BERNAL SPRINTS TO STANFIELD MEMORIAL WIN AT SANTA MARIA

By Lance Jennings

AUGUST 13, 2018... Powering past Tanner Thorson on the eleventh lap, Ryan Bernal (Hollister, California) stormed to last Saturday’s “Bud Stanfield Memorial” victory at Santa Maria Raceway. Driving Keith Ford’s #73 Edgewater Construction / Sun Valley AG Transports Triple X, Bernal claimed his third $1,500 USAC West Coast Sprint Car triumph of the year over Thorson, Tristan Guardino, “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr., and point leader Austin Liggett.

Starting on the outside of the front row, Tanner Thorson got the jump on polesitter Shannon McQueen and started to run away from the field. As Thorson set a torrid pace on the heavy Santa Maria clay, Bernal began to slice into the leader’s advantage. Moving past slower traffic, Bernal closed the gap and grabbed the top spot. Thorson tried to battle back, but Bernal was too strong and claimed his series leading 36th feature win.

After running third in the companion USAC Western States Midget feature, Bernal claimed the second “Bud Stanfield Memorial” of his career. The 2011 Rookie of the Year began his night by qualifying fourth out of the eighteen car field and running second to Ryan Timmons in his heat race. In limited action, Bernal ranks tenth in the point case with two Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, three heat race victories, one Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, five top-10 finishes, and 33 feature laps led.

In his first USAC West Coast start of 2018, Tanner Thorson (Minden, Nevada) finished second in the 30-lap main event. Piloting Clyde Lamar’s #3C Tri-C Machine / Keizer Aluminum Wheels Spike, Thorson was second fast in time trials and ran second to “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. in his heat race. 

Tristan Guardino (Fremont, California) had a solid night with a third place finish at Santa Maria Raceway. Driving the family owned #15T Dorso’s Automotive / Allied Auto Stores Maxim, Guardino qualified third overall and won the night’s Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Heat Race #3. At press time, Tristan is second in points with one feature win, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, six heat race victories, one Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, nine top-10 finishes, and 36 feature laps led on the season.

“Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. (Tipton, California) raced to fourth in the “Bud Stanfield Memorial.”  Racing Jim Richardson’s #8 Wiesz Racing Engines / Heater Guy DRC, Faria was eighth quick in time trials and won the night’s Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Rod End Supply Heat Race #2. The two-time champion ranks seventh in the point standings with one feature win, five heat race victories, seven top-10 finishes, and 39 feature laps led in the campaign.

Austin Liggett (Tracy, California) earned Santa Maria’s Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger / “Best Passing Job” honors with a fifth place run from seventeenth. Piloting the family owned #83 Excel Environmental Services / Lucas Oil Maxim, Liggett qualified fifth overall and scored sixth in his heat race after an early tangle. The point leader left Santa Maria with a 93-point advantage on the strength of two feature wins, one Woodland Display Fast Time Award, four heat race victories, eleven top-10 finishes, and 82 feature laps led to his credit.

Last Saturday night, rookie contender Kaleb Montgomery (Templeton, California) posted his second career Woodland Display Fast Time Award. Driving the family owned #3 Mission County Properties / David Crye Maxim, Montgomery scored third in his heat race and scored eighteenth in the feature after mechanical issues ended his night. The young driver sits eighteenth in the point chase with one Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award and one top-10 finish on the year.

Ryan Timmons (Pleasant Hill, California) claimed victory in the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Racing the family owned #29T Timmons Auto & Truck Repair / Evergood Fine Foods Maxim, Timmons was seventh fast in time trials and scored sixteenth in the feature after an early exit. The 2016 Rookie of the Year is third in the point standings with one feature win, three heat race victories, eight top-10 finishes, and 27 feature laps led. 

On Saturday, August 25th, the USAC West Coast Sprint Cars will make their third of five appearances at Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway. Co-sanctioned with the VRA 360 Sprint Cars, the “Battle of the Beach Race #3” will also feature VRA Senior Sprints, Dwarf Cars, IMCA Modifieds, and NMRA TQ Midgets. 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: August 11, 2018 – Santa Maria, California – Santa Maria Raceway – “32nd Annual Bud Stanfield Memorial” – co-sanctioned with Santa Maria 360 Sprints

WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Kaleb Montgomery, 3, Montgomery-13.634; 2. Tanner Thorson, 3C, Lamar-13.810; 3. Tristan Guardino, 15T, Guardino-13.840; 4. Ryan Bernal, 73, Ford-13.880; 5. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-13.884; 6. Shannon McQueen, 7, Van Meter-13.906; 7. Ryan Timmons, 29T, Timmons-14.017; 8. Danny Faria Jr., 8, Richardson-14.059; 9. Trent Carter, 13, Carter-14.104; 10. Koen Shaw, 88K, Shaw-14.198; 11. Ryan Stolz, 72, Ford-14.238; 12. Matt Day, 97, Day-14.314; 13. Britton Bock, 67, Bock-14.403; 14. Ricky Kirkbride, 87, Van Meter-14.432; 15. Jordan Linson, 10J, Linson-14.502; 16. Steve Hix, 57, Hix-14.727; 17. James Herrera, 5J, Herrera-14.856; 18. Austin Ervine, 51, AJ-15.074.

EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Timmons, 2. Bernal, 3. Montgomery, 4. Shaw, 5. Bock, 6. Hix. NT

KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS / ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Faria, 2. Thorson, 3. Stolz, 4. Kirkbride, 5. Herrera, 6. Liggett. NT

COMPETITION SUSPENSION INCORPORATED / ROD END SUPPLY THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Guardino, 2. McQueen, 3. Carter, 4. Ervine, 5. Day, 6. Linson. NT

FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Ryan Bernal (3rd), 2. Tanner Thorson (2nd), 3. Tristan Guardino (4th), 4. Danny Faria Jr. (5th), 5. Austin Liggett (17th), 6. Shannon McQueen (1st), 7. Trent Carter (9th), 8. Koen Shaw (10th), 9. Ryan Stolz (8th), 10. Ricky Kirkbride (11th), 11. Steve Hix (16th), 12. Britton Bock (13th), 13. Austin Ervine (12th), 14. James Herrera (14th), 15. Jordan Linson (18th), 16. Ryan Timmons (6th), 17. Matt Day (15th), 18. Kaleb Montgomery (7th). NT

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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-10 Thorson, Laps 11-30 Bernal

SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Austin Liggett (17th to 5th)

USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1-Austin Liggett-842, 2-Tristan Guardino-749, 3-Ryan Timmons-690, 4-Koen Shaw-632, -Shannon McQueen-632, 6-Steve Hix-587, 7-Danny Faria Jr.-546, 8-Britton Bock-530, 9-Richard Vander Weerd-441, 10-Ryan Bernal-437, 11-Austin Ervine-431, 12-Jace Vander Weerd-390, 13-Ryan Stolz-378, 14-Brandon Wiley-311, 15-Troy Rutherford-298, 16-Jake Swanson-265, 17-Trent Carter-225, 18-Kaleb Montgomery-213, 19-James Herrera-170, 20-Kyle Edwards-139.

2018 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE

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.