LIGGETT EXTENDS POINT LEAD WITH VENTURA WIN

By Lance Jennings

JULY 3, 2018... After winning Santa Maria’s “Ron Otto Memorial,” Austin Liggett (Tracy, California) claimed last Saturday’s $1,500 “ARP Battle of the Beach Race #1” at Ventura Raceway. Co-sanctioned with VRA, Liggett took command from Shannon McQueen on the fifth lap and held off all challengers to earn his seventh USAC West Coast Sprint Car triumph. Ryan Timmons, new track record holder Jake Swanson, Troy Rutherford, and Kyle Smith followed the point leader to the checkered flags.

Racing the family owned #83 Excel Environmental Services / Lucas Oil Maxim, Austin Liggett qualified fifth out of twenty-three racers and ran third in his heat race. The 2012 Rookie of the Year left Ventura with a 98-point lead on the strength of two feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, two heat race victories, eight top-10 finishes, and 60 feature laps led to his credit.

Using a borrowed engine, Ryan Timmons (Pleasant Hill, California) made a late challenge and finished second to Liggett for the second consecutive race. Piloting the family owned #29T Timmons Auto & Truck Repair / Evergood Fine Foods Maxim, Timmons was fourth quick in time trials and placed third in his heat race. The 2016 Rookie of the Year has climbed to third in points with one heat race victory and six top-10 finishes on the season.

Jake Swanson (Anaheim, California) raced hard to score third from sixth at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Driving Keith Ford’s #73 King Racing Products / Sun Valley AG Transport Triple X, Swanson earned the night’s Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, broke Kenny Perkins’ track record, and ran second to “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. in his heat race. In limited starts, the defending USAC West Coast Champion is sixteenth in the point chase with two heat race victories, four top-10 finishes, and 23 feature laps led.

Troy Rutherford (Ojai, California) claimed fourth in a hard fought 30-lap Ventura main event. Racing his #11 Trench Shoring / Grimes Rock Spike, Rutherford qualified second overall and ran second to Tristan Guardino in his heat race. In limited starts, the 2010 VRA Champion ranks fifteenth in points with one feature win, one heat race victory, three top-10 finishes, and 23 feature laps led on the year. 

Kyle Smith (Moorpark, California) scored fifth in the “ARP Battle of the Beach Race #1.” Piloting the family owned #55 Roy’s Towing / California RV Service Spike, Smith was twelfth fast in time trials and won the night’s Competition Suspension Incorporated / Rod End Supply Heat Race #3. The 3-time VRA Champion and current Ventura point leader ranks thirtieth in USAC West Coast standings.

“The Bear” Jeremy Ellertson (Lawndale, California) earned Ventura’s Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger / “Best Passing Job” honors with a seventh place run from eighteenth. Racing the family owned #98 Bear Racing Components / DJ Safety Triple X, Ellertson qualified ninth overall and ran sixth in his heat race. The VRA regular left the Ventura County Fairgrounds ranked thirty-first in West Coast points.

“Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. (Tipton, California) raced to victory in the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Driving his #17V Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / DeBoer & Sons Trucking Spike, Faria was seventh quick in time trials and finished ninth in the main event. At press time, the two-time champion sits eighth in points with one feature win, four heat race victories, one Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, five top-10 finishes, and 39 feature laps led in the campaign.

Tristan Guardino (Fremont, California) won the night’s Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Rod End Supply Heat Race #2. Piloting the family owned #15T Dorso’s Automotive / Allied Auto Stores Maxim, Guardino qualified eighth overall and finished eighth in the main event. Tristan ranks second in the point standings with one feature win, five heat race victories, seven top-10 finishes, and 36 feature laps led on the year.

On Saturday, July 14th, the USAC West Coast Sprint Cars will make their second of five appearances at Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway. Co-sanctioned with the Ventura Racing Association, the “Battle of the Beach Race #2” will also feature VRA Senior Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, and Hobby Stocks. Located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 West Harbor Blvd. in Ventura, California, more event information can be found at www.venturaraceway.com or calling 805.648.RACE.

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: June 30, 2018 – Ventura, California – Ventura Raceway – “ARP Battle at the Beach Race #1” – co-sanctioned with VRA

WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Jake Swanson, 73T, Ford-12.007 (New Track Record); 2. Troy Rutherford, 11, Rutherford-12.154; 3. Kaleb Montgomery, 3, Montgomery-12.226; 4. Ryan Timmons, 29T, Timmons-12.320; 5. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-12.321; 6. Brandon Wiley, 33B, Team 33-12.387; 7. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-12.469; 8. Tristan Guardino, 15T, Guardino-12.537; 9. Jeremy Ellertson, 98, Ellertson-12.615; 10. Kyle Edwards, 39E, Edwards-12.615; 11. Rick Hendrix, 15, Hendrix-12.643; 12. Kyle Smith, 55, Smith-12.667; 13. Koen Shaw, 88K, Shaw-12.722; 14. Ricky Lewis, 81M, Watt-12.736; 15. Shannon McQueen, 7, Van Meter-12.936; 16. Charlie Butcher, 96, Butcher-12.954; 17. Steve Hix, 57, Hix-12.958; 18. Scotty Farmer, 81, Watt-13.243; 19. Ryan Stolz, 72, Ford-13.261; 20. Britton Bock 67, Bock-13.487; 21. Tom Hendricks, 14, Hendricks-13.527; 22. Austin Ervine, 51, AJ-13.752; 23. Joey Bishop, 45, Bishop-13.847.

EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Faria, 2. Swanson, 3. Timmons, 4. Butcher, 5. Edwards, 6. Ervine, 7. Shaw. 8. Stolz. NT

KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS / ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Guardino, 2. Rutherford, 3. Liggett, 4. Hendrix, 5. Bock, 6. Lewis, 7. Hix, 8. Bishop. NT

COMPETITION SUSPENSION INCORPORATED / ROD END SUPPLY THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Smith, 2. Wiley, 3. McQueen, 4. Hendricks, 5. Farmer, 6. Ellertson, 7. Montgomery. NT

FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Austin Liggett (2nd), 2. Ryan Timmons (3rd), 3. Jake Swanson (6th), 4. Troy Rutherford (5th), 5. Kyle Smith (7th), 6. Shannon McQueen (1st), 7. Jeremy Ellertson (18th), 8. Tristan Guardino (8th), 9. Danny Faria Jr. (9th), 10. Tom Hendricks (12th), 11. Rick Hendrix (11th), 12. Steve Hix (20th), 13. Koen Shaw (19th), 14. Scotty Farmer (15th), 15. Britton Bock (14th), 16. Ryan Stolz (22nd), 17. Joey Bishop (23rd), 18. Austin Ervine (16th), 19. Ricky Lewis (17th), 20. Charlie Butcher (10th), 21. Kyle Edwards (13th), 22. Kaleb Montgomery (21st), 23. Brandon Wiley (4th). NT

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**Wiley flipped on lap 6 of the feature. Montgomery flipped on lap 10 of the feature.

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-4 McQueen, Laps 5-30 Liggett.

SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Jeremy Ellertson (18th to 7th)

USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Austin Liggett-652, 2. Tristan Guardino-554, 3. Ryan Timmons-500, 4. Shannon McQueen-480, 5. Steve Hix-474, 6. Koen Shaw-454, 7. Richard Vander Weerd-441, 8. Danny Faria Jr.-421, 9. Britton Bock-403, 10. Jace Vander Weerd-390, 11. Austin Ervine-332, 12. Ryan Stolz-317, 13. Ryan Bernal-279, 14. Brandon Wiley-269, 15. Troy Rutherford-262, 16. Jake Swanson-186, 17. Trent Carter-167, 18. Max Adams-135, 19. Hobie Conway-131, 20. Kaleb Montgomery-129, --. Kyle Edwards-129

ARP BATTLE AT THE BEACH POINT STANDINGS: 1. Austin Liggett-250, 2. Ryan Timmons-230, 3. Jake Swanson-220, 4. Troy Rutherford-210, 5. Kyle Smith-205, 6. Shannon McQueen-185, 7. Tristan Guardino-180, 8. Danny Faria Jr.-175, 9. Jeremy Ellertson-155, --. Tom Hendricks-155, 11. Rick Hendrix-150, 12. Steve Hix-130, --. Scotty Farmer-130, 14. Britton Bock-125, 15. Koen Shaw-120, 16. Ryan Stolz-110, 17. Charlie Butcher-105, --. Austin Ervine-105, 19. Brandon Wiley-100, --. Ricky Lewis-100, --. Joey Bishop-100, 22. Kyle Edwards-99, 23. Kaleb Montgomery-85.

2018 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE

July 14: **Ventura Raceway - Ventura, CA (ARP Battle at the Beach Race #2)

July 28: Bakersfield Speedway - Bakersfield, CA 

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

August 25: **Ventura Raceway - Ventura, CA (ARP Battle at the Beach Race #3)

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 / ARP Battle at the Beach Race #4 / Non-Points)

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** = Co-Sanctioned Event with VRA Sprints.

# = Co-Sanctioned Event with Santa Maria 360 Sprints.

This schedule is subject to change.