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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series
#10 Richard Vander Weerd. 5th in USAC West Coast Points. Photo by Lance Jennings.
USAC WEST COAST SPRINTS HEAD TO LAS VEGAS "SIN CITY SHOWDOWN" ON THURSDAY
by Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – MARCH 4, 2013... This Thursday, March 7th, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track will host the opening round of the "Grudge Series" between the USAC West Coast and USAC Southwest Sprint Cars. Sponsored by Hoosier Tire, Southwest Contractors, and the Hose Advantage Store, the action packed "Sin City Showdown" will also showcase the famed World of Outlaw Sprint Cars, Modifieds, and Street Stocks. The spectator gates will open at 5:00pm with racing scheduled for 6:00pm.
Held during NASCAR weekend, the non-point "Sin City Showdown" will feature drivers from California, Arizona, and New Mexico as they battle on the large 1/2-mile oval. Last year, Bud Kaeding served notice to the competition and began his championship season by winning the $2,500 jackpot. Ryan Bernal claimed the inaugural $5,000 "Grudge Series" championship and over $15,000 was distributed from the point fund.
Piloting the Junior Bowman's #29 Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / Kaeding Performance Bullet, the 3-time Oval Nationals Winner earned the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Championship. Kaeding had an outstanding season and led the series with four feature wins (tied), seven heat race victories, two hard charger awards (tied), and eleven top-5 finishes. In addition, Kaeding led 47 feature laps with twelve starts in the campaign.
For the second straight season, Ryan Bernal finished second in the championship points. Moving to Keith Ford's #73 King Racing Products / A&A Precision Machine Spike, Bernal nearly stole the opening night feature from Kaeding in a close finish. The two-time Santa Maria track champion led the series with four feature wins (tied), three fast time awards, two semi-main wins (tied), two hard charger awards (tied), eleven top-10 finishes (tied), and 91 feature laps led. Bernal closed out his season with four heat race victories and will be looking to make a run at the championship.
Rauma, Finland's Markus Niemela put together a solid season and finished third in the point chase. Driving Steve Watt's #81 Lost Reality / SWE Maxim, Niemela did not win a main event but was a force to be reckoned with throughout the year. Getting adjusted to the larger tracks in Central California, Markus' best finish was a third at Kings Speedway on April 7th. The star of his own reality show had one fast time award, three heat race victories, seven top-10 finishes, and 17 feature laps led to his credit.
"Hollywood" Danny Faria Jr. of Tipton had a tough season and claimed fourth in the point standings. Piloting his #17V Johnston Calf Pens / Buster & Ziggy Enterprises Bullet, "Hollywood" was another fast driver that did not score a feature win. The all-time leader in fast time awards posted a season best third place finish on May 5th at Santa Maria, where he claimed second in track points. At season's end, Faria earned one fast time award, four heat race victories, one hard charger award, and nine top-10 finishes.
Scoring fifth in the point chase was Visalia's Richard Vander Weerd. Driving the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Battery Worx Maxim, the defending series champion won $5,000 at the Santa Maria "John Jewett Memorial / Billet Cup" on September 29th. Also claiming the "Jim Evett Memorial" at Hanford on August 4th, Vander Weerd had one fast time award, three heat race victories, one hard charger award, eight top-10 finishes, and 72 feature laps led to his credit. The former series champion is a treat to win on any given night.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are Ricky Kirkbride, "Showtime" Danny Sheridan, Rusty Carlile, and Jace Vander Weerd. "Chargin'" Charles Davis Jr. will lead a strong USAC Southwest roster that includes R.J. Johnson, "The Real Deal" Rick Ziehl, Bruce St. James, Mike Martin, Brian Hosford, and Josh Pelkey. Last year's "Sin City Showdown" featured 33 drivers and more are expected this year.
The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is located twelve miles north of downtown Las Vegas, Nevada off Interstate 15 at Exit 54 (Speedway Blvd). Adult tickets are $39 and children (12 & under) are FREE. The pit gate will open at 2:00pm and USAC memberships will be honored. Pit passes are $35 for members and $50 for non-members. For more event information, visit www.lvms.com/dirt or call (702) 644-4444.
The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series would like to thank Southwest Contractors, Hoosier Tire, Amsoil, BR Motorsports, Chris Kearns Presents, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Diversified Machine Inc., Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, Keizer Wheels, King Racing Products, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, SBI Fuel Systems, Saldana Racing Products, Weld Racing, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series for the upcoming season, please email PR Director Lance Jennings at [email protected].
For more information on the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series, visit www.westcoastsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, or follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/#!/pages/USAC-West-Coast-Sprint-Car-Series/369549755817).
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2013 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
March 7: *Las Vegas Motor Speedway - Las Vegas, NV (Sin City Showdown / $2,500-to-Win / Grudge Series / Non-Points)
March 15: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA
March 16: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA
March 23: Bakersfield Speedway - Bakersfield, CA
April 13: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA
April 20: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA
April 27: Bakersfield Speedway - Bakersfield, CA
May 11: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA (Billet Cup)
June 8: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA
June 22: Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA (Bud Stanfield Memorial)
July 6: Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA (Doug Fort Memorial)
July 20: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA
August 3: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA (Jim Evett Memorial)
September 7: Bakersfield Speedway - Bakersfield, CA
September 20: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA (Jim Turner Memorial)
September 21: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA (John Anthony Sharp Memorial)
September 28: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Brawl For It All / $2,500-to-Win / Grudge Series / Non-Points)
October 12: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA (Cotton Classic)
October 31: *Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Oval Nationals / $2,500-to-Win / Grudge Series / Non-Points)
November 14: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Western World Championships / Non-Points)
November 15: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Western World Championships / Non-Points)
November 16: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Western World Championships / $7,500-to-Win / Non-Points)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event With USAC Southwest Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.
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