JACE VANDER WEERD CLAIMS SANTA MARIA’S 30TH ANNUAL “BUD STANFIELD MEMORIAL”

Going wire-to-wire, Jace Vander Weerd (Visalia, California) claimed last Saturday’s “30th Annual Bud Stanfield Memorial” at Santa Maria Raceway. Vander Weerd held off several challenges by point leader Brody Roa to score his first $1,500 USAC West Coast Sprint Car triumph of the season. Roa, Colton Slack, D.J. Johnson, and Troy Rutherford followed Jace to the checkered flags.

Racing the family owned #88 Vander Weerd Construction / Stone Gate Development Maxim, Jace Vander Weerd slipped away from Roa but had a nervous moment with two laps left. Roa took advantage of Jace’s trouble with a slower car and nearly took over the top spot with a turn two “slide job.”  Vander Weerd stayed on the throttle and escaped the challenge to earn his seventh career win.

Earlier in the program, Jace qualified second out of twenty-two racers and ran second to Tristan Guardino in his heat race. To date, the 2012 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year ranks third in points with one Woodland Fast Time Award, one Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Competition Suspension Inc. Semi-Main win, seven top-10 finishes, and 80 feature laps led. Heading to Friday’s race at Watsonville and Saturday’s championship night at Hanford, Vander Weerd has a mathematical chance to win the title.

Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) pressured Vander Weerd but had to settle for second after starting fourth. Driving Steve Watt’s #81S Maxwell Industries / Steve Watt Enterprises CS9, Roa was sixth fast in time trials and won the Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Heat Race #3. At press time, the point leader has a 92-point advantage with two feature wins, three Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, two heat race victories, ten top-10 finishes, and 65 feature laps led to his credit.

Colton Slack (Brentwood, California) had his best night with the West Coast Sprints and charged from 11th to claim third at the “Bud Stanfield Memorial.” Piloting Ted Finkenbinder’s #3F Western Industrial X-Ray Eagle, Slack qualified eighth overall and finished third in his heat race.

D.J. Johnson (Stockton, California) scored fourth in the Santa Maria feature. Racing the family owned #33 Proplant Farm Services / J. Milano Company Eagle, Johnson was fourth quick in time trials and ran second to Richard Vander Weerd in his heat race. The former USAC Western Classic Rookie of the Year is second in the point chase with two feature wins, three heat race victories, one BR Motorsports / King Racing Products Hard Charger Award, ten top-10 finishes, and 51 feature laps led on the season.

Starting eighth in the feature, Troy Rutherford (Ojai, California) claimed fifth in the “Bud Stanfield Memorial.” Driving his #11 AAA Propane Service / Trench Shoring Spike, Rutherford qualified fifth overall and placed third in his heat race. To date, the “Peter Murphy Classic” winner has two feature wins, two heat race victories, five top-10 finishes, and 42 feature laps led in the campaign.

Max Adams (Loomis, California) earned the night’s BR Motorsports / King Racing Products “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a seventh place run from eighteenth. Piloting the family owned #5M ART Speed Equipment / Ken Imler Diesel Performance entry, Adams was third fast in time trials and placed sixth in his heat race. At press time, Max is currently sixth in points with two heat race victories, six top-10 finishes, and 2 feature laps led to his credit.

Danny Faria Jr. (Tipton, California) out-qualified the field to earn his first 14th career Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award. Racing his #17V Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / SurfnSprint Spike, Faria placed third in his heat race and ran sixth in the main event. The two-time champion sits fifth in points with two heat race victories, two BR Motorsports / King Racing Products Hard Charger Awards, and seven top-10 finishes on the year.

Richard Vander Weerd (Visalia, California) raced to victory in the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Driving the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Stone Gate Development Maxim, Richard qualified seventh overall and scored seventeenth in the main event after an early flip. To date, the 2011 Champion is fourth in the standings with one feature win, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, two heat race victories, one BR Motorsports / King Racing Products Hard Charger Award, seven top-10 finishes, and 3 feature laps led.

Tristan Guardino (Fremont, California) won the night’s DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Piloting Steve Watt’s #81M Maxwell Industries / Steve Watt Enterprises Maxim, Guardino was 11th quick in time trials and ran 11th in the main event. At press time, the young driver is seventh in the point standings with three heat race victories, six top-10 finishes, and nine feature laps led on the season.

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USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS: August 6, 2016 – Santa Maria, California – Santa Maria Raceway – 30th “Bud Stanfield Memorial”

WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-14.654; 2. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd- 14.686; 3. Max Adams, 5M, Adams-14.693; 4. D.J. Johnson, 33, Johnson-14.801; 5. Troy Rutherford, 11, Rutherford-14.860; 6. Brody Roa, 81S, Watt-14.934; 7. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-14.973; 8. Colton Slack, 3F, Finkenbinder-14.977; 9. Luke Boles, 56, Boles-15.141; 10. Shannon McQueen, 7, Van Meter-15,155; 11. Tristan Guardino, 81M, Watt-15.167; 12. Ryan Timmons, 29T, Timmons-15.366; 13. Trent Carter, 13, Carter-15.458; 14. Brandon Wiley, 33B, Team 33-15.547; 15. Cody Majors, 54, Majors-15.558; 16. Kyle Smith, 55, Smith-15.607; 17. Brandon Thomson, 29, Howell-15.634; 18. Jordan Linson, 10J, Linson-15.657; 19. Jeff Sibley, 42N, Sibley-15.691; 20. Steve Hix, 57, Hix-16.061; 21. Guy Woodward, 24, Woodward-16.083; 22. James Herrera, 5J, Herrera-19.135.

EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. R.Vander Weerd, 2. Johnson, 3. Faria, 4. McQueen, 5. Smith, 6. Sibley, 7. Carter, 8. Herrera. NT

DJ SAFETY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Guardino, 2. J.Vander Weerd, 3. Rutherford, 4. Slack, 5. Thomson, 6. Hix, 7. Wiley. NT

BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Roa, 2. Timmons, 3. Boles, 4. Linson, 5. Woodward, 6. Adams, 7. Majors, NT

FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Jace Vander Weerd, 2. Brody Roa, 3. Colton Slack, 4. D.J. Johnson, 5. Troy Rutherford, 6. Danny Faria Jr., 7. Max Adams, 8. Luke Boles, 9. Kyle Smith, 10. Shannon McQueen, 11. Tristan Guardino, 12. Cody Majors, 13. Guy Woodward, 14. Ryan Timmons, 15. James Herrera, 16. Jeff Sibley, 17. Richard Vander Weerd, 18. Brandon Thomson, 19. Jordan Linson, 20. Steve Hix, 21. Brandon Wiley, 22. Trent Carter. NT

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**Wiley, R.Vander Weerd and Guardino flipped during the feature.

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 J.Vander Weerd

BR MOTORSPORTS / KING RACING PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER: Max Adams (18th to 7th)

NEW WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Roa-774, 2-Johnson-682, 3-J.Vander Weerd-660, 4-R.Vander Weerd-574, 5-Faria-544, 6-Adams-535, 7-Guardino-475, 8-Austin Liggett-469, 9-Timmons-465, 10-Trey Marcham-457.

NEXT WEST COAST SPRINT RACE: August 12 – Watsonville, CA – Ocean Speedway