|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series
#18 Jeff Sibley – 11th in USAC West Coast points. Photo by Steve Lafond / Tear-Off Heaven Fotos.
USAC WEST COAST CHAMPION WILL BE CROWNED AT HANFORD'S "COTTON CLASSIC"
by Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – OCTOBER 8, 2013... This Saturday, October 12th, the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series will make their sixth and final appearance of the year at Hanford’s Kings Speedway. The “28th Annual Cotton Classic” is the last point race of the season and a champion will be crowned. The Kings County Fairgrounds will also showcase the popular King of the West 410 Sprint Cars and Vintage Super Modifieds. The Spectator Gates will open at 5:00pm with racing scheduled for 6:30pm.
Track Promoter Scott Woodhouse is offering $500 to the driver that sweeps the “Cotton Classic.” To get the bonus, the driver must set fast time, win their heat race, win the Woodland Auto Display Dash, and win the feature. In the five previous races at Hanford, Danny Faria Jr. has won the last two events, capturing the Jim Evett and Jim Turner Memorials. Troy Rutherford won the July 20th feature and Richard Vander Weerd scored the June 8th victory. On May 11th, Ryan Bernal earned the 40-lap “Billet Cup” main event win.
Heading into Saturday’s action, “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. of Tipton has a 57 point advantage over the competition. Piloting his #17V Johnston Calf Pens / DeBoer & Sons Trucking Spike, Faria claimed second in the September 21st “Harry Talbot Memorial” at Tulare. Currently, the point leader has three feature wins, one Weld Racing Fast Time Award, nine heat race victories, four Woodland Auto Display Dash wins, one BR Motorsports / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, fifteen top-10 finishes, and 110 feature laps led to his credit. On Saturday, “Hollywood” and Crew Chief Vinnie Lattner will be looking to win the “Cotton Classic” and claim the championship. .
Visalia’s Richard Vander Weerd is second in the championship point chase. Driving the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Battery Worx Maxim, Richard won Tulare’s “Harry Talbot Memorial.” On the strength of five main event wins, four Weld Racing Fast Time Awards, four heat race victories, two Woodland Auto Display Dash wins, one semi-main win, two BR Motorsports / Racing Optics Hard Charger Awards, sixteen top-10 finishes, and 118 feature laps led, Vander Weerd can still win the title. The 2011 Champion will be looking to add the “Cotton Classic” to his win list and claim another series crown.
Bud Kaeding of Campbell sits third in the USAC West Coast point standings. Racing Junior Bowman's #29 Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / Kaeding Performance Bullet, Bud was running away with the “Talbot Memorial” lead before contact with a slower car on the final lap ended his night. Scoring fifteenth, last year’s champion has yet to claim a West Coast series victory in 2013, but has three heat race victories, two Woodland Auto Display Dash wins, fifteen top-10 finishes, and 22 feature laps led. On Saturday, Kaeding will be looking to earn the $1,500 payday and add the “Cotton Classic” trophy to his collection.
Ryan Bernal of Hollister is fourth in the point chase. The 2-time Santa Maria track champion did not compete at Tulare and has parted ways with the Josh Ford Motorsports team. To date, Bernal has five main event wins, one Weld Racing Fast Time Award, four heat race victories, one Woodland Auto Display Dash win, two BR Motorsports / Racing Optics Hard Charger Awards, thirteen top-10 finishes, and 85 feature laps led. At press time, it is unknown if Ryan has secured another ride for the “Cotton Classic” and USAC/CRA standout Matt Mitchell will pilot the JFM #73.
“The Bakersfield Bullet” Rusty Carlile has climbed to fifth in the point standings. Piloting his #51 SouthWest Contractors / N.T.S. Incorporated Bullet, Carlile raced to sixth at Tulare after starting twelfth. As this writing goes to press, the 2009 “Cotton Classic” champion has yet to score a feature win in 2013, but has one heat race victory, one BR Motorsports / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, twelve top-10 finishes, and 13 feature laps led. At Hanford, “The Bakersfield Bullet” will have his sights on a breakthrough main event victory.
Currently ninth in the point standings, Landon Hurst of Riverdale leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors. Oakdale’s Jeff Sibley is 22 points behind Hurst and ranks eleventh in the standings. Among the other drivers expected to be in action are Markus Niemela, Jace Vander Weerd, Austin Liggett, Kevin Barnes, Matt Day, “The Wild Child” Chris Ennis, Andy Ferris, Kolby Araki, and more.
Kings Speedway is located on the Kings County Fairgrounds at 801 South 10th Avenue in Hanford, California. Grandstand tickets are $28 for Reserved Tickets and General Admission Tickets are $25. Camping is available on the fairgrounds and for more event information, visit www.kingsspeedway.net or call (559) 584-RACE (7223).
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, Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, Kaeding Performance, Keizer Wheels, King Racing Products, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Rugged Radios, 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, 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, follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/#!/pages/USAC-West-Coast-Sprint-Car-Series/369549755817) or Twitter (www.twitter.com/#!/USACwc360).
-----------------------------------------------
COTTON CLASSIC WINNERS:
2009-Rusty Carlile, 2010-Terry Schank Jr., 2011-Peter Murphy, 2012-Ryan Bernal.
USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1-Danny Faria Jr.-887, 2-Richard Vander Weerd-830, 3-Bud Kaeding-804, 4-Ryan Bernal-661, 5-Rusty Carlile-626, 6-Markus Niemela-607, 7-Jace Vander Weerd-573, 8-Austin Liggett-520, 9-Landon Hurst-439, 10-Kevin Barnes-422, 11-Jeff Sibley-417, 12-Ricky Kirkbride-377, 13-Marty Hawkins-335, 14-Matt Day-301, 15-Troy Rutherford-258, 16-Chris Ennis-257, 17-Andy Ferris-251, 18-Dennis Howell-250, 19-D.J. Netto-247, 20-Kolby Araki-231.
2013 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
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)
-----------------------------------------------
* = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC Southwest Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.
|
