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PAS PRACTICE - RACING SCENE COLUMN
By Tim Kennedy
02/05/2008
PERRIS, California The 2008 Perris Auto Speedway (The PAS) season opened Saturday, February 2 with an open practice session for all divisions that compete at the Riverside County track. Cost was a $30 pit pass for persons entering the pits. Fans were admitted free to the grandstands and as an added enticement pizza slices were $1.00 and cups of beer were $2.00. There were 79 racing cars on the well-prepared track from 12 noon to about 7 p.m, and there were several hundred fans in the stands watching the practice laps. The 55-degree day began under a gray sky and clouds, but turned sunny with blue sky and white clouds by 2:00 p.m. There were 29 sprint cars (410s and 360s), 13 dirt late model stock cars, 15 dirt-modifieds, 12 street stocks or factory stocks and 10 winged lightning mini sprints. Scott Daloisio was in the announcing booth giving the names of drivers on the track. Infield announcer Ronnie Everhart patrolled the pits and supplied information as well via her portable microphone.
The 360 cu. in. sprint car entry list for the PAS Feb. 8-9 double-header with the 410 cu. in. sprint cars is 16 as of Saturday at noon with more entries expected. Jesse "the Rocket" Hockett, from Missouri, is entered in 410 and 360 sprint cars. The 410s may enter as late as the race day so no 410 entry count was available on February 2. Sprint car drivers taking advantage of track-time February 2 included Nic Faas, 18-year old 2007 USAC Ford Focus Midget paved track series champion and runner-up on the Ford Focus California dirt track series. The personable young man said he enjoyed getting his first taste of 410-sprint car action on the PAS half-mile. He drove his family-owned No. 17 that his dad Jerry bought from Harlan Willis, who never raced it. Willis bought the car back east after it had been raced only a few times. Nic said he enjoyed getting his first taste of sprint car track time after his team corrected the problem of a part installed improperly during the first practice session.
Chad Boat and his midget, sprint car and Indy 500 veteran dad Billy had their No. 30 blue sprint car on the PAS track as well. Cory Kruseman had four of his racing school cars in action. They were the No. 41k (Clarke), No. 5 (Alex Schutte), No. 9 (Schwarz) and No. 71 (Austin Mero). Rookie Brent Reynolds (No. 48), Steve Conrad (No. 56), TQ-midget/360 sprint car vet Ron Wade (No. 88), Royal Adderson (No. 40), David Cardey (own 38), Dwight Cheney's No 42, and VRA 360 sprinters No. 22A and 22B got track time. Greg Alexander was in 22A. Other cars on the track were the ex-Matt Stewart No. 85, the Matt Forstie two No. 72 cars, Nate Ziegler (No. 8), Jonny Bates (No. 33), Gerson No. 7G, and cars 25, 27, red 30, 34 and Billy Blinn No. 26. Dan Hillberg chauffered an all white, no number on it, Competition Welding-built chassis from the Midwest. The team said it will carry No. 32.
Rip Williams drove his John & Sharon Jory-owned newer No. 3 Stinger chassis and his two oldest sons, Cody, 18, and Austin, 17, took turns driving the older Jory No. 3x Stinger chassis. Cody is 15-months older than Austin. Cody's DOB is 7/2/89 and Austin's DOB is 10/2./90. They raced each other at Irwindale Speedway last Thanksgiving Night in USAC Ford Focus Midgets. Austin finished on top in tenth position in the FF Midget feature. The youngest Williams son is Logan whose DOB is 2/4/96. He also wants to follow his dad and older brothers into auto racing as drivers.
MISHAPS: The first accident was a flip by VRA, USAC-CRA veteran Luis Espinoza in Tom Sertich's Moose Racing No. 92in the first turn at 3:10 p.m. Luis walked from his upright car, which had extensive front end damage. He sat in the para-medics truck for a check-up following his high, hard tumble, but he did not have to be transported from the track. Mishap two occurred when the No. 42 Chevy sprinter stopped quickly as the red light came on during the Espinoza flip. Rip Williams spun into the 42 car on the front straight, denting the RR tail in several places and damaging the bumper of Rip's Jory 3 sprinter. Rip's car was parked for the rest of the day and he then coached his two sons.
Another mishap happened at 3:55 when the RF of the No. 34 (John Anderson) dirt late model got rearranged from contact. Anderson drove the car slowly through the pits and pulled into his pit stall after gouging a deep impression into the dirt with his caved in RF wheel. Former USAC-CRA & SCRA sprint car star Mike Kirby drove his red Guerin-sponsored No. 5K dirt late model stock car. Dino Napier had his No. 5x dirt late model on track also. The Bartels family team had its No. 12 and 77 dirt late models in action as well. The dirt modified Luke's Transmission of Riverside three-car team had to get the team coordinated paint job award if there was such a thing. Team cars No. 1-8-28 had identical red and white paint schemes. A female driver, Sandy Rose, (in her 30s) drove her black & white No. 76 modified.
About 4:45 I took the opportunity for the first time to go east from The PAS via the Ramona Espressway some 19 miles to Main St. in San Jacinto and then left to the Soboba Indian Gaming Casino, which is situated on a low hillside overlooking the valley. The series of one-story buildings were crowded with people and slot machines, some blackjack tables, roulette and dice tables. The restaurant offered good food, reasonable prices and attractive setting. Try it sometime when you are in the area. The weather for the February 8-9 410 and 360 doubleheader is promising, with the weather forecast for sunny and mid-60s-70s temperatures. See you there.
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