“SPECIAL EVENT” AT HANFORD FOR WEST COAST 360 SPRINTS;
BERNAL 5-FOR-7 IN 360s; VANDERWEERD CLAIMS 2011 TITLE
The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint cars, having just completed their point season last Saturday at Tulare, Calif., will compete once more, this Saturday night, at the Giant Chevrolet King Speedway in Hanford, Calif. The “Cotton Classic” race is listed as a “special event” meaning no championship points are available.
Richard VanderWeerd of Visalia, Calif. emerged as the 2011 series champion after his fifth-place Tulare finish in a race won by Ryan Bernal.
Bernal, of Hollister, Calif., scored a spectacular last-lap victory in the 30-lap series finale at Tulare’s Gropetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway. Bernal’s win was his fifth in the last seven series races. Bernal, who was also the fastest qualifier, finished the season 39 points behind VanderWeerd as the series runner-up.
Dennis Howell paced the first three laps, then Troy Rutherford led the next 25. Bud Kaeding moved to the front on the white-flag lap, but yielded to Bernal on the final lap. Kaeding finished second ahead of Rutherford, Danny Sheridan and VanderWeerd.
FINAL USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS
1-Richard VanderWeerd-866; 2-Ryan Bernal-827; 3-Wes Gutierrez-750; 4-Jace VanderWeerd-715; 5-Dennis Howell-655; 6-Danny Faria Jr.-600; 7-Greg Alexander-570; 8-T.J. Smith-548; 9-Justyne Hamblin-540; 10-Bud Kaeding-504.
