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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series
#10 Richard Vander Weerd. Photo by Lance Jennings
RICHARD VANDER WEERD CLAIMS HANFORD'S “JIM EVETT MEMORIAL”
By Lance Jennings
HANFORD, CA - AUGUST 6, 2012... Last Saturday night, Visalia's Richard Vander Weerd took the lead from Ricky Kirkbride on lap ten and led the rest of the way to claim his first USAC West Coast Sprint Car win of the year. The "Jim Evett Memorial" victory at Hanford's Kings Speedway earned Vander Weerd $1,500 for his efforts as he was followed by Shane Golobic, Austin Liggett, fast time qualifier Markus Niemela, and point leader Bud Kaeding.
Piloting the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Mid Valley Pipe & Supply Maxim, last year's champion was third fast in time trials and scored a close second to Bud Kaeding in his heat race. Starting fourth in the 30-lap feature, Richard quickly shot to third after pole-sitter Rusty Carlile fell back through the field with early problems. As "Showtime" Danny Sheridan looked to pressure "The Rickster" Ricky Kirkbride for the lead, Sheridan bicycled his machine and dropped towards the back of the pack.
Looking for his first win since June 19, 2010 at Bakersfield, Kirkbride had built up an early lead. Now in second, Vander Weerd gave chase and inched closer as the leaders approached slower traffic. Third and fourth place running Shane Golobic and Markus Niemela caught the lead duo and "Hollywood" Danny Faria Jr. made it a five-car "string" of leaders two laps later. Applying heavy pressure, Vander Weerd raced side-by-side with Kirkbride and claimed the lead on the tenth circuit.
Once out front, Richard was running away from the field, only to have his huge lead erased by a red flag. While battling for fourth, Faria's steering box failed, sending the hard charger towards the front straight catch fence. "Hollywood" walked away uninjured and scored twentieth in the main event.
Kirkbride had another shot at the lead, but Vander Weerd had an excellent restart. Now in third, Niemela challenged Kirkbride for the runner-up spot, as Golobic looked to charge past both racers. This torrid battle helped Vander Weerd stretch out his advantage. As Kirkbride faded back, Golobic and rookie contender Austin Liggett dropped Niemela to fourth. As the laps counted down, Vander Weerd was not to be denied on this night, easily claiming his seventh career West Coast feature win. Richard is seventh in the point chase as the group resumes action at Hanford on September 8th.
Making his first start with the USAC West Coast Series, Fremont's Shane Golobic raced to second from fifth. Subbing for Ryan Bernal, the versatile racer drove Keith Ford's #73X King Racing Products / A&A Precision Machine Spike to second fast in time trials and second in his heat race. After battling hard up front and wrestling second from Niemela, Golobic is twenty-ninth in the point chase.
Austin Liggett of Tracy had his best series finish with a third place run from eighth in the "Evett Memorial." Piloting the family owned #83 Excel Environmental Services / Home Connections Inc. Maxim, Liggett earned the night's LRB Inc. Race Products Award, qualified eighth, and placed third in his heat race. As this writing goes to press, the Rookie of the Year contender is twelfth in the standings.
Rauma, Finland's Markus Niemela had a strong run at Hanford and briefly held second from his sixth starting spot. Scoring fourth at the checkered flags in Steve Watt's #81 Lost Reality / Steve Watt Enterprises Maxim, Niemela also earned his first Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Award. The popular driver ran fifth in his heat race and has climbed to second to second in the championship points.
Bud Kaeding of Campbell earned the night's Ringers Gloves / Kaeding Performance "Hard Charger / Best Passing Job Award" with a fifth place run after starting twelfth. Driving Junior Bowman's #29 Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / Kaeding Performance Bullet, the veteran driver qualified fifteenth and won the DJ Safety Heat Race #3. Heading to Hanford's "Jim Turner Memorial" on September 8th, Kaeding holds a 92 point advantage over the competition.
Santa Maria's "Showtime" Danny Sheridan won the night's Extreme Muffler's Heat Race #1. Piloting Warren Dorothy's #21 Pace Lighting / PJ1 Lubricants KPC, "Showtime" was fourth fast in qualifications and ran sixth in the main event. Danny looked to challenge for the early lead before brake problems and catching air after "bicycling" his mount. Falling back through the field, Sheridan rebounded from the incident and is currently fifth in the point standings.
D.J. Netto of Hanford scored his first USAC West Coast Series event by winning the Saldana Racing Products / Keizer Wheels Heat Race #2. Driving the Frank & James Netto #7N Netto Ag. Inc. / Van De Pol Enterprises KB, the young driver qualified seventeenth and was twelfth in the feature. Primarily running with the winged 360s of the Central Valley, Netto sits twenty-fourth in the point chase.
Bakersfield's "The Rickster" Ricky Kirkbride earned the program's Weld Racing Award with a tenth place run in the "Jim Evett Memorial." Piloting Bob and Toni Van Meter's #87 Fred Cummings Motorsports Maxim, Kirkbride led the first nine laps of the feature before falling to Vander Weerd. The USAC Ford Focus Midget graduate qualified fifth overall, placed fourth in his heat race, and is currently eighth in USAC West Coast points.
The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series will return to action on Saturday, September 8th, at Scott Woodhouse's Kings Speedway in Hanford. The "Jim Turner Memorial" will also feature the winged Rebel Sprints, Hobby Stocks, and Mini Stocks. Located on the Kings County Fairgrounds at 801 South 10th Avenue, more event information can be found at www.kingsspeedway.net or calling (559) 584-RACE (7223).
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, Sander Engineering, and Weld Racing for their support.
For more information on the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series, visit www.westcoastsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, www.racesantamariaspeedway.com, or follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/#!/pages/USAC-West-Coast-Sprint-Car-Series/369549755817)
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USAC WEST COAST SPRINT RACE RESULTS:
August 4, 2012 – Hanford, California – Kings Speedway – “Jim Evett Memorial”
SANDER ENGINEERING / ROD END SUPPLY TIME TRIALS:
1. Markus Niemela, 81, Watt-16.000; 2. Shane Golobic, 73, Ford-16.148; 3. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-16.193; 4. Danny Sheridan, 21, Dorathy-16.199; 5. Ricky Kirkbride, 87, Van Meter-16.342; 6. Rusty Carlile, 51, Carlile-16.405; 7. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-16.465; 8. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-16.479; 9. Jonathan Logan, 32, Evett/Logan-16.604; 10. Justyne Hamblin, 8, JH-16.701; 11. Matt Day, 97, Day-16.811; 12. Don Gansen, 7G, Gansen-16.817; 13. Kolby Araki, 30K, Araki-16.823; 14. Adam Frith-Smith, 62, Frith-Smith-16.829; 15. Bud Kaeding, 29, Bowman-16.960; 16. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-17.041; 17. D.J. Netto, 7N, Netto-17.214; 18. Tyler Dolacki, 18X, Dolacki-17.411; 19. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-17.425; 20. Kevin Barnes, 36B, Barnes-17.621; 21. Jared Little, 25, Little-17.837; 22. Jeff Sibley, 42N, Sibley-18.747.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. Danny Sheridan, 2. Jace Vander Weerd, 3. Danny Faria Jr., 4. Justyne Hamblin, 5. Markus Niemela, 6. Chris .Gansen, 7. Kolby Araki, 8. Jeff Sibley. NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / KEIZER WHEELS HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. D.J. Netto, 2. Shane Golobic, 3. Austin Liggett, 4. Ricky Kirkbride, 5. Matt Day, 6. Kevin Barnes, 7. Adam Frith-Smith. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps)
1. Bud Kaeding, 2. Richard Vander Weerd, 3. Jonathan Logan, 4. Rusty Carlile, 5. Tyler Dolacki, 6. Jared Little, 7. Don Gansen. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps - With Starting Positions)
1. Richard Vander Weerd (4th), 2. Shane Golobic (5th), 3. Austin Liggett (8th), 4. Markus Niemela (6th), 5. Bud Kaeding (12th), 6. Danny Sheridan (3rd), 7. Rusty Carlile (1st), 8. Jace Vander Weerd (13th), 9. Jonathan Logan (9th), 10. Ricky Kirkbride (2nd), 11. Justyne Hamblin (10th), 12. D.J. Netto (14th), 13. Tyler Dolacki (15th), 14. Chris Gansen (19th), 15. Kolby Araki (17th), 16. Jared Little (21st), 17. Matt Day (11th), 18. Don Gansen (16th), 19. Jeff Sibley (22nd), 20. Danny Faria Jr. (7th), 21. Kevin Barnes (20th), 22. Adam Frith-Smith (18th). NT
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**Danny Faria Jr. flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-9 Ricky Kirkbride, Laps 10-30 Richard Vander Weerd.
KAEDING PERFORMANCE / RINGERS GLOVES HARD CHARGER: Bud Kaeding (12th to 5th)
LRB INC. RACE PRODUCTS AWARD: Austin Liggett
WELD RACING AWARD: Ricky Kirkbride
USAC WEST COAST SPRINT STANDINGS:
1. Bud Kaeding 542; 2. Markus Niemela 450; 3. Danny Faria Jr. 424; 4. Ryan Bernal 420; 5. Danny Sheridan 398; 6. Matt Mitchell 391; 7. Richard Vander Weerd 365; 8. Ricky Kirkbride 333; 9. Rusty Carlile 297; 10. Justyne Hamblin 263; 11. Kevin Barnes 248; 12. Austin Liggett 243; 13. Chris Gansen 227; 14. Steve Conrad 181; 15. Jace Vander Weerd 176; 16. Jonathon Logan 154; 17. Chris Ennis 150; 18. Don Gansen 146; 19. Kyle Larson 135; 20. Marty Hawkins 130.
2012 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
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)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event With ASCS Canyon Region Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.
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