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Bandit Season Finale to Cap Season at Santa Maria with 40 Lapper "No Entry Fee Nationals"

By Peter the pretty good, Bandit Series Director 805-305-9884

The 2008 Bandit Sprint Car Series is coming to a very successful close with a magnificent 40 lapper at Dave Swindell's Santa Maria Speedway. The venerable series wraps-up its 14^th year at the ultra fast high banked 1/3 mile clay oval in the heart of the central California coast. Santa Maria will host this week-ends heavy duty "No Entry Fee Nationals" as a lighthearted response to all of the season ending races that are charging an entry fee in addition to the pit pass and back gate costs to racer teams. Bring your car, buy pit passes and go racing is the theme for this great event. Swindell also felt a 40 lapper $1,500 to win would be a fitting finale to the 14^th season of the series he founded so many years ago and remains close to his dirt track racing heart.

America's favorite Aussie import Peter Murphy rolls up to the finale already anointed as the 2008 Champion for the Bandit Series, the Grand Slam Challenge Series, the Kings Speedway track championship and Santa Maria Speedway championship. If Bakersfield offered a track championship he would have won that too as he swept all 3 events and that historic venue. Nearly perfect Peter totals 1,137 points is on top of the 60 teams that earned Bandit Series points this season, excluding Grand Slam event entrants. The Clovis resident and family guy earned his glory this year with an amazing series win record 11 features in the 23 races held to date, but the amazing feat was that he only finished out of the top 10 one time! I am serious, when does that happen in a sprint car? Like never! The unprecedented consistency led to the most dominant season in the great history of the Bandits. If this were the end of the story it would have been a dull season and a bore, but that could not be further from the truth. Peter earned the championship on the backs of his team who provided him with well prepared equipment and for the tremendous field of teams who fought and battled all year with the black 21 at Santa Maria, Kings, Bakersfield and Ventura for all 23 nights to date.

Murphy has been pursued by a significant posse and several bounty hunters who have won a few battles while he was on his way to winning the war. Multiple race winners include the always popular crowd pleaser Hollywood Dan Faria (3), Visalia rookie Richard VanderWeerd (2), former Bandit champ and Santa Maria's own USAC star Danny "Showtime" Sheridan (2) who all went toe to toe with the champ. Others who tallied a winning round included Tarlton team-mate Michael Faccinto; Bandit contenders Rusty Carlile and sophomore star Justyne Hamblin; BCRA star and Bandit rookie Justine Grant; and 2007 VRA and Grand Slam champ Greg Taylor all came in swinging from the heals. All of these racers are expected to compete this week-end and reiterate their claim to the top podium spot at promoter Dave Swindell's No Entry Nationals.

The point's battle is on for the runner-up spot though as a strong finishing Rusty Carlile has overtaken a staggered but not downed "Fast" Albert Pombo and leads by a scant 13 points. Pombo who can finish 2^nd has his 3^rd place spot being challenged by Justyne Hamblin who is behind by a mere 14 points. Also rookie Tyler Schmidt off to a late start is working on earning a top 10 spot in the point standings but has his work cut out for him as he is 15 points behind the wily and popular Fresno veteran Davey Knott.

The Rookie-of-the-Year is a wrap as Visalia's Richard VanderWeerd has proven to be the king of the rookie hill. With 2 wins he sits 5^th in points and is comfortably 39 points in front of biggest challenger and former womb-mate Jace VanderWeerd who resides comfortably in 6^th place. In the top 20 there are total of 8 rookies including the famed framer Rick Eberhardt from Livermore (9^th), San Martin's Wes Gutierrez (14^th), Bakersfield's Ricky Kirkbride (15), Hanford's own Jared Little (18), and the impressive T.J. Smith in 19th. Justine Grant is the only other rookie to score a win and three top 10's but in only 3 appearances after buying out the Newt Price operation in August is eligible for 2009 rookie honors and is currently 35^th in series points. Modified graduate and 2009 rookie contender Chris Ennis is also fast, competitive and eager to show his skills.

Jayson May is 7^th in points but has been a very strong contender during the second half of the season and Kevin Barnes who has had his season interrupted twice with power plant problems are both contenders for their first feature wins of the season. Greg Porte should be back on track with his fast, fast racer after a devastating flip and intense work schedule impared his participation recently. Other strong contenders for the win and likely entrants include visitors like "the real outlaw" Brandon Thomson, Clark Templeman III, Derek Buckley, Josh Ford, Kevin Kierce and Bruce Douglass among others. Many competitive sprint car drivers are expected to enter because there are no other competing events and large purse is up for grabs.

With USAC not racing, will Bandito Champion Danny Sheridan ride into town with the Kittle Brothers flying circus and internationally famous BBQ crew? The track prep team of Sneed, Hanson and Swindell promised a wheel standing fast track and the "Showtime's" track record is in jeopardy, especially by Danny who is due to see the mark lowered by the great conditions seen this season. The 13.354 mark was set on established September 11^th, 2004 and the USAC/CRA mark is not much lower at 13.230 set by blazing Blake Miller in his crash and burn special this past June 14^th. The record is seemingly about the only accomplishment that has eluded the Tarlton team, but there are dozens of others that can lower the mark which is almost ancient and due for a reset.

One driver who will not be on track, Davey Pombo is recovering from serious surgery but has been supervising "Fast" Albert's effort. Another is 2007 champion Jessie Mack who helped the VanderWeerd team to their best team result of the year. Dad Ron appreciated the help. Mack did not want to be there though; his heart is behind the wheel of a car. He is looking for a 2009 ride and says he can bring a new frame and tire and fuel sponsorship to the mix. Not bad. Davey timed his surgery for a full out assault on the 2009 Championship and has teamed with Bandit stalwart John Iturriria earlier this year in preparation for a championship run.

On what is forecasted to be one of the signature coastal week-ends with a 75 degree high and a crystal clear evening, the traditional season ending Barbecue's, revelry and partying are set for the parking lot around the famous billboard. Ricky Chira, a great and dedicated race fan will be carrying on a tradition by running his usual 3 or 4 Santa Maria Style BBQ pits with tri-tip, sausage and what ever else that night from the side of Tony Pombo's motor coach. I have committed tri-tips and stuff to the celebration. Everybody who wants to participate is welcome from what Ricky has reported. He even said he was going to bring some shrimp for the "Barbie" in honor of the champ. Many of the other folks bring pits and join in or come and hang out until the wee hours of the morning. So bring your favorite beverages and be prepared to swap stories and have a great time! It has traditionally been a family friendly gathering with lot's of laughter and gaiety. It is off season in the coastal resort business so get a room or plan on camping. Camping is always free at Santa Maria Speedway- spend the week-end and play at the beach.

Bandit Sprint Cars, a Mini Stocks Open and the famous VRA Dwarf Cars are on the card for this premium show. Ticket info is available by calling the office at 805-202-1492 during normal business hours, 9am-4pm Tuesday – Thursday. Santa Maria Speedway features reserved terrace seating, a family section and is the most fan oriented racing facility in the western United States as represented by the efficiently run show and by the fan base that supports the track on a weekly basis. The concession stands feature the coldest, most refreshing soft drinks and great food to feed the masses. The great souvenir booth and a junior fan program for youngsters 5-12 years of age is one of the family and fan friendly atmosphere promoted at the 44 year young venue. For adult beverages visit Greg Rowan and his famously popular and unique mud proof beer cups. He'll pour your choice of cold beverage (I recommend the Blue Moon on tap with a slice of orange) in the only cups that promise not to get any mud tossed in the open cup from the churning tires of a sprinting sprinter! The catch??? Again, there isn't any catch, the beverages are so good and so cold that it gets drank faster than the mud can fly into the cup- so the legend goes!

So for a good time call Joann or Dave at 805-202-1492 for ticket information and directions to the West's Best Short Track, Santa Maria Speedway which is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange, on Hutton Rd in Nipomo California. Bring your friends and family and a stranger or two for the "Peter the Pretty Good October Special"- two tickets for the price of four and world class Bandit Sprint Car entertainment worth 1000 times the price! Ok, it's really still two tickets for the price of two tickets but the entertainment is always worth 1000 times the price in my well reasoned and brilliant opinion!

It has all the fixins of a rootin', toot'n hootin' and a hollerin' good ol' time at Dave Swindell's OK Corral! See you all there and say hello to a one-eyed fat man sometime!

GENERAL RULES 2008

The following are general rules that will be followed for the running of the 2008 BANDIT/ VRA Grand Slam Series. All other competing cars are to be generally specified as Bandit 360 or VRA 360 Series legal cars sprint cars with the key common following items:

1. All cars must run the VRA approved unmolested Extreme or Spin-tech 180-degree quiet mufflers. Without these you cannot compete!

2. All cars must run an approved, unmolested ASCS gasket even if they are running ASCS heads. Must be installed with logo to the top and tabs intact.

3. The right rear tire must be a Hoosier sprint car RC3 102/16-15 or run a VRA Stamped 102/16-15 tire as used in the VRA series.

4. Left rear to be a Hoosier RC1 or D-12 98 or 100" Hoosier sprint car tire. No D10's or DR-12 allowed.

5. Minimum weight of car to be 1,500lbs with driver at the conclusion of the feature event.

6. No rotating Titanium parts in engine, driveline and brake rotors. Titanium wheel bolts are ok. Titanium parts allowed are shock pins, torsion bar stops, kingpins and spindle bolts.

7. No down nozzle injectors.

8. Injector restrictors not required, may be run if you wish.

9. HEADS: 23-degree valve angle heads only +/- 1 degree. No 18 degree heads. No roll over heads. No Brodix #12 heads. No canted valve heads.

10. All drivers need to completely fill out a Santa Maria Speedway entry form to facilitate purse payout and insurance requirements should the need arise.

11. The race will be staffed by officials from the Bandit Series to facilitate the smooth operation of the event. Any problem arising from the event shall be directed to othe Bandit Director for resolution.

12. The feature event will be 40 laps in length. The final format for the race will be determined and posted at the event based on car count and the bBandit Series rules.

13. TIMED QUALIFYING. A pill draw is used to determine qualifying positions and hot lap group. Bandit format will be used.

15. Points will be given for this event as it is the Bandit season finale. Memberships for other tracks or series' are honored at Santa Maria Speedway.

These are the basic rules to compete in this series. Be sure to read the sanction rules at santamariaspeedway.com or kingsspeedway.com and be aware of those rules for a complete knowlege. These rules will be enforced as written.

For further information, contact Peter Curto at 805-305-9884 E-Mail: [email protected]