The Historic Race Car Festival, presented by PG&E, cruises back to the Sonoma Plaza on Saturday, June 4, to benefit youth groups in Sonoma County through Speedway Children’s Charities, the charitable arm of Infineon Raceway.
Following the on-track action at the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival on Saturday, fans and local residents are invited to the plaza to enjoy samplings from Sonoma Valley restaurants and wineries, as well as beautiful historic cars on display.
While enjoying local delicacies, attendees can stroll around the plaza and get an up-close look at more than 30 historic cars. The evening, which caps off Celebrate Sonoma Day at Infineon Raceway, will feature samplings from a variety of local favorite restaurants including Basque Boulangerie, Community Café, Hop Monk, The Red Grape, Swiss Hotel, Maya, Tuscan Cowgirl Dezerts and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, among others.
Many local wineries, including B.R. Cohn Winery, The Cellar Door, Cline Cellars, Deerfield Ranch, Highway 12 Vineyards & Winery, Larson Family Winery, Ledson Winery, VJB Vineyards & Cellars and Valley of the Moon Winery, will complement the food with wine tastings.
The event will begin with a parade of 30 historic cars departing under a full CHP escort from Infineon Raceway at approximately 5 p.m. on Saturday. The parade of cars will motor along Highways 121 and 12, before reaching the scenic Sonoma Plaza and taking a ceremonial lap around the square. They will then be parked around the horseshoe and on display for the public. Fans are invited to vote for their favorite cars in two different categories.
The parade and car display will feature many Sonoma car enthusiasts, including Stephen Cross (1965 E-Type Jaguar), Dave Lipsky (1964 Oldsmobile Cutlass), John Shirley (1958 Alfa) and Earl Whitney (1950 Muntz), among others.
McLaren will take center stage as the featured marque at the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival, June 4-5. The legendary McLaren name, which has graced the halls of motor sports since Bruce McLaren founded his racing team in 1963, will headline a full weekend of vintage racing, alongside machines from Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Corvette and many more! The weekend will also feature the Wine Country Pavilion with food and wine samples from the Sonoma and Napa valleys, headlined by notable Bay Area chef Victor Scargle.
The Historic Race Car Festival, presented by PG&E will run from 5:30-8 p.m. and tickets can be purchased for $30 in advance or $35 at the event. Call 800-870-RACE (7223) or visit www.infineonraceway.com for more information or to reserve tickets.
Andy Forsberg of Auburn, CA wins in Chico. Photo by Steve LaMothe.
By Bill Sullivan /Civil War Series Media Relations
CHICO, CA (5-29-11) – Before the background of the colorful Silver Dollar Fair and the capacity filled grandstand of enthusiastic fans it provided, the Hoosier Racing Tires Silver War Race Series and the Silver Dollar Wingless Sprint Cars provided entertainment that was second to none Sunday night at the famed Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. In the end one of the regions future legends celebrated in victory lane with another driver has already earned that legendary status quo.
Known as “Mr. Excitement” to his peers and colleagues in the sport, Auburn hot shoe Andy Forsberg drove his way to his second victory of the season in the 2011 Civil War Sprint Car Series here. With the win the five time series champion becomes the first repeat winner of the season in the premier traveling series for winged sprint cars. Forsberg celebrated in victory lane with the legendary Jimmy Sills who now hails from Elverta. Sills drove to a hard earned victory in the Silver Dollar Wells Fargo Series Wingless Sprint Cars
All season long the traveling Civil War Sprint Car Series has been impressive in the way of car counts at each event where it competes. Sunday evening was by far the most impressive yet as a total of 49 cars qualified on the Silver Dollar clay. Another impressive aspect, the evening prior to the event the Chico area underwent heavy rains and in the morning hours track officials questioned if the race would even take place due to the saturated ground and flooded facility. It was the teamwork of track promoter Dennis Gage and his crew and that of the Silver Dollar Fair that converged to make sure the show did go on.
“A lot of people don’t realize how hard it is to put a track together, especially when you have bad weather working against you,” said Forsberg. “Sure we all like to complain about track conditions where ever we go but let me tell you guys something; to put this track together today considering what happened here last night is pretty amazing. This race is important because it brings a lot of new faces to the track with the fair and hopefully if they like what they see they come back on Friday nights.”
Sunday’s crowd that packed the Silver Dollar grandstands was by far one of the most enthusiastic in recent history. Like Forsberg attested to, when the checkered flag flew all of them undoubtedly left the fairgrounds feeling well entertained to say the least. Andy Forsberg of Auburn, CA on the track at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. Photo by Steve LaMothe.
Following all of the preliminary events, the 30-lap feature event for the Civil War Sprint Cars got off to a wild start with multiple red flags flying before the official green ever came out. Former Champion Mike Henry was the first driver to roll over and pause the start. Placerville’s Jimmy Trulli was the second victim of a traffic jam in turn four. Both racers were down for the count with great damage to their cars. When the official green flag eventually did fly, Forsberg started on then outside of the front row and made good use of the position as early as the first lap.
Charging ahead of pole sitter Herman Klein of Sacramento, Forsberg took a lead he would never relinquish in the event that ran all but it’s final six laps due to time constraints. Klein challenged Forsberg throughout the race and closed in within striking distance on several occasions as the two seasoned wheelmen dueled in lapped traffic along with third place runner John Michael Bunch of Paradise and two time champion and point leader Sean Becker of Antelope.
Once Sunday’s race was under the green flag it didn’t come without incident. In his heated battled for third place with Becker, Bunch took a wild tumble in the second turn to draw a red flag. Jeremy Burt of Grass Valley also suffered a damaging rollover that ended his night with just four laps complete.
In the waning laps of the race, Forsberg was challenged by Klein who closed in lapped traffic. Shane Geologic moved into the mix late in the race as he charged into the third position to pressure Klein. At the 24 lap mark a final caution forced officials to draw the checkered flag. Forsberg picked up the win followed by Klein, Golobic and Robbie Whitchurch of Chico.
“This race wore me out tonight, 49 cars is really something,” said Forsberg. “I heard Herman Klein was coming up fast behind me but this F&F car was perfect tonight, I could run almost anywhere. I hope everyone here tonight liked what they watched and will come back and support this place on Friday nights.” Jimmy Sills of Elverta, CA at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. Photo by Steve LaMothe.
In the Silver Dollar Wingless Sprint Cars, Sills drove an exciting race to the victory as well. Driving for car owner Charlie Mars, Sills took the lead from the pole position over second place starter Braeden Enos and never relinquished the top spot for the 20-lap affair.
With six laps down, Sills raced his way into lapped traffic as Enos closed in on the leader. Fourth place starter Scott Hall of Lincoln, Sills’ nephew, was determined to catch his high speed family member and give him a run for his money. Hall overtook Enos for the second position and tucked beneath Sills to challenge for the lead on several occasions, they even banged wheels at one point and took part in a friendly game of bumper tag during a yellow that was well enjoyed by the crowd.
As the race continued, Sills eventually broke into a healthy lead as Hall faded back a pair of position with overheated brakes. At the finish line Sills took the win ahead of Kyle Hirst of Sacramento who raced both classes Sunday. Cody Myers of Browns Valley finished in third followed by Hall and Alex Schutte.
“We’re having fun in this wingless class this year,” said Sills. “Charlie gives me a really good car to drive wherever we go. It’s always fun to come here to Chico for the fair race. The crowd is great and racing is usually pretty intense too with new drivers showing up. We had a good run tonight and I think we put on a great show for the fans too.”
Action will return to Silver Dollar Speedway on Friday night, June 10 as the Wells Fargo, Hoosier Tires, Riebes Auto Parts championship season resumes. The Civil War Sprint Car Series will new prepare for a special weeknight event at Placerville Speedway on Wednesday, June 8th as Placerville Speedway hosts the popular ‘Wild Winged Wednesday.” For more information on Silver Dollar Speedway log on to www.silverdollarspeedway.com. For further information on the Civil War Series check out www.civilwarsprints.com.
Paul McMahan from Elk Grove, California got his first win of the season in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and he did it with car owner, Kasey Kahne, in attendance. Kasey, the driver of the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota was in Charlotte to race in the Coca Cola 600 Sprint Cup race and took time out to watch his sprint car teams race at the Dirt Track at Charlotte. Paul qualified first, winning his 5th quick time of the year. Bobby and Sean McMahan, Paul’s brother and nephew, compete in the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series, traveling around California.
The following is a media release from the World of Outlaws.
CONCORD, N.C. — May 28, 2011 — Paul McMahan had no idea what his 2011 racing plans were when he took off for a vacation in Cancun, Mexico, last fall. McMahan had filled in for injured Cody Darrah at Kasey Kahne Racing in 2010, even putting the car in victory lane at the famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. McMahan called Kahne and inquired about his future with the team.
“I called Kasey and asked him what the plan was for 2011 and he told me to give him a few weeks,” said a smiling and relieved McMahan. “Dennis (Roth) called me three weeks later and told me to call Kasey. When I did, he told me that he had found a ride for me.”
With Kahne looking on Saturday night at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, McMahan wheeled his #83 HR Cattle Maxim into victory lane in the Circle K NOS Energy Drink Outlaw Showdown at the Dirt Track at Charlotte. Heavy rains had delayed the event 24 hours, but as the ‘Greatest Show on Dirt,’ took to the speedway, McMahan was at the top nearly all night. A California native who resides near Nashville, McMahan set quick time for the fifth time on the season, which leads all drivers, and used the momentum to steer himself into a third-place starting position in the A-main. Paul McMahan from Elk Grove, CA on the track in Las Vegas. Photo by Steve LaMothe. Sammy Swindell, of Germantown, Tenn., started the A-main on the pole and led the first 14 laps until a restart bunched up the field and gave McMahan his shot. The two drivers raced feverishly and at one point made contact down the front stretch as the green flag flew.
“Sammy slid up into me a little bit and tried to block me but I was going to hold me ground,” said McMahan. “I wasn’t going to give an inch and I guess the old saying goes, “Rubbin’s Racin’.”
While Kasey Kahne Racing got to victory lane with McMahan, two of the four machines entered in to the nights events experienced trouble. Kevin Gobrecht a Rookie of the Year candidate and Cody Darrah experienced motor issues. The #49 of Brad Sweet from Grass Valley, CA also experienced an overheating motor after losing a left rear tire.
Early race leader Sammy Swindell was running second to McMahan until a flat left rear tire sent him into the pit area. When the Big Game Treestands crew arrived to change the tire, they discovered the front brake lines were broken which left Swindell with no brakes.
The Tony Stewart Racing tandem of Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz came home second and third respectively. According to Schatz, the race track lent itself to some great racing and tested the drivers stamina.
“We raced pretty hard tonight, there’s no doubt about that,” said the four time champion from Fargo, N.D. “The track widened out really well and we were just flat out the entire time. It was an extremely fast race track tonight.”
2010 Champion Jason Meyers from Clovis, CA came home fourth with Mechanicsburg Penn. native Lucas Wolfe rounding out the top-5. NASCAR star Tony Stewart made it around series points leader Joey Saldana to finish 10th on the night. Kinser cut into Saldana’s lead once again and now trails the Brownsburg, Ind. native by only nine points.
As always, our thanks to Steve LaMothe from Steve’s Racing Photos for the use of his photos.
