Hanford, CA...July 15-16....Danny Faria Jr led all 30 laps from his pole
starting position on Friday night and Ronnie Day was Saturday night's feature
winner as the Golden State Challenge Series winged 410 sprint cars headlined
Kings Speedway annual salute to Al Pombo and Marshall Sargent this weekend.
Faria Jr was chased to the finish line by third starter Andy Forberg and
Jonathan Allard on Friday night and 2004 series champion Jason Statler ran
second on Saturday night ahead of recent feature winner Robert Ballou. Statler
had fast time on the second night and kept alive his hopes of repeating as
series titlest as he came out of the weekend 38 points behind new series point
leader Sean Becker. Brent Kaeding gave up the point lead as he skipped the
Hanford weekend to defend his NST winged 360 sprint car Speedweek championship
in Oregon and Washington. The consistent Becker was sixth on Friday night and
fourth on Saturday night. J Allard kept the Morrie Williams car in the car
owners' championship slot with his weekend. It was the first GSC win for Faria
Jr in 9 appearances this season and Day made his record two wins in six
appearances. The Bandit unwinged 360 sprint cars joined the action on Saturday
night and Danny Sheridan pulled off a near sweep as he turned quick time, ran
second in his heat and won the feature ahead of double duty racers Forsberg and
Peter Murphy. Arron Chaney ran fourth.
There were 25
GSC entrants on Friday night and Tulare's Brian Coelho earned quick time honors
with his 13.578 qualifying run. J Allard ran a 13.674 and previous week Santa
Maria winner Kyle Hirst ranked third at 13.840. Also breaking into the 13's were
Shain Matthews at 13.885, Day at 13.939 and Tommy Tarlton at 13.957. Becker just
missed in 7th as Statler, Jason York and Forsberg completed the quickest ten.
Four cars each transferred from the four qualifying heat races and six more came
from the B Main to complete a 22 car A Main event grid. Chico regular John Gray
won heat 1 from the outside front row ahead of pole starter Lawrence Edlund and
Coelho. Murphy also won from the outside front row in heat 2 ahead of Allard and
Tarlton. Usual Rebel Cup 360 racer Monty Ferriera won heat 3 from the pole ahead
of third starter Mike Faria and Charlie Louden. Danny Faria Jr impressed with
his drive from 4th to win heat 4 ahead of Ricci Faria and Shain Matthews.
Several of the faster cars finished outside the top four in the heat action and
had to battle through the B Main. The scratch of Tommy Fogarty left just 8 cars
to battle for six spots and Day won from the outside front row ahead of fourth
starter Statler, Becker, Hirst, Jim Skinner and Kevin Pylant. Pylant returned to
action after missing a couple weekends. The A Main had an 8 car inversion from
the heat transfers putting D Faria Jr and Ballou on the front row ahead of
Forsberg, Jason York, Tarlton, Matthews, Allard and Coelho. After a restart, the
talented field ripped off 30 straight green flag laps and it was Faria Jr in
front all the way. Forsberg started third and finished second behind the $3000
winner. Allard battled from 7th to finish third ahead of Ballou, Tarlton, 11th
starting Becker, York, R Faria, Coelho, York and Day.
The field for Saturday night was 24 cars with the Key-Edlund team electing to
enter a second car for Davey Key in addition to the series regular ride for
Lawrence Edlund. The fourth car to run, Statler became the only racer in the
13's with a 13.980 qualifying run. Allard was second at 14.046 and
Matthews jumped up to third at 14.172. Former Outlaw Kart superstar Becker
ranked fourth at 14.180 and Friday night fast timer Coelho had a 14.193. Day was
sixth ahead of Forsberg, Ballou, Hirst and Skinner. Again four transfers from
each of four six car inverted heat races and six more from a B Main. Pylant had
the pole for heat 1 and won with sixth starter Statler second ahead of Coelho.
Edlund captured heat 2 from second starting as Allard came from sixth to finish
second ahead of fellow third row starter Day. Matthews turned heads when he won
heat 3 from sixth ahead of fourth starter Faria Jr, the Friday night feature
winner. Fifth starter Forsberg ran third. Becker also came from sixth to get a
heat win in heat 4 as he chased down outside front row starter R Faria. Ballou
started fifth and ran third. Ferriera was a B Main scratch so 7 cars battled for
six transfers. Outside front row starter York won ahead of Skinner, Gray and
Tarlton. Sixth quick Day was the feature winner ahead of fast timer Statler, 8th
quick Ballou, fourth quick Becker, Tarlton, Matthews, Faria Jr, Allard, Skinner,
R Faria and Coelho. Allard is now 71 points back of Becker and 15 ahead of Hirst.
Forsberg was 20th on Saturday night and stands sixth in points, 7 behind the
absent Kaeding. The series runs July 23rd in Watsonville and finishes up their
season July 29-30 in Chico.
There were 18 Bandit
unwinged 360 sprint cars and Sheridan's 16.413 lap paced time trials on the 3/8
mile clay oval. Peter Murphy put a Tarlton team car in second at 16.503 and
Davey Pombo Jr ran a 16.585. Forsberg ran his family car in the unwinged action
and he timed in 4th at 16.840. Greg Porte ran a 16.993. Forsberg then out dueled
Sheridan in heat 1 and Murphy came from the back to win heat 2 over John
Burnett. Usual SCRA series racer Chad Boespflug returned to his hometown action
and won heat 3 ahead of D Pombo Jr and Jonathan Logan. Everyone started the 25
lap feature and it was Sheridan the winner ahead of Forsberg, Murphy, Chaney,
Burnett, Jimmy Reeves, John Iturriria, Boespflug, Ray Knight, Rusty Carlile and
Josh Davis.
The
delayed round one of the VRA/Bandit unwinged 360 sprint car Grand Slam Series
runs on July 30th here at Kings Speedway with the IMCA Modifieds and Hot Stocks
also in action as the Western Dirt Late Model Tour event scheduled for that
night has been moved to Santa Maria Speedway.
Summary
Friday
Fast Time-Brian Coelho 13.578 Heat 1-John Gray, Lawrence Edlund, Coelho,
Jason York, Jim Skinner. Heat 2-Peter Murphy, Jonathan Allard, Tommy Tarlton,
Andy Forsberg, Kevin Pylant. Heat 3-Monty Ferriera, Mike Faria, Charlie Louden,
Robert Ballou, Kyle Hirst. Heat 4-Danny Faria Jr, Ricci Faria, Shain Matthews,
Doug Lippincott, Doug Moles. B Main-Ronnie Day, Jason Statler, Sean Becker,
Hirst, Skinner, Pylant, Mark Barroso, Moles. A Main-D Faria Jr, Forsberg, J
Allard, Ballou, Tarlton, Becker, York, R Faria, Coelho, York, Day, Gray,
Skinner, Matthews, Louden, Murphy, Ferriera, Pylant, Lippincott, M Faria, Hirst,
Edlund.
Saturday
Bandit Sprint Car Fast Time-Danny Sheridan 16.413 Heat 1-Andy Forsberg,
Sheridan, Rusty Carlile, Evan Suggs, Josh Davis. Heat 2-Peter Murphy, John
Burnett, Derrick Hearon, Jimmy Reeves, Greg Porte. Heat 3-Chad Boespflug, Davey
Pombo Jr, Jonathan Logan, Albert Pombo, Arron Chaney. Main-Sheridan, Forsberg,
Murphy, Chaney, Burnett, Reeves, John Iturriria, Boespflug, Ray Knight, Carlile,
A Pombo, Davis, Porte, D Pombo, Darren Simas, Suggs, Logan, Hearon.
Winged 410 Sprint Car Fast Time-Jason Statler 13.980 Heat 1-Kevin Pylant,
Statler, Brian Coelho, Kyle Hirst, Davey Key. Heat 2-Lawrence Edlund, Jonathan
Allard, Ronnie Day, Peter Murphy, Jim Skinner. Heat 3-Shain Matthews, Danny
Faria Jr, Andy Forsberg, Tommy Fogarty, Doug Lippincott. Heat 4-Sean Becker,
Ricci Faria, Robert Ballou, Charlie Louden, Tommy Tarlton. B Main-Jason York,
Skinner, John Gray, Tarlton, Key, Mark Barroso, Lippincott. A Main-Day, Statler,
Ballou, Becker, Tarlton, Matthews, D Faria Jr, Allard, Skinner, R Faria, Coelho,
Murphy, Edlund, Louden, Hirst, Fogarty, Statler, Pylant, Key, Barroso, Gray,
Forsberg.
|