AFTER WINNING AGAIN IN 360s AT SANTA MARIA


Craig Stidham of Fresno, Calif. will try for his third consecutive victory at the Tulare (Calif.) Gropetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway Saturday when the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Series returns to the third-mile dirt oval for the “Pombo/Sargent Classic.”


 


Stidham sits 69 points ahead of Peter Murphy in the standings after winning Saturday night’s 30-lap race at the Santa Maria (Calif.) Speedway. He led the final five laps in his Brad Johnson Trucking/KRC Safety Maxim/Downing. He trailed Jace VanderWeerd for the first 25 laps, then beat Murphy, VanderWeerd, Davey Pombo and Justyne Hamblin to the checkered flag. Stidham was also the fastest qualifier.


 


Pombo is third in the current series standings entering Saturday’s Tulare race, only three points behind Murphy, while 2009 series titlist Justyne Hamblin currently ranks fourth.