RIVERSIDE, California — What originally sounded like a dream for California Lightning Sprint Car drivers planning to race at Perris Auto Speedway, this Saturday, May 2nd, has turned into a nightmare. The dream came when it was learned that Stuart Hielscher Jr. would miss the race to attend his high school prom. The nightmare is the teenage racer’s replacement in the Shane Rosson owned car is Lucas Oil USAC/CRA star “Dynamite” David Cardey!
Hielscher Jr. won more Lightning Sprint Car mains than any other driver at The PAS in 2008 and has won two of the first three at The PAS in 2009. Like Hielscher Jr., Cardey has been on a hot streak hot lately. In fact, he is the hottest driver in the USAC/CRA Series with a win (last Saturday) and a second place finish in his last two outings.
Newcomers, who are unaware of Cardey’s history before he moved to 410 Sprint Cars, may think this is not a big deal. They had better think again! The Riverside, California resident started his open wheel dirt track career driving in the California Lightning Sprint Car Series and his record is second to none. In 2003, he won the series championship and was UNDEFEATED at The PAS! Last September at The PAS, Cardey won the preliminary night main event for the Kal-Gard Lightning Sprint Car Nationals and came in second in the finals.
A couple of differences in those wins and this Saturday’s race will be quite noticeable. Cardey’s previous victories at The PAS in Lightning action have all come on the half mile track with a wing on top of the car. This Saturday, the versatile 33-year old driver will be on The PAS quarter-mile for the first time and the car will be wingless.
Can Cardey adapt back to a Lightning Sprint Car? Will racing one without a wing be a hindrance? Can he get used to the track’s tighter inner quarter-mile track? Can he win the main event as he did at The PAS last Saturday? Best way to find out is to make your way to Perris Auto Speedway this Saturday night and watch the open wheel superstar ply his trade in a totally different environment.
Spectator gates will open at 4:00 PM on Saturday and the first race will be at 5:00. Perris Auto Speedway is located on the freeway close Lake Perris Fairgrounds. Take the 215 freeway, exit at the Ramona Expressway and go two miles east to the fairgrounds.
