11/6/2019
12 MORE SPRINT CAR ENTRIES FOR VENTURA TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX
The competition continues to grow for the upcoming “79th Running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix” at Ventura Raceway. Just before the early entry deadline for 360 Sprint Cars, twelve more drivers have officially entered the November 27th and 28th “Thanksgiving Classic.” The special non-point USAC West Coast and VRA Sprint Car events will close with the “ARP Battle at the Beach” mini-series finale and extra prize money will be up for grabs. Also featuring the NOS Energy Drink USAC National and Western States Midget Series, the prestigious event will draw a talented roster of drivers from across the nation.
Two-time (2013 & 2015) USAC West Coast Champion, “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. (Tipton, CA) will pilot Jim Richardson’s red #8 Wiesz Racing Engines DRC. Currently tied for third with Bud Kaeding and Austin Liggett with eleven West Coast wins, “Hollywood” ran a limited schedule in 2019 and finished thirteenth in points.
2017 USAC West Coast Champion, Jake Swanson (Anaheim, CA) ran tenth in points and will be at the helm of John Grau and Mike Burkhart’s #34AZ Stratis Construction DRC. Swanson has had a successful year by winning the February 28th West Coast “Las Vegas Showdown,” the Perris USAC/CRA & SouthWest “California Racers Hall of Fame Night” on August 17th, the Ventura West Coast & VRA “Battle at the Beach” on August 24th, and Calistoga’s USAC/CRA “Louie Vermeil Classic” on September 1st. Currently ranked thirteenth with five West Coast wins, Jake sits fourth in USAC/CRA and sixth in USAC SouthWest point standings.
2017 USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year, Stevie Sussex (Tempe, AZ) will drive Robbie and Gaye Allen’s orange #12 ABC Body Shop Maxim. At press time, Sussex is third in the USAC SouthWest point chase and scored his third “Hank Arnold Memorial” win at Casa Grande on May 18th. Stevie ranks third with thirteen SouthWest feature wins and has one West Coast triumph to his credit.
Chase Johnson (Penngrove, CA) has had an impressive season. Regularly competing with a wing in Northern California, Johnson won the March 16th Bakersfield West Coast feature, the September 2nd Petaluma USAC/CRA main event, and the October 26th USAC Western States Midget feature at Ventura. Johnson will pilot the family owned #24 Johnny Franklin Muffler Maxim at Ventura.
Fresh off his second VRA Championship (2016 & 2019), Rick Hendrix (Palmdale, CA) will be in action in his familiar black #15 Rick’s Gate Works Maxim. The veteran driver has also earned championships with the USAC TQ Midgets (1992), USAC Western States Midgets (1998), USAC Western Pavement Sprints (2002), and the Perris Senior Sprints (2013).
Ryan Timmons (Pleasant Hill, CA) will race the family owned #29T Timmons Auto & Truck Repair Maxim at the Turkey Night Grand Prix. With two career USAC West Coast wins to his credit, the 2016 Rookie of the Year finished second to Tristan Guardino in the point standings.
Driving the family owned #3 Mission Country Properties Maxim, Kaleb Montgomery (Templeton, CA) split his season between winged and non-winged racing. The young driver tied for twentieth in West Coast points and earned his first win at Santa Maria on October 5th.
“The Rickster” Ricky Kirkbride (Bakersfield, CA) will pilot Bob and Toni Van Meter’s #87 American Fabrication Spike at Ventura. Running a limited schedule after a few seasons away from racing, Kirkbride placed sixteenth in points. “The Rickster” has one career West Coast victory to his credit, coming at Bakersfield on June 19, 2010.
Racing a limited schedule, Brent Owens (Rancho Cucamonga) tied for twentieth with Kaleb Montgomery in the USAC West Coast point chase. Driving Jean and Russell Martin’s #71 Brea Towing Maxim, the rookie contender was running in fifth overall in VRA point standings.
Colby Johnson (Penngrove, CA) will be at the helm of the family owned #38 Johnny Franklin Muffler Maxim at the Turkey Night Grand Prix. Regularly competing with a wing, Johnson shed the airfoils with USAC/CRA at Petaluma on September 2nd and ran second to his brother Chase in his 360 powered car.
Salina, Oklahoma driver Tyler Edwards will pilot the Steve Hix owned #57 No Limit Powder Coating Triple X. Over the last few seasons, Edwards has made selected starts with the USAC West Coast Sprints and Western States Midgets.
Geoffrey Stole (Laton, CA) will return to USAC West Coast action at Ventura Raceway. Driving the family owned #09S Strole Farms Maxim, Stole finished second in 2010 rookie points (13th overall) before racing with a wing. Over the last few seasons, Geoffrey has run selected wing shows and without a wing with VRA, USAC West Coast, Santa Maria, and USAC/CRA.
The 360 Sprint Car Entry Form for the “79th Running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix” can be found online at westcoastsprintcars.com/2019/tn19.pdf.
Article Credit: Lance Jennings
