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Local Stars Look to Claim Gold on Home Turf

CHICO, CA (8-31-15) - In the last five years, the Gold Cup has been dominated by California drivers. Two-time World of Outlaws Champion Jason Meyers from Clovis, CA started the California dominance in 2010 winning his first career Gold Cup. Elk Grove, CA hot shoe Kyle Larson then came along and won back to back Gold Cup�s in 2011 and 2012. Meyers would win his second Gold Cup in four years in 2013. Then in 2014, Chico�s own Jonathan Allard finally broke through with not only his first Gold Cup win, but his first ever points paying World of Outlaws victory. Outside the last five years, only two drivers hailing from the Golden State had ever won the Gold Cup; those being Darrell Hanestad from San Lorenzo in 1989 and Johnny Anderson from Sacramento in 1980.

The Gold Cup triumph last year for Jonathan Allard was the ultimate story of the local hero beating the traveling outlaws. Jonathan Allard was born and raised in Chico and has competed at the Silver Dollar Speedway since the mid 1990�s. His first win in a sprint car came at Silver Dollar Speedway on July 4th, 1996. Now, 19 years later he sits second on the all-time win list at the Speedway with 63 career wins. The only driver with more wins than Allard is the great �BK� Brent Kaeding with 88. Allard has come so close to winning the Gold Cup on multiple occasions only to have some kind of misfortune hit him. He cut his teeth for many years behind the wheel of the Morrie and Katie Williams owned #0 machine, but after the 2013 season Allard and the Williams Motorsports team agreed to part ways. Allard though, was out to prove he was not finished. The 2014 season for Allard saw him climb behind the wheel of the legendary Tri-C Machine #3C owned by Clyde Lamar. Since their pairing Allard has won 13 sprint car main events at the Silver Dollar Speedway.

Sean Becker, originally hailing from Oroville, CA and now calling Roseville home, is definitely the fan favorite at the Silver Dollar Speedway. Becker just wrapped up his fourth consecutive but fifth overall drivers� championship at the Speedway. Only Shane Scott with seven has more sprint car championship�s than Becker. Sean has been a dominant force at the Speedway since he burst onto the sprint car scene in 2002. Sean�s first victory at the Speedway came on June 28th, 2002. Since then he has amassed 53 wins at the Speedway putting him 4th on the All-Time Win List. Becker has just one career victory with the World of Outlaws; that coming in 2012 on prelim night for the Gold Cup. His best finish in the Gold Cup Finale is a 3rd, which he has accomplished on two occasions (2012, 2014).

Other local drivers with great success at the Silver Dollar Speedway include Auburn, CA�s Andy Forsberg, who is fresh off the biggest victory of his career at the Johnny Key Classic at Watsonville�s Ocean Speedway. Forsberg also had a second place finish in the 2013 Gold Cup finale. Lemoore, CA young gun Carson Macedo is just 19 years old and already has a Gold Cup prelim win (2014) under his belt. Macedo also picked up the $10,000 to win Mark Forni Classic at the Placerville Speedway earlier this season, as well as a victory during Points Race #14 at the Silver Dollar Speedway this year. Current King of the West sprint car point leader Bud Kaeding of Campbell, CA has already pocketed over $10,000 in winnings at the Silver Dollar Speedway this year. Kaeding won the prestigious Dave Bradway Jr. memorial back in May. Now living in Paradise, Kyle Hirst is fresh off a fourth place finish during the recently completed Tyler Wolf Memorial at Silver Dollar Speedway and is hopeful of a strong finish. Grass Valley's Jason Statler, Sacramento's Willie Croft and Elk Grove's Bobby McMahan have all had solid runs this season at Chico.

World of Outlaw regulars who are still considered home town favorites include Grass Valley�s Brad Sweet, Nashville, TN, home Paul McMahan and Rutherford�s Rico Abreu. McMahan is originally from Elk Grove but also lived in Oroville.

The fastest four days of racing at Silver Dollar Speedway is set to begin Wednesday, September 9th, as the 62nd Gold Cup Race of Champions will feature winged and non-wing sprints and midgets racing on the famed quarter-mile clay oval track. This year�s edition of the Gold Cup has received an energy boost with the emergence of the Outlaw Kart Showcase on Tuesday night, September 8th, at nearby Cycleland Speedway. The race is presented by Kyle Larson who is a two-time World of Outlaw Gold Cup Champion and current NASCAR Sprint Cup star.

Please visit www.goldcup.silverdollarspeedway.com for more information.

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