Prestigious “Cotton Classic” marks penultimate round of action for King of the West 410
Sprint Cars this Saturday at Kings Speedway
By Gary Thomas
Hanford, CA – October 3, 2013…The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will venture
back to the Central Valley this Saturday night October 12 for the penultimate
event in the 2013 season, which takes place at the Kings Speedway in Hanford,
California. It marks the 28th annual “Cotton Classic” and is sure to
be great double header program with the USAC West Coast Wingless Sprints also
on hand.
Winners of the “Cotton Classic” in Hanford since the year 2000 have been Visalia’s
Blake Robertson; Aliquippa, PA’s Tim Shaffer; San Jose’s Tim Kaeding, who has
won it twice including last season; Clovis’ Jason Meyers; Chico’s Stephen
Allard, Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson and Chico’s Jonathan Allard, who has captured
it three-times. The event will also be the one & only appearance of the
year for the KWS 410’s at the blazing fast 3/8 mile.
Reigning “Cotton Classic” winner Tim Kaeding will look to keep up his outstanding season
that has seen him claim nine World of Outlaws victories during the year.
Driving for Fresno based Roth Enterprises the San Jose wheel-man scored a win
in his first KWS start of the year on September 14 in Fernley and is always one
of the drivers to beat whenever he signs in at the Kings Speedway. “TK” claimed
a World of Outlaws victory at the track back in 2003 and also won the “Trophy
Cup” in 2002 when the prestigious event was still held at Kings Speedway.
They always say consistency wins championships and Kaeding’s teammate Kyle Hirst has
certainly put together championship style consistency in 2013. Hirst has raced
to 11 podium finishes in the 16 King of the West Sprint Car Series events held and
it has catapulted him to a 45-point lead with only two races left in the
season. The Sacramento driver has also scored three wins on the year and will
be looking for another at the “Cotton Classic” on Saturday in the Roth Enterprises
No. 83jr.
Two-time World of Outlaws champion & ’06 “Cotton Classic” victor Jason Meyers is set
to make his fourth start of the KWS season aboard the Tartlon & Son Inc.
No. 21m machine on Saturday. The Clovis native has scored a pair of wins so far
this year with the series and was leading the most recent event until a flat
tire cost him a shot at number three. Meyers recently claimed his second career
“Gold Cup” victory at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico when he topped a
stout World of Outlaws field in September.
Three-time “Cotton Classic” winner Jonathan Allard goes into the night ranking second in
the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series standings and will be in search of a
strong night to gain some points on leader Kyle Hirst. The Chico driver leads
KWS this year with four wins on the season, but hasn’t visited victory lane since
July 20 in Antioch. The three-time King of the West champion is another one that
always runs strong at the Kings Speedway and has captured a number of wins at
the track since joining Williams Motorsports in 2005.
The always exciting Rico Abreu is expected to make his first King of the West Sprint
Car start since Memorial Day weekend behind the wheel of his Abreu Vineyards
No. 24 mount on Saturday. The 21-year-old competed in the first eight events of
the KWS season and charged to a pair of victories along with top-five finishes
each night. He actually led the series standings until heading back to the
Midwest where he has had a strong year in both Sprints and Midgets. Abreu
recently captured the USAC Midget portion of the “4-Crown Nationals” at the
famed Eldora Speedway.
Sacramento’s Willie Croft, Fresno’s Craig Stidham & Grass Valley’s Jason Statler rank
third through fifth in the KWS points. At the most recent event in Tulare Croft
brought home his career best 10th top-five finish of the KWS season
and sits 30-markers back of Allard for second. Stidham has had a very solid
year and recently brought home a third place finish at Kings Speedway in Rebel
Cup action. Statler has heated up as the season has gone on and sits 14-markers
up on sixth place Brent Kaeding going into the “Cotton Classic” on Saturday.
Rounding out the top-10 in the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series standings coming
into this Saturday include the previously mentioned Brent Kaeding of Campbell, who
is coming off his first victory of the season recently at Ocean Speedway, Fair
Oaks Chad Compton, Oakhurst’s Doug Gandy, Grass Valley’s Carl Droivold and
Fresno’s Dominic Scelzi. The 16-year-old Scelzi earned his first career King of
the West 410 win at the Stockton Dirt Track on August 3.
Other drivers expected at the 28th annual “Cotton Classic” will include Campbell’s
Bud Kaeding, Hanford’s DJ Netto, Fresno’s Carson Macedo, Scotts Valley’s Evan
Suggs, Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan, Visalia’s Cory Eliason, Placerville’s Andy
Gregg, Tipton’s Mike Faria, Auburn’s Richard Brace Jr., Grass Valley’s Pat
Harvey, Laton’s Geoffrey Strole, Roseville’s Colby Copeland and more.
The pit gate will open at 2:00pm, ticket booth will open at 2:00pm and the front
gate will open at 5:00pm on Saturday October 12 at the Kings Speedway, with
qualifying around 6:30pm and racing around 7:00pm. Grandstand reserved tickets
cost $28 for the “Cotton Classic” with general admission bleachers being $25.
Tickets are on sale now and to reserve your seats simply contact (559)
584-7223.
The Kings Speedway is a 3/8 mile clay oval and is located on the Kings County
Fairgrounds in Hanford, California. The physical address is 801 S. 10th Ave.
Hanford, Ca 93230. More information can be found at http://www.kingsspeedway.net
or by contacting (559) 584-7223.
Winners so far this season with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car
Series:
Antioch Speedway April 20: Willie Croft
Placerville Speedway April 27: Kyle Hirst
Silver Dollar Speedway May 4: Rico Abreu
Petaluma Speedway May 11: Willie Croft
Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway May 17: Rico Abreu
Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway May 18: Jonathan Allard
Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway May 25: Jason Meyers
Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway May 26: Jason Meyers
Placerville Speedway June 29: Jonathan Allard
Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway July 6: Kyle Hirst
Ocean Speedway July 13: Jonathan Allard
Antioch Speedway July 20: Jonathan Allard
Santa Maria Speedway July 27: Kyle Hirst
Stockton 99 Dirt Track August 3: Dominic Scelzi
Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway September 14: Tim Kaeding
Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway September 21: Tim Kaeding
The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will conclude the 2013 season
at the Stockton Dirt Track on Saturday November 2 during the 30th
annual “Tribute to Gary Patterson.” The exciting conclusion to the campaign
will also be a double-header during the night with Winged 360 Sprint Cars also
competing. A large firework show will also take place to send off the 2013 year
with a bang.
Be sure to like us on the KWS Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints
and become a member of our Twitter community at https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing
alogn with visiting our official website www.kwssprints.com