CHICO, CA (2-23-10) - The 2010 racing season is just around the corner at the famed Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds. For the 24th year in a row the season kicks off with the annual running of the Feather Falls Casino Mini Gold Cup on March 12 and 13. This event features 410-winged sprint cars and offers a staggering purse of over $55,000 between the two-night races. "It's a great way to kick off the season considering most people in the North State have not seen dirt track racing since last October," said Chico's Jonathan Allard. Allard will be considered one of the favorites to capture Mini Gold Cup honors.

Saturday night's race will feature a 40-lap main event and pay the winner $8,000. On Friday night the main event winner will receive $6,000. On the www.silverdollarspeedway.com website there is a downloadable flyer that breaks down all of the payouts and offers an entry form for the event. This show is the second highest paying event at Chico behind the September edition of the Gold Cup Race of Champions.

Both Friday and Saturday the pit gate will open at 2pm. Front grandstand gate will open at 5pm. There is no reserved seating for this event. Sprint car qualifying is slated to start at 6:30pm with racing to follow. Friday night grandstand ticket prices are $25.00 for adults and juniors will children are $10.00. Saturday night tickets prices are $30.00 for adults and juniors while children are $10.00. Camping spots are available at the fairgrounds.

Allard will have some stiff competition from locals and a few traveling drivers. Originally from Grass Valley, CA, now residing in Huntersville, NC and drives for Kasey Kahne Racing. Sweet will also race about 10 times this year in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driving the Great Clips #90. The week before the Mini Gold Cup Sweet will race in Atlanta driving the Great Clips #90. Sweet will race the Rod Tiner prepared #83.

This will be California's last chance to see Kyle Hirst race at the Silver Dollar Speedway for a while. The Loomis based team is hitting the road following the Mini Gold Cup. Hirst is moving to Missouri to race with a traveling series. The only four-time winner of the Mini Gold Cup is Brent Kaeding. Kaeding, along with his son Bud, they both will be present at the speedway. Grass Valley's Jason Statler and Mark Hall along with Elk Grove's Kyle Larson are also pre-entered in this event. Racing For the Troops team Bobby McMahan, Kyle Harris and Sean Becker are also registered. Chico's Brad Bumgarner, Brett Miller and Mason Moore are also pre-entered.

Track event information can be found by calling the office at (916) 969-7484.