CHICO, CA (10-1-09) - The 18th Annual Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals opened Thursday night at Silver Dollar Speedway with the first of two preliminary nights of competition for the three day event that is worth nearly $65,000 in total winnings. After years of trying, veteran California champion Sean Becker of Oroville positioned himself to win one of the most coveted races of his career this Saturday night with a victory in Thursday's preliminary feature eventBecker has won a serious of prestigious races in California including the Annual Mark Forni Classic at Placerville Speedway and the recent Pacific Sprint Cup Invitational. The recent two time Civil War Series champion and former Silver Dollar Speedway and Golden State Challenge titlist, however, has never won this rich fall classic.

"At the start of the season you sit down and look at the schedule for the year," said Becker. "We mark the ones that we plan to run and we look at the ones we really want to go out and win. For year the Fall Nationals have been a race I've wanted to win and for years it's eluded us one way or another. After this we are in a good position to finally win this deal on Saturday night"

Thursday's 30-lap feature event began with Statler taking the lead from the pole position as he outgunned second place starter Jason Sanders, the 16-year old from Prunedale. Within the first five laps, third place starter Becker closed in on Statler's early lead. Three laps later "The Shark" made his attack for the lead as he exited the second turn and overtook Statler traveling down the backstretch.

Once in front, Becker quickly worked his way into lapped traffic and had distanced himself from the field by nearly a straight away lead until the 15th lap when the race underwent the yellow caution flag when Chico's Stephen Allard struck the turn four wall to fall out of contention.

With the race half complete, the restart saw Becker muscle his Scott Miller owned, Riolo Racing Engines powered #2sb sprint car ahead of Statler once again. Statler had his hands full with Montana's Wayne Johnson battling him for the second spont. Johnson took the bridesmaid position on the 22nd lap. Statler was then faced with the challenges of Billy Wallace for the third position. For the final laps of the race, Becker had lapped all but 12 of the 20 cars remaining in the field as he charged his way to the preliminary victory. Johnson finished in second place followed by Statler. In the closing laps Bobby McMahan overtook Wallace for the fourth position. Wallace finished in fifth followed by Brent Kaeding and Roger Crockett.

Following Thursday's feature event, Becker is currently the high point driver entering Saturday's feature event. McMahan is second followed by Brent Kaeding, Wayne Johnson and Jason Statler. Points are awarded for qualifying, heat races and feature events. The high point earner following both nights of competition becomes the pole sitter for Saturday's high dollar feature event, second in the points starts second and so on.

Two consecutive dashes determined the first four starting positions for Saturday's 30-lap feature event. In the first dash of the night Jason Statler took the lead at the green flag and was quickly pursued by Sean Becker throughout the event, Billy Wallace finished in third followed by Herman Klein and Brad Bumgardner.

The second dash of the night was claimed by Justin Sanders who took the lead at the green flag. Sanders was followed across the line by Wayne Johnson, Dan Menne, Stephen Allard and Garen Linder.

The 12-lap B-main had a scary moment Thursday night when Joe Perry of Billings, Montana drifted off turn four and made hard contact with the turn four wall before going upside down. Once up righted, Perry's machine briefly caught fire before he climbed from the cockpit, uninjured. Once the caution plagued race resumed Roger Crockett of Medford, Oregon lead the event to the checkered flag where he finished ahead of

In earlier preliminary competition Thursday night, the fast qualifier was Sacramento's Herman Klein. Driving the Dale Wondergem owned #91 Sprint Car, Klein posted a time of 12: 182 on the quarter mile to earn the 200 points towards Saturday night's feature event line up.

The first heat race of the night was dominated by Chico's own Kenny Allen who led all 10-laps of the affair. Camron Mendes of Rohnert Park finished in second followed by Chico's Brad Bumgardner, Sean Becker and Herman Klein, who made a last turn pass on Andy Forsberg to secure a starting position in the A-feature as well as the dash.

Stephen Allard led all 10 laps of heat race number two aboard the Dorothy Lee owned #4 machine. Dan Menne of Fort Jones, CA finished in second followed by Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, Mark Tabor Sr., Billy Wallace of Grass Valley and Tyler Wolf of Redding.

The third heat race of the night brought out the first red flag of the event when Charlie Cagle of Penryn rolled over off of the second turn on the fifth circuit. Cagle was uninjured in the incident but unable to continue racing. When the event resumed Jeremy Burt of Grass Valley drove his way to the win ahead of R.C. Smith of nearby Biggs. Jason Statler of Grass Valley finished in third followed by Silver Dollar Speedway Champion Bobby McMahan of Elk Grove and Wayne Johnson of Knoxville, Iowa.

The fourth and final heat race of the night was the most troublesome of the night. The opening lap saw Jim Richardsen of Graeagle and Roger Crockett of Medford, Oregon tangle in turn three. Crockett returned to the rear of the field while Richardson retired with mechanical woes. Once the race went green it was 13-time Golden State Challenge Series Champion Brent Kaeding who took the lead and maintained it until the checkered flag where he was trailed by Justin Sanders, Reyna Krueger, TJ Winngham oof Gold Hill, Oregon, Garen Linder of Gold Hill, Oregon. The 2009 Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals will continue at Silver Dollar Speedway Friday night and Saturday. All seating in general admission for both nights Friday night the grandstands will open at 5:00 with qualifying at 6:30. Admission to the preliminary events will be $15 for adults, $11 for juniors and $5 for those under 11. On Saturday adult admission will be $20, Juniors $11 and Children $5. For further information on this event visit www.silverdollarspeedway.com or contact the track office at 916-969-7484.