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59th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions Format

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Photo by Steven Cox [sprintcarphotos.com][/caption]CHICO, CA (8-28-12) - The fastest four days of sprint car racing in California will take place September 5 - 8 with the annual running of the Gold Cup Race of Champions. This year's event will mark the 59th running of the short track classic. Teams from all over the country will embark on the famed quarter-mile clay oval speedway that has recently been overhauled with new clay.

As usual the Wednesday night show will feature the California Civil War Sprint Car drivers during the special Invitational race. Joining them once again will be the USAC Western Classic Racing Series. Both divisions will have qualifying, heat races and main events. Then on Thursday, September 6th, the Greatest Show on Dirt returns. The powerful World of Outlaws will invade Chico.

The World of Outlaw's portion of the Gold Cup is a three day event this year. Competitors will race all three days. The normal WoO format will be utilized the first two days (Thursday and Friday). Gold Cup points will be awarded the first two days and then combined to determine the starting positions for day three (Saturday). Day three of the format will consist of Main events only. Gold Cup Points are awarded for Qualifying, Heat Finish, C, B and A Main Finish for the first two days. Day three Main events will be lined straight-up by Gold Cup accumulated points.

The 2012 Gold Cup points system will award the top qualifier 200 points decreasing each position by 2 points. Heat race winners will receive 100 points and then decrease by 3 points. The first non-transfer in the C Feature gets 80 points and then decrease by 4. He first non-transfer in the B feature will receive 150 points and then decrease by 4. The A Feature winner will be awarded 250 points and then decrease by 4 points thereafter. There are no points awarded for the cars in the dash.

Saturday night's feature winner will receive a handsome $20,000 payday. The purse alone for the Saturday night main event is over $61,000. It is a guaranteed $1,000 to start Saturday's feature event. Thursday and Friday night prelim winners will receive $8,000. There is $37,000 of purse money in each of the Thursday and Friday night main events.

For more information please call the track office at (530) 350 - 7275. Grandstand tickets and camping spots are still available by calling the office. Front gates will open at 5pm every race night. Racing is scheduled to start at 7pm.

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