Photo by http://www.MMRacingPhotos.com

Jonathan Allard races to career best 3rd place finish at 55th Gold Cup Race of Champions

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – September 6, 2008…Going into the 55th annual Gold Cup Race of Champions, Chico’s Jonathan Allard looked to run up front and that’s exactly what the ’08 "King of California" did as he raced his way to a fine third place finish in the 40 lap feature on Saturday night at the Silver Dollar Speedway.

The $50,000 to win Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Series sanctioned event got underway on Thursday night with the opening prelim and it saw 52 strong cars doing battle to gain points towards Saturday’s feature line-ups.

Allard came out 35th in the qualifying order and his fastest lap of 11.649 was good enough for second quick behind World of Outlaw star Craig Dollansky. The Chico driver then moved forward in his heat race to score a second place finish and give him a shot to draw for a dash starting spot within the first four rows.

After doing a quick interview on the front stretch, drivers pulled the pills and Allard drew the number seven to put the K & N Filters, JP’s Paint & Body Works No. 0 in the fourth row for the dash. The track was ‘hooked up and haulin’ early on, but for the dash it began to widen up and lose some of its grip, which created some good racing and it saw Allard make a mid race pass of current Outlaw point leader Donny Schatz to move into fifth where he would go on and finish.

Photo by Fletcher Motorsports

5th place at Skagit highlights NW Outlaw swing for Jonathan Allard as Gold Cup looms ahead

By Gary Thomas

Alger, Washington – September 3, 2008…A fifth place finish at the Skagit Speedway highlighted the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Series Northwest swing for Jonathan Allard and Williams Motorsports as the 55th annual Gold Cup Race of Champions is now upon us and just hours away from kicking off.

Allard and the rest of the teams waited through a rainout this past Friday before kicking off the Northwest Swing on Saturday at the action packed Skagit Speedway. Allard started off the night by timing in 11th fastest out of 42 cars aboard the K & N Filters, Village Green Resort, JP’s Paint & Body No. 0.

The Chico driver then won the third heat race and brought home a seventh place finish in the dash, before moving up a couple spots in the main event where he crossed the line in fifth to put an end to a great night of racing. The next few nights didn’t see the same kind of luck with results as he crashed out the following evening, didn’t make the main on Monday and finished 18th in the feature last night in Cottage Grove.

$50,000 to win Gold Cup on deck: Next up for Jonathan Allard and Williams Motorsports will be the grand daddy of California sprint car racing as the 55th annual Gold Cup Race of Champions at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway kicks off with the opening prelim on Thursday evening.

Good night turns sour for Jonathan Allard following multi car wreck/Busy stretch upcoming

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – August 22, 2008…Chico, CA’s Jonathan Allard looked to be on way to a good night of racing at the Silver Dollar Speedway on Friday until being involved in multi car wreck, which ultimately put him out of contention during the final main event of the Feather Falls Casino weekly 410 season.

Returning to California racing action on Friday night at the Silver Dollar bullring, Allard and the Williams Motorsports team were looking to get laps at the track while testing out a new car prior to the 55th running of the Gold Cup Race of Champions.

While celebrating his 32nd birthday on Friday Allard kicked off the final Chico point race of the season by turning an 11.665 in qualifying to place the K & N Filters, Platinum Powder Coating machine second fastest out of 30 cars. Following qualifying however, an engine change was needed for the No. 0 and after swapping motors Allard had a lightning fast car in his heat race and brought home a third place finish.

Photo courtesy http://www.JohnsRacingPhotos.com

Jonathan Allard to make California return this Friday during Coca-Cola Championship Night at Silver Dollar Speedway

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – August 20, 2008…After competing in the Midwest over the early part of this month 2008 “King of California” Jonathan Allard is set to make his first west coast start since late July this Friday during Coca-Cola Championship Night at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico.

The annual Coke Championship Night puts an end to the Silver Dollar Speedway weekly season each year, but Allard hasn’t competed in the event since ’02, the same season he brought home the track championship. “We’re looking forward to getting back and running at home once again,” Allard said. “We would have liked to follow the Outlaws back out here after Knoxville, but felt it would be smart to come back out and take last weekend off so we can get everything fresh for the west coast swing.”

The Feather Falls Casino 410 sprint car point series at the Silver Dollar Speedway has seen Allard have a bit of an up and down year, yet he still ranks fourth in the standings despite missing four races. The Chico native has made 11 starts in the weekly series tallying six top five finishes, five fast time efforts and two A-main victories, but there have been multiple occasions where it looked like he could have ended up in victory lane, but came up just short.

Jonathan Allard claims 11th in Knoxville Nationals B-main, caps week with runner-up at Huset’s

By Gary Thomas

Knoxville, Iowa – August 12, 2008…Jonathan Allard’s bid at the 48th annual Knoxville Nationals came to a close on Saturday night with an 11th place finish in the B-main event. A total of 110 cars competed over the four night show and it marked Allard’s highest up finish at the Nationals since joining the Morrie Williams owned team in 2005.

The two-time King of California began this past week by competing at the Front Row Challenge in Oskaloosa on Monday Aug 4, where he scored an 11th place finish in the main event and following that was ready to kick off his Knoxville Nationals outing by competing in the opening prelim night on Wednesday.

A total of 54 cars were on hand during Wednesday’s prelim qualifier and unfortunately for Allard he drew a very high qualifying number forcing him to come out 52nd in the order. Despite drying track conditions the Chico driver was able to cut a fastest lap of 15.636 to place the K & N Filters, Red Line Oil sprinter 25th quickest overall.

Photos by Graph X Designs

Jonathan Allard runs 10th in Knoxville 360 Nationals A-main

By Gary Thomas

Knoxville, Iowa – August 2, 2008…Competing on a half-mile track for the first time this season Chico’s Jonathan Allard capped off the 18th annual Knoxville Raceway 360 Nationals by scoring a 10th place finish in the 25 lap A-main event on Saturday night.

Allard and the Williams Motorsports team headed back to the Midwest this past week and began the trip by competing at the most famous dirt track on the planet trying to get some laps on it prior to next weeks 410 Nationals.

The 360 Nationals uses a three-day format that splits the field into a pair of qualifying nights on Thursday and Friday, just like the Gold Cup Race of Champions in Chico. Allard was part of Thursday’s qualifying program where there were 50 cars on hand and he kicked off the road trip on a good note by timing in third fastest in qualifying.

Photo by Graph X Designs

Jonathan Allard runs 5th in Tribute to GP to become 2-time King of California

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – July 26, 2008…Chico’ Jonathan Allard tallied a fifth place finish during the Golden State Challenge Series season ending event at the Silver Dollar Speedway on Saturday and it was good enough to secure the second King of California title of his career. With the championship Allard now joins Campbell’s Brent Kaeding and Fresno’s Steve Kent as the only drivers with multiple titles in GSC history.

With four races remaining in the Golden State Challenge Series season Allard possessed a 41 point lead and used a methodical approach the last couple weeks by not taking too many risks, but doing exactly what he needed to do to become a two-time King of California. “I’m glad we finally got this deal over because it’s been a tough last couple weeks with just driving smooth and clean and not really being as aggressive as we’d normally be,” Allard said on the front stretch in front of his home town crowd.

When Allard won the King of California title in 2006 he captured it with ease by winning seven main events, but this season was a bit different as he claimed one victory and used a strong amount of consistency to bring home the championship. “This title is all about my car owners Morrie & Katie Williams and my great team I have behind me with Ashley Smith, Bob-Oh, Shawn and everyone who helped us out this season. A few times it looked like we’d be headed for a tough night and these guys worked their tails off to get us back out and make up points each and every night,” the Chico driver said.

Photo by Johns Racing Photos

Jonathan Allard to bring 31 point lead into final GSC weekend

By Gary Thomas

Watsonville, CA – July 21, 2008…Despite a tough break in traffic during the main event this past Saturday night in Antioch former King of California Jonathan Allard will head into the final two nights of the Golden State Challenge Series season possessing a 31 point lead in the standings.

Allard looked to be on way to a consistent two nights of racing this past weekend, until contact from a lapped car on Saturday left him upside down and forced the crew to work extremely hard to get him back in action to make up as many points as possible. Despite heavy damage to the car he was able to get back out on the track and it was a good thing since a number of cars had already gone a lap down and he was scored in the top 10 at the finish.

Photos by Fletcher Motorsports

Jonathan Allard wins opening round of ASCS Northwest Speedweek

By Gary Thomas

Medford, Oregon – July 15, 2008…After finishing runner-up at the Southern Oregon Speedway on three different occasions since 2005, Chico’s Jonathan Allard finally broke through and put the Williams Motorsports No. 0 into victory lane during opening night of ASCS Northwest Speedweek on Monday.

The current Golden State Challenge Series point leader had to pass Dirt Cup champion Jayme Barnes three separate times, as cautions took away the first couple of passes during the feature. “It feels good to finally get a win here in Medford,” Allard said. “We’ve been real close to winning at this place the last few years and I have to thank my team because this car was flawless tonight.”

Allard started from row three in the 30 lap main event and quickly moved up into the third spot as the Ashley Smith prepared, Finley Farms, Village Green Resort No. 0 was on a rail. “JA” would take the lead just around the midway point and again on lap 20, but both times saw the yellow lights come on before a lap could be completed. “It started to wear on me when the yellows kept happening, but I just focused on keeping my composure,” Allard stated.

With the race winding down Allard remained focused and was able to shoot past Barnes on the 26th lap to take the lead that he would never relinquish. The 31 year-old led the final four laps with ease to pick up his first career ASCS Northwest Series win and fifth overall victory of the ’08 season. “I was able to keep my momentum up and although Jayme was fast on the bottom, this thing worked anywhere I put it and that’s always a good thing,” Allard concluded.

Tonight will find the ASCS Northwest Speedweek head to the always racy Cottage Grove Speedway for the second round of action. Last season saw Allard drive the K & N Filters, Red Line Oil No. 0 to a seventh place finish in the Speedweek race at the quarter-mile track. He also finished in the fourth spot at Northwest Speedweek ’05 in Cottage Grove, which came during his first year driving the Morrie & Katie Williams No. 0.

For more Speedweek updates on Jonathan Allard please visit http://www.allardmotorsports.com

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Chico's Jonathan Allard bested a 38 car field to win his fifth main event of the season on Monday night at the Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford

Photo by Johns Racing Photos

Fourth season win highlights weekend for Jonathan Allard in Chico

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – July 13, 2008…For weeks Jonathan Allard had been in position to win at the Silver Dollar Speedway and although he had run up front virtually every night the Chico driver hadn’t won at the track since April 18. That all changed this past Friday night as the former track champion took the lead on the 16th lap and never looked back for his fourth overall main event win of the season.

The event at Silver Dollar Speedway on Friday was the 15th point race of the Feather Falls Casino season and was sponsored by Moore Insurance Services Inc. and Scrubs Carwash. A very early night was planned to be kind to the many firefighters who are stationed at the fairgrounds and with a short field of 19 cars on hand it made that task fairly easy.