7/6/2010
Silver Dollar Speedway
Bill Brownell Memorial This Friday
CHICO, CA (7-6-10) -Â Persistence will pay off this Friday night, July 9, as the third annual Bill Brownell Memorial is finally set to happen. The two previous races were canceled because of bad weather. However, thanks to Shane Scott and Withrow's Motorsports and Service the yearly race will continue this Friday night. Also making a return is seven-time track champion Shane Scott of Chico. Scott is racing for one night only in honor of his fallen friend Bill Brownell. During the later part of Brownell's life the two were inseparable. Scott is a Chico legend and is the only race car driver that has been voted into the Chico Sports Hall of Fame. Scott will race a 410-sprint car as a teammate of Mason Moore.
On top of operating Withrow's Motorsports and Service, Don Withrow is also running the Hoosier Tire trailer and fuel for the speedway. "I just want to help support the track and the drivers by helping sponsor this night," said Withrow. " We all miss Brownell and this race had to happen this year. My family and I didn't want the bad weather from previous attempts to spoil this years annual Brownell race." Joining the 410-winged sprints will be the dirt modifieds, wingless sprints and The Dirt Solution Late Models.
Feather Falls Casino / Riebes Auto Parts point race #13 will take place this Friday night, July 9. Front grandstand gate opens at 6 pm. Sprint car qualifying starts at 6:30 pm with racing to follow. Adult general admission is $12.00, juniors and seniors $10.00 and children $5.00. Pit gate will open at 4 pm.
Chico's Jason York is back on top of the 410-winged sprint car division. York is the 2000 track champion. Since his championship year York did a lot of traveling away from Chico. He followed the King of California sprint car series for many seasons. York also spent a few years commuting back and forth to Los Angeles on the weekends to race at the Perris Auto Speedway driving in the USAC non-wing series. This year York has decided to dedicate his year to Silver Dollar Speedway. Going into this weekend York holds a 10-point advantage over Chico's Brett Miller. Rookie sensation Kenny Allen sits in the third spot. Allen is 18-points behind York. Tyler Wolf of Redding is only one point behind Allen. Recent main event winner Mark Hall rounds out the top five.
Chico's Darin Ruley is in control of the championship battle in the dirt modified series. Ruley has made all the races and been the most consistent driver this year in the division. Wade Kennemore is 13-points behind Ruley. Neither driver has won a track championship at Chico. As of now the championship could come down to one of those two drivers. Randy McDaniel, Jeff Olschowka and Mark Abouzeid are mixing it up for the third spot. Yet, all three are at least 40-points behind Ruley for the lead. It will take a mechanical failure to Ruley or Kennemore to let the rest of the division catch up.
The wingless championship is the tightest battle we have going at the race track. The top four is only separated by just two points. As of now Terry Schank Jr. of Santa Rosa is the leader. He is the only driver in the top five with a feature event win. Defending champion Jimmy Pettit of Chico and Grass Valley's Brett Youngman are tied for second while Elverta's Johnny Reeves is fourth. Grass Valley's Jay Youngman rounds out the top five.
The Dirt Solution Late Model Series returns this Friday night. Jerry Bartlett has dominated the division at Chico. Bartlett has won three of the four races this year. The only driver to dethrone Bartlett was Matt Micheli. Last week Ken Micheli gave Bartlett a run for his money in a two car shootout but Bartlett prevailed.
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