EDDIE TAFOYA JR. COMES FROM THE BACK TO FINISH EIGHTH IN SHORTENED PERRIS AUTO SPEEDWAY MAIN
2024-07-02 14:51
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(Chino, CA, June 27, 2024) In what can best be described as a bizarre night, Eddie Tafoya Jr. came from the back of the pack to finish eighth in last Saturday's Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series main event at Perris Auto Speedway. The race was called complete at the end of 20 laps leaving fans to wonder where he would have finished if it had gone the full 30-circuits.
Tafoya, who was racing at the track closest to his Chino Hills, California home, was the 10th fastest car of the 22 on hand in qualifying. The quickest of his two laps on the clocks was a 17.848. The time sent the affable racer to the first heat race on the hot evening. Starting on the inside of row two in the 10-lapper, he placed fifth.
During the afternoon, the thermometer was registering at over 100 degrees at the 28 year old track. In addition, the wind was blowing. By the time the eighth series 30-lap main event of 2024 was ready to push off, the wind was still blowing, and the temperature was 80 degrees. When the 22-car field of 900+ horsepower cars began the race, a problem that rarely exists at the track reared its ugly head. That problem was copious amounts of dust.
Early on, veteran racer Tafoya, who started the main event in 10th, got caught up in somebody else's mess. After a quick trip to the work area, he returned to the battleground but had to restart the race at the back. While the dust had settled during the yellow flag period, it came up again as soon as the race resumed. Despite issues seeing, Tafoya managed to steer the car, which is a fan favorite with its red foil trim, forward. He was one of the few cars making passes, and he found himself impressively back up to eighth spot. However, that was as far as he was going to get. As conditions were not improving, series officials called the race complete at 20-laps.
While it would have been interesting to see where 26-year-old Tafoya would have finished had the race not been shortened, it was an impressive performance in less-than-ideal conditions. It also gave him six top 10 finishes in the last 10 Southern California A mains he has started. Included in the top 10s is a second place at the grand reopening of the Santa Maria Speedway on June 15th.
Saturday's finish saw Tafoya close to within 10-points of the driver currently ranked seventh in the championship standings. With more than half the season remaining, the 2019 series Rookie of the Year will surely rise higher in the point battle before the season ends.
Tafoya gets this weekend off, but he will be back at it on July 5th when the USAC/CRA Series heads to Santa Maria for the first time since 2022.
Friendly Tafoya is always happy to meet the fans in the pits after every race. He will sign autographs, pose for photos, and sell his beautiful 2024 team shirts. For fans who cannot attend the races, the team shirts are available at www.specialty-fasteners.com.
Fans can follow Tafoya on Instagram @eddietafoya51.
Tafoya and the #51T team would like to thank Specialty Fasteners, Inland Rigging, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Gasper Transportation, CMI Precision Machining, Owen's Insurance Services, Keen Concrete, DRC Chassis, and Rider Racing Engines for supporting its racing program.
Eddie Tafoya Jr. 2024 USAC National Results
January 11 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 22nd A Main
January 14 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 7th D Main
February 24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main
March 9 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprints 13th A Main
March 10 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprints 17th A Main
March 16 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main
March 23 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 12th A Main
April 6 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main
April 20 Bakersfield Speedway Ultimate Sprint Car Series 22nd A Main
April 27th Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 9th A Main
May 11th Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway Ultimate Sprint Car Series Rained Out
May 18 Bakersfield Speedway Ultimate Sprint Car Series 20th A Main
May 25 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cas Series 8th A Main
June 1 Ventura Raceway Ultimate Sprint Car Series 23rd A Main
June 5 Lawrenceburg Speedway 410 Sprint Cars 8th A Main
June 6 Lincoln Park Speedway 410 Sprint Cars 12th A Main
June 7 Bloomington Speedway 410 Sprint Cars 6th B Main
June 8 Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 4th A Main
June 15 Santa Maria Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 2nd A Main
June 22 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th Main
This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com