Eddie Tafoya Jr. Back at Perris Saturday After Salute to Indy Third-Place Finish
2026-06-21 18:09
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Chino Hills, CA — June 18, 2026 — Four weeks after recording his second podium finish of the 2026 season, Eddie Tafoya Jr. will be back in action this Saturday night when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars return to Perris Auto Speedway. The race will mark his ninth start of the season.
Tafoya, who resides in Chino Hills, California, opened his 2026 campaign with a strong run that included a third-place finish at Arizona's Mohave Valley Raceway. He followed that with a pair of sixth-place finishes at Central Arizona Speedway, along with fifth-place results at both Perris Auto Speedway and Central Arizona.
After his fifth race of the year, the 28-year-old underwent surgery to repair the hand he injured at Perris in 2025. While the incision from the procedure has healed, his hand is still only about 50%. However, it would be hard to tell by looking at his results. In the three races since the surgery, Tafoya has recorded sixth and fifth-place finishes, along with the aforementioned third-place effort at Perris.
Just as importantly, Tafoya has rolled the car back into the trailer in one piece after every race, and finished on the lead lap in all eight of his starts this season. Part of that success can be attributed to his improved qualifying efforts in 2026. Starting closer to the front has allowed him to avoid much of the mid-pack chaos and consistently puts himself in a position for strong finishes.
Despite not chasing points in 2026 and skipping selected events, Tafoya currently sits 10th in the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car championship standings.
Through his first six USAC/CRA appearances of the year, Tafoya owns an impressive 6.16 qualifying average. In his two starts at Perris, that number is 6.50. Heading into Saturday's race, he carries a stellar 4.87 overall main event finishing average this season, including a 4.0 average on the famous Southern California half-mile clay oval.
Adult tickets are $30. Seniors 65 and over are $25. Students ages 13-17 with a school ID are $15. Kids ages 6-12 are $10, and children 5 and under are free. Active military members with proper ID will be admitted for just $5. Parking is $20, and parking payments are by card only.
Advance tickets are available at tix.com. For fans who do not wish to purchase tickets in advance, plenty of tickets will be available at the ticket windows on race night.
The track is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California. The track website is perrisautospeedway.com, and the office phone number is 951-940-0134.
Eddie Tafoya can be followed on Instagram at eddietafoya51.
Team Tafoya Racing would like to thank Specialty Fasteners, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Gasper Transportation, CMI Precision Machining, Owen's Insurance Services, Keen Concrete, DRC Chassis, and Rider Racing Engines for their continued support of the 2025 season. If you would like to join forces with the team for another fun and exciting year of racing in 2026, please contact Tafoya at Eddie Tafoya Jr. at (909) 393-3999 or mailto:teamtafoya@aol.com
Eddie Tafoya's 2026 Results
2/28/26 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 3rd A Main
3/12/26 The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Ultimate Sprint Cars 6th A Main
3/13/26 The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Ultimate Sprint Cars 6th A Main
3/21/26 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 5th A Main
4/18/26 Central Arizona Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 5th A Main
5/15/26 Central Arizona Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 5th A Main
5/16/26 Central Arizona Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main
5/23/26 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 3rd A Main
This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com