Thunderbowl Raceway presents USAC/CRA "Salute To Indy" this Sunday
By Gary Thomas
Tulare, CA - May 22, 2007... Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway will host the wingless 410 sprint cars of the Lucas Oil USAC/CRA Series this Sunday night May 27 in the first Salute to Indy at the 1/3 mile clay oval. The Salute to Indy will be the first time since 2004 that wingless 410's have graced the Tulare County Fairgrounds track. It will also mark the first time that the Lucas Oil USAC/CRA Series has ever competed at the Thunderbowl.
The USAC/CRA Series was formed in 2004 and regularly produces some of the best racing anywhere in the country. Thunderbowl Raceway is very pleased to have the series at the track and hope to make this Memorial Day weekend race an annual event.
The Lucas Oil USAC/CRA Series began the year with 11 different winners in the first 11 races, tying an all-time USAC record that was set in 1994. The streak was broken at 11 but it shows how remarkably even the field is this year with the USAC/CRA Series. The Salute to Indy at Thunderbowl Raceway on Sunday will be the second consecutive night of action for USAC/CRA as they will also be competing at their home track of Perris Auto Speedway the night before.
Leading the points coming into the weekend is the "Cowboy" Tony Jones of Norco, CA. Jones, the son of Southern California legend Bubby Jones, has won two races this season and holds an 82 point lead in the series standings. Last season Jones joined forces with the Alexander Racing, La Villa Restaurant No. 4 team and won eight USAC/CRA features en route to a third place finish the series standings. Jones also won the Friday prelim during last season’s Oval Nationals at the Perris Auto Speedway.
Second in points coming into the weekend is Downey, CA’s Mike Spencer who is in his first season driving the famous "Little Red Sucker" owned by Ron Chaffin. Last season saw Spencer have a breakout year finishing fourth in USAC/CRA points and winning three USAC/CRA Series feature’s, including the Thursday night prelim at the Oval Nationals. This year he’s been driving the Chaffin Motorsports, Temecula Valley Pipe & Supply No. 50 which has been wheeled in the past by "The Demon" Damion Gardner, Richard "The Gasman" Griffin and "The Tempe Tornado" Lealand Mcspadden.
Defending USAC/CRA champion Cory Kruseman of Ventura has taken a slight step back and has missed four races this season, but still ranks ninth in series points. Last year Kruseman won his first USAC/CRA championship and won four races along the way, but parted ways with team owner Glen Crossno at the end of the season so he could start up his own team. In January he announced the start up of the brand new Kruseman Motorsports "Driver Development Program." The 2-time Chili Bowl Midget Nationals winner and 2-time Oval Nationals champion has three drivers under his tutelage this season including: Michael Trimble, Alex Schutte and Jake Vail. He’s able to mentor the drivers as he continues to compete himself and it is a natural thing for him to do as he is also the owner of the Cory Kruseman Driving School in Ventura. Kruseman has won three wingless 410 races at the Thunderbowl in his career and his most recent triumph at the track came in February 2005 during the inaugural SCRA 360 race held in conjunction with the World of Outlaws.
Former Bandit Sprint Car champion "Showtime" Danny Sheridan of Santa Maria comes into the weekend third in points. Sheridan has picked up one win this season with USAC/CRA aboard the Kittle Motorsports No. 18 and finished runner-up last Saturday night with the series at Manzanita Speedway.
Fourth in current USAC/CRA points is "Super" Rickie Gaunt from Torrance, CA. Gaunt is also a winner of three wingless 410 events at the Thunderbowl in his career, two of which came in 2004, the same season he won the SCRA championship. Gaunt is a former winner of the Oval Nationals at Perris and he has even won a Golden State Challenge Series winged race, which came in 1991 at Santa Maria Speedway.
Other likely entrants for the Salute to Indy this Sunday at Thunderbowl Raceway will include: Scotty Weir, Rip Williams, R.J. Johnson, Garret Hansen, David Cardey, Josh Ford, Charles Davis Jr. and more. Central Valley driver Danny Faria Jr. from Tipton and Clovis resident Peter Murphy will also be in action as well as the possibility of Visalia’s Ricci Faria.
For more info on the USAC/CRA Series visit http://www.usacracing.com
Also in competition during the evening will be the Western States Modifieds. So far this season there have been three different winners in three WSM events. Randy Mcdaniel won last Saturday’s main event at the Thunderbowl. Other winners this season include Tim Balding and Bobby Hogue III.
The front gate at the Thunderbowl Raceway will open at 5 pm this Sunday with Reserved Grandstand tickets costing $18 and General Admission bleacher tickets costing $15. To purchase tickets call 559-688-0909. First race is scheduled for approximately 7pm. For a seating chart, directions, a list of hotels and more, log onto http://www.tularethunderbowl.com
The Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway is located at the Tulare County Fairgrounds on the corner of Bardsley and K Streets in Tulare.
