By Scott Daloisio
(Perris, CA, April 21, 2021) When Perris Auto Speedway hosts its first Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car race in nearly a year and a half this Saturday night, April 24th, one familiar and popular face will not be in the grandstands. Shawn McDonald, known as the “World’s #1 Sprint Car Fan” to attendees of the famous Riverside County half-mile clay oval, passed away last June. However, his friends Lew Miller and Scott Martin, decided to keep his memory and spirit alive. At every USAC/CRA race at The PAS this year, the sixth fastest qualifier and sixth place finisher in the main will each get an extra $100.00 in his memory.
Initially, a lot of different ideas were tossed around before the decision was made to use the number of his favorite driver. That driver is “Super” Rickie Gaunt. The bond between the two was amazing and when Gaunt heard that his friend was in tough shape last June, he dropped what he was doing and paid him a visit.
“Shawn had many favorite drivers,” Miller said. “But his all-time favorite driver was “Super” Rickie Gaunt. He drove many cars over the years, but he is probably best known for driving the #66. So beginning with the Saturday April 24th race and every USAC 410 race at Perris Auto Speedway throughout the year including the Oval Nationals (11 races), the sixth fastest qualifier and the sixth-place finisher in the A main will receive $100 in memory of Shawn.”
Past Oval Nationals and USAC/CRA champion and now USAC/CRA Race Director Tony Jones, is pleased with the new award and has fond memories of Shawn.
“To us (drivers), Shawn was a racer, so it means a lot that friends and family have come up and put some money up there to remember him,” Jones said. “He was at every race. Him coming down after the races to be with the drivers, that was his commitment to us. We looked forward to him coming down and being able to spend our time talking to him. When I was a racer, it meant a lot to me to talk to him after the races. I had a lot of respect at how big his heart was. He had the heart of a racer and he was there for us.”
Fans can see who gets the “Shawn McDonald Money” for the first time on Saturday at the Sokola Shootout. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00. Adult tickets are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. Kids 6-12 are $5.00 and children 5 and under are free. The fairgrounds charges $10.00 for parking. Camping on the fairgrounds is available for $25.00 per night beginning at noon on Friday.
Due to COVID restrictions, tickets for this race are only available at tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7. There will be no walk-up ticket sales for this event. Also, face coverings and social distancing between groups other than your own will be mandatory.
Online tickets for 2021 Perris Auto Speedway races are on sale at tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7. Fans will be able to purchase tickets online at the link up until 7:00 p.m. each race night. The entire 2021 schedule is available at the bottom of this release.
Fans can stay up to date on track and driver news on The PAS social media efforts at the links below.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Perris-Auto-Speedway/113876798686480?ref=hl
Twitter: Perris Auto Speedway on Twitter.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perrisautospeedway/
Website: http://perrisautospeedway.com/
Perris Auto Speedway is conveniently located on the SoCal Fair and Event Center (home of the 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, on the Ramona Expressway and go three miles east to the fairgrounds. For directions on MapQuest, the address to enter is: 18700 Lake Perris Drive and the zip code is 92571.
Perris Auto Speedway wants to thank the following corporate partners. Ahern Equipment Rentals, All Coast Construction, Battery Systems, Budweiser, Bud’s Tire Pro, Chris’ Hauling, City of Perris, Communication Innovations, Daytona Boat & RV Storage, Ed Moore Bullet Proof Driveshaft, Flowdynamics, HD Industries, Hoosier Tires, Inland Rigging, Living Water’s Hospice, LKQ Pick Your Part, Luke’s Transmission, Moose Racing, Pepsi-Cola, Pole Position, PrintItNow.com, Rainbow Bolt & Supply, Rugged Radios, Shaver Specialties, Square H, Sunoco Race Fuels, Trench Shoring, Upland Rock, Varner Construction and Vista Paint.
Video and DVD productions of all racing sprint cars 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 website LoudPedal Productions.
DVDs of all the PASSCAR/IMCA racing and Nights of Destruction at The PAS are available from Fourvideos. For more information call (714) 225-9500.
mailto:perrisautospeedway1@gmail.com is the only authorized Internet address to issue official media news released from The Perris Auto Speedway or Oval Entertainment.