|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series
#17V "Hollywood" Danny Faria Jr. Photo by Lance Jennings.
TULARE HOSTS CHRIS & BRIAN FARIA MEMORIAL THIS SATURDAY
by Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – APRIL 11, 2012... This Saturday, April 14th, the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series will make their first appearance at Steve Faria's Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway. Joining the "Chris & Brian Faria Memorial" showcase will be the winged King of the West Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, and Vintage Super Modifieds. The Front Gates will open at 5:00pm, with Racing at the lightning fast 1/3-mile to start at 7:00pm.
After winning last Saturday's feature at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Hollister's Ryan Bernal sits atop the point standings. Driving Keith Ford's #73X King Racing Products / A&A Precision Machine Spike, last year's Rookie of the Year is off to a great start, recording three top-3 finishes in as many races. Bernal has one Ringers Gloves Hard Charger Award to his credit and leads the series with thirty-nine feature laps led. Ryan won at the Tulare clay oval on October 8th and will be looking to add the Faria Memorial to his resume.
Markus Niemela of Rauma, Finland is second in championship points. Piloting Steve Watt's #81 Lost Reality / SWE Maxim, Niemela claimed third in the Hanford feature and will be looking for better results this Saturday at Tulare. Markus is adjusting well to the larger Central California race tracks and has one heat race victory and two top-five finishes on the year.
Campbell's Bud Kaeding is currently third in the point chase. The 3-time USAC Silver Crown Champion had a rough start at Hanford when he flipped Junior Bowman's #29 Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / Kaeding Performance Bullet in time trials. The BZE crew rallied as Kaeding transferred out of the semi-main and backed that up with a twentieth to fifth place run in the feature. Last year's Non-Winged Faria Memorial Champion has two main event wins, one Ringers Gloves Hard Charger Award, and five feature laps led on the season. Bud won three of the five Tulare features in 2011 and will be a favorite to watch on Saturday.
Tipton's "Hollywood" Danny Faria Jr. sits fourth in the championship standings. Piloting his #17V Johnston Calf Pens / Buster & Ziggy Enterprises Bullet, the veteran driver scored fourth at Hanford after starting eighth. Danny has two top-ten finishes in the campaign and will have his sights set on the 30-lap Faria Memorial victory.
Yorba Linda's Matt Mitchell is currently fifth in points. Driving Steve Watt's #18 Christian Stover Foundation / SWE Maxim, the USAC/CRA standout had a great start at Hanford. Mitchell earned his first Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Award and followed that with his second heat race victory of the season. The former USAC Western Midget Series Rookie of the Year was running up front in the feature before a flat tire ended his night, resulting in a twentieth place finish. Matt will be looking to rebound in Saturday's 30-lap feature.
Among the other top contenders expected to be in action are Chris Ennis, "Showtime" Danny Sheridan, Steve Conrad, "The Bakersfield Bullet" Rusty Carlile, Josh Ford, 2009 Champion Justyne Hamblin, Peter Murphy, 2011 Champion Richard Vander Weerd, Jonathan Logan, Jace Vander Weerd, and many more.
Tulare's Thunderbowl Raceway is located at the Tulare County Fairgrounds at the corner of Bardsley and K Streets. Reserved Grandstand Tickets are $20 and Bleacher Tickets are $17. Advance tickets are on sale and can be purchased by calling the track office at (559) 688-0909. For more event information, visit the track’s website at www.tularethunderbowl.com.
The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series would like to thank Southwest Contractors, Hoosier Tire, Amsoil, ButlerBuilt, Competition Suspension Inc., Cory Kruseman's Sprint Car & Midget Driving School, Crow Enterprizes, DJ Safety, Diversified Machine Inc., Extreme Mufflers, Hilborn Fuel Injection, Hinchman-Indy Racing Uniforms, Integra Shocks, Kaeding Performance, Keizer Wheels, LRB Inc. Race Products, ParkerStore of Phoenix, Ringers Gloves, Rod End Supply, SBI Fuel Systems, Saferacer.com, Saldana Racing Products, and Sander Engineering for their support.
For more information on the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series, visit westcoastsprintcars.com, usacracing.com, racesantamariaspeedway.com, or follow the series on facebook.
WINGLESS CHRIS & BRIAN FARIA MEMORIAL WINNERS:
2010- Craig Stidham; 2011- Bud Kaeding.
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT POINTS:
1. Ryan Bernal 131; 2. Markus Niemela 122; 3. Bud Kaeding 116; 4. Danny Faria Jr. 108; 5. Matt Mitchell 95; 6. Kevin Barnes 74; 7. Chris Ennis 69; 8. Danny Sheridan 66; 9. Steve Conrad 65; 10. Rusty Carlile 59; 11. Josh Ford 55; 12. Justyne Hamblin 55; 13. Peter Murphy 52; 14. Richard Vander Weerd 50; 15. Jonathan Logan 48; 16. Matt Day 46; 17. Don Gansen 42; 18. Marty Hawkins 42; 19. Austin Liggett 38; 20. Chris Gansen 37.
-----------------------------------------------
2012 USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
April 14: Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA (Chris & Brian Faria Memorial)
April 21: Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA (Ron Otto Memorial)
May 5: Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA
May 12: Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA
June 9: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA
June 23: Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA (Bud Stanfield Memorial)
July 7: *Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA (War At The Shore / Doug Fort Memorial)
July 14: Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA (John Anthony Sharp Memorial)
August 4: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA (Jim Evett Memorial)
September 8: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA (Jim Turner Memorial)
September 22: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Brawl For It All / Non-Points)
September 29: Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA (Billet Cup / John Jewett Memorial / Non-Points)
October 13: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA (Cotton Classic)
-----------------------------------------------
* = Co-Sanctioned Event With ASCS Canyon Region Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.
|
