Steve Kent HammerDown!

DRIVERS

Steve Kent

Kent sweeps Calistoga weekend with Tribute to GP win - By Bobby Gerould - Calistoga, CA. May 28, 2006 - Steve Kent, a seven-time Calistoga Speedway track champion, showed his form Sunday night with a 25-lap feature win in the Henderson Motorsports Eagle/Bailey #7n. Kent passed early leader and eventual runner-up Robert Ballou to score his eleventh career A-Main triumph at the historic half-mile dirt track in the heart of the Napa Valley. The win moved Kent into a tie for fourth place on the 'All-Time Winner's List' at the track that has been running sprint car races since 1937. Ronnie Day finished third in the Tribute to Gary Patterson feature with Sean Becker fourth, and Jason Statler fifth. Golden State Challenge points leaders Jon Allard and Brent Kaeding both posted DNF's Sunday night. Allard's #0 suffered a U-joint failure, and Kaeding fought ignition and engine woes. 27 cars timed-in, led by Day who ripped the track in 16.868 seconds. ...Kent also won at Calistoga Saturday night.

Kent wins Tribute to Gary Patterson at Calistoga - By Bobby Gerould - 05/29/05 - Calistoga, CA. ...Steve Kent of Fresno, CA., a six-time Calistoga Speedway Track Champion, reminded all at the Napa County Fairgrounds dirt half-mile why he is one of the finest sprint car drivers to ever grace the speedway. Moving into a tie for seventh on the all-time win list - Kent stormed to his ninth career Calistoga feature win in the 25-lap Tribute to Gary Patterson Sunday night. Aboard the Henderson Motorsports Eagle # 7N, Kent chased down Blake Robertson to secure the victory. Robertson led from the green flag until Kent slid past him low in turn two. Kent surged after being pressured by Saturday night Calistoga winner Brent Kaeding. Kaeding finished second Sunday, and Robertson completed the podium. Jon Allard started ninth and was fourth at the checkered flag. Sparky Howard filled out the top five. Brad Furr was running fifth on the final lap when he abruptly stopped in turn two. He was credited with 14th place on a night where he set quick-time. Kyle Hirst, a 17 year-old Calistoga rookie, won his heat race and finished eighth in the feature.

Kent Captures Dirt Cup Night One - HD Staff - 06/17/04 - Alger, WA. ...Steve Kent, of Fresno, CA. walked away with a preliminary win in the opening night of the Jim Raper Memorial Super Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway Thursday night. Wheeling the Roger Henderson #7n, Kent beat a start studded field that included visitors Jac Haudenschild, Brian Brown, and Shane Stewart. (Read the Andrew Kunas report, and summary here)

Trophy Cup Championship to Steve Kent - By Bobby Gerould - 10/18/03 - Hanford, CA. ...Steve Kent won his last Kings Speedway track championship eleven years ago but the 43 year-old from Fresno still knows the quick way around the high-speed 3/8's mile dirt track. Edging 2002 Trophy Cup Champ, Tim Kaeding by a mere two points, Kent won the $8,000 first prize in front of a large Saturday night crowd. Kent's "high-points" title came about on the final lap of the 40 circuit A-Main when Ricci Faria passed Tim Kaeding coming to the checkered flag. The pass allowed Kent to finish 2 spots ahead of Tim, which was what he needed to secure the top spot. In the familiar Henderson #7N (Eagle/Bailey), Kent used his experience at Hanford to outgun a 2-day show field of 77 winged 360 sprint cars! The fully inverted A-Main was won by front row starter, Peter Murphy in the Elite Landscaping #1M. The dirt surface took rubber early in the feature making passing very difficult. The unique Trophy Cup format pays out a significant chunk of the $80,000 purse based on the two-day point accumulation, as well as finishing position in the feature races. The top ten in points were Kent, Tim Kaeding, Ronnie Day, Dennis Moore Jr., Ricci Faria, Roger Crockett, Andy Forsberg, Bud Kaeding, Craig Stidham, and Tim Shaffer.

...Steve Kent did not race at Calistoga because of a emergency at his Fresno home. It seems the Kent's have a serious water leak, and Steve had to remedy the situation before his home was ruined. The classy, five-time Calistoga track champion was missed.

...Steve Kent won $10,000 at Skagit Speedway's annual BIG 360 race. Insiders tell HammerDown! that Skagit has never been so attractive after many improvements made by Steve Beitler.

You can buy back issues of HammerDown! This race program was signed by Steve Kent!

Despite a huge wallop in a two car flip at Hanford Saturday night, Steve Kent is feeling better. Kent said he still has a headache from the crash (five days later) but is feeling well enough to go racing with his kids this weekend. Kent will not run at Antioch. The Henderson team is busy repairing cars in an effort to make the NST Speedweek in Oregon and Washington. Kent said his Eagle chassis was hurt badly in the crash with Danny Faria. Jr.

Steve Kent is a 5-time Champion at Hanford, and Calistoga. (John's Racing Photos)

Kent posts Civil War Hanford victory - By Bill Sullivan, 09/14/02 - HANFORD,CA - In California when it comes to traveling race campaigns for 360 cubic inch powered sprint cars the Hoosier Tires Civil War Series and the California Rebel Cup are by far the most competitive pair of campaigns in the market. Saturday night the two sanctioning bodies met face to face for the first time at King's Speedway in Hanford which marked the 12th round of action for the Civil War competitors and the 17th event for the southern state based Rebel Cup contenders. When the checkered flag waved it was a driver who doesn't often frequent either of the campaigns taking home the honors as Fresno's Steve Kent dominated the 30-lap feature event. (read the whole deal)

2001 - Steve Kent has enjoyed another great year on the West Coast. The always charging driver, won the Dirt Cup, the Calistoga track title, and the lion's share of cash in the NST Speedweek. Driving for Roger Henderson Jr., Kent has been able to display his talents with a hard-hitting Bailey Bros. motor under the hood. The Henderson Family has been involved in Northen California racing since we can remember races being run! Rick Horton was one of many chaffeurs in the Henderson Motor Parts #2h. We remember the late, Gary Scott driving the maroon colored #7 at Petaluma.

Selfishly, we would love to see Kent do a full year with the World of Outlaws. However, the 41 year-old Dad of two, and husband has priorities at his Fresno home. Kent has served as Little League coach.