27 POINTS SEPARATE JONES & DARLAND
From Dick Jordan, photos courtesy of Mudclodbob
The USAC National Sprint Car Series concludes its 2009 campaign with major back-to-back events in California and drivers Levi Jones and Dave Darland are separated by only 27 points with a total of over 350 points still available.
The 14th “Budweiser Oval Nationals” are scheduled November 5-7 at Perris Auto Speedway and the 30th “Pacific Coast Nationals” (a salute to the Agajanian Family) unfolds November 14-15 at the Tulare Thunderbowl.
Jesse Hockett of Warsaw, Mo. is the defending winner of the “Budweiser Oval Nationals,” while Mike Kirby won the last “Pacific Coast Nationals” feature in 1995!
Rip Williams of Yorba Linda, Calif. is the only driver to have won both events. He won the “Pacific Coast Nationals” in 1990 and 1993 and the “Budweiser Oval Nationals” in 1997.
While Levi Jones has never won either race, Darland owns victories in the 2005 and 2006 Perris classic. Other active “Budweiser Oval Nationals” champions include Rodney Argo (1998), Rickie Gaunt (1999), Tony Jones (2000), Cory Kruseman (2003 & 2004) and three-time champion Bud Kaeding (2001, 2002 and 2007).
The upcoming “Budweiser Oval Nationals” offers $12,500 to win and 25-lap features are slated Thursday and Friday, with a big 40-lap feature on tap Saturday. A practice session on Wednesday is also open free to the race fans and a special on-track autograph session is planned on Saturday prior to the final events.
Defending Lucas Oil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Champion and 2009 point leader Mike Spencer of Temecula, Calif. has won the last two races at Perris and owns nine Perris victories since the USAC/CRA series debuted in 2004. He finished 10th in last year’s “Budweiser Oval Nationals” main event.
USAC/CRA Champions Tony Jones and Cory Kruseman and own 2009 Perris victories, as do Rickie Gaunt, David Cardey and Blake Miller, so the list of possible “Budweiser Oval Nationals” winner is a lengthy one. Gaunt’s win came in the National/CRA feature held at the PAS in February.
With five races remaining in the 2009 USAC National Sprint season, Jones and Darland must keep an eye on Cole Whitt, Jerry Coons Jr. and Tracy Hines, who round out the “top-five” in the latest standings. Whitt is the only driver to score back-to-back dirt wins this season, while Coons has already added to his team’s (Dynamics, Inc.) all-time USAC leading total of National wins with #72 and #73 on the dirt this year. Hines is still seeking his first dirt win this year after a pair of wins on the pavement.
Listed below are the previous winners of the “Budweiser Oval Nationals” and the “Pacific Coast Nationals:”
BUDWEISER OVAL NATIONALS
1996 – Jimmy Sills
1997 – Rip Williams
1998 – Rodney Argo
1999 – Rickie Gaunt
2000 – Tony Jones
2001 – Bud Kaeding
2002 – Bud Kaeding
2003 – Cory Kruseman
2004 – Cory Kruseman
2005 – Dave Darland
2006 – Dave Darland
2007 – Bud Kaeding
2008 – Jesse Hockett
PACIFIC COAST NATIONALS
1962 – Jim Wood
1963 – Jim Cox
1964 – Marshall Sargent
1965 – Dick Fries
1967 – Bobby Adamson
1968 – Bob Hogle
1972 – Gene Brown
1973 – Rick Ferkel
1974 – Clark Templeman
1976 – Ron Shuman
1977 – Ron Shuman
1978 – Buster Venard
1979 – Dean Thompson
1980 – Dean Thompson
1981 – Sammy Swindell
1982 – Dean Thompson
1983 – Ron Shuman
1984 – Bubby Jones
1985 – Dean Thompson
1986 – Brad Doty
1987 – Steve Kinser
1988 – Steve Kinser
1989 – Brad Noffsinger
1990 – Rip Williams
1991 – Bubby Jones
1992 – Lealand McSpadden
1993 – Rip Williams
1994 – Ron Shuman
1995 – Mike Kirby
(Races not held in 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1975)