Herrera Hustles Up Another ASCS Southwest Win

TUCSON, Ariz. (October 24, 2009) – Albuquerque’s Johnny Herrera kept a streak alive by racing to victory lane in Saturday night’s 25-lap American Sprint Car Series Southwest Region main event at USA Raceway.

Herrera’s third ASCS Southwest win of the year marked his 17th consecutive winged ASCS Regional win within the states of Arizona and New Mexico dating back to 2005.

Herrera raced forward from the third row inside to take the checkered flag in front of Calvin Landis, with Rick Ziehl climbing from 13th to claim the show position. The defending series champion, Ziehl not only took over the 2009 ASCS Southwest points lead but also bagged the Discount Tire Co. ASCS Regional Wing/Non-Wing Challenge title with the third place run.

Ronnie Clark crossed the stripe fourth, with J.T. Imperial rounding out the top five. R.J. Johnson raced from nine rows deep to finish sixth in his winged Sprint Car debut, with Joshua Williams, pole starter Kaylene Verville, 16th-starter Joshua Hodges and Cody Cambensy completing the top ten.

Herrera, Jessica Van Dyke, Steve Martin and Verville topped heat race action for Saturday night’s 33-car field, with Ben Gregg winning the “B” Main. Gregg, who entered the night atop the points chase, fell to second behind Ziehl after being credited with a 14th-place finish in the main event.

Duane Jones and Jason Pugliese captured Hornet Championships in RWD action and FWD action respectively. Both drivers sealed their fate in Saturday’s feature events at USA Raceway by finishing in the top 3.

Both drivers entered Saturday’s finale in very tight point battles that had to be decided in the last Hornet race of the year. Pugliese and Jones showed why they are champions as they battled to the front and captured the 2009 Hornet Championship.

Ricky McGuier ended the inaugural season of USA X-Mod action on a high note by capturing his first victory of 2009. McGuire took the 20-lap feature just ahead of Nolan Morrow and Jerry Warner.

Larry Leech took top honors in the Factory Stock feature likely securing him a top 5 in the champion standings.

Full Results: http://usaraceway.net/results.php

The Super Stock, Factory Stock and Modified Championships hang in the balance and will be determined at USA Raceway’s Halloween Bash this Saturday Night. General admission tickets will go on sale at 5pm for only $10, racing will begin promptly at 7pm.

USA Raceway, Arizona’s premier short track, is located east of Tucson off I-10 exit 268, then 1.6 miles south on Craycroft Road, which turns into Los Reales. For more information please, contact the track at 520-574-8515 or additional information regarding USA Raceway can be found at www.usaraceway.net

Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (October 20, 2009) – Story lines abound as the ASCS Southwest Region takes to Tucson’s USA Raceway this Saturday night with Ben Gregg clinging to a narrow series points lead, Rick Ziehl trying to put the finishing touches on mini-series points chase and Johnny Herrera trying to keep a Regional win streak alive.

Saturday’s card also serves as one final tune up for the ASCS Southwest forces before taking on the Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters at the 42nd Annual KRONIK Energy Western World Championships presented by Old Tucson Studios on November 19-21.

After a couple of weeks of Texas competition, Peoria’s Gregg carries a slim 10-point lead into Saturday’s action as he tries to close in on the ASCS Southwest title. Gregg, who topped the series most recent feature event on September 19, is just ten points ahead of Ziehl, with John Gaston, Mike Martin and Joshua Hodges all within striking distance as well.

Ziehl, the defending ASCS Southwest champion, carries an 18 point edge in the Discount Tire Co. ASCS Regional Challenge into the event. Saturday’s card, the eighth and final leg of the DTC Challenge, will crown the champion of the series that included both winged Southwest Region events and wingless Canyon Region events.

Dropping in on the Southwest contingent on Saturday night will be Albuquerque’s Johnny Herrera, who has topped 16 consecutive ASCS Regional winged events throughout Arizona and New Mexico dating back to 2005.

Herrera won’t be the only weekend visitor, as Phoenix native Calvin Landis returns to Arizona for some racing action after another year of Knoxville competition.

Also, wingless shoe R.J. Johnson of Phoenix, AZ, is prepared to take on the winged forces for the first time, with modified ace R.C. Whitwell also trying out the winged open-wheelers on Saturday night.

Current ASCS Southwest points (Top Ten): 1. Ben Gregg (Peoria, AZ) 984, 2. Rick Ziehl (Las Cruces, NM) 974, 3. John Gaston (Peoria, AZ) 958, 4. Mike Martin (Yuma, AZ) 948, 5. Joshua Hodges (Tijeras, NM) 946, 6. Ronnie Clark (Tucson, AZ) 920, 7. Charles Davis, Jr. (Buckeye, AZ) 910, 8. John Van Horn (Tucson, AZ) 821, 9. Jessica Van Dyke (Tucson, AZ) 813, 10. Ron Kratz (Tucson, AZ) 746.

Current Discount Tire Co. ASCS Regional Challenge Points (Top Five through Seven of Eight Rounds): 1. Rick Ziehl 704, 2. Charles Davis, Jr. 686, 3. Ronnie Clark 664, 4. Mike Martin 650, 5. Joshua Hodges 638.

The American Sprint Car Series, in its 18th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing events, brings the best of Sprint Car racing to nearly 100 different tracks throughout 25 states and Canada in 2009. Anchored by the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of a dozen different Regions throughout the nation.

Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.

The wing warriors will be joined by Factory Stocks, X-Mods and Hornets. General admission tickets will go on sale at 5pm for only $12, racing will begin promptly at 7pm.

Suite Access Passes which allow race fans the opportunity to enjoy the races from USA Raceway’s VIP Suite are also on sale for only $25.

USA Raceway is located east of Tucson off I-10 exit 268, then 1.6 miles south on Craycroft Road, which turns into Los Reales. For more information please, contact the track at 520-574-8515 or additional information regarding USA Raceway can be found at www.usaraceway.net

Dave Darland and Jerry Coons Jr. Ready for The KRONIK Energy Western World Championships

Tucson, Arizona (October 16, 2009)

Two Triple Crown Champions aim for the The 42nd Running of The KRONIK Energy Western World Championships Presented by Old Tucson Studios. Dave Darland and Jerry Coons Jr., both former Western World Champions, will compete in the $5000 to win Discount Tire ASCS Canyon Region wingless portion of the event and Coons will pull double duty strapping on a wing for the $15,000 to Win Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters.

Darland, actively looking for a seat in a wing car, will pilot the BRAT Racing, Parker Store Maxim/Don Ott ride that took Missouri’s Jesse “The Rocket” Hockett to victory at Manzanita Speedway’s last dance. 1 of only 5 drivers to ever win the covenanted Triple Crown, Darland has captured over 200 wins in every type of open wheel car and sits a top the Western World winner list by capturing the 2005 championship.

“We’ve always admired Dave Darland as a driver and a gentleman,” commented Bob Ream Jr., crew chief of the Parker Store of Phoenix entry. “Our whole team is absolutely thrilled to have him drive for us at this premiere race.”

Coons, who earned the 2007 Western World Title, will be aboard the Allstate Utility Construction Maxim/Don Ott entry that will field cars for both the wing and the wingless portions of the event. A Tucson native, Coons will return to his home town where he is no stranger to USA Raceway winning in both wing and wingless action at USA in 2007.

“I look forward to returning home and being able to race in front of my home town,” commented Coons. “This will be a great event and hopefully we can make Tucson proud.”

Coons, also a Triple Crown Champion, will join Darland as they both look to become repeat winners of the Western World Championships.

More than one hundred sprint cars will be expected to take part in what will be one of the biggest sprint car events in the country as drivers from all walks will look to add their name to prestigious list of winners.

Both the winged and wingless forces will tackle USA Raceway’s 3/8-mile clay oval for three nights on November 19th, 20th and 21st, with more than $100,000 in “A” Feature money alone distributed over the course of the blockbuster event. A $15,000 share awaits the winner of the Lucas Oil ASCS season-ender on November 21st, with the Discount Tire Co. ASCS Canyon Region conqueror on November 21 pocketing $5,000.

Ticket pricing, seating charts and purchasing information can be found online at www.usaraceway.net/Uploads/WesternWorldTickets.pdf or by calling the USA Raceway office at 520-574-8515

Hotel Information can be found at www.usaraceway.net/lodging.php or by calling the Tucson Airport Courtyard by Marriott at 520-573-0000

USA Raceway is located east of Tucson off I-10 exit 268, then 1.6 miles south on Craycroft Road, which turns into Los Reales. For more information please, contact the track at 520-574-8515 or additional information regarding USA Raceway can be found at http://www.usaraceway.net

Product information for KRONIK energy can be found at http://www.kronikenergy.com/

The 18th Annual American Sprint Car Series Awards Banquet, Presented by Brodix, will follow directly on the heels of USA Raceway’s 42nd Annual KRONIK Energy Western World Championships presented by Old Tucson Studios.

Open to all racers, teams and fans, tickets are available for just $20 and may be obtained by calling USA Raceway at 520-574-8515. Tickets must be ordered by Tuesday, November 17th.

More information regarding Old Tucson Studios is available at www.oldtucson.com

Tennessee’s Kevin Swindell became the 25th different winner of the Western World by topping the 2008 edition of the event last November, adding his name to a prestigious list of past winners that includes his father Sammy Swindell, who won the event in both 1980 and 1989.

Steve Kinser has claimed the most Western World titles with seven triumphs including wingless wins in 1982 and 1983 followed by winged wins in 1985, 1987, 1990, 1992 and 1996.

Ron Shuman is next on the list with five Western World triumphs, all of the wingless variety, with other drivers posting multiple Western World wins including Lealand McSpadden (3), Bud Kaeding (2), Mark Kinser (2), Jan Opperman (2) and Sammy Swindell (2).