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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series
#10 Richard VanderWeerd. Photo by Lance Jennings.
SANTA MARIA SHOWDOWN THIS SATURDAY FOR USAC WEST COAST 360S
By Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – AUGUST 22, 2011... This Saturday night, August 27th, the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series will return to Chris Kearns' Santa Maria Speedway. The action packed card will also showcase the Toste Construction Mini Stocks, winged California Lightning Sprints, and American/Enduro Stocks. The Front Gates will open at 4:00pm, Time Trials will start at 5:00pm, with Racing at "The West Coast's Best Short Track" to begin at 6:00pm.
The event will mark the fourth of five scheduled races at the 1/3-mile facility. Jace VanderWeerd claimed the April 9th victory, while rain took away the June 4th show. Ryan Bernal earned his first career series triumph on July 30th and won again last weekend at Hanford. Bernal will be looking to tie T.J. Smith's series record of three consecutive victories on Saturday.
Twin brothers Richard and Jace VanderWeerd of Visalia continue to lead the way in the championship points. Driving the family owned #10 VanderWeerd Construction / Battery Worx Maxim, Richard holds a sixty-two point advantage over the field. Last Saturday night at Hanford, Richard rebounded from an early tangle to salvage a fifth place finish. To date, 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. VanderWeerd will be looking to extend his lead with a Santa Maria victory.
Jace VanderWeerd took the family owned #88 VanderWeerd Construction / Battery Worx Maxim to third at Hanford's Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway. Currently second in the point chase, last season's USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year has one feature win, one heat race victory, nine top-10 finishes, and fourteen main event laps led. VanderWeerd would like to add Saturday's win to his resume and close in on his brother.
The hottest driver on the USAC West Coast 360 circuit is Ryan Bernal of Hollister. Winning the last two features in Danny Olmstead's #11D S&S Automotive / Dorso's Automotive Maxim, Bernal is third in the standings, sixty-seven points behind Richard VanderWeerd. To date, the former Wingless Spec Sprint Champion has two heat race victories, seven top-10 finishes, and leads the series with 101 feature laps led. Ryan can tie series history with a 30-lap Santa Maria victory.
"Wide Open" Wes Gutierrez of San Martin is fourth in the point standings. Piloting the WG Motorsports' #007 ButlerBuilt / Competition Suspension Inc. DRC, Gutierrez was seventh at Hanford last Saturday night. In 2011, the young hard charger has four heat race victories and seven top-10 finishes to his credit. This Saturday, Wes will have his eyes set on his first victory of the year.
Tipton's "Hollywood" Danny Faria Jr. sits fifth in the championship points. Last Saturday, the driver of Junior Bowman's #2 Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / Kaeding Performance Bullet had a rough outing. Faria flipped in his heat race and scored sixteenth with an early exit in the main event. Danny won Hanford's Jim Evett Memorial on July 16th and has two Sander Engineering Fast Time Awards, three heat race victories, five top-10 finishes, and led thirty-two laps of main event competition. The veteran driver will be looking to rebound with a victory Saturday night.
Campbell's Bud Kaeding and Peter Murphy of Clovis have also claimed feature wins in 2011. Kaeding leads the series with four victories and Murphy won Tulare's 30-lap main event on April 30th. After Saturday’s event, the next Santa Maria appearance for the USAC West Coast 360s will be September 17th for the "Bud Stanfield" Memorial.
Among the other top contenders expected to be in action are Dennis Howell of Rancho Palos Verdes, Fresno's T.J. Smith, Justyne Hamblin of Hanford, Gardena's Greg Alexander, and Bakersfield's Rusty Carlile. In addition, Hanford's Jonathan Logan, Ricky Kirkbride of Bakersfield, and Santa Maria's Danny Sheridan should be on hand to battle for the victory.
Santa Maria Speedway is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange at 1900 Hutton Road in Nipomo, California. Adult tickets are $16, Senior, Military, and Student tickets (13-17) are $14, Kids tickets (6-12) are $6, and Children’s tickets (5 and under) are FREE. For more event information, visit the track’s website at www.racesantamariaspeedway.com or call (805) 922-2232.
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.
For more information on the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series, visit www.westcoastsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, www.racesantamariaspeedway.com, or follow the series on facebook.
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.
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT SCHEDULE:
August 27: Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA
September 10: Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA
September 17: Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA
September 24: Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA
October 8: Groppetti Automotive Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA
October 15: *Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA
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*Non-Points Event.
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