Speedway kicks off Saturday night
Spotlight will be on a bevy of talented young spring car drivers
Published: Thursday, Mar 27, 2008
By HARLAN OSBORNE
FOR THE ARGUS-COURIER
The wait is over for the armchair racers and restless fans that spent all winter filled with anxiety anticipating the start of All-Pro auto racing at Petaluma Speedway. The three-eighths mile clay oval is groomed and ready, and the drivers are eager to snap their seat belts in place as the venerable race track kicks off its 48th season Saturday night with a six-division program.
Promoter Jim Soares has mapped out an exciting 30-week schedule that includes all the popular divisions but leans heaviest towards the fan’s favorite, open-wheel sprint cars. The All-Pro 360 winged sprint cars, powered by 600 horsepower engines, will headline 19 shows in 2008, and the carbureted spec sprints will be on hand 13 times throughout the season.
The Speedway will also host four California Civil War shows and two appearances of the potent Golden State Challenge-King of California series. Adding to the variety and excitement will be about dozen appearances each by the All-Pro late models, dirt modifieds, super stocks, dwarf cars and mini stocks.
A growing list of young and talented drivers has nudged aside many of the veteran open-wheel racers that formerly dominated the sprint car division. Among those expected to make a strong showing this year are 21-year-old defending track champ Shawn Arriaga of Pittsburg, a third-generation driver who captured the title in his first full year of competition in 2007.
Looking to unseat Arriaga, who is the youngest sprint car champion in Speedway history, will be teenagers Bradley Terrell, a 16-year-old who set fast time twice last year and finished fourth in points; seventh-place points finisher Kirk Simpson; and high school junior Camron Mendes. Expected to be in the spotlight throughout the year, 16-year-old Alissa Geving, is a third generation driver who captured lots of attention last season with four top-five finishes and two victories. Geving was the Speedway’s rookie of the year last season and was the recipient of the Motor Sports Press Association’s Paul Tyler Rising Star award.
In the late model division, Novato’s Rod Arnold will be seeking his third straight and fifth overall track championship. A veteran of 28 seasons, Arnold leads the division in career wins with 64. Drivers expected to give Arnold a run for the crown are six-time track champ Ed Sans Jr., Paul Guglielmoni and Doug Hayes.
Petaluma driver Michael Paul Jr. has won two track titles and finished second twice in his six years of dirt modified competition. Expected to challenge 2007 champion Paul for top honors this year will be his father, three-time track champ and 45-time feature winner Michael Paul Sr; 2007 points runner-up Joel Myers; former champ Don Camilli and Woody Woodward.
Newly crowned super stock champion Dean DeVolder was feeling good at the end of last year. The Pacifica driver, who emphasizes preparation, dominated the division in 2007 with seven feature wins, including a track record six straight. He’ll face a stern challenge from Petaluma racing veterans “Ironman” Shawn McCoy, who finished third last season and has started 683 straight races since he started competing in 1980; Dave Byron, and Danny Potts.
A funny thing happened to dwarf car driver John Peters as he was looking to gain quality seat time in 2007. The rookie driver with a talent for racing won the track championship. Peters hopes to repeat his effort against a contingent of hopefuls that includes Russ Roy, Randy and Dustin Coffee, Dan Williams, Sonny Calkins and Adam Johnson.
The grandstands open at 4:30 p.m. and qualifying and heat races begin at 5:30. Ticket prices are $14 for adults, $10 for juniors 6-11 years old, $8 for seniors 65 and older and free to kids five and under.
