By Dick Jordan
The 2011 USAC Western Ford Focus and Focus Young Guns campaigns open this Saturday night at Lucas Oil I-10 Speedway in Blythe, Calif. The event features the first round in what amounts to a new format to determine the National Ford Focus and Focus Young Guns Champions.
Drivers across America will compete for the 2011 National titles, with the best 12 Ford Focus or best eight Focus Young Guns scores counting, regarless of region where scored.
Nick Drake won last year’s USAC National Ford Focus championship in a one-race showdown held in Las Vegas, Nev. The 2011 season will be the first to include a National title for the Focus Young Guns.
As in 2010, Western participants will compete for an overall title, as well as Dirt, Pavement, Northern and Southern California titles. A separate championship also exists for the Utah and Northwest championships. The Blythe Ford Focus race will also offer points toward the 2011 Utah Ford Focus crown.
Defending USAC Western Champions include Nick Carlson of Norwalk, Calif. (Overall and Dirt Ford Focus), Cody Gerhardt of Madera, Calif. (Pavement and North and South California Ford Focus), Jarid Blondel of Orange, Calif. (Overall Young Guns), Casey Martinez of Riverside, Calif. (Dirt Young Guns), Brandon White of Eureka, Calif. (Pavement Young Guns) and Michael Daniels of Magna, Utah (Utah Ford Focus).
Connor Kassik won last year’s Blythe Ford Focus feature and Brandon White was last year’s Blythe Young Guns winner.