(silverdollarspeedway.com)
Daryn Pittman had the Gold Cup Race of Champions win in his sights Saturday night, however Jonathan Allard had other ideas. In the final turn, on the final lap, Allard drove around the reigning series champion, Daryn Puittman, to score one of the biggest prizes on the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series schedule, the Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway.
Allard’s win made him the 21st different driver this season to win a World of Outlaws feature, and gave the California drivers a sweep of the weekend’s events at Silver Dollar Speedway over the Outlaws.
“Did I win? What?” Allard said in victory lane following his victory. “You have no idea. After the week we’ve had, just to come home with all my friends and family, especially this crowd has always supported me, this hometown win is pretty special. I’ve always wanted to win a Gold Cup since I was sitting up there eating ice cream. I can’t even believe it!”
Allard, a Chico, Calif. native, led just one-quarter of a lap in his Tri-C Machine car, nonetheless, it was the one that counted. After Pittman took the lead from Sean Becker on a restart on lap 25, Allard bided his time. He worked his way past Becker and then set his sights on Pittman, and the race lead. On the final turn of the final lap in the 40-lap feature, Allard drove it deep, gassed it up, and drove around Pittman for the victory!
“I knew we had to finish to be able to stay in contention,” Allard said. “The way the week has been going I was pretty settled in second but I smelled the rubber get down, and I’ve passed on the middle of four for the lead before.” “I can’t believe we won it.”
Like Carson Macedo the previous night at Silver Dollar Speedway, this was Allard’s first ever World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series win. He became the 11th different non-Outlaw of the season to win a World of Outlaws feature.
In the closing laps, Pittman looked like he was an easy lock to win his 14th race of the season. However, Allard saw to it that that did not happen, passing Pittman on the final lap. Saturday was the second night in a row Pittman finished second in his #9 Great Clips car. Pittman is the only Outlaw to score a podium finish on both nights at Silver Dollar Speedway.
“We put on really hard tires banking on it laying rubber and I was surprised that it didn’t lay rubber until so late,” Pittman said. “I only got lucky and found it on that last yellow. I just didn’t find any in three and four. I got lucky and got to the rubber in one and two but just had no idea where it was at in three and four and got beat.”
“Same story, different night. This one just stings a hell of a lot worse than last night, I can tell you that much. Congrats to them. Jonathan is a great guy and it’s a good team,”a dejected Pittman said.
Becker, who led the first 24 laps in his Cherry Street Mini Storage car, finished the night in second after holding off a strong challenge from the #2 of Shane Stewart.
This winds up four for the finest days of racing that the West Coast will see in 2014! For those race fans who never made it to the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, CA for The Gold Cup Race of Champions, it would behoove you to try to make this event in 2015!
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
