DANIEL WHITLEY WINS WILD MAIN EVENT AT VENTURA 

By Lance Jennings

VENTURA, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 7, 2022… After six official lead changes plus several more, Daniel Whitley (Ferndale, California) emerged victorious last Saturday night at Ventura Raceway. Piloting Ted Finkenbinder’s famed #3F Western Industrial X-Ray DRC, Whitley fought off challengers Steve Hix and Troy Rutherford to win the first USAC West Coast Sprint Car main event of his career. Fast qualifier Rutherford, Hix, new point leader Trent Carter, and Kyle Edwards chased Whitley to the checkered flags.

Polesitter Rick Hendrix led the opening two laps before problems knocked the multi-time USAC Champion out of contention. Hix took command was running strong as he looked for his first win with the series. Starting third, Whitley took the lead on the thirteenth circuit but Hix regained the top spot on the following lap. The pair swapped the lead a few more times as Rutherford raced into striking distance. Whitley sped away from the field and claimed the $1,500 victory at his first appearance at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Before becoming the 57th winning driver in USAC West Coast Sprint Car history, Daniel Whitley qualified fourth overall and won the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers First Heat Race. 

Troy Rutherford (Ojai, California) opened the night by winning the “Lucky Pill Draw” presented by High Tech Performance and five free gallons of fuel. The former Ventura track champion then set a new track record of 11.941 seconds, breaking the 2019 standard by Tristan Guardino. Racing his #11 Trench Shoring / Westco International Spike with Ford power, Rutherford earned his sixth career Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award over the eighteen car roster. After finishing second to Whitley in both his heat race and the main event, the veteran driver left his home track ranked fourth in the point standings.

Making his first start of the year, Charlie Butcher (Santa Barbara, California) raced to victory in the 10-lap Competition Suspension Incorporated / Vahlco Wheels Heat Race #2. Driving his #96 Ogio / Weld Wheels Triple X, Butcher was eleventh quick in time trials and finished eighteenth in the main event after an early exit. At press time, Charlie sits twenty-eighth in point chase.

Tanner Boul (Auberry, California) won the night’s 10-lap Rod End Supply / Saldana Racing Products Heat Race #3. Racing the family owned #99T King Racing Products / BR Motorsports Triple X, Boul qualified ninth overall and placed fifteenth in the main event. Tanner left the Ventura County Fairgrounds ranked fifth in the chase for the championship.

Rookie contender Joey Bishop (Camarillo, California) earned the night’s Rod End Supply Hard Charger Award with a sixth place run from sixteenth. Driving his #45 Gnarly Premium Jerky / Smith Family Racing Ellie, Bishop was sixteenth in qualifications and ran third in his heat race. As this writing goes to press, Joey is ranked sixth in points.

By virtue of her thirteenth place finish, Elexa Herrera (New Cuyama, California) claimed the night’s Wilwood Disc Brakes “Lucky 13 Award.” Racing the family owned #16J Cuyama Buckhorn / The Buck Stop Coffee Shop Stinger, Herrera qualified eighteenth overall and finished fifth in her heat race. The rookie contender is currently twenty-first in the point standings.

The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars have a TBA (To Be Announced) date scheduled for August 13th. Series officials will make an announcement as soon as possible regarding the event. The series will return to Ventura Raceway in Ventura California on Saturday, August 27th. For more event information, visit venturaraceway.com. 

The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series thanks AMSOIL, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, FloRacing.com, High Tech Performance, Hoosier Racing Tire, Rod End Supply, ROW Signs and Graphics, Saldana Racing Products, Vahlco Wheels, Wilwood Disc Brakes, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. 

For more information on the series, visit usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the series Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: June 4, 2022 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California

WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Troy Rutherford, 11, Rutherford-11.941 (New Track Record); 2. Trent Carter, 13, Carter-12.446; 3. Steve Hix, 57, Hix-12.452; 4. Daniel Whitley, 3F, Finkenbinder-12.457; 5. Cody Majors, 54, Majors-12.509; 6. Rick Hendrix, 15, Hendrix-12.539; 7. Kyle Edwards, 39, Edwards-12.541; 8. James Herrera, 5J, Herrera-12.599; 9. Tanner Boul, 99T, Boul-12.610; 10. Logan Calderwood, 6, Calderwood-12.624; 11. Charlie Butcher, 96, Butcher-12.701; 12. Tyler Hatzikian, 27, Hatzikian-12.909; 13. Christopher Muraoka, 25, Muraoka-12.958; 14. Hannah Mayhew, 43, Mayhew-13.047; 15. Brent Yarnal, 29, Yarnal-13.347; 16. Joey Bishop, 45, Bishop-13.664; 17. Camie Bell, 29C, Bell-14.280; 18. Elexa Herrera, 16J, Herrera-14.911.

EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Whitley, 2. Rutherford, 3. Bishop, 4. Edwards, 5. Calderwood, 6. Muraoka. NT.

COMPETITION SUSPENSION INCORPORATED / VAHLCO WHEELS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Butcher, 2. Mayhew, 3. Majors, 4. Carter, 5. J.Herrera, 6. Bell. NT.

ROD END SUPPLY / SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Boul, 2. Hix, 3. Hatzikian, 4. Hendrix, 5. E.Herrera, 6. Yarnal. NT.

FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Daniel Whitley (3), 2. Troy Rutherford (6), 3. Steve Hix (4), 4. Trent Carter (5), 5. Kyle Edwards (9), 6. Joey Bishop (16), 7. Tyler Hatzikian (12), 8. Camie Bell (17), 9. Christopher Muraoka (13), 10. Brent Yarnal (15), 11. Logan Calderwood (11), 12. James Herrera (10), 13. Elexa Herrera (18), 14. Hannah Mayhew (14), 15. Tanner Boul (7), 16. Cody Majors (2), 17. Rick Hendrix (1), 18. Charlie Butcher (8). NT.

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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-2 Hendrix, Laps 3-12 Hix, Lap 13 Whitley, Laps 14-19 Hix, Lap 20 Whitley, Lap 21 Hix, Laps 22-30 Whitley.

BR MOTORSPORTS / ROD END SUPPLY HARD CHARGER: Joey Bishop (16th to 6th)

WILWOOD DISC BRAKES LUCKY 13 AWARD: Elexa Herrera

HIGH TECH PERFORMANCE LUCKY PILL DRAW: Troy Rutherford

NEW USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Trent Carter-265, 2-Kyle Edwards-243, 3-Ricky Lewis-233, 4-Troy Rutherford-232, 5-Tanner Boul-203, 6-Joey Bishop-201, 7-Hannah Mayhew-197, 8-Brent Yarnal-196, 9-Tyler Hatzikian-193, 10-Steve Hix-188.

NEW TOP QUALIFIER POINTS: 1-Ricky Lewis-13, 2-Trent Carter-12, --Troy Rutherford-12, 4-Steve Hix-7, 5-Kyle Edwards-6, --Tanner Boul-6, 7-Chase Johnson-5, 8-Brody Fuson-4, --Ryan Timmons-4, --Logan Calderwood-4.

NEW PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Joey Bishop-23, 2-Camie Bell-22, 3-Tyler Hatzikian-19, 4-Travis Buckley-18, 5-Hannah Mayhew-14, --Brent Yarnal-14, 7-Troy Rutherford-13, 8-Kyle Edwards-9, 9-Ricky Lewis-8, 10-Brody Fuson-7.

NEXT USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR RACE: August 27 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California