|
Traditional Sprint Car FanSite |
See You At The Races!!! |
| Press Release |
|
|
|
BUDWEISER
OVAL NATIONALS THIS WEEKEND IS A BIG RACE AND MUCH, MUCH MORE! |
|
(OCTOBER
31, 2006, PERRIS, CA)
The race Sprint Car fans have been waiting for, the 11th
Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals presented by Temecula Valley Pipe & Supply,
will take place this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Perris Auto Speedway.
The best racers in the nation will lock horns all three nights as they
claw their way for a shot at Saturday’s $30,000.00 first place check.
Spectator gates will open all three days at 4:00 PM.
Seventy
cars (full entry list at the bottom of this release) have entered the
prestigious event, which is sanctioned by USAC.
Each night will pay full USAC National Sprint Car and USAC/CRA points.
The event entry list reads like a Who’s Who of Sprint Car Racing and
will feature championship fights in both the USAC/CRA Series and the USAC
National Sprint Car Series. The
USAC/CRA title fight between not so friendly rivals Cory Kruseman of Ventura,
California and Concord, California’s Damion “The Demon” Gardner, may be
the best ever points battle in West Coast Sprint Car history.
It has been highlighted by multiple changes in the point lead, on track
tangles, controversial calls and fever pitched finger pointing by each of the
driver’s legion of fans. Heading
into last Saturday’s event at Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway, Gardner held a
one-point lead over Kruseman in the standings.
However, after a night that cannot even be adequately described as
“controversial,” Kruseman holds a slender 41-point lead over Gardner heading
into the Oval Nationals. Things
in the USAC National Series are not quite as tight as Josh Wise, who grew up in
Riverside, California, but who now calls Indiana home, leads Tony Stewart Racing
Enterprises teammate Levi Jones of Olney, Illinois by 103-points.
However, with six races to go on the National schedule that could all
change. The
excitement of the point’s chase and three solid days of hardcore dirt track
racing and drama has everyone fired up including Perris Auto Speedway promoter
Don Kazarian. “This is our World
Series,” he said with a smile. “We
work year round getting ready for this race and it matches the best of the West
Coast against the best from the Midwest. It
is like the Dodgers vs the Yankees in the old days.
It is one of the toughest races in the world as all drivers race every
night. The competition is as fierce
and intense as you will find anywhere.” The
Thursday and Friday shows will feature qualifying, heats, preliminary and 25 lap
A main events. Saturday’s program
will consist of all main events culminating in the 40-lap A main that will pay
$30,000.00 to the winner. “The
Oval Nationals grows in prestige each year,” Kazarian stated.
“We have fans and drivers flying in and driving in from around the
country. This year the event gets
another big boost, as Saturday’s portion will be shown on national TV on the
Outdoor Channel’s USAC Thunder show (November 22nd at 5:00 PM
Pacific and November 25th at 2:00 PM Pacific).
It is great publicity for the drivers, the event, Perris Auto Speedway,
USAC/CRA & National Sprint Car Series and everyone’s sponsors.” The
Oval Nationals began in 1996 as a Friday and Saturday event that was won by
legendary driver Jimmy Sills. Over
the past few years, Oval Entertainment has tried to turn it into more than just
a race with lots of pomp & ceremony and several side attractions to go along
with the race itself. “We have
added a special free for the fans practice session, golf tournament &
banquet, Quarter Midget races on Friday and Saturday, $1,000.00 to win
Pick-A-Part Bean Bag tournament and the Cory Kruseman Sprint Car Driving
School,” Kazarian said. “There
will be more to come in upcoming years. We
are just getting warmed up and you haven’t seen anything yet!
The Oval Nationals continues to grow and it is now much more than just a
race.” Five
years ago the Oval Nationals began having a Grand Marshall to preside over the
event. This year, the Grand
Marshall will be one of the most popular and successful drivers in West Coast
Sprint Car history. Bubby Jones,
affectionately known to his fans as “Ole’ Bub,” will be honored all week
long. Jones won 80 main events in
the original CRA and was the series champion in 1983 and 1984.
He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Knoxville,
Iowa in the late 1990s. Advance
tickets for the 2006 Oval Nationals are on sale 24 hours a day by calling
1-800-595-4849. You can also order
advance tickets on the Internet at tix.com or perrisautospeedway.com. Perris Auto Speedway is located on the freeway close Lake Perris Fairgrounds, home of the Southern California Fair, approximately one hour east of Los Angeles and one hour North of San Diego. To get to the track, take the 215 freeway, exit on the Ramona Expressway and go two miles east to the fairgrounds. Anyone wishing more information can contact Perris Auto Speedway at (951) 940-0134. racesatthepas@aol.com
is the only authorized Internet address to issue official media news released
from The Perris Auto Speedway or Oval Entertainment #
Driver Residence Owner 19
Rodney Argo – Gardena, CA – Don Argo 97M
Mat Mellenberndt – Sioux Falls, South Dakota OVAL
NATIONALS PAST CHAMPIONS 1996
Jimmy Sills 1997
Rip Williams 1998
Rodney Argo 1999
Rickie Gaunt 2000
Tony Jones 2001
Bud Kaeding 2002
Bud Kaeding 2003
Cory Kruseman 2004
Cory Kruseman 2005 Dave Darland |
