VENTURA HOSTS SATURDAY’S USAC VS. VRA SPRINT CAR “BATTLE AT THE BEACH”
By Lance Jennings
AUGUST 21, 2019... With three point races left, the chase for the USAC West Coast Sprint Car championship resumes this Saturday, August 24th, at Ventura Raceway. Promoted by Jim Naylor, the “ARP Battle at the Beach Race #3” is co-sanctioned with the VRA Sprints and marks the third of five appearances at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. The action packed card will also feature the California Lightning Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, and the NMRA TQ Midgets. The Pit Gates will open at Noon, the Front Gates open at 3:00pm, with Racing scheduled for 5:30pm at “The Best Little Dirt Track in America.” For more event information, visit the track’s website at venturaraceway.com or call 805.648.RACE.
NOTICE TO RACERS:
- 2019 APPROVED/LEGAL MUFFLERS: EXTREME: 6014-3535, 3615-3535, BILLY BOAT: FRAC-0375S, COAST FABRICATION: 350x625x17-2S, FLOWMASTER: 53545-10, 13516100, 13516101, SCHOENFELD: 14272535, 14272735-78, SPINTECH: 1545P SUPER STOCK. *Failure to comply with the muffler rule will risk disqualification from the event.
- FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin to King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
- FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS ARE MANDATORY.
- COCKPIT ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS ARE ALLOWED.
- The Hoosier 105/16 Medium is the ONLY legal right rear tire and all four corners must be Hoosier.
- Engine restrictor rules are 1-7/8” with open heads and 2-3/16” with ASCS cylinder heads.
- The weight rule is 1,475 lbs. with driver and the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Rule Book can be found online at westcoastsprintcars.com and usacracing.com.
- USAC MEMBERSHIPS can be purchased at the track or online at usaclicense.com.
Since April 4, 2009, the Ventura County Fairgrounds has held fourteen West Coast 360 events and ten different drivers have claimed victory. Led by Tristan Guardino with three wins, the point leader also set a new 1-lap track record of 11.958 on March 23rd. Former VRA champion Troy Rutherford won the last visit on June 1st and Guardino raced to victory on March 23rd. A complete series win list at Ventura is at the end of this release.
Entering the eleventh point race, there have been six different winners. Tristan Guardino and Austin Liggett are tied for the series with three triumphs. Brody Roa, Jake Swanson, Chase Johnson, and Troy Rutherford have posted one victory, while rain claimed the May 18th show at Petaluma.
Tristan Guardino (Fremont, CA) heads to Ventura with a stout 144-point lead over the competition. Racing the family owned #15T Dorso’s Automotive / Allied Auto Stores Maxim, Guardino ran second to Austin Liggett at Santa Maria’s “Bud Stanfield Memorial” on August 10th. At press time, the point leader has three feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, four heat race victories, eight top-10 finishes, and 87 feature laps led. Tied with Peter Murphy and Jace Vander Weerd for seventh on the West Coast win list, Tristan is second in “Battle of the Beach” points and will be looking for another Ventura triumph.
Ryan Timmons (Pleasant Hill, CA) ranks second in the chase for the championship. Driving the family owned #29T Timmons Auto & Truck Repair / Evergood Fine Foods Maxim, Timmons scored third at the “Bud Stanfield Memorial.” To date, the 2016 Rookie of the Year has one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, one heat race victory, one Wilwood Disc Brakes Lucky 13 Award, and seven top-10 finishes to his credit. Ryan is tied for sixth in “Battle of the Beach” points and will have his sights on his third career West Coast win.
Koen Shaw (Fresno, CA) is third in the championship point standings. Piloting the family owned #88 Shaw Structures Unlimited / PMS Investments KPC, Shaw scored a tenth place finish at Santa Maria. At press time, the versatile driver has recorded one heat race victory and five top-10 finishes in the campaign. Koen ranks fourth in “Battle of the Beach” points and will be looking to earn his first USAC victory.
After winning the “Bud Stanfield Memorial” at Santa Maria, Austin Liggett (Tracy, CA) has climbed to fourth in the point chase. Racing the family owned #83 Excel Environmental Services / Liggett Trucking Maxim, Liggett has three feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, three heat race victories, five top-10 finishes, and 65 feature laps led. The defending champion is tied with Bryan Clauson for fifth in series wins and will have his sights on the “Battle of the Beach” victory.
Leading rookie contender Hannah Mayhew (Acton, CA) sits fifth in the USAC West Coast point standings. Driving the family owned #43 C&G Farms / Fabwerx Maxim, Mayhew has one Wilwood Disc Brakes Lucky 13 Award and two top-10 finishes on the season. This Saturday, the 2017 Perris Young Gun Sprint Car Champion is 29th in “Battle of the Beach” points and will be looking for her first USAC win.
While Hannah Mayhew (Acton, CA) leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors, J.J. Ringo (Morgan Hill, CA), Slater Helt (Harrisonville, MO), Tanner Boul (Auberry, CA), and Gage Rucker (Truxton, MO) are also in contention.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are T.J. Smith, Austin Ervine, Jake Swanson, Troy Rutherford, Cody Majors, “The Rickster” Ricky Kirkbride, Steve Hix, Tom Hendricks, Ryan Stolz, Kaleb Montgomery, Charlie Butcher, Rick Hendrix, and more.
Rick Hendrix (Palmdale, CA) leads a strong contingent of racers with the Ventura Racing Association. Charlie Butcher, Kyle Smith, Gage Rucker, Chris Meredith, Joey Bishop, Brent Owens, Kenny Perkins, Ricky Lewis, and Tyler Edwards round out the top-10 drivers.
Ventura Raceway is located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 West Harbor Blvd. in Ventura, California. Adult tickets are $15, Senior tickets (60 and older) are $11, Active Military tickets (ID Required) are $11, Student tickets (with ID) are $11, and Kid’s tickets (12 and under) are FREE. For more event information, visit the track’s website at venturaraceway.com or call 805.648.RACE.
The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series thanks AMSOIL, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Butlerbuilt Professional Seat Systems, Chris Kearns Presents, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, Hoosier Racing Tire, Loudpedal Productions, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Saldana Racing Products, Ultra Shield Race Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes, 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 on the series, visit usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content at westcoastsprintcars.com and the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
-----------------------------------------------
USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2009-Justyne Hamblin, 2010-Craig Stidham, 2011-Richard Vander Weerd, 2012-Bud Kaeding, 2013-Danny Faria Jr., 2014-Matt Mitchell, 2015-Danny Faria Jr., 2016-Brody Roa, 2017-Jake Swanson, 2018-Austin Liggett.
2019 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR WINS: 3-Tristan Guardino, 3-Austin Liggett, 1-Chase Johnson, 1-Brody Roa, 1- Troy Rutherford, 1-Jake Swanson.
VENTURA USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR WINS: (Includes Non-Point Races) 3-Tristan Guardino, 2-Ryan Bernal, 2-Jake Swanson, 1-Brady Bacon, 1-Tyler Courtney, 1-Geoff Ensign, 1-Johnathon Henry, 1-Austin Liggett, 1-Carson Macedo, 1-Troy Rutherford.
2019 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Tristan Guardino-675, 2. Ryan Timmons-531, 3. Koen Shaw-466, 4. Austin Liggett-390, 5. Hannah Mayhew ®-365, 6. T.J. Smith-360, 7. Austin Ervine-331, 8. Jake Swanson-318, 9. J.J. Ringo ®-318, 10. Slater Helt ®-297, 11. Danny Faria Jr.-294, 12. Troy Rutherford-290, 13. Michael Faccinto-275, 14. Cody Majors-266, 15. Ricky Kirkbride-255, 16. Steve Hix-250, 17. Ryan Bernal-206, 18. Tanner Boul ®-191, 19. Tom Hendricks-183, 20. Kyle Edwards-179.
2019 VRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Rick Hendrix-2290, 2. Charlie Butcher-1675, 3. Kyle Smith-900, 4. Gage Rucker-700, 5. Chris Meredith-690, 6. Joey Bishop-655, 7. Brent Owens-575, 8. Kenny Perkins-535, 9. Ricky Lewis-510, 10. Tyler Edwards-460, 11. Jeff Fillingame-450, 12. Tom Hendricks-445, 13. Brandon Wiley-425, 14. Tyler Hatzikian-420, 15. Bruce Douglass-405, 16. Ryan Stolz-375, 17. Tyler Williams-365, 18. Evan Jonker-350, 19. Will Perkins-335, 20. Troy Rutherford-260.
2019 BATTLE AT THE BEACH POINT STANDINGS: 1. Troy Rutherford-470, 2. Tristan Guardino-360, 3. Cody Majors-360, 4. Koen Shaw-340, 5. Charlie Butcher-330, 6. Ryan Timmons-330, 7. Rick Hendrix-325, 8. Steve Hix-320, 9. Slater Helt-275, 10. Austin Ervine-255, 11. Brandon Wiley-240, 12. Jake Swanson-235, 13. Gage Rucker-225, 14. Tanner Boul-220, 15. Carson Macedo-215, 16. Kyle Edwards-185, 17. Bruce Douglass-175, 18. Will Perkins-155, 19. Jeff Fillingame-155, 20. Ricky Kirkbride-140.
2019 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE-TRACK-LOCATION
February 27: The Dirt Track at LVMS - Las Vegas, NV (Winner: Brody Roa)
February 28: The Dirt Track at LVMS - Las Vegas, NV (Winner: Jake Swanson)
March 16: Bakersfield Speedway - Bakersfield, CA (Winner: Chase Johnson)
March 23: *Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA (Winner: Tristan Guardino)
April 27: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA (Winner: Austin Liggett)
May 17: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA (Winner: Austin Liggett)
May 18: Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, CA (RAINED OUT)
June 1: *Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA (Winner: Troy Rutherford)
June 7: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA (Winner: Tristan Guardino)
June 15: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA (Winner: Tristan Guardino)
August 10: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA (Winner: Austin Liggett)
August 24: *Ventura Raceway - Ventura, CA (ARP Battle at the Beach Race #3)
October 5: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA
October 12: Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, CA
November 27: *Ventura Raceway - Ventura, CA (Turkey Night Grand Prix / Non-Points)
November 28: *Ventura Raceway - Ventura, CA (Turkey Night Grand Prix / ARP Battle at the Beach Race #4 / Non-Points)
-----------------------------------------------
* = Co-Sanctioned Event with VRA Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.