By Dick Jordan
Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif. hosts the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint cars again Saturday and series point leader Richard VanderWeerd is OK with that, having posted a victory, two thirds and a fourth in the four races held at the 3/8-mile dirt oval this season.
VanderWeerd, of Visalia, Calif., has a comfortable 65-point lead over Ryan Bernal in the standings, but Bernal has a pair of second-places at Hanford this season himself.
Other drivers who bear watching Saturday include third-ranking Wes Gutierrez, who has a victory and a fourth at Kings this year, fourth ranking Jace VanderWeerd, whose four Hanford starts have all resulted in “top-10s,” and Danny Faria Jr., who has a win and two thirds.
AMSOIL USAC/CRA regular Danny Sheridan of Santa Maria, Calif. won Saturday night’s “Bud Stanfield Memorial” at his home track – Santa Maria (Calif.) Speedway. He passed Bud Kaeding on the 27th lap and led the final four laps to beat Kaeding, Gutierrez, Richard VanderWeerd and Greg Alexander. Sheridan piloted the Kittle Motorsports Pace Lighting/K & N Filters Sherman/Auto Pro to the win. Justyne Hamblin led the first 11 laps and Wes Gutierrez led the next 12 before Kaeding took over for three.
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS
1-Richard VanderWeerd-752; 2-Ryan Bernal-687; 3-Wes Gutierrez-647; 4-Jace VanderWeerd-647; 5-Dennis Howell-559; 6-Danny Faria Jr.-550; 7-Greg Alexander-514; 8-Justyne Hamblin-495; 9-T.J. Smith-461; 10-Bud Kaeding-439.