VANDERWEERD WINS PEORIA FINALE; DARLAND TAKES “WINTER CHALLENGE” TITLE

Peoria, AZ……..Richard Vander Weerd of Visalia, Calif. won Saturday night’s 30-lap “Winter Challenge” USAC West Coast/Southwest Sprint Car finale at Canyon Speedway Park, but Dave Darland of Lincoln, Ind. emerged with the six-race series title after finishing second. Vander Weerd trailed Darland for the first 14 laps, then led the final 16 laps in his Vander Weerd Construction/Battery Worx Maxim. Josh Pelkey took third ahead of Charles Davis Jr. and Josh Hodges. Darland finished with a five-point cushion over John Pelkey in the “Winter Challenge” standings.

USAC SOUTHWEST/WEST COAST “Special Event” SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS: February 1, 2014 – Peoria, AZ – Canyon Speedway Park – “2014 Winter Challenge”

FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Richard Vander Weerd (#10 Vander Weerd), 2. Josh Hodges (#74X Hodges), 3. Nic Faas (#73 Ford), 4. Jace Vander Weerd (#88 Vander Weerd), 5. Brady Bacon (#99 Bacon), 6. Stevie Sussex (#4 Price), 7. Ryan Bernal (#111 Minks). NT

SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Dave Darland (#1X Minks), 2. R.J. Johnson (#51 Martin), 3. Colby Copeland (#74 Williams), 4. Charles Davis Jr. (#50 Massey), 5. Mitch Mack (#92 Mack), 6. Michael Woodruff (#83 Woodruff), 7. Casey Shuman (#21X Pollock). NT

THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Kenny Perkins (#0K Perkins), 2. Tye Mihocko (#5 Mihocko), 3. Andy Reinbold (#19 Underwood), 4. Matt Rossi (#02 Rossi), 5. Mike Martin (#16 Martin), 6. Will Perkins (#0 Perkins), 7. David Dykes (#55NM Dykes). NT

FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Josh Pelkey (#12 Allen), 2. Mike Colegrove (#17M Colegrove), 3. Shon Deskins (#20 Deskins), 4. Josh Shipley (#2 Bishop), 5. James Aragon (#57X Stone), 6. Jason Grady (#45 Grady), 7. Michael Curtis (#11C Turner/Wheeler). NT

SEMI: (10 laps) 1. Bacon, 2. Martin, 3. Sussex, 4. Curtis, 5. Aragon, 6. Grady, 7. Woodruff, 8. Dykes, 9. Mack, 10. W.Perkins. NT 

FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Richard Vander Weerd, 2. Dave Darland, 3. Josh Pelkey, 4. Charles Davis Jr., 5. Josh Hodges, 6. Shon Deskins, 7. R.J. Johnson, 8. Nic Faas, 9. Brady Bacon, 10. Stevie Sussex, 11. Kenny Perkins, 12. Michael Curtis, 13. Jason Grady, 14. Mike Colegrove, 15. Mike Martin, 16. Tye Mihocko, 17. Matt Rossi, 18. Colby Copeland, 19. Andy Reinbold, 20. James Aragon, 21. Jace Vander Weerd, 22. Josh Shipley. NT 

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**Shuman flipped during the second heat. Curtis flipped during the fourth heat. Mack and Perkins flipped during the semi.  Copeland and Colegrove flipped during the feature.

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-14 Darland, Laps 15-30 R.Vander Weerd.

FINAL WINTER CHALLENGE POINTS: 1-Darland-357, 2-Pelkey-352, 3-Davis-294, 4-Shuman-280, 5-Johnson-267, 6-Faas-264, 7-Hodges-251, 8-Deskins-245, 9-Bacon-243, 10-Martin-220.

NEXT SOUTHWEST/WEST COAST “Special Event” SPRINT RACE: March 6 – Las Vegas (NV) Motor Speedway Dirt Track