EARLY ENTRIES FOR THE BUDWEISER OVAL NATIONALS!

Source: Scott Daloisio
Date: 09/21/2006

Early entries are starting to roll into the Perris Auto Speedway office for the 11th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals presented by Temecula Valley Pipe and Supply on November 2nd, 3rd and 4th. The race will culminate with a $30,000.00 to win A main event. As has been the case the past two seasons, the Oval Nationals will be a full points paying race for the USAC National Sprint Car Series and the USAC/CRA Sprint Cars.

Heading the list of early entries for the annual event is 1997 Oval Nationals winner Rip Williams of Yorba Linda, California. With 103 lifetime wins (100 sanctioned), Williams is a sure National Sprint Car Hall of Famer once his career ends. The 1978 CRA co-Rookie of the Year won the inaugural USAC/CRA Championship in 2004. Thus far in 2006, the 50-year old father of three has two main event wins in the legendary Sharon Jory owned black #3. He currently finds himself sixth in USAC/CRA points and is fresh off a second place finish to Damion Gardner last Saturday night. Last year Williams finished third in the Oval Nationals. Many fans still talk about his sensational performance on the preliminary night of the inaugural Oval Nationals 10 years ago. Williams won both 20 lap preliminary main events on the Friday portion of the show. To make matters more exciting, he won the second one after starting dead last!

Not long after “The Ripper’s” entry blank crossed promoter Don Kazarian’s desk, another former winner signed on the dotted line. Ventura, California superstar Cory Kruseman, one of only two drivers with two Oval Nationals championships, is officially entered in the battle. Kruseman, who turned 36 on Wednesday, has several major titles to his credit besides his two Oval Nationals (2003 & 2004) crowns. He has two wins in the famous Chili Bowl Midget race and is a two-time Indiana Sprint Week champion. He won the 2001 SCRA crown and was also the top dog in the 1999 Non Wing World Championship.

The first out of state entry to arrive is a major one. Arizona native Jerry Coons Jr. will be behind the wheel of the famous Hoffman Racing #69 Mopar. The slender veteran has had a phenomenal year in 2006. He won the 2006 Border Wars Championship and also pocketed $30,000.00 when he won the Ultimate Challenge at South Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa in August. Coons, who is the current USAC National Midget point leader and who sits 7th in USAC National Sprint Car points, also won the prestigious Belleville Midget Nationals in 2005.

Another out of state driver will be making his long awaited first ever appearance at The PAS. That driver is Bubby Jones protégé Daron Clayton of Sikeston, Missouri. Known as the “Modern Day Cowboy,” Clayton has been on fire the past few months. On September 2nd he notched his first ever USAC National Sprint Car main event win when he whipped the best in the business at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana. On September 11th he came from 12th starting spot to win the main event at Gas City, Indiana and back on July 29th, the 22-year old bagged $10,000.00 when he won the MSCS Nationals also at Tri-City. In addition, in early August he won the Kentucky Sprint Car Championship at Western Kentucky Speedway.

Auburn, California’s Andy Forsberg also filed an entry this week. Known as “Mr. Excitement,” the friendly second generation star is a two-time Civil War Champion (2000 and 2001) and he won the 2000 Placerville Track Championship. Another Northern California star, Johnny Rodriguez of Elk Grove, was one of the first entries for this years Oval Nationals in Mark Priestly’s dazzling #7 Sprint Car. The father of one daughter (Ashlyn Anne), Rodriguez, who will turn 31 on October 13th, won the 2004 USAC Western Midget Championship and the prestigious Hut Hundred USAC Midget race at Terre Haute, Indiana in 2005. Rodriguez was the 1995 NARC Sprint Car Rookie of the Year and the 1999 Silver Dollar Speedway Champion. He recently posted his best USAC/CRA finish when he took second to Tony Jones at The PAS in the Jeff Bagley Classic on September 9th.

One of the most versatile drivers to post an early entry is Riverside, California’s “Dynamite David” Cardey. Cardey, who is ranked 8th in USAC/CRA points, is having his best ever season in a 410 Sprint Car. On September 1st, Cardey finished 12th in the NASCAR AutoZone West Series race at the California Speedway in Fontana. Born on Halloween in 1975, Cardey also competes in the Jim Russell Series and won the 2003 California Lightning Sprint Car Championship when he dominated the competition with 13 main event wins.

A USAC/CRA semi-regular, Matt Mitchell of Yorba Linda, California, has entered and will be driving a team car to Rip Williams. A regular on the USAC Western Midget circuit (currently 10th in points), Mitchell nearly won his first USAC/CRA main event at Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway on September 9th. He lost the lead to veteran Mike Spencer on the last lap, but still came home second.

Popular Bobby “The Bulldog” Cody is an early entry in the famous Tom and Lauri Sertich owned Moose Mobile. A former Speedway Motorcycle racer and the son of the famous “Wild Bill” Cody, Bobby was the 2002 SCRA Rookie of the Year and is a past Modified Midget Champion.

In addition to Rodriguez, another former USAC Western Midget Champion has already entered the 2006 edition of the Oval National. Canyon Lake, California’s Danny Ebberts won the USAC Western Midget crown in 2001. In 2002 he was voted USAC National Midget Most Improved Driver. The 25 year-old, who has also competed in the USAC Silver Crown Series, scored his best ever USAC/CRA finish with a third behind Kruseman and Damion Gardner at the Bakersfield Speedway on March 12th, 2005.

Rounding out the early entries is a pair of talented teenagers. Hanford, California’s Chad Boespflug, known as the “Hanford Hornet,” won the 2005 SCRA Sprint Car Championship. This will actually be the 18 year-olds second trip to the Oval Nationals, but it will be the first time he is allowed to race. Boespflug showed up for the big race in 2004, but was not allowed to compete, as he was only 16 years old. Boespflug dominated Micro-Sprint Car racing winning seven championships in six years from 1998 through 2003. Fellow teenager Matt Stewart, who turned 19 last month, is in his second full season of 410 Sprint Car racing. He is the son of former racer Dennis Stewart and has a best USAC/CRA finish of 14th in 2006. Stewart is vastly improved in 2006 and has visited several different tracks this year.

The Oval Nationals will encompass six days in 2006. On Tuesday night, October 31st, there will be a practice session for all entered cars that will be free for fans. November 1st will feature the 1st Annual Oval Nationals Golf Tournament in the daytime followed by the Golf Tournament Banquet that night. The first night of the racing will be Thursday, November 2nd. Friday November 3rd will the second night of preliminary action and practice for the quarter-midget races (on the pavement out front) that will be open to all quarter-midget drivers from around the nation. During the daytime on Saturday, November 4th, the quarter-midget races will take place and the 3rd Annual Pick-A-Part Oval Nationals Bean Bag (Cornhole as it is known in the Midwest) Tournament will be held as well. Saturday night will feature the main events including the $30,000.00 to win A main. The week will conclude with the Cory Kruseman Sprint Car Driving School on Sunday, November 5th.

Advance tickets for the 2006 Oval Nationals are on sale 24 hours a day by calling 1-800-595-4849. You can also order advance tickets on the Internet at tix.com or perrisautospeedway.com.

Perris Auto Speedway is located on the freeway close Lake Perris Fairgrounds, home of the Southern California Fair, approximately one hour east of Los Angeles and one hour North of San Diego. To get to the track, take the 215 freeway, exit on the Ramona Expressway and go two miles east to the fairgrounds.

Anyone wishing more information can contact Perris Auto Speedway at (951) 940-0134.

racesatthepas@aol.com is the only authorized Internet address to issue official media news released from The Perris Auto Speedway or Oval Entertainment

OVAL NATIONALS PAST CHAMPIONS

1996 Jimmy Sills

1997 Rip Williams

1998 Rodney Argo

1999 Rickie Gaunt

2000 Tony Jones

2001 Bud Kaeding

2002 Bud Kaeding

2003 Cory Kruseman

2004 Cory Kruseman

2005 Dave Darland

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