By Scott Daloisio
(Perris, CA, August 19, 2015) The greatest driver in the history of the prestigious Turkey Night Grand Prix, Mesa, Arizona’s Ron Shuman, has been named grand marshal of the historic running of the 75th edition of the race at Perris Auto Speedway on Thanksgiving Night. The race will match the Honda USAC National and Western Midgets.
The announcement was made to an appreciative crowd last Saturday night when infield announcer Chris Holt interviewed Shuman at the USAC/CRA Sprint Car race at the famous Riverside County racing facility. About an hour earlier promoter Don Kazarian asked Shuman if he would be grand marshal while he was signing autographs in the track sports bar and the racing legend gladly accepted.
“Some of the greatest drivers in racing history have won the Turkey Night Grand Prix including A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Tony Stewart, Bill Vukovich and Kyle Larson just to name a few,” Kazarian said. “However, no driver with the exception of Ron Shuman has won it more than three times and he won it an amazing eight times. And, if it had not been for a flat tire on a last lap, he would have won it nine times. To show how impressive he was at Turkey Night, you can take all of the other drivers who won it and you cannot combine three of them to get as many wins as Ron Shuman had.”
Ron Shuman hoists the trophy after winning the 1981 Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ascot. Please give photo credit to Scott Daloisio.
Shuman won his first ever Turkey Night Grand Prix at J.C. Agajanian’s legendary Ascot Park in Gardena in 1979. He then proceeded to win the next three years after that as well. After a one-year hiatus from victory circle on Thanksgiving in 1983, Shuman again won at Ascot in 1984. His last win in the race at Ascot came in 1987. After Ascot closed in 1990, the Turkey Night Grand Prix hit the road at a number of different tracks and Shuman visited victory at Bakersfield in 1992 and 1993.
When Shuman presides over the Turkey Night Grand Prix on Thanksgiving, it will mark the fourth straight year the race has been back on dirt at The PAS after 13 successive years on the pavement at Irwindale. Kyle Larson, Dave Darland and Christopher Bell have won the races at The PAS since 2012. The first time the race was ever staged at The PAS in 1996, Billy Boat scored his second of three Turkey Night Grand Prix wins. With the exception of Shuman, he is the only other driver to have won the holiday classic more than two-times.
On his way to the win in the 1981 Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ascot, Ron Shuman races to the inside of 1974 Turkey Night Grand Prix winner Danny McKnight. Scott Daloisio Photo.
Advance tickets for the historic 75th Turkey Night Grand Prix are available 24-hours a day online at the following link http://pas.tix.com/Schedule.aspx?OrgNum=7 or by calling 1-800-595-4849.
Camping is available for $25.00 per night for all PAS events. The campground opens at noon the day before each event. Tailgating in the spectator parking lot will begin at 1:00 PM for all PAS events as well.
Perris Auto Speedway wants to thank its corporate sponsors for the 2015 season. AA Lynco Painting, All Coast Construction, All Seasons Tree Repair, Amsoil, Archibald’s Restaurants, Ayers Hotel and Spa, BlueLine Rentals, Budweiser, California Budget Finance, CamGuard, Champion Towing, City of Perris, Perris Com Ecco, Daytona Boat & RV Storage, Drop Zone, Edelbrock, Engine Pro, Harry’s Café, HD Industries, Hoosier Tires, Horizon Solar, K&N Engineering, Livingwaters Hospice, Luke’s Transmission, Moon Nursery, Paul Oil Company, Pepsi-Cola, Pick-A-Part Auto Salvage, Pizza Factory, Red Lion Inns and Suites, Robert Dempster, Scott Sales, Shaver Racing Engines, Sherwin-Williams, Stassines Cross, Square H, Swedish Speed, Trench Shoring, US Foods and Valley News.
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Video and DVD productions of all racing events at Perris Auto Speedway are available from Loudpedal Productions. For more information on these productions you can contact them by calling (805) 844-3854, E-mailing mailto:trtruex@gmail.com or you can visit the web site LoudPedal Productions
Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds (home of October’s Southern California Fair), approximately one hour east of Los Angeles and one hour North of San Diego. To get to the track, take the 215 freeway, exit on the Ramona Expressway and go three miles east to the fairgrounds.
racesatthepas@aol.com is the only authorized Internet address to issue official media news released from The Perris Auto Speedway or Oval Entertainment.
2015 PERRIS AUTO SPEEDWAY SCHEDULE
August 29 PASSCAR Series – Street Stocks, Super Stocks, Factory Stocks, IMCA Modifieds
September 5 NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION V – Figure 8 Racing, Figure 8 Trailer Race, Democross, Spectator Races, Block Party
September 12 PASSCAR Series – Street Stocks, Super Stocks, Factory Stocks, IMCA Modifieds
September 19 “Glen Howard Classic” USAC/CRA Sprint Cars, PAS Senior Sprints, PAS Young Guns and California Lightning Sprint Cars
October 3-11 Southern California Fair
October 3 MONSTER TRUCKS – 1:30 & 7:30
October 4 MONSTER TRUCKS – 1:30 & 7:30
October 10 Democross & Spectator Races 1:30, PASSCAR Street Stocks, Democross & Spectator Races 7:30
October 11 Demolition Derbies 1:30 & 7:30
October 24 PASSCAR Series – Street Stocks, Super Stocks, Factory Stocks, IMCA Modifieds
November 7 PASSCAR CAMPIONS NIGHT PASSCAR Series – Street Stocks, Super Stocks, Factory Stocks, IMCA Modifieds
November 11 Oval National Practice
November 12 20th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals USAC National & CRA Sprint Cars
November 13 20th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals USAC National & CRA Sprint Cars
November 14 20th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals USAC National & CRA Sprint Cars
November 25 Turkey Night Grand Prix Practice
November 26 Agajanian Enterprises and Oval Entertainment, LLC Present the 75th Running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix USAS National and Western Midgets
SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE