9/3/2014
Silver Dollar Speedway
Ensign Dominates Hunt Race at Gold Cup
CHICO, CA (9-3-14) -Â Soon to be 25-year old Geoff Ensign dominated the Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Sprint Series Wednesday night main event at Silver Dollar Speedway. The win was achieved during the opening night of the 61st Anniversary of the Gold Cup Race of Champions. Tonight Ensign picked up his 36th career sprint car main event win. "Really want to thank the Finkenbinder crew for putting together this deal so late in the week," said Ensign in victory lane. "It was a great night and just happy that I could win on opening night of the Gold Cup." A total of 25 Joe Hunt Wingless cars entered the prestigious Gold Cup event.
Ensign started the night off by turning the fastest lap during group qualifying with a 14.133. Later in the program he won the first eight lap heat race. Tommy Laliberte earned the win in heat race two. Both Ensign and Laliberte completed last lap, last turn passes for the win. Scott Hall made the third heat race look easy as he picked up the win. Hall went on to win the six-lap dash.
Hall started on the pole position and took the early lead. At first it seemed Hall was destined to win the race. However, Ensign quickly closed in and by lap nine was battling for the lead. Ensign was able to drive around Hall for the lead on lap . A lap later Hall quickly and unexpectedly exited the track. Once Hall was gone, Ensign rocketed out to a six second lead before a caution slowed the event. Terry Schank Jr. had spun off turn two and it was reported he encountered contact from another driver. As the green came back out Ensign once again drifted out to a big lead and breezed to the 30-lap win. Shane Myhre crossed the line in the second spot. Austin Liggett ran good all night and finished third.
Fast Time: Geoff Ensign - 14.133
Heat Race #1 - Ensign, Terry Schank Jr, Shane Myrhe, Nick Larson, Josh Viera
Heat Race #2 - Tommy Laliberte, Austin Liggett, Angelique Bell, Cody Fendley, Bradley Clark
Heat Race #3 - Scott Hall, Don Emery, Chris Webber, Cortney Dozier, Rowdy McClenon
Dash - Hall, Ensign, Liggett, Laliberte, Webber, Schank
A-Main - Ensign, Myhre, Liggett, Simpson, McClenon, Dozier, Webber, Emery, Viera, Larson, Bell, Fendley, N. Johnson, Sylvia, Deemer