FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series AUSTIN LIGGETT WINS LAS VEGAS “SIN CITY SHOWDOWN” By Lance Jennings LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 7, 2014... Taking the lead from J.J. Yeley on lap three, Tracy, California’s Austin Liggett claimed the “3rd Annual Sin City Showdown” at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Thursday’s $2,500 “Grudge Series” victory was Liggett’s first USAC West Coast & SouthWest Sprint Car triumph as Yeley, Mike Spencer, Nic Faas, and Josh Pelkey rounded out the top-five drivers. Piloting the family owned #83 Excel Environmental Services / Home Connections Inc. Maxim, Austin Liggett earned the feature win in his first start at the 1/2-mile oval. Joining Bud Kaeding and Bryan Clauson as winners of the “Sin City Showdown,” the 2012 USAC West Coast Rookie of the Year ran third in his heat race before starting third in the main event. Currently sitting atop the “Grudge Series” and West Coast standings, Austin will return to action this Friday as the West Coast Sprints invade Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway. J.J. Yeley of Phoenix, Arizona led the opening laps of the feature before taking second at the checkered flags. Racing Tom Lee’s #53 Farrier Services Company Spike, Yeley placed second in his 8-lap heat race before starting on the pole position. The NASCAR driver and former USAC Triple Crown Champion had fallen back to fourth before charging forward with a late race surge. Temecula, California’s Mike Spencer scored third in the Las Vegas 25-lap feature after Richard Vander Weerd missed the post-race tech inspection. Driving Mark Priestley’s #7 Roy Miller Freight Lines / Sander Engineering Maxim, the five-time USAC/CRA Champion started fifth in the “Sin City Showdown” and took third in his heat race. Last season’s Grudge Series Champion ranks third in the point chase as the mini-series resumes September 27th at Canyon Speedway Park. Nic Faas of Huntington Beach, California charged to fourth in the main event from the seventeenth starting spot. Piloting Keith Ford’s #73X Berry Pack / Kings Racing Products Spike, the former USAC Western Midget Champion took sixth in his heat race. Faas had been slated to start on the pole position of the semi-main before the “last chance race” was scratched. Peoria, Arizona’s Josh Pelkey scored fifth in the “Sin City Showdown” after starting fifteenth. Driving Robbie and Gaye Allen’s #12 ABC Body Shop / NAPA Auto Parts Maxim, the 1997 ASCA Champion placed fifth in his heat race. Currently sixth in West Coast and Grudge Series points, Pelkey will compete in the SouthWest Series opener at Canyon Speedway Park on March 29th. Matt Mitchell of Yorba Linda, California earned the night’s Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with an eight place run from twenty-third. Racing his #37 MPD Racing / A.R.T. Enterprises Maxim, the USAC/CRA standout had won the program’s third heat race, but missed the tech inspection, resulting in a penalty. “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. of Buckeye, Arizona raced to victory in the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Piloting the Massey Motorsports #50 RSS Industries / MP Environmental Services RSS, the five-time Arizona Champion took ninth at the checkered flags. Davis left Las Vegas eighth in the West Coast and Grudge Series standings. Like Pelkey, the veteran driver will start his campaign for the SouthWest championship on March 29th. Visalia California’s Richard Vander Weerd was awarded the 8-lap Deist Safety Heat Race #2 victory after Matt Mitchell missed the tech inspection. Driving the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Battery Worx Maxim, the 2011 West Coast Champion had raced up to second in the main event after starting sixth. After taking third at the finish, Vander Weerd was penalized to twenty-third on the scorecard after missing the tech inspection. Richard will be looking to rebound at Tulare in a special Friday night event. Making his first start in Steve Watt’s #81 JD Machine Tech / AAA Propane Maxim, Troy Rutherford of Ojai, California won the Saldana Racing Products Heat Race #3. The former VRA Champion scored sixth in the “Sin City Showdown” and will be looking to contend for the USAC West Coast Series crown in 2014. Rutherford left The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway fifth in the standings. The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series would like to thank 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, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. For more information, visit westcoastsprintcars, usacracing, follow the series on Facebook (facebook/#!/pages/USAC-West-Coast-Sprint-Car-Series/369549755817), or Twitter (twitter/USACwc360). The USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series would like to thank Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Tire, Hose Advantage Store, and the Racers Advantage Store for their support. For more information on the series, visit southwestsprintcars, usacracing, or follow the series on Facebook (facebook/SouthwestSprintCars). ----------------------------------------------- USAC WEST COAST & SOUTHWEST “SPECIAL EVENT” SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS: March 6, 2014 – Las Vegas, Nevada – The Dirt Track At Las Vegas Motor Speedway 3rd Annual Sin City Showdown EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (8 laps) 1. Charles Davis Jr. (#50 Massey), 2. J.J. Yeley (#53 Lee), 3. Danny Faria Jr. (#2 Bowman), 4. Brody Roa (#91R BR), 5. Josh Pelkey (#12 Allen), 6. Nic Faas (#73X Ford), 7. Tye Mihocko (#5 Mihocko), 8. Mike Colegrove (#17M Colegrove), 9. Andy Reinbold (#19 Underwood). NT DEIST SAFETY HEAT RACE 2: (8 laps) 1. Richard Vander Weerd (#10 Vander Weerd), 2. Michael Faccinto (#81S Watt), 3. Mike Spencer (#7 Priestley), 4. A.J. Bender (#12B Bender) 5. Jace Vander Weerd (#88 Vander Weerd), 6. Landon Hurst (#179 Hurst), 7. Georgie Morris (#2K Kruseman), NT SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS HEAT RACE 3: (8 laps) 1. Troy Rutherford (#81 Watt), 2. Markus Niemela (#73 Ford), 3. Austin Liggett (#83 Liggett), 4. Jimmy Crawford (#51X Crawford), 5. Mike Martin (#16 Martin), 6. Rusty Carlile (#51 Carlile), 7. Dennis Howell (#62 Howell), 8. Shon Deskins (#20 Deskins), 9. Reece Goetz (#9R Goetz). NT FEATURE: (25 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Austin Liggett (3rd), 2. J.J. Yeley (1st), 3. Mike Spencer (5th), 4. Nic Faas (17th), 5. Josh Pelkey (15th), 6. Troy Rutherford (2nd), 7. Markus Niemela (8th), 8. Matt Mitchell (23rd - #37 Mitchell), 9. Charles Davis Jr. (4th), 10. Mike Martin (9th), 11. Brody Roa (12th), 12. Jimmy Crawford (10th), 13. Landon Hurst (18th), 14. Dennis Howell (19th), 15. Jace Vander Weerd (16th), 16. Rusty Carlile (13th), 17. A.J. Bender (14th), 18. Michael Faccinto (7th), 19. Georgie Morris (22nd), 20. Tye Mihocko (20th), 21. Mike Colegrove (21st), 22. Danny Faria Jr. (11th), 23. Richard Vander Weerd (6th). NT ----------------------------
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 15:06:52 +0000