By Lance Jennings
HANFORD, CA – MARCH 30, 2014… Regaining command after a Michael Pickens spin, Visalia’s Jace Vander Weerd sailed to the “Gary Jacob Memorial” triumph at Hanford’s Kings Speedway. With the victory, Vander Weerd became the fourth different USAC West Coast Sprint Car feature winner in the four point races held to date. Fast qualifier Nic Faas, hard charger Matt Mitchell, Markus Niemela, and Pickens followed Jace to the checkered flags.
Racing the family owned #88 Vander Weerd Construction / Battery Worx Maxim, Jace Vander Weerd earned his fourth career series win, tying Davey Pombo and T.J. Smith for eighth overall. The former USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year led the first eleven circuits before Pickens powered to the lead. As slower traffic was a factor, Pickens lengthened his advantage before a heartbreaking miscue in the fourth turn dashed his hopes for a win. With the door now opened, Vander Weerd grabbed his second win at the Kings County Fairgrounds. Earlier in the program, Jace qualified sixth out of the twenty-four racers in attendance and placed second in his heat race. With the “Jacob Memorial” win, Vander Weerd ranks second in points as the series will take a break until returning to Hanford on April 25th.
Nic Faas of Huntington Beach had a strong performance at Hanford and claimed second in the 30-lap feature. Piloting Keith Ford’s #73X Berry Pack / King Racing Products Spike, Faas nearly swept the show, earning his first Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award and winning the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. The former USAC Western Midget Champion left Kings Speedway fourth in the West Coast point standings.
Yorba Linda’s Matt Mitchell earned the night’s Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a third place run from twenty-first. Driving his #37 MPD Racing / ART Enterprises Maxim, Mitchell rebounded from a flip in time trials to score fourth in his heat race. The USAC/CRA standout is currently fifth in the point chase heading to the “Verne Brasel Classic” at Hanford.
Point leader Markus Niemela of Rauma, Finland took fourth in the Kings Speedway feature. Racing Keith Ford’s #73 Berry Pack / King Racing Products Spike, Niemela was third quick in time trials and placed fourth in his heat race. As this writing goes to press, last season’s USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year holds a twelve point advantage over the competition.
Making his first career USAC West Coast Sprint Car start, Auckland, New Zealand’s Michael Pickens led ten laps of the main event before scoring fifth at the checkered flags. Piloting Steve Watt’s #81S Christian Stover Foundation / Steve Watt Enterprises Maxim, Pickens was looking to score the “Jacob Memorial” win until spinning his machine on lap twenty-one. Restarting at the back, the veteran Midget racer sliced through the field to salvage his night with a strong finish. Earlier, Michael qualified fifth, took second in his heat race, and left Hanford twenty-third in the standings.
Richard Vander Weerd of Visalia raced to victory in the 10-lap Deist Safety Heat Race #2. Driving the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Battery Worx Maxim, Richard was second quick in time trials and scored sixteenth in the feature after mechanical problems ended his night. The 2011 Champion ranks seventh in the point chase heading to the “Verne Brasel Classic.”
After mechanical issues with his personal vehicle stranded Santa Rosa’s Marty Hawkins an hour drive from the racetrack, the young driver claimed the Saldana Racing Products Heat Race #3 victory. Arriving in time to practice his #3M Blakely Landscaping / The Toiyabe Group Maxim, Hawkins qualified eighteenth and scored ninth in the feature after starting sixteenth. Running twelfth in points, Marty plans to compete with the USAC Western Classic Sprints this weekend at Calistoga.
The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series will return to Hanford’s Kings Speedway on Saturday, April 25th, for the “Verne Brasel Classic.” The event will also feature Wing Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, and IMCA Stock Cars. 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 thanks Amsoil, Hoosier Tire, Chris Kearns Presents, Competition Suspension Inc., Deist Safety, Engler Machine & Tool, Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, Keizer Wheels, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Rugged Radios, Saldana Racing Products, SouthWest Contractors, VanLare Steering Repair, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. For more information, visit www.westcoastsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/#!/pages/
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USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS:
March 29, 2014 – Hanford, California – Kings Speedway – “Gary Jacob Memorial”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TIME TRIALS:
1. Nic Faas, 73X, Ford-15.435; 2. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-15.626; 3. Markus Niemela, 73, Ford-15.686; 4. D.J. Netto, 88N, Netto-15.710; 5. Michael Pickens, 81S, Watt-15.737; 6. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-15.867; 7. Troy Rutherford, 81, Watt-15.923; 8. Dennis Howell, 62, Howell-15.927; 9. Danny Faria Jr., 2, Bowman-16.173; 10. Ricky Kirkbride, 87, Van Meter-16.291; 11. Jeff Sibley, 42N, Sibley-16.328; 12. Jesse Denome, 6, Denome-16.425; 13. Landon Hurst, 179, Hurst-16.427; 14. Kevin Barnes, 36B, Barnes-16.651; 15. Matt Day, 97, Day-16.664; 16. Trent Carter, 13, Carter-16.716; 17. Davey Pombo, 14, Pombo-16.755; 18. Marty Hawkins, 3M, Hawkins-16.761; 19. Garrett Long, 38, Long-16.771; 20. Chris Ennis, 86, Ennis-16.821; 21. Robert Nuckles, 27, Nuckles-17.879; 22. Connor Kassik, 26, Kassik-NT; 23. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-NT; 24. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. Nic Faas, 2. Troy Rutherford, 3. D.J. Netto, 4. Ricky Kirkbride, 5. Landon Hurst, 6. Garrett Long, 7. Trent Carter. NT
DEIST SAFETY HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. Richard Vander Weerd, 2. Michael Pickens, 3. Davey Pombo, 4. Matt Mitchell, 5. Chris Ennis, 6. Barnes, 7. Jeff Sibley, 8. Dennis Howell. NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps)
1. Marty Hawkins, 2. Jace Vander Weerd, 3. Danny Faria Jr., 4. Markus Niemela, 5. Jesse Denome, 6. Matt Day, 7. Robert Nuckles. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Jace Vander Weerd (1st), 2. Nic Faas (6th), 3. Matt Mitchell (21st), 4. Markus Niemela (4th), 5. Michael Pickens (2nd), 6. Troy Rutherford (7th), 7. Danny Faria Jr. (9th), 8. Landon Hurst (13th), 9. Marty Hawkins (16th), 10. Davey Pombo (17th), 11. Ricky Kirkbride (10th), 12. Chris Ennis (18th), 13. Jeff Sibley (11th), 14. Jesse Denome (12th), 15. Robert Nuckles (20th), 16. Richard Vander Weerd (5th), 17. Matt Day (15th), 18. D.J. Netto (3rd), 19. Kevin Barnes (14th), 20. Garrett Long (19th), 21. Dennis Howell (8th). NT
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**Liggett and Mitchell flipped during qualifications. Carter flipped during first heat.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-11 Jace Vander Weerd, Laps 12-21 Michael Pickens, Laps 22-30 Jace Vander Weerd.
KEIZER WHEELS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Matt Mitchell (21st to 3rd)
USAC WEST COAST SPRINT POINT STANDINGS:
1. Markus Niemela-227, 2. Jace Vander Weerd-215, 3. Troy Rutherford-212, 4. Nic Faas-193, 5. Matt Mitchell-190, 6. Danny Faria Jr.-185, 7. Richard Vander Weerd-168, 8. Landon Hurst-157, 9. Dennis Howell-148, 10. Austin Liggett-130, 11. Kevin Barnes-94, 12. Marty Hawkins-90, 13. Chris Ennis-79, –. Brody Roa-79, 15. Davey Pombo-72, 16. Garrett Long-69, 17. Ricky Kirkbride-68, 18. Jeff Sibley-67, 19. Rusty Carlile-65, 20. J.J. Yeley-64.