Becker hopes to cap championship season with Trophy Cup title

October 23, 11:28 AMSprint & Midget Car Racing ExaminerRichard Manfredi

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Sean Becker (Credit: Sean Becker Racing)

By all accounts Sean Becker had a very successful year in California, winning his second straight California Civil War Sprint Car Series title. But winning this weekend’s Trophy Cup at the Tulare Thunderbowl would be more than just icing on the cake - it would be a chance to make a national statement.

A lot of California sprint drivers, we feel slighted by the East Coast guys and all the success they have there, and then obviously there’s the Outlaw guys,” he said. “For us West Coast drivers, we want to prove the we have top-notch teams, and any time we can get everyone together in one place, you want that race so it can be a good statement for you.”

Becker has been the dominant winged 360 driver on the West Coast for the past two seasons - in fact, he’s the only person to win both the 360 sprint Civil War and 410 sprint Golden State Challenge in their career - but he’ll have his work cut out for him in winning the two-night Trophy Cup with a purse of more than $80,000.

One reason is the field, which is one of the most diverse and stacked for a West Coast sprint car show. A field of 72 cars will take aim at the title, including defending champion Brad Sweet and other past race champions including Brent and Tim Kaeding, Ronnie Day, Tommy Tarlton and Craig Stidham.

There will also be several top contenders making the trek to the West Coast from the Midwest and East Coast. These include Shane Stewart, Cody Darrah, Wayne Johnson and Jesse Hockett.

Another factor will be the unique format of the racing. Points will be earned during the two nights of racing, with the driver with the most total points accumulated winning the Trophy Cup. As an added twist, the cars are inverted by points for the Saturday night feature, placing an adding emphasis on a driver being able to work through traffic.

A word of warning to the drivers coming from around the country: only two drivers from outside of California have won the Trophy Cup in its first 15 races - Mark Kinser in 1997 and Jac Haudenschild in 2004.