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EDDIE TAFOYA JR SCORES ANOTHER TOP 10 FINISH AT KERN - HEADED TO VENTURA THIS WEEK

2024-09-12 13:48

(Chino, CA, September 7, 2024) After racing on two different racetracks in 24 hours two weeks ago, Eddie Tafoya Jr. returns to action this Saturday night when the Ultimate Sprint Car Series presented by Inland Rigging returns to the Ventura Raceway. It will be the final tune-up at the track before the series returns to wrap up its initial season at the Turkey Night Grand Prix in November.

Tafoya's last appearances came on August 31st and September 1st. Up first was the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars in the Johnny Vermeer/Narcie Ferreira Classic at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway in Bakersfield, where he finished ninth in the main event. Twenty-four hours later, the popular driver led several laps before getting knocked out of the race and finishing 17th in the USCS event at the Santa Maria Speedway.

At Kern, Tafoya qualified 14th fastest of the 27 USAC/CRA Cars who turned up to race at the track in the city known as "Nashville West." A second-place finish in the beautiful #51T in his 10-lap heat race had the 27-year-old primed and ready for a good run in the main event.

Despite starting 14th in the 30 lapper, Tafoya showed that he had speed on the night. The Chino Hills, California Racer managed to move forward and stay out of the turn-one hole that plagued many competitors. When the checkered flag ended the race, he had moved up five spots to finish ninth. That gave the friendly driver eight straight top 10s in USAC/CRA this season. It was also his eighth top 10 in 11 starts in the tough series.

The following night, Tafoya shined in qualifying at Santa Maria. In the USCS, drivers draw a number and time trial against the racers they will compete with in their heat race. Tafoya was the fastest qualifier in his group, and his time of 13.522 was the fourth fastest time in the 26-car field.

After a fifth-place finish in his 10-lap heat, Tafoya lined up outside the front row for the main event. On a track that was definitely a "Cowboy Up Surface," Tafoya flew into the lead at the drop of the green flag. The 2019 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year maintained the top spot for the first five laps before slipping back to second on the rough terrain.

"It was very tough," Tafoya said of leading the race with cars right behind. "Especially getting into lapped traffic in two and a half laps or whatever it was. I kind of overshot the setup a little bit. I got too aggressive when I probably should have rolled it back a bit when I knew it was going to be rough. I knew I was starting up front, and I knew I did not want to be too loose and I ended up being too tight."

"It is really tough on the restarts when you are tight," the 2018 Perris Young Gun champion continued. "That is pretty much the only time I was losing anything. Besides that, we were going forward."

Tafoya stayed in the top five for over three-quarters of the race. However, after a lap 24 restart, he was hit by another car on his left side in turn four. The clatter sheared off the steering arm from the steering box. It knocked him out of the race and lowered him from a top-five finish to 17th.

"For the first time in a long time, I felt really balanced," Tafoya said about the speed over the weekend. "I felt like I could go anywhere I really wanted to. That was good to feel as it has been a while since I had that. It was work through the week; I just went through everything. I made sure everything was perfect, square, and centered. I made sure all of my measurements were right. Sometimes you have a spell of races where you're just not feeling it, so you just have to go back through all that stuff."

Tafoya will be making his third appearance of the season at Ventura this Saturday, September 14. The now-veteran driver hopes to improve on his frustrating results at the famous track earlier this year. On June 1st, at the start of the main, Tafoya was leading the pack going into turn one when something broke in the front end of his car and sent him careening into the wall. That ended his night. Seven weeks later, at the track known as "The Commotion By The Ocean," he was drilled from behind on a restart. The blow resulted in a flat tire that knocked him out of the race.

The veteran driver is more than capable of big results on the track located adjacent to the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean on the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Two years ago when USAC/CRA visited Ventura, Tafoya outqualified the field and placed fifth in the 30-lap main event.

Spectator gates to see Tafoya at Ventura will open at 3:00 p.m., with racing at 5:30. Adult tickets are $22.00. Seniors 60 and over, military with ID, and students with an ID get in for $18.00. Children 12 and under are free when they are accompanied by an adult. The track is located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 W. Harbor Boulevard (93001). The website is http://venturaraceway.com/, and the office phone number is (805) 648-RACE.

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 USCS Sprint Cars 22nd A Main

April 27th Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 9th A Main

May 11th Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway USCS Sprint Cars Rained Out

May 18 Bakersfield Speedway USCS Sprint Cars 20th A Main

May 25 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cas Series 8th A Main

June 1 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 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 A Main

July 13 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 7th A Main

July 27 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 21st A Main

August 17 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 10th A Main

August 31 Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 9th A Main

September 1 Santa Maria Speedway USCS Sprint Cars 17th A Main

This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com