Perris, CA — (March 2, 2016) — Just when you thought it could get any tougher for the local stars in the “Sokola Shootout” at Perris Auto Speedway’s 21st season opener on Saturday night, another out of town racer has cast his helmet into the ring in an effort to win the prestigious race. Young New Mexico star Josh Hodges will be journeying to the legendary Riverside County half-mile clay oval in an effort to take home the winner’s share of the booty. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 PM and racing will start at 7:00 on Saturday.
Hodges, a 21-year-old mechanical engineering student at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, has gotten off to a phenomenal start in 2016. In the five race Winter Challenge Series at Arizona’s Canyon Speedway Park in January, he made five starts and won two of the main events. In the three races he did not win, he never placed out of the top five with a second, fourth and fifth place finish.
In addition to Hodges, defending Oval Nationals champion & Indy 500 veteran Bryan Clauson of Noblesville, Indiana and three-time Oval Nationals winner Dave Darland of Lincoln, Indiana will also be in the field on Saturday.
Clauson is in the midst of what he is calling the “Circle Insanity Tour” where he will contest 200 races, including the Indianapolis 500, in 2016. Thus far, he has raced 22 times and already has five wins including the USAC National Sprint Car Series opener in Ocala, Florida two weeks ago. In addition to the five wins, the 26-year-old native of Carmichael, California has 11 top five’s and 16 top 10’s.
In addition to racing in Florida in 2016, Clauson has competed in New Zealand, Oklahoma, Texas and Arizona. His latest result was a 7th place finish with the World of Outlaws on Saturday night at Royal Purple Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas. Before making his way to The PAS on Saturday, Clauson will be racing with the World of Outlaws on Thursday and Friday at the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Darland, also known as “The People’s Champ” due to his popularity with fans around the country, has been one of the most successful visiting drivers in the 20 season history of Perris Auto Speedway. The likeable veteran has won the Budweiser Oval Nationals three-times (2005, 2006 and 2013) and the 98-lap Turkey Night Grand Prix on Thanksgiving in 2013.
Darland, who is the USAC National Sprint Cars Series all-time leading winner with 57 victories, was the National Champion in 1999. Over the winter, he received the prestigious “Thomas J. Schmeh Award” from the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions to the sport.
“All I can say is the locals had better be on their game this Saturday night,” promoter Don Kazarian said Monday afternoon. “With the likes of Dave Darland, Bryan Clauson and Josh Hodges as well as local stars Damion Gardner, Mike Spencer, Richard Vander Weerd and all of the rising young stars in the USAC/CRA Series, this may be the toughest season opener we have ever had.”
In addition to all of the regular stars and the visiting heroes who will be competing on the USAC/CRA portion of the program, The PAS Young Gun and Senior Sprint Car Series’ will also be in action.
Adult tickets for Saturday’s race are $25.00. Seniors 65 and older get in for $20.00. For active military members with proper id, students 13-18 with their school id and kids 6-12, it is only $5.00. Children 5 and under get in for free.
Camping is available on the fairgrounds beginning at noon on Friday. Tailgating will commence in the main spectator parking lot at 1:00 PM on Saturday.
Tickets for the season opener and all 2016 shows, with the exception of the April World of Outlaws date, are available by calling 1-800-595-4849 or online at http://pas.tix.com/Schedule.aspx?OrgNum=7. Fans wanting to purchase World of Outlaws tickets can do so by calling 1-844-247-8849 or go online at: https://dirtcar.ticketforce.com/ordertickets.asp?p=667&backurl=default.asp