West Coast Shootout Late Model Series Honors Gary Jacob at Kings Speedway this Weekend
The West Coast Shootout Late Model Series is returning to action this Saturday, March 31st, at Kings Speedway in Hanford, California.
The event will pay tribute to Gary Jacob who dedicated his time traveling the West Coast and beyond providing numerous race reports. He began reporting his senior year of high school and covered as many as 162 events in a year. The Turlock native was born in 1948 and passed away in June of 2006.
Jacobs covered nearly every form of motorsports, dirt or asphalt, and put as many as 60,000 miles on his car per a year, all without pay. He accepted the free hotel room or $100 every now and then, but for the most part he did it for the love of the sport spending roughly $10,000 a year. Jacob’s main goal in his writing was to get as many drivers publicity as he could, maximizing as many names and numbers in an article as he can. He became the voice of the West Coast, a voice that since has been unheard or filled.
"I went on a weekend of racing with Gary to Arizona, years ago. It was crazy. Not sure when he sleeps. He was probably more dedicated to this sport than anyone I have ever met," stated series promoter Chris Kearns.
The West Coast Shootout Late Model Series opened their season on March 7th at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Ham Lake, Minnesota’s Don Shaw claiming the feature event. Ricky Thornton Jr., 2011 West Coast Shootout Champion Clay Daly, Jason Papich and A.J. Kirkpatrick completed the top five.
Tony Toste also competed with the West Coast Shootout in Las Vegas and has since found victory lane at Bakersfield Speedway. He will be joining team mate Jason Papich this weekend along with Daly and Kirkpatrick. Also joining the field will be 2011 West Coast Shootout runner-up Nick Bartels, Steve Drake, Mike Johnson, Mike Kirby, Bobby Hogge, Jeff Decker, Anthony Restad, Bill Bartels, Carla Laney, Dino Napier, Rob Sanders, Andy Obertello, Tony Toste and Johnny Cardoza, just to name a few.
Steve Curtis of RaceImages.net has put together a lap sponsorship program. The race is set for thirty laps with each lap leader receiving $25, $15 for second and $10 for third.
The Rebel Sprint Car Series, IMCA Stock Cars and IMCA Modifieds will also be taking part in the Gary Jacob Memorial. For more information visit the West Coast Shootout on the web at www.WestCoastLateModels.com or Kings Speedway at www.KingsSpeedway.net.
Chris Kearns Presents and the West Coast Shootout Late Models would like to thank Shannon Pump Company, Drake Farms Transportation, Toste Construction & Paving, Indiana Truck Salvage, Papich Construction, ProPower Engines, Integra Shocks, West Coast Boring, Pearsons Auto Wrecking, Victory Circle and RoadRunner Fabrication for their support this season.
