s heels and currently tied for fifth in the KWS standings are Clovis, CA’s Peter Murphy and Sacramento’s Willie Croft. Last season Murphy charged to victory with the King of the West Series at Silver Dollar Speedway and Croft is also a past winner of the “Mini Gold Cup” at SDS. Croft has been one of the hottest drivers as of late and is tied with Tim Kaeding for the most BR Motorsports fast time awards this season.

Past Golden State 410 champion Jason Statler of Grass Valley is just 14-points back of the tie for sixth between Murphy and Croft. “The Big Guy” is coming off a runner up effort at the most recent King of the West event at Antioch Speedway on July 21 and will be gunning for season win number one on Saturday. Other top-10 drivers geared up for Saturday include Placerville’s Andy Gregg and Fresno’s Craig Stidham.

Stidham in fact is the most recent winner in King of the West competition and will be searching to go back-to-back on Saturday.

More drivers expected for this weekend will include Fair Oaks Chad Compton, Rio Linda’s Cody Lamar, Oroville’s Sean Becker, Elk Grove’s Sean McMahan, Redding’s Tyler Wolf, St Helena’s Jeff Griffin, Chico’s Brad Bumgarner and Michael Tarter, Fresno’s Dominic Scelzi, Auburn’s Richard Brace, Rio Vista’s Dan & Danielle Simpson, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey and others.

On Saturday August 18 the front gate of the Silver Dollar Speedway will open at 5pm, with qualifying at 6:30pm and racing scheduled to begin around 7pm. Adult tickets on Friday night at Silver Dollar Speedway will cost $20, juniors will be $15 and children $6.

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. More info at http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com

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

“KWS Tonight”

“KWS Tonight” will present a great show this week featuring an interview with Fresno, California’s Craig Stidham, who is coming off his first career King of the West 410 Series victory this past Saturday in Antioch.

To view the show log onto http://www.kwssprints.com starting at 7pm pst on Thursday. It will then replay on the homepage to watch at your leisurely pleasure over the next week. With no racing for the series this weekend “KWS Tonight” will help fill that void so be sure to tune in.

Stidham last weekend captured a wild main event at the Antioch Speedway and we’ll get his thoughts on becoming a 410 Sprint Car winner for the first time in his career. The Central Valley veteran currently ranks ninth in the KWS standings, during what is his first year back in a 410 full-time since 2004.

The KWS Production Unit will also showcase some great highlights from the night in Antioch, which was the 15th round of the 2012 King of the West season. You definitely don’t want to miss the show this week, as the action was intense and we’ll give you a glimpse at it all on “KWS Tonight.”

In honor of having Craig Stidham on the show this week the “Kaeding Performance Flashback” will highlight the 2001 Trophy Cup at Kings Speedway. The very exciting two-night show saw Stidham claim the stunning victory over what was a talent laden field of sprint cars. We’ll also have him share his memories of the event.

We’ll also breakdown some of the exciting point battles that continue to be shaken up in the King of the West standings. With just a couple races left the intensity level is sure to be kicked up a notch when the tour gets to Silver Dollar Speedway for its next show on Saturday August 18.

We’ll also continue giving everyone an in depth look at the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort, which will be hosting our three-day championship banquet weekend on November 9, 10 and 11. You can get your banquet reservations in now by contacting (707) 374-2222. To reserve hotel rooms for the weekend contact Jackson Rancheria at (800) 822-9466.

Be sure to catch archived shows of “KWS Tonight” and much more at our website http://www.kwssprints.com

Craig Stidham rises up to post long overdue first career King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series win at Antioch Speedway on Saturday night

By Gary Thomas

Antioch, CA – July 21, 2012…Throughout his career Fresno, California’s Craig Stidham has won a number of championships in the Central Valley and is even a former winner of the famed Trophy Cup. The one thing that he had not accomplished though in the past is a 410 Sprint Car victory and when he returned to the KWS series in 2012 that was his number one goal.

Keeping that in mind the 2002 Golden State Rookie of the Year debuted a new car at the Antioch Speedway on Saturday night and raced to an impressive victory with the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear, adding a 410 Sprint Car win to his resume.

“I can’t tell you how much this means to me and our whole team,” said an exuberant Stidham in victory lane. “This is my first ever 410 win and I’ve been trying hard to get one of these for so long. This is a huge accomplishment for us and I can’t thank our sponsors enough for their support this season. I also want to thank Dan Simpson for putting this series on because it’s been great. We’re one big family out here and that’s how racing should be.”

Despite warm day-time temps, track conditions were very racy all night long and the 30-lap main event came to the line with KSE Dash winner Cody Lamar and defending Silver Dollar Speedway champion Tyler Wolf on the front row. At the waving of the green flag it was Wolf jumping into the lead and was quickly followed by Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan in second.

The first half of the feature saw terrific racing all throughout the pack and Wolf did a solid job up front looking for his first ever KWS win aboard the Chuck Wolf Sand & Gravel No. 19 mount. The fight for second was an intense one as well with McMahan, Stidham and Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst duking it out on the hooked up clay. Stidham found a nice line to his liking by running the high-scary-side of turns one & two and on lap 11 he would charge past McMahan for second.

Stidham then came hard after Wolf and with 13-laps complete the former Rebel Cup Series champ blasted to the lead down the back stretch. Just moments later fourth running Hirst would make contact with a flipping car which collapsed his front end, forcing the Roth Motorsports sprinter to the rear of the field. On the ensuing double-file restart chaos occurred when contact between Stidham and Wolf resulted in the No. 19 machine spinning and collecting Brent Kaeding, Peter Murphy and Jonathan Allard.

The line-up was shaken up a bit for the next restart and saw Stidham leading 11th starting Jason Statler of Grass Valley, who had carved his way forward to get around McMahan for the runner up spot. The remainder of the race saw a number of cautions slow the flow, but through it all Stidham remained calm & cool aboard the Brad Johnson Trucking, KRC Safety Equipment No. 3 mount. When the white flag came out he had no worries and crossed the checkered by 1.798 seconds to score the popular victory.

Statler came home in second to tie his best Cancen Oil King of the West Series presented by Goodyear finish of the season in the DF Rios Motorsports, Kaeding Performance No. 00 sprinter. “The Big Guy” put together the strong effort even despite losing his brakes over the final half of the race.

“It was a great run for us tonight and being back up here on the podium is really awesome for this whole team,” said Statler. “I want to congratulate Craig Stidham on the win and have to thank Dave Rios and all my guys for their support. We lost our brakes there later in the race and Craig was really fast, but it would have been nice if we could have been up there to challenge him for the win. All in all a great night though so we’re happy.”

McMahan crossed the stripe in third to continue his success at the Antioch Speedway this season behind the wheel of the American Tool & Mfg, Performance Powder Coating No. 25 mount. The former NARC Speedweek champion has finished in the top-five all three times at the track this year.

“If we could race here every weekend it wouldn’t hurt me because we have been really good at Antioch this season,” said McMahan, who has moved back into fourth in the King of the West standings after last night. “We’ve had a fifth, fourth and now a third here so we couldn’t be happier. That was a really fun race tonight being able to race up front and I can’t thank this whole team enough. I also want to congratulate Craig Stidham for the win and Jason Statler for a good run in second.”

Claiming fourth at the finish was Sacramento’s Willie Croft, who averted near disaster when he and Andy Gregg got together late in the race. Croft’s Holy Smokes BBQ, AIC Powder Coating No. 29 machine pirouetted in the air and he somehow saved it amazingly and continued on to post the strong result. Rounding out the top-five and doing a great job from the rear of the field was Kyle Hirst in the Roth Motorsports, HR Cattle No. 83. The 24-year-old has been very impressive in his four starts for Dennis & Teresa Roth.

The drive of the night however, may have gone to young 15-year-old Dominic Scelzi, who earned the Pit Stop USA Hard Charger Award by coming from 18th to sixth in the main event. The son of former NHRA Funny Car & Top Fuel champion Gary Scelzi, was extremely impressive in the main event utilizing a 360 power plant under the hood. Completing the top-10 in the feature were Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Clovis’ Peter Murphy and Broken Hills, Australia’s Josh Ruhs.

Winning the Last Chance Qualifier was Elk Grove’s Sean McMahan and picking up the KSE Racing Products Dash was Rio Linda’s Cody Lamar. Kaeding Performance heat race wins went to Bobby McMahan, Cody Lamar, Andy Gregg and Peter Murphy. Setting his third BR Motorsports fast time of the season was Willie Croft, who toured the one-third mile oval in 11.782 seconds.

The Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear will now take a few weeks off, before returning to action on Saturday August 18 at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. More info on the event in the coming weeks can be found at http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com

Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear Results – Antioch Speedway July 21

28-cars

Fast time: Willie Croft 11.782

Heat one: Bobby McMahan, Willie Croft, Jonathan Allard, Josh Ruhs, Shane Golobic, Stuart Krum, Doug Gandy

Heat two: Cody Lamar, Brent Kaeding, Evan Suggs, Kyle Hirst, Jim Richardson, Jeff Griffin, Danielle Simpson

Heat three: Andy Gregg, Jimmy Sills, Jason Statler, Tyler Wolf, Sean McMahan, Pat Harvey, Scott Parker

Heat four: Peter Murphy, Brad Bumgarner, Craig Stidham, Dominic Scelzi, Richard Brace Jr., Rick Eberhardt, Chad Compton

Dash: Cody Lamar, Tyler Wolf, Bobby McMahan, Craig Stidham, Peter Murphy, Evan Suggs, Willie Croft, Andy Gregg

LCQ: Sean McMahan, Jeff Griffin, Richard Brace Jr., Danielle Simpson, Scott Parker, Jim Richardson

A-main: Craig Stidham, Jason Statler, Bobby McMahan, Willie Croft, Kyle Hirst, Dominic Scelzi, Andy Gregg, Evan Suggs, Peter Murphy, Josh Ruhs, Jeff Griffin, Brad Bumgarner, Scott Parker, Cody Lamar, Jim Richardson, Jimmy Sills, Sean McMahan, Jonathan Allard, Brent Kaeding, Tyler Wolf, Danielle Simpson, Richard Brace Jr.

Shane Golobic Interview/ Antioch Preview/ Kaeding Performance Flashback & more on “KWS Tonight

One of the most impressive drivers in all of Northern California over the last month happens to be Fremont, California’s Shane Golobic, who is coming off his best finish of the KWS season on July 7 in Watsonville. With that in mind the 20-year-old will call-in to “KWS Tonight” this Thursday evening & talk about his season up to this point.

To view the show log onto http://www.kwssprints.com starting at 7pm pst on Thursday. It will then replay on the homepage to watch at your leisurely pleasure over the next week.

Over the last three King of the West Sprint Car Series events Golobic has been very strong and in position to win each time, with finishes of fourth and third the last couple races. Golobic returns to Antioch Speedway this weekend, where he will be searching for his second career Winged 410 Sprint Car win.

Also on the show this week we will preview the upcoming KWS event in Antioch on Saturday and showcase highlights of our previous four appearances at the track dating back to last season. Winners in that time frame include Tim Kaeding on two separate occasions, along with single victories being captured by Jonathan Allard and most recently Kyle Hirst.

Going into this weekend Allard holds a commanding lead in the King of the West driver standings, however, it’s anything but over behind him, with a number of interesting battles among the top-10. The most exciting fight to watch will be fourth through seventh in the points, as those drivers are separated by only 26-markers.

The “Kaeding Performance Flashback” this week will feature highlights from SPEEDWEEK 1996 courtesy of Grove Hill & Quality Race Video. Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan claimed the overall title & ended the week by winning at Antioch Speedway. The veteran currently ranks fifth in the KWS standings going into the track on Saturday.

Be sure to also tune-in for a special announcement regarding next season.

Be sure to catch archived shows of “KWS Tonight” and much more at our website http://www.kwssprints.com

High octane Cancen Oil King of the West Sprints invade Antioch Speedway for final time of the year on Saturday night

By Gary Thomas

Antioch, CA – July 17, 2012…With the season coming down to the wire and point battles heating up, the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear will venture to the Antioch Speedway for the final time in 2012 this Saturday night.

It will be the third visit of the season for the King of the West unlimited 410’s at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds facility and marks round fifteen in the fight for the series title. Winners thus far at the Antioch Speedway this year include last year’s champion Tim Kaeding and most recently Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst.

“It’s always an action packed night in Antioch and we’re definitely looking forward to being there on Saturday for the third time this season,” said KWS Operations Manager George Hague. “The racing there has been extremely entertaining over the years and with all the close point battles going on, you can bet it will be more of the same on Saturday.”

Holding a firm grasp at the top of the driver standings and eyeing a third state title, Chico’s Jonathan Allard goes into Antioch this weekend looking for his fifth Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear win of the year. Allard captured the most recent series event in Watsonville and has won twice in his career Antioch Speedway.

Returning once again on Saturday aboard the Roth Motorsports No. 83 machine will be Hirst, who has not finished worse than fourth during his three starts in the car. The 24-year-old has been very strong over the last few weeks and has helped Dennis & Teresa Roth take a firm lead in the owner standings.

“It’s been a real honor to drive for Dennis & Teresa Roth and the whole Roth Motorsports team over the last three races,” commented Hirst. “We’ve been fast every night and they’ve given me a great car. Hopefully we can come out this weekend and do the same thing we did in Antioch on June 23.”

The legendary Jimmy Sills will also be back in competition at Antioch on Saturday at the helm of the Dan Simpson Racing No. 4s mount. Sills claimed the Pit Stop USA hard charger award during the June event in Antioch and will be searching to move up the ladder even more this weekend. It marks his sixth start of the 2012 year in a 410.

Fellow National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding ranks second in the KWS standings and will be looking for redemption on Saturday, after an incident in lapped traffic took him out of the lead in June at the track. The Campbell, California veteran has won the most in Antioch since 410 racing returned there in 2003.

The always smooth and consistent Evan Suggs of Scotts Valley sits third in the standings and will be looking to make up ground on Kaeding in the battle for the second spot. The 25-year-old Scotts Valley driver is 16-markers back of Kaeding going into Saturday.

The drivers ranking fourth through seventh in the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear standings are separated by only 26-points and it’s expected to be a close fight right down to the end. Australian native Peter Murphy has been solid as of late and now maintains the fourth spot, but is just four-digits ahead of Bobby McMahan who rounds out the top-five.

The dogfight continues with sixth place in points Willie Croft of Sacramento only 12-markers back of McMahan for fifth. Seventh place Jason Statler is also just a scant 10-points back of Croft. All four drivers are still looking for their first KWS win of the year and a victory on Saturday would be huge in the point chase. McMahan & Statler have both won at Antioch in the past.

Fellow top-10 drivers in the standings, Andy Gregg of Placerville and Craig Stidham from Fresno, will also be looking to breakthrough for their first win of the season on Saturday. During the June 23 event at Antioch, Stidham scored a season best second place finish, while Gregg rounded out the podium in the feature.

One of the hottest drivers as of late has been Fremont youngster Shane Golobic, who is coming off his best finish of the KWS season on July 7 in Watsonville. The 20-year-old also had a strong run on June 23 in Antioch, battling for the lead in the main event, before an incident in traffic relegated him to a ninth place finish.

Other drivers geared up for this Saturday will include Fair Oaks Chad Compton, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Rio Linda’s Cody Lamar, Redding’s Tyler Wolf, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey, St. Helena’s Jeff Griffin, Auburn’s Richard Brace Jr. and more.

On Saturday July 21 the front grandstand gate will be open at 5pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 6pm, with qualifying at 6:30pm and racing anticipated to start around 7pm. Tickets will 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.

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 10th Street. Turn Right on 10th Street. The address for the track is 1201 W. 10th Street Antioch, CA 94509. More info about the track can be found at http://www.ovalmotorsports.com/category/antioch/

Also check out our official website http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Cancen Oil King of the West 410 Sprint Cars presented by Goodyear. Archived “KWS Tonight” videos are also available for viewing on the website to watch at your leisurely pleasure.

With the summer heat in full gear the “KWS Tonight” crew will be on the net this evening recapping a terrific night of competition at the “Howard Kaeding Classic” last weekend, in addition to paying tribute to the legendary Duke McMillen.

To view the show log onto http://www.kwssprints.com starting at 7pm pst on Thursday. It will then replay on the homepage to watch at your leisurely pleasure over the next week.

The “Howard Kaeding Classic” turned out to be an epic night and featured a main event that saw intense wheel to wheel action for all 30-laps. KWS point leader Jonathan Allard ended up winning the feature after an exciting duel with Shane Golobic and Tommy Tarlton.

The KWS Production Unit will showcase highlights from the “Howard Kaeding Classic” and give a glimpse at the entertaining evening that honored the “Campbell Comet.”

The sprint car community is also mourning the loss of famous car owner/crew chief Duke McMillen and we’ll pay tribute to him on the show this week. McMillen owned cars and crewed for a number of major stars in the sport of sprint car racing during his career.

We were able to get some words with various friends and colleagues of McMillen and share their thoughts on how much he meant to the sport and themselves personally. The services for McMillen were held on Tuesday and featured a large gathering of well known people in the west coast sprint car family.

We’ll also give everyone a more in depth look at the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort, which will be hosting our three-day championship banquet weekend on November 9, 10 and 11. You can get your banquet reservations in now by contacting (707) 374-2222. To reserve hotel rooms for the weekend contact Jackson Rancheria at (800) 822-9466.

Finally we’ll take an initial look at next week’s event in Antioch and feature a viewer question from Brad Scadden of B Scadden Designs. If anyone has any questions or comments they’d like to be read on the air please Tweet or Facebook us.

Be sure to catch archived shows of “KWS Tonight” and much more at our website http://www.kwssprints.com

KWS point leader Jonathan Allard comes out on top of an exciting back & forth duel at “Howard Kaeding Classic” Saturday night in Watsonville

By Gary Thomas

Watsonville, CA – July 7, 2012…Of all the previous King of the West 410 Series & Golden State victories that two-time California state champion Jonathan Allard has scored in his career, none had come at the Ocean Speedway. That all changed on Saturday night however, as the Chico driver captured a thrilling “Howard Kaeding Classic” main event, following a back & forth battle with track point leader Shane Golobic.

For Allard it was his fourth Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear win of the season, tying Tim Kaeding for the most wins on tour this year. It also marked his 32nd career victory in combined KWS & Golden State 410 events, which is third all-time behind Brent and Tim Kaeding.

“I couldn’t be happier to win tonight since the last couple weeks haven’t gone like we wanted and it’s pretty special to get our first victory here with the 410 at Ocean during the HK Classic,” commented a very jubilant Allard. “That was some pretty intense racing there with Shane Golobic and I just wish we could get him out here full time with KWS. I also want to dedicate the win tonight to Duke McMillen, who passed away this week. He was a great man and we're going to miss him.”

The 30-lap “Howard Kaeding Classic” came to the line with KSE Dash winner Tommy Tarlton and Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs on the front row. Ironically Tarlton and Suggs were the two winners last season at the event and when the green lights flashed on it was Tarlton snagging the lead. Immediately it became a three-car fight for the top-spot though, as Fremont’s Shane Golobic and Jonathan Allard came hard after the Tarlton & Son Inc. No. 21 mount.

Golobic would take command in the thrilling fight for the lead early on and Allard followed along for second. Golobic, the current Ocean Speedway point leader, was in search of his second career Winged 410 Sprint Car win, but had Allard breathing down his neck running the extreme high-line aboard the Williams Motorsports No. 0 mount. The duo put on great show over the duration of the 30-lapper and kept fans on the edge of their seats, trading the lead multiple times.

By the time a caution came out just past the halfway mark Allard found himself in the lead, but a double-file restart worked to Golobic’s advantage and the youngster moved back to the top spot. The action continued to be hot and heavy with Golobic being extremely patient running the bottom and Allard blasting the cushion up top. Behind the two front runners positions changed hands frequently all race long, as drivers used every inch of the quarter-mile oval.

The tricky surface created tons of back and forth racing and double file restarts made for some tremendous action for the packed house on hand. A restart with eight-laps to go then raised the intensity level even more, as Allard rocketed to the high side in turns one & two and pulled off an aggressive move to re-take the lead. Hitting your marks was extremely paramount as the laps wound down and when traffic came into play it was even that much more important.

Golobic kept Allard in his sights, but also had a fast approaching Tarlton with new found life and the trio ran closely together over the final handful of circuits. Allard was able to pick his spots wisely and show the form that has made him a two-time state champ, as he crossed the checkered flag for his second career Ocean Speedway victory, but first in a 410.

Tarlton narrowly beat out Golobic at the stripe to record his best Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear finish of the season. “We got rolling there pretty good late in the race, but just ran out of time,” commented the Terminator. “We always come out here to win races, but on the fun scale that race was pretty good. I want to congratulate Jonathan Allard on the win and have to thank my whole team and all our sponsors.”

Golobic’s third place finish was also his best result of the 2012 Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear season. Driving the Joe VonSchriltz No. 121 sprinter Golobic has been one of the hottest drivers over the last few weeks with KWS. “We definitely wanted to win tonight, but being up here on the podium with Jonathan and Tommy is nothing to be too disappointed about,” said Golobic. “It’s been a great year for us and I can’t thank everyone that helps us out enough.”

Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst had an eventful main event and brought home a fourth place finish in the Roth Motorsports No. 83 machine. The 24-year-old was running in the top-five early on, until an incident in turn one forced him to the rear of the field. Hirst then charged back through the field to score another solid finish in his third event driving for Dennis & Teresa Roth.

Clovis, CA’s Peter Murphy also continued his recent momentum by rounding out the top-five aboard the Dalton’s Landscaping No. 11 sprinter. Murphy got to as high as third at one point, before crossing the stripe in fifth to record his third top-five finish of the KWS season.

Rounding out the top-10 in the “HK Classic” main event were Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Sacramento’s Willie Croft, Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, Grass Valley’s Jason Statler and Pit Stop USA Hard Charger Cory Eliason from Visalia.

The 12-lap Last Chance Qualifier was claimed by Willie Croft with the KSE Racing Products Dash captured by Tommy Tarlton. The three 10-lap Kaeding Performance Heat Races went to Peter Murphy, Evan Suggs and Brent Kaeding. In BR Motorsports qualifying Willie Croft toured the quarter-mile in 11.513 seconds to earn his second fast time of the year. Croft will also receive a custom KWS aluminum license plate courtesy of Grant’s Fine Art.

The night also included a couple of special moments, with the first being a memorial lap for legendary car owner & mechanic Duke McMillen, who passed away on Wednesday morning. King of the West Series drivers lined the front stretch to pay tribute to McMillen, as Cody Lamar and Brent Kaeding performed the memorial lap. As part of the “Howard Kaeding Classic” the legendary Howard Kaeding was presented with a couple of beautiful illustrations on the front stretch and honored for his storied career.

The Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear will get next weekend off, with the previously scheduled Thunderbowl Raceway event being canceled due to wall repairs. The KWS Series will be back in action on Saturday July 21 at the Antioch Speedway located on the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds.

Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear Results – “Howard Kaeding Classic” Ocean Speedway Watsonville July 7, 2012

25-cars

Fast Time: Willie Croft 11.513

Heat One: Peter Murphy, Jonathan Allard, Shane Golobic, Bobby McMahan, Jerry Bonnema, Nick Rescino Jr., Danielle Simpson, Willie Croft

Heat Two: Evan Suggs, Tommy Tarlton, Craig Stidham, Justin Sanders, Cory Eliason, Andy Gregg, Mark Barroso, Scott Parker

Heat Three: Brent Kaeding, Kyle Hirst, Jason Statler, Cody Lamar, Chad Compton, Dominic Scelzi, Jeff Griffin, Doug Gandy, Pat Harvey

Dash: Tommy Tarlton, Evan Suggs, Jonathan Allard, Kyle Hirst, Shane Golobic, Peter Murphy, Brent Kaeding, Jason Statler

LCQ: Willie Croft, Nick Rescino Jr., Doug Gandy, Pat Harvey, Scott Parker, Danielle Simpson, Mark Barroso, Jeff Griffin, Dominic Scelzi, Andy Gregg

A-main: Jonathan Allard, Tommy Tarlton, Shane Golobic, Kyle Hirst, Peter Murphy, Evan Suggs, Willie Croft, Brent Kaeding, Jason Statler, Cory Eliason, Bobby McMahan, Craig Stidham, Jerry Bonnema, Cody Lamar, Doug Gandy, Nick Rescino Jr., Danielle Simpson, Scott Parker, Mark Barroso, Pat Harvey, Chad Compton

Brent Kaeding to be featured guest on "KWS Tonight"

With the “Howard Kaeding Classic” on tap this week for the Cancen Oil King of the West Sprints in Watsonville “KWS Tonight” will be on the net this evening at 7pm putting a wrap on Placerville last Saturday and previewing the upcoming weekend.

To view the show log onto http://www.kwssprints.com starting at 7pm pst on Thursday. It will then replay on the homepage to watch at your leisurely pleasure over the next week.

Last week’s winner Brent Kaeding will call-in and talk about his huge victory last Saturday at the Placerville Speedway, which was his first unlimited 410 Sprint Car win since July of 2009. The legendary racer from Campbell will also talk about his season up to this point, as he currently stands second in the KWS standings.

Our Placerville Speedway recap will include highlights from the night that featured Kaeding and Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst battle it out right down to the checkered flag. Local favorite Andy Gregg rounded out the podium in what was an entertaining 30-lapper at "Old Hangtown" & will share a glimpse at some of the hotly contested action.

This Saturday’s “Howard Kaeding Classic” will mark the second running of the event after a successful inaugural edition last year. We’ll give everyone a rundown of a closely contested point battle among the top-10 drivers, which is expected to go right down to the wire. Each position is extremely critical with the amount of money on the line at the end of the season & it's sure to bring out the best in everyone.

Don't forget about the earlier start at Ocean Speedway on Saturday with the driver meeting around 3:30pm. The front gate will also open at 3:30 & qualifying is scheduled to begin at about 5. So everything pretty much begins an hour & a half earlier than usual. Please keep this in mind.

We’ll also discuss our trip to the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort this past Monday, where we spoke with CEO Rich Hoffman to prepare for the big three-day championship banquet weekend on November 9, 10 & 11. You can get your banquet reservations in now by contacting (707) 374-2222. To reserve hotel rooms for the weekend contact Jackson Rancheria at (800) 822-9466.

Be sure to catch archived shows of “KWS Tonight” at our website http://www.kwssprints.com

Second annual “Howard Kaeding Classic” next up for Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear this Saturday July 7 at Ocean Speedway Watsonville

By Gary Thomas

Watsonville, CA – July 3, 2012…The cool coastal climate of Watsonville, California will welcome the fourteenth round of the season for the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear this Saturday night, with the second annual “Howard Kaeding Classic” on deck at Ocean Speedway Watsonville.

The program will start a little earlier than usual on Saturday with the front gate opening at 3:30pm and qualifying scheduled to fire off around 5pm. Please be advised as things will start about an hour and a half earlier than usual.

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.

Last year’s inaugural “Howard Kaeding Classic” was an overwhelming success and ended with locally based driver Evan Suggs of Scotts Valley grabbing his first career King of the West win. The double-header also saw Easton’s Tommy Tarlton claim victory on opening night after a torrid battle with Jonathan Allard and Tim Kaeding.

Coming into the “HK Classic” with tons of momentum is Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, who will look to make it back to back wins after claiming his first KWS win of the season last Saturday in Placerville. The Hall of Famer currently ranks second in the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear standings and will be gunning hard to win his father’s race on Saturday.

“It would really mean a lot to win at the HK Classic on Saturday and we’ll be giving it our best shot,” commented the 13-time state champion. “Any time you win a race it is a big deal, but with it being my dad’s event that would make it even that much more special. We’ve been running well and getting the win last Saturday was a confidence booster so we’ll go out and have some fun this weekend.”

Chico’s Jonathan Allard will be looking to rebound after having a couple tough outings the last two weeks. The two-time state champ however, still maintains a large lead in the Cancen Oil KWS presented by Goodyear driver standings and is well on way to a third career title driving for Morrie & Katie Williams owned No. 0 mount. Allard has never won a 410 Sprint Car event at Ocean Speedway, but will be hoping to change that on Saturday.

Reigning “HK Classic” champion Evan Suggs will be back to defend his title from a year ago and goes into the night now 20-markers back of Kaeding for second. The 25-year-old scored a popular win last season at the event and is also the Ocean Speedway KWS track record holder, having set the mark last August.

A number of close battles also fill the top-10 in the standings coming into the “Howard Kaeding Classic” including the fight for fourth, which sees Bobby McMahan holding the spot by only 11-markers over fifth place Peter Murphy. McMahan last year tallied a podium finish during the “HK Classic” finale and Murphy has been kicking the heat up as of late, making up ground in the points each week.

Sacramento’s Willie Croft is within 12-points of the top-five going into Ocean Speedway Watsonville and will be looking to close the gap on Saturday. Hot on Croft’s heels though and just four-points back of him in seventh is Grass Valley’s Jason Statler. Both Croft and Statler typically run strong at Ocean Speedway and will be ones to watch for.

One of the hottest drivers as of late has been Placerville’s Andy Gregg, who is coming off back to back third place finishes and now sits just seven-points behind Croft for sixth the standings. With the season coming down to the wire these battles will make for great storylines each and every week until the season finale in October.

Speaking of hot drivers Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst will once again be aboard the Roth Motorsports No. 83 looking to continue the success of the past two weeks. The 24-year-old has set fast time in both of his starts for Roth Motorsports and has brought home a win and a second place finish in those two outings.

Ocean Speedway point leader Shane Golobic has been very strong the last couple weeks with the Cancen Oil KWS Series and will be looking to get his first 410 win of the season on Saturday. The Fremont driver captured a Golden State 410 victory at Ocean Speedway in 2007 and is hoping to do it again Saturday.

Easton’s Tommy Tarlton is always a welcomed addition to the roster and will be making his fourth start of the season with KWS on Saturday. The two-time track champion raced to victory on opening night of the “HK Classic” last year. Prunedale’s Justin Sanders will be another strong addition to the line up on Saturday. The youngster last weekend finished sixth in the feature with KWS at Placerville.

Other drivers expected this Saturday night will include Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Fair Oak’s Chad Compton, Rio Linda’s Cody Lamar, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy and more.

Adult tickets on Saturday will cost $25, seniors will be $20 and kids are $16. All seating will be general admission. 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. For more info on the track log onto http://www.oceanspeedway.com

Also check out our official website http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Cancen Oil King of the West 410 Sprint Cars presented by Goodyear.

Remember and tune to “KWS Tonight” every Thursday at 7pm on http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest driver interviews, updates, race highlights and much more. Archived “KWS Tonight” videos are also available for viewing on the website to watch at your leisurely pleasure.

Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear Notes & Pertinent Info

Ocean Speedway Watsonville – Saturday July 7 “Howard Kaeding Classic”

What:

The Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear will head for its lone event of the season at Ocean Speedway Watsonville this Saturday night July 7, for what will be the second annual “Howard Kaeding Classic.”

The show on Saturday will pay honor to the legendary racer from San Jose, who set the foundation for the famed Kaeding racing family.

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. The driver known as the “Campbell Comet” claimed over 300 main event victories in his career.

Continuing to lead the KWS point chase is Chico’s Jonathan Allard, who will be in search of his first career Ocean Speedway 410 victory on Saturday. The two-time Golden State 410 champion Jonathan Allard has been close in the past to winning at the quarter-mile and will look to seal the deal this weekend in Morrie & Katie Williams’ No. 0 sprinter.

Moving up to second now after his big win last weekend Campbell’s Brent Kaeding will be gunning to win his father’s race on Saturday at the Ocean Speedway. The Hall of Famer charged from 13th to first last weekend at Placerville Speedway to claim his first 410 victory since July of 2009 aboard the famed Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 mount.

Defending “HK Classic” champion Evan Suggs now ranks third in the Cancen Oil KWS presented by Goodyear standings and will be searching for his win of the year on Saturday at his home track. The 24-year-old scored a popular victory last season at the event by claiming a thrilling 30-lapper over Tommy Tarlton and Bobby McMahan.

Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan sits fourth in the KWS standings and is another one looking to breakthrough for his first win of the 2012 season. The former NARC Speedweek champion claimed a third place finish last season at the “Howard Kaeding Classic” and also ran fourth on opening night of the event.

Rounding out the top-five in points and just 11-markers behind McMahan for fourth is Clovis, CA’s Peter Murphy, who continues to climb the standings aboard the Dalton’s Landscaping No. 11 machine. The Australian native captured opening night of the Dirt Cup a few weeks back and will be trying for his first KWS win of the year on Saturday.

Rounding out the top-10 in the Cancen Oil KWS presented by Goodyear standings going into Saturday are former Mini Gold Cup winner Willie Croft from Sacramento, 2004 Golden State 410 titlist Jason Statler of Grass Valley, Placerville petting zoo owner Andy Gregg, San Jose’s Tim Kaeding and former Trophy Cup champ Craig Stidham of Fresno.

Other drivers set for action this Saturday at the “Howard Kaeding Classic” will include Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, Fair Oak’s Chad Compton, Prunedale’s Justin Sanders, Rio Linda’s Cody Lamar, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson and more.

When:

On Saturday July 7 the program will start a little earlier than usual with the front gate opening at 3:30pm and qualifying scheduled to fire off around 5pm.

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.

About the track:

The Ocean Speedway is semi-banked quarter mile clay oval with the King of the West unlimited 410 track record being 11.345, which was set by Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs on August 5 of last year. The all-time track record was set by Mark Kinser in 2000 with a blistering 10.949.

Tickets:

Adult tickets on Saturday will cost $25, seniors will be $20 and kids are $16. All seating will be general admission.

Last season at the “Howard Kaeding Classic”:

The “Howard Kaeding Classic” last year featured a two-night KWS show and the opener saw Easton’s Tommy Tarlton make a lap 22 pass of Tim Kaeding to score his second series win of the season. T. Kaeding came home in second and Chico’s Jonathan Allard crossed the line in third to round out the podium. Completing the top-five were Bobby McMahan and Brad Furr.

The “HK Classic” finale ended in popular fashion with Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs passing Tim Kaeding, Willie Croft and Tommy Tarlton to earn his first ever 410 Sprint Car victory. The exciting main event saw Tarlton, Bobby McMahan, T. Kaeding and Jason Statler complete top-five.

Top-15 in Cancen Oil KWS presented by Goodyear points going into Saturday:

1. Jonathan Allard 1939; 2. Brent Kaeding 1839; 3. Evan Suggs 1819; 4. Bobby McMahan 1788; 5. Peter Murphy 1777; 6. Willie Croft 1765; 7. Jason Statler 1761; 8. Andy Gregg 1758; 9. Tim Kaeding 1653; 10. Craig Stidham 1614; 11. Chad Compton 1425; 12. Doug Gandy 1273; 13. Pat Harvey 1217; 14. Kyle Hirst 1170; 15. Danielle Simpson 1109

Winners so far this season with KWS:

April 7 - Antioch Speedway Tim Kaeding; April 21 - Marysville Raceway Park Jonathan Allard; April 28 - Placerville Speedway Tim Kaeding; May 5 - Silver Dollar Speedway Jonathan Allard; May 11 - Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway Kyle Larson; May 12 - Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway Rico Abreu; May 26 - Calistoga Speedway Tim Kaeding; May 27 - Calistoga Speedway Rico Abreu; June 2 - Kings Speedway Bud Kaeding; June 8 - Silver Dollar Speedway Jonathan Allard; June 9 - Southern Oregon Speedway Tim Kaeding; June 23 – Antioch Speedway Kyle Hirst; July 7 – Placerville Speedway Brent Kaeding

Upcoming events for KWS:

Saturday July 7- Ocean Speedway “HK Classic”

Saturday July 21- Antioch Speedway

Saturday August 18 – Silver Dollar Speedway

On the internet:

Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/KwsSprintRacing

Ocean Speedway

Official Website- http://www.oceanspeedway.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ocean-Speedway/169905873046770

King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series in their twelfth round, competing at Placerville Speedway, Placerville, CA

STORY BY: Gaye Carmichael, Motor Sports Journalist

(Placerville, CA, 06/30/2012) With what looked to be a sold out crowd of fans, the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series, took on the quarter mile, high banked dirt oval at Placerville Speedway with Brent Kaeding of Campbell, CA, cranking up his speed, taking and inside charge to take the lead in this thirty lap feature, with just eleven laps to go. Kaeding carried on his momentum to score the big victory.

Kaeding, better known as "BK" is no stranger to victory circle and is said to be the winning-est Sprint Car Driver in California, but in spite of that, tonight was a big win for this Champion.

"This was a long time coming. It's been more than a year since I've won. In fact, it even sounded like it was a popular win among the fans. The fan's don't usually cheer for me when I win. These kids coming up really have it on." said "BK", who was inundated with congratulations for his great race.

Second place went to Kyle Hirst who also came over to congratulate, "BK", during this interview.

Hirst driving the Dennis Roth Motorsports #83, had clocked in a 10.421 second lap in qualifying for quick time of the night. Hirst raced from a fifth place start into the lead around the sixth lap, holding all at bay until "BK" powered into the lead, with his inside move.

"We had a great car, but he ("BK") caught me on the bottom. He ("BK") did a great job. I want to thank Dennis Roth and all of our sponsors." said Hirst. Hirst had a strong run and it looked to be his race to win but he was right there, with a smile to congratulate Kaeding.

Rounding out the podium finish, was Andy Gregg of Placerville, who also had a good run to score at the line in third.

"I qualified fourth fast. We didn't do very well in our Heat Race or in the Dash. (Gregg finished fifth in his Heat Race and sixth in the Dash). We sure made up for it in this feature. I want to thank all of our sponsors." said a happy Gregg.

So many great drivers turned out to compete in this King of the West Series and watching all this talent you knew it wouldn't be over until the checkered flag flew. Jonathan Allard of Chico, driving the Williams owned #0, earned a front row start and led off this event. In only the second lap, the first caution flag flew when Jimmy Sills, racing the Simpson 4s Sprint spun out in the fourth turn. Pat Harvey ended up stopped just above Sills. The green flew out once more only to end up into a red flag when Shane Golobic, racing in second, Paul McMahan, Jason Statler, Andy Forsberg, Sean Becker and Justin Johnson, all collected in a melee in between turns two and three. Becker and Johnson were towed off the track on the hook. The balance of the cars out returned to tag the rear of the field.

The restart had Hirst flying by Allard to take over the lead. Allard maintained in second.

On the eighth lap the caution was out again, this time it was for Peter Murphy who spun out in the fourth turn. About one more lap scored when the caution was out again, this time Evan Suggs and Craig Stidham spun out, followed by Allard spinning out just three laps later.

The racing in this event was fast and close, so there's no telling if there was possible contact made as the drivers raced their line. If there was, it was definitely accidental, but could have caused some of the caution flags.

When the field returned to action, Hirst led out with "BK" in second followed by Golobic and Gregg. Forsberg, Willie Croft and Justin Sanders were dicing it up for fifth.

At the checkered, finishing behind, Kaeding, Hirst and Gregg, were Golobic, Croft, Sanders, Forsberg, Chad Compton, Sills (Sills, though he started in sixteenth, was at the rear of the field on the second lap and came back to finish in the top ten), Richard Brace Jr., Murphy. Jason Statler, Cody Lamar, Allard, Suggs, Mark Barroso, Stedham, McMahan, Becker, Johnson, and Harvey.

DASH and HEAT RACE FINISHES are as follows: All finishes shown, as unofficial.

DASH: Allard, Golobic, Suggs, Sanders, Hirst, Gregg, Statler, McMahan.

HEAT #1: Golobic, Croft, Hirst, Becker, Gregg, Stidham, Jeff Griffin, Jim Richardson, Clayton Snow.

Heat #2: Allard, Murphy, Kaeding, Sanders, Sills, Lamar, Compton, Doug Gandy, Barroso.

Heat #3: McMahan, Forsberg, Suggs, Statler, Johnson, Brace, Jr., Harvey, Danielle Simpson, Bud Walberg.

Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear Results – Placerville Speedway June 30

27-cars

Fast time: Kyle Hirst

Heat one: Shane Golobic, Willie Croft, Kyle Hirst, Sean Becker, Andy Gregg, Craig Stidham, Jeff Griffin, Jim Richardson, Clayton Snow

Heat two: Jonathan Allard, Peter Murphy, Brent Kaeding, Justin Sanders, Jimmy Sills, Cody Lamar, Chad Compton, Doug Gandy, Mark Barroso

Heat three: Bobby McMahan, Andy Forsberg, Evan Suggs, Jason Statler, Justin Johnson, Richard Brace Jr., Pat Harvey, Danielle Simpson, Bud Walberg

Dash: Jonathan Allard, Shane Golobic, Evan Suggs, Justin Sanders, Kyle Hirst, Andy Gregg, Jason Statler, Bobby McMahan

LCQ: Richard Brace Jr., Craig Stidham, Chad Compton, Cody Lamar, Bud Walberg, Pat Harvey, Mark Barroso, Danielle Simpson, Doug Gandy, Jeff Griffin, Jim Richardson, Clayton Snow

A-main: Brent Kaeding, Kyle Hirst, Andy Gregg, Shane Golobic, Willie Croft, Justin Sanders, Andy Forsberg, Chad Compton, Jimmy Sills, Richard Brace Jr., Peter Murphy, Jason Statler, Cody Lamar, Jon Allard, Evan Suggs, Mark Barroso, Bud Walberg, Craig Stidham, Bobby McMahan, Sean Becker, Justin Johnson, Pat Harvey

High-banked Placerville Speedway bullring is next up Cancen Oil King of the West Sprints presented by Goodyear this Saturday night

By Gary Thomas

Placerville, CA – June 26, 2012…Known for its steep banks, distinctive red clay and extremely close action the quarter-mile bullring of Placerville Speedway will play host to the thirteenth round of action for the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear this Saturday night.

The Placerville Speedway is also known for having some of the most loyal and vocal fans seen in Northern California auto racing. The grandstand atmosphere has always been known as one of the most fun-loving around, with fans passionately rooting on their favorite drivers each and every night.

“The fans at Placerville are always great and really get into the racing,” said King of the West Operations Manager George Hague. “They all have their local favorites and it’s a lot of fun to see so many people that love sprint car racing. The track itself is as action-packed as it gets. Any time you are turning low 10-second laps you know it’s going to be wild.”

National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Jimmy Sills will return to competition at the Placerville Speedway on Saturday behind the wheel of a 410 for Dan Simpson Racing. “The Professor” last weekend tallied the Pit Stop USA Hard Charger Award by coming from 16th to eighth in the main event. Sills will also be signing autographs when the front gate opens this Saturday so be sure and get to the track early.

Last week’s winner Kyle Hirst will be on hand aboard the Roth Motorsports No. 83 once again on Saturday looking to make it back to back. The Sacramento driver has won a number of big races in his career at the Placerville bullring, but has yet to scoop up a 410 victory at the track. Hirst will look to change that this weekend.

Leading the Cancen Oil KWS Series into Placerville is two-time Golden State 410 champion Jonathan Allard of Chico, who has driven the familiar Ashley Smith tuned Morrie & Katie Williams owned No. 0 sprinter to three wins so far this year. Allard always runs up front at the quarter-mile and will be a strong contender as always on Saturday. “JA” last won at Placerville Speedway in March of 2010.

Co-Placerville Speedway track record holder Evan Suggs goes into Saturday ranking second in the series standings and will be gunning for his first win of the season. The 25-year-old is locked in a tight battle with National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding, who sits just 10-points back in the third spot. During the initial Placerville appearance for KWS, Kaeding brought home a season best runner up finish in the Al's Roofing Supply No. 69.

1982 Placerville Speedway Rookie of the Year Bobby McMahan comes into his home track fourth in the Cancen Oil KWS presented by Goodyear standings. The Elk Grove veteran ran fourth at the previous Placerville event and also scored a fourth place finish last week in Antioch. Looking to move into the top-five for the first time this season will be Clovis, CA’s Peter Murphy, who recently captured opening night of the “Dirt Cup” at Skagit Speedway. Murphy ranks sixth in the points during his first full season driving the Dalton's Landscaping No. 11.

Former Golden State 410 champ Jason Statler will be searching for his first win of the year on Saturday aboard the famed DF Rios Motorsports No. 00 mount. “The Big Guy” claimed victory at Placerville in 2004 and always runs well at the track. Hot on Statler’s heels for the seventh spot in points is Sacramento’s Willie Croft, who is only seven markers behind in eighth. “Double Down” has been very fast at times this year and scored a third place finish at Placerville in April.

Local favorite Andy Gregg will be another one looking to find victory lane for the first time this year on Saturday at his home track. The Placerville driver is coming off his second podium finish of the season last week in Antioch and sits just 12-markers behind Croft for eighth in points. Rounding out the top-10 in points is Fresno’s Craig Stidham, who is fresh off a season best runner up finish last weekend in Antioch. The former Rookie of the Year is poised to pick up his first win of the year.

Multiple-time Placerville Speedway track champion Andy Forsberg will be gunning for his first 410 victory at the track he calls home. “Mr. Excitement” scored a third place finish with KWS in Chico on June 8. Former Golden State champ Sean Becker will also be on hand aboard the Scott Miller No. 2sb and will be a favorite on Saturday. “The Shark” tallied a runner up at the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” earlier this season.

Fremont’s Shane Golobic has had a strong season thus far and will be looking to keep that up this weekend. The youngster was fighting for the lead last week, until a tough break in traffic took away his chance at victory. Other drivers expected on Saturday include three-time Placerville track champion Doug Gandy of Oakhurst, Prunedale’s Justin Sanders, Fair Oak’s Chad Compton, Redding’s Tyler Wolf, Rio Linda’s Cody Lamar, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey and more.

Also in action during the night will be the mighty BCRA Midgets and at least three drivers are expected to pull double duty, with those being Shane Golobic, Andy Forsberg and Sean Becker. It should make for a great night of all open wheel racing on the challenging bullring.

On Saturday June 30 the front grandstand gate will be open at 5pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 6pm, with qualifying at 6:30pm and racing anticipated to start around 7pm. Adult tickets on Saturday will cost $20, seniors will be $16, juniors $12 and children $6. All seating is general admission and fans are encouraged to get there early.

Also check out our official website http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Cancen Oil King of the West 410 Sprint Cars presented by Goodyear.

Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear Notes & Pertinent Info

Placerville Speedway – Saturday June 30

What:

The 13th round of action in the fight for the 2012 King of the West crown will be held this Saturday night June 30 at the always action packed Placerville Speedway. The quarter-mile bullring is well known for its distinctive red clay, high-banks and loyal fans that pack into the grandstands.

The Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear competed at the Placerville Speedway in April, with that event marking the first unlimited 410 event at the track since 2010. The El Dorado County Fairgrounds bullring has been in operation since 1965 and also plays host to some of the top weekly racing in California.

Chico’s Jonathan Allard goes into Placerville holding a large lead at the top of the driver standings and will be searching for his fourth victory of the season on Saturday. The two-time Golden State 410 champ has always been a consistency machine at the quarter-mile and will look to continue that this weekend aboard Morrie & Katie Williams’ No. 0 mount.

Last year’s runner up Evan Suggs has moved into the second spot after Antioch last week and will be gunning for his first win of the season on Saturday at the helm of his family’s No. 33e sprinter. The Scotts Valley driver has run well at the track and nearly won the main event in August of 2010 with the Golden State Series.

Moving up to third in the standings coming into the weekend, National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding is another one looking to break into victory lane. “BK” finished a season best second at Placerville in April and last weekend led the first nine laps, until a lapped traffic incident took away his chance at victory.

Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan ranks fourth in the standings and began his career at the Placerville Speedway in 1982 earning Rookie of the Year honors. The veteran driver had a solid outing last weekend at Antioch, finishing fourth in the main event and is just 15-markers back of Kaeding for third in the points.

The “Professor” Jimmy Sills will also be back in action this Saturday at the Placerville Speedway aboard the Dan Simpson Racing No. 4s sprint car. The National Sprint Car Hall of Famer has always been a fan favorite at the quarter-mile and is coming off an eight place finish last week, in which he earned the hard charger award in the main event.

Last week’s winner Kyle Hirst of Sacramento always runs well at the Placerville Speedway and is certain to be a top contender on Saturday. The 24-year-old set fast time and led the final 21-laps in the feature for victory this past Saturday while driving the Roth Motorsports No. 83 machine.

Other drivers set to tackle the high-banks will include Clovis’ Peter Murphy, Grass Valley’s Jason Statler, Sacramento’s Willie Croft, Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Auburn’s Andy Forsberg, Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Fair Oak’s Chad Compton and many more.

When:

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

Where:

About the track:

Tickets:

Adult tickets on Saturday will cost $20, seniors will be $16, juniors $12 and children $6. All seating is general admission and fans are encouraged to get there early.

This past April at the Placerville Speedway:

San Jose’s Tim Kaeding led all 30-laps at the Placerville Speedway in April to win the main event over Brent Kaeding and Willie Croft. “BK” started ninth on the grid and charged forward to nearly get by Tim on a late race restart. Rounding out the top-five in the feature were Bobby McMahan and Evan Suggs. Shane Golobic opened the evening by setting fast time.

Top-15 in Cancen Oil KWS presented by Goodyear points going into Saturday:

1. Jonathan Allard 1804; 2. Evan Suggs 1694; 3. Brent Kaeding 1684; 4. Bobby McMahan 1669; 5. Tim Kaeding 1653; 6. Peter Murphy 1643; 7. Jason Statler 1626; 8. Willie Croft 1619; 9. Andy Gregg 1607; 10. Craig Stidham 1500; 11. Chad Compton 1291; 12. Doug Gandy 1198; 13. Pat Harvey 1111; 14. Danielle Simpson 1034; 15. Kyle Hirst 1012

Winners so far this season with KWS:

Upcoming events for KWS:

Saturday June 30- Placerville Speedway

Saturday July 7- Ocean Speedway “HK Classic”

Saturday July 14- Thunderbowl Raceway “Sharp Memorial”

Saturday July 21- Antioch Speedway

On the internet:

Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/KwsSprintRacing Placerville Speedway-

Official Website- http://www.placervillespeedway.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Placerville-Speedway-Placerville-Ca/246478558924 Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/pvllspeedway

Kyle Hirst makes first start for Roth Motorsports pay off with Cancen Oil King of the West Series presented by Goodyear win at Antioch Speedway Saturday night

By Gary Thomas

Antioch, CA – June 23, 2012…Taking advantage of an early race collision between the leaders on Saturday night Sacramento, California’s Kyle Hirst took full control and raced to a big victory at the Antioch Speedway with the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear.

The win came during Hirst’s first ever start in the potent Roth Motorsports, HR Cattle No. 83 machine and also saw him open the night by setting a new Antioch Speedway KWS track record. For the 24-year-old it marked his fourth career Golden State/KWS victory and first since 2009.

“This is awesome to come out here and win with the King of the West Series and I can’t thank the whole Roth Motorsports team enough for giving me the opportunity,” said a pumped up Hirst in victory lane. “We got a little lucky with the leaders wrecking, but that’s part of racing. The guys gave me a great car tonight and we’ll go on to Placerville to try and get this Roth Motorsports car another win.”

A rough and tumble 30-lapper was featured and started out with KSE Dash winner Shane Golobic and Campbell’s Brent Kaeding on the front row. At the waving of the green flag Golobic and Kaeding went wheel to wheel and off turn two it was “BK” scooping up the lead. The Hall of Famer was in search of his first 410 win since 2009, but early on reds and yellows slowed things down to a crawl.

When a few green flag laps were finally put together Kaeding felt pressure from Golobic, who looked to take advantage when traffic came into play. It looked to set up a tremendous battle for the top-spot, but on lap nine a spun car in turn three forced the leaders to take evasive action. It resulted in Kaeding, Golobic and third running Jason Statler all coming together in dramatic fashion and stopping to bring out a yellow flag.

The melee ultimately handed the lead to Kyle Hirst, who had been running in the fourth position prior to the incident. After going back green more of the same occurred as the slick surface proved challenging and a number of yellows and a couple more reds slowed Hirst’s bid. Through it all the talented throttle-masher never got fazed and hit his marks each and every lap. Although getting into traffic late in the race, Hirst was smooth as glass and crossed the line by 1.443 seconds for victory.

Coming home in second and scoring his best Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear finish of the season was Fresno’s Craig Stidham in the Brad Johnson Trucking, KRC Safety Equipment No. 3 mount. The former Trophy Cup champion has made a return to 410 Sprint Car racing this season and it was great to have him on the podium for the first time this year.

“This is a big confidence booster for us no doubt and it’s nice to get our best finish of the season,” commented Stidham. “I’ve always been told it’s better to be lucky than good sometimes and that deal with the leaders definitely helped, but we did have a really good car all night. I want to thank my whole team and all our sponsors and hopefully this will be the start of the some more good finishes for us.”

Crossing the stripe in third and earning his second podium finish of the year was Placerville’s Andy Gregg in the Guts Racing, 7-Industries.com No. 53 sprinter. It was a very nice rebound for the former motocross rider, who was coming off a tough weekend at the “Road to Dirt Cup” two weeks back.

“Man it’s great to be up here on the podium tonight because whenever you do that it’s an accomplishment with these guys in KWS,” said a very happy Gregg. “We had a great run tonight and it was nice that everyone came home safe. We had a few hard crashes there, but I want to thank all my guys and all you fans for coming out and supporting us.”

Rounding out the top-five and putting together solid efforts were Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan in the American Tool & MFG No. 25 and Redding’s Tyler Wolf aboard the Chuck Wolf Sand & Gravel No. 19 mount. For McMahan it was his third top-five finish of the season and for Wolf it marked his first career top-five with the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear.

Completing the top-10 were Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Clovis’ Peter Murphy, Pit Stop USA hard charger Jimmy Sills of Elverta, Shane Golobic and Brent Kaeding. KWS point leader Jonathan Allard had a tough main event and finished 17th in the run down.

The 12-lap Last Chance Qualifier was captured by Jimmy Sills and the KSE Dash was picked off by Shane Golobic. Kaeding Performance Heat Race wins went to Brent Kaeding, Willie Croft and Shane Golobic. The BR Motorsports Fast Time went to Kyle Hirst, who toured the one-third mile oval in 11.705 seconds to set a new track record.

The Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear will be right back in action next Saturday night June 30 at the Placerville Speedway. The event originally scheduled for Friday at Merced has been postponed so we’ll have just one night of racing next weekend.

Also check out our official website http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Cancen Oil King of the West 410 Sprint Cars presented by Goodyear.

Antioch Speedway on tap this Saturday for the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear – Hall of Famer’s to collide once again as Allard sits atop points

By Gary Thomas

Antioch, CA – June 20, 2012…Two-time Golden State 410 champion Jonathan Allard of Chico, California will lead the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear into the always entertaining Antioch Speedway on Saturday night, for what will be the 12th round of action in the 2012 season.

Allard is currently in his eighth season driving for Oakhurst, CA based car owners’ Morrie & Katie Williams and has raced to three victories so far this year at the helm of the familiar No. 0 sprinter. The five-time “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” winner comes into the weekend holding a 23-point advantage at the top of the standings.

The season-opener for the Cancen Oil King of the West Sprints was held at Antioch Speedway on April 7 and Allard drove to a runner up finish behind last year’s champ Tim Kaeding during the night. So far this year “JA” has been a consistency machine, scoring eight podiums out of 11 races and he will look to continue that on Saturday.

National Sprint Car Hall of Famers Brent Kaeding and Jimmy Sills will be searching to make headlines themselves on Saturday in Antioch. Kaeding has always been a favorite at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds facility and came close to winning last July with the series at the track. The driver of the famed Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 ranks fourth in the KWS points, but is only three-markers out of third.

The event on Saturday will mark Sills’ fourth start of the season driving for Dan Simpson Racing and he’ll be gunning to continue the speed shown thus far. “The Professor” has been impressive at times during his three prior appearances with the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear and will have much attention on Saturday at Antioch Speedway.

Opening night winner Tim Kaeding currently stands second in the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear standings and is the most recent winner with the tour on June 8 in Medford. Completing the top-five in KWS points going into Antioch are third place Evan Suggs and fifth place Bobby McMahan. Both Suggs and McMahan have been quick in recent events at the track and will be looking for their first win of the season.

Drivers rounding out the top-10 and also searching to break their way into victory lane on Saturday will include Clovis, CA’s Peter Murphy, Grass Valley’s Jason Statler, Sacramento’s Willie Croft, Placerville’s Andy Gregg and Fresno’s Craig Stidham. Just 23-points separate sixth through eighth in the standings and will be a battle to watch at the Antioch Speedway.

Murphy is fresh off winning opening night of the “Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup” last Thursday, while Statler is coming off a season-best KWS finish of second at Medford on June 9. Croft was the fast time qualifier at the Medford event and also won the dash during the night. Gregg and Stidham will be looking to rebound after tough outings during the KWS “Road to Dirt Cup” shows.

Others drivers expected to do battle with the KWS unlimited 410 Sprinters on Saturday will include Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Fair Oak’s Chad Compton, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey, Redding’s Tyler Wolf, Elk Grove’s Sean McMahan, Rio Linda’s Cody Lamar and more.

On Saturday June 23 the front grandstand gate will be open at 5pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 6pm, with qualifying at 6:30pm and racing anticipated to start around 7pm. Tickets will 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.

The KWS pre-race autograph session this Saturday will include Jason Statler, Shane Golobic and Danielle Simpson. Be sure to catch “KWS Tonight” this Thursday on http://www.kwssprints.com for interviews with Statler, Simpson and Jimmy Sills.

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. More info about the track can be found at http://www.ovalmotorsports.com/category/antioch/

Also check out our official website http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Cancen Oil King of the West 410 Sprint Cars presented by Goodyear.

Jonathan Allard & Tim Kaeding grab KWS victories on “Road to Dirt Cup” at Silver Dollar & Southern Oregon Speedway’s

By Gary Thomas

Medford, OR – June 9, 2012…Chico, CA’s Jonathan Allard and San Jose, CA’s Tim Kaeding shared victories this past weekend with the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear, with Allard snagging the win at Silver Dollar Speedway on Friday night and Kaeding claiming glory at Southern Oregon Speedway on Saturday.

The win for Allard was the second in two KWS starts this season at his home track and marked his third overall triumph of the year with the series. The current Cancen Oil KWS presented by Goodyear point leader dominated much of the feature, before holding off a hard charging Tim Kaeding over the later course of the 30-lapper.

“It feels nice to come out and win again here at my home track and I have to dedicate this win to David Tarter,” said an emotional Allard in victory lane. “We’re one big family out here and whenever you lose somebody it’s a tough thing so I just hope everyone keeps the Tarter family in their thoughts and prayers.”

The night on Friday started out with an unfortunate pit area incident claiming the life of Chico, CA driver David Tarter. Drivers and teams raced with heavy hearts the rest of the weekend and a helmet pass was conducted both nights to help aid the Tarter family.

Good friend John Michael Bunch also ran Tarter’s No. 35 in remembrance during Saturday’s event in Medford and spoke some very nice words about David to the crowd. On behalf of KWS we want to thank all that donated during the helmet pass both nights and we once again ask everyone to keep the friends and family of David Tarter in your thoughts.

Friday’s main event began with Bixby, OK’s Shane Stewart and Chico youngster Kenny Allen on the front row, but early on Allard showed that he would not be denied. The two-time state 410 champ charged to the lead in no time and had his way out front during the early going.

Much of the attention however, was turned to 18th starter Tim Kaeding, who was carving his way through the field like a hot knife through butter. All things pointed to another classic JA/TK show and once Kaeding got up to second, the fans definitely got their money’s worth.

With Allard up front Kaeding tried desperately to make something happen and put his Roth Motorsports No. 83 on the tip top of the racing surface. A couple of times it looked like “TK” would sweep around the top, but Allard got great bite running the lower portion of the speedway.

Following a caution period late in the going Allard then kicked it into over-drive and impressively pulled away from Kaeding and the rest of the field. The final two-laps saw Kaeding close in and give it more stab at the lead, but coming off turn four to the checkered Allard had the groove and crossed the line for victory in the Williams Motorsports No. 0 mount.

Kaeding came home second to earn the Pit Stop USA Hard Charger Award with Andy Forsberg rounding out the podium aboard his A&A Stepping Stone No. 92 sprinter. It marked Forsberg’s first podium finish with the series in a few years. Completing the top-10 were Evan Suggs, Kyle Hirst, Peter Murphy, Kenny Allen, Bobby McMahan, Willie Croft, Jason Statler.

The 12-lap Last Chance Qualifier on Friday was won by Rio Linda’s Cody Lamar, with Shane Stewart claiming the KSE Racing Products Dash and Kaeding Performance Heat Race wins going to Roger Crockett, Tyler Wolf, Jonathan Allard and Bobby McMahan. Setting the BR Motorsports Fast Time to begin the night was Shane Stewart, who toured the quarter-mile in 12.285 seconds.

On Saturday the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear made the drive up I-5 to John Skinner’s Southern Oregon Speedway, where Tim Kaeding scored his tour leading fourth victory of the year aboard Dennis & Teresa Roth’s No. 83 machine.

“That was some really fun racing there with Jonathan Allard, Willie Croft and the rest of the field so hopefully all the fans enjoyed the show tonight,” said Kaeding, who also won at Southern Oregon Speedway in 2004 with Roth Motorsports. “I want to thank my whole team and we’ll go to try and have some more fun the rest of the week.”

Sacramento’s Willie Croft set fast time to open the night and then proceeded to also win the dash to earn the pole for the main event. When the green lights came on in the 30-lapper the driver known as “Double Down” sliced into the lead ahead of Tim Kaeding. Croft was able to sit out front for a number of laps until it became a three car fight for the lead between himself, Kaeding and Jonathan Allard.

The trio had the crowd on the edge of their seats and when the dust had settled from the battle Kaeding came out with the lead. Grass Valley’s Jason Statler also had a solid run going and would take over third from Allard racing through traffic. A late race single file restart unfortunately saw Croft hit the orange cone and was penalized two spots, moving Statler to second and Allard to third.

A wild final lap saw cars going sideways in the first set of corners, but up front it was all about “TK” and the defending KWS champ took the checkered for victory. Statler put together his best night of the year and brought home a strong runner up finish in the DF Rios Motorsports No. 00 sprinter.

The remainder of the top-10 was made up of Jonathan Allard, Peter Murphy, Brent Kaeding, Roger Crockett, Willie Croft, Brad Bumgarner, Jayme Barnes, Dean Brindle. Brent Kaeding’s run was noteworthy as he earned the final transfer into the main event and then charged from 22nd to fifth to score the hard charger award.

Andy Gregg won the Last Chance Qualifier and Willie Croft captured the KSE Dash. Kaeding Performance Heats went to Jason Statler, Kyle Hirst, Tim Kaeding and Roger Crockett. The BR Motorsports Fast Time was taken by Willie Croft, who timed in with an 11.223.

KWS will take the coming week off and be back in action on Saturday June 23 at the Antioch Speedway in Antioch, California. For all your news and info on the series please log onto http://www.kwssprints.com

Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear Results – Southern Oregon Speedway Saturday June 9

30-cars

Fast time: Willie Croft 11.223

Heat one: Jason Statler, Dean Brindle, Willie Croft, Bobby McMahan, Craig Stidham, Kevin Smith, Scott Parker, Danielle Simpson

Heat two: Kyle Hirst, Evan Suggs, Sean Becker, Jimmy Sills, Shane Stewart, Andy Gregg, Doug Gandy, Pat Harvey

Heat three: Tim Kaeding, Cody Lamar, Jayme Barnes, Jonathan Allard, Brent Kaeding, Dan Menne, Tyler Wolf,

Heat four: Roger Crockett, Brad Bumgarner, Peter Murphy, John Michael Bunch, Kenny Allen, Todd Zeitler, Sean McMahan

Dash: Willie Croft, Tim Kaeding, Jimmy Sills, Jason Statler, Jonathan Allard, Kyle Hirst, John Michael Bunch, Roger Crockett

LCQ: Andy Gregg, Kevin Smith, Shane Stewart, Craig Stidham, Kenny Allen, Brent Kaeding, Dan Menne, Tyler Wolf, Todd Zeitler, Scott Parker, Pat Harvey, Danielle Simpson, Doug Gandy

A-main: Tim Kaeding, Jason Statler, Jonathan Allard, Peter Murphy, Brent Kaeding, Roger Crockett, Willie Croft, Brad Bumgarner, Jayme Barnes, Dean Brindle, Kyle Hirst, Bobby McMahan, Jimmy Sills, Kevin Smith, Shane Stewart, Evan Suggs, John Michael Bunch, Kenny Allen, Cody Lamar, Andy Gregg, Sean Becker, Craig Stidham

Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear Results – Friday June 8 Silver Dollar Speedway

32-cars

Fast Time: Shane Stewart 12.285

Heat one: Roger Crockett, Brent Kaeding, Shane Stewart, Kenny Allen, Jimmy Sills, Jim Richardson, Richard Brace Jr., Jeff Griffin

Heat two: Tyler Wolf, Dean Brindle, Kyle Hirst, Tim Kaeding, Peter Murphy, Bud Walberg, Pat Harvey, Doug Gandy

Heat three: Jonathan Allard, Willie Croft, Evan Suggs, Jason Statler, Cody Lamar, Sean McMahan, Stu Krum, Danielle Simpson

Heat four: Bobby McMahan, Brad Bumgarner, Andy Forsberg, Andy Gregg, Scott Parker, Craig Stidham, Chad Compton

Dash: Shane Stewart, Kenny Allen, Jonathan Allard, Evan Suggs, Andy Forsberg, Tyler Wolf, Roger Crockett, Bobby McMahan

LCQ: Cody Lamar, Peter Murphy, Bud Walberg, Jimmy Sills, Craig Stidham, Richard Brace Jr., Scott Parker, Doug Gandy, Stu Krum, Sean McMahan, Jeff Griffin, Danielle Simpson, Pat Harvey, Jim Richardson, Chad Compton

A-main: Jonathan Allard, Tim Kaeding, Andy Forsberg, Evan Suggs, Kyle Hirst, Peter Murphy, Kenny Allen, Bobby McMahan, Willie Croft, Jason Statler, Roger Crockett, Jimmy Sills, Brent Kaeding, Dean Brindle, Cody Lamar, Richard Brace Jr., Brad Bumgarner, Bud Walberg, Tyler Wolf, Andy Gregg, Shane Stewart, Craig Stidham

Peter Murphy & Bud Kaeding interviews/ "Road to Dirt Cup" Preview/ Kings Recap

“The Road to Dirt Cup” is just one day away and the “KWS Tonight” team will be on the air this evening to get everyone geared up for two big nights of King of the West action this Friday and Saturday at Silver Dollar Speedway and Southern Oregon Speedway.

To view the show log onto http://www.kwssprints.com starting at 7pm pst on Thursday. It will then replay on the homepage to watch at your leisurely pleasure over the next week. You can also see the show directly on the “KWS Tonight” Vimeo page at http://vimeo.com/user10076991

We will also give a rundown of the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” and recap what was a thrilling main event at Kings Speedway last Saturday. The race saw a last lap tussle for the win and had fans on the edge of their seats all race long.

Featured interviews on the show this week will include Hanford winner and three-time USAC Silver Crown Series champion Bud Kaeding of Campbell. The second generation driver will discuss his year and how his life has changed since becoming a father a few years ago.

In addition to Kaeding, Clovis, CA’s Peter Murphy will also call-in after picking up a season-best fifth place finish last weekend at Kings Speedway. The likable driver currently stands seventh in the KWS standings and we’ll get his thoughts on the season as we sit at the halfway point.

“The Road to Dirt Cup” events this weekend will mark the 10th and 11th races of the season and as mentioned will include invading stars Shane Stewart and Jimmy Sills. The Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear will jump start the week, which concludes with the 41st annual “Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup” at Skagit Speedway.

Don’t miss the “Road to Dirt Cup” and for more info on the KWS portion of the week please log onto http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com and http://www.sospeedway.com

Finally we’ll talk more about the three-day championship banquet weekend on November 9, 10 and 11 at the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort. KWS Managing Director Dan Simpson will be on the show this week and will talk about the event, along with some special announcements for teams that support the series.

You won't want to miss the show this week, as we have a great one on deck. As always once again "KWS Tonight" will be available on the website to watch 24/7.

Don't forget to “like” the Cancen Oil King of the West Series presented by Goodyear on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and follow us on Twitter @kwssprintracing for the most timely and up to date information on the series. Be sure to catch archived shows of “KWS Tonight” at our website http://www.kwssprints.com

Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear kicks off “Road to Dirt Cup” this Friday & Saturday at Silver Dollar Speedway & Southern Oregon Speedway

By Gary Thomas

Rio Vista, CA – June 6, 2012…Always one of the most anticipated weekend’s of the season is set for this Friday and Saturday as the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear fires off the “Road to Dirt Cup” at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway on Friday and Medford’s Southern Oregon Speedway on Saturday.

The opener on Friday will be the 10th race of the season for the series and the second time KWS has competed at the famed quarter-mile bullring. The first appearance of the year at Silver Dollar Speedway produced some great racing and is expected to be just as good this time around.

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 each season. Former winners of KWS 410 events at the track include Brent Kaeding on two separate occasions, as well as Tim Kaeding, Tim Shaffer, Kyle Larson and Jonathan Allard who captured last year’s race.

“The Chico & Medford events are always a lot of fun and we really look forward to seeing all the fans this weekend,” said operations manager George Hague. “We had a great race at Silver Dollar Speedway in May and Southern Oregon Speedway was a very successful show last season. Adding in guys like Jimmy Sills & Shane Stewart to the mix will make this a weekend not to miss.”

Three-time & defending “Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup” champion Jonathan Allard of Chico leads the series into the weekend, driving the familiar Williams Motorsports No. 0 sprinter. Allard captured the only other event held at Silver Dollar Speedway this season and as mentioned is also the defending winner at Southern Oregon Speedway. "JA" has scored two victories so far this year with the KWS Series.

Allard will have to contend with Cancen Oil KWS presented by Goodyear rival Tim Kaeding each night. “TK” ranks second in the series standings coming into the weekend and will look to kick-start his bid at a first Dirt Cup crown on Friday and Saturday in Dennis & Teresa Roth’s No. 83 machine. The San Jose driver finished runner up last year at the Dirt Cup and leads KWS with three wins this season.

Multiple-time “Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup” champions Jimmy Sills of Elverta, Shane Stewart from Bixby, Oklahoma and Brent Kaeding of Campbell will also add spice to the weekend.

Jimmy Sills will make his second and third KWS starts of the season at Chico & Medford competing for Dan Simpson Racing. The Hall of Famer is the all-time winningest Dirt Cup champion, having won the event six times in his illustrious career. Sills also ranks seventh on the all-time win list at Silver Dollar Speedway and there is immense excitement to have him back in a 410 this weekend.

Fellow National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding is a three-time Dirt Cup winner in his career and goes into the weekend sitting fourth in the KWS points. “BK” is also the all-time leading winner in the history of Silver Dollar Speedway and has also captured a number of career wins at the Southern Oregon Speedway in his Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 mount. Kaeding always draws attention at the Medford based one-third mile clay oval and will be shooting to get back into victory lane with KWS.

Like Sills, reigning ASCS National champion Shane Stewart will also be making his second and third starts of the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear season this weekend. The two-time Dirt Cup winner will be back in action aboard the Paul Silva Motorsports No. 57 sprinter, as the always strong combination gets back together for an assault on another Dirt Cup trophy.

Other top-10 drivers in the KWS Series standings locked and loaded for the two-night KWS portion of “Road to Dirt Cup” will include third place in points Evan Suggs of Scotts Valley, former Silver Dollar Speedway champion Bobby McMahan from Elk Grove, past Southern Oregon Speedway winner Andy Gregg of Placerville, Australian native Peter Murphy, ’04 California state 410 champ Jason Statler from Grass Valley, former Mini Gold Cup champion Willie Croft of Sacramento & ’01 Trophy Cup winner Craig Stidham.

Other drivers set for the “Road to Dirt Cup” will include Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst, Oroville’s Sean Becker, Medford, Oregon’s Roger Crockett, Fair Oak’s Chad Compton, Auburn’s Andy Forsberg, Redding’s Tyler Wolfe, Paradise’ John Michael Bunch, Chico’s Brad Bumgarner & Kenny Allen, Elk Grove’s Sean McMahan, Hamilton, New Zealand’s Dean Brindle, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson and more.

On Friday June 8 at front grandstand gate of the Silver Dollar Speedway will open at 5pm, with qualifying at 6:30pm and racing scheduled to begin around 7pm. Adult tickets on Friday night at Silver Dollar Speedway will cost $20, juniors will be $15 and children $6.

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. More info at http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com

On Saturday June 9 the front grandstand gate of Southern Oregon Speedway will open at 4pm, qualifying around 6pm and racing to start at 6:30pm. Adult general admission tickets on Saturday night at the Southern Oregon Speedway will cost $25, with juniors, seniors and veterans $17 and kids free. Reserved seating will cost $30.

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. More info at http://www.sospeedway.com

Also check out our official website, which is under construction at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Cancen Oil King of the West 410 Sprint Cars presented by Goodyear.

Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear Notes & Pertinent Info “Road to Dirt Cup”

Friday June 8 Silver Dollar Speedway & Saturday June 9 Southern Oregon Speedway

What:

The Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear is geared up for an exciting two-nights of racing this Friday & Saturday with the “Road to Dirt Cup” kicking off. On Friday June 8 the tour will be in action at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway for the second time this season and on Saturday June 9 it will be the lone KWS appearance of 2012 at the Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, Oregon.

Special guest entrants for the Chico and Medford events this coming weekend will include National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Jimmy Sills and last year’s Knoxville Nationals runner up Shane Stewart of Bixby, Oklahoma. Sills will climb behind the wheel of the Dan Simpson Racing No. 4s, whereas Stewart is set to compete in the familiar and always potent Paul Silva Motorsports No. 57 sprinter.

Three-time and defending “Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup” champion Jonathan Allard continues to lead the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear going into Friday’s show at Silver Dollar Speedway. Allard was the winner on May 5 in Chico and also claimed victory last June at the Southern Oregon Speedway.

Last year’s Dirt Cup runner-up Tim Kaeding has cut Allard’s point-lead to 20-markers going into the weekend. “TK” last season scored a second place finish at the Southern Oregon Speedway and also drove the Roth Motorsports No. 83 to a victory at the track in 2004. Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs is fresh off his best outing of the year and now ranks third in the series standings.

Multiple-time Dirt Cup champion Brent Kaeding is currently fourth in the KWS points and will be searching for his first series win of the season this weekend. The Hall of Famer has won a number of races in his career at the Southern Oregon Speedway and is also the all-time winningest driver in Silver Dollar Speedway history. Rounding out the top-five in points is former NARC Speedweek champion Bobby McMahan, who will also be looking to break his way into victory lane this weekend.

When:

On Friday June 8 at front grandstand gate of the Silver Dollar Speedway will open at 5pm, with qualifying at 6:30pm and racing scheduled to begin around 7pm.

On Saturday June 9 the front grandstand gate of Southern Oregon Speedway will open at 4pm, qualifying around 6pm and racing to start at 6:30pm.

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.

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. The all-time 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 KWS 410 winners at the track include Jonathan Allard, Kyle Larson, Tim Kaeding, Tim Shaffer and Brent Kaeding on two separate occasions.

Tickets:

Adult tickets on Friday night at Silver Dollar Speedway will cost $20, juniors will be $15 and children $6.

Adult general admission tickets on Saturday night at the Southern Oregon Speedway will cost $25, with juniors, seniors and veterans $17 and kids free. Reserved seating will cost $30.

Last June at Silver Dollar Speedway & Southern Oregon Speedway:

Last year’s “Road to Dirt Cup” opener at the Silver Dollar Speedway saw Clovis, CA’s Peter Murphy charge from 15th to claim victory in the main event aboard the Dalton’s Landscaping No. 11 sprinter. Roger Crockett, Tim Kaeding, Brent Kaeding and Ian Madsen rounded the top-five, during what was the re-scheduled “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial/Tribute to Gary Patterson.”

The second leg of the “Road to Dirt Cup” at Southern Oregon Speedway featured a late-race battle between Jonathan Allard and Tim Kaeding, which ended with Allard getting the upper hand to score his first unlimited 410 win at the one-third mile oval. T. Kaeding came home second, with Ian Madsen, Evan Suggs and Brent Kaeding completing the top-five in the 30-lapper.

Top-15 in Cancen Oil KWS presented by Goodyear points going into Friday:

1. Jonathan Allard 1366; 2. Tim Kaeding 1346; 3. Evan Suggs 1279; 4. Brent Kaeding 1274; 5. Bobby McMahan 1248; 6. Andy Gregg 1234; 7. Peter Murphy 1216; 8. Jason Statler 1205; 9. Willie Croft 1195; 10. Craig Stidham 1130; 11. Chad Compton 1099; 12. Doug Gandy 926; 13. Pat Harvey 837; 14. Rico Abreu 817; 15. Danielle Simpson 809

Winners so far this season with KWS:

April 7 Antioch Speedway Tim Kaeding; April 21 Marysville Raceway Park Jonathan Allard; April 28 Placerville Speedway Tim Kaeding; May 5 Silver Dollar Speedway Jonathan Allard; May 11 Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway Kyle Larson; May 12 Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway Rico Abreu; May 26 Calistoga Speedway Tim Kaeding; May 27 Calistoga Speedway Rico Abreu; June 2 Kings Speedway Bud Kaeding;

Upcoming events for KWS:

Friday June 8 – Silver Dollar Speedway “Road to Dirt Cup” Saturday June 9 – Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, Oregon “Road to Dirt Cup”

Saturday June 23 – Antioch Speedway

Friday June 29- Merced Speedway Saturday June 30- Placerville Speedway

On the internet:

Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/KwsSprintRacing

Silver Dollar Speedway-

Official Website- http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Silver-Dollar-Speedway-Chico-Ca/245116138498 Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/sdspeedway

Southern Oregon Speedway-

Official Website- http://www.sospeedway.com

Bud Kaeding outlasts field to win thrilling “Pombo/Sargent Classic” King of the West main event at Kings Speedway Saturday night

By Gary Thomas

Hanford, CA – June 2, 2012…The “Pombo/Sargent Classic” over the years has always provided no-holds-barred entertainment and on Saturday night the tradition continued at Kings Speedway, where Campbell’s Bud Kaeding came out on top of a wild and wooly 30-lapper with the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear.

The victory came after a thrilling final lap duel with Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs and marked Kaeding’s first Cancen Oil King of the West Series presented by Goodyear win aboard the Brian Matherly owned SCI, Kaeding Performance No. 19 Maxim. It was also his third career triumph at the “Pombo/Sargent Classic.”

“This is just so great that I don’t even really know what to say, but I hope you fans enjoyed that one,” commented the three-time USAC Silver Crown Series champion. “I got around Tim (Kaeding) for the lead late in the race and then didn’t expect to see anyone after that, but Evan (Suggs) got under me coming down for the checkered and all I could do was cut back underneath, so luckily it worked out and we’re standing here in victory lane.”

Despite extremely gusty winds and warm temperatures during the day, Kings Speedway promoter Scott Woodhouse put together an exceptional surface and the main event provided some of the best racing seen all season long.

The 30-lap “Pombo/Sargent Classic” feature came to the line with KSE Dash winner Tim Kaeding of San Jose and Placerville’s Andy Gregg on the front row.

At the waving of flagman Willie Williams’ green flag it was “TK” finessing his way into the lead as the rest of the field sorted itself out on the slick three-eighths mile clay oval. Early on cars raced side by side all the way through the field, using every inch of the track surface, with it soon becoming the “Kaeding Show” up front. Bud Kaeding had climbed to second, but 11-time “Pombo/Sargent Classic” winner Brent Kaeding got the crowd on their feet, fighting with Bud for the runner up spot.

The father/son duo gave the fans an exciting slide fest as they battled for second, passing one another in every corner until a caution came out to slow things down. After going back green Tim Kaeding continued to lead Bud Kaeding, but Sacramento’s Willie Croft popped his way into third and Evan Suggs sliced to fourth. The action continued to be fast and furious as drivers exchanged positions with regularity, putting on a terrific display of unlimited 410 Sprint Car racing.

With 19-laps down Suggs found a nice groove towards the bottom of the speedway and maneuvered past Croft to claim third. As battles continued up and down the running order, Bud Kaeding stepped up his challenges and on lap 21 would charge by brother Tim to take over the top spot.

At that same time Suggs was all over the front runners and with just six-circuits remaining, was able to slide underneath “TK” and move into the runner up position. The 25-year-old then closed in on the leader little by little and when the white flag was unveiled he made his move.

Suggs cut to the inside of Bud Kaeding down the back stretch and as they entered turn three pulled off a beautiful slide job to grab the lead. Kaeding however, wasn’t done yet and sliced to the bottom off the fourth corner in exciting fashion and inched back ahead to cross the checkered flag by 0.157 seconds for victory. “Budly” then performed a sequence of donuts before climbing out of the car to a number of jubilant people on the front straightaway.

Just missing out on his first career Kings Speedway win, Suggs’ runner up finish also marked a season best effort for the driver of the Suggs Racing No. 33e machine. It was also his best ever finish at the Hanford based three-eighths mile oval. Completing the podium was Tim Kaeding aboard the locally owned Roth Motorsports No. 83 mount.

Finishing fourth and moving forward nicely from the sixth row was the Tarlton & Son Inc. No. 21 of Easton’s Tommy Tarlton. Completing the top-five and earning his best finish of the season was Clovis’ Peter Murphy in the Dalton’s Landscaping No. 11 sprinter. Rounding out the top-10 in the main event were 18th starter and Pit Stop USA Hard Charger Jason Statler of Grass Valley, Sacramento’s Willie Croft, Brent Kaeding, KWS point leader Jonathan Allard from Chico and Andy Gregg.

Tim Kaeding won the KSE Dash with Kaeding Performance heat race victories going to Andy Gregg, Peter Murphy and Willie Croft. Picking up the BR Motorsports Fast Time Award was Evan Suggs, who toured the three-eighths mile oval in 13.784 seconds. Suggs will also receive a custom KWS aluminum license plate courtesy of Tim Grant & Grant’s Fine Art.

The Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear will now get set for an exciting two-nights of racing next Friday & Saturday with the “Road to Dirt Cup” kicking off. On Friday June 8 the tour will be in action at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway for the second time this season and on Saturday June 9 it will be the lone appearance of 2012 at the Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, Oregon.

Special guest stars for the Chico and Medford events this coming weekend will include National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Jimmy Sills and last year’s Knoxville Nationals runner up Shane Stewart of Bixby, Oklahoma. Sills will climb behind the wheel of the Dan Simpson Racing No. 4s, whereas Stewart is set to compete in the familiar and always potent Paul Silva Motorsports No. 57 sprinter. Info on both tracks can be found at http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com & http://www.sospeedway.com

Don't forget to “like” the Cancen Oil King of the West Series on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and follow us on Twitter @kwssprintracing for the most timely and up to date information on the series.Also check out our official website, which is under construction at http://www.kwssprints.com for the latest news, results, history and more on the Cancen Oil King of the West 410 Sprint Cars presented by Goodyear.

Calistoga recap/ Interviews with Gregg, Croft & TK/Hanford preview & more

As we near the halfway point of the 2012 KWS season the “KWS Tonight” crew will be back on the air this evening to present a full recap of last week’s Memorial Day weekend double-header at the famed Calistoga Speedway, as well as showcasing interviews with Andy Gregg, Willie Croft, Tim Kaeding and much more.

Andy Gregg capped last weekend with a runner up finish on Sunday night at the Calistoga Speedway and we’ll speak with him about the strong effort. The Placerville competitor also moved up to sixth in the KWS standings and we will get his thoughts on that, along with much more, including what his favorite animal is that’s part of his personal petting zoo.

This past week also saw Willie Croft put together his best weekend of the season with the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear. “Double Down” scored a pair of third place finishes in Calistoga and we’ll get some words with him about how much of a confidence booster the weekend as a whole was. Croft ranks ninth in points going into Hanford this Saturday.

Tim Kaeding put on a thrilling show Saturday night in Calistoga to win the main event from 16th starting, but suffered through a hard crash on Sunday evening. We’ll get an update from him as he prepares for the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” this weekend.

With Kings Speedway on tap Saturday night we will preview the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” as it returns home to Hanford. We’ll also continue to look towards next week’s events at the Silver Dollar Speedway & Southern Oregon Speedway. The “Road to Dirt Cup” races as previously mentioned will include special entrants Jimmy Sills & Shane Stewart.

Finally we will have a sneak preview of the June 29 event at Merced Speedway and talk more about the big thee-day championship banquet weekend at the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort on November 9, 10 & 11. Make your reservations now for the fan night/press party on Friday Nov. 9 and the Kings Banquet on Saturday Nov. 10 by contacting (707) 374-2222. Saturday will also feature a car show and toy drive.

Remember if you purchase a ticket for either Friday’s fan night or the Kings Banquet you will get your name into a drawing to win a day in a sprint car at the “On Track Motivational Center” in Rio Vista. The three-day weekend is being put on with the fans in mind and we look forward to seeing everybody at Jackson Rancheria on November 9, 10 & 11.

Don't forget to “like” the Cancen Oil King of the West Series presented by Goodyear on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and follow us on Twitter @kwssprintracing for the most timely and up to date information on the series. Be sure to catch archived shows of “KWS Tonight” at http://vimeo.com/user5784994/videos and http://vimeo.com/user10076991

History will be revived as Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear heads to Kings Speedway for return of “Pombo/Sargent Classic” in Hanford on Saturday

By Gary Thomas

Hanford, CA – May 30, 2012…Each season one of the most prestigious and history filled events in the Central Valley happens to be the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” and on Saturday night the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear will headline the event, as it returns home to Kings Speedway.

The “Pombo/Sargent Classic” honors California racing legends Al Pombo & Marshall Sargent and has been going on for over 20-years, with it originally starting at Kings Speedway in the 1980’s, before moving to the Thunderbowl Raceway in 2006. This season however, the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” is back home where it all began at the “King of the Dirt Tracks” in Hanford.

Al 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 that 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 around the Central Valley scene at Thunderbowl Raceway in recent years, but passed away at the end of 2010.

Early in his career Marshall Sargent won a pair of San Jose titles, which included two wins in the Johnny Key Memorial and also captured 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.

The Kaeding family has dominated the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” over the years, capturing 15 of the 26 events that have been held since it started.

National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding leads all drivers with 11 overall victories at the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” and even won four in a row from 2006-’09 aboard his famous Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 sprinter. “BK” goes into Saturday sitting third in the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear standings.

The 13-time Northern Auto Racing Club & 13-time Golden State 410 champion has said of the event, "We've won a lot of these Pombo/Sargent Classic's and it's definitely nice to continue the tradition each year. Al Pombo and Marshall Sargent were two hard nose guys that would beat and bang on each other and always put on a show.”

Kaeding brothers Tim and Bud have each captured two victories apiece at the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” and will look to add to that total on Saturday at the Kings Speedway. “TK” comes into the weekend ranking runner up in the Cancen Oil KWS points and leads the tour with three wins overall. The defending series champ claimed the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” in 2004 & again in 2010.

In 1997 younger brother Bud won the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” and it also marked his first career Northern Auto Racing Club victory. The Campbell wheel-man then backed that up with another win at the event during the following year in ’98. The three-time Silver Crown champ is coming off a solid weekend in Calistoga and will hope to continue that at Kings Speedway on Saturday.

Last season Easton’s Tommy Tarlton became just the second driver to reach three wins in “Pombo/Sargent Classic” history and the “Terminator” will be searching to make it number four on Saturday. Tarlton has made two starts so far this year with the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear and brought home top-five finishes in both.

Current Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear point leader Jonathan Allard will be gunning for his first career “Pombo/Sargent Classic” victory on Saturday in the Williams Motorsports No. 0 machine. The Chico native sits atop the standings by 38-markers and has claimed two wins so far this season with the series. Allard always runs strong at the Kings Speedway and captured last year’s “Cotton Classic” to end the KWS campaign.

Other top-10 drivers in the standings set for the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” will include Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, 1996 NARC Speedweek champion Bobby McMahan of Elk Grove, Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Central Valley favorite Peter Murphy from Clovis, ’04 state champion Jason Statler of Grass Valley, former Mini Gold Cup winner Willie Croft from Sacramento and ’01 Trophy Cup champion Craig Stidham of nearby Fresno.

More drivers set for the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” will include Visalia’s Cory Eliason, Fair Oak’s Chad Compton, Tipton’s Mike Faria, New Zealander Dean Brindle, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Elk Grove’s Sean McMahan, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey, Laton’s Geoffrey Strole and others.

The front gate will open at 5:00pm this Saturday night June 2 at the Kings Speedway, with qualifying around 6:30pm and racing around 7:00pm. Grandstand tickets on Saturday cost $20, with bleacher tickets being $18. Tickets are on sale now and to reserve your seats simply contact (559) 584-7223.

The 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.kingsspeedway.net or by contacting (559) 584-7223.

Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear Notes & Pertinent Info

Kings Speedway Saturday June 2 – “Pombo/Sargent Classic”

What:

The always prestigious “Pombo/Sargent Classic” is set for action this Saturday night at the Kings Speedway in Hanford for the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear. The event honors California racing legends Al Pombo & Marshall Sargent and has been going on for over 20-years. The “Pombo/Sargent Classic” started at Kings Speedway in the 1980’s, before moving to the Thunderbowl Raceway in 2006.

This season however, the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” returns home to Kings Speedway and everyone is excited for that occurrence. “We are really happy to have the Pombo/Sargent Classic back home at Kings Speedway,” said track promoter Scott Woodhouse. “It should be a great night and we’ll also have the Vintage Super Modifieds as a tribute to the rivalry and friendship of Al Pombo & Marshall Sargent.”

Chico’s Jonathan Allard has extended his point lead to 38-markers going into this weekend at the Kings Speedway. The two-time state champion ended the KWS season last year by winning the Cotton Classic in Hanford and always runs well at the track. San Jose’s Tim Kaeding ranks second in the standings going into the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” and will look to bring home a win in his car owner’s backyard.

Eleven-time “Pombo/Sargent Classic” winner Brent Kaeding has moved to third in the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear point standings, with Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs and Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan rounding out the top-five. Three-time and defending event winner Tommy Tarlton of Easton will be another strong addition to the roster on Saturday, along with other top-10 KWS drivers Andy Gregg, Peter Murphy, Jason Statler, Willie Croft and Craig Stidham, plus many more.

When:

The front gate will open at 5:00pm this Saturday night June 2 at the Kings Speedway, with qualifying around 6:30pm and racing around 7:00pm.

Where:

About the track:

The Kings Speedway is a three-eighths mile semi-banked clay oval and is one of the higher-speed tracks that the Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear competes at. Promoter Scott Woodhouse has done a great job rejuvenating the track and it is always a welcomed stop on tour. If fans haven’t been to Kings Speedway in a while this will be a perfect weekend to change that and make a visit.

Tickets:

Grandstand tickets on Saturday cost $20, with bleacher tickets being $18. Tickets are on sale now and to reserve your seats simply contact (559) 584-7223.

Last year at the Kings Speedway:

The Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear competed twice at the Kings Speedway in Hanford last season. San Jose’s Tim Kaeding captured the win in August and Chico’s Jonathan Allard picked up victory at the “Cotton Classic” in October. The series will also be at the track for the “Cotton Classic” once again this season on October 13.

Top-15 in Cancen Oil KWS presented by Goodyear points going into Kings Speedway:

1. Jonathan Allard 1230; 2. Tim Kaeding 1192; 3. Brent Kaeding 1134; 4. Evan Suggs 1122; 5. Bobby McMahan 1119; 6. Andy Gregg 1097; 7. Peter Murphy 1069; 8. Jason Statler 1067; 9. Willie Croft 1047; 10. Craig Stidham 991; 11. Chad Compton 987; 12. Rico Abreu 817; 13. Doug Gandy 810; 14. Pat Harvey 725; 15. Danielle Simpson 700

Winners so far this season with KWS:

Upcoming events for KWS:

Saturday June 2 – Kings Speedway in Hanford “Pombo/Sargent Classic”

Friday June 8 – Silver Dollar Speedway “Road to Dirt Cup” Saturday June 9 – Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, Oregon “Road to Dirt Cup”

Saturday June 23 – Antioch Speedway

Friday June 29- Merced Speedway Saturday June 30- Placerville Speedway

On the internet:

Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/KwsSprintRacing

Kings Speedway-

Official Website- http://www.kingsspeedway.net Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/TheKingsSpeedway

St. Helena, California youngster Rico Abreu scores big at home track with “Tribute to Gary Patterson” triumph at Calistoga Speedway for 2nd career KWS Series win

By Gary Thomas

Calistoga, CA – May 27, 2012…In the 29-year history of the “Tribute to Gary Patterson” there had been only one local winner of the event, with that coming in 2004 when Santa Rosa, CA’s Sparky Howard raced an emotional victory.

That all changed on Sunday evening however, as 20-year-old St. Helena resident Rico Abreu dominated the 25-lap “Tribute to GP” and scored an immensely popular win in front of his home track crowd at the Calistoga Speedway.

For Abreu it came in amazingly just his second ever start at the famed half-mile and was also on the one-year anniversary of his initial outing at the Calistoga Speedway. “It’s really awesome to come out here at my home track and win a race at Calistoga,” said Abreu. “I couldn’t be more pumped right now to be in victory lane with all my friends and family, so this is really special.”

The talented second-year sprint car driver competed with the USAC National Midget Series on Saturday in Indiana, before flying home to be in action with the Cancen Oil King of the West Series presented by Goodyear on Sunday. Abreu was also fresh off his first ever KWS unlimited 410 win just two-weeks prior in Tulare at the Thunderbowl Raceway.

On Sunday night Abreu won the KSE Racing Products Dash for the second time this season to earn the pole position in the feature, starting alongside Grass Valley’s Jason Statler in the 25-lap “Tribute to Gary Patterson.”

At the waving of the green flag Abreu rocketed into the lead, but things would come to a grinding halt after one-lap was completed when Tim Kaeding and Jonathan Allard got upside down in the second corner to bring out a red flag. Kaeding’s machine had severe damage and was done for the night, but Allard was able to make repairs and rejoin the field.

The ensuing double-file restart saw Abreu get a big jump on the field and it took him no time at all to distance himself from the other competitors. He would handle the field with ease over the duration of the 25-lapper and even opened up a half-lap lead at one point. With Abreu out front by a large margin the battle for second, third and fourth heated up just past the halfway point.

Placerville’s Andy Gregg had a strong night going and closed in on Statler for the runner up spot around lap 15. Gregg however, had to deal with a fast moving Willie Croft and on lap 18 the driver known as “Double Down” shot by to put the Holey Smokes BBQ No. 29 into third. The Sacramento competitor then charged after Statler and with 21-laps in books carved his way into second.

Just as Abreu appeared headed for the checkered flag, the yellow lights flashed on for Allard, who had slowed in turns three and four. The upcoming double-file restart didn’t faze Abreu though and he scooted away once again to cross the checkered by two seconds, with the crowd coming to their feet in a frenzy.

Abreu proceeded to spin some donuts on the front stretch and then climb atop his Abreu Vineyards No. 89 mount in celebration, as numerous people gathered at the car. “I really have to thank Clarke Riolo, Skippy and my whole crew for giving me a great car tonight,” he said. “This thing was perfect in the feature and I just drove my own race.”

Making a great move and carving his way into second during the green-white-checkered restart was Gregg in the Guts Racing Inc. No. 53 sprinter. It capped off a solid weekend for the likable driver and marked his career best 410 Sprint Car finish at the Calistoga Speedway. It was also a season-best effort with KWS for Gregg.

Rounding out the podium and scoring a third place finish for the second night in a row was Croft, who put together a very strong weekend of racing at Calistoga. The former Mini Gold Cup winner looked very impressive both nights and will look to carry that into the Kings Speedway this weekend.

Coming home in fourth and finishing up a consistent weekend was Campbell’s Bud Kaeding aboard the Brian Matherly owned No. 19 mount. Rounding out the top-five and also having a good weekend was Jason Statler in DF Rios Motorsports No. 00 machine. It was nice to see the “Big Guy” in the top-five both nights.

Completing the top-10 were Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan, Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Allard and Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs. The KSE Dash as previously mentioned went to Rico Abreu, with the three Kaeding Performance heats going to Tim Kaeding, Croft and Gregg. “TK” set the BR Motorsports Fast Time for the second consecutive night, stopping the clocks at 17.180 around the half-mile.

The Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear will be right back in action this Saturday night June 2 at the Kings Speedway in Hanford for the annual “Pombo/Sargent Classic.”

Tim Kaeding charges from 16th & pulls off final lap pass for victory at the 21st “Salute to Walt Ross” in Calistoga Saturday night

By Gary Thomas

Calistoga, CA – May 26, 2012…Whenever you have Tim Kaeding starting from the back of the field you are guaranteed to see a show. That was no more exemplified than on Saturday night at the Calistoga Speedway, where the defending KWS champ carved his way from 16th to pass Jonathan Allard on the final lap for a thrilling victory.

Kaeding’s win at the “Salute to Walter T Ross” was also the fourth of his career and makes him the winningest driver in the history of the event, breaking a tie with Steve Kent and Ronnie Day. "TK" was also the Pit Stop USA Hard Charger in the main event for the first time this season.

“That was an exciting race right there and I hope all you fans enjoyed it,” said an extremely pumped Kaeding. “My guys just told me to drive it like I know how to and they gave me a great set up. It felt a little like the old days at Calistoga coming from the back like that and we’ll return tomorrow to try and do it again.”

A couple of rain delays at the start of the night forced teams and fans to wait things out for a couple of hours, before finally getting things going once the rain stopped. After working the track surface back in everyone was presented with a lightning fast track all night long.

The 25-lap “Salute to Walt Ross” came to the line with KSE Dash winner Willie Croft and Chico’s Jonathan Allard on the front row. At the waving of the green flag Allard shot into the lead and paced the field with ease early on aboard the Williams Motorsports No. 0 sprinter.

All eyes were on the rear of the field however, as Tim Kaeding started 16th on the grid after losing an engine in his heat race. “TK” earlier in the evening paced the field in BR Motorsports qualifying with a blistering lap of 16.982. The Roth Motorsports No. 83 machine was on a rail in the feature and Kaeding impressively charged forward, getting up to the top-five by lap-five.

Just prior to the halfway point Allard continued to be large and in charge out front, but on a double-file restart with 12-laps down Kaeding moved up to third getting by Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs. The crowd was buzzing with every move that “TK” pulled off and the San Jose throttle-masher then proceeded to close in on second running Willie Croft. With the laps ticking down Kaeding pushed it into overdrive and made a thrilling pass to claim second on lap 19, before setting his sights on the leader.

Allard had a big lead out front, but lapped traffic gave Kaeding the chance to close in and the final few laps proved to be some of the most entertaining we’ve seen all season. “JA” was making the right moves to hang on, up until the final lap however, when Kaeding got to his inside and rocketed into the lead off turn two. Allard tried to come back, but at the checkered it was Kaeding by 0.474 seconds to record his third Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear win of the year.

For Allard it was his third consecutive runner up finish as he continues to lead the points going into the Calistoga two-night finale this evening. Croft brought home a strong third place finish in the Holey Smokes BBQ No. 29 mount, marking his second career 410 podium at the Calistoga Speedway.

The top-10 was rounded out by Grass Valley’s Jason Statler, 15th starter Bud Kaeding, Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan, Fresno’s Craig Stidham and St. Helena’s Jeff Griffin.

Racing will continue tonight at the Calistoga Speedway with the 29th annual “Tribute to Gary Patterson,” which will be the eighth round of action for the Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear.

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Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear Results –“Salute to Walt Ross” at Calistoga Speedway May 26, 2012

19-cars

Fast time: Tim Kaeding 16.982

Heat one: Jonathan Allard, Peter Murphy, Craig Stidham, Danielle Simpson, Matthew Davis, Tim Kaeding

Heat two: Brent Kaeding, Andy Gregg, Evan Suggs, Jeff Griffin, Pat Harvey

Heat three: Willie Croft, Jason Statler, Chad Compton, Bobby McMahan, Bud Kaeding, Sean McMahan, Doug Gandy

Dash: Willie Croft, Jonathan Allard, Evan Suggs, Bobby McMahan, Jason Statler, Andy Gregg, Brent Kaeding, Craig Stidham

A-main: Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Willie Croft, Jason Statler, Bud Kaeding, Brent Kaeding, Andy Gregg, Bobby McMahan, Craig Stidham, Jeff Griffin, Evan Suggs, Peter Murphy, Danielle Simpson, Sean McMahan, Pat Harvey, Matthew Davis, Chad Compton, Doug Gandy

Chad Compton, Rico Abreu & more on "KWS Tonight" this week

“KWS Tonight” will present a fully loaded show this Thursday evening, showcasing interviews with young rising star Rico Abreu, Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear rookie driver Chad Compton and more.

We’ll be putting a wrap on the “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” finale from May 12, giving everyone a rundown of the night’s happenings and sharing highlights from the event. Our guest Rico Abreu will talk about his first KWS win that night and how excited he is to fly home for Calistoga on Sunday, after running the “Night before the 500” at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in Indiana on Saturday.

With six races complete so far this season Chad Compton currently ranks ninth in the KWS Series standings and is the leading contender for “Rookie of the Year” as we head into the Calistoga Speedway. Compton will discuss how the season has gone for him up to this point and what he hopes to accomplish as the campaign goes on.

We will of course delve deeper into this weekend’s double-header at the famed Calistoga Speedway half-mile. We’ll spend some time talking about the all-time winners of the “Salute to Walt Ross” & the “Tribute to Gary Patterson” which is packed full of top name drivers from all around. There are always a number of special things on tap at Calistoga and we’ll talk about them all as well.

Please be advised of the earlier start time for both nights of racing at Calistoga Speedway. On Saturday & Sunday May 26 & 27 the front grandstand gate will open at 4pm, with cars hitting the track for wheel packing at 4:30, qualifying around 5:30 and racing scheduled to begin around 6. Adult tickets will be $20 each night, with all kids 12 and under being free, as part of the Calistoga Speedway “75th anniversary Special.”

A number of big races are also coming up after Calistoga, so we’ll preview the “Pombo/Sargent Classic” at Kings Speedway on June 2, along with the “Road to Dirt Cup” events at Silver Dollar Speedway on Friday June 8 and Southern Oregon Speedway on Saturday June 9. Starting at Kings Speedway we’ll have some international Kiwi flair, which we’ll share with everyone.

For the Chico and Medford events there will also be a pair of special guest stars in action, including National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Jimmy Sills and reigning ASCS National champion Shane Stewart. Sills will climb aboard the DES Racing No. 4s machine and Stewart will be in the familiar Paul Silva Racing No. 57 sprinter.

In addition to all of that we will talk more about the big championship banquet weekend that will be held at the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort on November 9, 10 and 11. Friday will include a fan appreciation/ press night; Saturday will feature a car show and the “Kings Banquet” to cap the evening, with Sunday being the annual business meeting.

Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear heads to Calistoga Speedway this weekend for 21st “Salute to Walt Ross” & 29th annual “Tribute to Gary Patterson”

By Gary Thomas

Calistoga, CA – May 21, 2012…For many fans and teams in the Northern California sprint car community there is no place other than the Calistoga Speedway to spend their Memorial Day weekend. With that said this coming Saturday & Sunday the tradition lives on, as the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear will invade the famed half-mile for two nights of high-octane competition.

Adult tickets will be $20 each night, with all kids 12 and under being free, as part of the Calistoga Speedway “75th anniversary Special.” On Saturday & Sunday May 26 & 27 the front grandstand gate will open at 4pm, with cars hitting the track for wheel packing at 4:30, qualifying around 5:30 and racing scheduled to begin around 6. Please be advised of the earlier start time for both nights of racing.

Saturday's event will be the 21st running of the "Salute to Walter T. Ross," a night of action 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 at Calistoga.

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."

On Sunday night we will then honor the memory of National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Gary Patterson with the return of the “Tribute to GP” at Calistoga Speedway.

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 and captured a number of major wins 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 his life in a sprint car crash at Calistoga Speedway on Memorial Day weekend 1983 and an event in his memory had been held at the half-mile ever since, up until 2007 when the “Tribute to GP” was moved to Silver Dollar Speedway. In 2012 however, the decision was made to bring the race back home to Calistoga and on Sunday night we’ll pay respects to the 29th anniversary of GP’s passing.

Two-time state 410 champion Jonathan Allard will lead the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear into the Calistoga Speedway this weekend. Now in his eighth season driving for Morrie & Katie Williams the Chico, CA wheel-man holds a 27-point advantage at the top of the standings, following a pair of runner up finishes at Tulare on May 11 & 12. Allard was the winner of the “Tribute to GP” in 2007.

Now finding himself second in the series standings, San Jose’s Tim Kaeding will look for a strong weekend in Calistoga to help close the gap back up. The driver of the Roth Motorsports No. 83 mount has won six career races at the half-mile, including last year’s “Salute to Walt Ross.” That victory also tied the defending King of the West with Ronnie Day & Steve Kent for most all-time wins in event history.

Last year’s KWS runner up Evan Suggs has moved to third in points and will be gunning for his first Calistoga Speedway win this weekend aboard the Suggs Racing No. 33e sprinter. The 25-year-old Scotts Valley resident had one of his best career runs at the track last season, bringing home a fourth place finish in the main event.

National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding ranks fourth in the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear standings going into the weekend. “BK” is the second winningest driver in Calistoga Speedway history, having scored 21 career victories and is tied with Steve Kent for most wins in “Tribute to Gary Patterson” history.

Rounding out the top-five in points coming into Calistoga is Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan, who is just nine-digits out of fourth and will be gunning for a strong two nights of racing at one of his favorite tracks. The pilot of the American Tool & Mfg No. 25 machine has captured four Calistoga Speedway wins in his career.

Completing the top-10 in the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear standings going into Memorial Day weekend are Clovis, CA’s Peter Murphy, Placerville’s Andy Gregg, three-time Calistoga winner Jason Statler of Grass Valley, Rookie of the Year contender Chad Compton from Fair Oaks and Sacramento’s Willie Croft.

After winning his first ever KWS main event two weeks ago in Tulare, locally based driver Rico Abreu of St. Helena will be in action on Sunday night at Calistoga aboard the Abreu Vineyards No. 89 sprinter. The 20-year-old will compete in the “Night Before the 500” at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis on Saturday, before flying home Sunday for the “Tribute to Gary Patterson.”

Other drivers set for the Calistoga Speedway double-header will include 2010 “Salute to Walt Ross” winner Bud Kaeding of Campbell, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, White Rock, BC’s Toni Lutar, Rio Linda’s Cody Lamar, St. Helena’s Jeff Griffin, Elk Grove’s Sean McMahan, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson, Laton’s Geoffrey Strole, Grass Valley’s Pat Harvey and more.

Sunday morning from 7am till 11am will also feature the Calistoga Boy Scout Troop 18 Annual Pancake Breakfast in the Butler Pavilion on the Napa County Fairgrounds. Enjoy two pancakes, scrambled eggs, Sausage & fresh fruit. Your choice of coffee, tea, milk or orange juice. Come enjoy a delicious breakfast and support Calistoga Boy Scout Troop 18. Breakfast is $8.00 for adults & $5.00 for children under 10. For more info call 707-328-7545.

The Calistoga Speedway is located on the beautiful Napa County Fairgrounds in Calistoga, California. The physical address is 1435 North Oak Street and the track number for more information is (707) 942-5111. The track website can be found at http://www.calistogaspeedway.org

Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear Notes & Pertinent Info

Calistoga Speedway – “Salute to Walter T Ross” & “Tribute to Gary Patterson” May 26 & 27

What:

The Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear will continue its 2012 season this coming weekend at the famed Calistoga Speedway half-mile, located in the gorgeous Napa Valley Wine Country. Sprint Car racing at the picturesque track on Memorial Day weekend has been as traditional as anything in Northern California throughout the years and everyone is excited to continue it this season.

The big weekend opens on Saturday May 26 with the 21st running of the “Salute to Walter T Ross,” as we pay respect to the former legendary car owner and Northern Auto Racing Club president. On Sunday May 27 we will then honor National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Gary Patterson with the return of the “Tribute to GP” at Calistoga Speedway.

This season marks the 29th annual edition of the “Tribute to Gary Patterson” and the first at Calistoga since 2007, as it’s been held at Silver Dollar Speedway the last four-years. Patterson was a 10-time winner in his career at the scenic half-mile and once held the track record for 10-years. His life was unfortunately cut short in a racing crash at Calistoga on Memorial Day weekend 1983, but his spirit has lived on with the “Tribute to GP.”

Chico’s Jonathan Allard goes into the weekend as the new Cancen Oil KWS presented by Goodyear point leader, holding a 27-point advantage over defending champion Tim Kaeding of San Jose.

St. Helena driver Rico Abreu won his first ever unlimited 410 main event in Tulare on May 12 and will be in action on Sunday night at Calistoga. Three-time USAC Silver Crown champ Bud Kaeding will be another strong addition to the roster both nights. Kaeding scored his first career Calistoga Speedway victory in 2010.

Other top drivers will include 21-time Calistoga Speedway winner & Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding, four-time winner Bobby McMahan, multiple-time victor Jason Statler, along with Evan Suggs, Peter Murphy, Willie Croft, Andy Gregg, Craig Stidham, Chad Compton, Cody Lamar and many more.

When:

On Saturday & Sunday May 26 & 27 the front grandstand gate will open at 4pm, with cars hitting the track for wheel packing at 4:30, qualifying around 5:30 and racing scheduled to begin around 6. Please be advised of the earlier start time for both nights of racing.

Where:

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 KWS unlimited 410 Series track record is 16.304 and was set by Randy Hannagan on May 24, 1998. The famous speedway is also celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2012.

Tickets:

Adult tickets will be $20 each night, with all kids 12 and under being free, as part of the Calistoga Speedway “75th anniversary Special.” We encourage everyone to take advantage of this offer and introduce a child, if you haven’t already, to the high-speed thrills of Sprint Car racing. Bring out the family for a fun filled weekend at the “World’s Most Beautiful Dirt Track.”

Last year at the Calistoga Speedway:

Following a rainout on opening night the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear returned on Sunday to the Calistoga Speedway. In the end it was San Jose’s Tim Kaeding who brought home his sixth career Calistoga win, also tying Ronnie Day & Steve for most all-time victories in the “Salute to Walt Ross.” Kyle Larson finished second, with Ian Madsen, Evan Suggs & Toni Lutar completing the top-five.

Top-15 in Cancen Oil KWS presented by Goodyear points going into Calistoga Speedway:

1. Jonathan Allard 934; 2. Tim Kaeding 907; 3. Evan Suggs 856; 4. Brent Kaeding 848; 5. Bobby McMahan 839; 6. Peter Murphy 805; 7. Andy Gregg 796; 8. Jason Statler 771; 9. Chad Compton 754; 10. Willie Croft 737; 11. Craig Stidham 711; 12. Shane Golobic 665; 13. Rico Abreu 661; 14. Doug Gandy 571; 15. Cody Lamar 568

Winners so far this season with KWS:

Upcoming events for KWS:

Saturday May 26 – Calistoga Speedway “Salute to Walt Ross” Sunday May 27 – Calistoga Speedway “Tribute to Gary Patterson”

Saturday June 2 – Kings Speedway in Hanford “Pombo/Sargent Classic”

Friday June 8 – Silver Dollar Speedway “Road to Dirt Cup” Saturday June 9 – Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, Oregon “Road to Dirt Cup”

Saturday June 23 – Antioch Speedway

On the internet:

Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/KwsSprintRacing

Calistoga Speedway-

Official website- http://www.calistogaspeedway.org

Tulare Friday recap/ Suggs & Hirst interviews/ Calistoga preview & more on "KWS Tonight"

This Thursday evening the “KWS Tonight” gang will be on the air recapping the Friday portion of the “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial Spring Shootout” at Thunderbowl Raceway this past weekend.

We will showcase a great highlight package from the opening night in Tulare and talk about the various happenings from the evening.

After making a special appearance in the Dan Simpson Racing No. 4s last week, Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst will call-in to talk about the outing. The 24-year-old brought home a pair of fifth place finishes at the Thunderbowl Raceway and looked solid all weekend.

Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs has moved to third in the Cancen Oil KWS presented by Goodyear standings and he will be on the line with “KWS Tonight” to speak about his season up to this point. Suggs will also share his thoughts on the big two-night show in Calistoga that’s coming up Memorial Day weekend.

Speaking of Calistoga we will also start previewing the always fun weekend that is highlighted by the 21st “Salute to Walter T Ross” and the 29th annual “Tribute to Gary Patterson,” which has moved back to the historic half-mile this season.

In addition to all of that we will talk more about big championship banquet weekend that will be held at the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort on November 9, 10 and 11. Friday will include a fan appreciation/ press night; Saturday will feature a car show and the “Kings Banquet” to cap the evening, with Sunday being the annual business meeting.

Rico Abreu leads final four laps to claim first career Cancen Oil KWS Series presented Goodyear win on Saturday night in Tulare

By Gary Thomas

Tulare, CA – May 12, 2012…Milestone victories come around from time to time and on Saturday night at the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway, that very thing occurred, as 20-year-old Rico Abreu took advantage of an opportunity given forth and scooped up his first career 410 Sprint Car win.

Abreu had captured an open 360 Sprint Car show at Silver Dollar Speedway two weeks prior, but Saturdays triumph marked his first ever victory with the traveling Cancen Oil KWS unlimited 410 Series presented by Goodyear.

The St. Helena, California driver stopped on the front stretch and was greeted by a number of joyous people, including good friend Kyle Larson, who was the first person to the car. Abreu then climbed atop the car in celebration and performed his signature wing dive into the arms of car owner Brent Kaeding.

“It feels great to get my first 410 win tonight and having it come at my favorite track makes it even better,” commented the driver of the Abreu Vineyards, Stadelhofer Construction No. 89 Maxim. “We won that 360 race a couple weeks ago, but this is pretty big to get our first KWS win. I want to thank my whole team and family for all their support.”

The “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” 30-lap finale started out with Sacramento’s Willie Croft shooting into the lead. It turned out to be short lived however, after contact with the turn two wall left him with damage that resulted in his night coming to a premature end. It was a tough break for “Double Down,” who looked solid all night.

Friday night winner Kyle Larson was the new leader of the race, as he looked to perform the amazing feat of a four-for-four sweep of the weekends sprint car races at Thunderbowl Raceway. The night before saw him sweep both the KWS and West Coast Wingless Series features. Prior to Saturday’s KWS A-main Larson had also charged from 20th to score victory in the wingless main event for the second straight evening.

Larson possessed an expertly set up car underneath him once again from owner/crew chief Paul Silva and rocketed away from the field with ease early on. Various cautions slowed the pace of the race however, as turn one seemed to be a problem spot with everyone navigating their way around the slick and treacherous surface, which had the cushion right up on the wall in typical Thunderbowl Raceway fashion.

As drivers jockeyed for position Larson sat out front with no worries for much of the main event. Just past the halfway point the surface began to take rubber and caused the speeds to go up, but also made passing tough to come by. On lap 20 Larson very nearly lost it in turn four and actually had the engine stall, but luckily for him it fired back up and he continued on as the leader.

Just when it looked liked Larson was on his way to making it a complete weekend sweep, smoke began to billow out of the Silva 57 as he headed into turn one on lap 26. Things then went up in a blaze down the back stretch and his bid at four-for-four came to a dramatic end, with an oil filter issue causing a big flame up under the hood.

After running second for the majority of the race Rico Abreu now found himself in the lead of the race. Even despite Jonathan Allard and Tim Kaeding on his rear bumper, the talented youngster drove a smooth final four laps and crossed the checkered flag with the crowd coming to their feet.

Allard brought home a runner up finish for the second night in a row and will go into Calistoga Speedway on Memorial Day weekend as the KWS point leader. Kaeding rebounded from a hard crash on Friday night to round out the podium in Dennis & Teresa Roth’s No. 83 mount.

Easton’s Tommy Tarlton capped off a solid weekend by earning a fourth place finish and Loomis’ Kyle Hirst did the same by scoring fifth for the second straight night driving for Dan Simpson Racing. Completing the top-10 in the main event were Medford, Oregon’s Roger Crockett; Puyallup, Washington’s Trey Starks; Campbell’s Brent Kaeding; Placerville’s Andy Gregg and Clovis’ Peter Murphy.

The 12-lap Last Chance Qualifier was picked off by Andy Gregg and the KSE Racing Products Dash was captured by Rico Abreu. Kaeding Performance Heat Races were won by Kyle Hirst, Tommy Tarlton, Willie Croft and Kyle Larson. Roger Crockett topped the 28-car field in BR Motorsports qualifying to earn fast time with a lap of 13.800 around the one-third mile oval.

The Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear will have an off weekend upcoming, before returning to action with another big double-header at the Calistoga Speedway on Saturday May 26 & Sunday May 27. The traditional Memorial Day weekend event will mark the annual “Salute to Walter T Ross” along with the return of the “Tribute to Gary Patterson” to the half-mile.

All kids 12 and under will be free both nights at Calistoga Speedway in honor of the tracks 75th anniversary. The special offer should be a great way to get more kids into the stands, so we encourage everyone to bring a child or two and introduce them to sprint car racing if you haven’t already. Tickets can be acquired by logging onto http://www.calistogaspeedway.org/Ticket-Information/index.html

Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear Results – Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway Friday May 11 “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial”

26-cars

Fast time: Cody Lamar 13.361

Heat one: Tommy Tarlton, Jason Statler, Kyle Hirst, Bud Kaeding, Bobby McMahan, Craig Stidham, Doug Gandy, Pat Harvey

Heat two: Evan Suggs, Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Cory Eliason, Peter Murphy, Sean McMahan, Trey Starks, Danielle Simpson, Geoffrey Strole

Heat three: Kyle Larson, Roger Crockett, Brent Kaeding, Andy Gregg, Mike Faria, Chad Compton, Willie Croft, Rico Abreu

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

LCQ: Rico Abreu, Willie Croft, Sean McMahan, Chad Compton, Danielle Simpson, Geoffrey Strole, Doug Gandy, Craig Stidham, Pat Harvey, Trey Starks, Cody Lamar

With a much anticipated double header on tap at Thunderbowl Raceway this weekend, the “KWS Tonight” crew will be on the air Thursday evening to get everyone ready for what will be an action packed two nights of racing. In addition to the various items we’ll discuss on the show, people can also tune in for the announcement of the date and location of our championship awards banquet weekend.

To view the show log on directly to the “KWS Tonight” Vimeo page at http://vimeo.com/user10076991 as our website is being re-designed to remedy the problems we've been having with it.

We will put a wrap on last Saturday’s 22nd “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” and showcase highlights from the night, as well as give our thanks to many of the people who made the event such a success. Main event winner Jonathan Allard will be on the line to discuss his victory from this past weekend and how special it was to get his fifth career Bradway Memorial win.

Also calling into the show this week was KWS rookie contender Geoffrey Strole, who is in his first full year of driving a winged sprint car. The Laton, CA driver is studying mechanical engineering at Fresno State and will also be going for his master’s degree in aeronautical engineering. Strole will be in Tulare this weekend competing at a track in which he has wingless experience.

Don’t forget the event this weekend in Tulare will also include a complimentary breakfast on Saturday morning at the fairgrounds for ticket & pit pass holders from the night before. The breakfast will be in building two from 8am to 10am. All you have to do is show your ticket stub or pit pass from Friday for the breakfast courtesy of KWS.

We invite everyone to come down and camp out for the two nights, have a breakfast on us Saturday morning and enjoy a great weekend of racing at the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway. The weather looks fantastic and a stout field of cars and stars will invade the always thrilling track for the “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial Spring Shootout.”

Young hot shoes Kyle Larson & Rico Abreu return to California for “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial Spring Shooutout” in Tulare this Friday & Saturday

By Gary Thomas

Tulare, CA – May 8, 2012…The excitement level is set to be kicked up a notch with the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear this weekend, as young stars Kyle Larson and Rico Abreu throw their names into the mix for the “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial Spring Shootout" at Thunderbowl Raceway.

Both drivers were in action last weekend with the USAC National Midget Series in Dodge City, Kansas where Larson picked up a win on Friday and then tallied a runner up effort to Tracy Hines on Saturday. Larson then promptly jumped into the Abreu/Stadelhofer wingless sprint car on Sunday night and captured victory at the Kokomo Speedway in Indiana.

Abreu brought home a best finish of eighth in his debut at the Dodge City Raceway, as he continued his rookie season with the USAC National Midget Series driving for Keith Kunz Motorsports.

Larson considers the Tulare Thunderbowl to be his favorite track and the 19-year-old will be searching for another win at the one-third mile oval while driving the Silva Motorsports No. 57 mount this weekend. At the KWS opener on April 7 he drove the Paul Silva owned machine to a fourth place finish from the rear of the field.

Last October Larson dominated the Saturday night portion of the Trophy Cup to easily win the 50-lap finale. The Elk Grove native will also be doing double duty this weekend in Tulare, with him competing without the wing both nights with the West Coast 360’s. The former state 410 champion claimed the “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” in 2010, which was the same season he ended up winning the title.

Abreu returns to California for the first time since winning his first career sprint car race two weeks ago in Chico. The 20-year-old also had a strong run going with the Cancen Oil KWS Series the following night, until issues in turn two put an end to his night. The St. Helena driver should be a thrill to watch at the Thunderbowl as he guns for his initial KWS victory.

Larson and Abreu will be just two of the many top drivers expected to be on hand for the weekend.

Current Cancen Oil KWS presented by Goodyear point leader Tim Kaeding of San Jose will be a definite favorite at the track he has practically owned in recent years. Driving for Fresno based Roth Motorsports “TK” is routinely the man to beat at the Thunderbowl and is the defending winner of the Faria Memorial. Kaeding also beat the traveling World of Outlaw stars when the series competed in Tulare on March 16 and comes into Friday having scored two KWS wins thus far in 2012.

Chico’s Jonathan Allard also goes into the weekend with momentum, following his big victory last Saturday during the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” at Silver Dollar Speedway. Allard sits just 10-markers behind Kaeding in the fight for the point lead and is gunning to close even more on Friday & Saturday. Allard captured the Faria Memorial in 2003 and will look to add another this weekend.

Three-time USAC Silver Crown Series champion Bud Kaeding will make his first start of the season with the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear this weekend. The Campbell, CA driver is set for double-duty on Friday and Saturday as he, like Larson, will also run with the West Coast 360’s. Bud was the winner at Thunderbowl Raceway on April 28 with the Rebel Cup 360 Series.

Local favorite Tommy Tarlton will also make his season debut with the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear this weekend at the Thunderbowl. The Easton wheel-man claimed a pair of victories with KWS last year, including one at the Tulare County Fairgrounds based one-third mile clay oval.

Rounding out the top-five in the Cancen Oil KWS presented by Goodyear standings coming into the Thunderbowl Raceway are Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan and Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs. The trio is separated by only four-points and this weekend’s event at the Thunderbowl should prove pivotal as we gear up for another two-night show on Memorial Day weekend in Calistoga.

Other drivers ready to tackle the Thunderbowl Raceway for both nights of competition will include 2005 Faria Memorial winner Jason Statler of Grass Valley, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Clovis, CA’s Peter Murphy, Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Sacramento’s Willie Croft, Loomis’ Kyle Hirst, Fair Oaks Chad Compton, Visalia’s Cory Eliason, Rio Vista’s Danielle Simpson, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Laton’s Geoffrey Strole and more.

The event will also include a complimentary breakfast on Saturday morning at the fairgrounds for ticket & pit pass holders from the night before. The breakfast will be in building two from 8am to 10am. All you have to do is show your ticket stub or pit pass from Friday for the breakfast courtesy of KWS.

On Friday & Saturday May 11 & 12 the front grandstand gate will open at 5pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 6pm, with qualifying at 6:30pm and racing anticipated to start around 7pm. Also on hand both nights will be the West Coast Wingless 360’s and IMCA Modifieds.

Advance tickets for the weekend 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. For a seating chart visit the track website at http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com

The Tulare 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. For directions visit http://www.mapquest.com/maps?address=E+Bardsley+Ave+%26+S+K+St&city=Tulare&state=CA&zipcode=93274

Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear Notes & Pertinent Info

Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway – “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial Spring Shootout”

What:

The Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear will head for a big double-header weekend at the always action-packed Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare this coming Friday & Saturday May 11 & 12. It will be just the second two-night show for local 410 Winged Sprint Car racing at the track since the year 2000 and all are excited for the weekend.

The event will be known as the “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial Spring Shootout” and will also include a complimentary breakfast on Saturday morning at the fairgrounds for ticket & pit pass holders from the night before. The breakfast will be in building two from 8am to 10am. All you have to do is show your ticket stub or pit pass from Friday for the breakfast courtesy of KWS.

Camping is available at the Tulare County Fairgrounds and reservations can be made by contacting (559) 686-4707.

Defending “King of the West” Tim Kaeding leads the Cancen Oil KWS standings going into Tulare and will look to stretch the point lead while racing in his car owners’ backyard. “TK” also scored a World of Outlaws win at the Thunderbowl for Roth Motorsports in March, which was the only 410 event at the track so far this season.

He will face stiff challenges however, from drivers such as last week’s Bradway Memorial winner Jonathan Allard, 2010 Faria Memorial champ Kyle Larson, Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding, Central Valley favorite Tommy Tarlton, three-time Silver Crown champion Bud Kaeding, young star Rico Abreu and many more.

When:

Where:

Tickets:

About the track:

The Tulare 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. In addition to this weekend the Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear will also compete at the track on Saturday July 14 for the “John Anthony Sharp Memorial.”

Last year’s Faria Memorial at the Tulare Thunderbowl:

San Jose’s Tim Kaeding made an early pass of Tommy Tarlton and then held off a late surge from Jonathan Allard to pick up victory at the “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” in Tulare. Allard tried hard to track down Kaeding, but clipped the wall coming to the white flag & got upside down. Tarlton finished second with Kyle Larson third, Jason Statler fourth and Roger Crockett fifth.

Top-15 in Cancen Oil KWS presented by Goodyear points going into Friday:

1. Tim Kaeding 633; 2. Jonathan Allard 623; 3. Brent Kaeding 581; 4. Bobby McMahan 578; 5. Evan Suggs 577; 6. Shane Golobic 547; 7. Jason Statler 543; 8. Peter Murphy 534; 9. Andy Gregg 527; 10. Willie Croft 518; 11. Craig Stidham 507; 12. Chad Compton 506; 13. Tyler Wolf 500; 14. Richard Brace Jr. 474; 15. Rico Abreu 394

Winners so far this season with KWS:

April 7 Antioch Speedway: Tim Kaeding; April 21 Marysville Raceway Park: Jonathan Allard; April 28 Placerville Speedway: Tim Kaeding; May 5 Silver Dollar Speedway: Jonathan Allard

Upcoming events for KWS:

Friday May 11 – Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial Spring Shootout” Saturday May 12 - Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial Spring Shootout”

Saturday May 26 – Calistoga Speedway “Salute to Walt Ross” Sunday May 27 – Calistoga Speedway “Tribute to Gary Patterson”

Saturday June 2 – Kings Speedway in Hanford “Pombo/Sargent Classic”

Friday June 8 – Silver Dollar Speedway “Road to Dirt Cup” Saturday June 9 – Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, OR “Road to Dirt Cup”

On the internet:

Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear-

Official Website- http://www.kwssprints.com Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/KwsSprintRacing

Thunderbowl Raceway-

http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Chico's Jonathan Allard becomes the first 5-time “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” champion on Saturday at Silver Dollar Speedway

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – May 5, 2012…Going into the 22nd annual “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” on Saturday there were two drivers that held the honor of having the most wins in the history of the prestigious event at Silver Dollar Speedway.

Following Saturday’s event however, there is now one man alone at the top of the all-time win list, after Chico’s own Jonathan Allard led all but one-lap in the feature to pick up his fifth “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” victory.

It was also his second Cancen Oil King of the West Sprint Car Series presented by Goodyear triumph of the season aboard Morrie & Katie Williams’ familiar No. 0 mount. With lap money & contingency prizes added in Allard took home just over $6,000 for his efforts.

In total there was rougly $35,000 in cash and contingencies handed out on Saturday night.

“Man it feels awesome to get that fifth Bradway win and I can’t thank my whole team enough,” said an extremely pumped Allard, who breaks the tie with Brent Kaeding to become the winningest driver in Bradway Memorial history. “This event has always been special to my heart and this track is as well, so it’s great to come back home and end up in victory lane.”

Saturday’s 40-lap “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” main event came to the line with Grass Valley’s Jason Statler and Allard on the front row. Statler was the winner of the KSE Racing Products Dash earlier in the evening, but when the green lights came on it was Allard jumping into the lead and Clovis, CA’s Peter Murphy slicing into second.

The first few laps proved exciting as drivers diced it up on the very racy quarter-mile, but things came to a halt on lap-five when fifth running Kyle Hirst got upside down in the first set of corners to bring out a red flag. The ensuing restart then saw Statler and Medford, OR’s Roger Crockett get a little too close for comfort, which resulted in Statler spinning off the track for a caution.

After going back green the action intensified with the top-five cars battling it out for position and saw San Jose’s Tim Kaeding charge up to second on lap-eight.

Bixby, Oklahoma’s Shane Stewart also made his way into third just after that and looked to set up a three-car battle for the lead as Allard continued to have his way out front. Lapped traffic would change the complexion of the race though and with 15-laps complete Kaeding closed in quickly.

The current KWS point leader and defending series champion then made a gorgeous move to get underneath Allard off turn four and take the lead on lap 16. With the crowd on their feet though Allard charged right back by Kaeding to reclaim the lead.

Rounding turn four on that same lap however, Stewart attempted to take second from Kaeding, but contact ensued and resulted in Stewart coming to a stop. Kaeding also went to the work area with a flat tire and along with Stewart had to restart at the rear of the field.

The upcoming restart saw Allard, Crockett, Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, Oroville’s Sean Becker and 18th starter Mitch Olson of Puyallup, Washington make up the top-five. When the green flag waved again Allard escaped with the lead, but the action behind him continued to be heated as a number of drivers charged through the field.

Just past the halfway point Fremont’s Shane Golobic appeared to be one of the faster cars on the track, as he moved his way into third after starting 16th on the grid. His strong run would come to an end however, following contact between he and Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan on lap 24.

The remaining distance saw Allard continue to run out front and have no worries as he cruised to victory by nearly four seconds over the nearest competitor. The victory also marked his 30th career win in combined KWS and Golden State races. Ironically Allard’s very first win came at the “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” in 2001.

Former Golden State 410 champion Sean Becker crossed the stripe in second to complete a strong run from the 11th starting spot in Dan Menne’s No. 75 sprint car. The 2006 “Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial” winner showed once again why he is one of the very best drivers in the state of California and was a pleasure to have on hand for the first time this season with KWS.

After the early incident Tim Kaeding charged all the way back for a third place finish to round out the podium in Dennis & Teresa Roth’s No. 83 machine. “TK” closed in on Becker for second over the final circuits, but couldn’t quite find a way by. Shane Stewart also rebounded and put on an exciting charge as well to carve his way back to fourth in Paul Silva’s No. 57, with Roger Crockett completing the top-five aboard the Finley Farms No. 77 sprinter.

Rounding out the top-10 was 14th starter Bobby McMahan, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, Placerville’s Andy Gregg and Mitch Olson. Earning the hard charger award in the main event was Suggs, who drove from 17th to seventh. For his work he earned an extra $1000 cash and a $200 certificate from Pit Stop USA.

Shane Stewart led all 12-laps in the Last Chance Qualifier and took home an additional $600 in lap money for the LCQ alone. As previously noted Jason Statler brought home the win in the KSE Racing Products Dash.

HoservilleCA & Kaeding Performance heat race wins went to Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Peter Murphy and Sacramento’s Willie Croft. For their efforts each driver was rewarded with a Goodyear right rear tire and five sleeves of tear offs. It was the 10th year that Hoserville has supported the heats at the Bradway and we can’t thank them enough for their continued support.

The “Carwash Mike Fast Time Award” on Saturday went to Tim Kaeding, as he beat out the 33-car field with a time of 12.165 seconds. For the award “TK” captured $1500 cash, as well as a custom Jagermeister trophy from Paul Brandon, an aluminum KWS license plate from Grant’s Fine Art and a $100 certificate from BR Motorsports.

The Cancen Oil KWS Series presented by Goodyear will now get ready for a big double header weekend this coming Friday & Saturday at the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway. The tour will hit the one-third mile clay oval for the “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial Spring Shootout” and we encourage everyone to come down, camp out and enjoy the weekend.

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