From Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – AUGUST 3, 2010… Round #15 for the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series will be this Saturday night, August 7th, at the Giant Chevrolet Speedway in Hanford, California. The event will also showcase the Central California Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, Bud Light Mini-Stocks, and Enduro. The Spectator Gates will open at 5:30pm, Time Trials at 6:30pm, with racing to follow.
The Hanford 3/8-mile clay oval has already hosted 3 races in the 2010 season. “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. of Tipton won the 30-lap feature from the sixteenth starting spot on March 13th. Hanford’s Justyne Hamblin made history on June 5th by becoming the second female driver in USAC history to win a sprint car main event on dirt. On July 17th, Campbell’s Bud Kaeding won his second feature of the year by claiming the Jim Evett Memorial victory. To date, ten different drivers have scored wins in fourteen events.
Point leader Craig Stidham of Fresno leads all drivers on the circuit with four main event victories. Piloting the Brad Johnson Trucking / KRC Safety #3S TCR, Stidham has one fast time award, seven heat race wins, thirteen top-10 finishes, and one hard charger award. The former Rebel Cup Sprint Car champion was second quick, won the BR Motorsports / Saldana Racing Products Heat Race, and finished third at Santa Maria on July 24th. Heading into the Hanford event, Craig has a sixty-two point advantage over Davey Pombo.
Kerman’s Davey Pombo scored the Bakersfield win on March 27th. Driving Junior Bowman’s Buster & Ziggy #3 Bullet, Pombo has two fast time awards, four heat race wins, thirteen top-10 finishes, and one hard charger award. At Santa Maria, the former Bandit Sprint Car champion was sixth quick, won the Competition Suspension Inc. Heat Race, and had a fourth place finish in the main event.
T.J. Smith of Fresno is third in the point standings and won the Bud Stanfield Memorial at Santa Maria on July 24th. The pilot of Steve LeGras’ UHL Rubber #14 Maxim has two fast time awards, two heat race wins, and eleven top-10 finishes. In addition to the 30-lap feature win at Santa Maria, the former Plaza Park track champion was seventh fast in time trials and won the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race.
Sitting fourth in the point chase is Justyne Hamblin of Hanford. Driving the JH Motorsports / Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino #8 Speed Tech entry, the defending series champion has one feature victory, two heat race wins, and ten top-10 finishes. At Santa Maria, Hamblin flipped in practice, placed fifth in her heat race, and finished eleventh in the main event after starting twenty-first. That drive earned Justyne her third King Racing Products Hard Charger Award of the year.
Peter Murphy of Clovis is fifth in the point standings. The pilot of Junior Bowman’s #11 Buster & Ziggy Enterprises Bullet is looking for his first feature victory of the season. Murphy has one fast time award, four heat race wins, nine top-10 finishes, and one hard charger award. At Santa Maria, the former SCRA Sprint Car champion was twelfth quick, second in his heat race, and scored a sixth place finish after starting tenth.
Among the other top contenders expected to be in action are Bakersfield’s Rusty Carlile, “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. of Tipton, Visalia’s Jace and Richard VanderWeerd, Chris Ennis of Bakersfield, Mariposa’s Andy Ferris, Bakersfield’s Ricky Kirkbride, Visalia’s Jesse Mack, 2006 SCRA champion Jonathan Logan of Hanford, and San Martin’s Wes Gutierrez.
The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series would like to thank Southwest Contractors, Hoosier Tire, Amsoil, BR Motorsports, Competition Suspension, Cory Kruseman’s Sprint Car & Midget Driving School, Crow Enterprizes, DJ Safety, Extreme Mufflers, Hilborn Fuel Injection, Hinchman-Indy Racing Uniforms, Integra Shocks, Kaeding Performance, Keizer Wheels, King Racing Products, Kirkey Racing Fabrication, Port City Racing, Saferacer.com, Saldana Racing Products, and Sander Engineering for their support.
Giant Chevrolet Speedway is located on the Kings County Fairgrounds in Hanford, California. Event tickets are $10. For more information, please www.giantchevroletspeedway.com or call (559) 584-RACE (7223).
For more information on the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series, please visit www.westcoastsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, www.racesantamariaspeedway.com, or follow the series on facebook.
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USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. Craig Stidham 842; 2. Davey Pombo 780; 3. T.J. Smith 680; 4. Justyne Hamblin 640; 5. Peter Murphy 610; 6. Rusty Carlile 568; 7. Danny Faria Jr. 539; 8. Jace VanderWeerd 515; 9. Richard VanderWeerd 504; 10. Chris Ennis 446; 11. Ricky Kirkbride 359; 12. Andy Ferris 354; 13. Geoffrey Strole 309; 14. Jonathan Logan 305; 15. Jesse Mack 303; 16. Wes Gutierrez 298; 17. Jimmy Thompson 269; 18. Koen Shaw 234; 19. Jared Little 231; 20. Danny Sheridan 226.