by Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – JULY 3, 2012… This Saturday, July 7th, the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series will return to Chris Kearns’ Santa Maria Speedway for the “4th Annual Doug Fort Memorial.” The $2,500-to-win “War at the Shore” is the second round of the “Grudge Series” with the ASCS Canyon Sprints and will also feature the West Coast Street Stocks, Richie McGowan Hobby Stocks, Mini Dwarfs, and American/Enduro Stocks. The front gates will open at 4:00pm, time trials will start at 5:00pm, and racing at “The West Coast’s Best Short Track” will begin at 6:00pm.
Saturday’s USAC West Coast Sprint Car point race honors Doug Fort, who built the Santa Maria 1/3-mile clay oval. Opening on Sunday, March 31, 1964 with the sprint cars of the California Racing Association (CRA), Fort continued to serve as owner and promoter until his passing in 1999. During his tenure, Santa Maria Speedway was named the “Best Short Track Operation West of the Mississippi” on two separate occasions and hosted a wide variety of race cars. The famed World of Outlaws, Stock Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Midgets, California Dirt Cars, Winged Sprint Cars, and Non-Winged Sprint Cars have battled on the Santa Maria clay. Doug Fort dedicated his life to racing and the staff at Santa Maria Speedway is proud to honor his memory.
Originally a winged 410 sprint car race, the “Doug Fort Memorial” will now showcase many of the best non-winged 360 sprint car drivers from California against the best from Arizona. Saturday’s USAC vs. ASCS “War at the Shore” will carry a $2,500-to-win and $300-to-start purse, with a $50 entry fee to all competitors. Thanks to sponsorship from Southwest Contractors, Hoosier Tire, and ParkerStore of Phoenix, the 3-race mini-series has a point fund of $15,000 with $5,000 up for grabs to the champion and $700 for 10th place in points. Promoters Chris Kearns and Kevin Montgomery are currently looking for more sponsorship to pay at least $500 for 15th in “Grudge Series” points.
Heading into the ninth race of 2012 season, Campbell’s Bud Kaeding leads both the USAC West Coast and Grudge Series point chase. Piloting Junior Bowman’s #29 Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / Kaeding Performance Bullet, the 3-time USAC Silver Crown Champion won the March 8th “Sin City Showdown” at Las Vegas. Since then, the all-time leader in USAC West Coast feature wins has scored victories at Bakersfield on March 24th and Hanford on June 9th. In addition, Bud has three heat race wins, one Ringers Gloves / Kaeding Performance Hard Charger Award, eight top-five finishes, and forty-one feature laps led. After claiming fourth in Santa Maria’s Bud Stanfield Memorial on June 23rd, Kaeding will be looking to add the “Doug Fort Memorial” and the $2,500 payday to his resume.
Matt Mitchell of Yorba Linda is second in the USAC West Coast points and missed the Grudge Series opener at Las Vegas. Driving Steve Watt’s #18 Christian Stover Foundation / Steve Watt Enterprises Maxim, the USAC/CRA standout finished third in the Stanfield Memorial after starting eighth. Mitchell has yet to win a West Coast Series feature, but has one Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Award, four heat race victories, five top-5 finishes, and nineteen feature laps led on the season. The former USAC Western Midget Series Rookie of the Year will have his sights on winning Saturday’s “War at the Shore.”
After winning the Stanfield Memorial, Hollister’s Ryan Bernal has climbed to third in the USAC West Coast standings. Piloting Keith Ford’s #73 King Racing Products / A&A Precision Machine Spike, last year’s Rookie of the Year won at Hanford on April 7th and May 5th at Santa Maria. To date, the defending Santa Maria track champion has one Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Award, three heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Inc. / Diversified Machine Inc. Semi-Main win, one Ringers Gloves / Kaeding Performance Hard Charger Award, five top-5 finishes, and sixty-six feature laps led. Bernal is second in the Grudge Series points and will be going for his third straight victory at Santa Maria, breaking a USAC West Coast track record held by himself (twice), T.J. Smith, and Richard Vander Weerd.
“Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. of Tipton sits fourth in USAC West Coast points and sixteenth in the Grudge Series. Driving his #17V Johnston Calf Pens / Buster & Ziggy Enterprises Bullet, Faria raced to fifth at Santa Maria after starting thirteenth. The former Stanfield Memorial winner has yet to score a West Coast feature win during 2012, but has one Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Award, three heat race victories, one Ringers Gloves / Kaeding Performance Hard Charger Award, and three top-5 finishes. “Hollywood” will be among the favorites to watch in Saturday’s 30-lap “War at the Shore.”
Rauma, Finland’s Markus Niemela is fifth in the championship points and missed the first round of the Grudge Series. Piloting Steve Watt’s #81 Lost Reality / Steve Watt Enterprises Maxim, the former VRA main event winner claimed seventh in the Stanfield Memorial on June 23rd. During the 2012 campaign, Niemela has yet to claim a USAC West Coast main event, but has three heat race victories and three top-5 finishes on the year. This Saturday, Markus will be looking to score his first Santa Maria 30-lap feature and the $2,500 payday.
While not an official point race for the ASCS Canyon Sprints, many Arizona racers are expected to be in action at Santa Maria. R.J. Johnson of Phoenix leads the ASCS standings and is seventh in the Grudge Series. Buckeye’s Charles Davis Jr. leads the group with three feature wins and is tenth in the USAC vs. ASCS points. Other Canyon Region drivers in the Grudge Series points are Casey Shuman (3rd), Mike Martin (9th), Brian Hosford (12th), Zach Sawyers (13th), Andy Reinbold (18th), Justin Quinn (19th), Nick Aiuto (20th), Josh Pelkey (21st), Bruce St. James (24th), James Aragon (26th), Stevie Sussex (29th), and Bryan Swinehart (32nd).
Among the other top contenders expected to be in action are “Showtime” Danny Sheridan, “The Rickster” Ricky Kirkbride, “The Bakersfield Bullet” Rusty Carlile, Kevin Barnes, Chris Gansen, 2009 Champion Justyne Hamblin, Austin Liggett, Steve Conrad, and many more. In addition, other current and former sprint car champions likely to be at Santa Maria are Mike Spencer (USAC/CRA), Troy Rutherford (VRA), “The Kruser” Cory Kruseman (USAC/CRA & SCRA), Jonathan Logan (SCRA 360), and Jimmy “Neutron” Crawford (VRA).
Santa Maria Speedway is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange at 1900 Hutton Road in Nipomo, California. Adult tickets are $16, Senior, Military, and Student tickets (13-17) are $14, Kids tickets (6-12) are $6, and Children’s tickets (5 and under) are FREE. For more event information, visit the track’s website at www.racesantamariaspeedway.com or call (805) 922-2232.
The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series would like to thank Southwest Contractors, Hoosier Tire, Amsoil, ButlerBuilt, Competition Suspension Inc., Cory Kruseman’s Sprint Car & Midget Driving School, Crow Enterprizes, DJ Safety, Diversified Machine Inc., Extreme Mufflers, Hilborn Fuel Injection, Hinchman-Indy Racing Uniforms, Integra Shocks, Kaeding Performance, Keizer Wheels, LRB Inc. Race Products, ParkerStore of Phoenix, Ringers Gloves, Rod End Supply, SBI Fuel Systems, Saferacer.com, Saldana Racing Products, Sander Engineering, and Weld Racing for their support.
For more information on the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series, visit www.westcoastsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, www.racesantamariaspeedway.com, or follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/#!/pages/USAC-West-Coast-Sprint-Car-Series/369549755817)
———————————————–
DOUG FORT MEMORIAL SPRINT CAR WINNERS:
2009- Tyler Walker; 2010- Tommy Tarlton; 2011- Jonathan Allard.
USAC WEST COAST SPRINT STANDINGS:
1. Bud Kaeding-447; 2. Matt Mitchell-391; 3. Ryan Bernal-359; 4. Danny Faria Jr.-346; 5. Markus Niemela-344; 6. Richard Vander Weerd-294; 7. Danny Sheridan-274; 8. Ricky Kirkbride-254; 9. Rusty Carlile-227; 10. Kevin Barnes-213; 11. Justyne Hamblin-199; 12. Chris Gansen-196; 13. Steve Conrad-181; 14. Austin Liggett-179; 15. Chris Ennis-150; 16. Kyle Larson-135; 17. Jace Vander Weerd-130; 18. Marty Hawkins-130; 19. Jonathon Logan-112; 20. Don Gansen-101.
GRUDGE SERIES STANDINGS:
1. Bud Kaeding-162; 2. Ryan Bernal-157; 3. Casey Shuman-154; 4. Troy Rutherford-151; 5. Danny Sheridan-148; 6. Mike Spencer-145; 7. R.J. Johnson-142; 8. Josh Ford-139; 9. Mike Martin-136; 10. Charles Davis Jr.-133; 11. Rick Ziehl-130; 12. Brian Hosford-128; 13. Zach Sawyers-126; 14. Cory Kruseman-124; 15. Jimmy Crawford-122; 16. Danny Faria Jr.-120; 17. Tom Hendricks-118; 18. Andy Reinbold-116; 19. Justin Quinn-114; 20. Nick Aiuto-112; 21. Josh Pelkey-110; 22. Brody Roa-108; 23. Jonathan Logan-56; 24. Bruce St. James-56; 25. Tony Everhart-56; 26. James Aragon-56; 27. Rusty Carlile-56; 28. Jim Richardson-56; 29. Stevie Sussex-56; 30. Kyle Evans-56; 31. Ricky Kirkbride-56; 32. Bryan Swinehart-56; 33. Dustin Morgan-0.
2012 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE – TRACK – LOCATION
July 7: *Santa Maria Speedway – Santa Maria, CA (War At The Shore / Doug Fort Memorial)
August 4: Kings Speedway – Hanford, CA (Jim Evett Memorial)
September 8: Kings Speedway – Hanford, CA (Jim Turner Memorial)
September 22: *Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Brawl For It All / Non-Points)
September 29: Santa Maria Speedway – Santa Maria, CA (Billet Cup / John Jewett Memorial / Non-Points)
October 13: Kings Speedway – Hanford, CA (Cotton Classic)
———————————————–
* = Co-Sanctioned Event With ASCS Canyon Region Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.