BERNAL CLAIMS SECOND BATTLE OF THE BEACH AT VENTURA

By Lance Jennings

JULY 18, 2018... Racing past teammate Jake Swanson on the twentieth lap, Ryan Bernal (Hollister, California) led the rest of the way to claim last Saturday’s “ARP Battle of the Beach Race #2” at Ventura Raceway. Co-sanctioned with VRA, Bernal earned his second $1,500 USAC West Coast Sprint Car triumph of the campaign. Swanson, Ryan Timmons, Tyler Edwards, and Matt Stewart rounded out the top-five drivers.

Starting third in Keith Ford’s #73T Edgewater Construction / Sun Valley AG Transport Triple X, Ryan Bernal earned his series leading thirty-fifth main event win. The 2011 Rookie of the Year used extra momentum from the outside groove to secure the lead from Swanson. Earlier in the program, Ryan qualified eighth out of a series high thirty racers and won the night’s Butlerbuilt Seats / Rod End Supply Heat Race #4. In limited starts, Bernal has two Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, three heat race victories, one Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, four top-10 finishes, and 13 feature laps led to his credit.

After leading the first nineteen laps, Jake Swanson (Anaheim, California) had to settle for second at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Piloting Keith Ford’s #73 King Racing Products / Sun Valley AG Transport Triple X, Swanson was second fast in time trials, ran second to Troy Rutherford in his heat race, and started on the pole positon on the main event. To date, the defending series champion has one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, two heat race victories, five top-10 finishes, and 42 feature laps led on the season.

Ryan Timmons (Pleasant Hill, California) charged from twelfth to place third in the “Battle of the Beach Race #2.” Driving the family owned #29T Timmons Auto & Truck Repair / Evergood Fine Foods Maxim, Timmons qualified twenty-fourth overall and finished third in his heat race. At press time, the 2016 Rookie of the Year has one heat race victory, seven top-10 finishes, and 19 feature laps led in the campaign.

Making his first start in Steve Watt’s #81X Steve Watt Enterprises / FK805 CS9, Tyler Edwards (Salina, Oklahoma) scored fourth at Ventura Raceway after starting tenth. Earlier in the night, Edwards was tenth quick in time trials and took third in his 10-lap heat race.

In his first USAC West Coast start, Matt Stewart (Phoenix, Arizona) raced from seventeenth to fifth in the 30-lap main event. Racing Russell Case’s #33 Intents Racing Spike with a carbureted spec engine, Stewart qualified fourteenth overall, scored seventh in his heat race, and won the shortened Pyrotect Racing Cells Semi-Main.

Koen Shaw (Fresno, California) earned his second Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger / “Best Passing Job” honors with a sixth place run from twenty-first. Driving the family owned #88K Shaw Structures Unlimited /  PMS Investments KPC, Shaw was twelfth quick in time trials, placed seventh in his heat race, and fifth in the semi-main. At press time, Shaw has six top-10 finishes to this credit.

Kaleb Montgomery (Templeton, California) claimed his first career Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award. Piloting the family owned #3 Mission Country Properties / David Crye Maxim, Montgomery ran third in his heat race and finished fifteenth in the main event. The rookie contender has one Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award and one top-10 finish on the year.

Veteran Rick Hendrix (Palmdale, California) raced to victory in the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Driving his #15 Rick’s Gate Works / Wilwood Brakes Maxim, Hendrix qualified thirteenth overall and finished eighth in the 30-lap feature.

Troy Rutherford (Ojai, California) won the Ventura’s Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Rod End Supply Heat Race #2. Racing his #11 Trench Shoring / Grimes Rock Spike, Rutherford was sixth fast in time trials and scored eighteenth in the feature after taking the lead and breaking a driveline. To date, former VRA Champion has one feature win, two heat race victories, three top-10 finishes, and 23 feature laps led.

Austin Liggett (Tracy, California) won this night’s Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Heat Race #3. Piloting the family owned #83 Excel Environmental Services / Lucas Oil Maxim, Liggett qualified eleventh overall and scored tenth in the main event. At press time, the point leader has two feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, three heat race victories, nine top-10 finishes, and 60 feature laps led to his credit.

On Saturday, July 28th, the USAC West Coast Sprint Cars will make their only appearance of 2018 at Bakersfield Speedway. The eleventh point race will also feature the Sport Mods, American Stocks, and Mini Stocks. Bakersfield Speedway is located at 5001 North Chester Extension in Bakersfield, California. Advance tickets are on sale and for more event/ticket information, visit the track’s website at www.bakersfieldspeedway.com or call 661.393.3373.   

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: July 14, 2018 – Ventura, California – Ventura Raceway – “Battle at the Beach Race #2” – co-sanctioned with VRA

WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Kaleb Montgomery, 3, Montgomery-12.517; 2. Jake Swanson, 73, Ford-12.661; 3. Tristan Guardino, 15T, Guardino-12.748; 4. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-12.767; 5. Jeremy Ellertson, 98, Ellertson-12.770; 6. Troy Rutherford, 11, Rutherford-12.834; 7. Kyle Smith, 55, Smith-12.860; 8. Ryan Bernal, 73T, Ford-12.878; 9. Charlie Butcher, 96, Butcher-12.923; 10. Tyler Edwards, 81X, Watt-12.927; 11. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-12.976; 12. Koen Shaw, 88K, Shaw-13.124; 13. Rick Hendrix, 15, Hendrix-13.130; 14. Matt Stewart, 33, Case-13.167; 15. Brandon Wiley, 33B, Team 33-13.180; 16. Tony Everhart, 55T, Everhart-13.197; 17. Shannon McQueen, 7, Van Meter-13.214; 18. Brent Owens, 71, Owens-13.323; 19. Slater Helt, 81M, Watt-13.326; 20. Kyle Edwards, 39E, Edwards-13.357; 21. Michael Faccinto, 81, Watt-13.362; 22. Guy Woodward, 24, Woodward-13.394; 23. Britton Bock, 67, Bock-13.401; 24. Ryan Timmons, 29T, Timmons-13.427; 25. Austin Ervine, 51, AJ-13.541; 26. Cody Majors, 54, Majors-13.555; 27. Ryan Stolz, 72, Ford-13.739; 28. Steve Hix, 57, Hix-13.822; 29. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-14.252; 30. Joey Bishop, 45, Bishop-15.323.

EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Hendrix, 2. Butcher, 3. Montgomery, 4. Ellertson, 5. Faccinto, 6. McQueen, 7. Bender, 8. Ervine. NT

KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS / ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Rutherford, 2. Swanson, 3. T.Edwards, 4. Woodward, 5. Owens, 6. Majors, 7. Stewart. NT

COMPETITION SUSPENSION INCORPORATED / ROD END SUPPLY THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Liggett, 2. Guardino, 3. Smith, 4. Wiley, 5. Bock, 6. Helt, 7. Stolz. NT

BUTLERBUILT SEATS / ROD END SUPPLY FOURTH HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Bernal, 2. Faria, 3. Timmons, 4. Everhart, 5. K.Edwards, 6. Hix, 7. Shaw. NT

PYROTECT RACING CELLS SEMI: (shortened to 4 laps) 1. Stewart, 2. Bock, 3. McQueen, 4. Majors, 5. Shaw, 6. Helt, 7. Bender, 8. Hix, 9. Faccinto, 10. Ervine, 11. K.Edwards, 12. Stolz, 13. Owens. NT

FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positons) 1. Ryan Bernal (3rd), 2. Jake Swanson (1st), 3. Ryan Timmons (12th), 4. Tyler Edwards (10th), 5. Matt Stewart (17th), 6. Koen Shaw (21st), 7. Slater Helt (22nd), 8. Rick Hendrix (6th), 9. Danny Faria Jr. (8th), 10. Austin Liggett (4th), 11. Kyle Smith (11th), 12. Jeremy Ellertson (13th), 13. Brandon Wiley (15th), 14. Charlie Butcher (2nd), 15. Kaleb Montgomery (9th), 16. Tristan Guardino (7th), 17. Shannon McQueen (19th), 18. Troy Rutherford (5th), 19. Britton Bock (18th), 20. Cody Majors (20th), 21. Tony Everhart (16th), 22. Guy Woodward (14th). NT

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**Stolz flipped on lap 1 of the semi. 

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-19 Swanson, Laps 20-30 Bernal.

SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Koen Shaw (21st to 6th)

USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1-Liggett-703, 2-Guardino-596, 3-Timmons-570, 4-McQueen-511, 5-Shaw-510, 6-Hix-484, 7-Faria-477, 8-Richard Vander Weerd-441, 9-Bock-431, 10-Jace Vander Weerd-390.

2018 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE

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.