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Champions Emerge to Challenge Peter Murphy's Supremacy at Santa Maria Speedway by Peter Curto, 06/18/08
Refreshed from a well deserved two week-end hiatus the Bandit Series resumes its championship season at Santa Maria Speedway this season. Rested and ready the Bandit hot shoes will be in for a sweet surprise, a newly repaved and ultra fast clay surface that provided for a track record to fall for the USAC/CRA event last Saturday night. Former champ and two time season winner Danny Sheridan's Bandit track record is in serious jeopardy as 20 or more fast teams will be slinging clay at the 1/3 mile oval this week-end! Wheel stands and lots of tear offs fluttering in the wind will be in store for everyone in attendance on this gorgeous June 21st week-end!
Clovis' Peter Murphy leads the reloaded Bandits as they try to eat into his beefy lead in the over all series. "Fast" Albert Pombo trails the top dawg by 95 points with Bakersfield charger Rusty Carlile, Hanford's Jonathon Logan and the pride of Tulare Justyne Hamblin all in very close proximity to one another. Rookie star Richard VanderWeerd is in 6th with Bakersfield's "Gentleman" John Iturriria, Gilroy rookie Wes Gutierrez, Jace VanderWeerd, and Fresno's popular veteran Davey Knott round out the top 10 respectively. All come to Santa Maria with the goal of winning and turning the fortunes of racing from the mighty Tarlton and Son team of Murphy to their own favor.
Murphy not only has won 5 of 9 point events this season has been the model of consistency so far this season with a low finish of 8th place. Demonstrating more than just a heavy right foot, an uncanny ability to get the most out of a race car each and every night without fail has this team out in front a great group in this volatile form of racing. In the last series race at Kings he started the race with a sick motor and kept the black arrow flying straight to the bulls-eye at the checkers in first place. Uncertain of the out come, the skilled pilot fended of constant challenges but remained true to the course. This is what the troupe has to deal with on a weekly basis, and to make matters worse is his affable demeanor that makes him popular in the pits as well as the grand stand.
What also is new is multiple champion "Big Daddy" Davey Pombo's return to the series driving the John Iturriria white 27 machine after a couple of seasons racing the USAC/CRA series. Fresh off a 5th place USAC/CRA effort in the McGowen 11 and craving victory, fans are looking forward to a black verses white duel, with the only difference being they are both good guys and fan favorites. Also slated for return is the very popular 2 time Bandit Champion Greg Porte in his beautiful black and blue 3G ride fresh from a 5th place shake down at Kings a few weeks past. For a test, it is scary for the competition as the classy Porte team is a consistent threat to win every time the newly wed racer pushes off. If that weren't enough fellow newly wed and defending Bandit Champ Jessie Mack is set to confront the Banditos and remind his amigos just whose title they are contending for is. Mack is slated for only his second start of the 2008 season which has seen young Mack focus on business and the pleasures of beginning family life.
Visalia's Greg Bragg is due a victory in the McGowen Racing 11 as he took over the driving chores a few months ago replacing rookie T.J. Smith and since putting the black beauty in contention. The talented and accomplished Bragg has led many laps and has been frustrated over the past few events will be looking to set things straight and hoisting the trophy in victory lane. Taft's Jayson May, Fresno's Kevin Barnes, Torrance's Ron Wade, and local area racers (2006 Champion) Jeff Fiscus, Steve DeMott, Mike Larson, and Bill Jones will be in the mix battling for the big trophy. Jared Little, Newt Price, John Niggli, "Hollywood" Danny Faria and Lompoc veteran Jeff Culver are due to return after a recent absence from competition. Each of which are fully capable of pulling off a victory on the fast sticky Santa Maria clay.
The Santa Maria Bandit point chase is much closer with Murphy on top of Albert Pombo by a scant 15 point making it a hotly contested battle. Rounding out a very close and contentious top 6 in points Richard VanderWeerd leads Logan, Carlile and Hamblin with a change in standings with every finishing position. Balancing out the SMS top 10 are Iturriria, Barnes, J. VanderWeerd and Gutierrez but this will surely be altered over the next weeks with the return past championship quartet Davey Pombo, Greg Porte, Jeff Fiscus and Jessie Mack. This is going to seriously stress the status quo and add to the drama which the Bandits bring to this week-end.
This event will be a great kick off that will see 3 of the 4 races at Santa Maria. Next week will see the Bandits head to Bakersfield for their next Grand Slam date with the frothing VRA racers. The Grand Slams will be completed over the next couple of months with its culmination at Ventura on cool coastal night in August, which should be a reprieve for the hot Central Valley climate. The Banditos are set for a tough 13 week run that will end in September at Kings with a couple of weeks off before the Bandit Nationals finale in October.
Don't miss this race at Santa Maria Speedway; take in the great weather and the famous Pismo Beach Car Show to round out a great coastal week-end. Bring your family, friends, neighbors along with your friend's neighbors and your neighbors friends to "the West's Best Short Track" and enjoy the great full program of IMCA Modifieds, Factory and Mini Stocks. For ticket and general information call 805-202-1492 9-4 PM Monday through Thursday. The Santa Maria Speedway is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange, on Hutton Rd in Nipomo California.
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