Tag: Chico

By Bill Sullivan /Civil War Series Media Relations

CHICO, CA (5-29-11) – When it comes to traditions at the annual Silver Dollar Fair, the sight of winged sprint cars before a colorful backdrop of carnival sights and sounds is right up at the top of the list with cotton candy, funnel cakes and the Ferris Wheel. It’s fair time at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds this week so step right up and witness the fire breathing sprint cars of the Civil War Sprint Car Series as it brings it’s amazing stars such as “The Shark, Mr. Excitement, Chicko, The Human Highlight Reel” and many more to the Silver Dollar arena.
When it comes to the Hoosier Racing Tires Civil War Series its much more that catchy nicknames, it’s a racing series will never let an avid open wheel race fan down and is sure to bring a first time spectator back to the track once they witness the spectacle. The latest version of California’s premier series for 360 cubic inch powered winged sprint cars has already begun to produce a stellar chase for the coveted statewide championship title.

On Sunday night the open wheel racing will entertain fans at a bargain price as the Civil War Sprint Car Series takes to Silver Dollar Speedway for its second visit of the year and it’s fourth segment of the season. This event is second to none when it comes to quality entertainment at a bargain price. Admission to the speedway is free with admission to the fair which is just $8 for adults, $3.00 for children from ages 6-12. Children under six will be admitted for free and seniors are just $4.

Sunday’s event for the Civil War Series is the fourth event in the 2011 series that competes at six different California tracks throughout the year. The event will pay $3000 to the winner and $300 just to start the feature race. This is the premier traveling series for winged 360 powered sprint cars in California and produces higher car counts than any other traveling series in the state both winged and wingless. Sunday’s event is one of three visits to Silver Dollar Speedway, the series returns in September to open the Gold Cup Race of Champions with the “Pacific Sprint Cup Invitational.”

Entering Sunday’s race, former two time champion Sean Becker of Antelope leads the Civil War point standings after the completion of three events. Becker currently sits 15 points ahead of Visalia’s Steven Tiner. Defending five time champion Andy Forsberg of Auburn is lurking in the top three as well. Forsberg is just 16-points out of the lead. Sitting in fourth place is Herman Klein of Sacramento.

Rounding out the top five is Penngrove’s Alissa Geving. The former series Rookie of the Year is 20 points out of the lead. Former Civil War champion Mike Henry of Citrus Heights is in the sixth position over Sebastopol’s Geoff Ensign. Former Silver Dollar Rookie of the Year Kyle Hirst of Sacramento is eighth ahead of Elk Grove’s Nicole Miller. Jeremy Burt of Grass Valley rounds out the top ten in the series.

With three races in the history books, the Civil War Series is looking to be one of the most competitive yet. A mere 60-points separate the 10th place driver from the point leader which clearly illustrates that this campaign features the best of the west on any given night and hosts a posse of talented drivers who are all capable of taking home a win in any event as the playing field is more than level.

In three events the series has produced three different winners. Becker was the latest winner in War #3 at Silver Dollar Speedway. Stephen Allard of Chico won round two of the campaign at Placerville Speedway and defending champion Forsberg, better known as “Mr. Excitement” won the series opener at Petaluma Speedway. Over the three events that have taken place, 56 different drivers have already competed and earned points in the Civil War Series. Twelve different drivers have claimed heat race victories. Eighteen different drivers have earned top ten finishes. Nine different drivers have finished in the top five in the three events and two different drivers have earned fast time awards.

Sunday’s event will be well worth the price of admission as the Civil War Series brings nearly 40 of California’s high speed rebels without a cause to the exciting banks of Silver Dollar Speedway for a bargain price. Remember, admission to the speedway is free with fair admission. This is an incredible value that offers hours of entertainment over the holiday weekend.

In addition to the Civil War Sprint Cars, the Silver Dollar Speedway Wingless Sprint Cars will also be in competition on Sunday night. These exciting wingless cars are an excellent co-star to the winged warriors wherever they race and will ensure an action packed night of racing.
The grandstands at Silver Dollar Speedway will open at 6 p.m. on Sunday. Qualifying will begin at 6:30. An early arrival to the track is suggested as this annual race in conjunction with the Silver Dollar Fair routinely packs the grandstands due to its bargain price and top billing.

For further information on this upcoming event visit www.silverdollarspeedway.com or www.civilwarsprints.com. The Civil War Series is managed by Handy Racing Promotions Inc. in cooperation with the participating tracks on the tour including Petaluma Speedway, Calistoga Speedway, Silver Dollar Speedway, American Valley Speedway and Ocean Speedway. Learn more about this exciting traveling series at their official website today.

Thanks to Steve LaMothe of Steve’s Racing Photos for the generous use of his photos.

CHICO, CA (5-9-11) – This Friday night war will be declared on the high banks of Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. Some 30 or more of California’s top 360 sprint car teams will converge for battle on the high banks of the quarter-mile clay oval for the third round of the traveling Hoosier Racing Tires Civil War Sprint Car Series.

When it comes to speed thrills in area sprint car racing, the Hoosier Racing Tires Civil War Series will never disappoint an open wheel race fan and is sure to bring new fans back to the track once they witness the spectacle. The latest version of California’s premier series for 360 cubic inch powered winged sprint cars has just recently begun and is already looking and is shaping into a stellar chase for the coveted statewide championship title.

Friday’s event is the third of 14 events at six of California’s best known race tracks that will experience the thrill of Civil War Sprint Car Racing. The hosts of this tour span Northern California from the Sierra Foothills to the Wine Country and the Coastal Region. Saturday’s event and every regular Civil War Series event will pay $2000 to the winner and $300 to start the 22 car A-feature.

Overall, this series will compete for more than $250,000 over the year and an outstanding championship fund of $40,000 in championship funds is in place with $10,000 of that amount going to the 2011 Civil War Series Champion alone. Additional contingency awards throughout the year are expected to reach the $30,000 mark in various products as well.

Friday night will mark the first of three visits to Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. After this week, the series will return on Memorial Day weekend for their second appearance during the Silver Dollar Fair and once again in September when the series opens the Gold Cup week with the Pacific Sprint Cup Invitational.

Entering Friday’s race, two time series champion Sean Becker of Antelope has returned to the forefront of the Civil War Series point standings. Becker won titles in the Civil War Series in 2008 and 2009 and nearly captured the 2010 title until mechanical woes on the final race of the year dashed his hopes of a record breaking third consecutive title.

Becker is currently in a three way tie for the lead position and Silver Dollar Speedway could not be the better location for the Oroville native to look for an upper hand on the competition. Becker learned the ropes of sprint car racing on the banks of Chico. He is a former track champion here and also captured the Golden State Challenge Series title back when the tour considered Chico its home.

Currently, the driver known as The Shark shares the lead position in the Civil War Series with the young man known at the Human Highlight Reel, Geoff Ensign, of Sebastopol. Steven Tiner of Visalia is third in the tied trio for the point lead. Sitting fourth is Penngrove’s Alissa Geving. The driver known as “Chicko” is eight points out of the lead and holds off the defending series champion Andy Forsberg of Auburn by a single point.

Sitting just out of the top five is former champion Mike Henry of Citrus Heights who is tied with Sacramento’s Herman Klein. Shawn Wright of Fresno is 8th in the standings followed by Chico’s own Brett Miller and Kyle Hirst of Sacramento.

As the Civil War Series takes to the track Friday night the campaign regulars will be joined by former World of Outlaw’s regular Johnny Herrera of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It’s been nearly ten years since Herrera competed at Silver Dollar Speedway. In his previous visits here he always had strong runs during the annual Gold Cup and Mini Gold Cup events.

“We never got a win in Chico but we had our share of top finishes,” said Herrera. “I think we got in the top five a few times, It’s been awhile since I’ve raced in Chico. I always enjoyed racing there and I’m looking forward to the Civil War this Friday and Placerville on Saturday.”

Best known for his success with the Outlaws tour, Herrera is now focused on the 2011 American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) championship title. The tour will compete out west this summer, including Placerville Speedway for a two day appearance at the conclusion of July.

Herrera, 44, will be behind the wheel of the #35a sprint car fielded by Harold and Janet Main out of Grass Valley. This season Herrera and Main have teamed together to compete in the ASCS National Tour. Routinely Herrera runs the #45x in the ASCS tour.

Highlights of Herrera’s racing career include a Rookie of the Year title in the World of Outlaws tour in 1986. As of 2009 he had 12 feature victories in the tour. In 1991 he was named the Most Improved Driver Award. In 1991 Herrera won the track championship at the famed Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, IA. He captured the nationally known Kings Royal in 1996, earning a winners purse of $50,000 after leading all 30 laps of the affair.

In 2002 and 2003 Herrera teamed up with former NASCAR Crew Chief Billy Wilburn and drove the popular #2W sprint car in the preliminary feature race at the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He raced a number of non winged sprint car in the all areas of the United States and won the Roger McCluskey Classic at Tuscon USA Raceway. He was also the series champion in 2007 in the SCOA Winged Sprint Car Series in Arizona and won the season title in the Hollywood Hills Speedway Non Winged Class the same year.

As Herrera and the winged warriors of the Civil War Series converge on Silver Dollar Speedway Friday night they will be joined by the Hunt Magnetos Wingless Sprint Car Series for a double billing of superb open wheel competition.

The front gates of Silver Dollar Speedway will open at 6 p.m. on Saturday night with qualifying starting at 6:30 followed by racing at 7. Adult tickets will be $16 at the gate. Seniors will be $16. Juniors will be $12 and Children will be $6. For further information on this event visit www.civilwarsprints.com or www.silverdollarspeedway.com.

Photos courtesy of Steve LaMothe from Steve’s Racing Photos.

The Chico Induction Ceremony for the Northern California Auto Racing Alumni Hall of Fame is this evening at the Silver Dollar Speedway. It is being held in conjunction with the 21st Annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial Race.

Gary Thomas of the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series writes: “The Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial pays tribute to fallen race car driver Dave Bradway Jr., who lost his life during a sprint car crash at Skagit Speedway’s Dirt Cup in 1987. It is the biggest event of the season for the Golden State King of the West Sprint Car Series and packs extra money and awards all night.”

Tim Kaeding from San Jose is the current points leader followed closely by Chico native Jonanthan Allard in second. Both of these drivers have won the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial race in the past, Kaeding twice and Allard 4 times, so it promises to be a great race. The gates open at the Silver Dollar Speedway at 5pm and the racing begins at 7:00.

I found this short tribute to Dave Bradway Jr. written by famous Sprint Car photographer Steve Lafond.

“The death of Dave Bradway, Jr. shocked the sprint car commumity in California and beyond. Bradway died from injuries suffered in a tragic sprint car crash during the Super Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway in Washington State on June 21, 1987. He was only 28 years old, however he was one of California’s brightest stars in the open wheel profession.

David, a second generation driver, began his racing career in 1976 at Ernie Pursell Speedway in Grass Valley. In his initial season, he won a pair of main events and finished second in the street stock division, earning the track’s “rookie of the year” honors. Two years later, he ventured into the open wheel ranks by way of the modifieds. By 1980, he had already established himself as a premier open wheel driver. In 1982, David won his first NARC main event at Petaluma Speedway. He finished the year with three wins and a third place finish in the final points standings. In 1984, Bradway’s steady performances earned him the track championship at Baylands Raceway Park in Fremont. His list of credentials continued to grow the following season, winning five NARC feature events and an eventual third place finish in the championship point standings, despite running a limited schedule. In addition, he finished an impressive eighth in the prestigious Knoxville Nationals. 1986 produced four more NARC feature event wins for Bradway, including three at the high speed 1/2 mile Calistoga Speedway. “Junior” established himself as a top finisher on the World of Outlaws circuit, winning the Jayhawk Nationals in Kansas City. Bradway’s 1987 campaign in the Clyde Lamar owned machine promised more of the same. He kicked off the year winning the preliminary World of Outlaws Mini Gold Cup feature at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway in April. He also won his 13th career NARC feature at the season opener at Calistoga and became only the second member of the exclusive “100 Mile Per Hour Club” at the fast 1/2 mile.

In his 11 year career, Bradway laid a solid foundation to become a sprint car legend, a legend in the same category as two of his childhood open wheel heroes, Jimmy Gordon and Gary Patterson. Unfortunately, all three died doing what they loved to do best, racing and winning. Dave Bradway, Jr. was definitely a winner.”

Please visit Steve’s website Tear-Off Heaven Fotos and check out some great racing photos.

There is another nice bio of Dave Bradway Jr. on the Northern California Auto Racing Alumni website.