5/12/2010
Sprint Source
Big night expected in Tulare for Pombo/Sargent Classic
Annual Pombo/Sargent Classic on tap for Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway this Saturday night May 15
By Gary Thomas
Tulare, CA – May 12, 2010…Throughout the years the Pombo/Sargent Classic has been one of the biggest and most prestigious dirt track racing events in Central California and the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway is excited to play host for the long-running show this Saturday evening May 15.
The exciting night of racing at the Tulare, California based track will feature the Golden State Challenge King of California 410 Sprint Car Series, the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series and dirt modifieds.
The Pombo/Sargent Classic has been going on for over 20 years and it honors California racing icons Al Pombo and Marshall Sargent. It originally started at nearby Kings Speedway in Hanford, before moving to the Thunderbowl in 2006. An interesting thing about the Pombo/Sargent Classic is the fact that the event was created while both legends were still alive. Marshall Sargent has since passed, but Al Pombo is still seen often at Thunderbowl Raceway events in his booth behind the main grandstands.
Pombo began his career in the 1940's and is credited with more than 500 main event victories, including multiple wins in the Gold Cup at Capital Speedway, the same event which is now held at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. He also won five San Jose Speedway titles, seven NASCAR super-modified championships, nine titles at Kearney Bowl and six at Clovis Speedway.
Early in Sargent's career he won a pair of San Jose titles, which included two wins in the Johnny Key Memorial, and also won the Australian championship in 1964. A pair of crashes unfortunately cut his career short and he enjoyed retirement until his passing in 1990. His legend and memory is kept alive each year as part the Pombo/Sargent Classic and on Saturday night we'll once again pay homage to a pair of legends who helped set the foundation for the sport.
The Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car Series comes into the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway having a tremendously close point battle with Campbell's Brent Kaeding, Chico's Jonathan Allard and Elk Grove's Kyle Larson separated by just six-digits at the top of the standings.
Kaeding also goes into this weekend as the four-time and defending winner of the Pombo/Sargent Classic and will be looking for his 12th overall victory in the event throughout his storied career. "BK" this year has tallied top-10 finishes in each GSC event so far, however, is still searching for his first victory of the 2010 season and will look to accomplish that on Saturday behind the wheel of his Al's Roofing Supply, High Five Pizza No. 69.
Allard is the leading main event winner so far with the Golden State Challenge Sprint Car Series this year and sits only three-markers behind Kaeding going into the Pombo/Sargent Classic. The Chico driver has scored three victories with the traveling 410 tour and is coming off a fourth place finish at last Saturday's 20th annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial, where he spent much of the race battling for the lead aboard his Williams Motorsports, Sharp Insurance No. 0.
Larson comes into the weekend as one of the hottest drivers on tour having picked-up podium finishes in four of the last five Golden State Challenge events and has moved to within just six-points of Kaeding for the top-spot in the standings. The 17-year-old last Saturday brought home a runner-up finish at the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial, which marked his career best finish at the prestigious event. Larson last month also drove the Stadelhofer Construction, Peppermill Casino-Reno No. 99 to his first career Thunderbowl victory with GSC.
After winning his first ever Golden State Challenge main event this past weekend Bixby, Oklahoma's Shane Stewart will return to competition with the series at the Pombo/Sargent Classic on Saturday aboard the Paul Silva Motorsports, Rock Star Energy Drink No. 57. The defending Lucas Oil ASCS National champion last week captured an exciting victory at the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial and pocketed upwards of $5,700 for his efforts with bonus and lap money added in. Stewart last season also finished runner-up in the final Trophy Cup standings at the Thunderbowl in October.
Competing with the World of Outlaws since the start of the season San Jose's Tim Kaeding will make his first Golden State Challenge Sprint Car Series start of the year on Saturday aboard the Roth Motorsports, DTR Transport No. 83jr machine. "TK" captured the Pombo/Sargent Classic in 2004 while driving for Dennis & Teresa Roth and this weekend will be looking for his second career victory at the prestigious event. Kaeding earlier this season re-set the all-time 410 sprint car track record at Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway and last October scored a thrilling win at the Trophy Cup, putting on a well documented charge from 24th to first in the main event.
Other possibilities on Saturday night will include two-time Pombo/Sargent champ Tommy Tarlton of Easton, who put together a clean sweep during his most recent GSC appearance in Santa Maria, two-time Pombo/Sargent titilist Bud Kaeding of Campbell, Scotts Valley's Evan Suggs, Grass Valley's Jason Statler, Elk Grove's Bobby McMahan, Vancouver, Washington's Zach Zimmerly, Penngrove's Alissa Geving, Clovis' Peter Murphy, Placerville's Andy Gregg, Visalia's Cory Eliason, American Canyon's Matthew Davis, Fresno's Mark Workentine and more.
The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series will make their fourth outing of the season at the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway on Saturday and Fresno's Craig Stidham will look to continue his winning ways. The driver of the Brad Johnson Trucking, KRC Safety No. 3s has captured three series victories so far this year, including the previous two in Tulare and has extended his point lead to a solid 69-point advantage. Stidham last week in Santa Maria took the lead late in the race and held on for yet another main event win.
After having some tough luck to begin the year Peter Murphy has seemed to pick things up and goes into Saturday sitting second in the point standings. The Clovis racer finished second during the most recent USAC West Coast 360 Series event in Tulare and also tallied a runner-up finish last weekend to Stidham at the Santa Maria Speedway. Murphy has dominated the Central CA wingless scene the last few years and amazingly will be looking for his first win of the season on Saturday at the helm of his Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino, Tarlton & Son Inc. No. 21.
Other possibilities for Saturday will include Kerman's Davey Pombo, Santa Maria's Danny Sheridan, Tipton's Danny Faria Jr., Hanford's Justyne Hamblin and Jonathan Logan, Fresno's TJ Smith, Bakersfield's Rusty Carlile, Visalia's Jace and Richard VanderWeerd, Galt's Matt Streeter and more.
The dirt modifieds will make their fourth outing of the year at the Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway on Saturday and Chowchilla's Alex Stanford will be looking to make it three in a row at the 1/3 mile clay oval. Other than Stanford the only other driver to win a modified feature in Tulare has been Paul Stone, who claimed the victory on April 3.
The front gate will open at 5pm this Saturday night May 15 for the Pombo/Sargent Classic with qualifying scheduled for 6 and racing at 7. Reserved grandstand tickets will cost $18 with general admission bleacher seats costing just $15. For more info please log onto http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com or call (559) 688-0909. The Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway is located at the Tulare County Fairgrounds on the corner of Bardsley and K Streets in Tulare.
Coming up- The Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway will showcase another three-division show next Saturday May 22 with the Ocean 360 Sprint Car Series presented by Taco Bravo, dirt modifieds and West Coast Street Stocks on hand for the night. The following weekend will see the Thunderbowl present the Salute to Indy on Sunday May 30 featuring the USAC/CRA 410 Sprints and dirt modifieds.
Photo by www.stevesracingphotos.com
Submitted By: Gary Thomas
