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Kings Speedway 2008 |
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January 02, 2008 ---- Promoter Frank Dias wasted no time during the off season.
He assembled 29 race dates, which includes 12 non-winged sprint car dates, 8
winged sprint car dates and convinced four tracks to work together towards a
common goal. That goal being a season with as little as possible conflict of
schedule dates.
The featured division in 2008 is the Kings Bandit 360’s. These are the same non winged sprinters that competed at Kings in 2007. The King’s Bandit label reveals the decision of track management to promote a division under local control. Bringing back the Bandit label opened the door to a four track effort to promote the Bandit Grand Slam Series. Each track promotes their own program, with home track points earned. Each track has agreed to schedule around each other’s schedule, with a Grand Slam race at each track with Grand Slam points earned. At season’s end, a Kings Speedway track champion will be crowned as well as Grand Slam Champion. This degree of cooperation between the four tracks participating in this series is a long time coming. The four tracks are Kings Speedway, Ventura Speedway, Santa Maria Speedway and Bakersfield Speedway. Returning for the ’08 season will be Peter Murphy, track champion for the 2007 season. Murphy hammered the competition to gather up $ 3000 in year ending prize money. For the ’07 season, Murphy garnered six feature wins, finished in the top five in 15 of the 16 races, and also won six heat races. The “Man from Down Under” proved very tough to best. Davey Pombo finished second in points and money, collecting $2100. Pombo showed his “stuff” by setting fast qualifying time on four occasions. Hanford’s very own, sixteen year old Justyne Hamblin, captured “Rookie of the Year” honors by finishing sixth in points. Hamblin is but one of several young lions joining in the points chase for ’08. Joining Hamblin is Michael Faccinto, Myles Bishop, John Niggli, Richard VanderWeerd, Adam Firth-Smith, and Jonathon Logan. We can look forward to returning veterans, Richard Harvey Jr., Jeff Gardner, Rusty Carlile, and Greg Bragg. Another new name is the National Winged 360’s. Again, the name change reflects the efforts of promoter Frank Dias to have a greater degree of local control, and to offer racing fans a better product. In addition, the Turner Memorial race will honor and remember the tragic passing of local racer Jim Turner. This race will be on August 30th. The long standing Cotton Classic 410 race is sponsored by the Tachi Hotel and Casino and has turned into a two day event, September 26th – 27th. Of course the IMCA Modifieds and the IMCA Stocks will make numerous appearances through the year. Okie Bowl Vintage, Vintage Sprinters, and Vintage Midgets will find a home at Kings Speedway at various dates through the year. Last but not least, promoter Frank Dias has scheduled approximately 100 loads of clay to be trucked in. Getting this new clay worked into the old clay and getting it to a workable, drivable raceable condition will come under the watchful eye of long time track preparer, Joe Sisson. These but a few the positive changes Frank Dias has initiated to produce a better product and demonstrate why, KINGS SPEEDWAY IS THE PLACE TO RACE! |
