- SPLIT PRELIM FORMAT (Thursday-Friday)
- QUALIFYING POINTS (1 point drop) – 100, 99, 98, 97, 96, etc.
- HEAT RACE POINTS (2 point drop) – 100, 98, 96, 94, 92, etc.
- FEATURE POINTS (3 point drop) – 200, 197, 194, 191, 188, etc.
- LCS NON-TRANSFERS (3 point drop) – 128, 125, 122, 119, 116, etc.
- FINALE FORMAT (Saturday)
- Preliminary Roster For Thursday, Sept. 8
- Preliminary Roster For Friday, Sept. 9
CHICO, Calif. — The 68th Gold Cup Race of Champions presented by Riebes Napa Auto Parts is only one week away from returning to the famed split-field tradition, and with that comes a new format at Silver Dollar Speedway.
There are nearly 60 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink sprint cars expected to compete for glory at the Chico, Calif., bullring. The field will be split in two with half racing on Thursday, Sept. 8, and half racing on Friday, Sept. 9, before everyone battles each other for the $25,000 top prize on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Notable names on Thursday include NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson; World of Outlaws championship contenders Brad Sweet, Sheldon Haudenschild and Logan Schuchart; teenage sensations Corey Day and Ryan Timms; as well as local stars Justin Sanders, Mitchell Faccinto, Tanner Carrick, among others.
On Friday, the field includes World of Outlaws stars Donny Schatz, David Gravel, Carson Macedo and Spencer Bayston, facing off against the likes of California natives Colby Copeland, Ryan Bernal, Dominic Scelzi, Shane Golobic and many more.
As far as the format, points is the name of the game with qualifying, heat races, and features on your preliminary night setting the stage for Saturday’s slate. As the night goes on, the points progressively grow more important. Qualifying starts at a one-point drop (100, 99, 98, etc.), then heat races include a two-point drop (100, 98, 96, etc.) and finally features offers a three-point drop (200, 197, 194, etc.).
It gets interesting in the preliminary heat races with a six-car inversion flipping the field and creating some of the most exciting racing of the week. Only the top-five finishers from heats will transfer to the preliminary feature with those missing the cut forced to the Last Chance Showdown.
From there, the fastest eight transfers will be inverted again for the feature lineup, with transfers starting heads up by points behind them.
The top-two point getters from Thursday, along with the top-two point getters from Friday, will lock-in for Saturday’s DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash and bypass heat races, where the next 40 in points will have to duel for a coveted transfer position.
Another four spots in the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash are available for heat race winners with finishers second through fourth earning a feature spot. Those finishing fifth through 12th will divide into the LCS, C-Main and D-Main.
All three nights of the 68th Gold Cup Race of Champions presented by Riebes Napa Auto Parts grant appearance points only for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.
SPLIT PRELIM FORMAT (Thursday-Friday)
All cars qualify for one flight together (1 car at a time, 2 laps each)
QUALIFYING POINTS (1 point drop) – 100, 99, 98, 97, 96, etc.
Four Heat Races are lined up with a six-car inversion (QT starts 6th in Heat 1, etc.)
Top five finishers from each Heat Race transfer straight to feature
HEAT RACE POINTS (2 point drop) – 100, 98, 96, 94, 92, etc.
Last Chance Showdown is lined up by points with front row reserved for fastest two non-transfersTop four finishers transfer from LCS into the featureFeature lineup includes fastest eight heat transfers inverted in front four rows (fastest starts 8th, etc.)
Then ninth-20th are lined straight up by points for heart transfers with 21st-24th for LCS transfers
FEATURE POINTS (3 point drop) – 200, 197, 194, 191, 188, etc.
LCS NON-TRANSFERS (3 point drop) – 128, 125, 122, 119, 116, etc.
FINALE FORMAT (Saturday)
Top two point-getters from each preliminary night lock-in for Saturday’s DIRTVision Fast Pass DashNext 40 in points are lined straight up into four heat races by preliminary pointsThe 45th+ in points line up in non-qualifier(s) races with top eight (if one) and top four (if two) tagging heatsTop four in heat races transfer to feature with the winner advancing to DIRTVision Fast Pass DashThen it’s fifth-sixth-seventh to LCS, eighth-ninth-10th to C-Main, 11th-12th-non-qualifiers to D-MainTop two transfer from D-Main and tag tail of the C-MainTop four transfer from C-Main and tag tail of the Last Chance ShowdownThe top two highest point totals that failed to transfer from hearts start front row of the LCSTop four transfer from LCS and tag tail of the $2,000-to-start featureDash is lined up with lock-in drivers drawing for spots one to four, and heat winners drawing for spots five to eightFinish of eight-lap dash determines lineup for front four rows of $25,000-to-win featureBehind Dash cars, Heat transfers 2nd-3rd-4th line up in positions 9th-20th ahead of LCS transfers.
* Preliminary night ties will be broken by qualifying times. Any ties heading into Saturday’s finale will be broken by preliminary feature finish.
Preliminary Roster For Thursday, Sept. 8
1S Logan Schuchart2K Kaleb Montgomery2X Justin Sanders3Z Brock Zearfoss5T Ryan Timms5V Landon Brooks6 Bill Rose9 Tyler Brown11 Dylan Bloomfield12J John Clark14 Corey Day17 Sheldon Haudenschild17M Kalib Henry18T Tanner Holmes19 Colby Thornhill20 Noah Gass21 Mitchell Faccinto21 Shane Hopkins29 Willie Croft33T Jimmy Trulli49 Brad Sweet54S Drake Standley56 Dawson Hammes57 Kyle Larson75 Brian Boswell77 Ryan Lippincott83 James McFadden83JR Kerry Madsen83T Tanner Carrick83V Sean Becker
98 Michael Pombo
Preliminary Roster For Friday, Sept. 9
01 Andy Gregg1A Jacob Allen2 David Gravel2S Jayce Steinburg2XM Max Mittry3F William Fielding5 Spencer Bayston5B Colby Copeland7 Tyler Thompson7S Robbie Price7X Eddy Lewis8JR Brian McGahan Jr.11K Kraig Kiner15 Donny Schatz15X Nick Parker21M Michael Ing22 Ryan Bernal24 Chase Johnson25S Seth Standley38B Blake Carrick41 Carson Macedo41sS Dominic Scelzi42X Tim Kaeding45 Jake Morgan46JR Joel Myers Jr.53 Jesse Attard57W Shane Golobic69 Bud Kaeding88 Austin McCarl88N DJ Netto
92 Andy Forsberg
Keyword: Stage Set For $25,000-To-Win Gold Cup Race At Silver Dollar