TULARE, California -- We are now just a week away from the kickoff of the U.S. Western Modified Nationals at Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway and everyone is geared up and ready to go. Nearly 125 of the best modified drivers around are expected to tackle the 1/3 mile clay oval Thunderbowl Raceway next week in what is sure to be an action packed three days of competition, which begins on Thursday September 27. All the drivers will be working towards the goal of bringing home Saturday’s winning paycheck of $20,000 and becoming the first ever winner of the U.S. Western Mod Nationals. The driver that finishes second on Saturday night will take home $10,000 and third place will get $5,000.
Drivers from up and down the West Coast are entered as are ones from Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Arkansas, Tennessee and Idaho. This year’s Western State Modifieds champion Tim Balding of Prunedale, CA is entered and is expected to be a serious contender. Balding used consistency this year to bring home the WSM title as he picked up one victory and a pair of runner-up finishers during the final two races of the season. His nemesis at the Thunderbowl this season was Winton, CA’s Paul Stone who is also set to tackle the $20,000 top prize. Stone finished second in the WSM points, but led the series with two wins, which came during the final two point races of the year. Stone and Balding were part of one of the most exciting races of the season during Memorial Day weekend at the Thunderbowl when the pair put on a terrific wheel to wheel duel that saw both drivers swap the lead a couple different times on the final lap.
Marysville, CA father/son combo Randy & Ryan McDaniel are sure to make some noise during the weekend. Both drivers have spent this season racing with the Western State Modifieds after years of running and winning championships at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico among others. Ryan, the younger McDaniel, brought home a second place finish in the Northwest Modified Nationals at Elma in July. Randy recently scored a top five finish at the Lon Skinner Memorial in Medford, OR. Another driver with Chico ties is ‘07 Silver Dollar Speedway track champ Richard Papenhausen. Papenhausen picked up five feature wins and 16 top 10's en route to the track title this season at the North-state 1/4 mile. Other top drivers from the Golden State at the Nationals will include: Kings Speedway champ Mike Villanueva from Atwater, Dave Byrd from Hollister, Jimmy Reeves from Laton, Kellen Chadwick from Oakley, Bobby Hogue the IV from Salinas, Jim Pettit II from Prunedale, Alex Stanford from Chowchilla, Larry Hood from Bakersfield and many more.
Medford, OR’s Jon DeBenedetti is always a threat when he signs up and this season has been solid at big shows on the West Coast. DeBenedetti won the Northwest Modified Nationals in Elma for the third time this season and also picked up wins in the Cottage Grove Nationals and the Lon Skinner Memorial in Medford. The talented driver will be part of a three car team at the U.S. Western Mod Nationals owned by Ron Martin, which will also feature Medford drivers Brian Poppa and Steve Arpin. Other Northwest drivers expected at the Nationals will be Craig Moore, Josh Muller, Monte Biscoff, Mike Long and others. More out of state drivers registered include: Texas competitors Christy Georges, Eddie Martin, Alan Sharpensteen and Jason Noll; Southwest entrants Stormy Scott, Johnny Scott, Carlos Ahumada, Fito Gallardo, Royal Jones, Bob Sanders, Jared Landers as well as many more from multiple states across the U.S.
Don’t forget about the tire change challenge at 1 pm on Saturday of the Nationals in the pit area of Thunderbowl Raceway. For a donation to Make-A-Wish people can enter the pits and watch the competition. During the tire change challenge there will be two bikes up for grabs for a lucky boy or girls. Tickets for the bike drawing will be on sale for just 50 cents. There will also be event posters on sale so you can get driver and team autographs to commemorate the first ever U.S. Western Modified Nationals. The team that wins the tire change challenge will receive $500, 2nd place $400, 3rd place $300, 2nd place $200 and 5th $100. First place in the Challenge is sponsored by MTZ.
The U.S. Western Modified Nationals kicks off on Thursday night September 27 and runs through Saturday Sep 29. Great tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling 559-688-0909 or during the day of the event. Tickets cost $10 for bleachers & $12 for grandstands on Thursday, $12 for bleachers & $14 for grandstands on Friday; and $14 for bleachers & $16 for grandstands on Saturday. Will call will open up at 11 am, front gate at 2 pm, hot laps at 3 pm and first race will be at 4 pm all three days of the event. Visit http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com for a seating chart, directions and more.
