By Dick Jordan
Danny Faria Jr. of Tipton, Calif. has a slim nine-point lead in the 2010 USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series heading into this Saturday night’s race at the Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway.
Faria won the March 13 race at Giant Speedway in Hanford and was third behind winner Dean Alexander and Craig Stidham in the series debut March 6 at Tulare. Stidham, of Fresno, is tied for second in points with Jace VanderWeerd of Visalia.
Saturday’s race will mark the 10th time USAC Sprint cars have competed at the 1/3-mile dirt oval. Cory Kruseman won a pair of CRA Sprints there in 2004 and 2005, while Tommy Tarlton won two Western Sprint events there in 1997. Other previous USAC Sprint winners at Bakersfield have been Kevin Urton in 1996, Bryan Bullard in 1997 and Bobby McMahan, Monte Faccinto and Davey Pombo in 1998. Pombo, of Kerman, Calif., finished third at Hanford March 13.
Lady phenom Justyne Hamblin of Hanford is looking to get back on track Saturday after posting a 15th and a 10th in the two series openers. She won the 2009 360 Sprint Car championship.
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT SERIES POINT STANDINGS
1-Danny Faria Jr.-125; 2-Jace VanderWeerd-116; 3-Craig Stidham-116; 4-Garrett Ishii-100; 5-T.J. Smith-98; 6-Chris Ennis-92; 7-Jimmy Thompson-78; 8-Peter Murphy-78; 9-Jonathan Logan-77; 10-Justyne Hamblin-71.