This message was edited on
November 25, 2014 at
09:27:16 PM by ljennings
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Honda USAC Western Midget Series
-#68 Ronnie Gardner – 2013 & 2014 Honda USAC Western Midget Champion. Photo by Scott Sheldon / SprintCarScotty.com.
PERRIS AUTO SPEEDWAY HOSTS THURSDAY’S “74TH TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX”
By Lance Jennings
PHOENIX, AZ – NOVEMBER 25, 2014... Fresh off the three-night Western World Championships in Arizona, the cars and stars of the Honda USAC Western Midget Series will battle at Don Kazarian’s Perris Auto Speedway. Presented by Agajanian Promotions and Oval Entertainment, the 98-lap “74th Running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix” on Thursday, November 27th, is co-sanctioned with the Honda USAC National Midgets. The popular WRA Vintage Cars will also be on display at “America’s Premier Dirt Track” as the Pit Gates will open at Noon, the Front Gates open at 3:00pm, Time Trials at 6:00pm, and Racing is scheduled to begin at 7:05pm. For more event information, visit www.perrisautospeedway.com or call 951.940.0134.
Since Bob Swanson took the checkered flags at Gilmore Stadium in 1934, the TNGP has been a “must win” race for drivers from across the country. While other famed venues like Gardena, Speedway 605, Saugus, Bakersfield, Ventura, and Irwindale have hosted the TNGP, the event is perhaps best known by race fans at the legendary Ascot Park. In 1996, the 1/2-mile oval of Perris Auto Speedway first hosted the “granddaddy of all midget races” and Billy Boat of Phoenix, Arizona claimed his second of three-straight “Thanksgiving Classics.” Last year, “The People’s Champion” Dave Darland won his second Grand Prix and joined Mel Kenyon and Stan Fox as the only racers to win the historic event on both dirt and pavement. Many famous names in racing have won the TNGP and the complete win list is posted at the end of this release.
The legendary Parnelli Jones will serve as the event’s Grand Marshall. Jones, who began his racing career on the West Coast, won the 1963 Indianapolis 500 for J.C. Agajanian. Parnelli won the prestigious Turkey Night Grand Prix in 1964 and 1966 after winning three consecutive USAC National Sprint Car Championships (1960, 1961, 1962). Jones earned the USAC Stock Car crown in 1964 and is inducted into the International Motorsports Hall Of Fame, the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame, the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, and the National Midget Racing Hall of Fame.
Starting at 3:00pm, an hour long autograph session will be held on the front straightway with today’s stars of the race. Local racing heroes and past TNGP winners will join a special “Legends Autograph Session” in the Sports Bar on the main concourse at 3:30pm.
Thursday’s event will mark the twenty-fifth appearance of the Honda USAC Western Midgets at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds. Billy Boat won the series debut on November 25, 1995 and leads all drivers with four victories. Boat, Kyle Larson, and Darland have celebrated Turkey Night wins at Perris Auto Speedway. Other drivers to have won at Perris are Johnny Cofer, Jason Leffler, Jerry Coons Jr., Mike Figliomeni, Steve Paden, Robby Flock, Thomas Meseraull, Danny Ebberts, Jeremy Sherman, Wally Pankratz, Troy Rutherford, Danny Stratton, Darren Hagen, and Bobby East.
Heading to Perris, Ronnie Gardner of Corona, California has a virtual lock on both the Western dirt and overall series championships. Piloting the Six8 Motorsports’ #68 Baldozier Racing / Esslinger Engineering Stewart, Gardner ran seventh, ninth, and seventh in the three-day Western World Championships. To date, the defending champion has two feature wins, four VanLare Steering Repair Fast Time Awards, four heat race victories, thirteen top-10 finishes, and 83 feature laps led. Ronnie will be looking to join the winner’s list of the Turkey Night Grand Prix.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma’s Trey Marcham is second in the dirt and combined point standings. Racing Keith Ford’s #73 Berry Pack / King Racing Products TCR, Marcham’s championship bid was halted by a hard flip last Friday night at Canyon. Marcham walked away uninjured, but his machine was done for the event. At press time, last season’s Rookie of the Year has three main event wins, two VanLare Steering Repair Fast Time Awards, two heat race victories, nine top-10 finishes, and 77 feature laps led to his credit. Trey will have his sights on adding his name to the famous perpetual “Aggie Trophy.”
Jarid Blondel of Orange, California has climbed to third in the dirt and combined dirt/pavement standings. Driving his #98 G&J Aircraft / Dealer Service Edmunds, Blondel ran seventeenth, seventeenth, and fourteenth in Western World action. Currently, the leading rookie contender has one hard charger award and eight top-10 finishes in 2014. Jarid will be looking to rebound after a tough three-night show at Canyon Speedway Park.
Redding, California’s Alex Schutte ranks fourth in both the dirt and overall point standings. The pilot of the Schutte/McElwee owned #28 Proficio / Aircraft Electrical Components Spike did not compete in the Western World but has had strong runs in limited appearances. To date, the 2010 Champion has two heat race victories, six top-10 finishes, and 9 feature laps led on the year. As this writing goes to press, Alex has not entered the Turkey Night Grand Prix and could miss the special event.
Shannon McQueen of Bakersfield, California sits fifth in the dirt series and sixth in the overall point chase. Driving the McQueen Racing #7 Lucas Oil / Simpson Race Products Spike, Shannon ran fourteenth and fifteenth at Canyon before engine problems scratched her from Saturday’s competition. The 2012 Champion will have her sights on claiming the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Perris Auto Speedway.
Among the other Western series drivers expected to be in action are Danny Ebberts, Randi Pankratz, Johnathon Henry, Richard Vander Weerd, Jake Swanson, Nick Chivello, Scott Pierovich, Kyle Edwards, Terry Nichols, Ricky Shelton, Cody Swanson, Chris Ennis, and Tyler Dolacki.
Rutherford, California’s Rico Abreu sits atop the USAC National point standings followed by Christopher Bell, Tracy Hines, Bryan Clauson, Zach Daum, Tanner Thorson, Chris Windom, Michael Pickens, Dave Darland, and Tyler Thomas.
“The Demon” Damion Gardner, Mike Spencer, Kyle Larson, Andee Beierle, Chad Boat, Isaac Chapple, and Kevin Thomas Jr. will also join the action.
Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California. Advance tickets are on sale now and camping is available for $25 at the fairgrounds. For more information, visit www.perrisautospeedway.com or call (951) 940-0134.
The Honda USAC Western Midget Series thanks Hoosier Tire, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Extreme Mufflers, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Rugged Radios, Saldana Racing Products, and VanLare Steering Repair for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, email PR Director Lance Jennings at [email protected].
For more information on the Honda USAC Western Midget Series, visit www.usacracing.com or follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/usacwsmidgets), or Twitter (www.twitter.com/USAC_WSMIDGET).
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TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX WINNERS:
1934-Bob Swanson; 1935-Ted Sizemore; 1936-Ronney Householder; 1937-Ronney Householder; 1938-Bob Swanson; 1939-Mel Hansen; 1940-Roy Russing; 1941-Roy Russing; 1945-Danny Oakes; 1946-Perry Grimm; 1947-Johnny McDowell; 1948-Bill Vukovich; 1949-Perry Grimm; 1950-Bill Zaring; 1955-Johnnie Parsons; 1956-Edgar Elder; 1957-George Amick; 1958-Joe Garson; 1959-Tony Bettenhausen; 1960-A.J. Foyt; 1961-A.J. Foyt; 1962-Billy Cantrell; 1963-Mel Kenyon; 1964-Parnelli Jones; 1965-Dick Atkins; 1966-Parnelli Jones; 1967-Gary Bettenhausen; 1968-Sam Sessions; 1969-George Benson; 1970-Gary Bettenhausen; 1971-Bill Englehart; 1972-Tony Simon; 1973-Bill Englehart; 1974-Danny McKnight; 1975-Mel Kenyon; 1976-Bubby Jones; 1977-Gary Patterson; 1978-Rick Goudy; 1979-Ron Shuman; 1980-Ron Shuman; 1981-Ron Shuman; 1982-Ron Shuman; 1983-Kevin Olson; 1984-Ron Shuman; 1985-Brent Kaeding; 1986-Warren Mockler; 1987-Ron Shuman; 1988-Chuck Gurney; 1989-Chuck Gurney; 1990-Stan Fox; 1991-Stan Fox; 1992-Ron Shuman; 1993-Ron Shuman; 1994-Jordan Hermansader; 1995-Billy Boat; 1996-Billy Boat; 1997-Billy Boat; 1998-Jay Drake; 1999-Jason Leffler; 2000-Tony Stewart; 2001-Dave Steele; 2002-Michael Lewis; 2003-Dave Steele; 2004-Bobby East; 2005-Jason Leffler; 2006-Billy Wease; 2007-Dave Darland; 2008-Bobby Santos; 2009-Bryan Clauson; 2010-Bryan Clauson; 2011-Caleb Armstrong; 2012-Kyle Larson, 2013-Dave Darland.
PERRIS HONDA USAC WESTERN MIDGET 1-LAP TRACK RECORD:
Parker Price-Miller – 16.889 (11/28/13)
2014 HONDA USAC WESTERN MIDGET WINS:
3-Trey Marcham, 2-Ronnie Gardner, 2-Christopher Bell, 1-Rico Abreu, 1-Brian Gard, 1-Cody Gerhardt, 1-Darren Hagen, 1-Tracy Hines, 1-R.J. Johnson, 1-Chad Nichols, 1-Darrin Snider, 1-Michael Snider, 1-Richard Vander Weerd.
HONDA USAC WESTERN MIDGET POINTS: 1-Ronnie Gardner-761, 2-Trey Marcham-653, 3-Jarid Blondel-632, 4-Alex Schutte-443, 5-Chad Nichols-433, 6-Shannon McQueen-357, 7-Scott Pierovich-327, 8-Christopher Bell-324, 9-Nick Chivello-322, 10-Tanner Thorson-307.
HONDA USAC WESTERN MIDGET DIRT POINTS: 1-Ronnie Gardner-761, 2-Trey Marcham-653, 3-Jarid Blondel-411, 4-Alex Schutte-390, 5-Shannon McQueen-357, 6-Christopher Bell-324, 7-Tanner Thorson-306, 8-Scott Pierovich-288, 9-Sean Dodenhoff-283, 10-Rico Abreu-249.
HONDA USAC NATIONAL MIDGET POINTS: 1-Rico Abreu-996; 2-Christopher Bell-970; 3-Tracy Hines-960; 4-Bryan Clauson-912; 5-Zach Daum-814; 6-Tanner Thorson-741; 7-Chris Windom-594; 8-Michael Pickens-499; 9-Dave Darland-419; 10-Tyler Thomas-395.
2014 HONDA USAC WESTERN DIRT MIDGET SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
November 27: #Perris, CA - Perris Auto Speedway (Turkey Night Grand Prix)
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# = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC National Midgets.
This schedule is subject to change.
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