USCS - United Sprint Car Series
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USCS - United Sprint Car Series Dirt Track Racing News
- GRAY GRABS 97TH CAREER USCS WIN AT TENNESSEE NATIONAL RACEWAY
The defending and 15-time United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters National Champion Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN drove to his 97th career USCS victory on Saturday night in the 30-lap Feature Race at Tennessee National Raceway.
- Weather cancels USCS Winter Heat Series weekend at Hattiesburg and Magnolia
Due to the unfavorable weather forecast with over an inch and a half of soaking rain on Friday 3/8 and already wet grounds at both facilities, the USCS Winter Heat Series sprint car speed spectacular scheduled at both Hattiesburg Speedway on Friday, March 8th and Saturday, March 9th event at Magnolia Motor Speedsay in Columbus, Mississippi have been CANCELLED.
- BRENT SEXTON GETS TWO TOP-FOUR FINISHES AT THE IMPERIAL VALLEY RACEWAY
(Lakeside, CA, March 5, 2024) Three-time lightning sprint car champion Brent Sexton turned in two top-four finishes when the SoCal Lightning Sprint Car Series opened its 2024 season last Friday and Saturday at the Imperial Valley Raceway. The 50-year-old star placed fourth in Friday night's 20-lap main event. He bested that outcome by two spots when he came home second on Saturday. This Friday and Saturday, Sexton and his 19-year-old son Grant will be at the same track to contest two nights of open class sprint car racing during the historic California Mid-Winter Fair. Last week Brent had planned to race his lightning sprint on Friday in the SCLS show and then head to the Ventura Raceway to compete with Grant in the inaugural Ultimate Sprint Car Series event on Saturday. However, heavy rains doused the beach-side track and forced a cancellation. So, Brent stayed at Imperial and ran the lightning sprint on the racy track located in the Southeast corner of California both nights. Brent, who lives in Lakeside, California with Grant, and his other son Dalton, turned in impressive performances both nights last week. On Friday he qualified eighth fastest in the 21-car field with a lap of 12.508. He placed second in a stacked eight-lap heat race. In the main, he began in the fifth-place spot and moved one position forward to finish fourth. Twenty-four hours later, the Tennessee-born star qualified sixth fastest when he stopped the clocks in a near identical 12.520. He then proceeded to win his heat race. On Saturday night, which was very chilly and windy, Brent started the main in third. He took second on lap six and then fended off pursuers over the final 14 laps for his first podium finish of the year. The impressive results left Sexton, a three-time lightning sprint car champion, only seven points out of first in the CLS standings. However, he is focusing on the full-size sprint car this season including the races at Imperial this Friday and Saturday. Sexton Gatlin Racing has had a lot of success at Imperial over the past three seasons. In addition to Brent's fourth and fifth-place finishes there last weekend, he competed there four times in a lightning sprint car last year and posted a win, a second, a third, and a fourth-place finish. USAC/CRA star AJ Bender drove a different SGR car to a lightning sprint win at Imperial on March 3, 2023. Grant drove his full-size sprint car at the track one time last season and finished fifth. In 2022, Brent and his oldest offspring Dalton swept the POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series opening main events in March. Brent grabbed another win there in October and Grant had a third in his 360 sprint car there late in the season. March is a busy month for Sexton Gatlin Racing. Following the two races last week at Imperial, they will be back there this Friday with Brent and Grant both competing in the open comp. sprint car show. Next week, the father and son duo will be in action in the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Series at Perris. The plan now is to close the month at the USCS inaugural race at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway in Bakersfield on the 30th. For fans who want to attend this week's races at Imperial, wheel packing will start at 5:30 with hot laps and single-car qualifying to follow on Friday. The first race of the night will begin at 7:00. On Saturday, wheel packing will be at 4:30 and again will be followed by hot laps and single car qualifying. The first race will start at 6:30. Sexton Gatlin Racing would like to thank the following companies for making the 2024 season possible. East County Electric Works, Keys Brothers, BR Motorsports, Maxima Oil, Automated Interiors, Sexton Fire Protection, BK Wings, Troy Dirt. If you or your company are interested in becoming a marketing partner with Sexton Gatlin Racing in 2024, please call (619) 454-6945 or E-mail mailto:sextonfire@cox.net or mailto:sextonfire@gmail.com. Brent Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main 3/1/24 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Lightning Sprints 4th A Main 3/2/24 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Lightning Sprints 2nd A Main Grant Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 18th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. Contact (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- EDDIE TAFOYA JR. 2024 USAC/CRA SERIES OPENING NIGHT RESULTS
(Chino, CA, March 1, 2024) Eddie Tafoya Jr's promising opening night in the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series at Perris Auto Speedway came to an end when he was clobbered from behind in the 30-lap main event. One of the favorites for the series title in 2024, his #51T will be repaired and ready for round #2 at the same Riverside County half-mile clay oval on March 16th. Twenty-seven cars showed up for the 2024 season opener on a chilly Southern California night. Tafoya's popular sprint car, adorned with red foil trim, was one of the 27 on hand and he first showed the speed of the flashy machine when he was seventh fastest in hot laps with a best lap of 17.343. That was followed up with a 16.889 time in qualifying, which was 10th fastest in the talent-laden field. Tafoya, 26, started third in the series' first 10-lap heat race of the campaign and advanced up to second by race end. The finish earned him a ticket straight into the 30-lap main event. For the A, the 2018 PAS Young Guns Champion and 2019 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year started on the outside of row four in eighth. Working his way forward, the talented driver was attempting to break into the top five. However, at the end of lap nine, he was clobbered from behind on the front straightaway. The hit triggered a multi-car crash that sent Tafoya hard into the inside wall. The wallop tore the front end out of the car and left him with an annoying 21st-place finish. Tafoya was set to debut in the new Ultimate Sprint Car Series Presented By Inland Rigging this Saturday at the Ventura Raceway. However, on Thursday morning track officials canceled the race due to incoming rain. The race has been rescheduled for April 13th. The veteran racer will now debut in the USCS when it visits Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway on March 30th. While the Chino Hills, California driver saw this weekend get washed out, he will still have a busy month of on-track activities. This coming Friday and Saturday, March 8th and 9th, Tafoya and Inland Rigging teammates Tommy Dunkel and Austin Williams will be racing during the California Mid-Winter Fair at the Imperial Valley Raceway. Both nights will be complete shows. He will make his first of two 2023 trips to Arizona's Cocopah Speedway on March 23rd. Those races will be joined by the aforementioned March 16th and 30th dates at Perris and Kern. Tafoya's busy schedule will continue in April when he will be racing every Saturday during the month. On April 6th and 27, he will be contesting USAC/CRA races at Mohave Valley Raceway and Perris. Sandwiched in between will be USCS shows at Ventura and the Bakersfield Speedway. If you would like to hear the friendly driver on his 2023 Dirt Tracks and Rib Racks Podcast, please visit the following link https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Hox9dg0iRGXo0szabeqDy 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 9 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- USCS Winter Heat at Hattiesburg postponed until Friday, March 8th
ATTENTION! Postponed at H'Burg and Plan B...Due to the high probability of rain (70-80% with 1/2 to 3/4 inch accumulation) this Friday and 50% chance on Saturday) the inaugural Mama Parker Memorial Hub City 200 event and the USCS Winter Heat Series Race #8 has been postponed to next Friday, March 8th at 7:30pm as a one-night race.
- AFTER AN IMPRESSIVE USAC/CRA SERIES PERFORMANCE AT PERRIS AUTO SPEEDWAY, BRADEN CHIARAMONTE HAS A AND B OPTIONS THIS WEEKEND
(El Cajon, CA, February 28, 2024) Following an impressive 16th to 8th showing in the 20th anniversary season opening USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series main event last weekend, Braden Chiaramonte has a couple of options for this Saturday night. Weather permitting, he will be contesting the inaugural USCS race at the Ventura Raceway. However, rainy weather conditions may throw a wrench into those plans. If weather indeed intervenes, the #73B team will load up its 600cc micro and head to Arizona's Adobe Mountain Speedway. Last week Chiaramonte, who turned 17-years-old on Sunday, shined in the 30-lap main event at Perris. Competing in a powerful 410 sprint for only the third time and the first time on the lightning fast ½ mile clay oval, he began the main event in 16th and raced forward to an eighth-place finish. That gives the talented teen three top 10s (two of them being top five) in his first three 410 starts. In qualifying, the El Cajon, California rising star ended up 17th with a lap of 17.343. A new setup for the heat did not deliver the goods as hoped. Needing a fourth-place finish to qualify for the A main, Chiaramonte ended up seventh. That meant he would have to race in the B main and finish in the top 10 of the 13 car field to make the A. He did so with no problem and recorded the fastest lap in the race with a dazzling 16.810. The main not only featured the best traditional 410 sprint car drivers on the West Coast but also top drivers from Arizona, Indiana, and Ohio. Chiaramonte went nothing but forward in the main event. He smoothly and methodically passed eight cars to finish eighth. Only one other driver passed more cars - nine - than Chiaramonte. Just as impressive as his passing job was his fastest lap in the race. His 17.072 was faster than the best lap of the main event winner. In fact, only one other driver had a quicker lap in the main than the handsome rookie. Chiaramonte, who will be competing regularly in the Sprint Car Challenge Tour and USAC/CRA Series this season, will next see action at Perris on March 16th. As of now, the plan is still in place to race at Ventura with the USCS on Saturday. Over the past two seasons, Chiaramonte has made two appearances at the track located at the beach. His best finish was a seventh with the USAC Western Midgets in May of 2022. His last appearance came at the track three months ago when he placed 13th in the B main at the Turkey Night Grand Prix. The racers at Ventura are hoping for clear skies so they can race. The racers at Adobe Mountain are also hoping for clear skies at Ventura so Chiaramonte will race there, rather than battle with them in the "Copper State." In three appearances at Adobe last season, Chiaramonte posted two wins and a sixth-place finish. To keep updated on the weather at Ventura or for ticket prices and times visit http://venturaraceway.com/ or call (805) 648- RACE. The track is located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 W. Harbor Boulevard (93001). If Ventura is rained, instead of heading north, Chiaramonte will head east to Adobe The track is located at just south of Pinnacle Peak Road on 43rd Avenue in Glendale, Arizona. Wheel packing will begin at 4:30 with racing to follow. General admission tickets for those 13 and over are $10.00. For kids 5-12 it is only $5.00 and children 4 and under are free. The track website is at https://www.adobemountainspeedway.com/ and the office phone is (207) 977-6520. 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. Braden Chiaramonte's 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th 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.
- INLAND RIGGING TEAM OPENS USAC/CRA TITLE DEFENSE SATURDAY AT PERRIS
(Menifee, CA, February 22, 2024) The Tom and Christy Dunkel Inland Rigging Sprint Car team will open defense of its Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Series championship this Saturday night, February 24th, at Perris Auto Speedway. However, the season opener will have a much different feel for the crew and its driver. When the green flag opens the 28th season of racing on the Riverside County half-mile clay oval and the start of the 20th season for USAC/CRA, Austin Williams will be the driver spearheading the team's title defense. Last year the team dominated the USAC/CRA Series by leading the championship point standings the entire season. It also won eight of the 18 main events with veteran Brody Roa behind the wheel. Then in January came the shocking news that Roa was relinquishing his ride with the Menifee team to spend more time with his family. The Dunkel's quickly recruited 11-time CRA main event winner Austin Williams to chauffeur the #17W and try to bring home the second straight title for the Inland Rigging squad. He immediately became one of the favorites to capture the season-long championship trophy. One thing that is for sure with the Dunkel's is they do not skimp or cut corners. They are always in it to win it. That is how they did it in 2023 and that is how they will try to win again in 2024. Winning a title takes a lot of prep and tons of hours in the shop. The team has already been burning the midnight oil to be prepared for Saturday's season-opening green flag. As of Wednesday, the cars were ready and just a few details for the opener remained. "The car is ready to go," Tom Dunkel said from his home on Wednesday night. "We did get ourselves a new hauler over the winter so we are putting the finishing touches on that. We are getting our tools and spares loaded into the trailer. We are going to do the tires tomorrow and we are ready to get after it. Saturday's car is 100% and two other cars are about 80%. We are super close for the year." "He definitely knows what he likes," Dunkel said about his new driver. "I have been kind of talking to Austin here and there. Even as last season was winding down. Not necessarily about working together, but as friends and competitors at the racetrack. He has a lot of experience and comes with a lot of background. Especially with his dad. Those guys know what they like but they have been very responsive to what we like to do and what our program has to offer. They have been super respectful. And they are not here to change a lot of stuff. They are here to bring what they have to the table and see what we like to do between Zac and I. It has been a pretty good mixture of the bulls so far." Knowing he needed a field general to lead the championship charge, Dunkel brought in Zac Bozanich. When it comes to young minds in the pits, few are more respected than the award-winning crew chief. He is one of Roa's best friends and was a long time crew leader on the famous #91R. Spending what Dunkel refers to as some "long days" in the shop, Bozanich has gelled well with Williams, his Hall of Fame father Rip Williams and Eddie Tafoya Jr. Tafoya will join Dunkel in the new USCS series beginning a week from Saturday in Ventura. "We are going to have five cars total and six engines," Dunkel enthused. "We are going to have four non-wing cars and we are building a winged car as well. We are going to run a couple up north (wing races) and a couple of High Limit races at the end of the year. I am going to play at a couple races at Antioch and Watsonville with myself driving. For the bigger shows, we have a couple of guys (wing drivers) we have reached out to but we have not firmed anything up yet." Seeing Dunkel or any So Cal drivers in a 410-winged car is quite a rare sight. The last one to do so was Roa in his family-owned #91R a couple of years ago. Dunkel has never driven a winged or wingless 360, but as a teen, he did race a winged lightning sprint car. He is the first one to tell you that there is no comparison between driving a winged lightning sprint and a fire-breathing 410 cubic inch winged sprint car. Before it is time for wing racing, USAC/CRA and USCS are on tap. For fans who want to see Williams start his drive towards his first potential championship and the team's second, spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday with racing at 7:00. Adult tickets are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. For kids 6-12 it is only $5.00 and children 5 and under are free. Advance tickets are available 24 hours a day online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7 or by calling 1-800-595-4849. For those who do not want to purchase advance tickets, there will be plenty of tickets for everyone at the ticket window on Saturday. The fairgrounds charge $10.00 for parking. Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in the City of Perris. The track website is http://www.perrisautospeedway.com/ and the office phone number is (951) 940-0134. Dunkel would like to thank the following 2024 season sprint car sponsors. Inland Rigging, Dunkel Farms, Specialty Fasteners, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Osborne Speed & Machine, Maverick Transport, and HBC. If you would like to join this championship team for another title run this year, please contact Dunkel using the information at the top of this release. Tom Dunkel's 2024 Racing Results 1/11/24 SageNet Center Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 8th C Feature 1/13/24 SageNet Center Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 11th L Feature This release was produced by Scott Daloisio Sports (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- BRENT SEXTON HOPES TO KEEP THE USAC/CRA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD IN THE FAMILY
(Lakeside, CA, February 21, 2024) When it comes to one family member following another in most sports, it is usually the child following their father or mother. When it comes to open-wheel racing, the Sexton's of Southern California like to do things differently. Case in point, last year 19-year-old Grant Sexton won the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Rookie of the Year Award. When the series kicks off its 20th season at Perris Auto Speedway this Saturday night, one of the favorites for Rookie of the Year this season is Sexton's 50-year-old father, Brent! While the elder Sexton is racing for Rookie of the Year in the USAC/CRA Series, he is hardly a rookie to motorsports. Quite the contrary. The Lakeside, Californian has been one of the top lightning sprint car drivers in the country for over a quarter of a century and has multiple wins and three lightning sprint car titles on his resume. The first of the three titles came in the California Lightning Sprint Car Series in 1999. Nine years later he backed that up with another CLS crown. If you thought it was a long time between his first two lightning championships, wait until you hear this. It was 14 years more before he won his third lightning title in 2022 with the POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints. That was 23 seasons after his first championship campaign. Last season he battled in the lightning wars racing in the SWLS and the CLS. He notched three SWLS wins and ended up finishing second in the championship standings despite missing some races. Things changed for Sexton on June 10th when he accompanied Grant to a race at Perris Auto Speedway like normal. What was not normal was they took two cars with them. Grant's 410 USAC/CRA ride and a 360 for Brent to run with the PAS Senior Sprints. When the CRA field was a few cars shy, Brent was talked into racing that portion of the program as well. He placed second in the Senior Sprint main and then shocked everyone by coming from near the back of the pack to finish seventh in the CRA feature. He even beat Grant who dropped out early and placed 15th. "I always dreamt about driving an actual sprint car," the fun-loving driver said. "Not that lightning sprints are easy to handle. It is just that I had done it so long and never had the funds to race an actual sprint car. It is a midlife-type crisis I guess. I seen time slipping away and I want to do it while I can and to do it with my son seeing how much fun he had. Why not try and put our names together in the record books." "It was definitely an eye-opener," Sexton went on about his first race in a full size sprint car. "A lot of it (his seventh-place finish) was due to attrition but we definitely had a blast doing it. We have been snake bit ever since. We enjoyed it so much we thought why not throw my hat in the ring this year (for Rookie of the Year) and see what I can do." To say Sexton Gatlin Racing is serious is an understatement. They have fielded top-of-the-line equipment in lightning sprints for years. Two years ago when Grant jumped up to a full-size car, they began in used gear but stepped up big time last year with a new Triple X Chassis powered by a powerful 410 Shaver Racing Engine. After Brent got bitten by the big car bug last year, he decided to step up in style not only with his chassis, but also in the engine department. "It is a Triple X Chassis because that is what I ran in the lightning sprints," the talented driver said. "It is the 360 motor that we bought from Rico Abreau last year. It has been a great piece for Grant as he ran it at Ventura on Turkey Night and had a great time. I hope it treats me well this year." When it came to CRA shows, Grant was the main focus for the team. That no doubt came in handy as he was learning the ropes and capturing the Rookie of the Year Award. The talented teen who will turn 20 in July, recorded five top-10 finishes in 2023. His best outing came at the Bakersfield Speedway on June 24th when he placed fifth. This year the youngster hopes to continue his climb towards the top of the racing ladder. However, things will be a little different as the crew will also be devoting attention to his dad. "He is funny about it because I think he likes us to only have to worry about one car," Brent laughed. "Now everybody is going to have to focus on two cars and the effort that goes into it. He is part of it with our crew chief David Bezio, Johnny, and Tavo. They are there three or four times a week and then on Saturday night we go out there and try to tear them up (the cars)." "I am ecstatic," the proud father said when asked about Grant's performance last season. "For as rough of a start as he got last year, he far surpassed anything that I expected. As a dad, I want to push him more this year and see if he can get his qualifying down. That is the only flaw I can see. See if we can get him in that invert so he can start getting some top-five finishes. As a dad, he has made me proud every time. Both of the boys did. Dalton is more dedicated to his work and his girlfriend now and wants to save money instead of spending it on race cars." If the two big cars are not enough, Brent still has a lightning sprint that he will race when his schedule permits. That includes an appearance on March 1st during the California Mid-Winter Fair at the Imperial Valley Raceway. The next night he will be heading to Ventura for the USCS opening race. While he is there, the lightning sprint will still be in action for night #2 at Imperial with someone else behind the wheel. "I am not sure who is going to run it the second night," Sexton said regarding the lightning at Imperial. "AJ Bender has been bending my ear to run it on Saturday night while we go up to Ventura to run the Ultimate Series. It is going to be a busy back and forth for the next few weeks as we will be back at Imperial the following week for the sprint car open comp show and back to Perris on March 16th for the USAC race." Grant is pretty much slated into a full year in USAC/CRA this season. Brent has hopes of doing the same but there are some variables that could come into play. "Honestly, it is all going to depend on how the year starts off," Sexton said about running the full USAC/CRA Series. "That and funding. We have some good sponsors including East County Electric, which is probably Grant's future father-in-law. He is our primary. Keys Brothers are back along with Sexton Fire Protection. BR Motorsports from up north is helping us out with parts. Also, Maxima Oil, Automated Interiors, BK Wings, and Troy Dirt. And my mom. We could not do it without her. With all of the traveling, she is a big part of it from feeding us to doing so much behind the scenes. She is definitely the glue that keeps all of us together." Spectator gates to see the Sextons in action on Saturday will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00. Adult tickets for Saturday's race are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. For kids 6-12 it is only $5.00 and children 5 and under are free. Advance tickets are available 24 hours a day online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7 or by calling 1-800-595-4849. For those who do not want to purchase advance tickets, there will be plenty of tickets for everyone at the ticket window on Saturday. The fairgrounds charge $10.00 for parking. Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in the City of Perris. The track website is http://www.perrisautospeedway.com/ and the office phone number is (951) 940-0134. If you or your company are interested in becoming a marketing partner with Sexton Gatlin Racing in 2024, please call (619) 454-6945 or E-mail mailto:sextonfire@cox.net or mailto:sextonfire@gmail.com. Sexton Gatlin Racing would like to thank the following companies for making the 2024 season possible. East County Electric Works, Keys Brothers, BR Motorsports, Maxima Oil, Automated Interiors, Sexton Fire Protection, BK Wings, Troy Dirt. This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. Contact (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- McCARL MASTERS NIGHT ONE FOR USCS OUTLAW THUNDER SPRINTS AT SOUTHERN RACEWAY
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry McCarl of Altoona, IA drove to a convincing win Friday night in the United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters Winter Heat Round 8 25-lap Feature Race at Southern Raceway. McCarl started third, took the lead on lap four and checked out to take the victory.
- SMITH POUNCES FOR LATE RACE PASS TO WIN SOUTHERN RACEWAY USCS RUN
Mark Smith of Sunbury, PA rode in the catbird's seat for 27 laps, and pounced in lapped traffic with three laps to go to take the lead. Smith went on to take his tenth United Sprint Car Series Presented by K&N Filters win at Southern Raceway since 2019 on Saturday night in Round 9 of the Winter Heat Series.
- AUSTIN WILLIAMS AND EDDIE TAFOYA JR. NAMED TO DRIVE FOR INLAND RIGGING SPRINT CAR TEAM IN 2024.
(Cypress, CA, February 12, 2024) Inland Rigging Sprint Car team owners Tom and Christy Dunkel are pleased to announce that star sprint car drivers Austin Williams and Eddie Tafoya Jr. will drive for the Menifee, California-based team during the 2024 season. Williams, who ranks seventh on the all-time USAC/CRA victory list with 11 triumphs, has his eyes firmly affixed on the 2024 title in the series. Tafoya, who was the 2018 Perris Auto Speedway Young Guns Sprint Car champion and the 2019 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year, will run an Inland Rigging car full-time in the new USCS Series. One of his competitors for that crown will be Dunkel who will race in all of the USCS events and run a partial schedule in USAC/CRA. The shake-up in the team roster came about when 2023 USAC/CRA Series champion Brody Roa vacated the #17R to spend more time with his family. While the split was amicable and they remain great friends, it piqued curiosity on the West Coast with some pit siders speculating that the Dunkels were stepping out of racing. Quite the contrary. Going into the year, six DRC chassis' and four Shaver engines are in the team's stable. In addition, the team will also be taking delivery of a new One Way and Kistler engine shortly. "We are pleased to have these two guys on board for 2024," Tom Dunkel said. "They are top drivers who can win races and will be contending for the championships. I'd like to thank the Roas for an amazing year racing together. Christy and I wish Brody and family nothing but the best and hopefully we will see him in a #17 car sometime in the future." Whispers about the change in the USAC/CRA team surfaced a couple of weeks ago. When some heard there may be some changes, questions began popping up and there was speculation on who may end up in the open USAC/CRA seat. One who heard the whispers was Williams. The driver who is getting married on May 18th decided to look into the situation and made some calls. "I think Austin kind of caught wind that Brody and I were going our own ways," Dunkel stated. "He spoke with Malyssa Perkins and she kind of filled him in on what was going on. We exchanged phone numbers and got on a call a few weeks back. I brought him out to the house and showed him what we had equipment-wise. He was impressed by what we had to offer. I know he can go out there and get it done. He made the most sense for us to go chase the CRA championship and run full-time in that deal. I also spoke with a few USAC National guys. Those guys have full-blown schedules. We will probably do something with some National drivers at a few select races." In his career, Williams has sat in some very nice equipment. In his early days racing in USAC/CRA, he was teammates with his Hall of Fame father Rip Williams, his older brother Cody and his younger sibling Logan on the Jack and Sharon Jory-owned sprint car team. When Jack passed away, Williams ended up steering the famous Moose Racing #92 owned by Tom and Lauri Sertich. When they decided to move to Indiana, the driver known as "The Big Game Hunter" ended up racing one of the Jory-owned cars that his father then owned. When the elder Williams ended up owning the three cars from the Jory stable, the deal was his kids could drive them if they could pay all the bills. Austin, who lives in Corona, California, found out that can be expensive. Make that, very expensive. "These last two years have really humbled me (running his own operation)," the friendly driver said. "I used to race for Jack Jory and I had the best of the best. Anything I wanted, pretty much we got. Then racing for Tom and Lauri Sertich, they were really good car owners and gave me everything I asked for. Now, this opportunity is going back to the time when I could actually race the racecar, get as many wins as I can and not have to worry about what I am doing the next race if I crash this car." "I was planning on racing as many races as I could (in his own car this year) with the little money that I had," Williams continued. "I had a good sponsor drop out on me, which really hurt my program. I still had other sponsors. Pacific Highway Rentals and Forefront Construction Services are still on board. I think I am going to be bringing them over to the Inland Rigging team." Williams is excited to get into the Inland Rigging cars and he believes the transition will be a smooth one as he has been running DRCs with Shaver engines. That is the same combo he will step into in the Dunkel-owned machines. Finishing third last season in USAC/CRA points meant he ran near the front. That is not far behind where Roa ran for Inland Rigging most of last year as he won eight of the 18 main events in the series and his overall 40.9 win percentage was the best in the nation amongst 410 wingless drivers. The affable driver is chomping at the bit for the February 24th season opener at Perris Auto Speedway. He believes the transition to the new car will be very smooth. The only thing he will have to get used to is a different shock package. "Honestly, I do not think there will be a period of adjustment," Williams enthused. "The only thing that will be different from my #2 car to the #17A car is the shock program. They currently have CSI shocks and I have always had Matt Hummel's FK Shocks. We will see how that transition goes. I am sure it will be fine." "I got engaged (last year), and I am getting married this year. I got the ride in the best sprint car this side of the Mississippi or even farther," Williams boasted. "I am very excited." Dunkel and the Tafoya family are anything but strangers. In 2015 and 2016 he competed in the USAC West Coast Series and the VRA Sprint Cars against Eddie Tafoya Sr. They stayed in touch and last year the relationship grew tighter as Dunkel accompanied them on some of their sojourns for Eddie Jr. to race with the USAC National Sprint Cars. He was very impressed with the rising young star and the way he carried himself. That led Dunkel to offer him a full-time ride in the USCS. "When Eddie Jr. started racing, him and I got to know each other," Dunkel said. "Last year we went back east with them a few times. I just kind of helped out. Got to know Jr. a little more. He is a solid kid and his parents are great. When the opportunity came up to run him at Turkey Night last year it was kind of a no-brainer. With his experience back east, I thought it was a good fit. We did not have a lot of luck in that race. Nevertheless, it was a great weekend with him." The sprint car portion of Turkey Night features 360 sprint cars. While at Ventura, the conversation came up about teaming up for some 360 stuff this season. Then the West Coast Series (USAC West Coast Sprint Cars) folded up. Subsequently, the new USCS series was born and inherited USAC West Coast Series tracks. "Eddie made the most sense," Dunkel comfortably stated. "We are really looking forward to running him this year. He is extremely good with equipment. That comes from running for your family. You do not want to cost mom and dad any more than you have to. He is very methodical and he likes to set up his own car. On top of everything, the Tafoya's are just a great family. Julie (Eddie's mom) runs Specialty Fasteners and is super cool. She is hard on drivers, though. She cuts Jr. no slack. Me too! I have come off the track feeling pretty proud of what I did and she says, 'Ah, better luck next time.'" Tafoya, who is based in Chino Hills, California will also chase the USAC/CRA title in his family-owned #51T, is eager to get started with the 2024 season. When he rolls onto the track at Ventura for the USCS inaugural race it will only be his third time racing a 360 sprint car. Last season he got taken out by another car at the Turkey Night Grand Prix. Before that, he had one other 360 start. Besides that it has been all 410s including a restricted 410 he drove to the Perris Auto Speedway Young Guns title in 2018. "I ran one 360 maybe three years ago and it was not a full night as we had engine issues," Tafoya said. "So Turkey Night (last year) was my first full night in a 360. Besides that, just 410s." "I think we should be able to jump right into it," the personable driver said on what he expects in the 360. "It should all transition pretty well. Most of the tracks we are going to run at are smaller and intend to slick off. I won't have to worry as much about getting myself out of trouble on the cushion or things like that. In the 410 I have to be easy on the pedal sometimes. I have to make sure when I am in the 360 I do not do that." One thing is for sure, Tafoya will be on a lot of different tracks in 2024. The only tracks the two series will both be competing on are the rejuvenated Santa Maria Raceway and The Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway. Kern is the only track currently on his schedule that he has not competed on in the past. That is a lot different from 2023 when Tafoya raced in the USAC National Series on many tracks he had never seen before. "I wouldn't say I dislike any," Tafoya commented on the tracks he will be steering the Dunkel's car at. "To me, they are just a lot different driving styles. I like Ventura. I've gone quick time there (with CRA). Santa Maria, I have gone top five. Bakersfield I have been top five. I don't get to drive them much so I do not have a lot of feedback on them but I definitely think we will be up front. I prefer big tracks and going faster. I like just having some extra room to move around. It seems like I always do good on the small tracks, too. So, I definitely don't have a problem with them. I like going racing anywhere we can." "We have everything in our corner to go and win races," Tafoya enthusiastically intoned. "Zac (team manager Zac Bozanich) and I have been down there building up cars, getting the trailer ready and all kinds of stuff. We will be ready to come out swinging. It was a no-brainer for me when they asked. Thanks to Tom and Christy, this year big things fell together and we have ourselves a whole other seat." Tafoya reckons he has worked on sprint cars every day for the last two months. His new DRC for the USAC/CRA Series arrived last week and he started putting it together last weekend. A successful season is not just dictated by the drivers. Dunkel and Zac Bozanich, Roa's past crew chief and a past USAC/CRA mechanic of the year, made a deal for Bozanich to be the Inland Rigging team manager. If that is not enough to scare the foe, Rip Williams will be heavily involved as will Dunkel and his son Aiden. Tafoya and his father will also be occupied with helping maintain the cars. Austin Williams will be hands-on and is bringing his longtime crewmen Paul Dean, Rich Ruston, and Joe Perez. "I have worked with Zac in the years prior to being around Brody," Dunkel stated. "With my smaller sponsorship that I did prior, Zac has always been top-notch and has always been a class act. As we rolled into 2023 and really stepped up our game with the Roas, Zac jumped in and took me under his wing. It just made sense towards the end of the year and things were winding down and some things were changing on what I was going to be doing with Brody. Zac and I were able to strike a deal and bring him on board to help us execute our big plans this year." "We had our first shop day the day of the CRA banquet," Dunkel recalled. "Rip was there. That was kind of surreal, to be honest. I am not really a kind of star-struck kind of person but it was kind of neat to work with the "Ripper" in my own shop on my cars. He is the guy I always watched as a kid. To go full circle and be providing a car for his son is pretty bitchin.'" Dunkel would like to thank the following 2024 season sprint car sponsors. Inland Rigging, Dunkel Farms, Specialty Fasteners, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Osborne Speed & Machine, Maverick Transport, and HBC. If you would like to join this championship team for another title run this year, please contact Dunkel using the information at the top of this release. Tom Dunkel's 2024 Racing Results 1/11/24 SageNet Center Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 8th C Feature 1/13/24 SageNet Center Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 11th L Feature This release was produced by Scott Daloisio Sports (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- BRODY ROA TEAMS WITH CAR OWNER JAYSON MAY FOR THE 2024 RACING SEASON
(Cypress, CA, February 6, 2024) Veteran Southern California sprint car racer Brody Roa is teaming up with Taft, California car owner Jayson May for the 2024 season. The team will launch its campaign on March 2nd at the Ventura Raceway in the inaugural race of the USCS Sprint Car Series. The combo first got together in September of 2020 and won the first time out in a CAS race at Central Arizona Speedway. Since that time, they have competed in several events collectively. However, the upcoming race at Ventura will be their first time teaming up since the 2022 Turkey Night Grand Prix on the same ocean-side oval. Roa, who resides in the shadows of Disneyland in Garden Grove, California, comes into 2024 after the best season of his career. Driving the Inland Rigging #17R owned by Tom and Christy Dunkel, they won the USAC/CRA championship. They took eight of the 18 main events in the series and Roa had a 40.9 win percentage on the year. That was the best victory percentage for any 410 non wing driver in the nation. His total of nine wins tied him for third-most in the nation amongst 410 non-wing drivers. On top of everything else, Roa and his wife Tailor welcomed their second daughter into the world in the middle of the racing season. It was a dream year. With stats like that, why did he leave the Inland Rigging team, how did he get re-connected with May and what does the future hold? Earlier this week, the "Pride of Garden Grove" took a few minutes to discuss the how's, why's and where's. S.D.: After having the best season of your career, why did you step out of the Inland Rigging deal? B.R.: To take a little bit of a step back with the family now. Having time to spend with my family is the biggest reason for my switch. Jayson and his family have such nice stuff and such a good maintenance prep program. That kind of allows me not to have to do that during the week. I want to spend some more time with my family and not being in the garage all week getting ready to go racing. S.D.: So just to alleviate the rumor mill before it starts, you were happy there and it is an amicable split, correct? B.R.: The change is nothing against them. We are still friends, obviously. There was nothing about the deal (driving for the Dunkel's) that made me want to do something else. It was the home life and the everyday during-the-week stuff (working on the car). When I talked to him, we left the door open on maybe doing a race together, here and there. Hopefully, that door is still open. That friendship we had is still there. We had a ton of fun last year. Lots of good memories. They deserve an endless thank you for what they did to jump on board as big as they did. They stepped in a big way to chase that championship. Tom wanted a championship and I wanted a championship. That was my only goal last year. Accomplishing that took a lot off of my plate, too. Tom and Christy and Inland Rigging supported me with sponsorship for four or five years before becoming my car owners last year. S.D.: How did you get reconnected with Jayson May? B.R.: We never stopped talking when I was not driving his stuff. Jayson and I became friends, too. We talked every now and then. I went to lunch with Tom a few weeks ago with no plan on what I was going to do, but I wanted to back down my schedule a bit. That is when I started talking to Jayson a little bit more. He just bought a new DRC from Scott Benic. He was putting that together and was trying to figure out what he was doing. He did not have anybody committed to run anything. He barely raced at all last year. He was just putting engines together. It all just kind of fell into place. He is going to figure out what he can afford to do and we will put a schedule together." S.D.: You and Jayson have a history. In fact, you won a CAS main event at the Central Arizona Speedway the first time you teamed up. So, each of you knows what to expect coming into this deal, correct? B.R.: The first time I ran for Jayson and the Mays was right after my oldest was born. So at the end of the 2020 season. Then I ran a couple of races with him in 2021 and a couple of races for him in 2022. Last year was the first time since that I did not drive his car all year. S.D.: No championship aspirations this season, correct? B.R.: Jayson and I are still working on the schedule of what we are going to do. We are going to do some hit-and-miss shows I guess you could call it. A part-time schedule. Nothing full-time for points. Won't be stressing on running a full season again this year. S.D.: Have you decided where you will be racing? B.R.: A little bit all over the place. I think mainly over the hill by him. So Bakersfield, Kern, Santa Maria. All of the CRA and USCS shows north of the Grapevine. Between the two schedules, I think you run like 14 races between Bakersfield, Kern, and Santa Maria. There is plenty of racing to do. He will probably come down to Perris maybe once or twice this year. It is so far for him to come down. S.D.: If something else came up on the nights when you are not driving Jayson's car, would you still take a ride in other CRA races or is that not in the plans this year? B.R.: If something comes up and it works out, yeah, I am pretty much open to do stuff in good equipment. It all comes to the help side, too. I am tired of wearing my dad into the dirt. This will kind of allow him to rest a little bit at the races. My schedule is kind of open but we are going to kind of play it by ear with the family. If we do not have a race that weekend or anything committed, we can go to the desert or the river or somewhere else. S.D.: You and your crew have been together for a long time. Are they all going with you to the Jayson May ride? B.R.: Pretty much the same with the exception of Zac (crew chief Zac Bozanich). Zac is planning on helping Tom this year. I do not know what the title would be, but he is doing a lot of the prep work and ordering what Tom needs to have a race-ready program. All of last year we took my stuff (spares). We had all of the spares. So they are slowly building up Tom's spare inventory. Making sure he is dialed in." S.D.: Before last year, you ran your own program for over a decade. Do you still have all of your stuff? B.R.: I do. I still have all of my stuff. We are hanging onto all of our stuff for now. Just because of this change, I am not going to sell all of my stuff. That is pretty committed. I will never be able to buy it all again. We will see what the future brings. Who knows what we end up doing? I may hit the lottery and put my full program together again. We will see. Jayson May and Roa want to thank the following marketing partners for being a part of the #8M racing endeavors in 2024. May Motorsports, Winfield's Racing Engines, RDM Mechanics, Cooper's Propane, TJM Distribution, TJM Distribution, Ten West Towing, Arctic Sea Mining, Wesco International, Elite Signs and Fastenal. In addition, they thank Roa's sponsors. "Biker" Bruce Fischer, ALR Virtual Services, Burris Racing, Caltrol, Jambo Barbeque Pits, Competition Suspension, K-1 Race Gear, Molecule, Rod End Supply, Driven Racing Oil, Baldwin Filters, and NGK Spark Plugs. If you would like to be a marketing partner in 2024, contact Roa using the information at the top of this release. @inlandrigging, @dunkelfarms @roygamityanauctioneer @burris_racing_usa @mikeburrisoc @csishocks @theoriginalloosebruce @alrvirtualservices @k1racegear @moleculesports @rodendsupply @baldwinfilters @ngkracing @originalngksparkplugs @usacnation @usac_cra @perrisautospeedway @b_roa91 @tai_xoxo_roa @zacboz35 @joegibb83, @caltrolinc @narc410 @drivenracingoil This release was produced by Scott Daloisio Sports (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- BRODY ROA TEAMS WITH CAR OWNER JAYSON MAY FOR THE 2024 RACING SEASON
(Cypress, CA, February 6, 2024) Veteran Southern California sprint car racer Brody Roa is teaming up with Taft, California car owner Jayson May for the 2024 season. The team will launch its campaign on March 2nd at the Ventura Raceway in the inaugural race of the USCS Sprint Car Series. The combo first got together in September of 2020 and won the first time out in a CAS race at Central Arizona Speedway. Since that time, they have competed in several events collectively. However, the upcoming race at Ventura will be their first time teaming up since the 2022 Turkey Night Grand Prix on the same ocean-side oval. 176951984_10165147892615201_5363705704056184937_n.jpg Brody Roa and car owner Jayson May after a win at the Tulare Thunderbowl in 2021. Roa, who resides in the shadows of Disneyland in Garden Grove, California, comes into 2024 after the best season of his career. Driving the Inland Rigging #17R owned by Tom and Christy Dunkel, they won the USAC/CRA championship. They took eight of the 18 main events in the series and Roa had a 40.9 win percentage on the year. That was the best victory percentage for any 410 non wing driver in the nation. His total of nine wins tied him for third-most in the nation amongst 410 non-wing drivers. On top of everything else, Roa and his wife Tailor welcomed their second daughter into the world in the middle of the racing season. It was a dream year. With stats like that, why did he leave the Inland Rigging team, how did he get re-connected with May and what does the future hold? Earlier this week, the "Pride of Garden Grove" took a few minutes to discuss the how's, why's and where's. S.D.: After having the best season of your career, why did you step out of the Inland Rigging deal? B.R.: To take a little bit of a step back with the family now. Having time to spend with my family is the biggest reason for my switch. Jayson and his family have such nice stuff and such a good maintenance prep program. That kind of allows me not to have to do that during the week. I want to spend some more time with my family and not being in the garage all week getting ready to go racing. S.D.: So just to alleviate the rumor mill before it starts, you were happy there and it is an amicable split, correct? B.R.: The change is nothing against them. We are still friends, obviously. There was nothing about the deal (driving for the Dunkel's) that made me want to do something else. It was the home life and the everyday during-the-week stuff (working on the car). When I talked to him, we left the door open on maybe doing a race together, here and there. Hopefully, that door is still open. That friendship we had is still there. We had a ton of fun last year. Lots of good memories. They deserve an endless thank you for what they did to jump on board as big as they did. They stepped in a big way to chase that championship. Tom wanted a championship and I wanted a championship. That was my only goal last year. Accomplishing that took a lot off of my plate, too. Tom and Christy and Inland Rigging supported me with sponsorship for four or five years before becoming my car owners last year. S.D.: How did you get reconnected with Jayson May? B.R.: We never stopped talking when I was not driving his stuff. Jayson and I became friends, too. We talked every now and then. I went to lunch with Tom a few weeks ago with no plan on what I was going to do, but I wanted to back down my schedule a bit. That is when I started talking to Jayson a little bit more. He just bought a new DRC from Scott Benic. He was putting that together and was trying to figure out what he was doing. He did not have anybody committed to run anything. He barely raced at all last year. He was just putting engines together. It all just kind of fell into place. He is going to figure out what he can afford to do and we will put a schedule together." S.D.: You and Jayson have a history. In fact, you won a CAS main event at the Central Arizona Speedway the first time you teamed up. So, each of you knows what to expect coming into this deal, correct? B.R.: The first time I ran for Jayson and the Mays was right after my oldest was born. So at the end of the 2020 season. Then I ran a couple of races with him in 2021 and a couple of races for him in 2022. Last year was the first time since that I did not drive his car all year. S.D.: No championship aspirations this season, correct? B.R.: Jayson and I are still working on the schedule of what we are going to do. We are going to do some hit-and-miss shows I guess you could call it. A part-time schedule. Nothing full-time for points. Won't be stressing on running a full season again this year. S.D.: Have you decided where you will be racing? B.R.: A little bit all over the place. I think mainly over the hill by him. So Bakersfield, Kern, Santa Maria. All of the CRA and USCS shows north of the Grapevine. Between the two schedules, I think you run like 14 races between Bakersfield, Kern, and Santa Maria. There is plenty of racing to do. He will probably come down to Perris maybe once or twice this year. It is so far for him to come down. S.D.: If something else came up on the nights when you are not driving Jayson's car, would you still take a ride in other CRA races or is that not in the plans this year? B.R.: If something comes up and it works out, yeah, I am pretty much open to do stuff in good equipment. It all comes to the help side, too. I am tired of wearing my dad into the dirt. This will kind of allow him to rest a little bit at the races. My schedule is kind of open but we are going to kind of play it by ear with the family. If we do not have a race that weekend or anything committed, we can go to the desert or the river or somewhere else. S.D.: You and your crew have been together for a long time. Are they all going with you to the Jayson May ride? B.R.: Pretty much the same with the exception of Zac (crew chief Zac Bozanich). Zac is planning on helping Tom this year. I do not know what the title would be, but he is doing a lot of the prep work and ordering what Tom needs to have a race-ready program. All of last year we took my stuff (spares). We had all of the spares. So they are slowly building up Tom's spare inventory. Making sure he is dialed in." S.D.: Before last year, you ran your own program for over a decade. Do you still have all of your stuff? B.R.: I do. I still have all of my stuff. We are hanging onto all of our stuff for now. Just because of this change, I am not going to sell all of my stuff. That is pretty committed. I will never be able to buy it all again. We will see what the future brings. Who knows what we end up doing? I may hit the lottery and put my full program together again. We will see. Jayson May and Roa want to thank the following marketing partners for being a part of the #8M racing endeavors in 2024. May Motorsports, Winfield's Racing Engines, RDM Mechanics, Cooper's Propane, TJM Distribution, TJM Distribution, Ten West Towing, Arctic Sea Mining, Wesco International, Elite Signs and Fastenal. In addition, they thank Roa's sponsors. "Biker" Bruce Fischer, ALR Virtual Services, Burris Racing, Caltrol, Jambo Barbeque Pits, Competition Suspension, K-1 Race Gear, Molecule, Rod End Supply, Driven Racing Oil, Baldwin Filters, and NGK Spark Plugs. If you would like to be a marketing partner in 2024, contact Roa using the information at the top of this release. @inlandrigging, @dunkelfarms @roygamityanauctioneer @burris_racing_usa @mikeburrisoc @csishocks @theoriginalloosebruce @alrvirtualservices @k1racegear @moleculesports @rodendsupply @baldwinfilters @ngkracing @originalngksparkplugs @usacnation @usac_cra @perrisautospeedway @b_roa91 @tai_xoxo_roa @zacboz35 @joegibb83, @caltrolinc @narc410 @drivenracingoil This release was produced by Scott Daloisio Sports (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- TOMMY DUNKEL TALKS OF MIDGET CREW CHIEF AND MORE MIDGET RACES ON THE WAY
(Cypress, CA, January 30, 2024) A little over a year ago, open-wheel racer Tommy Dunkel liked chili. However, after only three nights of racing in the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals inside the famous Sage Net Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he now loves the dish. So much so, that the Murrieta, California-based driver is already making plans to start racing midgets on the Left Coast this season so he can be ready for the 40th annual Chili Bowl 11 months from now. To many, Dunkel is a newcomer to racing. In reality, that is far from the truth. He had a brief foray into lightning sprints and 360 sprint cars a few years ago. More recently, his Inland Rigging company became familiar to fans as a sponsor of longtime Southern California star Brody Roa. However, Dunkel wanted more. He had an itch to get back into a sprint car. He finally did that at the end of the 2022 season, when he finished 13th in the prestigious Turkey Night Grand Prix at the Ventura Raceway. With the desires on fire, Dunkel entered the 2023 Chili Bowl. Things did not go as well as he had hoped. It was one night and done. He ran on his preliminary evening but called it a day before the Saturday finale. In no way did the disappointment of the Chili Bowl deter Dunkel's open-wheel ambitions. He was back in his sanitary white #17A in select 360 races on the West Coast and would add in his first 410 endeavors in 2023. In addition, he and his wife Christy owned the #17R that Roa drove to the 2023 USAC/CRA championship. In addition to Roa taking the title and posting numerous victories, Dunkel scored his first sprint car win at the Ventura Raceway on April 8th. Even though Dunkel met with success in the cockpit and as a car owner in 2023, the Chili Bowl was still boiling on his mind. He wanted another shot and he wanted to do it with a front-line car and team. Enter longtime crew chief Jimmy May and the Josh Ford Motorsports team. Known for fast cars and a top-notch crew led by May, they were just what Dunkel was looking for and a deal was set. "They have been in that building so many times and they have had good success," Dunkel enthused about May and his crew. "Having that kind of confidence (in the crew and the equipment) going in was great. That helped me a ton. I knew I could go out there and drive really hard and do my best because I knew I had good equipment underneath me. You give them feedback and what they do with the wrenches from there is pretty amazing. Those guys know how to tune for that joint." "Jimmy himself is such a natural," Dunkel continued. "He can watch the dust, he can watch the TVs there and he can gauge what the track is going to be like even if there are four or five races to go (before he got on the track). He knows what setup to put on by knowing what the track is going to do. It seemed like all of us were in sync in working with Jimmy and his crew guys. They are just spot on. Some of the hardest working crew guys that I have ever had wrenching for me. It was a pleasure working with them the whole weekend." January in Oklahoma in no way resembles Arizona in July. Cold can permeate throughout the month and that can wreak havoc on the cars in the Chili Bowl. Fans are used to pump fresh air into the building from outside. That makes it anything but bikini-wearing conditions inside the massive SageNet Center. It negatively affects the engines on the cars that were referred to as "doodlebugs" three-quarters of a century ago. "We were chasing the cold," Dunkel shivered recalling the temperatures in Oklahoma. "It was a really big factor. The temperature in the building was just shy of freezing. With how cold it was outside, the fans were pumping 10-degree air into the building." Compounding the issues with the air were some unfortunate incidents that delayed Dunkel getting on the track. "Unfortunately, every time before I went out something happened (on the track) in the race just prior," Dunkel laughed. "So I ended up sitting on the ramp a long time and the car was getting cold. That kind of factored into some of the issues we had but that is out of everybody's control. Everybody else was running into the problem with their cars getting cold, too. We were all dealt the same cards with the temperatures." "My guys did not skip a beat," offered Dunkel. "They were wrapping the car in blankets and putting the engine heaters on it in staging. They did everything they could possibly do for me to make the car better. I would have liked to have done a little better but I could not have been happier (with May and the crew)." With more laps at this year's Chili Bowl and the guidance of May and his crew, Dunkel is already making plans for 2025. He is teaming with May for four, five, or six midget races this year including the Turkey Night Grand Prix in November. Dunkel wants to thank his family, Jimmy May, crewmen Sam and Charlie, the Tafoya Family, Specialty Fasteners, Malyssa Perkins, and Inland Rigging for making his Chili Bowl racing endeavor possible. This Saturday, Roa and the Dunkel's will receive their just rewards for last year's CRA title at a banquet in Riverside, California. After that, it will be back in the shop getting the cars ready for the upcoming USAC/CRA and USCS seasons. Some exciting team news is on the horizon. Stay tuned. Dunkel would like to thank the following 2024 season sprint car sponsors. Inland Rigging, Dunkel Farms, Specialty Fasteners, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Osborne Speed & Machine, Maverick Transport, and HBC. If you would like to join this championship team for another title run this year, please contact Dunkel using the information at the top of this release. Tom Dunkel's 2024 Racing Results 1/11/24 SageNet Center Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 8th C Feature 1/13/24 SageNet Center Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 11th L Feature This release was produced by Scott Daloisio Sports (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- TIMMS TAKES NIGHT TWO $3000 AT USCS HENDRY COUNTY MOTORSPORTS PARK STOP
Ryan Timms of Oklahoma City, OK won the 30-lap Main Event on Saturday night in Night 2 of the United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters Winter Heat event at Hendry County Motorsports Park. It was Timms' second win in the last three USCS Winter Heat races.
- FRANEK FLIES TO USCS VICTORY AT HENDRY COUNTY
Davie Franek of Wantage, NJ took a wire-to-wire win in the 25-lap United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters Feature Race Friday night at Hendry County Motorsports Park. The event was Round #4 of the 2024 USCS Winter Heat Series and the first of two nights at the South Florida track.
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- Cherokee Speedway Race TrackGaffney, South Carolina, USA
- Cochran Motor Speedway Race TrackCochran, Georgia, USA
- Columbus Speedway Race TrackColumbus, Mississippi, USA
- Crossville Raceway Race TrackCrossville, Tennessee, USA
- Crowleys Ridge Raceway Race TrackParagould, Arkansas, USA
- Deep South Speedway Race TrackLoxley, Alabama, USA
- Diamond Park Speedway Race TrackNashville, Arkansas, USA
- Dixie Speedway Race TrackWoodstock, Georgia, USA
- Duck River Raceway Park Race TrackLewisburg, Tennessee, USA
- East Alabama Motor Speedway Race TrackPhenix City, Alabama, USA
- East Lincoln Motor Speedway Race TrackStanley, North Carolina, USA
- Fayetteville Motor Speedway Race TrackFayetteville, North Carolina, USA
- Greenville Speedway Race TrackGreenville, Mississippi, USA
- Harris Speedway Race TrackRutherfordton, North Carolina, USA
- Hattiesburg Speedway Race TrackHattiesburg, Mississippi, USA
- Hendry County Motorsports Park Race TrackClewiston, Florida, USA
- I75 Raceway Race TrackSweetwater, Tennessee, USA
- Jackson Motor Speedway Race TrackByram, Mississippi, USA
- Lancaster Motor Speedway Race TrackLancaster, South Carolina, USA
- Laurens County Speedway Race TrackLaurens, South Carolina, USA
- Lavonia Speedway Race TrackLavonia, Georgia, USA
- Lexington 104 Speedway Race TrackLexington, Tennessee, USA
- Magnolia Motor Speedway Race TrackColumbus, Mississippi, USA
- Moulton Speedway Race TrackDanville, Alabama, USA
- Needmore Speedway Race TrackNorman Park, Georgia, USA
- North Alabama Speedway Race TrackTuscumbia, Alabama, USA
- North Georgia Speedway Race TrackChatsworth, Georgia, USA
- Old No 1 Speedway Race TrackHarrisburg, Arkansas, USA
- Pike County Speedway Race TrackMagnolia, Mississippi, USA
- Riverside International Speedway Race TrackWest Memphis, Arkansas, USA
- Rome Speedway Race TrackRome, Georgia, USA
- Senoia Raceway Race TrackSenoia, Georgia, USA
- Smoky Mountain Speedway Race TrackMaryville, Tennessee, USA
- Southern Raceway Race TrackMilton, Florida, USA
- Sugar Creek Raceway Race TrackBlue Ridge, Georgia, USA
- Super Bee Speedway Race TrackChatham, Louisiana, USA
- Swainsboro Raceway Race TrackSwainsboro, Georgia, USA
- Talladega Short Track Race TrackEastaboga, Alabama, USA
- Tennessee National Raceway Race TrackHohenwald, Tennessee, USA
- Thunderhill Raceway Race TrackSummertown, Tennessee, USA
- Toccoa Raceway Race TrackToccoa, Georgia, USA
- Travelers Rest Speedway Race TrackTravelers Rest, South Carolina, USA
- Volunteer Speedway Race TrackBulls Gap, Tennessee, USA
- Volusia Speedway Park Race TrackDe Leon Springs, Florida, USA
- Whynot Motorsports Park Race TrackMeridian, Mississippi, USA