Danburg, Bawden in Westcar event

The Westcar Late Model Series will kick off its sophomore season of competition, featuring one of the most talked about championships in West Coast late model racing.

Series competitors will go 100 laps around the tricky Stockton 99 Speedway quarter-mile asphalt oval on Sunday. The event will pay $2,250 to win thanks to sponsorship from Eagle Fitness of Reno/Carson City.

The 2005 and inaugural Westcar Late Model Series championship came down to the final race, with Byron Gonzales of Carmichael, Calif., edging Melissa Davis of Santa Rosa, Calif., and Rookie of the Year Bobby Butler of Sacramento for the title.

This season, the same type of championship drama is expected with an influx of new drivers and an all-new schedule that encompasses 10 races at four different race tracks.

Both All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., and the closed Champion Motor Speedway don't appear on the 2006 slate.

Early championship hopefuls include Michael Wendt of Lodi, Calif., and Kyle Cattanach of Redding, Calif.

Cattanach finished second in the televised 2005 ASA Speed Truck points championship.

Most notably ready to challenge Gonzales for the 2006 title is Gary Glenn of Orangevale, Calif. Glenn blew two motors in 2005, and still ended the year with two wins and sixth in the series points.

Chet Danburg, a former champion at the Champion track, of Carson City and Scott Chappell of Lodi, Calif., will also be campaigning for the championship.

The Rookie of the Year title will be chased by at least five drivers, with Katie Crome of Reno, Chris Hinkle of Lodi, Ted Montague of Newark, Calif., Craig Swim of Elverta, Calif, and Wendt all gunning for the honor.

The star-studded field for Sunday's opener will feature more than 30 drivers from both Northern California and Northern Nevada.

Among the entries will be John Moore of Granite Bay, Calif., SRL Wild West Shootout drivers Eric Schmidt of Roseville and Andy Livengood of Richmond, Calif., and North State Challenge drivers C.J. Bawden of Carson City and Zane Lovelace of Roseville. Former Champion track champion Rich Lawlor is also scheduled to compete.

For more information on the Westcar Late Model Series go to www.westcarseries.com. Time trials are expected to begin at noon, with the Scott Wires Dash for Cash and the qualifying race to be held at 2 p.m., followed by the 100 lap feature.

Westcar is supported by: Scott Performance Wires, Xbox, Eagle Fitness of Reno/Carson, California Door and Frame, Sierra Racing Products, Circle Track Steering, Competition Carburetion, Jim Courage Pools, Fensler Racing, DPI, F.R.E., JME, John L. Sullivan, and Perry Racing.