Fargo, ND’s Donny Schatz comes into the event as the odds on favorite based on his unbelievable success during the big money events so far in 2007. Having already won the Knoxville Nationals, the Kings Royal, the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup and the Williams Grove Summer Nationals, Schatz is poised to pick up his second career Gold Cup title and continue the quest for his second straight World of Outlaws Sprint Series title. The 1997 World of Outlaws rookie of the year is coming off a Gold Cup that saw him involved in one of the scariest incidents in years when his Parker Stores No. 15 got upside down in a ball of flames on the backstretch during his prelim night heat race. Schatz has one Gold Cup victory to his name and came when he led all 40 laps en route to victory in 2004.

In the past couple weeks, however, Brownsburg, IN’s Joey Saldana has cut into Schatz’s lead in the World of Outlaw point standings. Saldana finished second to Schatz at the Knoxville Nationals this season and also finished runner-up to Schatz at the Gold Cup in 2004. The driver of the Kasey Kahne Racing No. 9 has never won the Gold Cup, but it’s certainly a trophy he’d like to add to his collection. Another World of Outlaw driver who always runs well at Silver Dollar Speedway is Elk River, MN’s Craig Dollansky. "The Crowd Pleaser" is the all-time track record holder at Silver Dollar Speedway and has finished third during the last three years at the Gold Cup Race of Champions. The driver of the Caravan Racing No. 7 has also won his prelim night each of the last two years at the Gold Cup and is coming off a big $25,000 to win event at the Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash.

After missing last years Gold Cup due to the WOO/NST split, 20-time Outlaw champ Steve Kinser will return looking for his 13th Gold Cup title. The Bloomington, IN veteran won the Gold Cup two years ago and although he’s not having a typical Steve Kinser year, he’s right up there in the top five of WOO points with nine wins and will be one of the drivers to beat as always in the Q Oil No. 11. Long time rival Danny Lasoski of Dover, MO is another driver who has a quiet year, yet sits third in WOO points. The former Outlaw champ won the Gold Cup in 2000 and always runs well at Silver Dollar Speedway, which will make him a contender as he pilots the always potent Roth Motorsports No. 83.

California will have several local drivers that should be serious contenders at the 54th annual Gold Cup Race of Champions. Leading the way will be San Jose’s Tim Kaeding in the Tom Rolfe Trucking No. 10. The former Silver Dollar Speedway and Golden State Challenge Series champion began the year driving for Steve Kinser Racing and wheeled a few different cars before hooking up with Tom Rolfe in late June to take over the wheel of the 10 machine. TK has had an enormous amount of success so far in the 10 car this season winning five of the final six GSC events contested in ‘07, including a two day sweep of the GSC finale at Silver Dollar Speedway. Kaeding also made the main event at the Knoxville Nationals last month and scored a tie with Robert Ballou in the wingless TNT Sprint Bandits Series Midwest Swing. Earlier this season Kaeding won the Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway and next week looks to have one of his best shots ever at winning the Gold Cup.

Chico local Jonathan Allard has had a terrific year at Silver Dollar Speedway and should be strong as he wheels the Morrie Williams owned No. 0 at the Gold Cup. The 2006 Golden State Challenge champion has won seven races at Silver Dollar this year and gave up the track point lead to travel back to the Midwest in late July. Campbell’s Brent Kaeding has also had an amazing season and looks to be ready for his best shot at the Gold Cup title in years. The driver of the Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 won this year’s Golden State Challenge Series championship and won eight races along the way, including the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial in May at Silver Dollar Speedway.

The Gold Cup Race of Champions will also be a homecoming for a few California natives who compete regularly with the World of Outlaws Sprint Series. Leading the way will be former Mini Gold Cup champion Jason Meyers from Clovis, CA who drives the Primerica Financial No. 14. Meyers currently ranks in the top five of the World of Outlaw point standings with four wins on the season. In early March Meyers had an off weekend from Outlaw competition and competed in the Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway. He was one of the fastest cars both nights, but each ended with him being taken out in lapped traffic while running second.

Former Oroville, CA resident Paul McMahan who currently resides in Nashville, TN will be seeking his first Gold Cup title aboard the Tony Stewart Motorsports No. 20. McMahan’s highlight of this season so far came at the Knoxville Nationals where he started from the pole and finished in the 5th position on Saturday night of the event. He has also been one of the series’ best qualifiers in 2007, which is always an important part in a point system event like the Nationals and the Gold Cup. Last season McMahan set fast time during his prelim night at Gold Cup and finished 5th during the 40 lap finale on Saturday. San Jose, CA driver Randy Hannagan will also return to the Gold Cup this season looking to improve on last years 13th place finish aboard the Penthouse Magazine No. 1x.

Defending Gold Cup champion Daryn Pittman will return to the event looking to win for the second year in a row aboard the Titan Garages & Carports No. 21. Pittman has hovered around the top five in points all season and has won four times this year in Outlaw competition. Last years Gold Cup runner up and Chico favorite Jac Haudenschild will be one of the drivers to beat during the 54th annual event. Haud drives the locally based Wright One Construction No. 35 and will be one of the drivers in the spot light as he always is at the Gold Cup. Other World of Outlaw drivers figured to compete at the Gold Cup will include: Mount Vernon, Washington’s Jason Solwold; Aliquippa, PA’s Tim Shaffer; Bartlett, TN’s Jason Sides; Altoona, Iowa’s Terry McCarl; Australian’s Kerry Madsen & Brooke Tatnell, Sioux Falls, SD’s Justin Henderson and more.

Silver Dollar Speedway track champion Stephen Allard has won three times this season at Silver Dollar Speedway and will look to have good run aboard the Skip Jones owned 1M Racing machine. The older Allard has had a strong year at Silver Dollar and tallied 11 top five finishes on way to his first career solo track championship. Oroville’s Sean Becker finished second in the track point standings and will also be a driver looking to beat the travelers aboard the Fisher-Main Motorsports No. 35m. Other track locals looking for good things at the Gold Cup will include: Placerville’s Andy Gregg; Chico’s Brett Miller, Robby Whitchurch & Johnny Gray; Yuba City’s Korey Lovell and Princeton’s Mason Moore.

A handful of drivers that have experienced success as of late at Silver Dollar Speedway include: Elk Grove’s Kyle Hirst & Greg Decaires as well as Auburn’s Andy Forsberg. Hirst is a 19 year-old driver and is a former Golden State Challenge Series rookie of the year. He sat aboard the GP Development No. 6 in August and captured a pair of Silver Dollar Speedway point race wins. Hirst will have a teammate at the Gold Cup in the form of Brad Sweet as car owner Gary Perkins will field two cars for the talented youngsters.

DeCaires is a possible dark horse that definitely has a shot to shock some people. The veteran will be aboard the potent NMI Construction No. 24, the same car he’ll compete full time in next year with the Golden State Challenge Series. Decaires won at Silver Dollar in early August and the 24 team has put equipment underneath him capable of competing with the Outlaws. Forsberg captured a win during Coca Cola Championship night at Silver Dollar Speedway recently and will be well suited to compete at the Gold Cup having recently re-united with top flight crew chief Brian Cannon. Other California locals expected at the Gold Cup include: Sacramento’s Willie Croft; San Jose’s Jason Statler; Salinas’ Ronnie Day; Campbell’s Bud Kaeding; Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs; Yuba City’s Shain Matthews; Discovery Bay’s Jim Skinner & more.

A driver that figures to be a strong contender that doesn’t claim any association with a series is Bixby, OK’s Shane Stewart. The former WOO rookie of the year has had a large of amount of success since joining the Doyle’s Harley Davidson No. 1 team in Mid-July. The Stewart/Paul Silva wrenched combo won three races en route to the NSCS Speedweek title their first week out, then won $10,000 at the Knoxville Raceway 360 Nationals and recently beat the Outlaws at Gray’s Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash. Look for Stewart to be strong at the Gold Cup as he chases the $50,000 top prize.

Rocklin’s Robert Ballou is set to drive the Mike Stallings owned No. 83 at the Gold Cup, competing in California for the first time since February. The defending Golden State Challenge rookie of the year has been on fire recently winning four wingless sprint car races in a row. Another driving returning to California will be three-time Outlaw champ Sammy Swindell from Germantown, TN. The former Gold Cup is expected to compete in the Fauver Race Ready Rentals No. 64.

A number of special side events will also be taking place at the Gold Cup as always. The annual Gold Cup golf tournament will take place Friday morning September 7 at the Bidwell Golf Course in Chico. The annual JP’s Racer’s BBQ will also be on Friday and runs from 11:30 am till 2 pm. The BBQ helps out with the Knoxville Bound Benefit put on by John Perry who is known as the Mayor of Chico. Racers, fans and teams are all invited to stop by the BBQ at JP’s Paint & Body Works, located at 1840 Park Ave in Chico.

Capping off Friday night’s festivities will be the famous Joe Hunt Magnetos Gold Cup Chili Feed & Bikini Contest. Tickets are available for $6 at the door and are well worth it to hang out in the Silver Dollar pavilion and rub elbows with a who’s who of sprint car racing. The Chili Feed takes place after the racing action is completed on Friday night. A new part of the Gold Cup will be the Best Looking Car award presented by SprintcarPR.com. A voting box is expected to be located in the main concession area that will allow fans to vote for the Best Looking Car at this years Gold Cup.

The action at the Gold Cup begins with a Wednesday night event on September 5 featuring the Civil War 360 Sprint Car Series and wingless spec sprints invitational. Tickets are $20 for adults, $12 for juniors and $4 for children. All seating will be general admission on Wednesday night. The World of Outlaws portion of Gold Cup gets underway on Thursday night September 6 and runs through Saturday September 8. All seating is reserved Thursday, Friday & Saturday. For tickets call 916-969-7484. After September 3 please call 559-891-6535. For all your news on the 54th annual Gold Cup Race of Champions log onto http://www.johnpadjenmotorsports.com