CASA GRANDE’S “COTTON CLASSIC” OPENS USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR SEASON

Charles Davis Jr. Ben Thrasher photo

By Lance Jennings

FEBRUARY 25, 2019… This Saturday, March 2nd, the Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Cars will open their seventh campaign at Central Arizona Speedway in Casa Grande, Arizona. Promoted by Dave Ellis, the “2nd Annual Cotton Classic” will be the first of three dates for the fast 3/8-mile oval on the schedule. The action packed card will also feature Pure Stocks, Power 600 Micro Sprints, Dwarf Cars, and Bombers. The spectator gates will open at 5:00pm with racing scheduled to begin at 7:00pm. For more event and ticket information, visit www.centralarizonaspeedway.com or call 520.709.0718.

NOTICE TO RACERS:
– The Schoenfeld 14272735-78 muffler is MANDATORY at Central Arizona Speedway. Failure to comply with the muffler rule risks disqualification from the event.
– FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin to King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
– FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS ARE MANDATORY.
– Hoosier Tires are required on all four corners with the 105/16 Medium and the 105/18 Hard as the only approved right rear tires. The “Medium” is also legal with the USAC National, USAC/CRA, USAC West Coast, and VRA Sprint Cars.
– Cockpit adjustable shocks ARE ALLOWED.
– USAC SouthWest charges a $25 entry fee to all competitors and the series rule book can be found online at www.usacracing.com.
– USAC MEMBERSHIPS can be purchased at the track or online at www.usaclicense.com.
– USAC BONUS / Any racer who enters every event for both the Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest and AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car schedules will have their entry fees reimbursed at the end of the year.

Saturday’s event at Casa Grande will begin a new chapter for the Arizona based series. Like California’s USAC/CRA group, the SouthWest Sprints can now run aluminum 410 cubic-inch engines capable of over 900 horsepower. Cars equipped with iron block 360 cubic-inch powerplants are still legal for USAC SouthWest competition. In addition, two provisionals are available during the season for competitors. Based on Car Entrant point standings, Car Owners must be USAC members to be eligible for provisionals. Each race will pay a minimum of $2,000-to-win and $250-to-start. Co-sanctioned races with USAC/CRA in Arizona will pay a minimum of $3,000-to-win and $400-to-start. There are no conflicting dates between the two clubs and racers are encouraged to support each other’s schedule.

Located on the Pinal County Fairgrounds, Central Arizona Speedway has hosted fourteen USAC SouthWest Sprint Car events. Defending champion, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. has won four out of the last five Casa Grande events and leads the series with seven victories at the 3/8-mile oval. Five-time champion R.J. Johnson set the 1-lap track record of 15.058 on October 29, 2016 and the Casa Grande win list is at the end of this release.

When the checkered flags flew at San Tan Valley on November 3rd, veteran “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. (Buckeye, AZ) clinched his first Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Championship. Piloting his #50 RSS Industries / MP Environmental RSS, Davis posted nine feature wins, ten heat race victories, five Beaver Stripes Passing Master Awards, two hard charger awards, twenty-one top-10 finishes, and 252 feature laps led on the season. “Chargin” Charles won last year’s “Cotton Classic” and will be looking for his thirty-first career series triumph.

“The Bull” Tye Mihocko (Peoria, AZ) finished second in the USAC SouthWest point standings. Racing the family owned #5 Hunt Realty by Dave Wilson / Mears Mechanical Spike, Mihocko had two feature wins, three heat race victories, four Beaver Stripes Passing Master Awards, four hard charger awards, eighteen top-10 finishes, and 9 feature laps led to his credit. “The Bull” has two career series wins and will have his sights on adding the “Cotton Classic” victory to his resume.

“The Magic Man” Mike Martin (Yuma, AZ) placed third in the chase for the championship. Driving his #16 Naquin Precision Earth Moving / Ultimate Offroad Maxim, Martin had one feature win, four heat race victories, one Beaver Stripes Passing Master Award, one hard charger award, seventeen top-10 finishes, and 51 feature laps led in the campaign. With six career series wins, the 2004 SCRA Rookie of the Year will be looking to start his championship bid with a victory at Casa Grande.

Matt Lundy (Phoenix, AZ) ranked fourth in the championship point standings. Piloting his #98 Desert State Electric / Race Shack Triple X, Lundy posted two heat race victories and thirteen top-10 finishes on the year. The former San Tan Ford Sprint Car Champion will have his sights on his first USAC SouthWest main event win this Saturday night.

Michael Curtis (Cottonwood, AZ) placed fifth in the USAC SouthWest Sprint Car point chase. Racing Kevin Turner & Greg Wheeler’s #11C DAR Racing / JT Engineering Maxim, Curtis recorded one heat race victory, one Beaver Stripes Passing Master Award, two hard charger awards, thirteen top-10 finishes, and 10 feature laps led on the year. Curtis has been moving up the SouthWest ranks and will be looking for his first win at the “Cotton Classic.”

Last season, Tyler Most (Peoria, AZ) earned Rookie of the Year honors and finished eighth in the point chase. Driving the family owned Sin City Motorsports / Michael Most Trucking Spike, Most had four top-10 finishes with a season best sixth place run at Peoria on October 20th. This Saturday, the young driver will have his sights on his first feature win at Central Arizona Speedway. .

R.J. Johnson, Chris Bonneau, Dennis Gile, Andy Reinbold, Sterling Cling, Josh Pelkey, Stevie Sussex, Colton Hardy, Asa Kesterson, “The Radio Flyer” Bruce St. James, Zack Madrid, Austin Kuehl, Jake Swanson, and Colton Maroney rounded out the top-20 in last year’s point standings.

Among the other drivers expected to be in action are California’s Brody Roa, New Mexico’s Josh Hodges, Indiana’s C.J. Leary, and more.

The pit gate will open at 4:00pm and pit passes are $35 for Adults.

Central Arizona Speedway is located on the Pinal County Fairgrounds at 512 N. 11 Mile Corner Road in Casa Grande. To get to the track, take Exit 194 from Interstate 10, then head east seven miles to the fairgrounds. Adult Tickets are $15, Senior/Military tickets are $12, and Kids (11 and under) are FREE. For more event and ticket information, visit www.centralarizonaspeedway.com or call 520.709.0718.

The Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series thanks AMSOIL, Beaver Stripes, Hoosier Tire, and Ultra Shield Race Products for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, contact PR Director Lance Jennings at lwjennings@earthlink.net.

For more information on the series, visit www.southwestsprintcars.com and the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at www.usacracing.com. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC SouthWest Facebook and Twitter pages.
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SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2013-R.J. Johnson, 2014-R.J. Johnson, 2015-R.J. Johnson, 2016-R.J. Johnson, 2017-R.J. Johnson, 2018-Charles Davis Jr.

COTTON CLASSIC WINNERS: 2018-Charles Davis Jr.

CASA GRANDE SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR WINS: (Includes non-point shows): 7-Charles Davis Jr., 3-R.J. Johnson, 2-Kevin Thomas Jr., 1-Josh Pelkey, 1-Matt Rossi.

2019 SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE
DATE – TRACK – LOCATION
March 2: Central Arizona Speedway – Casa Grande, AZ (Cotton Classic)
March 8: #Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Spring Showcase)
March 9: #Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Spring Showcase)
April 20: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ
April 27: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (State 48 Classic)
May 18: Central Arizona Speedway – Casa Grande, AZ (Hank Arnold Memorial)
June 1: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ
June 8: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (CSP Birthday Bash)
July 13: #Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 17: #Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (California Racers Hall of Fame Night)
September 14: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Southwest Championships)
September 28: #Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Hall of Fame Classic)
October 26: Central Arizona Speedway – Casa Grande, AZ (Howl-O-Ween Bash)
November 7: *#Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)
November 8: *#Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)
November 9: *#Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)
November 15: *#Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 16: *#Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Cars.
# = Co-Sanctioned Event with AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Cars.
This schedule is subject to change.