WATSONVILLE, CHOWCHILLA NEXT FOR WEST COAST SPRINTS;

SWANSON HALTS BERNAL’S 5-RACE STREAK AT VENTURA

USAC’s West Coast Sprint Cars are preparing for August 8 and 9 races at Watsonville and Chowchilla, Calif. respectively. Finnish driver Markus Niemela continues to lead the standings by 20 points over Matt Mitchell after a seventh place finish at Ventura, Calif. Saturday.

Jake Swanson of Anaheim, Calif. won Saturday night’s race at Ventura Raceway in his Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror/Circle Track Performance Victory/RC. He passed Michael Pickens on lap 26 and led the final five laps to beat Ryan Bernal, Pickens, Troy Rutherford and Danny Faria Jr.

Mitchell led the first 16 laps and Pickens the next eight before Swanson took over. The victory ended Bernal’s five-race winning streak in the West Coast series.