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(OCTOBER 26, 2004, PERRIS, CA) Many of the
top sprint car drivers from around the United States are converging on Perris
Auto Speedway for this week’s 9th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals presented by
Temecula Valley Pipe & Supply.
As of Monday, 64 cars from eight states had pre-entered the prestigious race.
All of them will be in action all three (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) nights.
Thursday and Friday will feature full programs with qualifying, five 10-lap heat
races with eight cars in each, D, C, B and A main events. The A main on Thursday
and Friday will be 25-laps and will be contested by 24 cars.
Saturday’s program will consist of D, C, B and A main events. There may also
be a Last Chance race on Saturday. Saturday’s A main will be 50-laps and the
winner will walk off with a whopping $30,000.00 from the $100,780.00 purse.
For the first time in the races nine-year history, it will be sanctioned by USAC
(United States Auto Club) and it will pay points for the Valvoline USAC National
Sprint Car Series all three nights.
Transplanted Californian Jay Drake, now living in Brownsburg, Indiana, leads the
National Series by 141 points. While his lead is not insurmountable, he could be
putting the finishing touches on his first USAC National Sprint Car crown.
Lurking behind Drake is a dramatic fight for second place in the National
standings. Two-time (2001 & 2002) Oval Nationals Champion Bud Kaeding of
Campbell, California leads defending Oval Nationals winner Cory Kruseman of
Ventura, California by 35-points. Olney, Illinois driver Levi Jones is another
50-points behind Kruseman while USAC National Sprint Car Series leading rookie
Josh Ford of Camarillo, California is fifth overall.
The Valvoline USAC/CRA Series title is a tough fight as well. Yorba Linda,
California veteran Rip Williams leads Concord, California’s Damion Gardner by
61 points. 1993 CRA Champion Mike Kirby of Torrance, California is third overall
some 99 points behind Williams.
Perris Auto Speedway promoter Don Kazarian is excited about this weekends race.
“As a racing fan, I can’t wait to see this one,” he enthused. “This
field is incredibly tough and the racing will intense. The drivers earn points
on both Thursday and Friday that will determine where they start Saturday’s
program. With the quality of this field, the fans can look forward to racing
that is going to be fantastic each night. A lot of drivers who you normally see
near the front of the A main event are going to have to fight and claw their way
from the C and B mains just to get into the A main events.”
Thus far seven of the top ten ranked USAC National Series drivers have entered
the three-day race. Tony Stewart Motorsports has entered two cars (Kruseman and
Drake) and USAC Series leading car (Dynamics, Inc. #69) was entered on Monday
with NASCAR Craftsman Series rookie Tracy Hines, of Greenfield, Indiana, behind
the wheel.
The complete entry list with numbers, names and hometowns is listed at the end
of this release.
Spectator gates will open at 5:00 PM on Thursday and Friday with racing starting
at 7:00. The spectator gates will open at 3:00 PM on Saturday with racing at
6:00.
Perris Auto Speedway is conveniently located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds,
home of the Southern California Fair, approximately one hour east of Los
Angeles. Take the 215 Freeway, exit at the Ramona Expressway and go east two and
a half miles to the fairgrounds.
For more information on this or any other event at Perris Auto Speedway events,
please call (909) 940-0134.
00 - Tony Sessions - Woodburn, Indiana
01 - Steve Paden - Downey, California
1 - Brad Sweet - Grass Valley, California
2 - Tony Jones - Corona, California
2J - Jesse Hockett - Warsaw, Missouri
2B - Levi Jones - Olney, Illinois
3 - Rip Williams - Yorba Linda, California
3X - Mike English - Norwalk, California
3W - Eric Wilkins - El Mirage, Arizona
4 - Danny Sheridan - Santa Maria, California
4X - Jordan Hermansador - Long Beach, California
5 - Bill Rose - Plainfield, Indiana
5H - Tom Hessert - Cherry Hill, New Jersey
6 - Nadine Keller - Azusa, California
6A - Rickie Gaunt - Torrance, California
6X - Rick Williams - Castro Valley, California
7 - Troy Rutherford - Ojai, California
8A - Charles Davis, Jr. - Buckeye, Arizona
10 - Jon Stanbrough - Jamestown, Indiana
10C - Rob Kershaw - Ventura, California
11 - Jeremy Sherman - Phoenix, Arizona
11E - Tony Elliott - Kokomo, Indiana
11X - Darren Hagen - Riverside, California
12 - Greg Bragg - Visalia, California
14 - Rick Ziehl - Las Cruces, New Mexico
17 - Mat Neely - Robinson, Illinois
B17 - Seth Wilson - San Clemente, California
20 - Jay Drake - Brownsburg, Indiana
21 - Cory Kruseman - Ventura, California
23 - Duane Feduska - Temecula, California
25N - Jason York - Chico, California
29 - Steve Ostling - Corona, California
29 - Bud Kaeding - Campbell, California
31 - Aaron Reyer - San Diego, California
33 - Ronnie Case - Camarillo, California
37 - Cary Faas - Yorba Linda, California
38 - Mike Kirby - Torrance, California
39 – Tim Lightfoot – Long Beach, California
40 - Steve Venard - Silverado Canyon, California
41 - Bobby Cody - Costa Mesa, California
44 - Mike Spencer - Temecula, California
45 - Peter Murphy - Clovis, California
47 - Brian Venard - Irvine, California
50 - Damion Gardner - Concord, California
51 - Kevin Urton - Elk Grove, California
56P - Alex Pruett - Carefree, Arizona
56AZ - Dave Darland - Lincoln, Indiana
57 – Mike Martin – Yuma, Arizona
59 - David Cardey - Riverside, California
62 - Troy Cline - Charlotte, North Carolina
67 - Rick Becker - Highland, California
67X - To Be Announced
69 - Brent Kaeding - Campbell, California
69 – Tracy Hines – Greenfield, Indiana
73 - Josh Ford - Camarillo, California
76 - Mike Leslie - Torrance, California
77 - Danny Ebberts - Canyon Lake, California
82 - Dan Hillberg - Placentia, California
83 - John Scott - Pittsboro, Indiana
84 - Gary W. Howard - Fontana, California
91 - Rodney Argo - Gardena, California
97 – Alan Ballard – Bakersfield, California
97H - Brandon Lane - Mesa, Arizona
98 - Chad Boespflug - Hanford, California
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