By Richie Murray
Perris, California (October 29, 2022)………The field continues to grow for the 26th running of the Heimark Anheuser Busch Budweiser Oval Nationals at Perris Auto Speedway.
Seven more entries have pushed the entry list to 41 drivers and teams for the November 3-4-5 event which culminates with Saturday night’s $20,000-to-win, $1,000-to-start finale, co-sanctioned by the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship and the AMSOIL USAC CRA Sprint Cars.
Among the latest entries are a two-car effort from Team AZ Racing featuring drivers Jake Swanson and Jason McDougal. Swanson (Anaheim, Calif.) captured the opening night prelim at the Oval Nationals in 2021 in one of the closest finishes in USAC National Sprint Car history.
Four past Oval Nationals winners are entered for the event, including three-time champions Kevin Thomas Jr. and Damion Gardner, plus one-time winners C.J. Leary and Robert Ballou.
In addition, Justin Grant and Brady Bacon, who are currently ranked first and second, respectively, in the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship point standings, are entered as they both pursue their first Oval Nationals crown. Both drivers have previously won prelim night features during the event.
Tickets for the 26th Annual Heimark Anheuser Busch Budweiser Oval Nationals are on sale online at www.perrisautospeedway.com or by calling 1-800-595-4849. For those who do not wish to buy tickets in advance, there will be tickets available for everyone at the ticket window all three nights.
In addition to the three nights of racing, there will be a practice for Oval Nationals entered cars on Wednesday, November 2. The practice will begin at 6pm Pacific and it will be free for fans in the grandstands. In addition, fans will be treated to $2 pizza, beer and soda.
2022 OVAL NATIONALS ENTRIES SO FAR
(AS OF OCTOBER 29)
NO./DRIVER/HOMETOWN/TEAM
1 DAMION GARDNER/Concord, CA (Mark Alexander)
1$ NATE SCHANK/Santa Rosa, CA (Nate Schank)
2 AUSTIN WILLIAMS/Yorba Linda, CA (Rip Williams)
4 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (TOPP Motorsports)
4G CHRIS GANSEN/Verdemont Heights, CA (Gansen Engineering Motorsports)
5 TYE MIHOCKO/Phoenix, AZ (Tim Mihocko)
5w LOGAN WILLIAMS/Yorba Linda, CA (John & Tammy McCarthy)
5T DAN TAYLOR/Reily, OH (Dan Taylor)
5x TOMMY MALCOLM/Corona, CA (Dino Napier)
6 ©LOGAN CALDERWOOD/Goodyear, AZ (Rex Calderwood)
8m CHASE JOHNSON/Penngrove, CA (May Motorsports)
12 ROBERT BALLOU/Rocklin, CA (Ballou Motorsports)
12x DANNY SHERIDAN/Santa Maria, CA (Robbie & Gaye Allen)
14 JADON ROGERS/Worthington, IN (The Engler Family)
15 CHRIS BONNEAU/Phoenix, AZ (Chris Bonneau)
17GP KEVIN THOMAS JR./Cullman, AL (Michael Dutcher Motorsports)
19AZ ®MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, CA (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
21 A.J. BENDER/San Diego, CA (Kim & Richard Bender)
21AZ JAKE SWANSON/Anaheim, CA (Team AZ Racing)
22AZ JASON McDOUGAL/Broken Arrow, OK (Team AZ Racing)
28m MATT McCARTHY/Riverside, CA (John & Tammy McCarthy)
33m MATT WESTFALL/Pleasant Hill, OH (Ray Marshall Motorsports)
34 STERLING CLING/Tempe, AZ (Sterling Cling Racing)
39E KYLE EDWARDS/Fountain Valley, CA (Gordon Edwards)
39T TROY DeGATON/Live Oak, CA (Troy DeGaton)
41 ®RICKY LEWIS/Oxnard, CA (Stensland-Halley Motorsports)
42 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Dwight Cheney)
44 CODY WILLIAMS/Corona, CA (Cody Williams)
47 CHARLES DAVIS JR./Buckeye, AZ (Charles Davis Jr.)
47BC ®EMERSON AXSOM/Franklin, IN (Clauson Marshall Newman Racing)
51 R.J. JOHNSON/Laveen, AZ (Bobby Martin Racing)
51T EDDIE TAFOYA JR./Chino Hills, CA (Eddie Tafoya Sr.)
69 BRADY BACON/Broken Arrow, OK (Dynamics, Inc.)
71 BRENT OWENS/Rancho Cucamonga, CA (Martin Russell)
72 AUSTIN GRABOWSKI/Riverside, CA (Austin Grabowski)
72 GARY MARSHALL JR./Pomona, CA (John Bellegante)
74 SHANE SEXTON/Warner Springs, CA (Sexton-Gatlin Racing)
77m C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Michael Motorsports)
91R BRODY ROA/Garden Grove, CA (BR Performance)
98 VERNE SWEENEY/Lomita, CA (Ken Tracy)
214 JAKE NEAL/Omaha, NE (Brian Kracht)
OVAL NATIONALS WINNERS
1996 – Jimmy Sills
1997 – Rip Williams
1998 – Rodney Argo
1999 – Rickie Gaunt
2000 – Tony Jones
2001 – Bud Kaeding
2002 – Bud Kaeding
2003 – Cory Kruseman
2004 – Cory Kruseman
2005 – Dave Darland
2006 – Dave Darland
2007 – Bud Kaeding
2008 – Jesse Hockett
2009 – Damion Gardner
2010 – Chris Windom
2011 – Damion Gardner
2012 – Mike Spencer
2013 – Dave Darland
2014 – Robert Ballou
2015 – Bryan Clauson
2016 – Damion Gardner
2017 – Kevin Thomas Jr.
2018 – Kevin Thomas Jr.
2019 – C.J. Leary
2020 – No Race
2021 – Kevin Thomas Jr.