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ALAN MESSICK PHOTOGRAPHY CUSTOM PRINTS:
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These are selected photos of the West Capital Raceway Monument Dedication on June 7th, 2003. The popular clay oval, formerly located in West Sacramento, California, hosted many forms of racing, including World of Outlaws sprint cars, from 1947 to 1980 until closing. Winning drivers during the track's long history included Jimmy Gordon, Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Rick Ferkel, Jack Hewitt, Doug Wolfgang, Bobby Allen, Leroy Van Connet, Gary Patterson, Johnny Anderson, Jimmy Sills, Ernie Purssell, Wally Baker, Larry Burton, Joe Giusti, Red Mullican, Marshall Sargent, and Al Pombo. West Capital Raceway was the original home of the Gold Cup Race of Champions, which was relocated to Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico when the track closed. During the 1960's at Capital Speedway, the Race of Champions, as it was known then, was a 200-lap event on the half-mile track that started 64 cars. While statistics are sketchy, we're pretty sure that 64 cars didn't finish! The "hardtop" was typical of cars that competed at Capital Speedway (later re-named West Capital Raceway) during the 60's. The cars evolved from the hardtops, to supermodifieds, to sprint cars. Jimmy Boyd from Dixon, Calfornia, who won the first World of Outlaws race at Devils Bowl Speedway in 1978, was one of the first drivers to showcase a lightweight, high-powered sprint car on the tacky clay quarter-mile oval at West Capital. That day, he set an all-time track record, becoming the first driver to officially break into the 12-second bracket. Officials and drivers alike thought the timing light must have malfunctioned. However, Boyd easily "backed up" the time with a low 13-second lap that was still more than a second faster than any other car. He later lapped virtually the entire field to claim a popular victory, and the "sprint car era" was born at West Capital Raceway.