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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC Western Classic Racing Series
#5V Geoff Ensign Wins at Stockton 99 Dirt Track. File Photo by Korie Layne Lafond.
GEOFF ENSIGN SPRINTS TO STOCKTON FEATURE WIN
by Lance Jennings
STOCKTON, CA – JUNE 23, 2013... Taking the lead from Richard Vander Weerd on lap 28, “The Human Highlight Reel” Geoff Ensign of Sebastopol scored his first win at the new Stockton 99 Dirt Track. Dash winner Matt Streeter led the first seventeen circuits before Vander Weerd took command. Richard led the next ten laps until Ensign grabbed the top spot and claimed the $3,000 USAC Western Classic Sprint Car victory. Streeter, Vander Weerd, Jace Vander Weerd, and Johnathon Henry rounded out the top five drivers.
Driving Annette VanLare’s #5V VanLare Steering Repair / McClish Motorsports Maxim, Geoff Ensign qualified third overall, placed second in his heat race, and was third in the dash. Starting third in the 30-lap feature, the 2011 Champion earned his second career USAC Western Classic Racing Series triumph.
Matt Streeter of Galt led the first seventeen laps before claiming second at the checkered flags. Racing his #14JR T&T Trucking / Simpson Racing Products Maxim, Streeter was eighth fast in time trials, second in his heat race, and won the 6-lap dash. The former BCRA Midget Champion is sixth in points heading to “Howard Kaeding Classic” at Watsonville on July 12th.
Visalia’s Richard Vander Weerd ran third in the Stockton main event after leading 10 laps. Piloting the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Battery Worx Maxim, Richard out-qualified the 24 car field, earned the Saldana Racing Products / Rod End Supply Fast Time Award, and set a new track record. The 2011 USAC West Coast Champion won the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1 and finished sixth in the dash.
Jace Vander Weerd of Visalia scored fourth at the Stockton 99 Dirt Track. Driving the family owned #88 Vander Weerd Construction / Battery Worx Maxim, Jace was second quick in time trials, third in his heat race, and fourth in the dash. Like his twin brother Richard, Vander Weed splits time between USAC Sprint Cars and Midgets in California.
Stockton’s Johnathon Henry raced to fifth from thirteenth in the hometown main event. Piloting the family owned #17 Carco Racing Engines / Conrad & Son Trucking Ellis, Henry qualified sixteenth and placed second in his heat race. The versatile driver races Sprints, Midgets, and Dwarf Cars as his schedule allows.
Kolby Araki of Clovis earned the night’s Kaeding Performance / Racing Optics "Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with an ninth place run from twenty-fourth. Racing the family owned #30K PKS Kart Supplies / Graphix Plus Stinger, Araki had problems during time trials and was seventh in his heat race.
Roseville’s Colby Copeland won the night’s DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Driving Ken Pierson & Dave Vertullo’s #17 Starr Property Management / A.R.T. Enterprises Eagle, Copeland was seventeenth fast in time trials and claimed seventeenth in the main event. Colby left Stockton eighth in the point standings.
Ryan Bernal of Hollister won the Competition Suspension Inc. / Keizer Wheels Heat Race #3. Driving Keith Ford’s #73 Berry Pack / King Racing Products Spike, Bernal qualified sixth, second in the dash, and thirteenth in the main event. The point leader has a 42 point advantage over the competition with two feature wins, one Kaeding Performance / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, three top-10 finishes, and 53 feature laps led.
On Friday, July 12th, the USAC Western Classic Racing Series will invade Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway. Located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, the “Howard Kaeding Classic” will also showcase the USAC Western Midgets, BAD Dwarf Cars, Sport Mods, and Wingless Sprints. Advance tickets are on sale and for more information, visit the track's website at www.oceanspeedway.com or call (831) 662-9466 (WINN).
The USAC Western Classic Racing Series would like to thank Amsoil, Hoosier Tire, BR Motorsports, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Extreme Mufflers, Kaeding Performance, Keizer Wheels, King Racing Products, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Rugged Radios, SBI Fuel Systems, and Saldana Racing Products for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, email PR Director Lance Jennings at [email protected].
For more information on the USAC Western Classic Racing Series, visit www.usacracing.com or follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/WesternClassicSprints).
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USAC WESTERN CLASSIC SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS:
June 21, 2013 – Stockton, California – Stockton 99 Dirt Speedway
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / ROD END SUPPLY TIME TRIALS:
1. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-16.745 (New Track Record); 2. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-16.797; 3. Geoff Ensign, 5V, VanLare-16.999; 4. Landon Hurst, 179, Hurst-17.358; 5. Tony Hunt, 56, Phulps-17.367; 6. Ryan Bernal, 73, Ford-17.439; 7. James Sweeney, 11, Lewis-17.471; 8. Matt Streeter, 14JR, Streeter-17.530; 9. Marty Hawkins, 3M, Hawkins-17.655; 10. Scott Hall, 56S, Hall-17.686; 11. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-17.687; 12. D.J. Johnson, 33, Johnson-17.825; 13. Shauna Hogg, 5, Hogg-17.899; 14. Marc Mackay, 86, Mackay-17.923; 15. Terry Schank Jr., 94S, Schank-17.951; 16. Johnathon Henry, 17, Henry-17.986; 17. Colby Copeland, 14, Pierson/Vertullo-18.039; 18. Austin Stone, 29, Coffman-18.464; 19. Gordon Rodgers, 94, Dusin-18.653; 20. Cotton Farmer, 15, HAL-19.479; 21. Jim Richardson, 8, Richardson-19.657; 22. Tom Baker, 3T, Baker-20.110; 23. Max Adams, 5X, Adams-NT; 24. Kolby Araki, 30K, Araki-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. Richard Vander Weerd, 2. Johnathon Henry, 3. Shauna Hogg, 4. James Sweeney, 5. Scott Hall, 6. Tom Baker, 7. Landon Hurst, 8. Gordon Rodgers. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. Colby Copeland, 2. Matt Streeter, 3. Jace Vander Weerd, 4. Marc Mackay, 5. Cotton Farmer. NT
COMPETITION SUSPENSION INC. / KEIZER WHEELS HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps)
1. Ryan Bernal, 2. Geoff Ensign, 3. D.J. Johnson, 4. Terry Schank Jr., 5. Marty Hawkins, 6. Austin Stone, 7. Kolby Araki. NT
DASH: (6 laps)
1. Matt Streeter, 2. Ryan Bernal, 3. Geoff Ensign, 4. Jace Vander Weerd, 5. James Sweeney, 6. Richard Vander Weerd. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Geoff Ensign (3rd), 2. Matt Streeter (1st), 3. Richard Vander Weerd (6th), 4. Jace Vander Weerd (4th), 5. Johnathon Henry (13th), 6. Marty Hawkins (7th), 7. D.J. Johnson (9th), 8. Marc Mackay (11th), 9. Kolby Araki (24th), 10. Scott Hall (8th), 11. Jim Richardson (21st), 12. Austin Stone (19th), 13. Ryan Bernal (2nd), 14. Gordon Rodgers (20th), 15. Shauna Hogg (10th), 16. Tom Baker (22nd), 17. Colby Copeland (14th), 18. James Sweeney (5th), 19. Landon Hurst (16th), 20. Austin Liggett (18th), 21. Terry Schank Jr. (12th), 22. Cotton Farmer (15th). NT
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**Tony Hunt was slated to start 17th and Max Adams 23rd. Both drivers did not start feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-17 Matt Streeter, Laps 18-27 Richard Vander Weerd, Laps 28-30 Geoff Ensign.
KAEDING PERFORMANCE / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Kolby Araki (24th to 9th)
USAC WESTERN CLASSIC SPRINT POINT STANDINGS:
1-Ryan Bernal-290, 2-D.J. Johnson-248, 3-Tony Hunt-188, 4-Shauna Hogg-177, 5-Colton Slack-167, 6-Matt Streeter-157, 7-James Sweeney-150, 8-Colby Copeland-120, 9-Nathan Washam-113, 10-Jim Richardson-112.
2013 USAC WESTERN CLASSIC SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
July 12: Ocean Speedway - Watsonville, CA (Howard Kaeding Classic)
August 9: *Ocean Speedway - Watsonville, CA
August 17: Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway - Fernley, NV
August 31: *Calistoga Speedway - Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 1: *Calistoga Speedway - Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 5: Silver Dollar Speedway - Chico, CA (Gold Cup Race of Champions)
TBA: Reno Tahoe Fernley Speedway - Fernley, NV
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series.
This schedule is subject to change.
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