Larson Scores Podium Finish In Petaluma Finale For Golden State Challenge
Petaluma, California. August 1, 2009. A day after celebrating his 17th birthday Kyle Larson gave himself a little present at the Petaluma
Fairgrounds Speedway by cashing in with a third place finish with the Golden State
Challenge sprint cars Saturday night. In the final 2009 appearance for the series at the
fog shrouded speedway, the Elk Grove, California resident patiently worked his way forward
from the seventh starting position to take third on the lightning fast speedway.
Larson, the sixth fast qualifier of 20 cars on hand, began the night by racing to a second
place finish in his heat. The result placed him in the six lap dash, which sets the first
four rows of the feature race. He drew the sixth starting position and, after a jumble in
front of him in turn one on the opening lap jostled him back to eighth, finished seventh.
The headline event began with the driver of the Dave and Debbie Vertullo Starr Property
Management/ Eagle/ Kistler on the inside of row four, while dash winner Evan Suggs and
eight time GSC champion Brent Kaeding occupied the front row. At the outset Kaeding
assumed the lead, while third starting GSC point leader Tyler Walker sped by Suggs on the
first lap. Larson also moved ahead two spots on the opening lap to settle into fifth
behind two time defending GSC champ Jonathan Allard.
After three red flag periods in the first two laps the race gained momentum with the
leaders chasing each other through heavy lapped traffic. Walker, who became the first
driver to ever record an 11 second lap when he set the all time track record in
qualifying, hounded Kaeding for several laps until he took over the lead on lap 15.
Meanwhile, Suggs, Allard and Larson ran nose to tail a few lengths back.
Larson, who had been sizing up Allard with several attempts to pass on the outside,
finally changed methods and found an
opening underneath on lap 21. Allard fought back hard for the next lap but Larson then
began to move away towards Suggs. Finally, on lap 27, Larson made his final pass of the
race when he got by Suggs to move into third. A final green, white, checkered restart saw
no change in the up front order as Larson joined the winning Walker and Kaeding on the
front straightaway for victory lane ceremonies.
Larson’s racing efforts are sponsored by Starr Property Management, Inc., Phoenix
ParkerStores and Lubrication Equipment and Supply Co., Stadelhofer Construction,
Wion’s Body Shop and Powdercoating, A.R.T. Speed Equipment, G & N Construction,
JW Web Design, Safety Solutions-LFT Technologies, Simpson Performance Products, Wyman
Construction, GME-Nields Steerings, LRB Manufacturing, SWEPCO Lubricants, Edward’s
Lawn Service, Sierra Tire and Wheel, Mancamp Motorsports, and Mophead Graphix.
