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Hirst leads Pacific Sprint Cup for all 30 laps; Wallace steals wingless win on last lap
by Bill Sullivan

Wednesday, September 3, 2008 Results
Qualifying 360 Sprints Contingency Awards

CHICO, CA (9-3-08) - Former Silver Dollar Speedway Rookie of the Year Kyle Hirst of Loomis drove his way to victory in the $3000 to win Hoosier Racing Tires Civil War Series Pacific Sprint Cup event at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico Wednesday night. Hirst shared the spotlight with Grass Valley's Billy Wallace who posted the win in the $1000 to win Wingless Invitational event.

After qualifying 8th Wednesday night, Hirst placed fourth in his heat race to secure and position in the 30-lap feature event aboard the GP Development #6 sprint car. The second generation driver started on the pole position and led the entire lap green flag to checkered on a track that quickly became a one lane quarter-mile, preventing most drivers from passing throughout the event.

"This is a great way to start this week of for us, we needed this win tonight," said Hirst, who posted his second win of the series. "Hopefully we'll have a better track for the next three days because this deal of just staying on the bottom all night doesn't really make for much of a race. It worked well for me because I started up front but it wasn't too good for the others."

In the early laps of the race, Fair Oaks Chad Compton, point leader Sean Becker of Sacramento and local favorite Willie Croft of Sacramento were all taking turns amidst the top three positions until fate took them out of the running late in the race. Both Croft and Compton were the victims of collisions in lapped traffic as well as Becker, who spun halfway into the race but still recovered to finish in seventh. When the checkered flag waved Hirst was followed across the line by Brad Furr of Pleasanton who started second.

Jimmy Trulli of Placerville started in the 13th position of Wednesday's event. Trulli was one of the few drivers that was able to push his way through the field to finish in the third position over Mason Moore of Princenton who started sixteenth. Former track champion Greg DeCiares was fifth over Kyle Larson of Elk Grove who once again charged his way through the field from the 19th starting position.

Becker placed seventh in the end followed by Mike Benson of Calistoga, Alissa Geving of Penngrove and Placerville's Andy Gregg.

In preliminary action, Compton was the fast qualifier of the night with a 11:661 second lap. The B-feature was claimed by Compton followed by Herman Klein, Croft, Christian Stover, Scott Kinney and DeCaires. Heat races were won by Bishop, Ricky Wright Jr., Larson and Moore.

In the wingless invitational a total of $1000 was up for grabs for the victor of Wednesday's event that wrapped up the 2008 Silver Dollar Speedway-Placerville Speedway championship.

While Keith Bloom of Sacramento officially wrapped up the season championship, veteran driver Billy Wallace of Grass Valley charged his way to the victory, stealing the win on the last lap of the 20-lap feature.

"It's always great to run here at Chico," said Wallace, who destroyed his primary wingless car at Placerville several weeks back. "Tonight the track was pretty challenging but I found a way to the front on the last lap. We're glad to be here this week and it doesn't matter if its winged or wingless its all racing and I love it."

Wallace qualified 7th Wednesday night and drove his way into the A-feature with a fourth place finish in his heat race. In the A-feature the two-time Placerville Speedway champion started sixth and worked his way into the top three by the third lap of the event behind Kody Smith and Taylor Simas. Smith led the first six laps of the event until Simas took the lead, maintaining it until lap 19 when Wallace robbed him of the lead. At the finish line Wallace was followed by Simas, R.C. Smith, Jimmy Pettit, Smith and Mason Meyers.

Racing continues at Silver Dollar Speedway Thursday through Saturday with the 55th Annual World of Outlaws Gold Cup Race of Champions. Visit www.johnpadjenmotorsports.com for results of the day to day activities at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico.