Oval nationals entry list: Five previous winners and title chases to boot

[CageFaraday]

#32 Chase Stockon, winner of the opening night of the "Oval Nationals" in 2017.
Rich Forman Photo

OVAL NATIONALS ENTRY LIST: FIVE PREVIOUS WINNERS AND TITLE CHASES TO BOOT

Perris, California………Forty-five cars have pre-entered for the 23rd annual Budweiser “Oval Nationals” presented by All Coast Construction on November 8-9-10 at Perris Auto Speedway.

The prestigious event on the southern California half-mile presents three-straight nights of racing starting this Thursday night and concluding Saturday night, which pays a whopping $25,000-to-win and serves as the season finale for both the USAC AMSOIL National and CRA Sprint Cars.

The race includes past “Ovals” winners Bud Kaeding Damion Gardner, Dave Darland, Chris Windom and Kevin Thomas, Jr., plus 2018 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car feature winners Justin Grant, Tyler Courtney, C.J. Leary, Chase Stockon and Brady Bacon and 2018 USAC/CRA Sprint Car feature winners Austin Williams, Max Adams, Jake Swanson, Chase Johnson, Austin Liggett, Jace Vander Weerd and Brody Roa as well as five-time USAC Southwest Sprint Car titlist R.J. Johnson, 2018 Southwest champion Charles Davis, Jr., past West Coast Sprint champ Danny Faria, Jr. and current USAC Light Up The World Beverages Western States Midget point leader Michael Faccinto, among many others.

A tight points race is also in play in both the National and CRA divisions. Kevin Thomas, Jr. leads the National points by just two points over Tyler Courtney while reigning champ Chris Windom sits in third, 50 out of the lead. Damion Gardner overtook Brody Roa for the CRA point lead in last Saturday’s Western World finale at Arizona Speedway and now stares down his sixth consecutive CRA championship trophy, and seventh overall, with a nine-point lead in the standings.

On Thursday and Friday, the pits open at noon, front gates open at 4pm, drivers meeting at 4:30pm and cars on track at 5:30pm. On Saturday, the pits open at noon, front gates open at 3pm, autograph session from 3-4pm, drivers meeting at 4:30pm and cars on track at 5:15pm.

All three nights will be live on http://www.SpeedShiftTV.com/ with live audio also available on the USAC app.



2018 BUDWEISER OVAL NATIONALS ENTRIES

Car # / Driver / Residence / Car Owner

2 Austin Williams / Yorba Linda, CA / John Jory

4 Justin Grant / Ione, CA / TOPP Motorsports

4D TBA / Gansen Motorsports

4G Chris Gansen / Verdemont Heights, CA / Gansen Motorsports

4x Damion Gardner / Concord, CA / Mark Alexander

5 Chris Windom / St. Louis, MO / Baldwin Brothers

5J Logan Williams / Yorba Linda, CA / John Jory

5m Max Adams / Loomis, CA / Max Adams

5T Tye Mihocko / Peoria, AZ / Tye Mihocko

5x Tommy Malcolm / Corona, CA / Dino Napier

7BC Tyler Courtney / Fishers, IN / Clauson Marshall Newman Racing

8 Michael Faccinto / Hanford, CA / Jim Richardson

10 Richard Vander Weerd / Visalia, CA / Vander Weerd Racing

12 Dave Darland / Lincoln, IN / Ballou Motorsports

12B Joel Rayborne / West Covina, CA / Rodney Rayborne

13 Dennis Gile / Mesa, AZ / Gene Gile

15 Danny Sheridan / Santa Maria, CA / Rick Johnson

16 Bud Kaeding / Campbell, CA / Mike Martin Racing

19AZ Andy Reinbold / Gilbert, AZ / Andy Reinbold & Todd Underwood

19s Jason McDougal / Broken Arrow, OK / Andy Reinbold & Todd Underwood

21 A.J. Bender / Ramona, CA / Richard Bender

28 Matt McCarthy / Riverside, CA / Matt McCarthy

30 C.J. Leary / Greenfield, IN / Chuck Leary

32 Chase Stockon / Fort Branch, IN / Chase Stockon

34AZ Jake Swanson / Anaheim, CA / Grau/Burkhart

39E Kyle Edwards / Fountain Valley, CA / Gordon Edwards

42 Danny Faria, Jr. / Tipton, CA / Dwight Cheney

44 Cody Williams / Corona, CA / John Jory

50 Charles Davis, Jr. / Buckeye, AZ / Charles Davis Jr.

51 Austin Ervine / Bakersfield, CA / James Ervine

52 Isaac Chapple / Wilkinson, IN / Isaac Chapple

55 Tony Everhart / El Cajon, CA / Tony Everhart

68 Chase Johnson / Penngrove, CA / Shawn Thomas

69 Kevin Thomas, Jr. / Cullman, AL / Dynamics, Inc.

72 Gary Marshall, Jr. / Pomona, CA / Gary Marshall Sr. & Jr.

74x Josh Hodges / Tijeras, NM / Jack Hodges

83 Austin Liggett / Tracy, CA / Tim Liggett

88 Jace Vander Weerd / Visalia, CA / Vander Weerd Racing

90 Randy Waitman / Ramona, CA / Randy Waitman

91R Brody Roa / Garden Grove, CA / BR Performance

92 R.J. Johnson / Laveen, AZ / Tom & Lauri Sertich

92x TBA / Tom & Lauri Sertich

98 Jeremy Ellertson / Lawndale, CA / Jeremy Ellertson

98v Verne Sweeney / Lomita, CA / Ken Tracy

99 Brady Bacon / Broken Arrow, OK / Brady Bacon Racing

[CIRF]

Cage, I've attended the Ovals twice and there is no better wingless sprint car show going. Even the Four Crown Nationals at Eldora take a back seat to the Ovals. If you ever get out to the left coast I would advise you to try to plan your trip around going to the Oval Nationals at Perris and The Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ventura. You won't be disappointed with either venue or either event!!

If the recently scheduled Knoxville Wingless Sprint Car Nationals is a success and catches fire it has a chance to rival the Ovals but as it stands today the Ovals are the top of the heap.

The last time we went to the Ovals we flew into Vegas, rented a car and drove over to SoCal from there. It's all desert but for a Midwestern flatlander it's a neat drive to do once.

[CageFaraday]

Cage, I've attended the Ovals twice and there is no better wingless sprint car show going. Even the Four Crown Nationals at Eldora take a back seat to the Ovals. If you ever get out to the left coast I would advise you to try to plan your trip around going to the Oval Nationals at Perris and The Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ventura. You won't be disappointed with either venue or either event!!

If the recently scheduled Knoxville Wingless Sprint Car Nationals is a success and catches fire it has a chance to rival the Ovals but as it stands today the Ovals are the top of the heap.

The last time we went to the Ovals we flew into Vegas, rented a car and drove over to SoCal from there. It's all desert but for a Midwestern flatlander it's a neat drive to do once.

Definitely on my bucket list along with Western World. Turn 1 at the PAS scares the he!! outta me. Every video I've ever seen from there, it seems somebody bikes it into the fence or up an over. Not to mention that Finnish guy (Netmuela?) I think was his name. Aside from that I'd love to see the Oval Nats. I'd also like to visit Petaluma & Placerville Speedways for their Hunt Magnetos Wingless Spec sprints.

[CIRF]

Definitely on my bucket list along with Western World. Turn 1 at the PAS scares the he!! outta me. Every video I've ever seen from there, it seems somebody bikes it into the fence or up an over. Not to mention that Finnish guy (Netmuela?) I think was his name. Aside from that I'd love to see the Oval Nats. I'd also like to visit Petaluma & Placerville Speedways for their Hunt Magnetos Wingless Spec sprints.

The Western World Championships have REALLY gathered some steam in recent years. After Manzy closed it seemed like the WWC floundered for a few years but it appears that it's a staple late season event once again. Granted, it'll never be what it once was at Manzanita but it garners plenty of attention these days. We attended the WWC at Manzy way back in 2004 and I'm very glad we did since it closed just a few years later. That weekend at Manzy was the ONLY time I've ever been at a race track that stopped selling GA tickets due to not having any more room to put spectators. Great food at Manzy, too.

The other place you really need to put on your bucket list is Ventura Raceway. Preferably for Turkey Night. We went there back in March of 2012 for the season opener, which was their regular weekly wingless sprint car show. 360's are their top division for the weekly stuff. It was by far the COOLEST place we've ever watched a race, both metaphorically and literally. It can be very chilly at Ventura. Where we sat in turn 1 can't be more than 150 yards from the Pacific Ocean and the pit area is even closer! We were all set up to go to Turkey Night at Ventura 2 years ago but had to change our plans. Hope to get back out there for TN someday.

We went to Turkey Night in 2012, which was the first time it was held on the dirt at Perris after being held at Irwindale for many years. That was the year Kyle Larson won his first Turkey Night. As cool as it was to be at Perris for TN I'd still like to freeze at Ventura! LOL!