RYAN BERNAL STAYS HOT AT KINGS SPEEDWAY By Lance Jennings HANFORD, CA – JUNE 8, 2014... After temperatures reached 100 degrees, Hollister’s Ryan Bernal made history by winning his fourth consecutive main event at Kings Speedway. Saturday’s $1,500 USAC West Coast Sprint Car victory at the Kings County Fairgrounds was Bernal’s series leading eighteenth win as the group returns to Tulare on June 21st. Richard Vander Weerd, Nic Faas, Dennis Howell, and Matt Mitchell rounded out the top-five drivers. Starting on the outside of the front row, Bernal took the lead from polesitter Mitchell on the third circuit. While multiple caution and red flags would halt the action, Ryan maintained the lead with excellent restarts. In addition, the defending USAC Western Classic Champion fought off several challenges from Vander Weerd to earn the record breaking victory. Driving the Mike Phulps owned #56 Core Power / Metal Works ART, Ryan Bernal qualified eighth out of twenty-three racers and won the Deist Safety Heat Race #2. With four main event wins, two Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, two heat race victories, seven top-10 finishes and 81 feature laps to his credit, Bernal left Hanford ranked eleventh in points. Richard Vander Weerd of Visalia charged from fifth to battle for the lead before claiming second at the checkered flags. Piloting the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Battery Worx Maxim, Vander Weerd was second quick in time trials and placed third in his heat race. The 2011 Champion has climbed to fifth in points with one feature win, six heat race victories, one Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, seven top-10 finishes, and 16 feature laps led. Huntington Beach’s Nic Faas powered to third in the main event after starting tenth. Racing Keith Ford’s #73X Berry Pack / King Racing Products Spike, Faas qualified tenth overall and ran second in his heat race. Despite missing a few races, the 2008 USAC Western Midget Champion is seventh in the standings with one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, one heat race victory, nine top-10 finishes, and 12 feature laps led on the year. Dennis Howell of Rancho Palos Verdes fought hard to score fourth in the Hanford main event. Driving the family owned #62 San Pedro Auto Body / Howell-Meyer Racing Maxim, Howell was seventh fast in time trials and placed third in his heat race. Dennis left Hanford ranked eighth in points with one feature win, two heat race victories, five top-10 finishes, and 30 feature laps led on the season. Yorba Linda’s Matt Mitchell battled with brake problems to claim fifth after leading the first two laps. Piloting his #37 MPD Racing / ART Enterprises Maxim, Mitchell qualified ninth overall and won the Saldana Racing Products / Weld Racing Heat Race #3. The former USAC Western Midget Rookie of the Year is second in points with two heat race victories, one semi-main win, two Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics Hard Charger Awards, and seven top-10 finishes. Jace Vander Weerd of Visalia recorded his second Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of 2014. Racing the family owned #88 Vander Weerd Construction / Battery Worx Maxim, Vander Weerd was fourth in his heat race and scored twenty-second in the feature after a first lap flip. The 2010 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year was uninjured and sits fourth in points with one feature wins, two heat race victories, eight top-10 finishes, and 20 feature laps led. Terra Bella’s Trent Carter A.K.A. “Turd Ferguson” earned his first Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with an eighth place run from seventeenth. Driving the family owned #13 Porterville Lock & Safe / Porterville Collision Center Maxim, Carter was seventeenth quick in time trials and took seventh in his heat race. The Rookie of the Year contender left Kings Speedway tied for twentieth in points with one top-10 finish. Marty Hawkins of Santa Rosa drove to victory in the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Piloting his #3M Susie’s Bar / Vermeil Wines Maxim, Hawkins qualified sixteenth overall and scored ninth in the feature after starting sixteenth. Currently twelfth in points, Marty has three heat race victories and four top-10 finishes on the season. On Saturday, June 21st, the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series will return to the Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, California. Located on the Tulare County Fairgrounds, the showcase will also feature the IMCA Modifieds, and Racesaver Wing Sprints. 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., Deist Safety, Engler Machine & Tool, Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, Keizer Wheels, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Rugged Radios, Saldana Racing Products, SouthWest Contractors, VanLare Steering Repair, Weld Racing, 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 [email protected]. For more information, visit westcoastsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/#!/pages/USAC-West-Coast-Sprint-Car-Series/369549755817), or Twitter (www.twitter.com/USACwc360). ----------------------------------------------- USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS: June 7, 2014 – Hanford, California – Kings Speedway WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TIME TRIALS: 1. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-15.575; 2. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-15.781; 3. Chris Ennis, 86, Ennis-15.880; 4. Danny Faria Jr., 2, Bowman-15.907; 5. Troy Rutherford, 81, Watt-15.972; 6. Max Adams, 5X, Adams-15.985; 7. Dennis Howell, 62, Howell-16.013; 8. Ryan Bernal, 56, Phulps-16.022; 9. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-16.046; 10. Nic Faas, 73X, Ford-16.072; 11. Markus Niemela, 73, Ford-16.121; 12. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-16.204; 13. Davey Pombo, 14, Pombo-16.221; 14. Landon Hurst, 179, Hurst-16.250; 15. T.J. Smith, 87, Van Meter-16.380; 16. Marty Hawkins, 3M, Hawkins-16.453; 17. Trent Carter, 13, Carter-16.546; 18. Garrett Long, 38, Long-16.609; 19. Matt Day, 97, Day-16.817; 20. Connor Kassik, 26, Kassik-16.826; 21. Kevin Barnes, 36B, Barnes-16.839; 22. Jonathan Logan, 32, Evett/Logan-17.064; 23. George Morris, 3K, Kruseman-17.268. EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps) 1. Marty Hawkins, 2. Nic Faas, 3. Dennis Howell, 4. Jace Vander Weerd, 5. Danny Faria Jr., 6. Matt Day, 7. Jonathon Logan, 8. Davey Pombo. NT DEIST SAFETY HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps) 1. Ryan Bernal, 2. Landon Hurst, 3. Richard Vander Weerd, 4. Markus Niemela, 5. Troy Rutherford, 6. George Morris, 7. Trent Carter, 8. Kassik. NT SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / WELD RACING HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps) 1. Matt Mitchell, 2. Austin Liggett, 3. Max Adams, 4. T.J. Smith, 5. Chris Ennis, 6. Kevin Barnes, 7. Garrett Long. NT FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Ryan Bernal (2nd), 2. Richard Vander Weerd (5th), 3. Nic Faas (10th), 4. Dennis Howell (3rd), 5. Matt Mitchell (1st), 6. Markus Niemela (11th), 7. Austin Liggett (12th), 8. Trent Carter (17th), 9. Marty Hawkins (16th), 10. Troy Rutherford (9th), 11. Landon Hurst (14th), 12. Garrett Long (18th), 13. Kevin Barnes (21st), 14. George Morris (23rd), 15. Matt Day (19th), 16. Danny Faria Jr. (8th), 17. T.J. Smith (15th), 18. Davey Pombo (13th), 19. Max Adams (4th), 20. Connor Kassik (20th), 21. Jonathan Logan (22nd), 22. Jace Vander Weerd (6th). NT ---------------------------- **Jace Vander Weerd, Davey Pombo, and Danny Faria Jr. flipped during the feature. **Chris Ennis was scheduled to start 7th, but did not start. FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-2 Matt Mitchell, Laps 3-30 Ryan Bernal. KEIZER WHEELS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Trent Carter (17th to 8th) USAC WEST COAST SPRINT POINT STANDINGS: 1. Markus Niemela-452, 2. Matt Mitchell-418, 3. Troy Rutherford-388, 4. Jace Vander Weerd-379, 5. Richard Vander Weerd-361, 6. Danny Faria Jr.-360, 7. Nic Faas-342, 8. Dennis Howell-339, 9. Austin Liggett-322, 10. Landon Hurst-297, 11. Ryan Bernal-283, 12. Marty Hawkins-207, 13. Kevin Barnes-180, Bud Kaeding-180, 15. Chris Ennis-154, 16. Jeff Sibley-133, 17. Garrett Long-121, 18. D.J. Johnson-98, 19. Matt Day-92, 20. Trent Carter-90, ---. Davey Pombo-90 2014 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE DATE - TRACK - LOCATION June 7: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA June 21: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA July 19: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA August 2: #Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA (Billet Cup / $2,500-to-Win) August 8: #Ocean Speedway - Watsonville, CA August 9: #Chowchilla Speedway - Chowchilla, CA September 27: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Brawl For It All / $2,500-to-Win / Grudge Series / Non-Points) October 11: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA (Cotton Classic / Non-Points) November 6: *Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Oval Nationals / $2,500-to-Win / Grudge Series) November 20: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Western World Championships / Non-Points) November 21: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Western World Championships / Non-Points) November 22: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Western World Championships / $7,500-to-Win / Non-Points) ----------------------------------------------- * = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC Southwest Sprints. # = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC Western Classic Sprints. This schedule is subject to change.