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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES
SPECIAL TO THE VALLEY VOICE NEWSPAPER
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINTS RETURN TO TULARE SATURDAY FOR POMBO/SARGENT CLASSIC
By Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – MAY 10, 2010… The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series will hold their eighth round of competition this Saturday night, May 15th, at Tulare's Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway. The Pombo / Sargent Classic will also showcase the winged Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Cars and the Central California Modifieds.
The race will be the fourth event at the Tulare clay oval for the powerful 360 sprints. Point Leader Craig Stidham of Fresno has won three races in the 2010 campaign, including last Saturday night at Santa Maria, and back to back wins at Tulare in April. Visalia's Dean "Kiwi" Alexander won the March 6th Tulare opener.
Piloting the Brad Johnson Trucking / KRC Safety #3S Maxim, Stidham is the only driver on the circuit with multiple victories. The former Trophy Cup champion set fast time at Santa Maria over the twenty six car field and took the win after starting eighth. Stidham now enjoys a 69 point advantage over Clovis' Peter Murphy.
Murphy, the 2009 Santa Maria Track Champion, finished second at Santa Maria after starting sixth. Driving Tom Tarlton's potent Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino #21 KPC entry, the veteran driver has four heat race wins and four top-5 finishes on the season. Murphy is back to last year's form and will be among the favorites to score his first feature victory of 2010 at Tulare.
Sitting third in the point standings is Kerman's Davey Pombo. Pombo took Junior Bowman's Buster & Ziggy #3 Bullet to a fourth place finish at Santa Maria. Last year's 360 Grand Slam Series Champion took the Bakersfield win on March 27th and was the Tulare Hard Charger on April 10th, scoring fourth place after starting thirteenth. Pombo is looking for a Tulare victory as he makes a bid for the series championship.
Defending series champion Justyne Hamblin of Hanford is now fourth in the point chase. Hamblin piloted the JH Motorsports / Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino #8 Speed Tech to fifth place at Santa Maria. After some tough nights early in the season, Justyne is another driver looking for that first feature victory of the season.
Fresno's T.J. Smith had an eleventh place finish in Steve LeGras' UHL Rubber #14 Maxim at Santa Maria. Sitting fifth in the point standings, the former Plaza Park track champion has two top-5 finishes on the season and will be working for his first series win this Saturday night at Tulare.
Among the other top contenders expected to be in action are "Showtime" Danny Sheridan, 2006 SCRA 360 Champion Jonathan Logan of Hanford, Bakersfield's Rusty Carlile, "Hollywood" Danny Faria Jr. of Tipton, Mariposa's Andy Ferris, Chris Ennis of Bakersfield, Visalia's Richard and Jace VanderWeerd, and 4-time Santa Maria track champion "Junkyard" Jimmy Thompson from Arroyo Grande.
The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series would like to thank Southwest Contractors, Hoosier Tire, Amsoil, BR Motorsports, Competition Suspension, Cory Kruseman's Sprint Car & Midget Driving School, Crow Enterprizes, DJ Safety, Extreme Mufflers, Hinchman-Indy Racing Uniforms, Integra Shocks, Kaeding Performance, Keizer Wheels, King Racing Products, Kirkey Racing Fabrication, Port City Racing, Saferacer.com, Saldana Racing Products, and Sander Engineering for their support.
The Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway is located on the Tulare County Fairgrounds at the corner of Bardsley and K Streets in Tulare. The Front Gates will open at 5:00pm, with Time Trials at 6:00pm, and Racing at 7:00pm. Reserved Grandstand Tickets are $18 and Bleacher Tickets are $15. Advance tickets are on sale and can be purchased by calling the track office at (559) 688-0909.
For more event information, please visit the track’s website at www.tularethunderbowl.com.
For more information on the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series, please visit www.westcoastsprintcars.com or follow the series on facebook.
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USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES POINT STANDINGS:
1- Craig Stidham-442
2- Peter Murphy-373
3- Davey Pombo-370
4- Justyne Hamblin-324
5- T.J. Smith-307
6- Rusty Carlile-300
7- Andy Ferris-274
8- Jace VanderWeerd-270
9- Jonathan Logan-259
10- Danny Faria Jr.-250
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