LOS ANGELES, California — USAC National and USAC-CRA regional sprint car action at Tulare's Thunderbowl Raceway wisely started an hour earlier on Sunday November 15th than it did a day earlier. Practice and hot-lapping began at 3:00 pm and time trials for 52 cars ran from 4:02 to 5:01 pm. Fastest qualifier Cole Whitt, from Alpine near San Diego, went out 16th and ran 14.874; 31st qualifier Tracy Hines ran the only other 14 second lap at 14.884. As expected, 43 of the 52 qualifiers ran their faster lap on lap two of two laps. The only C-main was scheduled for 10-laps and started 19 cars—the 33rd through 51st fastest qualifiers. The first eight finishers in the C-main transferred to the back of the four heat races. The C-main started at 5:32, had two red flags and concluded at 6:02 pm. A lap 9 red flag involved three cars and caused USAC officials to cancel the final two laps. They allowed the P. 9 (Cody Williams) and P. 10 (Greg Bragg) cars, the last two cars on the track, to start the B-main at the back row (13th) as promoter options for the B-main.
Track conditions were much more racy on night two of the Pacific Coast National. The fastest qualifiers in the four ten-lap heat races came from row four (of five) to finish 2-1, 10-3, 6-5 and 4-9. Heats ran from 6:24 to 7:10 pm. The B-main advanced the first eight finishers to the lucrative 40-lap A feature. The six fastest qualifiers (in the first three rows) finished in P. 1-6 and Rip Williams came from 11th to P. 8. During the B, winner Chad Boat led all 12 laps and won by half a straight. He ran the only sub-16 second lap at 15.519. It appeared he could have won by a greater distance but he saved his car for A-main action.
The 40-lap feature paid $12,500 to win, just as Tulare's Trophy Cup (in October) paid to the winged sprint car feature winner and the Perris Oval National paid to USAC non-wing winner Damion Gardner November 7. Rip Williams, the 2004 USAC-CRA Series champion and a 2009 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee, was scheduled to start the Jory No. 3 Viper 14th. However, he relinquished his ride to his 19-year old son Austin so Austin could collect points in his close CRA rookie of the year battle with Ronnie Gardner, 21. Because of the driver change, Austin had to start last (28th) and the outside row drivers moved up a row in the actual starting lineup. Gardner was slated to start 18th and moved up to 16th as a result of the Williams driver switch.
The A-main started at 8:17 and ran seven rapid laps before the first of two red flags occurred. Racing concluded at 8:50 pm after 40 racy laps with multi-grooves. Cars raced low and high near the crash-wall and changed positions frequently. Unlike Saturday, National drivers Jon Stanbrough, Boat and Bud Kaeding swept the podium positions over CRA drivers; 19 of 28 starters finished, with 15 drivers on the lead lap. Stanbrough, aboard the Indiana Underground No. 37x, won by half a straightaway and had two lapped cars between his car and Boat's No. 30 Maxim. The top three finishers and 2009 USAC National Sprint Series champion Levi Jones pulled to the finish line for awards and interviews with announcer George Hague via the portable microphone.
Winner Stanbrough said, “I saw some cars nose near the end. I got through turns three and four very well and got lapped cars between us. I didn't know who was behind me. It was a multi-groove track tonight and very racy.” He thanked teammate Casey Riggs for his help, plus engine tuner Mike Dutcher, a long-time spectator at Gardena's Ascot Park, and enthusiastic fans for coming out (despite the best 2009 NFL football game--New England Patroits 34 vs.Indianapolis Colts 35--being shown on TV live Sunday night). Runner-up Boat said, “Thanks to all my sponsors. My car was good last night but we didn't run it tonight. We pulled down our backup car. My first time here was last night. This track reminds me of Kokomo and Haubstadt (Indiana tracks). I hope they have more races here.” Third place Kaeding stated, “I was looking for a NASCAR debris caution at the end. The track was really good tonight, not follow the leader like last night. That's what it's all about. We race around the country, win and drink beer or don't win and drink beer. It was fun to drive like we use to drive.” Hague thanked USAC officials Robert Mayson (PR man), Dick Hindman (timer/scorer), Steve Ostling (CRA race director) and video-grapher Dean Mills, who sent the two nights of Tulare PCN racing on the Internet via the USAC website to fans not fortunate enough to be at the track. Sunday's A-main top ten finishers in order started in positions 2, 4, 3, 8, 7, 1, 12, 5, 22 and 10, proving there was a lot of passing going on during the 40-laps.
FLIPS: (Saturday) – (4) – Blake Miller (in Heat 3); Richard VanderWeerd (B-main); Jesse Hockett and Peter Murphy (on L 1 and 29 respectively in the A-main). (Sunday) – (a USAC record 12 total flips) - Dave Darland (practice), Danny Faria, Jr and Danny Sheridan (qualifying), Anthony Simone, Shain Matthews, Wes Gutierrez, D. Faria, Jr. and Sheridan (C-main); Kyle Larson and Henry Clarke (Heat 2); Larson (on L 8 and Greg Bragg on lap 11 of the A-main). Three drivers flipped twice Sunday. Faria,and Larson flipped the same car on two occasions after making repairs. Sheridan used his backup Kittle No. 18 after his qualifying flip and rolled his backup car in the C-main. ... Evelyn Pratt, the 90-year old matriarch of pit officials, was on duty at Tulare exhorting teams to get cars onto the track promptly. She said Simone, from Fresno, was unconscious briefly after his hard triple flip entering turn one; he was examined in the ambulance in the pits. ... Hockett's No. 13 JEI chassis had to be stripped to the bare frame and rebuilt in the pits after the flip Saturday. It took the three-man crew “eight to nine hours” to rebuild the car Saturday night and Sunday morning. They had to replace the front and rear axles, rear end, and bolt on parts. With no spare front axle they had to rebuild one. After the Tulare race Sunday night they departed immediately for Tucson, AZ to race in the relocated Western World Championship at USA Raceway. They had three drivers to share the driving. They had a 360 cu. in. engine for their winged No. 13 and Jesse raced the non-wing No. 2AZ Massey Racing 410 Chevy.
DNFs: Reasons for driver's Saturday night dropouts were interesting. Jerry Faas said his son Nic (in P. 7 on lap 22 of 30) dropped out because the rear brake rotor disintegrated, sheared a bolt and blew the caliper off the rear end. Chad Boat (in P. 3 three laps from the lap 30 checkered flag) said his No. 30 Maxim broke the U-joint and stopped in the low groove at turn four. A brief small fire ensued. A wrecker towed his disabled car to the pits. In the Sunday A-main Cole Whitt's No. 67K Keith Kunz Red Bull Racing Bullet was in P. 6 on lap 18when a broken steering arm caused him to stop near the fourth turn crash-wall. A wrecker towed Whitt's car to the pits. Kunz had his No. 67 Bullet midgets on board his hauler with midget races at Ventura (Nov. 21) and Irwindale (Nov. 26) on tap. ... Both nights at Tulare the seven rows of four abreast parade laps were run perfectly. They added showmanship for the enthusiastic fans. ... Tachi Hotel/Casino/Restaurant in Lemoore is an excellent sponsor at Tulare Thunderbowl. The benefactor was present in a box seat for both USAC PCN nights and donated two boxing match tickets, including dinner for two, to a lucky winner at the track. The estimated value of the package was $700.
PIT NOTES: The Visalia-based VanderWeerd 18-year old twins—Richard (No. 10) and Jace (No. 88)--are students at College of the Sequoias in Visalia . Their dad told me Richard is older than Jace by one minute. Dad said Richard beats Jace in sprint cars, but Jace beats Richard in micro midgets at Visalia's Plaza Park tenth-mile track. He said Jace would've won the 2009 micro midget championship “if we didn't take a family vacation.” ... Brad Sweet (No. 9 Kasey Kahne) raced the No. 90- Great Clips Toyota NASCAR truck Friday night, November 13 at the PIR-mile in Avondale, AZ. Brad started 23rd and finished 22nd, down four laps in a 150-mile event, with 26 of 36 starters still on the track. It was his first truck race. NASCAR Cup star Kahne, his USAC sprint and midget car owner, served as his spotter at PIR. Brad is signed for ten NASCAR truck races in 2010 and some stock car races. Grass Valley, CA native Brad said he tried to follow Kyle Busch's truck during practice at PIR, but Kyle drove it like a sprint car and got sideways leaving the turns. Sweet also raced the No. 90 truck in NASCAR's Friday, November 20 race at Homestead-Miami, FL. He started and finished 27th in the 36 truck field and ran 131 laps. ... Seen in the Tulare USAC pits were Tim Kaeding, Indy 500 veteran George Snider, NHRA drag racing star Gary Scelzi, and Jimmy Sills (still from Elverta, CA). Jimmy was helping his protege and Sills Racing School graduate Justin Grant, 19, and the Bennett brothers car from Lafayette, IN. Also in the pits were Chuck Gurney, Sr. and Jr., who were helping Cole Whitt and the Kunz Red Bull team. Chuck, Jr. and his wife Heather are expecting their first child, a girl to be named Ella Faith, on February 10, 2010. Chuck, Jr and Heather were married two days after he raced in the 2008 USAC Thanksgiving Midget Grand Prix at Irwindale. Chuck. Jr. was leading the race early when the engine of his No. 151 Beast blew, costing him a chance at his biggest victory. He won the Night Before the 500 in the car at ORP in Clermont, IN. Now a family man, Chuck, Jr. sold his midget this year to Scott Benic and he is not entered in the 2009 Thanksgiving GP. Chuck, Jr. now lives in Indiana where his mom Debbie and younger sister Ashley also reside. Chuck, Sr still lives in Livermore, CA.
Multi-car owners at Tulare were Jack Jory (3 cars), Dennis Roth, Jeff Gardner, Keith Kunz, VanderWeerd Racing, Terry Riggs and Tony Stewart (2 cars each). ... There were three sprint cars powered by 360 cu. in. engines. The drivers were Greg Taylor, from Ventura, Billy Aton and Justyne Hamblin. ... Most drivers at the PCN were competing for the first time at Tulare for the first time; they liked the track and wanted to return. Cale Conley, 17, came from his home in Vienna, W. VA, He raced his No. Z1 Conley Energy-sponsored Maxim, which usually races with a wing. He came west to compete with USAC in California and then race in the Western World Championship event November 20-21 at USA Raceway in Tucson. Other USAC Tulare PCN drivers who joined him and raced at the WWC Tucson were Tulare winner Jon Stanbrough, Dave Darland, Bruce St. James, Jerry Coons, Jr. and Jesse Hockett, who raced his No. 13 in the winged division and Massey's No. 2az in the non-wing division. ... The Tulare County Fair ran from September 16-20. ... Dave Darland did not race in the 2008 TS@I Turkey Night Midget GP. The past TNGP winner said he will drive Cory Kruseman's No. 12K in the 2009 TNGP at Irwindale on November 26. Levi Jones said he is only racing midgets this year on dirt and won't race on Thanksgiving. Look for T. Stewart Racing to cut back on its USAC short track racing commitments in 2010.
DRIVER NEWS: Coleman Gulick, 16-year old Binghamton, N.Y (60-miles south of Syracuse) has been racing since age 5 in go-karts, quarter midgets, 600cc &1200cc mini sprints, mini-Cup cars, and 360 cu. in sprint cars in N.Y and PA. His grandpa and dad Pete all came west to help him. Coleman raced his orange No. 14 DRC (built by Joe Devin) 410 in California for the first time. They said Coleman became the youngest 360 sprint car main event winner in history at age 13 years and two weeks to beat Jeff Gordon's early success. He competed in that race against 360s and some 410s at Clinton County Raceway, a three-eighths mile dirt track in PA. They said Coleman flipped twice at the Perris Oval Nationals because the same steering box was used in their primary and backup cars. They didn't realize the steering box was the problem until after Coleman's second flip. One car was junked and will be returned to builder Devin in Indy for a new clip if possible. ... Brady Short, 25, of Bedford, IN, had a sick engine and did not race after qualifying it at Tulare on Saturday. He replaced the engine Sunday with the engine out of his backup No. 36 car that Jeff Bland. 21, flipped at the Oval Nationals. Bland, from Bloomington, IN, was part of the 36 team at Tulare as a crewman. ... Danny Faria, Jr., of Tipton, is a cousin of Tulare promoter Steve Faria.
Peter Murphy runs his sign shop in Clovis and races the No. 21T Tom Tarlton sprinter. He said business is good and he returns home to Australia every year for a visit. He said his solo flip Saturday was his fault. He returned Sunday with the same repaired car even though the frame was tweaked somewhat. “The car doesn't know it and I won't tell it,” Murphy said whimsically while watching practice sessions from the first turn bleachers. ... Damion Gardner raced the same No. 71 PACE Eagle chassis he used to win $12,500 in the November 7 PAS Oval Nationals 40-lap feature. His crew chief Davey Jones (a son of NSCHoF driver Bubby) was with Damion at Tulare Saturday. However, they split that night over something. Davey was working on Bud Kaeding's No. 29 car Sunday night at Tulare. Damion stayed with his buddy Mike Faria while racing at Tulare.
NEW CAR: The red & white numbered No. 11P Bullet chassis raced by Davey Pombo, of Kerman, was brand new at the Nov. 5-7 PAS Oval Nationals. “Buster & Ziggy” was lettered on the car. Buster is Junior Bowman, of Bakersfield. He owns Southwest Construction, a gas pipeline construction firm with about 200 employees, including No. 51 sprint car owner/driver Rusty Carlile, of Bakersfield. Rusty works as a foreman for Bowman's firm. Bowman told me he is the sole owner of the No. 11P Bullet and he put Ziggy on it to honor George “Ziggy” Snider, who put the car together for him. Snider, of Bakersfield, missed the No. 11P debut races at Perris because he was showing one of his hot rods at a hot rod show in Cuyacos, CA. Ziggy was in the No. 11P pits both nights at Tulare.
I was able to speak to some of the young, upcoming sprint car drivers in the pits at Tulare and watch them race for the first time. I came away impressed with them. Here are some facts about some of them:
> Kyle Larson, is a 17-year old from Elk Grove, CA, who drove the Kaeding No. 99 Maxim. Kyle made a strong showing this year at the Calistoga half-mile during the USAC-CRA weekend races. He told me he is home schooled and will be expanding his racing schedule in 2010. Kyle started second in the third heat November 14 and had a straightaway lead after seven laps; he won by a full straightaway over pole starter Kevin Swindell, 20, in one of the Roth 83 cars.
> Wes Gutierrez, is an 18-year old from San Martin, CA, who races his No. 007 Maxim. Wes has had about four bad flips in racing this year. One crash sidelined him for a month while recovering from serious red-eye caused by damaged blood vessels in his eyes. Wes joked he will have a box-set of his briefs out soon. Wes also noted that he designed his own informative website, which should help him acquire more sponsors soon.
> Justyne Hamblin, 19 of Hanford, is the 2009 champion at Kings Speedway (a 3/8-mile clay track in Hanford) in her third year of 360 sprint car competition. She beat Rusty Carlile by three points. Last year she finished second in points and in 2007 she finished sixth and was 360 sprint rookie of the year at Hanford. She currently races her pink, white and blue No. 8 sprinter at dirt tracks in Bakersfield, Tulare and Hanford. She works at a tomato processing plant and drives a Rob Solomon-built Speed Tech chassis. Rob bought out Richard Harvey's Stinger chassis building operation in Hanford several years ago.
