BERNAL BACK IN WINNERS CIRCLE AFTER TULARE 30-LAPPER

Tulare, CA……..USAC Western Classic Sprint Car Champion Ryan Bernal of Hollister, Calif. won Saturday night’s 30-lap USAC West Coast Sprint race at Thunderbowl Raceway leading the final 17 laps in his Tri-L Mandarin Ranch - Core Power ART/S & S after passing Richard Vander Weerd on lap 14. Colby Copeland took second ahead of Danny Faria Jr., Bud Kaeding and Vander Weerd, the 2015 USAC/CRA Sprint point leader. Trey Marcham led the first four laps and Vander Weerd led the next nine before yielding to Bernal, who emerged with a seven point lead over Faria in the new standings.

USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS: March 14, 2015 – Tulare, California – Thunderbowl Raceway

FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Danny Faria Jr. (#17V Bowman), 2. Jace Vander Weerd (#88 Vander Weerd), 3. Ryan Bernal (#56 Phulps), 4. Colby Copeland (#74 Williams), 5. Ryan Timmons (#29T Timmons), 6. Shannon McQueen (#87 Van Meter), 7. Chris Ennis (#86 Ennis), 8. Jonathan Logan (#32 Evett/Logan). NT

SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Richard Vander Weerd (#10 Vander Weerd), 2. D.J. Johnson (#33 Johnson), 3. Jim Richardson (#8 Richardson), 4. Tristan Guardino (#81 Watt), 5. Kevin Barnes (#36B Barnes), 6. Matt Day (#97 Day), 7. Tye Mihocko (#5 Mihocko). NT

THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Austin Liggett (#83 Liggett), 2. Landon Hurst (#179 Hurst), 3. Trey Marcham (#73 Ford), 4. Brody Roa (#48 Leonard), 5. Bud Kaeding (#29 Bowman), 6. Jeff Sibley (#42N Sibley). NT

ALSO AT TRACK: Nathan Washam (#17 Shanoian)

FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Ryan Bernal, 2. Colby Copeland, 3. Danny Faria Jr., 4. Bud Kaeding, 5. Richard Vander Weerd, 6. Trey Marcham, 7. D.J. Johnson, 8. Jace Vander Weerd, 9. Ryan Timmons, 10. Austin Liggett, 11. Landon Hurst, 12. Jim Richardson, 13. Tristan Guardino, 14. Brody Roa, 15. Tye Mihocko, 16. Jeff Sibley, 17. Chris Ennis, 18. Kevin Barnes, 19. Matt Day. NT

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**Mihocko flipped during the second heat. 

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-4 Marcham, Laps 5-13 R.Vander Weerd, Laps 14-30 Bernal.

NEW USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Ryan Bernal-178, 2-Danny Faria Jr.-171, 3-Colby Copeland-166, 4-Richard Vander Weerd-145. 5-Jace Vander Weerd-136, 6-Austin Liggett-133, 7-Bud Kaeding-122, 8-Landon Hurst-117, 9-Trey Marcham-110, 10-D.J. Johnson-105.

NEXT USAC WEST COAST SPRINT RACE: March 28 – Hanford, CA – Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds