Santa Maria Raceway Race Track in Nipomo, California, USA

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Surface: 1/3 mile clay oval

1900 Hutton Road
Nipomo, California, 93444 USA
lat: 35.003636, lng: -120.440265
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EDDIE TAFOYA JR HEADS TO MOHAVE VALLEY FOR THE 57TH WESTERN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
(Chino, CA, October 30, 2024) With a dazzling new wrap on his hauler, Eddie Tafoya Jr. is ready for the biggest race of his 2024 season this Friday and Saturday, November 1st and 2nd, at the Mohave Valley Raceway. The event is the historic 57th annual Avanti Windows and Doors Western World Championships for the USAC/CRA Sprint Cars. Each night, the program will feature full shows with qualifying, heat races, and main events. The two nights of racing this weekend will take place at one of Tafoya's favorite tracks. The racy 1/3 mile banked oval, which is just minutes from the Colorado River and less than a half hour from downtown Laughlin, Nevada, is known for some of the best wheel-to-wheel action in the country. Every time he is there, Tafoya is in the thick of the wild battles, and he can usually be found rim-riding at the top. "I don't know if it is the track shape, or maybe the banking, I am just really confident getting the car in there," Tafoya said before his last trip to Mohave in October. "Ever since I was there the first time, I have had a good base setup. I just jell well (there). So, it is really exciting to go back there. I think that is the only track I have been good at every single time. I need to figure out what I am doing there and carry it on to the other places." This weekend will be Tafoya's third time at the track this year. He placed in the top 10 in his first two appearances. On April 6th, the 27-year-old veteran racer was the second-fastest qualifier on the night. He started sixth in his heat race and moved forward to finish fourth. That night, he began the main event on the inside of row three in fifth and placed six. Last month, when Tafoya returned to battle on the edge-of-your-seat track, he turned in the eighth-fastest qualifying time and dazzled the crowd with a brave ride around the top to win the second 10-lap heat race. He began the 30-lap feature in the eighth spot and finished seventh. The first time he ever saw the "Copper State" track on April 22nd, 2022, he finished third in the USAC/CRA main event. "Driving-wise, it is one of my favorite racetracks," Tafoya said. "You can be really aggressive for most of the night until it slicks off. Even when it was slick last year, I think I was the only one running the top until I got to the front and showed those guys that. It is fun, and it is a racy little place. Hopefully, some moisture stays in the dirt for us." Gates at Mohave Valley Raceway will open at 5:00 p.m. each day, with racing at 7:00. An adult two-day ticket is $45.00. Single-day tickets are $25.00 for adults and $15.00 for children. Online advance tickets are available until November 1st at 12:00 a.m. Central Standard time at https://www.myracepass.com/tracks/2145/tickets/1413705. It is cash only for tickets (no ATMs on site). Concessions, souvenirs, and the beer garden take cash or cards. For more information, the track website is https://www.mohavevalleyraceway.com/, and the office phone is (928) 346-6000. Tafoya will wrap up the USAC/CRA portion of his season on November 9th at Perris Auto Speedway. 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 September 14 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 7th A Main September 21 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main October 5 Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 8th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
SEXTON GATLIN RACING GOING TO IMPERIAL VALLEY RACEWAY THREE STRONG THIS WEEKEND
(Lakeside, CA, October 15, 2024) Sexton Gatlin Racing returns to action in a big way this Friday and Saturday at the Imperial Valley Raceway. Father and son drivers Brent and Grant Sexton will be contesting both nights in the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series 3rd Annual Heritage Fall Classic. The newest member of SGR, Braydin Collie, will also be on hand for the SoCal Lightning Sprint Cars portion of the two-night affair. Brent, 52, comes into this weekend's races off his second-best USAC/CRA finish of the 2024 campaign. That was an 11th at Perris Auto Speedway on September 21st. That finish was only superseded by a ninth at Perris on July 13th. Coming into this week's races, Brent is 13th in series points and is third in the Rookie of the Year award chase. Grant, who turned 20 three months ago, has been in the wrong place at the wrong time several nights in the USAC/CRA Series this season. Getting dragged into the mistakes of others has proved to be costly during the current campaign. While he has been fast every night, the 2023 Rookie of the Year has one top 10 finish in USAC/CRA this season. That came at Perris when he placed sixth in the 30-lapper on June 6th. The young driver enters the weekend 15th in points. Last March, Brent and Grant both competed at Imperial during the California Mid-Winter Fair. Brent raced the opening weekend in the inaugural races of the SoCal Lightning Sprint Car Series. The three-time lightning champion had a successful weekend, placing second and fourth. A week later, he jumped up to the open competition full-size sprint cars and placed 12th and 16th. Grant had a better result than Brent on that weekend when he came home ninth and fifth. Last season, Brent raced lightning sprints four times at Imperial. He never finished worse than fourth, including a win in the POWRi Southwest Series a year ago this weekend. San Diego's AJ Bender also triumphed for Lakeside, California-based SGR at Imperial in 2023. In addition to those wins, El Cajon's Braden Chiaramonte had a victory for the team early in the year. That gave SGR wins in three of the five lightning mains at the fairgrounds oval in 2023. In 2022, Brent recorded two wins at the track, and his oldest son, Dalton, also notched one victory. For Collie, this week's races will mark his first appearance on the Imperial Valley oval. It will be a unique one as well. On Friday night, he and the other SCLS drivers will be racing without wings. Friday will only be his second time racing sans wings. The last time was at Barona three weeks ago. In that race, he started eighth and finished sixth. On Saturday, the drivers will all compete with their cage and nose wings affixed to the cars. The weekend will mark Collie's fifth and sixth races in a lightning sprint car and only his second and third races away from Barona. Thus far in his budding lightning career, Collie has finished sixth or better in three of his four races. The highlight thus far was a fifth place at Barona on August 3rd. Despite only contesting three SCLS races, Collie has climbed up to 14th in points. General admission tickets for this weekend's races are free. Gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00. Imperial Valley Raceway is located on the Imperial Fairgrounds at 200 East 2nd Street in Imperial, California. 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, Valley Lubricant Services, 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 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 12th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 16th A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 13th A Main 3/23/24 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 14th A Main 4/6/24 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 17th A Main 4/20/24 Bakersfield Speedway USCS Sprint Cars 25th A Main 4/20/24 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 6th A Main 4/27/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main 5/18/24 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 6th A Main 5/25/24 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 1st A Main 6/1/24 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 10th A Main 6/8/24 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 5th A Main 6/22/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 13th A Main 7/6/24 Santa Maria Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main 7/13/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 9th A Main 7/20/24 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 7th B Main 8/10/24 Santa Maria Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 14th A Main 8/31/24 Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 13th A Main 9/1/24 Santa Maria Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 9th A Main 9/13/24 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 7th A Main 9/14/24 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 14th A Main 9/21/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 11th A Main Grant Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 18th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 9th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main 3/23/24 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main 4/6/24 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 11th A Main 4/20/24 Bakersfield Speedway USCS Sprint Cars 16th A Main 4/27/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 19th A Main 5/11/24 Barona Speedway So Cal Lightning Sprints 3rd A Main 5/18/24 Bakersfield Speedway USCS Sprint Car Series 5th A Main 6/1/24 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 3rd A Main 6/22/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main 7/6/24 Santa Maria Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 20th A Main 7/20/24 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 7th A Main 8/10/24 Santa Maria Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 23rd A Main 8/31/24 Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 20th A Main 9/1/24 Santa Maria Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 24th A Main 9/14/24 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 9th A Main 9/21/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main Braydin Collie 2024 Results 7/6/24 Santa Maria Speedway California Lightning Sprints 6th A Main 8/3/24 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 5th A Main 8/17/24 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 9th A Main 9/28/24 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 6th A Main AJ Bender 2024 Results 9/14/24 Ventura Raceway California Lightning Sprints 5th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. Contact (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
EDDIE TAFOYA JR FINISHES EIGHTH AT KERN AND HEADS TO MOHAVE VALLEY RACEWAY THIS SATURDAY
(Chino, CA, October 10, 2024) After placing eighth in the final regular season main event for the Ultimate Sprint Car Series presented by Inland Rigging last weekend at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway, Eddie Tafoya Jr. heads east to Arizona's Mohave Valley Raceway for this Saturday's Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series race. Saturday's race will be a tune-up for November's 57th Annual Western World Championship at Mohave Valley. Tafoya, 27, came into the final USCS points race of the season third in the series championship standings. The veteran racer was one of 18 cars that turned up for the race at the track in Bakersfield, California. The Chino Hills, California resident qualified fastest of his group of six cars with a lap of 15.558. That was also the fourth-fastest time overall. In his heat race, the 2018 Perris Auto Speedway Young Guns champion began in fifth and moved forward to finish third. That placed him on the inside of row two for the final 30-lap regular season main event. Going into turn one on the initial start, the pole sitter had issues and ended up stopped by the wall. It was hard to tell if Tafoya clipped the stopped car or not. In fact, Tafoya himself was not sure if contact was made. On the restart, Tafoya was coming from the pole. However, as soon as the green lights came back on, it became clearly evident that he did make contact with the stopped car on the initial go. He slid back into the pack and eventually finished eighth. Despite the finish, he maintained third place in the overall standings in the USCS first season. "I think he (the polesitter) had too much throttle on the start and slid it right through the slick in the middle," Tafoya said of the main event start. "Backed himself into the wall and kind of bounced back. I didn't know if I for sure clipped him but I thought I might have. Based on the way the rest of the race went, it kind of showed that (he clipped the stopped car). My rear end was out of square and the bird cages were all off. I was kind of a sitting duck wherever I went that race." Saturday's USAC/CRA race will be Tafoya's fifth on the longtime Mohave Valley track that is located five minutes from the Colorado River and 20 minutes from downtown Laughlin, Nevada. His initial outing at the 1/3 mile banked oval ended with his best finish there thus far when he placed third on April 23, 2023. Six months later, he visited again and steered his beautiful #51T to an eighth place result. In 2023, Tafoya paid two visits to Mohave Valley. While his end results did not show it, he was a contender each time. At the start of April, in front of one of the largest crowds in track history, the well-spoken racer qualified third fastest of the 30 cars on hand. He then came from sixth to finish third in his heat. The 2019 USAC/CRA Rookie of the year was running in the top five in the main event when he slid to a stop in turn one. Being the cause of the red flag, he had to restart at the back of the 22 car field. From that point on, he put on a show, passing more cars than any other driver to finish 12th. Six months later, Tafoya was a contender again working his way into second place. However, his engine began laying down, and he wisely pulled off the track to prevent damage. Sadly, that left him with a 12th-place finish. "I don't know if it is the track shape, or maybe the banking, I am just really confident getting the car in there," Tafoya said on Thursday afternoon while on his way to the race shop to work on the car. "Ever since I was there the first time, I have had a good base setup. I just jell well (there). So, it is really exciting to go back there. I think that is the only track I have been good at every single time. I need to figure out what I am doing there and carry it on to the other places." "Driving-wise, yeah, it is one of my favorite racetracks," Tafoya continued. "You can be really aggressive for most of the night until it slicks off. Even when it was slick last year, I think I was the only one running the top until I got to the front and showed those guys that. It is fun, and it is a racy little place. Hopefully, some moisture stays in the dirt for us." To see Tafoya in action on Saturday, the Mohave Valley Raceway is located at 2750 E. Laguna Rd. in Mohave Valley, Arizona (86440). Gates at the popular track will open at 5:00 p.m. The night's first green flag will wave at 7:00. Adult tickets are $25.00. Kids 6-12 get in for $15.00, and children five and under are free. It is cash only for tickets (no ATMs on site). Concessions, souvenirs, and the beer garden take cash or cards. For more information, the track website is https://www.mohavevalleyraceway.com/ and the office phone is (928) 346-6000. For fans who cannot attend the race in person, it will be shown live on pay-per-view at the following link: https://drc.tv/. After this weekend's race, Tafoya will wrap up the USAC/CRA season at the 57th Annual Avanti Windows and Doors Western World Championship at Mohave Valley on November 1st and 2nd. One week later on November 9th, he will be in action for the season finale at Perris Auto Speedway. 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 September 14 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 7th A Main September 21 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main October 5 Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 8th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
EDDIE TAFOYA JR ENTERS FINAL USCS REGULAR SEASON RACE THIRD IN POINTS
(Chino, CA, October 3, 2024) When the Ultimate Sprint Car Series presented by Inland Rigging wraps up its inaugural regular season this Saturday night, October 5th, at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway, Eddie Tafoya Jr. will come into the fray third in the championship standings. The 27-year-old has made two appearances at the track recording a fourth on June 8th and a ninth on August 31st. Both of those races came while competing with the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars. Tafoya's last appearance in the USCS Series came on September 14th when he placed seventh in the main event at the Ventura Raceway. That was the second-best result for the Chino Hills, California driver in the USCS this year. It was only superseded by his second-place run with the first-year racing organization at the grand reopening of the Santa Maria Speedway on June 15th. Tafoya's last track appearance came two weeks ago when he placed sixth in the USAC/CRA main event at Perris Auto Speedway. That ran his streak of top-10 finishes in the series to nine straight races. The streak has now stretched over six months. After this week's regular season-ender for the USCS, he will have one race left in the series this season. That will be the sprint car portion of the annual Turkey Night Grand Prix at the Ventura Raceway on Thanksgiving weekend. Sandwiched in between now and then, Tafoya can run six races in the USAC/CRA Series. The 2019 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year has already submitted his entry for the prestigious 57th Annual Avanti Windows and Doors Western World Championship at Arizona's Mohave Valley Raceway on November 1st and 2nd. For fans wanting to travel to this week's USCS race at Kern, adult tickets are $25.00. For kids 6-12, it is only $10.00. Children 5 and under are free. Advance tickets are available from the track's website at https://www.kernraceway.com/. Hot laps will begin at approximately 5:00 p.m. with racing at approximately 7:00. The track is located at 13500 Raceway Boulevard in Bakersfield, California. The office phone number and email are (661) 835-1264 mailto:info@kernraceway.com. 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 September 14 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 7th A Main September 21 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
ALERT DRIVING SAW TAFOYA EXTEND USAC/CRA TOP 10 FINISH STREAK TO NINE AT PERRIS
(Chino, CA, September 25, 2024) Eddie Tafoya Jr. survived most of the chaos in last Saturday's Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car race and came home sixth at Perris Auto Speedway. The finish was his ninth straight top-10 result in the series. The last time Tafoya, 27, did not place in the top 10 was in a USAC/CRA race over six months ago. That came when he finished 12th in a rain-shortened event at Arizona's Cocopah Speedway on March 23rd. His best outing in the nine-race streak came on June 8th when he placed fourth at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway. Last week on the famous Perris half-mile oval, Tafoya was strong through the preliminary part of the night. The Chino Hills, California-based racer qualified in the upper half of the field with the ninth-fastest time of 17.012. In his eight-lap heat race, he started and finished fourth. If he looked strong in the prelims, he was more powerful in the 30-lap main. Tafoya performed well on a night where self-preservation meant as much as anything else in the feature. In a race that looked a lot like the track's popular Night of Destruction with several cars destroyed, he mostly steered through the chaos. After starting ninth, his only encounter came on a restart when several cars in front of him got into a tangle "Yeah, I saw a couple people get sideways in front of me and everyone started checking up, and I checked up," Tafoya said. "I got hit from behind. I did like a full 360 pirouette in the air. I thought I was going over. Luckily it landed back on all four, and everything was still bolted together. I got lucky there." Tafoya had to take the eye-catching #51T to the back for the restart. From there, he moved forward. Deftly avoiding some more questionable maneuvers, he drove all the way back through the pack to finish sixth. It was his best Perris finish thus far in 2024. One of the keys to finishing in the top 10 for Tafoya is staying out of trouble. He certainly knows that you cannot do well if you do not finish the race. He has done well with that throughout his career. "I am pretty aware of what is going on around me and looking ahead," the 2019 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year said when asked about his string of top 10s. "I don't know if it comes from dirt bikes or all the other racing I have done. Seems like a lot of these guys are just racing the guys right in front of them when there is a whole other race going on. It definitely helps me out being able to avoid stuff." Tafoya is pleased with his runs in the top, but like most racers, he wants more. "It is nice being in the top 10," Tafoya said. "I would just like to qualify a little better and be up in the mix. It seems like I can qualify really close to the top everywhere but Perris. I definitely need to figure something out there. I felt good Saturday (in qualifying). I got a little loose on my fast lap, the second lap. There was a hole down the straightaway that I got into, and it got me a little light. That is probably the best I felt in a long time. It just sucks that I could not put it together." In addition to his nine top 10s in USAC/CRA competition, Tafoya has a pair of top 10s in the Ultimate Sprint Car Series presented by Inland Rigging. The first was his best overall finish of the year when he placed second at Santa Maria on June 15th. The other came two weeks ago when he drove to a seventh at the Ventura Raceway. Next up for Tafoya will be a USCS race at Kern on October 5th. 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 September 14 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 7th A Main September 21 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
BRENT SEXTON PLACES 11TH IN USAC/CRA MAIN AT PERRIS ON HIS MOM'S BIRTHDAY
(Lakeside, CA, September 24, 2024) A festive mood greeted visitors to the Sexton Gatlin Racing pit area when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars visited Perris Auto Speedway last Saturday night. The crew and drivers were celebrating the birthday of Brent Sexton's mom and co-team owner, Nita Gatlin. On the night, Brent steered his eye-catching #44 to an 11th-place finish in the 30-lap main event. On the pleasant last day of summer, when the daytime temperature failed to reach 100 degrees at the track for the first time at a PAS sprint car race since April, Brent was accompanied by his talented 20-year-old son, Grant. Besides them, 20 of the other fastest traditional sprint cars on the West Coast were on hand for an evening of 410 sprint car series racing. Grant got the ball rolling for SGR when he timed in 14th fastest of the cars on hand with a lap of 17.343. Brent, 52, was not far behind when he stopped the track clocks at 17.590. That was just under a quarter second slower than his son. That is very good considering he was using a 360 engine and he was pitted against a powerful field of 410s. It was the 18th best time of the night. For Grant, the 2021 POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car champion, his lap placed him on the outside of row one in the second 10-lap heat race. Ultimately, the talkative racer ended up in the same second-place position as he started. Brent also started on the front of his heat, and after scrapping up front early on, he rolled past the checkers in sixth. When the 22-car field pulled onto the track for the 30-lap finale, Grant was on the outside of the seventh row, and Brent was outside row nine. Unfortunately, Grant's time in the race did not last long. A wild lap-two crash involving several cars in front of him gathered him in. His car and four others suffered major damage and were knocked out of the race. Sadly, that meant he ended up 21st. Brent managed to steer his way through the crash and several others in the remainder of the race. With the numerous tangles throughout the night, that was a feat in itself. By the end of the 30th lap, he improved his position by six spots to finish 11th. That was his second-best result in the USAC/CRA Series this season. It was also his fourth best of the year overall in a full-sized sprint car, as he has ninth-place finishes in both USAC and the USCS. He also has a 10th in USCS competition. Brent left Perris 13th in points, with Grant 14th. In addition, Brent is third in the Rookie of the Year chase and is just 35 points out of second. This Saturday night, September 28th, rookie Braydin Collie will be making his fourth start in the SGR #44 in the SoCal Lightning Sprint Car Series. The teen has finished in the top 10 in his first three starts placing fifth and ninth at Barona and sixth at Santa Maria. The last time the USCS ran wingless was at Barona on May 25th, and the car Collie was driving won the main event with Brent at the wheel. To see Collie in action at Barona, gates will open at noon, with racing at 6:00. Adult tickets are $20.00. For kids 7 to 17, admission is $10.00. Seniors, Military, and EMTs also get in for $10.00. Children 6 and under are free. Family packs of two adults and two kids are $50.00. Parking is free. The Barona Speedway is located at 1754 Wildcat Canyon Road in Lakeside, California. The track website is https://baronaspeedway.com/, and the phone number is (619) 994-6560. 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 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 12th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 16th A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 13th A Main 3/23/24 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 14th A Main 4/6/24 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 17th A Main 4/20/24 Bakersfield Speedway USCS Sprint Cars 25th A Main 4/20/24 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 6th A Main 4/27/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main 5/18/24 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 6th A Main 5/25/24 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 1st A Main 6/1/24 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 10th A Main 6/8/24 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 5th A Main 6/22/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 13th A Main 7/6/24 Santa Maria Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main 7/13/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 9th A Main 7/20/24 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 7th B Main 8/10/24 Santa Maria Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 14th A Main 8/31/24 Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 13th A Main 9/1/24 Santa Maria Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 9th A Main 9/13/24 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 7th A Main 9/14/24 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 14th A Main 9/21/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 11th A Main Grant Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 18th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 9th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main 3/23/24 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main 4/6/24 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 11th A Main 4/20/24 Bakersfield Speedway USCS Sprint Cars 16th A Main 4/27/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 19th A Main 5/11/24 Barona Speedway So Cal Lightning Sprints 3rd A Main 5/18/24 Bakersfield Speedway USCS Sprint Car Series 5th A Main 6/1/24 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 3rd A Main 6/22/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main 7/6/24 Santa Maria Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 20th A Main 7/20/24 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 7th A Main 8/10/24 Santa Maria Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 23rd A Main 8/31/24 Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 20th A Main 9/1/24 Santa Maria Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 24th A Main 9/14/24 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 9th A Main 9/21/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main Braydin Collie 2024 Results 7/6/24 Santa Maria Speedway California Lightning Sprints 6th A Main 8/3/24 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 5th A Main 8/17/24 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 9th A Main AJ Bender 2024 Results 9/14/24 Ventura Raceway California Lightning Sprints 5th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. Contact (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
THREE RACES IN TWO CLASSES FOR SEXTON GATLIN RACING THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
(Lakeside, CA, September 11, 2024) After a weekend away from the track, Sexton Gatlin Racing returns to action with a busy 24 hours this Friday and Saturday, contesting three races in two nights at two tracks. On Friday, Grant Sexton will return to the site of one of his biggest wins, the Bakersfield Speedway, to race in the California Lightning Sprint Car Series vs Bay Cities Racing Association Civil War event. Twenty-four hours later, he will be joined by his father, Brent, for the Ultimate Sprint Car Series race presented by Inland Rigging at the Ventura Raceway. Friday's race will be the second time the CLS has teamed with the World of Outlaws at the "Okie Bowl." The race will bring back memories of the then-17-year-old's magnificent triumph in March of 2022. Competing in front of a near-capacity live crowd and thousands more World of Outlaw fans watching from around the world on Dirt Vision, Grant fearlessly banged the Bakersfield boards over the final few laps and took the lead less than a foot before the checkered flag. Sexton's thrilling win that night sent the crowd into a frenzy and earned him a standing ovation. His enthusiastic victory speech afterward charged the crowd up one more time before the CLS turned the track over to the World of Outlaws. For Grant, whose mantel at home already sports the 2021 POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Championship hardware, 2019 POWRi Nationals Night #1 winner's trophy, and the 2023 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year award, Friday will only be his second lightning sprint car race of 2024. His first came minutes away from the family's Lakeside, California compound at the Barona Speedway on May 11th. That night, the young driver arrived late at the track and had to start last in each race. In the main event, he started 13th and was up to fourth before the lap five mark. By the end of the 20-lapper, he had advanced another spot to finish third and win the race Hard Charger award. In addition to both of the Sexton's racing in the USCS event at Santa Maria on Saturday, USAC/CRA star AJ Bender of San Diego will step into the team's lightning sprint for the CLS race at Ventura. Bender has been a lethal hired gun for SGR in the past. Last year, in November's Hangtown 100 at Placerville, he won the first two nights and finished second to Grant at the finale. That bookended a season that saw him win the March SWLS opener at Imperial Valley. In 2021, Bender won a round of the Cal Cup in Lemoore and placed second on all three nights at the Hangtown 100 in Placerville in an SGR car. Advance tickets for the World of Outlaws/CLS show at Bakersfield are available now at the following link: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/The track is located at 5001 North Chester Ext. Ave., Bakersfield (93308). The track website is bakersfieldspeedway.com, and the office phone number is (661) 393-3373. Adult tickets for Ventura are $22.00. For seniors 65 and over, it is $18.00. Military and students with id also get in for $18.00. Kids 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. Fans from out of town can catch both of the races streaming live this weekend. Friday's race will be on Dirt Vision and Saturday's show will be on Flo Racing. Grant and Brent were last on track over Labor Day weekend at the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA race at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway on Saturday and the USCS race at Santa Maria the next night. At Kern, things started off bright enough for Grant when he qualified ninth fastest in the 27-car field. In his heat, he finished fourth, which was one position better than Brent, who earlier in the night qualified 18th. Grant started the main in ninth, with Brent coming from 18th. Unfortunately, Grant's night ended early when he broke a drag link. That stuck him with a 20th-place finish. Brent, who is 52, started 18th in the main event and moved forward to finish 13th. The following night at Santa Maria, Grant was third fastest in his qualifying group and 10th overall with a lap of 14.105. His dad's qualifying time was 14.333. That was the fourth fastest in his group and 15th best of the night. Brent had success in his 10-lap heat race. He started on the pole and steered his white and orange #44 to his first USCS heat victory. Grant was in heat three and moved up one position to place second. When the 30-lap main event pushed through the pit gate, Brent was starting fifth. Grant was a couple of rows behind on the inside of row five in ninth. Unfortunately for Grant, his main event ended early for the second night in a row with another issue. Things went better for Brent, who had his best run in a full-size car this year. However, it was not without a problem. Running in the top five early in the race, he had to go to the back of the pack after going around on the back chute. As the yellow flag came out for his mishap, Brent had to restart at the back. From there, he stayed focused and drove all the way up to ninth. 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 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 12th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 16th A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 13th A Main 3/23/24 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 14th A Main 4/6/24 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 17th A Main 4/20/24 Bakersfield Speedway USCS Sprint Cars 25th A Main 4/20/24 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 6th A Main 4/27/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main 5/18/24 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 6th A Main 5/25/24 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 1st A Main 6/1/24 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 10th A Main 6/8/24 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 5th A Main 6/22/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 13th A Main 7/6/24 Santa Maria Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main 7/13/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 9th A Main 7/20/24 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 7th B Main 8/10/24 Santa Maria Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 14th A Main 8/31/24 Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 13th A Main 9/1/24 Santa Maria Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 9th A Main Grant Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 18th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 9th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main 3/23/24 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main 4/6/24 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 11th A Main 4/20/24 Bakersfield Speedway USCS Sprint Cars 16th A Main 4/27/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 19th A Main 5/11/24 Barona Speedway So Cal Lightning Sprints 3rd A Main 5/18/24 Bakersfield Speedway USCS Sprint Car Series 5th A Main 6/1/24 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 3rd A Main 6/22/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main 7/6/24 Santa Maria Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 20th A Main 7/20/24 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 7th A Main 8/10/24 Santa Maria Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 23rd A Main 8/31/24 Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 20th A Main 9/1/24 Santa Maria Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 24th A Main Braydin Collie 2024 Results 7/6/24 Santa Maria Speedway California Lightning Sprints 6th A Main 8/3/24 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 5th A Main 8/17/24 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 9th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. Contact (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
EDDIE TAFOYA JR SCORES ANOTHER TOP 10 FINISH AT KERN - HEADED TO VENTURA THIS WEEK
(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