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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series
#56 Ryan Bernal Wins Saturday Night Feature at Tulare. Photo by Steve Lafond / Tear-Off Heaven Fotos.
RYAN BERNAL REBOUNDS TO SCORE TULARE VICTORY
By Lance Jennings
TULARE, CA – MARCH 16, 2015... After problems sidelined his machine the previous night, Ryan Bernal of Hollister returned to victory circle at Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway. Taking the lead from Richard Vander Weerd on lap fourteen, Bernal claimed last Saturday’s $1,500 USAC West Coast Sprint Car main event. Colby Copeland, “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr., Bud Kaeding, and Vander Weerd rounded out the top-five drivers.
Racing the Mike Phulps owned #56 Tri-L Mandarin Ranch / Core Power ART, Ryan Bernal earned his series leading twenty-third career series win and third of the campaign. With twenty-two cars on hand, a pill pick / passing points format was used and the two-time USAC Western Classic Champion ran third in his heat race and ranked third in the nightly passing points. With the 30-lap victory, Ryan has taken over the point lead heading to the Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds on March 28th.
For the second night in a row, Roseville’s Colby Copeland made his way to the front with a valiant effort. Piloting Ted Williams’ #74 Bandit Racing / Marks Bolts Maxim, Copeland raced from eleventh to claim second in the 30-lap main event. Earlier in the program, the versatile driver took fourth in his heat race and ranked eleventh in passing points. Colby and the Williams Team left Thunderbowl Raceway seated third in the championship standings.
Starting sixth in the main event, “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. of Tipton scored a third place finish on Saturday night. Driving Junior Bowman’s #17V Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / SurfNSprint Spike, Faria won the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1 from sixth and was the night’s high point driver. The 2013 Champion is second in the point chase, just seven points behind Bernal.
After winning on Friday, Campbell’s Bud Kaeding earned the Saturday Diversified Machine Inc. / Ultra Shield Race Products “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a fourth place run from fourteenth. Racing Junior Bowman’s #29 Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / Kaeding Performance Maxim, Kaeding took fifth in his heat race and placed fourteenth in the nightly passing points. The 2012 Champion will concentrate his efforts in the winged sprint car wars and is currently seventh in points.
After taking the lead from Trey Marcham on the fifth lap, Richard Vander Weerd of Visalia led nine laps before scoring fifth at Tulare. Piloting the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Stone Gate Development Maxim, Vander Weerd won the 10-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #10 and ranked fourth overall in passing points. The 2011 Champion will head to the Kings Fairgrounds sitting fourth in the West Coast standings.
Tracy’s Austin Liggett drove to victory in the 10-lap Saldana Racing Products / Keizer Wheels Heat Race #3. Wheeling the family owned #83 Excel Environmental Services / Home Connections Inc. ART, Liggett was sixth in passing points and scored tenth in the Saturday night main event. The former Rookie of the Year is sixth in the championship points as the series returns to Hanford on March 28th.
On March 28th, the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series will head to the Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds in Hanford. The event will also feature the winged RaceSaver Sprint Cars, Mini Stocks, and Stock Cars. Located on the Kings County Fairgrounds at 801 South 10th Avenue, more event information can be found at www.racekingsspeedway.com or calling 559.651.1990.
The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series thanks Amsoil, Hoosier Tire, Chris Kearns Presents, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Diversified Machine Inc., Extreme Mufflers, Keizer Wheels, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Ultra Shield Race Products, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. For more information, visit www.westcoastsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/#!/pages/USAC-West-Coast-Sprint-Car-Series/369549755817), or Twitter (www.twitter.com/USACwc360). Mike Truex's Loudpedal Productions has DVDs available for purchase that feature the USAC West Coast Sprint Cars and for more information, call 805.407.7229 or visit www.loudpedalvideo.com.
The USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series would like to thank Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Tire, Hose Advantage Store, and the Racers Advantage Store for their support. For more information on the series, visit www.southwestsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, or follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SouthwestSprintCars).
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USAC WEST COAST SPRINT RACE RESULTS:
March 14, 2015 – Tulare, California – Thunderbowl Raceway
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. Danny Faria Jr. (#17V Bowman), 2. Jace Vander Weerd (#88 Vander Weerd), 3. Ryan Bernal (#56 Phulps), 4. Colby Copeland (#74 Williams), 5. Ryan Timmons (#29T Timmons), 6. Shannon McQueen (#87 Van Meter), 7. Chris Ennis (#86 Ennis), 8. Jonathan Logan (#32 Evett/Logan). NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. Richard Vander Weerd (#10 Vander Weerd), 2. D.J. Johnson (#33 Johnson), 3. Jim Richardson (#8 Richardson), 4. Tristan Guardino (#81 Watt), 5. Kevin Barnes (#36B Barnes), 6. Matt Day (#97 Day), 7. Tye Mihocko (#5 Mihocko). NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / KEIZER WHEELS HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps)
1. Austin Liggett (#83 Liggett), 2. Landon Hurst (#179 Hurst), 3. Trey Marcham (#73 Ford), 4. Brody Roa (#48 Leonard), 5. Bud Kaeding (#29 Bowman), 6. Jeff Sibley (#42N Sibley). NT
ALSO AT TRACK: Nathan Washam (#17 Shanoian)
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Ryan Bernal (4th), 2. Colby Copeland (11th), 3. Danny Faria Jr. (6th), 4. Bud Kaeding (14th), 5. Richard Vander Weerd (3rd), 6. Trey Marcham (2nd), 7. D.J. Johnson (5th), 8. Jace Vander Weerd (8th), 9. Ryan Timmons (13th), 10. Austin Liggett (1st), 11. Landon Hurst (7th), 12. Jim Richardson (9th), 13. Tristan Guardino (10th), 14. Brody Roa (12th), 15. Tye Mihocko (19th), 16. Jeff Sibley (16th), 17. Chris Ennis (20th), 18. Kevin Barnes (15th), 19. Matt Day (17th). NT
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**Mihocko flipped during the second heat.
**McQueen, Logan, and Washam did not start feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-4 Marcham, Laps 5-13 R.Vander Weerd, Laps 14-30 Bernal.
DIVERSIFIED MACHINE INC. / ULTRA SHIELD RACE PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER: Bud Kaeding (14th to 4th)
NEW WEST COAST SPRINT POINT STANDINGS:
1. Ryan Bernal 178, 2. Danny Faria Jr. 171, 3. Colby Copeland 166, 4. Richard Vander Weerd 145, 5. Jace Vander Weerd 136, 6. Austin Liggett 133, 7. Bud Kaeding 122, 8. Landon Hurst 117, 9. Trey Marcham 110, 10. D.J. Johnson 105, 11. Stevie Sussex 72, 12. Tristan Guardino 71, ---. Ryan Timmons 71, 14. Tye Mihocko 69, 15. Jim Richardson 64, 16. Charles Davis Jr. 63, 17. Matt Mitchell 62, ---. Jeff Sibley 62, 19. Hunter Schuerenberg 57, 20. Kevin Barnes 53.
2015 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
March 28: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds - Hanford, CA
April 4: Bakersfield Speedway - Bakersfield, CA
April 11: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA
May 16: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA (Chris & Brian Faria Memorial)
May 30: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA
June 20: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA
June 27: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds - Hanford, CA
July 25: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA (Peter Murphy Classic)
August 1: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds - Hanford, CA
August 22: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA (Bud Stanfield Memorial)
September 26: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Brawl For It All / $2,500-to-Win / Grudge Series / Non-Points)
October 3: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds - Hanford, CA
October 10: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA (KRC Safety Fall Shootout)
November 19: *USA Raceway - Tucson, AZ (Western World Championships / Grudge Series)
November 20: *USA Raceway - Tucson, AZ (Western World Championships / Grudge Series)
November 21: *USA Raceway - Tucson, AZ (Western World Championships / Grudge Series)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC Southwest Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.
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