by Lance Jennings
PEORIA, AZ – SEPTEMBER 29, 2013… Inheriting the lead after a broken steering arm bolt sidelined R.J. Johnson on lap 22, Temecula, California’s Mike Spencer led the rest of the way to claim the “2nd Annual Brawl For It All.” The $2,500 “Grudge Series” feature win at Canyon Speedway Park was the first USAC West Coast & SouthWest Series triumph for the five-time USAC/CRA Champion. Colby Copeland, Josh Pelkey, Shon Deskins, and “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. rounded out the top five drivers.
Driving Mark Priestley’s #7 Roy Miller Freight Lines / Sander Engineering Maxim, Mike Spencer had shadowed Johnson and shook free from Mike Martin and Colby Copeland to remain second. After inheriting the lead, the ninth fast qualifier managed to keep Copeland at bay and score the 30-lap victory. After finishing second in his heat race and winning his first Woodland Auto Display Dash of 2013, Mike left Canyon third in the “Grudge Series” point chase.
Colby Copeland of Roseville, California pressured Spencer for the top spot, but had to settle for second. Racing the Ted Williams owned #74 Bandit Racing / Marks Bolts Maxim, Copeland was second fast in time trials, ran fifth in his heat race, and scored fifth in the dash. Currently fifth in the “Grudge Series,” Colby has one semi-main win, one hard charger award, and four top-10 finishes in West Coast action.
Peoria’s Josh Pelkey raced from twelfth to score third in front of his hometown fans. Piloting Robbie & Gaye Allen’s #12 ABC Body Shop / Napa Auto Parts Maxim, Pelkey qualified thirteenth, won the DJ Safety Heat Race #2, and was not eligible for the dash. The former ASCA Champion ranks ninth in the “Grudge Series” standings and has three top-10 finishes on the season.
Shon Deskins of Phoenix claimed fourth in the “Brawl For It All” after starting eighth. Racing his #20 Performance Plus / Ellis Race Cars Spike, Deskins earned the Weld Racing Fast Time Award, setting a new track record and one of eight cars ahead of Mike Martin’s old standard. After claiming fifth in his heat race and eighth in the dash, Shon is the new “Grudge Series” point leader and has two top-10 finishes in the campaign.
Buckeye’s “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. scored fifth after starting eleventh at Canyon Speedway Park. Driving the Massey Motorsports’ #50 RSS Industries / Rod End Supply RSS, Davis qualified fourteenth overall, won the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1, and missed the dash. Currently second in the “Grudge Series” point chase, the five-time Arizona sprint champion has two heat race victories, one hard charger award, and five top-10 finishes on the year.
Brian Hosford of Gilbert earned the night’s BR Motorsports / Racing Optics “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a seventh place finish after starting eighteenth. Piloting Bernie Weber’s #32B Coffin & Trout Fine Jewelers / Invision Auto Body Maxim, Hosford was nineteenth fast in time trials, seventh in his heat race, and third in the semi-main. Brian sits fifteenth in the “Grudge Series” standings as the mini-series concludes at Perris Auto Speedway.
Tucson’s Ronnie Clark raced to victory in the night’s Saldana Racing Products / Keizer Wheels Heat Race #3. Racing the family owned #6 RCM / Ellis Race Cars entry, Clark qualified eighteenth and scored fourteenth in the “Brawl For It All” main event. As this writing goes to press, Ronnie is twenty-first in the “Grudge Series” point standings.
“The Real Deal” Rick Ziehl of Las Cruces, New Mexico won the night’s 12-lap Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Semi-Main. Driving the Gary Williams owned #41W EKR Heating & Cooling / Sutton Signs & Graphics Maxim, Ziehl was third quick in time trials, sixth in his heat race, and ran sixth in the feature after starting sixteenth. The multi-time ASCS Champion is twelfth in the “Grudge Series” and has two top-10 finishes in USAC West Coast action.
On Saturday, October 12th, the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series will return Hanford’s Kings Speedway for the final point race of the season. A champion will be crowned at the “28th Annual Cotton Classic” and will also feature the King of the West Sprint Cars and Vintage Super Modifieds. Located on the Kings County Fairgrounds at 801 South 10th Avenue, more event information can be found at www.kingsspeedway.net or calling (559) 584-RACE (7223).
The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series would like to thank Southwest Contractors, Hoosier Tire, Amsoil, BR Motorsports, Chris Kearns Presents, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, Kaeding Performance, Keizer Wheels, King Racing Products, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Rugged Radios, SBI Fuel Systems, Saldana Racing Products, Weld Racing, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, email PR Director Lance Jennings at lwjennings@earthlink.net.
——————————
USAC SOUTHWEST & WEST COAST “SPECIAL EVENT” SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS:
September 28, 2013 – Peoria, Arizona – Canyon Speedway Park – “Brawl for it All – Grudge Series”
WELD RACING TIME TRIALS:
1. Shon Deskins, 20, Deskins-13.827; 2. Colby Copeland, 74, Williams-13.834; 3. Rick Ziehl, 41W, Williams-13.881; 4. Bruce St. James, 7K, St. James-13.946; 5. Mike Martin, 16, Martin-14.026; 6. R.J. Johnson, 77M, Michaels-14.028; 7. Chris Bonneau, 78, Bonneau-14.049; 8. Mike Bonneau, 29, Bonneau-14.070; 9. Mike Spencer, 7M, Priestley-14.100; 10. Tom Ogle, 48, Ogle-14.143; 11. Michael Curtis, 11C, Turner/Wheeler-14.162; 12. Andy Reinbold, 19, Underwood-14.179; 13. Josh Pelkey, 12, Allen-14.212; 14. Charles Davis Jr., 50, Massey-14.212; 15. Damion Gardner, 4JR, Reagles-14.213; 16. Steven Harms, 60, Harms-14.240; 17. Ryan Linder, 9X, Linder/Whitney-14.285; 18. Ronnie Clark, 6, Clark-14.333; 19. Brian Hosford, 32B, Weber-14.389; 20. Tye Mihocko, 5, Mihocko-14.451; 21. Matt Lundy, 98, Lundy-14.713; 22. Mark Morin, 28, Morin-15.399; 23. James Aragon, 57X, Stone-15.541; 24. Bob Ream Jr., 8, BRAT-NT; 25. Tom Lee, 53, Lee-NT
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE #1: (8 laps)
1. Charles Davis Jr., 2. Chris Bonneau, 3. Tom Ogle, 4. Bruce St. James, 5. Shon Deskins, 6. Steven Harms, 7. Brian Hosford, 8. Tom Lee. 9. Mark Morin. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE #2: (8 laps)
1. Josh Pelkey, 2. Mike Martin, 3. Mike Bonneau, 4. Ryan Linder, 5. Colby Copeland, 6. James Aragon, 7. Michael Curtis. NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / KEIZER WHEELS HEAT RACE #3: (8 laps)
1. Ronnie Clark, 2. Mike Spencer, 3. Damion Gardner, 4. Andy Reinbold, 5. R.J. Johnson, 6. Rick Ziehl, 7. Bob Ream Jr., 8. Matt Lundy. NT
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY DASH: (6 laps)
1. Mike Spencer, 2. R.J. Johnson, 3. Mike Bonneau, 4. Chris Bonneau, 5. Colby Copeland, 6. Mike Martin, 7. Bruce St. James, 8. Shon Deskins. NT
COMPETITION SUSPENSION INC. / ROD END SUPPLY SEMI-MAIN: (12 laps)
1. Rick Ziehl, 2. Michael Curtis, 3. Brian Hosford, 4. Bob Ream Jr., 5. Matt Lundy, 6. Tye Mihocko, 7. Steven Harms, 8. James Aragon, 9. Tom Lee, 10. Mark Morin. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Mike Spencer (1st), 2. Colby Copeland (5th), 3. Josh Pelkey (12th), 4. Shon Deskins (8th), 5. Charles Davis Jr. (11th), 6. Rick Ziehl (16th), 7. Brian Hosford (18th), 8. Bob Ream Jr. (19th), 9. Tom Ogle (9th), 10. Mike Martin (6th), 11. Bruce St. James (7th), 12. Michael Curtis (17th), 13. Steven Harms (22nd), 14. Ronnie Clark (15th), 15. R.J. Johnson (2nd), 16. Ryan Linder (14th), 17. Matt Lundy (20th), 18. Chris Bonneau (4th), 19. Tye Mihocko (21st), 20. Damion Gardner (13th), 21. Mike Bonneau (3rd), 22. Andy Reinbold (10th). NT
—————————-
**Chris Bonneau flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-21 R.J. Johnson, Laps 22-30 Mike Spencer.
BR MOTORSPORTS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Brian Hosford (18th to 7th)
USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1-Danny Faria Jr.-887, 2-Richard Vander Weerd-830, 3-Bud Kaeding-804, 4-Ryan Bernal-661, 5-Rusty Carlile-626, 6-Markus Niemela-607, 7-Jace Vander Weerd-573, 8-Austin Liggett-520, 9-Landon Hurst-439, 10-Kevin Barnes-422, 11-Jeff Sibley-417, 12-Ricky Kirkbride-377, 13-Marty Hawkins-335, 14-Matt Day-301, 15-Troy Rutherford-258, 16-Chris Ennis-257, 17-Andy Ferris-251, 18-Dennis Howell-250, 19-D.J. Netto-247, 20-Kolby Araki-231.
GRUDGE SERIES SPRINT CAR POINTS:
1-Shon Deskins-117, 2-Charles Davis Jr.-106, 3-Mike Spencer-99, 4-R.J. Johnson-93, 5-Colby Copeland-88, 6-Bruce St. James-82, 7- Mike Martin-81, 8-Bryan Clauson-66, 9-Josh Pelkey-62, 10-Richard Vander Weerd-59, 11-Rusty Carlile-58, 12-Rick Ziehl-53, 13-Cory Kruseman-47, 14-Andy Reinbold-44, 15-Brian Hosford-44, 16-Bud Kaeding-42, 17-Tom Ogle-42, 18- Bob Ream Jr.-40, 19-Ryan Bernal-37, 20-Brody Roa-35.