The 2013 local racing season will come to a close on Nov. 2 with the 30th Annual “Tribute to Gary Patterson” event at the Stockton Dirt Track, located at the San Joaquin County fairgrounds. The program will feature championship night for the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series, a special open 360 Winged Sprint Car event and a large fireworks show.
Gary Patterson moved to Stockton in 1957, and actually began his career at the Stockton 99 Speedway. Patterson was one of the most colorful characters of his time, racing under a variety of nicknames such as the "Dancing Phantom from Stockton," the "Preacher," the "Hostile Hippie" or just simply "GP."
He captured a number of major wins in his career, including the Gold Cup Race of Champions, the Super Dirt Cup in Washington and the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ascot Park among others. Unfortunately, he lost his life in a Sprint Car crash at Calistoga Speedway on Memorial Day weekend 1983, and an event has been held in his memory every year since.
A number of drivers are expected to pull double duty including defending “Tribute to Gary Patterson” champion Rico Abreu of St. Helena. The high-flying 21-year-old has scored two King of the West 410 victories so far this year and has had a solid season racing throughout the country in both Sprints & Midgets.
Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst will be gunning to wrap up the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series title at Stockton and join his father Rick as a Northern California Sprint Car 410 champion. Hirst has claimed three KWS wins this year, as has his teammate Tim Kaeding of San Jose, who is another one looking to pull double duty on November 2. Kaeding has also notched nine World of Outlaws victories in 2013 and is coming off a thrilling win at the “Cotton Classic” this past weekend.
Three-time Civil War 360 Sprint Car Series champion Sean “The Shark” Becker of Roseville will be looking to add to his 2013 resume that already includes wins in the “Gold Fever Open” at Marysville Raceway Park and opening round of the “Fall Nationals” in September at Silver Dollar Speedway. Princeton’s Mason Moore, who captured the “Fall Nationals” finale this year is another that will be gunning to take home the 360 portion of the “Tribute to GP” as is multi-time Civil War Series champion Andy Forsberg of Auburn and more.
In addition to the racing there will also be a car show and live band during the day from noon to 4 p.m. behind the grandstands. The front gate will open at 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 2 with the ticket booth opening at 2 p.m.. Premium reserved grandstand seats cost $30, with general admission bleachers being $20. Kids 6-12 in the bleachers cost $10 with children five and under free. To purchase tickets contact (916) 370-9417.
The racing season at the paved ¼ Stockton 99 Speedway concluded on Oct. 5, where Manteca’s Brad Mast lost the battle but won the war in the B-4 division.
Mast finished second to his rival for Stockton’s Dave Kong in the B-4 main, but earned just enough points to lock down the season title by a scant margin to take the 2013 division season championship.
Other title clinchers included Pine Grove’s Matt Scott in the Western Late Models, Stockton’s Ben Lewis in the Pure Stocks and Atwater’s Jason Aguirre in the Supers Stocks who edged out Manteca’s Chad Holman.
Sacramento’s Jason Philpot finished second to Jay Lindstroth, of Citrus Heights, in the Grand American Modified finale, but the runner up finish gave him just enough points to push him past Ripon’s Mike Regelman in the season standings to take the 2013 Grand Am track championship.
Cameron Hayley out-dueled both polesitter and race leader Derek Thorn, of Lakeport, following the ninth and final restart of the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 Saturday night at Roseville’s All American Speedway to earn his first career NASCAR K&N Pro Series West victory.
Hayley, a 17-year-old from Calgary, Alberta, battled Thorn for five laps following the last restart and made the decisive move on the outside to take the lead four laps from the finish and capture his first win in a championship race.
Former three-time series champion Eric Holmes, of Escalon, finished third in the race. After starting the event from the inside of row two., Holmes took the lead from Thorn on lap 65 and proceeded to trade positions back and forth with him for the remainder of the race often running side-by-side until the final laps.
“It was a great race. It was one of the best cars that I’ve had all year,” said Holmes. “It was hard to pass Derek (Thorn) racing side by side. I just needed to get the lead so I wouldn’t have to run it so hard. It was just an awesome running side by side for the last half the race. Just disappointed that we couldn’t get that lead and be able to single ourselves out.”
Thorn now leads Hayley by a narrow 554 to 536 margin in the K&N West standings heading into the NAPA Auto Parts 150 at Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield on Oct. 26.
The Toyota/NAPA 150 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race from All American Speedway in Roseville will air on FOX Sports 1 at 11 a.m. on Oct. 25.
