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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series
RYAN BERNAL STAYS HOT IN HANFORD RETURN
By Lance Jennings
HANFORD, CA – MARCH 29, 2015... Slipping past Danny Faria Jr., Hollister’s Ryan Bernal led the final laps to earn his fourth USAC West Coast Sprint Car win of the season. The $1,500 triumph capped off a successful opening night for Hanford’s Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds. Faria, Jace Vander Weerd, D.J. Johnson, and Jake Swanson followed Bernal’s to the checkered flags.
Starting on the pole position, Faria led the opening lap before Richard Vander Weerd of Visalia took over. Looking for his first win of the season, the 2011 champion was dominating the event until mechanical woes ended his night. Also looking be claim his first victory, Faria regained command and set a torrid pace on the Hanford clay oval. After the caution flag flew for Vander Weerd, Bernal gained his second wind and successfully chased Faria to score the 30-lap victory.
Piloting the Mike Phulps owned #56 Tri-L Mandarin Ranch / Core Power ART, Ryan Bernal earned his series leading twenty-fourth career feature win. The former Santa Maria track champion qualified second out of the twenty-one racers in the pit area and ran second to Faria in his heat race. The point leader heads to Bakersfield this Saturday with a fourteen point advantage on the strength of one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, two high point driver awards, three heat race victories, one DMI / Ultra Shield Race Products Hard Charger Award, five top-10 finishes, and 50 feature laps led.
After leading seventeen laps, Tipton’s “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. had to settle for second at the Kings County Fairgrounds. Driving Junior Bowman’s #17V Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / SurfNSprint Spike, Faria was eighth fast in time trials and won the 10-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #2. The 2013 champion is currently second in the point chase with one high point driver award, two heat race victories, three top-10 finishes, and 21 feature laps led to his credit.
Jace Vander Weerd of Visalia had a solid night with a third place finish at the Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds. Racing the family owned #88 Vander Weerd Construction / Stone Gate Development Maxim, Vander Weerd qualified seventh overall and placed third in his heat race. To date, the former USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year is third in the standings with one Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Semi-Main win and four top-10 finishes on the year.
Stockton’s D.J. Johnson had a strong Hanford debut and challenged for the lead before slipping to fourth. Driving the family owned #33 Unique Breeds / Proplant Farm Services Eagle, Johnson was sixth fast in time trials and took fourth in his heat race. The former USAC Western Classic Sprint Rookie of the Year sits eighth in the standings with three top-10 finishes in the campaign.
In his first USAC West Coast start of 2015, Jake Swanson of Anaheim raced to fifth in the main event after starting eighth. Piloting Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Ram-Bull Racing Buckley, Swanson qualified fourth overall and scored fifth in his heat race. The former USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year left Hanford ranked twenty-third in points.
Loomis’ Max Adams earned his first career Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award. Racing #5X ART Speed Equipment / MotoWear International ART, Adams placed fourth in his heat race and scored eighth in the Hanford main event. The hard charging driver sits thirteenth in points with two top-10 finishes on the season.
Stockton’s Johnathon Henry earned the night’s Diversified Machine Inc. / Ultra Shield Race Products “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a tenth place run from twenty-first. Driving Doug Shanoian’s #17 Unsponsored Maxim, Henry missed qualifying with mechanical issues and scored fifth in his heat race. After his first start of the season, the versatile driver left Hanford seated twenty-eighth in the standings.
Making his first start behind the wheel of Steve Watt’s #81M Maxwell Industries / Steve Watt Enterprises Maxim, Colton Slack of Brentwood won the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. The Wingless Spec Sprint graduate was thirteenth fast in time trials and scored thirteenth in the main event. The rookie contender heads to Bakersfield placed thirtieth in the point chase.
Garden Grove’s Brody Roa drove to victory in the 10-lap Saldana Racing Products / Keizer Wheels Heat Race #3. Piloting Lee and Norma Leonard’s #48 HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Roa qualified twelfth quick and scored sixteenth in the main event. The former Wagsdash champion sits fifteenth in points heading to Bakersfield.
The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series will be back in action this Saturday, April 4th, at Bakersfield Speedway in Bakersfield, California. The action packed showcase will also feature Hobby Stocks, Street Stocks, American Stocks, and Hard Tops. Advance tickets are on sale and for more information, visit www.bakersfieldspeedway.com or call 661.393.3373.
The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series thanks Amsoil, Hoosier Tire, Chris Kearns Presents, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Diversified Machine Inc., Extreme Mufflers, Keizer Wheels, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Ultra Shield Race Products, and Woodland Auto Display for their support.
For more information, 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). Mike Truex's Loudpedal Productions has DVDs available for purchase that feature the USAC West Coast Sprint Cars and for more information, call 805.407.7229 or visit www.loudpedalvideo.com.
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USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS:
March 28, 2015 – Hanford, California – Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds
QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Max Adams, 5X, Adams-15.857; 2. Ryan Bernal, 56, Phulps-15.948; 3. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-15.978; 4. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-16.017; 5. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-16.101; 6. D.J. Johnson, 33, Johnson-16.134; 7. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-16.165; 8. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Bowman-16.303; 9. Trey Marcham, 73, Ford-16.312; 10. Tristan Guardino, 81, Watt-16.318; 11. Landon Hurst, 179, Hurst-16.322; 12. Brody Roa, 48, Leonard-16.328; 13. Colton Slack, 81M, Watt-16.491; 14. Trent Carter, 13, Carter-16.521; 15. Jeff Sibley, 42N, Sibley-16.591; 16. Shannon McQueen, 87, Van Meter-16.638; 17. Kevin Barnes, 36B, Barnes-16.639; 18. Matt Day, 97, Day-17.302; 19. Jeff Bothelo, 14, Bothelo-NT; 20. Dwayne Marcum, 25, Yount-NT; 21. Johnathon Henry, 17, Shanoian-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. Slack, 2. Guardino, 3. J.Vander Weerd, 4. Adams, 5. Swanson, 6. McQueen, 7. Bothelo. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. Faria, 2. Bernal, 3. Hurst, 4. R.Vander Weerd, 5. Carter, 6. Barnes, 7. Marcum. NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / KEIZER WHEELS HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps)
1. Roa, 2. Marcham, 3. Sibley, 4. Johnson, 5. Henry, 6. Day, 7. Liggett. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Ryan Bernal (5th), 2. Danny Faria Jr. (1st), 3. Jace Vander Weerd (2nd), 4. D.J. Johnson (3rd), 5. Jake Swanson (8th), 6. Landon Hurst (11th), 7. Trey Marcham (9th), 8. Max Adams (6th), 9. Austin Liggett (7th), 10. Johnathon Henry (21st), 11. Tristan Guardino (10th), 12. Jeff Sibley (15th), 13. Colton Slack (13th), 14. Kevin Barnes (17th), 15. Trent Carter (14th), 16. Brody Roa (12th), 17. Shannon McQueen (16th), 18. Richard Vander Weerd (4th), 19. Matt Day (18th), 20. Dwayne Marcum (20th), 21. Jeff Bothelo (19th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Lap 1 Faria, Laps 2-16 R.Vander Weerd, Laps 17-28 Faria, Laps 29-30 Bernal
DIVERSIFIED MACHINE INC. / ULTRA SHIELD RACE PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER: Johnathon Henry (21st to 10th)
WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. Ryan Bernal-250, 2. Danny Faria Jr.-236, 3. Jace Vander Weerd-196, 4. Austin Liggett-175, 5. Richard Vander Weerd-169, 6. Landon Hurst-168, 7. Colby Copeland-166, 8. D.J. Johnson-162, 9. Trey Marcham-159, 10. Bud Kaeding-122, 11. Tristan Guardino-109, 12. Jeff Sibley-97, 13. Max Adams-90, 14. Kevin Barnes-81, 15. Brody Roa-77, 16. Stevie Sussex-72, 17. Ryan Timmons-71, 18. Tye Mihocko-69, 19. Jim Richardson-64, 20. Charles Davis Jr.-63.
2015 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
April 4: Bakersfield Speedway - Bakersfield, CA
April 11: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA
May 16: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA (Chris & Brian Faria Memorial)
May 30: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA
June 20: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA
June 27: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds - Hanford, CA
July 25: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA (Peter Murphy Classic)
August 1: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds - Hanford, CA
August 22: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA (Bud Stanfield Memorial)
September 26: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Brawl For It All / $2,500-to-Win / Grudge Series / Non-Points)
October 3: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds - Hanford, CA
October 10: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA (KRC Safety Fall Shootout)
November 19: *USA Raceway - Tucson, AZ (Western World Championships / Grudge Series)
November 20: *USA Raceway - Tucson, AZ (Western World Championships / Grudge Series)
November 21: *USA Raceway - Tucson, AZ (Western World Championships / Grudge Series)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC Southwest Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.
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