This message was edited on
June 02, 2010 at
10:49:55 PM by ljennings
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES
#14 T.J. Smith At Bakersfield Speedway.
USAC WEST COAST 360S RETURN TO HANFORD SATURDAY
By Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – JUNE 2, 2010… The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series will hold their tenth round of competition this Saturday night, June 5th, at the Giant Chevrolet Speedway in Hanford, California. The event will also showcase the Central California Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, and Bud Light Mini-Stocks. The Driver’s Meeting will be at 5:00pm with Hot Laps at 5:30pm. Qualifying is scheduled for 6:30, with racing to follow.
It will be the second of five events at the 3/8-mile facility, followed by July 17th, August 21st, and the Jim Turner Memorial on September 11th. The Turner Memorial is also the finale for the Southwest Contractors 360 Clash, a four-race mini-series that has a $5,000 point fund. On March 13th, Tipton's "Hollywood" Danny Faria scored his first win on the Hanford clay since 2005 with the Golden State Challenge Sprint Cars. Faria drove to the 30-lap feature victory after starting sixteenth.
Point leader Craig Stidham of Fresno is the only driver on the circuit with multiple wins. With four victories on the season, the driver of the Brad Johnson Trucking / KRC Safety #3S Maxim would like to add Hanford to his win list. The former Rebel Cup Sprint Car champion had back to back wins at Tulare on April 3rd and 10th, Santa Maria on May 8th, and last Saturday night at Bakersfield. Arguably the hottest driver on the circuit, Stidham has one fast time, eight top-10 finishes, and leads the series with five heat race triumphs. Now tied with Peter Murphy as the all time series leader in main event wins with six victories, Craig has a fifty-one point advantage over Davey Pombo.
Kerman's Davey Pombo battled hard for a fifth place finish after starting eighth at Bakersfield. The pilot of Junior Bowman's Buster & Ziggy #3 Bullet scored the Bakersfield victory on March 27th. In addition, he has one fast time, one heat race win, eight top-10 finishes, and one hard charger award on the season. Look for Pombo to have a solid run as he looks to make a championship bid.
Sitting third in the point chase is Clovis' Peter Murphy. Absent from last weekend's Southwest Contractors 360 Clash at Bakersfield, Murphy is rumored to be in a new ride for the second half of the season. After a tough start to his 2010 campaign, Murphy has one fast time, four heat race wins, and six top-10 finishes. Last year's Santa Maria track champion will be looking for his first victory of the year.
Fresno's T.J. Smith is fourth in the point standings. The pilot of Steve LeGras' UHL Rubber #14 Maxim drove to his first Sander Engineering fast time award of the season at Bakersfield. With a sixth place finish in the main event, the former Plaza Park track champion has seven top-10 finishes and will be working for his first series win at Hanford.
Another driver looking for their first victory of the season is Hanford's Justyne Hamblin. The defending series champion is fifth in the point chase after scoring a third place finish at Bakersfield. Justyne started eleventh and that drive earned her second hard charger award of the season. Driving the JH Motorsports / Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino #8 Speed Tech entry, Hamblin has two heat race wins and seven top-10 finishes.
Among the other top contenders expected to be in action are Bakersfield's Rusty Carlile, "Hollywood" Danny Faria Jr. of Tipton, Visalia's Jace and Richard VanderWeerd, Chris Ennis of Bakersfield, Mariposa's Andy Ferris, Visalia's Jesse Mack, and San Martin's Wes Gutierrez.
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, Hilborn Fuel Injection, 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.
Giant Chevrolet Speedway is located on the Kings County Fairgrounds in Hanford, California. General Admission tickets are $13. For more information, please visit www.giantchevroletspeedway.com, www.kingsspeedway.net, or call (559) 584-RACE (7223).
For more information on the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series, please visit www.westcoastsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, www.racesantamariaspeedway.com, or follow the series on facebook.
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USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. Craig Stidham 527; 2. Davey Pombo 476; 3. Peter Murphy 439; 4. T.J. Smith 412; 5. Justyne Hamblin 398; 6. Rusty Carlile 389; 7. Danny Faria Jr. 342; 8. Jace VanderWeerd 331; 9. Chris Ennis 313; 10. Andy Ferris 297; 11. Richard VanderWeerd 277; 12. Jonathan Logan 259; 13. Danny Sheridan 222; 14. Jesse Mack 210; 15. Wes Gutierrez 203; 16. Jimmy Thompson 187; 17. Geoffrey Strole 184; 18. Albert Pombo 170; 19. Ricky Kirkbride 153; 20. Garrett Ishii 146.
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