Stockton, CA – October 25, 2018…During the races on Saturday November 3rd the Stockton Dirt Track will be hosting a “Legends of Sprint Car racing” autograph session from 4pm-6 to help commemorate the 35th running of the Tribute to Gary Patterson.
Those that are set to take part include Johnny Anderson, Jimmy Sills, the Kaeding family, Wally Baker, the Tiner family, LeRoy Van Conett, Richard Forsberg, the Bradway family, Rick Hirst and Jimmy Gordon’s son Jim Gordon. The autograph session will take place in the grandstands and each signee will have custom autograph cards to hand out for the fans. The hope is to expand upon it in the years to come at the Tribute to GP.
“We look forward to having the legends of sprint car racing autograph session at the Tribute to Gary Patterson,” said Stockton Dirt Track Promoter Tony Noceti. “We’ve done a similar thing at 99 Speedway during our night of champions event and figured we could integrate that into championship weekend at the dirt track. We really want to think Roy Van Conett for all his help in assisting with getting these drivers rounded up for the session. It should be a great two nights of racing as we finish off the 2018 season.”
The 35th annual Tribute to Gary Patterson on November 3rd showcases championship night for both the Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards, and the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Racing Series. The SCCT Winged 360’s will be vying for $5500-to-win/ $400-to-start the feature, while the KWS-NARC Winged 410’s will be racing for $4000-to-win/ $650-to-start. An $1100 bounty is up for grabs to any driver that can sweep both main events. The KWS-NARC Sunnyvalley Bacon Dash will also hand out a cool $1000 to the winner.
One night prior to that on Friday November 2nd the Stockton Dirt Track will present Winged 360 Sprint Cars, the C&H Veteran Ent. presents Hunt Magnetos Wingless Tour and Dwarf Cars. The non-sanctioned Winged 360 event will be following SCCT technical rules with a $2500-to-win/ $400-to-start main event. There is no muffler rule on either night of competition.
Plenty of camping will be available on the fairgrounds for the weekend with a cost of $33 per night. There is a two-night minimum to camp. To pay by credit card please contact 916-370-9417. Remember to bring extension cords, water hoses, water hose Y’s and in-ground water spigots. During the day on Saturday from noon to 4pm live music will entertain the crowd behind the grandstands.
All seating on Friday November 2nd is general admission, while Saturday November 3rd features reserved seating in the upper deck. The front gate and ticket booth opens at 4pm on Friday, with racing at 6pm. On Saturday will call and ticket booth opens at 2pm, with the front gate opening at 3pm. Cars will hit the speedway at 4:30pm for wheel packing with hot laps, qualifying and racing to follow. Tickets can be pre-purchased at https://noceti-group.ticketleap.com/
Known as the “Dancing Phantom from Stockton,” the “Preacher,” the “Hostile Hippie” or just simply “GP,” Gary Patterson was one of the most colorful characters of his time and captured several major wins in his career, including the Gold Cup Race of Champions, the Super Dirt Cup in Washington and the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ascot Park among others.
Patterson lost his life in a Sprint Car crash at Calistoga Speedway on Memorial Day weekend 1983 and an event in his memory has been held every year since. “GP” moved to Stockton, California in 1957 and began his career at the Stockton 99 Speedway. This year marks the sixth consecutive season that we’ve paid honor to Patterson in Stockton.
The Stockton Dirt Track is located on the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds in Stockton, California at 1658 S Airport Way, Stockton, CA 95206. More info can be found at http://www.stocktondirttrack.com/