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Tulare, Ca - June 25,
2006... Chico’s Jonathan Allard reminded everybody
Saturday night why he is the top sprint car driver on
the west coast at moment as he captured an exciting 30
lap Golden State Challenge Series feature event at
Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway. Allard started third in
the 22 car field and rode the rim of the slick and
treacherous 1/3 mile oval en route to his eleventh
career GSC main event win and series leading fifth on
the season. It didn’t come easy, however, as he had to
fend off a very determined Danny Faria Jr.
The 30 lap feature started
off with Tipton’s D.Faria Jr. and 12 time GSC King of
California Brent Kaeding of Campbell on the front row.
The original start was brought back for a tangle on the
back stretch between Fresno’s Lawrence Edlund and
Hanford’s Mark Barroso. When the green flag flew again
it was Faria Jr. getting the jump but Kaeding made his
move for the lead down low in turn two on the second
lap. It was all for nothing though as the caution waved
simultaneously for Elk Grove’s Kyle Hirst who had
stopped at the edge of the pit entrance. Faria Jr. kept
the lead and led a few more circuits after going back to
green before lap four saw another caution, this time for
Rocklin’s Robert Ballou who slowed down the back
stretch. Ballou pitted and came back out but before
racing got back underway, but went back into the pits
due to a rear axle issue. It was a tough break for the
driver that sat fourth in points coming into the event.
It also put an end to Ballou’s streak of finishing
second or better in the last four races.
When the Jake Vickers green
flag waved again 10 laps were clicked off before
Selma’s Charlie Louden spun in turn two. The order for
the lap 14 restart saw Faria Jr. continuing to lead with
Kaeding, J.Allard, Fresno’s Tommy Tarlton and
Salinas’s Ronnie Day in the top five. Tarlton made the
move under Allard on the restart to claim third before a
caution waved on lap 15 for Tracy’s Jason Botsford who
spun to a stop on the front stretch. Allard had been
venturing up stairs where the cushion was way up next to
the wall and it payed off on the restart. As the green
waved Allard drove to the outside of Tarlton in turn one
to claim third and then going into turn three on the
same lap, made a thrilling move to split Brent Kaeding
and a lap car to move into the runner-up position.
Tarlton made the move around Kaeding on the following
circuit to take over third.
Lap 19 saw the final caution
of the night appear for Carl Droivold who had slid to a
stop on the front stretch. The top five for the final
restart was compromised of Faria Jr, Allard, Tarlton,
Kaeding and Fresno’s Craig Stidham. Allard stuck right
to the back of Faria Jr. as they came for green and
going into turn one he took the high side around Faria
Jr. and assumed the top spot. Faria Jr. didn’t give
up, however, and moved back under Allard in turn four to
edge back ahead of the current Golden State Challenge
Series point leader. Faria Jr. and Allard kept the crowd
on the edge of their seats over the next five laps as
they went side by side all the way around the racetrack
in one of the most thrilling duels in recent GSC memory.
Faria Jr. used the bottom and Allard stayed up top
banging off the cushion that had moved all the way up
next to the wall. Each lap Allard looked to have moved
ahead only to have Faria Jr. come back to his inside. No
more than four car lengths ever separated the pair over
the last eleven laps. Lap 28 saw Allard put a tiny bit
of distance between the two off of the second turn but
it didn’t last long as the lapped car of Mark Barroso
was in Allard’s line within the last couple laps.
Faria Jr. took advantage and moved to the inside of
Allard and got virtually side by side with him off of
turn four. Allard was able to do a masterful job of
driving though and drove possibly his best lap of the
race on the last circuit to bring the GT Trends 0 home
in first place for the third weekend in a row. Dating
back to Petaluma on June 10 it was Allard’s second GSC
win in a row and in between those was his big win at
Skagit Speedway’s Dirt Cup last weekend. He has now
finished second or better in the last four GSC races and
will have an increased lead in the series standings when
the points become available.
Faria Jr. drove a great race
in the Riverview Dairy 17v and ended with a very
respectable second place finish. He looked very strong,
just a week after his first trip to Skagit Speedway’s
Dirt Cup. It was his first top five finish since winning
his first career GSC feature event last July during
opening night of the Pombo/Sargent Classic at Kings
Speedway in Hanford.
Tommy Tarlton drove the
Tachi Palace 21 to his third top five finish of the
season with the Golden State Challenge Series. The
former GSC regular has looked very strong in limited
appearances this year and has yet to finish outside the
top ten in four starts.
Craig Stidham started ninth
and ended the race fourth in the Brad Johnson Trucking
3. The 2002 GSC Rookie if the Year had to deal with a
miscue front wing late in the race but did a nice job to
earn his first top five finish with GSC since 2003.
Rounding out the top five
was the Elite Landscaping 1 of Ronnie Day who claimed
his sixth top five of the season. San Jose’s Jason
Statler ran an exciting race to finish sixth after
starting 12th. Like J.Allard, Statler also
rode the rim of the slick 1/3 mile oval in his Pheasant
Run Shopping Center 00 and looked as good as he has all
season just a week after a frightening flip at the Dirt
Cup. Brent Kaeding finished seventh in his Al’s
Roofing Supply 69. Kaeding ran in the top five the whole
race before reported fuel starvation dropped him to
seventh on the final lap. The Tom Rolfe Trucking 10 of
Stephen Allard, the Darrell Green Trucking 89 of Ricci
Faria and the Duchem Industries 4 of Mike Faria
completed the top ten. It was a welcome sight to have
Mike Faria back in competition as he made his first
start of the 2006 season. All these results are
unofficial.
Ricci Faria won the curfew
shortened B-main event over Craig Stidham, Garrett
Ishii, Charlie Louden, Mark Barroso and Jason Botsford.
Danny Faria Jr. led all six
laps to score his first career GSC dash win. Finishing
behind him were Brent Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Dennis
Moore Jr, Tommy Tarlton, Mike Faria, Ronnie Day and
Stephen Allard.
Lawrence Edlund held off
Kyle Hirst to win the night’s first heat race. Brent
Kaeding started sixth in the second heat and passed
Tommy Tarlton heading down the back straightaway on lap
five to pick up the win. Heat three fell to
Sacramento’s Mike Henry and the fourth and final heat
went to sixth starting Jonathan Allard who passed
brother Stephen Allard on a lap eight restart in turn
two.
Craig Stidham turned a
14.351 in qualifying to score his first fast time of the
season.
Next Saturday the Golden
State Challenge Series will head for their first
appearance of the season at the Antioch Speedway
bullring. The event scheduled for Antioch earlier in the
year fell victim to the wet early season weather.
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