• dirt track racing news

BRADEN CHIARAMONTE'S RESULTS FROM THE ASPARAGUS CUP AT STOCKTON AND UPCOMING EVENTS

2024-04-15 23:18

(El Cajon, CA, April 11) Rising Southern California star Braden Chiaramonte made the long trek north for last week's Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour "Asparagus Cup" at the newly configured Stockton Dirt Track. The young driver transferred directly from his heat race into the main event and finished 14th after having to restart at the back early in the going.

Located east of San Francisco on the San Joaquin Fairgrounds, it was the first race on the track that was reconfigured from a half-mile to a quarter mile over the off-season. For Chiaramonte, who never raced on the half-mile, it was not his first race on the fairgrounds that is located 471 miles from his El Cajon, California home. Last June, he competed in a two-night Outlaw Micro 600 race at the Delta Speedway which is on the fairgrounds and only a few hundred feet from the dirt track. His best finish of the two nights was a fifth on June 22nd.

Last week, the new track surface did present some challenges for the teams on hand starting with qualifying. Driving the well-known Tiner/Hirst Enterprises #94TH that is sponsored by Slade Precision Shocks/Larry Davis Farms/System 1 Pro Ignition, Chiaramonte timed in 11th fastest of the 16 cars in group B qualifying with a time of 14.809.

Chiaramonte's first race of the night was the third heat. Eight cars lined up for the 10-lapper and only the top five would get an automatic ticket into the night's 30-lap main event. All he had to do was move up one spot to get a transfer to the main. That is exactly what he did but it was not without working hard as he was battling for position a majority of the race.

By the time the finale rolled around, some portions of the track were taking on a lot of character. Especially turns three and four. Chiaramonte started 18th in the 24-car, 30 lapper, and nearly got bitten early in the race. A Talladega-style tangle in turn four that involved seven cars nearly blocked the entire track. It almost gathered Chiaramonte in. However, he alertly dove to the inside to narrowly escape the carnage that brought out a red flag.

For the restart after the "Big One," Chiaramonte was 10th. However, on lap six two cars got together directly in front of the young star. With nowhere to go, he slid into them pushing the right-side nerf bar into the rear tire. That resulted in a trip to the work area where the Tiner/Hirst crew quickly straightened out the damage and sent him back out to battle.

Starting at the back, Chiaramonte worked his way forward and at one point was up to 12th. When the checkered signaled an end to the rough and tumble affair, the young driver came home with a hard-fought 14th-place finish.

"First wing race of the year is in the books and it was not a bad night," Chiaramonte told his Facebook followers a few days after the race. "Didn't qualify to good. Started sixth in the heat and finished fifth. Started 18th in the main and got up to 10th and two cars got together in front of me. Slid into them and the nerf bar was in the right rear tire. Got to the pits and they pulled it off. I went back and finished 14th. It was a good first night. I learned a lot and am ready for the next one."

That next one was supposed to be at the Placerville Speedway on April 13th. However, like so many races in California early in the 2024 season, rain wiped that show out.

This week Chiaramonte and the team will head north to Kevin Lockwood's racy Merced Speedway for the next round of the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour. In addition, the team is contemplating taking the micro along to race at the Delta Speedway in Stockton, which is 70-miles north of Merced, on Friday night.

Spectator gates at Merced will open at 5:00 p.m. and the first green flag will fly at 7:00. The track is located at 900 Martin Luther King Drive in Merced, California. The website is http://www.mercedspeedway.net/ and the office phone number is (209) 383-7799.

If things have not been busy enough, the team just rolled out its brand new DRC chassis to race with the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA 410 Sprint Car Series. They finished building the car on Saturday and tested it Sunday morning at Perris Auto Speedway.

Chiaramonte would like to thank all his sponsors who have made his racing efforts possible. RTL Traffic Control, AM Ortega, Hyper Racing, Chop Design, Adams Motors, Hacienda Casa Blanca Fine Mexican Dining, Evil Plus Injection, King Racing Products, Tyner, and Keizer Wheels. If you would like to be a partner with one of America's fastest-rising racing stars, please contact Daniel Chiaramonte via email at mailto:dchiaramonte@rtltraffic.com or by calling (619) 988-7563.

Braden Chiaramonte's 2024 Results

2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th A Main

3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main

3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 1st A Main

3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars DNS

4/6/24 Stockton Dirt Track Sprint Car Challenge Tour 14th A Main

This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. You can contact him online at mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com or by calling (909) 226-7768.