8-TIME “TURKEY NIGHT” WINNER SHUMAN SERVES AS GRAND MARSHAL

Eight-time “Turkey Night Grand Prix” winner Ron Shuman serves as the Grand Marshal for this year’s annual Midget racing classic at Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway. The 75th edition of the race is slated for Thanksgiving night, next Thursday, at the southern California speed plant.

All of Shuman’s wins came prior to the first “Turkey Night” appearance at Perris in 1996 and he recorded six wins at the now-defunct Ascot Park in Gardena, Calif. and two at the Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway. His first came in 1979, beginning a streak of four straight. He repeated in 1984 and 1987 before the race switched to the Bakersfield dirt in 1992 where he scored two consecutive wins in 1992 and 1993.

Nobody else is even close to Shuman’s eight wins but Billy Boat won three straight at three different venues between 1995 and 1997. Dave Darland, the only driver besides Mel Kenyon and Stan Fox to win the race on both paved and dirt surfaces, hopes to join Boat as a three-time winner this year. Bryan Clauson, winner of last weekend’s “Budweiser Oval Nationals” Sprint race at Perris, also hopes to put his name on the “Aggie” trophy for a third time. Darland won the race in 2007 at Irwindale, Calif. and in 2013 at Perris, while Clauson’s wins came at Irwindale in 2009 and 2010. Clauson could become the fourth driver to win on both paved and dirt surfaces.

Defending race winner Christopher Bell and 2012 winner Kyle Larson are also expected to return for this year’s classic, joining teammates Rico Abreu, Tanner Thorson and Kevin Thomas Jr. for the potent Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian team. Abreu, though 56 points in arrears of Hines in the latest standings, continues to hold a chance of repeating as the National series champion.

Tracy Hines (Honda National) and Ronnie Gardner (Honda Western) are the respective series point leaders entering the fray. Hines is hoping to join the elusive list of USAC Triple Crown Champions as he seeks his initial National Midget title, He already owns championships in USAC’s Silver Crown and National Sprint series and would join Pancho Carter, Dave Darland, Tony Stewart, J.J. Yeley and Jerry Coons Jr. in the Triple Crown category. Gardner is headed for his third consecutive Western crown.

Hines enjoys a 27-point lead over Thomas and a 33-point lead over Thorson in the National standings, trying to erase the bitter one-point loss to Cole Whitt in the 2008 final standings.

This year’s program format change results in more racing action for race fans. Qualifying, heat races, semi-features and the 98-lap main event are on tap. In past years, top qualifiers were locked into the feature after time trials, but this year, all cars and drivers will compete in preliminary races to set the starting field.

In addition to a strong female contingent of drivers, the battle for the Don Basile “Rookie of the Race” honors promises to be hotly contested as well.