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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series
#11D Ryan Bernal. Photo by Lance Jennings.
TWO IN A ROW FOR RYAN BERNAL AT HANFORD
By Lance Jennings
HANFORD, CA – AUGUST 20, 2011... After winning his first career USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series feature at Santa Maria on July 30th, Ryan Bernal of Hollister drove to the 30-lap feature win at Hanford's Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway. The victory marked his second triumph in a row as the series returns to Santa Maria this Saturday, August 27th.
Starting third in the main event, Bernal quickly raced Danny Olmstead's #11D S&S Automotive / Dorso's Automotive Maxim into second. While leader "Showtime" Danny Sheridan of Santa Maria preferred the high line of the Hanford clay oval, Ryan applied pressure from the low groove. The pair raced wheel-to-wheel on several occasions and Bernal secured the lead on the ninth circuit. Despite several yellow flags later in the event, the former Wingless Spec Sprint Champion held his composure and drove to victory. T.J. Smith, Jace VanderWeerd, Peter Murphy, and Richard VanderWeerd rounded out the top five finishers.
With the Hanford win, Ryan Bernal is third in the championship standings and sixty-seven points behind leader Richard VanderWeerd. Earlier in the program, Bernal was second quick on the night and finished third in his heat race. To date, the young driver has two heat race victories, seven top-10 finishes, and leads the series with 101 feature laps led. Twenty-four hours earlier, the Ryan won a Wingless Spec Sprint feature at Watsonville's Ocean Speedway.
Fresno's T.J. Smith had one of his best showings of the year with a second place run after starting sixth. Driving Steve LeGras' #14 UHL Rubber / S&S Automotive Maxim, Smith qualified seventh fast and won the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. The Santa Maria track champion has one Sander Engineering Fast Time Award, three heat race victories, four top-10 finishes, and led thirty main event laps on the season.
Jace VanderWeerd of Visalia scored third in the family owned #88 VanderWeerd Construction / Battery Worx Maxim. In time trials, last season's USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year earned his first Sander Engineering Fast Time Award and later placed third in his heat race. VanderWeerd is currently second in the standings, sixty-two points behind twin brother Richard, with one feature win, one heat race victory, nine top-10 finishes, and fourteen main event laps led.
Veteran Peter Murphy of Clovis made a rare start with the USAC West Coast 360s and claimed fourth in Rick Eberhardt's #4 Ridgeline Framing / Pro Signs Maxim. The former SCRA 360 and Bandit Champion qualified twelfth and finished third in his heat race. To date, Murphy has one feature win, one Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Award, five top-10 finishes, and four feature laps led on the year. Twenty-four hours earlier, Peter won a winged 410 Sprint Car feature at Chico's Silver Dollar Speedway.
Point leader Richard VanderWeerd of Visalia rebounded from an early tangle that sent him to the rear of the field and took fifth at the checkered flags. The pilot of the family owned #10 VanderWeerd Construction / Battery Worx Maxim was fifth fast in time trials and second in his heat race. In 2011, VanderWeerd has one feature win, three Sander Engineering Fast Time Awards, three heat race victories, nine top-10 finishes, and seventeen feature laps led to his credit.
Bakersfield's Rusty Carlile drove to his first 10-lap victory by taking the Saldana Racing Products / Keizer Wheels Heat Race #2. Driving the #51 Southwest Contractors / NTS Incorporated Bullet, Carlile was eleventh fast in qualifications and claimed thirteenth in the Hanford feature. The veteran driver has three top-10 finishes in the 2011 campaign.
Another driver to win their first heat race of 2011 was Justyne Hamblin of Hanford. Piloting the #8 JH Motorsports' Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino / Dias Law Firm Speed Tech entry, Hamblin won the DJ Safety Heat Race #3. The 2009 Series Champion was ninth fast on the night and finished ninth in the main event. Justyne is currently ninth in series points with one Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Award and five top-10 finishes on the year.
Dennis Howell of Rancho Palos Verdes earned his second Keizer Wheels Hard Charger / Best Passing Job honors with a sixth place run after starting fifteenth. Driving the family owned #62 San Pedro Auto Body / Howell-Meyer Racing #62 Maxim, Howell was tenth quick in time trials and fifth in his heat race. The USAC Midget Series graduate climbed to sixth in points with two heat race victories and seven top-10 finishes in 2011.
The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series would like to thank Southwest Contractors, Hoosier Tire, Amsoil, BR Motorsports, ButlerBuilt, Competition Suspension Inc., 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, Port City Racing, Rod End Supply, Saferacer.com, Saldana Racing Products, and Sander Engineering for their support.
The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series will return to action this Saturday, August 27th, at Chris Kearns' Santa Maria Speedway. Located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange at 1900 Hutton Road in Nipomo, California, more event information can be found at www.racesantamariaspeedway.com or call (805) 922-2232.
For more information on the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series, please visit westcoastsprintcars.com, usacracing.com, racesantamariaspeedway.com, or follow the series on facebook.
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USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT RACE RESULTS:
August 20, 2011 - Hanford, California - Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway
SANDER ENGINEERING TIME TRIALS:
1. Jace VanderWeerd, 88, VanderWeerd-15.786; 2. Ryan Bernal, 11D, Olmstead-15.791; 3. Wes Gutierrez, 007, WG-15.941; 4. Danny Sheridan, 21, Dorathy-15.972; 5. Richard VanderWeerd, 10, VanderWeerd-15.979; 6. Danny Faria Jr., 2, Bowman-16.110; 7. T.J. Smith, 14, LeGras-16.137; 8. Davey Pombo, 3E, Eames-16.288; 9. Justyne Hamblin, 8, JH-16.340; 10. Dennis Howell, 62, Howell-16.364; 11. Rusty Carlile, 51, Carlile-16.493; 12. Peter Murphy, 4, Eberhardt-16.496; 13. Jonathan Logan, 32, Evett/Logan-16.574; 14. Nico Russo, 3N, Russo-16.595; 15. Ricky Kirkbride, 87, Van Meter-16.596; 16. Marty Hawkins, 3M, Hawkins-16.656; 17. Jared Little, 25, Little-16.894; 18. Matt Day, 97, Day-16.974; 19. Terry Nichols, 33, Nichols-NT; 20. Jeff Miller, 5X, Swaim-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. T.J. Smith, 2. Marty Hawkins, 3. Jace VanderWeerd, 4. Danny Sheridan, 5. Dennis Howell, 6. Jonathan Logan. NT.
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / KEIZER WHEELS HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. Rusty Carlile, 2. Richard VanderWeerd, 3. Ryan Bernal, 4. Jared Little, 5. Nico Russo, 6. Davey Pombo. NT.
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps)
1. Justyne Hamblin, 2. Ricky Kirkbride, 3. Peter Murphy, 4. Wes Gutierrez, 5. Matt Day, 6. Danny Faria Jr. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps - With Starting Positions)
1. Ryan Bernal (3rd), 2. T.J. Smith (6th), 3. Jace VanderWeerd (4th), 4. Peter Murphy (9th), 5. Richard VanderWeerd (5th), 6. Dennis Howell (15th), 7. Wes Gutierrez (2nd), 8. Davey Pombo (14th), 9. Justyne Hamblin (7th), 10. Marty Hawkins (11th), 11. Nico Russo (17th), 12. Jonathan Logan (16th), 13. Rusty Carlile (8th), 14. Jared Little (12th), 15. Matt Day (18th), 16. Danny Faria Jr. (13th), 17. Ricky Kirkbride (10th), 18. Danny Sheridan (1st), 19. Terry Nichols (19th). NT.
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*Danny Faria Jr. flipped during the third heat.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-8 Danny Sheridan, Laps 9-30 Ryan Bernal.
KEIZER WHEELS HARD CHARGER AWARD: Dennis Howell (15th to 6th)
NEW WEST COAST 360 SPRINT POINTS:
1-Richard VanderWeerd-574; 2-Jace VanderWeerd-512; 3-Ryan Bernal-507; 4-Wes Gutierrez-475; 5-Danny Faria Jr.-461; 6-Dennis Howell-398; 7-T.J. Smith-395; 8-Bud Kaeding-376; 9-Justyne Hamblin-367; 10-Greg Alexander-352.
NEXT USAC WEST 360 SPRINT RACE:
August 27 - Santa Maria (CA) Speedway
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