- Larson Tops Timms
- Timms & Sweet Lead Points
- Outlaws Charge
- Henry Makes Home Crowd Proud
- The Locals Impress
- Schuchart and Day’s Misfortune
CHICO, Calif. — With SLC Promotions’ takeover of Silver Dollar Speedway, this year’s 68th running of the Gold Cup Race of Champions has been one of the most highly anticipated in a long time.
Night one delivered on the hype.
Larson Tops Timms
One of the sport’s brightest young talents, Ryan Timms, appeared as if he may be headed to victory lane after rocketing into the lead on lap one.
The 16-year-old controlled the early portion of the race, but eighth-starting Kyle Larson rose to third by the ninth lap and snatched the lead from Timms five laps later. Timms reclaimed the top spot as the duo negotiated traffic, but Larson took the lead for good on a restart with six laps to go.
“He’s (Timms) obviously really good,” Larson said. “I knew him on the front row was going to be really tough to beat. He was probably the guy that I looked at on the lineup as the one I’d have to beat to win.”
Larson’s victory was the ninth of his career at the track he co-promotes and his first in 10 years after he claimed the 2012 Gold Cup — his second straight triumph in the event he’s now helping revive.
Timms & Sweet Lead Points
While Timms would’ve enjoyed the victory, he can keep his head high as his chances for a $25,000 payday and first Outlaw win in Saturday’s finale are still very much alive. His point total of 385 was enough to secure a spot in the top-two of Thursday’s standings and therefore a ticket to Saturday’s dash in which he’ll start no worse than fourth.
Joining Timms in Saturday’s dash will be the “S” of SLC Promotions, Brad Sweet. Sweet earned one more point than Timms, giving him high point honors for the night.
Sweet should have a great starting position as he chases his first Gold Cup title after earning multiple prelim wins and podiums in the finale during his career.
Larson’s efforts were enough to give him the most points of the night with 394, but his NASCAR obligations at Kansas Speedway won’t allow him to return on Saturday.
Outlaws Charge
The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series regulars are the best in the business and a pair of them demonstrated exactly why during Thursday’s feature.
Sheldon Haudenschild and James McFadden both started outside the top-10 but comfortably worked their way inside it by the time the checkered flag flew.
After starting 16th Haudenschild, came home sixth while last year’s Outlaw Rookie of the Year romped from 11th to third.
Their efforts earned them positions within the top-six in Gold Cup points.
Henry Makes Home Crowd Proud
Though he might’ve not been expected to be the driver leading the charge of the local contingent, Citrus Heights, California’s Kalib Henry did.
Making his sixth WoO feature start, Henry rolled off from the pole courtesy of the format’s eight-car invert. While Timms took the lead at the start, Henry battled back to lead a lap, stayed in the top-five all race, and finished a strong fifth.
The performance slotted Henry fourth in points, putting him in an excellent spot for Saturday as he’ll likely be on the front row of a heat race.
The Locals Impress
Kalib Henry might’ve been leading the charge of the Cali Clique, but he had plenty of his fellow Golden State gassers close behind.
A pair of Silver Dollar masters in Andy Forsberg and Sean Becker finished up the night in the top eight in points despite taking different routes to the destination.
Forsberg produced a solid showing each time on track as he accumulated enough points to sit fifth at night’s end.
Meanwhile, Becker’s night was much more of a roller coaster that started strong in qualifying before a difficult heat race that saw him not transfer. After claiming the final transfer out of a troublesome B-main, Becker roared from 24th to in the main event.
Another California duo within the top-10 in points is Tanner Carrick and Mitchell Faccinto.
Both drivers didn’t end up where they would’ve liked in qualifying, did what they needed to do to transfer from their heats, and then put together a solid 30-lap main event to position themselves decently for the finale.
Schuchart and Day’s Misfortune
Two drivers who will likely have some work to do in their Saturday heat races are Logan Schuchart and Corey Day.
Both seemed headed toward top-five results until spins in the latter half of the feature derailed those efforts.
Day had wheeled the Jason Meyers Racing No. 14 from 17th to as high as fourth at one point before his spin while Schuchart had competed with the leaders the entirety of the race prior to his issue
Schuchart wound up 10th in points with Day a few spots behind in 13th.
Fortunately for the pair, they’re both proven winners in Chico. Schuchart is the defending Gold Cup champion and Corey Day won with California’s NARC Fujitsu 410 Sprint Car Series in April at Silver Dollar Speedway.
Keyword: Gold Cup Notes: Larson Shines, Timms & Sweet Lock In