Kings Speedway
October 3, 2015
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Jace Vander Weerd is back on top at Hanford Jim Evett Memorial



by Lance Jennings
HANFORD, CA (October 3) - Leading all 30-laps, Jace Vander Weerd of Visalia, California won Saturday’s “Jim Evett Memorial” at Hanford’s Keller Auto Speedway. For Vander Weerd, the USAC West Coast Sprint Car triumph earned $1,500 plus an additional $3,000 from lap money raised by the Evett family. Mike Spencer, “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr., Fast Qualifier Jake Swanson, and Richard Vander Weerd rounded out the top-five drivers.

Racing the family owned #88 Vander Weerd Construction / Stone Gate Development Maxim, Jace Vander Weerd scored the biggest win of his career. The former USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year began his night by qualifying sixth out of nineteen racers and taking fourth in his heat race. Starting on the pole position, Vander Weerd held off several challenges by Mike Spencer to maintain the lead. Several caution flags would halt the action, but Jace had excellent restarts and hit his marks to earn his first victory of the year. Ranked third in points and moving to eighth on the win list, Vander Weerd has two heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Semi-Main Win, and thirteen top-10 finishes to his credit.

Temecula, California’s Mike Spencer pressured Vander Weerd for the top spot but had to settle for second at Hanford. Piloting Mark Priestley’s #7M Sander Engineering / Roy Miller Freight Lines Maxim, the five-time USAC/CRA Champion was fourth quick in time trials and ran third in his heat race. In limited starts, Spencer is nineteenth in the point standings with three top-10 finishes and 17 feature laps led on the year.

“Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. of Tipton, California scored third in the “Jim Evett Memorial.” Driving Junior Bowman’s #17V Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / SurfnSprint Spike, Faria qualified third overall and placed third in his heat race. Closing in on his second championship, “Hollywood” has a 143-point lead with three feature wins, two Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, one top-qualifier award, six heat race victories, twelve top-10 finishes, and 88 feature laps led.

After earning his first Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, Anaheim, California’s Jake Swanson ran fourth in the 30-lap feature. Piloting Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Ram-Bull Racing Buckley, Swanson claimed fourth in his heat race and left Hanford ranked sixteenth in points. To date, the USAC/CRA regular has one Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Semi-Main Win and three top-10 finishes in the campaign.

Visalia, California’s Richard Vander Weerd charged from ninth to score fifth in the “Jim Evett Memorial.” Racing the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Stone Gate Development Maxim, Vander Weerd was ninth fast in time trials and won the 10-lap Saldana Racing Products / Keizer Wheels Heat Race #3. The 2011 Champion is second in points with two feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, four heat race victories, two DMI / Ultra Shield Race Products Hard Charger Awards, ten top-10 finishes, and 43 feature laps led.

Bud Kaeding of Campbell, California was back in USAC West Coast action and earned his second DMI / Ultra Shield Race Products “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a sixth place run from fourteenth. Driving Junior Bowman’s #29 Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / Kaeding Performance Maxim, Kaeding qualified fourteenth overall and ran second to Terry Schank Jr. in his heat race. Heading to Tulare, the 2012 Champion is eighth in the standings with one feature win, one heat race victory, seven top-10 finishes, and 19 feature laps led on the year.

Tracy, California’s Austin Liggett raced to victory in the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Piloting the family owned #83 Excel Environmental Services / Home Connections Inc. ART, Liggett was seventh quick in time trials and scored tenth in the feature after a late caution ended his top-five run. In limited starts, the 2012 Rookie of the Year is thirteenth in the standings with four heat race victories and five top-10 finishes.

Making his first USAC West Coast start, Terry Schank Jr. of Santa Rosa, California won the night’s 10-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Racing Roger Gleeson’s #1 Joe Hunt Magnetos / King Racing Products Spike, Schank qualified eleventh overall and scored sixteenth in the “Jim Evett Memorial.” Terry left Hanford tied for fifty-fourth in the championship chase.

This Saturday, October 10th, the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series will battle at Tulare’s Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway. The KRC Safety Fall Shootout will also showcase the King of the West and Western RaceSaver Sprint Cars. For more information, visit www.tularethunderbowl.com or call 559.688.0909.

The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series thanks Amsoil, Hoosier Tire, Chris Kearns Presents, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Diversified Machine Inc., Extreme Mufflers, Keizer Wheels, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Ultra Shield Race Products, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, email PR Director Lance Jennings at lwjennings@earthlink.net.

For more information on the series, visit www.westcoastsprintcars.com, and www.usacracing.com.

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Kings Speedway
October 3, 2015
Race Results (unofficial)

USAC 360 Sprints

A-Main
1 88 Jace Vanderweerd
2 7M Mike Spencer
3 17V Danny Faria
4 92 Jake Swanson
5 10 Richard Vanderweerd
6 29 Bud Kaeding
7 5X Max Adams
8 81 Tristan Guardino
9 54 Cody Majors
10 83 Austin Leggitt
11 87 Shannon Mcqueen
12 51 Gary Paulson
13 62 Dennis Howell
14 32 Jonathan Logan
15 11 Troy Rutherford
16 73 Trey Marcham
17 1 Terry Shank
18 42N Jeff Sibley

Heat #1
1 83 Austin Leggitt
2 51 Gary Paulson
3 7M Mike Spencer
4 92 Jake Swanson
5 87 Shannon Mcqueen
6 5X Max Adams
dns 96 Todd Miller

Heat #2
1 1 Terry Shank
2 29 Bud Kaeding
3 11 Troy Rutherford
4 73 Trey Marcham
5 62 Dennis Howell
6 54 Cody Majors

Heat #3
1 #10 Richard Vanderweerd
2 #81 Tristan Guardino
3 #17V Danny Faria
4 #88 Jace Vanderweerd
5 #42N Jeff Sibley
6 #32 Jonathan Logan

Qualifying
1 92 Jake Swanson 15.872
2 73 Trey Marcham 15.879
3 17V Danny Faria 16.064
4 7M Mike Spencer 16.068
5 11 Troy Rutherford 16.074
6 88 Jace Vanderweerd 16.077
7 83 Austin Leggitt 16.079
8 62 Dennis Howell 16.082
9 10 Richard Vanderweerd 16.203
10 5X Max Adams 16.358
11 1 Terry Shank 16.359
12 42N Jeff Sibley 16.390
13 51 Gary Paulson 16.413
14 29 Bud Kaeding 16.441
15 81 Tristan Guardino 16.453
16 87 Shannon Mcqueen 16.837
17 54 Cody Majors 17.218
18 32 Jonathan Logan 17.552
19 96 Todd Miller no time


USAC Midgets

A-Main
1 11E Cory Elliott
2 9D Sean Dodenhoff
3 68 Ronnie Gardner
4 35F Michael Faccinto
5 28 Alex Schutte
6 7 Shannon Mcqueen
7 88 Brian Gard
8 9E Jeff Herrington
9 8 Randi Pankratz
10 87J Troy Rutherford
11 35W Nate Wait
12 2D Steve Davis
13 11R Danny Faria
dns 1P Terry Nichols

Heat #1
1 7 Shannon Mcqueen
2 87J Troy Rutherford
3 68 Ronnie Gardner
4 9D Sean Dodenhoff
5 11E Cory Elliott
6 8 Randi Pankratz
7 9E Jeff Herrington

Heat #2
1 11R Danny Faria
2 1P Terry Nichols
3 35F Michael Faccinto
4 28 Alex Schutte
5 88 Brian Gard
6 35W Nate Wait
7 27 Nick Chivello
8 2D Steve Davis


Racesaver Sprints

A-Main
1 45 Monty Ferriera
2 86 Chris Ennis
3 67 Vaughn Schott
4 71M Jesse Mack
5 22 Mike Schott
6 28 Eric Correia
7 10 Jared Faria
8 11 Blaine Fagundes

Heat #1
1 11 Blaine Fagundes
2 71M Jesse Mack
3 10 Jared Faria
4 67 Vaughn Schott

Heat #2
1 86 Chris Ennis
2 22 Mike Schott
3 45 Monty Ferriera
4 28 Eric Correia