A brand-new USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series debuts this Saturday at the Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. In addition to marking a new chapter in the club’s history, the race will mark the first appearance of the West Coast 360s at the third-mile Tulare oval.
Support for the new series is coming from SouthWest Contractors and Hoosier Tires and series promoter Chris Kearns is excited about prospects for the series. “It’s awesome having USAC’s resources available to us,” says Kearns. “I think this is a great step in the right direction for 360 non-wing sprint racing.”
Hanford, Calif.’s Justyne Hamblin is the defending series champion and hopes to add her name to the list of female feature winners, which numbers 20 since USAC’s debut in 1956. She will face a formidable roster of talented drivers at Tulare, including Bakersfield’s Rusty Carlile, Clovis’ Peter Murphy, Tipton’s Danny Faria Jr. and Kerman’s Davey Pombo, plus 2008 Bandit Champion Jesse Mack and 2002 VRA Champion Jimmy Crawford.
The Groppetti Automotive Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway is located on the Tulare County Fairgrounds at the corner of Bardsley and K Streets in Tulare, Calif. For more info on the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint series, visit www.usacracing.com or www.racesantamariaspeedway.com.
