9/3/2009
Sprint Source
Wingless Entries Roll in for Gold Cup opener
[b Field filling fast for Gold Cup Wingless Sprint Car Wednesday event]
[b2009 Silver Dollar Speedway Champions Jimmy Pettit, Bobby McMahan to grace roster]
[i By Bill Sullivan, Handy Racing Promotions, Inc.]
[b CHICO, CA – ] There is a buzz in air of the Northern California sprint car racing population as the four fastest days of racing is rapidly approaching with next week’s 56th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. The event spans September 9 through 12th and begins with a select group of Wingless racing stars that will join the Wednesday night program that also features the Hoosier Racing Tires California Sprint Car Civil War Series.
The Wingless Sprint Car Invitational has become the Gold Cup’s newest tradition, opening the annual race on Wednesday night with California’s top drivers wingless drivers. This will pay $1000 to the winner and the number of pre-entries is beginning to grow.
Topping the list of entries in next Wednesday’s event will be Chico’s own Jimmy Pettit. Pettit was just recently crowned the Wingless Champion of Silver Dollar Speedway in the 2009 Feather Falls Casino Championship Series. As he enters this high profile event, all bets are off for the driver known to his counterparts as “Love Shack” as he has the opportunity race for a win without the worry of championship points.
In 2009, Pettit competed in all 12 of Silver Dollar Speedway’s Wingless events. During his tenure, the former Street Stock driver garnered two feature wins and finished in the top five ten different times. He also won four heat races during his quest toward the championship which he won by 26-points over fellow competitor Jay Youngman of Grass Valley. Youngman has slated an early entry in Wednesday’s event as well and has one victory to his name this year.
Joining the two previous feature winners will be local favorite Taylor Simas of Chico. During the 2009 racing season, Simas competed in 11 of the 12 events and claimed 3 top five finishes during his run. Victory lane eluded Simas at his home track all season long, Wednesday will provide another opportunity to return to the front stretch prior the upcoming Wingless Nationals in October.
Two time winner Billy Wallace of Grass Valley has logged an entry. Wallace finished fourth in the championship point standings this season. The former Placerville Speedway two time track champion finished in the top five seven times this year out of the eight events in which he competed.
Rounding out the top five point standings in the Silver Dollar Speedway season was Terry Schank Jr. of Santa Rosa. Schank was a three time winner this season and finished among the top five a total of six times during the year. Schank is among the 23 drivers that have already logged entries in Wednesday’s invitational event.
Pettit will not be the only Silver Dollar Speedway Champion in the field Wednesday night. Veteran driver Bobby McMahan of Elk Grove has placed an entry. McMahan won the 2009 Silver Dollar Speedway winged sprint car championship just a week ago and will driver a wingless machine owned by Brian Sperry racing for the Wingless Invitational. McMahan will also be in competition during the World of Outlaws portion of the Gold Cup Race of Champions and will be featured in an upcoming press release detailing the many area champions this event will draw to Silver Dollar Speedway.
The Wednesday Night Wingless Invitational will share the spotlight with the Pacific Sprint Cup Invitational which features the California Sprint Car Civil War Series. The Civil War event will feature the top 32 drivers in the point standings for the traveling Civil War Sprint Car Series. This will mark the 11th segment of the traveling race body and will pay $3000 to the winner.
For additional information on the upcoming Gold Cup Race of Champions, visit www.silverdollarspeedway.com online. Tickets are available for all four days. Wednesday’s events are general seating, Thursday through Saturday all seating is reserved. Tickets can be purchased at (916) 969-7484.
Submitted By: Bill Sullivan