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Race fans from all around Northern California descended on the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds to watch four thrilling races on the quarter-mile dirt track.
Friday's Silver Dollar Speedway event featured races with four types of cars, first came the 410 sprint cars, then the wingless sprint cars, next the dirt modified cars and finally the dwarf cars. With a few hundred people in the stands, the seventh point race of the season was underway with dirt flying from both turns and the sounds of the engines roaring with every pass.
The main attraction was the sprint races, but people also came out to see the other cars, especially the dwarf cars, said John Padjen, race promoter.
"The dwarfs look like the old-fashioned '32 Ford coupes," he said. "They have a small 1200cc motorcycle engine in them."
With the season nearly over, the turnout has been positive, and victories have been evenly spread out, Padjen said.
Chico resident Darin Ruley has been racing his modified car every weekend during the season for the past four years, he said.
"These guys have been kickin' my ass this year," Ruley said. "Last year I had a lot better year. I took second in points."
He drives his car in an array of races in places such as Quincy, Susanville, Marysville and Yreka but still considers Chico's track the best, he said.
"The track's fast," Ruley said. "It's based really nice, it's a good size and the track surface is packed good."
Ruley took fourth out of seven in his No. 67 car as Mike Sohnery took first in car No. 0.
Keith Bloom, 15, also took fourth, but out of eight drivers in the second heat of the wingless sprints race. He has been racing since he was 6 years old and is the leader in points this season, he said.
"We've been top five every week," Bloom said. "And we're just trying to get a win."
Rob Jones took first in heat one and Justin Funkhouser finished at the top of heat two.
In the 410 sprints, the race featured 20 cars that have wings on the roof which makes them aerodynamic and improves traction.
Emalee Ramirez, 19, was the only female racer in the competition.
A Yuba City native, Ramirez has been racing go-karts for seven years and enjoys being the only female driver, she said. This is her first season racing sprint cars.
"I can't wait 'til I get faster so I can go out there and kick all the boys' butts," she said.
The sprints topped out at about 140 mph, and drivers drove about 60 to 70 mph around the turns, Ramirez said.
She placed 15th out of 21 racers and finished fifth out of seven in the third heat.
Kevin Sharrah, Danny Ochs and Dan Simpson took first in the three heats of the 410 sprints.
In the last race there were also three heats, but with a little old-school touch as the dwarf cars rolled out with an assortment of grills and exuberant paint jobs.
Patrick Weger, Scott Dahlgren and Daniel Weger all finished first in their heats that concluded the night at the invigorating speedway.
Mike Wagner can be reached at mwagner@theorion.com
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