TROY RUTHERFORD WINS $4,000 PETER MURPHY CLASSIC AT TULARE By Lance Jennings JULY 27, 2016... Starting sixth, Troy Rutherford (Ojai, California) raced past Brody Roa on the eighteenth lap and held off all challengers to win Saturday’s victory at Tulare’s Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway. For Rutherford, the $4,000 “3rd Annual Peter Murphy Classic” was his fourth career USAC West Coast Sprint Car triumph. Ryan Bernal, Bud Kaeding, Roa, and Richard Vander Weerd rounded out the top-five drivers. Racing his #11 AAA Propane Service / Trench Shoring Spike, Troy Rutherford began his night by winning the 10-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Placed seventh in the Pole Shuffle Dash, the former VRA Champion bested D.J. Johnson and Richard Vander Weerd to earn the sixth starting position of the main event. In limited appearances, Troy is ranked twelfth in points with two feature wins, two heat race victories, four top-10 finishes, and 42 feature laps led to his credit. After winning the previous night, Ryan Bernal (Hollister, California) ran second in the “Peter Murphy Classic” after starting eleventh. Driving Mike Phulps’ #56MW Metal Works / Diversified Machine Inc. ART, Bernal won the Stand 21 Racer Goes Safer Foundation Pole Shuffle Dash and earned the pole position starting spot. However, Ryan was offered the $1,100 KRC Safety Challenge for starting eleventh and the 2014 Murphy Classic winner accepted the challenge. After two starts, Bernal is twentieth in points with one feature win, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, one dash win, two top-10 finishes, and 21 feature laps led. Bud Kaeding (Campbell, California) had a solid return to USAC West Coast Sprint Car action with a third place run on Saturday and a fourth place finish on Friday. Piloting Junior Bowman’s #29 Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / Kaeding Performance Maxim, Kaeding left Tulare placed twenty-second in points with two top-10 finishes. Starting on the outside front row, Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) led the first seventeen laps before scoring fourth at the checkered flags. Racing the BR Performance owned #91R HD Industries / Lee & Norma Leonard Maxim, Roa claimed second in the Pole Shuffle Dash. Heading to Santa Maria on August 6th, the point leader has two feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, one heat race victory, nine top-10 finishes, and 65 feature laps led to his credit. Richard Vander Weerd (Visalia, California) claimed fifth in the “Peter Murphy Classic” finale. Driving the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Stone Gate Development Maxim, Richard won the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1 and placed seventh in the Pole Shuffle Dash. To date, the 2011 Champion is fourth in the standings with one feature win, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, one BR Motorsports / King Racing Products Hard Charger Award, seven top-10 finishes, and 3 feature laps led. Making his second start, Carson Macedo (Hanford, California) earned the night’s BR Motorsports / King Racing Products “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a sixth place run from twenty-second. Piloting Tom Tarlton Sr.’s #21 Tarlton & Son Inc. / Tachi Palace & Casino entry, Macedo ran sixth in his heat race and scored fifth in the semi-main, earning the final transfer spot. The USAC National Midget series regular sits twenty-seventh in the point standings. D.J. Johnson (Stockton, California) scored the victory in the 10-lap Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Heat Race #3. Racing the family owned #33 Proplant Farm Services / J. Milano Company Eagle, Johnson was seated eighth in the Pole Shuffle Dash and scored ninth in the main event. At press time, the 2013 USAC Western Classic Rookie of the Year is second in points with two feature wins, three heat race victories, one BR Motorsports / King Racing Products Hard Charger Award, nine top-10 finishes, and 51 feature laps led on the season. In his second start, Steven Garris (Escalon, California) won the night’s Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Competition Suspension Inc. Semi-Main. Driving his #58 Greg Jones Construction / Shaggin Enterprises Maxim, Garris ran fourth in his heat race and scored twenty-second in the feature after an early exit. At press time, Steven is tied with “The Human Highlight Reel” Geoff Ensign for forty-fourth in the point chase. The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series will return action on August 6th at Santa Maria Raceway. The “Bud Stanfield Memorial” is co-sanctioned with the Santa Maria 360 Sprints and will also feature the Pro Stocks, Mini Stocks, NMRA TQ Midgets, Mini Dwarfs, and Junior Midgets. Santa Maria Raceway is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange at 1900 Hutton Road in Nipomo, California. Adult tickets are $16 and for more event information, visit the track’s website at www.santamariaraceway.com or call 805.922.2232. The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series thanks Amsoil, Hoosier Tire, BR Motorsports, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Chris Kearns Presents, Competition Suspension Incorporated, DJ Safety, Diversified Machine Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, King Racing Products, Rod End Supply, Stand 21 Racer Goes Safer Foundation, 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 [email protected]. For more information, visit westcoastsprintcars.com, and www.usacracing.com. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC West Coast Facebook and Twitter pages. Loudpedal Productions has USAC West Coast Sprint Car DVDs and videos on demand available for purchase at www.loudpedal.tv and 805.407.7229. ----------------------------------------------- USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: July 23, 2016 – Tulare, California – Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway – “3rd Annual Peter Murphy Classic” EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Richard Vander Weerd (#10 Vander Weerd), 2. Danny Faria Jr., (#17V Faria), 3. Joe Stornetta Jr. (#3F Finkenbinder), 4. Kyler Shaw (#92 Shaw), 5. Gary Nelson Jr. (#6N Nelson), 6. Kenny Perkins (#0K Perkins), 7. Eddie Tafoya (#85 Perkins). NT DJ SAFETY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Troy Rutherford (#11 Rutherford), 2. Michael Faccinto (#81M Watt), 3. Cody Majors (#54 Majors), 4. Ryan Timmons (#29T Timmons), 5. Chris Dyson (#16K Kruseman), 6. Carson Macedo (#21 Tarlton), 7. Shannon McQueen (#7 Van Meter). NT BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. D.J. Johnson (#33 Johnson), 2. Austin Liggett (#83 Liggett), 3. Max Adams (#81S Watt), 4. Steven Garris (#58 Garris), 5. Tristan Guardino (#15T Guardino), 6. Jeff Sibley (#42N Sibley), 7. Ryan Stolz (#56 Stolz). NT KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS / COMPETITION SUSPENSION INC. SEMI: (10 laps) 1. Garris, 2. McQueen, 3. Tafoya (#5X Perkins), 4. Perkins, 5. Macedo, 6. Dyson, 7. Stolz, 8. Sibley. NT STAND 21 RACER GOES SAFER FOUNDATION POLE SHUFFLE DASH: 1. Ryan Bernal (#56MW Phulps), 2. Brody Roa (#91R BR), 3. Jace Vander Weerd (#88 Vander Weerd), 4. Danny Sheridan (#81T Watt), 5. Bud Kaeding (#29 Bowman), 6. Troy Rutherford (#11 Rutherford), 7. Richard Vander Weerd (#10 Vander Weerd), 8. D.J. Johnson (#33 Johnson). NT FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Troy Rutherford (6th), 2. Ryan Bernal (11th), 3. Bud Kaeding (3rd), 4. Brody Roa (2nd), 5. Richard Vander Weerd (5th), 6. Carson Macedo (22nd), 7. Danny Faria Jr. (7th), 8. Max Adams (14th), 9. D.J. Johnson (8th), 10. Michael Faccinto (10th), 11. Shannon McQueen (19th), 12. Cody Majors (13th), 13. Kyler Shaw (15th), 14. Kenny Perkins (21st), 15. Danny Sheridan (4th), 16. Jace Vander Weerd (1st), 17. Ryan Timmons (16th), 18. Eddie Tafoya (20th), 19. Austin Liggett (9th), 20. Tristan Guardino (17th), 21. Joe Stornetta Jr. (12th), 22. Steven Garris (18th). NT ------------------------------------ **Sibley flipped during the semi. Stornetta flipped during the feature. FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-17 Roa, Laps 18-30 Rutherford BR MOTORSPORTS / KING RACING PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER: Carson Macedo (22nd to 6th) USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Brody Roa-698, 2. D.J. Johnson-611, 3. Jace Vander Weerd-578, 4. Richard Vander Weerd-537, 5. Danny Faria Jr.-477, 6. Max Adams-476, 7. Austin Liggett-469, 8. Trey Marcham-457, 9. Tristan Guardino-426, 10. Ryan Timmons-423, 11. Cody Majors-336, 12. Troy Rutherford-335, 13. Jeff Sibley-331, 14. Shannon McQueen-309, 15. Kyle Smith-252, 16. Kevin Barnes-249, 17. Landon Hurst-192, 18. Danny Sheridan-175, 19. Ricky Kirkbride-162, 20. Ryan Bernal-150. 2016 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE DATE-TRACK-LOCATION August 6: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA (Bud Stanfield Memorial) August 12: Ocean Speedway - Watsonville, CA August 13: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds - Hanford, CA November 23: Ventura Raceway - Ventura, CA (Turkey Night Grand Prix / Non-Points) November 24: Ventura Raceway - Ventura, CA (Turkey Night Grand Prix / Non-Points) ----------------------------------------------- This schedule is subject to change.