By Scott Daloisio
(Perris, CA, November 18, 2015) A star studded field is expected for the historic 75th running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix for the Honda USAC National and Western Midget Series’ at Perris Auto Speedway on Thanksgiving Night. The Thanksgiving Night 98-Lap Classic is the longest running and most historic midget race in the world.
Heading the list of drivers is young NASCAR star Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, California. The winner of the 2012 Turkey Night Grand Prix, Larson stated his intentions to race at the famous Riverside County Clay oval on Thanksgiving in National Speed Sport News earlier this week.
“As soon as our season (NASCAR Sprint Cup) is done I’ll go to Perris to do the Turkey Night,” said Larson, who finished third in the 2014 Turkey Night Grand Prix. “I’ll do the first three nights at Cocopah Speedway and then I’ll do the Chili Bowl. So that’ll be my open-wheel schedule for the offseason. I’d like to (run more open-wheel races), but I just don’t know about that. I’d have to get permission,”
NASCAR star Kyle Larson on his way to a third place finish in last year’s Turkey Night Grand Prix. Please give photo credit to Doug Allen.
Larson will be part of a potent five-car Speedway Toyota powered team entered by legendary car owner Keith Kunz. Larson’s teammates will be defending Turkey Night Grand Prix winner Christopher Bell of Norman, Oklahoma, Rutherford, California’s Rico Abreu, who made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut last Friday in Phoenix and who is entered into this Fridays truck race in Miami, Cullman, Alabama’s Kevin Thomas Jr, who led the first 22 laps at last week’s Oval Nationals at The PAS and Minden, Nevada’s Tanner Thorson, who is currently third in USAC National points.
Norman, Oklahoma’s Christopher Bell after winning last year’s Turkey Night Grand
Prix at Perris Auto Speedway. Please give photo credit to Doug Allen.
New Castle, Indiana’s Tracy Hines comes into the final race of the season as the USAC National point leader. He holds a slender 27-point lead over Thomas and a 33-point advantage over Thorson. Hines is attempting to become only the sixth driver in history to win the USAC Triple Crown of Championships (Silver Crown, Sprint Car and Midget). The five drivers who have won the Triple Crown previously are Tony Stewart, J.J. Yeley, Dave Darland, Pancho Carter and Jerry Coons Jr. Hines won the Silver Crown title in 2000 and the Sprint Car championship in 2002. This year will be the last shot for the 43-year-old to win the midget title as it is his last event as a full-time racer before moving into a permanent position as competition director for the ThorSport Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Series.
New Castle, Indiana’s Tracy Hines, the current point leader, will be trying to sew up his first ever USAC National Midget championship at the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Perris Auto Speedway on Thanksgiving night. Please give photo credit to Doug Allen.
One of the favorite’s for the race that first took place in 1934 at Gilmore Stadium (now the site of CBS Studios) in Hollywood is Noblesville, Indiana’s Bryan Clauson. A perennial front runner whenever he visits The PAS, Clauson ran away from the field and won the 20th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals and the $25,000.00 first place check that goes with it last Saturday night. Clauson already has two Turkey Night Grand Prix winner’s trophies sitting on his mantel having won the race at the Irwindale Speedway in 2009 and 2010.
Topping the list of USAC Western Midget regulars is local favorite Ronnie Gardner of Corona. The grandson of five-time Indianapolis 500 starter Ronnie Duman, Gardner, 27, has sewed up his third straight USAC Western Midget title. On his drive to the top spot this year, Gardner posted two wins and finished in the top five in eight of the 11 series races in 2015.
Another favorite with a somewhat local flare is Concord, California’s Damion Gardner. No relation to Ronnie Gardner, Damion, who is also known as “The Demon,” is one of the winningest drivers in the history of Perris Auto Speedway. He has already won the USAC/CRA championship three times and is the current series point leader heading into the final races of the year at USA Raceway in Tucson, Arizona this weekend. Two years ago Gardner nearly won the Turkey Night Grand Prix only to lose a rear wheel while leading with just four laps to go in the 98-lap grind.
In addition to the current stars of the race, the greatest driver in the history of the Turkey Night Grand Prix, 8-time winner Ron Shuman and his car owner Larry Howard, will serve as co-grand marshals.
Advance tickets are available 24-hours a day by calling (800) 595-4849 or online at: http://pas.tix.com/Schedule.aspx?OrgNum=7. For fans who choose not to buy advance tickets, there will be plenty of tickets available for everyone at the track on race night.
Camping will be available for $25.00 per night for beginning at noon on Wednesday, November 25th.
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.
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