RUTHERFORD TRIUMPHS AT SANTA MARIA

By Lance Jennings

MAY 1, 2018... Regaining the lead on lap 15, Troy Rutherford (Ojai, California) held off Austin Liggett to claim last Saturday’s USAC West Coast Sprint Car win at Santa Maria Raceway. The veteran driver earned his first $1,500 victory of the season ahead of Liggett, Tristan Guardino, Steve Hix, and Trent Carter.

Starting on the outside of the front row, Troy Rutherford piloted his #11 Trench Shoring / AMSOIL Spike to the fifth USAC West Coast Sprint Car win of his career. Earlier, the former Ventura track champion qualified second out of twenty-one racers and ran second to “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. in his heat race. Troy left Santa Maria ranked sixteenth in the point standings.

Facing changing track conditions, Austin Liggett (Tracy, California) pressured Rutherford for the lead but had to settle for second. Piloting the family owned #83 Excel Environmental Services / Lucas Oil Maxim, Liggett was sixth fast in time trials and placed second to Tristan Guardino in his heat race. Heading to Hanford on May 12th, Austin has taken over the point lead with two top-10 finishes, and 28 feature laps led.

Starting fourth, Tristan Guardino (Fremont, California) led five laps at Santa Maria before scoring third in the main event. Racing the family owned #15T Dorso’s Automotive / Allied Auto Sales Maxim, Guardino qualified ninth overall and won the Competition Suspension Incorporated / Rod End Supply Heat Race #3. The young driver has climbed to third in the point chase with two top-10 finishes on the year.

Steve Hix (Ventura, California) charged to fourth at Santa Maria feature after starting ninth in the feature. Driving his #57 No Limit Powder Coating / Delano Roofing Triple X, Hix was third quick in time trials and scored third in his heat race. Heading to Hanford, Steve has risen to second in points with one heat race victory, three top-10 finishes and 3 feature laps led on the season.

Trent Carter (Terra Bella, California) raced from tenth to claim fifth at the checkered flags. Piloting the family owned #13 Porterville Lock & Safe / Porterville Collision Center Maxim, Carter qualified fourth overall and scored fourth in his heat race. The two-time Santa Maria track champion is ranked fifteenth in the point standings. 

Austin Ervine (Bakersfield, California) earned the night’s Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger / “Best Passing Job” honors with an eighth place run from nineteenth. Racing the family owned #51 Pritchett Metal Products / Healthy Soil ITI, Ervine was nineteenth fast in time trials and scored seventh in his heat race. The third generation driver is currently thirteenth in the point standings.

Ryan Bernal (Hollister, California) was Santa Maria’s Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award winner. Driving Keith Ford’s #73 Edgewater Construction / Sun Valley AG Transport Triple X, Bernal won the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1 and scored thirteenth in the main event. The 2011 Rookie of the Year sits eleventh in the standings with one feature win, one top-10 finish, and 2 feature laps led.

“Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. (Tipton, California) raced to victory in the Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Rod End Supply Heat Race #2. Piloting his #17V Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / DeBoer & Sons Trucking Spike, Faria qualified eighth overall and scored fifteenth after a flip in the main event. The two-time champion heads to Hanford ranked sixth in points with one top-10 finish.

On Saturday, May 12th, the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series will make their last appearance at Hanford’s Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds. The action packed card will also feature the Winged Western RaceSaver Sprint Cars, IMCA Stock Cars, and Mini Stocks. Located on the Kings County Fairgrounds at 801 South 10th Avenue, more event information can be found at www.kellerautospeedway.com or calling 559.651.1990. 

The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series thanks AMSOIL, Hoosier Tire, BR Motorsports, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Chris Kearns Presents, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, King Racing Products, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Ultra Shield Race Products, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, email PR Director Lance Jennings at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . 

For more information, visit www.westcoastsprintcars.com and www.usacracing.com. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC West Coast Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. 

Loudpedal Productions has USAC West Coast Sprint Car DVDs and videos on demand available for purchase at www.loudpedal.tv and 805.407.7229.

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USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: April 28, 2018 – Santa Maria, California – Santa Maria Raceway

WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Ryan Bernal, 73, Ford-15.329; 2. Troy Rutherford, 11, Rutherford-15.341; 3. Steve Hix, 57, Hix-15.553; 4. Trent Carter, 13, Carter-15.633; 5. Brandon Wiley, 33B, Team 33-15.633; 6. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-15.734; 7. Britton Bock, 67, Bock-15.848; 8. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-15.853; 9. Tristan Guardino, 15T, Guardino-15.854; 10. Ryan Timmons, 29T, Timmons-15.915; 11. Ryan Stolz, 72, Ford-16.017; 12. James Herrera, 5J, Herrera-16.021; 13. Jordan Linson, 10J, Linson-16.114; 14. Shannon McQueen, 7, Van Meter-16.149; 15. Matt Mitchell, 12, Dale-16.170; 16. Hannah Mayhew, 43, Mayhew-16.217; 17. Kevin Barnes, 36B, Barnes-16.424; 18. Koen Shaw, 88K, Shaw-16.645; 19. Austin Ervine, 51, AJ-17.294; 20. Patrick Frisco, 10, Frisco-NT; 21. Matt Day, 97, Day-NT.

EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Bernal, 2. Timmons, 3. Linson, 4. Carter, 5. Bock, 6. Mayhew, 7. Ervine. NT

KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS / ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Faria, 2. Rutherford, 3. McQueen, 4. Wiley, 5. Stolz, 6. Frisco, 7. Barnes. NT

COMPETITION SUSPENSION INCORPORATED / ROD END SUPPLY THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Guardino, 2. Liggett, 3. Hix, 4. Shaw, 5. Herrera. NT

FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Troy Rutherford (2nd), 2. Austin Liggett (1st), 3. Tristan Guardino (4th), 4. Steve Hix (9th), 5. Trent Carter (10th), 6. Jordan Linson (7th), 7. Koen Shaw (12th), 8. Austin Ervine (19th), 9. Hannah Mayhew (16th), 10. Ryan Stolz (14th), 11. James Herrera (15th), 12. Kevin Barnes (20th), 13. Ryan Bernal (6th), 14. Shannon McQueen (8th), 15. Danny Faria Jr. (5th), 16. Brandon Wiley (11th), 17. Britton Bock (13th), 18. Patrick Frisco (17th), 19. Ryan Timmons (3rd). NT 

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**Faria flips on lap 18 of the feature. DNS=Matt Mitchell & Matt Day.

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-9 Rutherford, Laps 10-14 Guardino, Laps 15-30 Rutherford

SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Austin Ervine (19th to 8th)

USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Austin Liggett-206, 2. Steve Hix-181, 3. Tristan Guardino-180, 4. Koen Shaw-166, 5. Richard Vander Weerd-156, 6. Danny Faria, Jr.-153, 7. Shannon McQueen-150, 8. Brandon Wiley-140, 9. Jace Vander Weerd-137, 10. Ryan Timmons-135, 11. Ryan Bernal-131, 12. Britton Bock-129, 13. Austin Ervine-115, 14. Ryan Stolz-114, 15. Trent Carter-107, 16. Troy Rutherford-82, 17. Kevin Barnes-77, ... Brody Roa-77, 19. Jake Swanson-74, 20. Jordan Linson-61.

2018 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE

May 12: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds - Hanford, CA

May 18: Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA (Peter Murphy Classic)

May 19: Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA (Peter Murphy Classic)

June 2: Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA (Chris & Brian Faria Memorial)

June 9: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA (Ron Otto Memorial)

June 30: Ventura Raceway - Ventura, CA (Battle at the Beach)

July 14: Ventura Raceway - Ventura, CA (Battle at the Beach)

July 28: Bakersfield Speedway - Bakersfield, CA 

August 11: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA (Bud Stanfield Memorial)

August 25: Ventura Raceway - Ventura, CA (Battle at the Beach)

October 6: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA (Championship Night)

November 21: Ventura Raceway - Ventura, CA (Turkey Night Grand Prix / Non-Points)

November 22: Ventura Raceway - Ventura, CA (Turkey Night Grand Prix / Battle at the Beach / Non-Points)

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This schedule is subject to change.