---

Winged Sprint Cars Return to Chico This Friday Night

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Photo by Steven Cox[/caption]

CHICO, CA (6-29-10) - There are few things more American and patriotic than dirt track racing and no better way than to spend the 4th of July holiday than at the sprint car races as the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California plays host to the traveling drivers of the Golden State Challenge 410 Series for the final time this season at the famed quarter-mile on Sunday night.

The holiday spectacular will mark the 19th round of competition for the Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car Series as the 2010 campaign nears its end with just six nights remaining until the King of California is crowned. The night of action will all be capped with a giant firework show to conclude the festivities.

The front grandstand gate will open at 5pm on Sunday night at the Silver Dollar Speedway with qualifying scheduled for 6 and racing at 6:30. Adult tickets will be $18 with juniors $12 and kids 11 and under being free.

Handy Racing Promotions has teamed up once again with the local business community to provide advance ticket sales for this special event. On July 4th spectators can purchase tickets at the gate beginning at 5pm. but those wishing to get their tickets in advance and avoid the long lines can do so by visiting one of six area locations that will begin selling advance tickets.

In Chico race fans can purchase tickets at four different locations. Riebes Auto Parts at 2432 Cohasset Drive will have tickets for purchase, as well as their location at 175 E. 20th Street in Chico. Chico Mobile Air Conditioning will be another outlet for tickets in town. The fourth location in town will be Withrow Motorsports at 2501 South Whitman in Chico. Additional locations with tickets on sale just outside of Chico include Napa Auto Parts at 402 Walker Street in Orland and Aubrees' Salon at 605 Birch Street in Paradise.

Chico's own Jonathan Allard comes into his home track of Silver Dollar Speedway sitting on top of the Golden State Challenge Series standings by 21-markers over Campbell's Brent Kaeding. Allard this season has captured five wins with the tour, but hasn't gotten into victory lane with the series since Memorial Day weekend and the 33-year-old will be trying hard the break that dry spell this Sunday aboard his Williams Motorsports, Platinum Powder Coating No. 0 machine. "JA" also leads GSC with 14 top-five finishes in the 17-events held so far this year.

Kaeding will go into this weekend still gunning for his initial main event victory of the 2010 season and will return to the track where he came closest so far this year to making that happen. During the most recent Golden State Challenge Series event at Silver Dollar Speedway on June 11 the 13-time King of California won the dash and led the first 22-laps in the feature, before finishing runner up at the helm of his Al's Roofing Supply, High Five Pizza No. 69. "BK" has continued to be one of the most consistent drivers in California by tallying top-10 finishes in all 17 GSC events run this year and on Sunday will look to chip away at Allard's lead in the points.

Looking to make up ground in the standings after a dnf last week Elk Grove's Kyle Larson will be in search of his third Golden State Challenge victory of the year on Sunday. Last week in Hanford the 17-year-old gave eventual winner Tim Kaeding all he could handle, until engine problems knocked him out of contention with just a lap remaining in the main event. Larson earlier this year brought home a strong runner up finish in Chico at the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial in his Stadelhofer Construction, Peppermill Casino-Reno No. 99 and currently sits third in the GSC standings.

Going into the weekend ranking fourth in the Golden State Challenge Series standings is Vancouver, Washington's Zach Zimmerly, who has been one of the hottest sprint car drivers in the west over the last few weeks. The 16-year-old scored a third place finish last Saturday in Hanford to continue the momentum he built following a runner up at the Dirt Cup just two weeks ago. Zimmerly on Sunday will also return to the site of his first ever GSC victory, which he garnered on June 11 aboard the Christian Stover Foundation, McMillen Motorsports No. 94.

Scotts Valley's Evan Suggs currently rounds out the top-five in the Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car Series standings going into Sunday night and will also be in search of his first career 410 win. During the event on June 11 at Silver Dollar Speedway the 23-year-old set fast time and finished 10th in the main event after transferring out of the semi. Suggs last weekend in Hanford fought his way forward to record an eighth place finish after starting in the seventh row.

Other possibilities for Sunday night will include defending 4th of July winner Bud Kaeding of Campbell, Grass Valley's Jason Statler and Mark Hall, Penngrove's Alissa Geving, Elk Grove's Bobby McMahan, Roseville's Colby Copeland, Chico's Jason York, Brad Bumgarner and Kenny Allen, American Canyon's Matthew Davis, Redding's Tyler Wolfe, Paradise' John Michael Bunch, Rio Vista's Dan and Danielle Simpson and more.

The Silver Dollar Speedway is a quarter-mile clay oval and is located on the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico, California. For more info on this weekend's events visit http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com

Up next- The Golden State Challenge Series will begin the final five nights of racing on Saturday night July 10 at the Santa Maria Speedway, before returning north for a night of action at the Antioch Speedway on Saturday July 17. For the full point standings, results, a schedule of events and more log onto http://www.goldenstatechallengeseries.com

Back to News