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| Press Release |
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USAC/CRA season opener Jan. 21st at
Manzanita Speedway |
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Phoenix, AZ (January 10) With a full field of West Coast drivers in the field for the USAC/CRA sprint car season opener at Manzanita Speedway January 21 it would figure that the cream of the crop from last year’s series would rank as the favorites to capture the feature race. However with Midwest driver Dave Darland in the field, they may be playing a game of catch up. Darland, who races out of Indiana, was virtually unbeatable when competing against the West Coast USAC/CRA field. He started off his 2005 season with a win in the January season opener on Manzy’s half mile track and then came back to win the Budweiser/Checker Auto Parts Western World Championships, again on the big track at Manzy.
Darland drove the Dwight Cheney sprinter to a win in the season opener and had his usual USAC car owned by Jeff Walker in the Western. He will again be driving for Cheney on the 21st.
Darland was more than successful in his West Coast races. Not only did he post the wins at Manzanita he also won the Oval Nationals at Perris, CA a week before his Western win.
Darland will probably face some other drivers who compete nationally including Levi Jones who edged Darland for the National USAC championship last year. Levi, who finished second to Darland in the Western, has not confirmed his entry but is expected to be in a California based car for the shoot out.
Damion Gardner, the 2005 USAC/CRA champion, will be hoping to improve on his third place finish in the Western. He scored two wins on Manzys half mile track last year and his Ron Chaffin sprinter is judged capable of taking it all on the 21st even with what may be the strongest regular season field of the year on hand.
Gates open at 5:00 P.M., qualifying runs at 6:00 and competitive racing at 7:00. Reserved tickets are available at the Manzanita ticket office, 35th Avenue and West Broadway or may be ordered by phone at 602 276-7575 |
