ANTIOCH, California -- Bullring mania will be the flavor of the weekend for the Golden State Challenge King of California Series as they make a stop at the Antioch Speedway this Saturday. The Contra Costa County Fairgrounds 1/4 mile speedway is one of the tightest tracks on tour and has one of the most vocal fan bases in the state of California. When the 410 winged sprint cars of the Golden State Challenge Series are in town, people flock in from all over the Bay Area to see some the top drivers on the West Coast duke it out on the Antioch bullring.
Since the Golden State Challenge Series returned to Antioch in 2003 there have been six races held, and the driver that has experienced the most success at those events is the man who won the most recent race in GSC competition, Brent Kaeding of Campbell. The 12-time King of California currently sits third in points heading into Antioch on the strength of his 71st career GSC win, which he accomplished last Saturday in Tulare. Kaeding has tallied four top five finishes in the first six races aboard his Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 and if there’s a track he knows as good as any, it’s Antioch Speedway. In the six GSC races at Antioch since 2003, he’s won twice and has finished in the top five all but once. That one time he’s been out of the top five however, came last season when he got upside down and injured his back, which stayed with him for much of the remainder of the season. He’s shown no ill affects this season though and has been driving like the man that’s won just about every major sprint car race on the West Coast.
Oroville’s Sean Becker, the driver that sits atop the Golden State Challenge Series point standings, is a question mark as to if he’ll compete in Antioch. The 2005 King of California has been remarkably consistent so far in ‘07 having scored five top five finishes in the first six races and his worst finish has been a sixth. He and the Fisher-Main Motorsports team have performed extremely well, but a lack of funding might force them to miss this weekend’s race. It would be a huge loss if they weren’t able to continue running on a full time basis. If they do make it to Antioch they will surely be one of the teams to beat. Becker came close to winning with GSC at Antioch in 2004, but Brent Kaeding was able to get around him on a late race restart to steal the win away. The driver known as the "Shark" also scored a pair of fourth place finishes at the 1/4 mile in his championship year of ‘05. Last season Becker won twice with GSC, including the series’ cornerstone event, the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico.
If Becker fails to compete this weekend, it will open the door for defending King of California Jonathan Allard from Chico to re-claim the top spot. Allard held the point lead for the first four races of the season before losing it in Placerville a couple weeks back. He’s been on a cold spell for his standards recently and hasn’t scored a top five since opening weekend, but has been in the thick of things virtually every night. Allard is coming off a brilliant season with the Golden State Challenge Series where he won seven main events, picked up 10 heat race victories and set fast time on 10 different occasions. He sits 10 points behind Becker for the lead and will look to close the gap in the potent Morrie Williams owned No. 0.
The driver that won the first Golden State Challenge Series race back at Antioch in 2003 was San Jose’s Jason Statler. That win was the first ever with GSC for the 2004 King of California and this weekend he’ll head to the track for the first time with his new Tom Rolfe Trucking No. 10 team. Statler has moved up to fourth in the GSC point standings, 41 behind the leader. "The Big Guy" always has a strong cheering section when GSC visits Antioch and will be a top contender on Saturday.
Other drivers expected this Saturday in Antioch include: Salinas’ Ronnie Day, Sacramento’s Willie Croft, Chico’s Brett Miller, Grass Valley’s Brad Sweet, Fairmont, Indiana’s Brandon Wimmer, Campbell’s Bud Kaeding, Tracy’s Jason Botsford, Gilroy’s Jon Maiwald, Discovery Bay’s Jim Skinner, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Chico’s Matt Shelton, Fresno’s Mark Workentine and more.
Gates open at 5 pm Saturday with qualifying scheduled for approximately 7. All seating will be general admission and prices will be $16 for adults, $10 for kids 6-12 and $10 for seniors. When the Golden State Challenge Series competes at Antioch Speedway, the stands are packed so plan to arrive early to get the best seats possible. For more info on Antioch Speedway visit http://www.antiochspeedway.com
Six races and six different winners- Last Saturday in Tulare the Golden State Challenge Series experienced the sixth different winner in six races this season. Winners on the season include Brent Kaeding, Brandon Wimmer, Roger Crockett, Brad Sweet, Tim Kaeding and Jonathan Allard.
For point standings, results and more info on the Golden State Challenge Series visit http://www.johnpadjemotorsports.com
Next Saturday the Golden State Challenge Series will make a trip to the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville. It will be the first of four season stops by the series to the Santa Cruz County Fairground track.
