SOUTHWEST SPRINTS TO YUMA, WEST COAST TO SANTA MARIA;

BAKERSFIELD MAKES BERNAL 3-FOR-3!

USAC’s West Coast and Southwest Sprint cars compete this Saturday as Ryan Bernal and Stevie Sussex continue their pursuit of 2015 championships.

Bernal has a 23-point lead over Danny Faria Jr. in the West Coast series, which visits Santa Maria (Calif.) Raceway Saturday. Sussex holds a 27-point lead over defending Southwest champ R.J. Johnson entering Saturday’s race at Cocopah Speedway in Yuma.

USAC West Coast Sprint Car point leader Bernal of Hollister, Calif. recorded his third consecutive feature win Saturday night at Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway. Wheeling the Mike Phulps machine, he passed Faria on lap seven and led the rest of the way to beat Jace Vander Weerd, Faria, Troy Rutherford and Cory Kruseman.

Damion Gardner swept two USAC Sprint races at Yuma last year, while Cory Kruseman was the last West Coast Sprint winner at Santa Maria, in 2013.