By Dick Jordan
This Saturday night’s race at Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek, Ariz. concludes the 2013 USAC Southwest Sprint Car campaign, although several non-points races remain on the calendar in the coming weeks.
Following Saturday’s race, the series conducts special events Oct. 31 at Perris, Calif. and November 14-16 at Peoria, Ariz. The Perris race, part of this year’s “Budweiser Oval Nationals,” is also a “non-points” West Coast event, while the Peoria races also carry West Coast “special event” status.
R.J. Johnson and Charles Davis Jr. will decide the 2013 title chase at Queen Creek, Davis trailing Johnson by 55 points with 68 points available Saturday.
Matt Rossi of Peoria, Ariz. led all 30 laps to score an upset in last Saturday night’s race at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande. Johnson took second ahead of Mike Martin, Davis and Josh Pelkey.
Rossi, the first driver ever to win a Sprint race at Arizona Speedway, is expected to be among favorites Saturday.
2013 USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR STANDINGS: 1-R.J. Johnson-1,098, 2-Charles Davis Jr.-1,043, 3-Mike Martin-928, 4-Shon Deskins-838, 5-Ronnie Clark-786, 6-Josh Pelkey-723, 7-Andy Reinbold-709, 8-Chris Bonneau-625, 9-Brian Hosford-602, 10-Bruce St. James-579.