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USA Race Park
4300 E. Los Reales
Tucson, AZ 85706
520-574-8515
Contact: Chris Morgan
For Immediate Release
STANBROUGH & COONS HEADLINE McCLUSKEY CLASSIC ENTRIES
TUCSON, Arizona - Jon Stanbrough of Jamestown, Indiana, and Jerry Coons, Jr. of Tucson headline the list of entries for the 3rd Annual Roger McCluskey Classic slated for December 30th & 31st at USA Raceway Park in Tucson.
A winner of 21 sprint car main events in 2006, Stanbrough was recently voted the 2006 Driver of the Year by the North American Non-Winged Sprint Car Poll. Along the way, Stanbrough claimed the United States Auto Club (USAC) Indiana Sprint Week title, the King of Indiana Sprint Series (KISS) and the Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway point championship. In 2002, Stanbrough also won the prestigious Tony Hulman Classic at the famed Terre Haute Action Track in Indiana.
Local favorite Coons heads into this year’s classic as the reining 2006 USAC National Midget Champion. In addition to his success in midgets, Coons is no stranger to sprint cars having notched numerous wins in his career.
Jesse Hockett of Warsaw, Missouri is the defending Roger McCluskey Classic race winner. In September, Hockett won his first USAC/CRA main event of his career at USA Raceway Park. Driving for Jim Massey, Hockett’s teammate Casey Shuman finished third in that event. Shuman, the son of Arizona sprint car legend Ron Shuman, now residing in Indianapolis is entered along with Hockett.
Also scheduled to compete is USA Raceway Park Wing Sprint Car Champion Rick Ziehl of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Prolific with or without a wing, Ziehl was the 2003 USAC Southwest Sprint Car Champion. He is also a two-time (1996 & 1999) Southern New Mexico Speedway (Las Cruces) Champion and the 1995 El Paso (TX) Speedway track champion.
Phoenix driver Jeremy Sherman, who has won the Arizona Sprint Car Association (ASCA) Championship the last two seasons, is entered as well. In 2005, Sherman won a record 15 ASCA main events. Over the years, Sherman has enjoyed much success at Manzanita Speedway (Phoenix). This season, Sherman scored his first career USAC/ CRA feature win at Manzy, and was the 2001 Western World Champion. Back in 1995, Sherman was the USAC Western States Midget series Rookie of the Year. One year later, he claimed Rookie of the Year honors with the Sprint Car Racing Association (SCRA).
Danny Sheridian of Santa Maria heads the list of California hopefuls for this years McCluskey Classic. Sheridan, who won the 1998 Bandit Sprint Car Championship, finished fifth in the 2006 USAC/CRA point standings and won his first career CRA feature at the Perris (CA) Auto Speedway earlier this year.
The Roger McCluskey Classic is named in honor of one of the finest open wheel drivers, who raced out of Tucson, Arizona. During his illustrious career, McCluskey won 23 USAC Sprint Car main events and was the 1963 and 1966 National Sprint Car Champion. He also claimed five USAC Championship Car wins and four National Midget wins. McCluskey made 18 Indy 500 starts, including a 3rd place finish in 1973.
McCluskey was also a talented stock driver, winning the USAC Stock Car title in 1969 and 1970. He also made four NASCAR Grand National starts, posting a career-best runner-up finish at Riverside (CA) International Raceway in 1970. McCluskey passed away on August 29, 1993, just five days after his 63rd birthday.
Racing for the Roger McCluskey Classic is schedule to begin at 1 p.m. on both days with a 25-lap preliminary main event slated for Saturday and a 30-lap finale scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Also included in the weekends event will be a two day Modifieds race with a 20 lap feature on Sunday.
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