|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC Western Classic Racing Series
#56 Ryan Bernal Wins at Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway.
RYAN BERNAL SCORES “HOME TRACK” WIN AT WATSONVILLE
By Lance Jennings
WATSONVILLE, CA – MAY 18, 2014... Taking command from Austin Liggett on lap 14, Hollister’s Ryan Bernal sailed to Friday’s USAC Western Classic / West Coast Sprint Car win at Ocean Speedway. With the $1,500 triumph, the defending champion earned his second straight USAC Western Classic (WCRS) victory of the campaign. New track record holder Markus Niemela, Austin Liggett, Nic Faas, and D.J. Johnson rounded out the top-five drivers.
Piloting the Mike Phulps owned #56 Core Power / Metal Works Maxim, Ryan Bernal scored his series high sixth feature win at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. The two-time Santa Maria track champion qualified fourth overall out of the twenty-four cars in attendance and placed fourth in his heat race. Ryan left Ocean Speedway with two feature wins, three top-10 finishes and 35 feature laps led in WCRS competition.
Markus Niemela of Rauma, Finland claimed second in the Watsonville feature. Racing Keith Ford’s #73 Berry Pack / King Racing Products Spike, Niemela earned his first Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, set a new track record, and placed fourth in his heat race. The USAC West Coast point leader has one top-10 finish with the Western Classic Sprints.
Tracy’s Austin Liggett grabbed the lead from Troy Rutherford before scoring third at Watsonville. Driving the family owned #83 Excel Environmental Services / Home Connections Inc. Spike, Liggett was ninth fast in time trials and placed fourth in his heat race. The 2012 West Coast Rookie of the Year has one top-10 finish on the season.
Nic Faas of Huntington Beach scored third at Ocean Speedway after starting fifth. Piloting Keith Ford’s #73X Berry Pack / King Racing Products Spike, Faas qualified second overall and claimed fourth in his heat race. The former USAC Western Midget Champion has one feature win, three top-10 finishes, and 20 feature laps led in 2014.
Stockton’s D.J. Johnson raced to fifth in the Watsonville feature after starting eighth. Racing the family owned #33 Unique Breeds / Proplant Farm Services Eagle, Johnson was sixth quick in time trials and claimed sixth in his heat race. To date, last season’s Rookie of the Year has one top-10 finish in the campaign.
Oakdale’s Jeff Sibley earned his first Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with an eleventh place run from twentieth. Driving the family owned #42N Western Plumbing / ButlerBuilt Seats TCR, Sibley qualified twentieth overall and claimed fifth in his heat race. Fresh off a racing trip to Cottage Grove, Oregon, Jeff is continuing to gain valuable experience.
Matt Mitchell of Yorba Linda earned his first heat race victory in the Extreme Mufflers sponsored event. Piloting his #37 MPD Racing / ART Enterprises Maxim. Mitchell was tenth fast in time trials and scored sixth in the main event. To date, the USAC/CRA standout has three top-10 finishes on the season.
Roseville’s Colby Copeland won the 10-lap Deist Safety Heat Race #2. Racing Ted Williams’ #74 Marks Bolts / M&J Trophies Maxim, Copeland qualified seventeenth and claimed twenty-first in the main event after an early exit. The versatile driver also raced in the companion winged Taco Bravo Ocean Sprint Car feature in the VanLare Steering Repair “house car.”
Marty Hawkins of Santa Rosa raced to victory in the 10-lap Saldana Racing Products Heat Race #3. Driving his #3M Susie’s Bar / Vermeil Wines Maxim, Hawkins was eighteenth fast in time trials and claimed seventeenth in the feature. Marty has recorded two top-10 finishes on the year.
The USAC Western Classic Racing Series thanks Amsoil, Hoosier Tire, Chris Kearns Presents, Competition Suspension Inc., Deist Safety, Engler Machine & Tool, Extreme Mufflers, Keizer Wheels, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Rugged Radios, Saldana Racing Products, VanLare Steering Repair, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. For more information on the USAC Western Classic Racing Series, visit www.usacracing.com, follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/WesternClassicSprints), or Twitter (www.twitter.com/USAC_WCRS).
-----------------------------------------------
USAC WESTERN CLASSIC & WEST COAST SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS:
May 16, 2014 – Watsonville, California – Ocean Speedway
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TIME TRIALS:
1. Markus Niemela, 73, Ford-12.979 (New Track Record); 2. Nic Faas, 73X, Ford-13.015; 3. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-13.107; 4. Ryan Bernal, 56, Phulps-13.023; 5. Dennis Howell, 62, Howell-13.031; 6. D.J. Johnson, 33, Johnson-13.043; 7. Bud Kaeding, 29, Bowman-13.078; 8. Troy Rutherford, 81, Watt-13.156; 9. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-13.169; 10. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-13.178; 11. Michael Pickens, 81S, Watt-13.191; 12. Landon Hurst, 179, Hurst-13.238; 13. Danny Faria Jr., 2, Bowman-13.273; 14. Trevor Schmid, 2X, Schmid-13.306; 15. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-13.350; 16. Kevin Barnes, 36B, Barnes-13.566; 17. Colby Copeland, 74, Williams-13.566; 18. Marty Hawkins, 3M, Hawkins-13.582; 19. Scott Hall, 77J, Campanile-13.586, 20. Jeff Sibley, 42N, Sibley-13.681; 21. Scott Dupont, 3X, Dupont-14.017; 22. Scott Clough, 60, Clough-15.779; 23. Chris Ennis, 86, Ennis-NT; 24. Richard Mitchell, 66, Mitchell-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. Matt Mitchell, 2. Danny Faria Jr., 3. Ryan Bernal, 4. Markus Niemela, 5. Bud Kaeding, 6. Scott Hall, 7. Kevin Barnes. NT
DEIST SAFETY HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. Colby Copeland, 2. Troy Rutherford, 3. Dennis Howell, 4. Nic Faas, 5. Jeff Sibley, 6. Trevor Schmid, 7. Michael Pickens, 8. Richard Mitchell. NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps)
1. Marty Hawkins, 2. Jace Vander Weerd, 3. Landon Hurst, 4. Austin Liggett, 5. Richard Vander Weerd, 6. D.J. Johnson, 7. Scott Dupont, 8. Scott Clough. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Ryan Bernal (4th), 2. Markus Niemela (6th), 3. Austin Liggett (1st), 4. Nic Faas (5th), 5. D.J. Johnson (8th), 6. Matt Mitchell (10th), 7. Jace Vander Weerd (15th), 8. Dennis Howell (3rd), 9. Troy Rutherford (2nd), 10. Landon Hurst (12th), 11. Jeff Sibley (20th), 12. Kevin Barnes (16th), 13. Scott Clough (22nd), 14. Michael Pickens (11th), 15. Danny Faria Jr. (13th), 16. Richard Vander Weerd (7th), 17. Marty Hawkins (18th), 18. Scott Hall (19th), 19. Scott Dupont (21st), 20. Bud Kaeding (9th), 21. Colby Copeland (17th), 22. Richard Mitchell (23rd), 23. Trevor Schmid (14th). NT
----------------------------
**Chris Ennis flipped during qualifications.
**Trevor Schmid and Michael Pickens flipped during the second heat.
**Richard Vander Weerd flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-10 Troy Rutherford, Laps 11-13 Austin Liggett, Laps 14-30 Ryan Bernal.
KEIZER WHEELS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Jeff Sibley (20th to 11th)
|
