Imperial Valley Raceway Race Track in Imperial, California, USA
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- Surface: 3/8 mile clay oval
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200 E 2nd St
Imperial, California, 92251 USA - lat: 32.836082, lng: -115.569048
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- BRADEN CHIARAMONTE RECORDS HIS BEST 360 WINGED FINISH FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 24 HOURS
(El Cajon, CA, May 15) Last Friday night at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California, Braden Chiaramonte notched a third-place finish in the 25-lap main event. It was his best-ever result in a winged 360 race. Twenty-four hours later at the Placerville Speedway, he went one step better when he placed second in the winged 360, 25-lap main event. Thirty-two cars showed up for the "Mother's Day Madness" race on the famous ¼ mile, red clay Placerville Speedway. As usual, Chiaramonte was on his game from the start. In qualifying, he recorded a sizzling lap of 11.113 in the Tiner/Hirst-owned Slade Precision Shocks/Larry Davis Farms/System 1 Pro Ignition #94TH. That was good enough for the second fastest time in the 16-car group "B." Being the fastest in group "B" meant the El Cajon, California driver, would start fourth in the fourth, eight-car, eight-lap heat race. Once the green flag dropped, "Spare Change" was part of an exciting first lap. He initially slipped back to fourth. Going into turn three, the third-place car parked on the low line. That opened up a huge window for Chiaramonte to race around the outside. As he started to go past, the slowing car got clobbered by another driver attempting to slice his way through on the inside. That collision shot the car Chiaramonte was trying to pass straight up the track and nearly into him. Fortunately, Chiaramonte got the #94TH slowed down and only had minimal contact. Chiaramonte's quick reflexes prevented what could have been a disaster. With that behind him, he got right back to work. By the time the first lap ended, he was up to fourth. Down the back chute on lap two, he picked off another car and was up to third. Even though he was third, he was far behind the two first-place cars. They had established a huge advantage over the rest of the field due to the first-lap chaos. With only six laps to go on the small track, Chiaramonte did not have time to catch the lead duo and finished third. That was good enough to directly transfer him into the main event. After a B main that looked like a bad horror flick, the A main went relatively smoothly. Chiaramonte started the 25-lap finale inside the second row in third. At the end of the first circuit, he was fourth. A picture-perfect slider in turn four on the second lap saw him advance to third. He quickly pulled away from that car and set his aim on the driver in second. Chiaramonte remained third until the 18th lap when he threw another immaculate slider in turn 4 to move up to second. He pulled that move off just in time as seconds later, a car slid to a stop in turn four. That brought out a yellow flag. The good news was, the caution allowed Chiaramonte to move directly to the leader's rear for the restart. The bad news was that the leader was Andy Forsberg. The 47-year-old has nine Placerville track championships and was seeking his 70th win on the track. Once the race resumed, Chiaramonte attempted to stay close to the Placerville legend. They pulled away from the remainder of the field. Forsberg eventually moved away from his teen pursuer. With four laps remaining, the wily veteran had a 1.666 lead, but Chiaramonte started coming on. He was closing in fast on the race-long leader but ran out of laps. When the checkered flag waved, he had cut the leader's advantage down to 0.622. "This track has not had my luck for sure," Chiaramonte told the appreciative crowd after the exciting race. "I have went off one (turn one) too many times. Just to come here and have speed all night and finish top three feels really good. I started getting better in three and four and started to catch him a little bit but just ran out of laps. We were really good. Thank you to Kyle, Steven, Tom, and everyone for helping me, working on this car, and getting me where I am. Kyle is a really good coach and Steven is really good on the wrenches. So, I just have to do my job." For the second night in a row, Chiaramonte received praise from the winner after the race ended. "You can barely beat the Tiner/Hirst cars," Forsberg announced to the fans at the end of the night. "This kid has raced like 10 times (winged 360s) and I have driven for 100 years and I can barely beat him. These kart kids and micro kids jump into sprint cars and they are so fast right away." For the next two weeks, Chiaramonte will be visiting a track that will be new to him. It is the Marysville Speedway which is located in Northeast California. This week he will be contesting a 360 winged race to get in some laps for next week's Sprint Car Challenge Tour show. Advance tickets are available at https://www.eventsprout.com/event/marysville-raceway-2024. Adult tickets are $17.00. For seniors 62+, military (with id) and juniors (12-15) it is $15.00. For kids 6-11 it is $5.00 and children 5 and under are free. Family tickets for two adults, 2 Juniors or three kids are $50.00.The track is located at 1468 Simpson Lane in Marysville, CA. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 PM with racing at 7:00. Chiaramonte will finish the month of May on Friday the 31st when the Sprint Car Challenge Tour visits Placerville. Chiaramonte would like to thank all his sponsors who have made his racing efforts possible. RTL Traffic Control, AM Ortega, OCC Motorsports, Hyper Racing, Chop Design, Adams Motors, Hacienda Casa Blanca Fine Mexican Dining, Evil Plus Injection, King Racing Products, Tyner, and Keizer Wheels. If you would like to be a partner with one of America's fastest-rising racing stars, please contact Daniel Chiaramonte via email at mailto:dchiaramonte@rtltraffic.com or by calling (619) 988-7563. Braden Chiaramonte's 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 1st A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars DNS 3/30/24 Adobe Mountain Speedway Non-Wing 600 Outlaw Micro 1st A Main 4/6/24 Stockton Dirt Track Sprint Car Challenge Tour 14th A Main 4/19/24 Lemoore Jet Bowl Non-Wing Outlaw Micro 7th A Main 4/20/24 Merced Speedway Sprint Car Challenge Tour 15th A Main 4/27/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 20th A Main 5/11/24 Silver Dollar Speedway Winged 360 Sprint Cars 3rd A Main 5/12/24 Placerville Speedway Winged 360 Sprint Cars 2nd A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. You can contact him online at mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com or by calling (909) 226-7768.
- AFTER MAIN RAINED OUT AT KERN, EDDIE TAFOYA JR. IS READY FOR BAKERSFIELD
(Chino, CA, May 13, 2024) Eddie Tafoya Jr. got off to a fine start when the Ultimate Sprint Car Series, Presented By Inland Rigging, visited Kevin Harvick's Kern County Raceway for the David Calderwood Memorial on May 4th. A good result in qualifying and in his heat earned him a great starting position in the main event. However, as fast as the 27-car field was, it was not quick enough to beat a pair of rainstorms that hit the track, forcing the main event's cancelation. A field of 27 cars showed up for the race on the 1/3 mile clay oval that sits in the shadows of the more famous paved half-mile, high-banked oval. Tafoya, driving[i] the Tom and Christy Dunkel Inland Rigging #17T, was third fastest in his qualifying group of nine cars with a time of 14.542. That was also the sixth fastest of the 27 cars on hand. Unfortunately, Tafoya's only racing action on the night came in the second heat race. The Chino Hills, California racing star started the 10-lapper in third. The 2018 Perris Auto Speedway Young Guns champion and 2019 USAC/CRA and USAC Southwest Rookie of the Year was in the same spot when the race concluded. Sadly, that heat race would be Tafoya's final event of the night. He was slated to start outside of row four in the main, but two stubborn rainstorms sailed into the track and the main events were canceled. Putting the frustrating, wet night behind him, Tafoya will be back in the #17T when the USCS visits the Bakersfield Speedway this Saturday night, May 18th. Last month at the inaugural USCS race on the same track, the 26-year-old was moving forward in the main event and was up to sixth when mechanical issues knocked him out of the battle. Going into this week's race, he is ninth in USCS series championship points. Tafoya will return to the family-owned #51T when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars return to Perris Auto Speedway for the prestigious 71st Salute to Indy on May 25th. This Saturday at Bakersfield, spectator gates will open at 4:00 p.m. with racing at 6:00. Adult tickets are $20.00. Seniors 65+ and military get in for $18.00. For kids 6-12 it is $15.00 and children 5 and under are free. Parking is free. The track is located at 5001 North Chester Ext. Ave., Bakersfield (93308). The track website is bakersfieldspeedway.com and the office phone number is (661) 393-3373. Friendly Tafoya is always happy to meet the fans in the pits after every race. He will be signing autographs, posing for photos, and will also have his beautiful 2024 team shirts for sale. For fans who cannot attend the races, the team shirts are available at www.specialty-fasteners.com. Fans can follow Tafoya on Instagram @eddietafoya51. Tafoya and the #51T team would like to thank Specialty Fasteners, Inland Rigging, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Gasper Transportation, CMI Precision Machining, Owen's Insurance Services, Keen Concrete, DRC Chassis, and Rider Racing Engines for supporting its racing program. Eddie Tafoya Jr. 2024 USAC National Results January 11 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 22nd A Main January 14 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 7th D Main February 24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main March 9 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 13th A Main March 10 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 17th A Main March 16 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main March 23 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 12th A Main April 6 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main April 20 Bakersfield Speedway Ultimate Sprint Car Series 22nd A Main April 27th Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 9th A Main May 11th Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway Ultimate Sprint Car Series Rained Out This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- BRADEN CHIARAMONTE RECORDS HIS BEST 360 WINGED RESULT AT SILVER DOLLAR SPEEDWAY
(El Cajon, CA, May 13) Teenage racing star Braden Chiaramonte scored his best finish in a 360-winged sprint car when he raced past the checkered flag third in the main event last Friday at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California. The impressive young driver led 21 of the 25 laps in the crowd-pleasing race. Chiaramonte was only making his fifth appearance, and the first since last August, at the famous track that is 600 miles north of his El Cajon, California home. However, driving the Tiner/Hirst-owned Slade Precision Shocks/Larry Davis Farms/System 1 Pro Ignition #94TH, he looked like a veteran who has spent decades on the ¼ mile oval. The field was split into two groups of 22 cars each for qualifying. Chiaramonte found himself in the first group and he stopped the clocks at 11.954. That was fourth best in his group and seventh best of the 44 cars on hand. The time landed the talented young driver the pole position for the second eight-lap heat race. When the green opened the preliminary, he flew into the lead, never looked back, and scored a convincing win. Chiaramonte's prowess in qualifying and his heat garnered the third starting spot for the A main. The confident young driver did not stay third for long. He flew by the second-place car near the end of the first circuit and then went to the top of the track to stalk the leader. Like his tenure in third, his time in second place was short-lived. In turn two on the third go around, the leader flipped and brought out a red flag. That handed the lead to Chiaramonte. When the race resumed, he flexed his muscles at the front. He immediately began to pull away from the remainder of the field. By the end of lap six, he had extended his advantage to nearly a half straightaway. Just past the halfway point, Chiaramonte was enjoying a comfortable lead. However, it got uncomfortable in turn four on lap 16. As he was about to lap the car at the back of the pack, the car spun in front of him. Fortunately, Chiaramonte in all of the cars chasing him steered around the spinner. Unfortunately, that meant when the race resumed the good-sized lead "Spare Change" had built up, went by the wayside. This time when the race restarted, the competition turned up the heat on the young driver. Nevertheless, Chiaramonte fended off their advances and maintained his lofty position at the front of the pack. He held the top spot until turn four on the next to last lap when veteran Shane Golobic slid him for the lead. Chiaramonte was still second going into turn three on the last lap when he was clobbered by another car coming up the inside. That pushed him back to third at the finish. "It is still good, but we almost had that (the win)," Chiaramonte told longtime announcer Chad Hennig after the race. "It is only, I don't know, my eighth winged sprint car race. To be up here is really good. Just a couple of mistakes cost me the win. But will learn from those and come back even better. I am looking forward and keeping my head up. Just learn from my mistakes and hopefully, we will be two spots better." "Big thank you to Steven Tiner and Kyle Hirst and everyone who helps on this car," Chiaramonte continued. "A.M. Ortega, my mom and dad, my grandpa and everyone else. Without them, this would not be possible." After the race, gracious winner Golobic praised Chiaramonte. "That 94TH has been fast," hats off to those guys Golobic said. "Those guys are ripping. It says something for a young kid like Braden Chiaramonte. He is a young racer who does not have a lot of laps on this track. To be able to hop in and run that curb on that big rough top like that is really a good job." Details of his second night of racing last weekend (at the Placerville Speedway) will be coming in the next day. For the next two weeks, Chiaramonte will be visiting a track that will be new to him. It is the Marysville Speedway which is located in Northeast California. This week he will be contesting a 360 winged race to get in some laps for next week's Sprint Car Challenge Tour race. He will finish the month of May on Friday the 31st when the Sprint Car Challenge Tour visits Placerville. Chiaramonte would like to thank all his sponsors who have made his racing efforts possible. RTL Traffic Control, AM Ortega, OCC Motorsports, Hyper Racing, Chop Design, Adams Motors, Hacienda Casa Blanca Fine Mexican Dining, Evil Plus Injection, King Racing Products, Tyner, and Keizer Wheels. If you would like to be a partner with one of America's fastest-rising racing stars, please contact Daniel Chiaramonte via email at mailto:dchiaramonte@rtltraffic.com or by calling (619) 988-7563. Braden Chiaramonte's 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 1st A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars DNS 3/30/24 Adobe Mountain Speedway Non Wing 600 Outlaw Micro 1st A Main 4/6/24 Stockton Dirt Track Sprint Car Challenge Tour 14th A Main 4/19/24 Lemoore Jet Bowl Non Wing Outlaw Micro 7th A Main 4/20/24 Merced Speedway Sprint Car Challenge Tour 15th A Main 4/27/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 20th A Main 5/11/24 Silver Dollar Speedway Winged 360 Sprint Cars 3rd A Main 5/12/24 Placerville Speedway Winged 360 Sprint Cars 2nd A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. You can contact him online at mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com or by calling (909) 226-7768.
- AFTER A WEEK OFF, BRADEN CHIARAMONTE HEADS TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FOR TWO RACES THIS WEEK
(El Cajon, CA, May 8) After spending last weekend watching his older sibling Bronsen win the Weedle Industries Perfect 10 Challenge Desert Race in Johnson City, California, Braden Chiaramonte will strap into the Tiner/Hirst #94TH sprint car for two races this weekend. The rising open-wheel star will be at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico on Friday. Twenty-four hours later and 130 miles to the south, he will be at the Placerville Speedway on Saturday. On Saturday's trip, Chiarmonte will appear on the two famous Nor Cal ovals for the first time in 2024. In the past, he has made four appearances at Silver Dollar. All four were in a winged 360 and his best result came at the 2022 Fall Nationals when he placed 10th in the A main event. Likewise, he has made four appearances at Placerville. Three of those came in 2023. Two of the four were in the same Placerville 360 Winged Sprints that he will be competing with on Saturday. He also has an appearance there with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour and one came with the USAC National Midgets at the end of 2023. His best finish on the red clay came last August 5th when he placed 12th in the track 360s. Between the winged 360, non-wing 410 and his outlaw micro, Chiaramonte has been at nine races this season. He has started nine he has started eight of the main events. He has two wins, three top-five finishes, and five top-10s. The victories came at a combined 360/410 sprint car show at Imperial Valley Raceway on March 9th and an Outlaw Micro race at Arizona's Adobe Mountain Speedway on March 30th. The only main he did not start came on March 16th at the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Series main at Perris Auto Speedway when a violent heat race crash ended his night early. This weekend's races will be Chiaramonte's third and fourth starts for Tiner/Hirst in 2024. His first appearance of the year in the Slade Precision Shocks/Larry Davis Farms/System 1 Pro Ignition #94TH came at the Stockton Dirt Track on April 6th. Running 10th in the main early on, two cars got together directly in front of the young racing star. Chiaramonte slid sideways to avoid them and ended up getting his right-side Nerf Bar bent into his right rear tire. A quick stop in the pit area saw the crew slap on a new right rear and send him back to the battlefield. He started at the rear and drove forward to a 14th-place when the race ended. His other appearance for Tiner/Hirst came three weeks ago at Merced. After an impressive heat race win and second-place finish in the dash, Chiaramonte was running second in the main event when he slid off the top of turn two. Like at Stockton, that forced him to restart at the back and he impressively drove up to 15th before the checkered flag ended the race. For fans who wish to see Chiaramonte race at Silver Dollar Speedway, this Friday is Fan Appreciation Night. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. Tickets for those 19 and over are $15.00. Admission is free for everyone 18 and younger. Advance tickets are available at https://silverdollar.ticketspice.com/may-10th-racing-2024. The track is located at 2357 Fair Street in Chico (95928). Tickets for those 19 and older are $15.00 on Saturday, The track website is and the office phone is 530-966-4030. At Placerville's Mother's Day Madness on Saturday, the gates will open at 3:00 p.m. Happy hour will be from 3:00 to 6:00. Cars will be on the track for hot laps at 5:15. Adult tickets are $18.00. Seniors 62+, military, and juniors (12-17) get in for $16.00. Kids 6-11 are $8.00 and children 5 and under get in free. Advance tickets are available online at https://www.eventsprout.com/event/psr-051124 and the office number is 530-344-7592. The 58-year-old ¼ mile oval is located at 100 Placerville Drive in Placerville (95667). Chiaramonte would like to thank all his sponsors who have made his racing efforts possible. RTL Traffic Control, AM Ortega, OCC Motorsports, Hyper Racing, Chop Design, Adams Motors, Hacienda Casa Blanca Fine Mexican Dining, Evil Plus Injection, King Racing Products, Tyner, and Keizer Wheels. If you would like to be a partner with one of America's fastest-rising racing stars, please contact Daniel Chiaramonte via email at mailto:dchiaramonte@rtltraffic.com or by calling (619) 988-7563. Braden Chiaramonte's 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 1st A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars DNS 3/30/24 Adobe Mountain Speedway Non Wing 600 Outlaw Micro 1st A Main 4/6/24 Stockton Dirt Track Sprint Car Challenge Tour 14th A Main 4/19/24 Lemoore Jet Bowl Non Wing Outlaw Micro 7th A Main 4/20/24 Merced Speedway Sprint Car Challenge Tour 15th A Main 4/27/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 20th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. You can contact him online at mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com or by calling (909) 226-7768.
- SEXTON GATLIN RACING APRIL 27th RESULTS - BAKERSFIELD UP NEXT ON MAY 18th
(Lakeside, CA, May 4, 2024) Sexton Gatlin Racing had a planned couple of weeks off from its 2024 racing schedule on May 4th and May 11th. After two straight tough weeks at the track, the father and son duo of Brent Sexton and his youngest son Grant could use the rest. They will return to action on May 18th when the Ultimate Sprint Car Series Presented by Inland Rigging makes its second appearance at the Bakersfield Speedway. Last Saturday at Perris Auto Speedway things began on the bright side when 19-year-old Grant sizzled in qualifying on the breezy evening with a time of 16.733. That was the seventh fastest of the 22 cars on hand. Brent's 17.658 was the 19th best time of the night. Heat race action matched the family duo together in the first 10-lapper. Grant, 19, was on the outside of the second row in the fourth position. Brent was two rows behind in seventh. When the Chris Fulton checkered flag ended the short race, Grant was sixth and Brent was seventh. That was very costly for Grant as it guaranteed him of not being in the invert for the first three rows of the main event. Grant, who came into the night tied for 15th in the championship standings with Brent, had a better starting spot than his dad in the 30-lap main. He was on the outside of row four. Brent was near the back on the inside of row 10. Grant, the previous season's USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year, was doing well early on and was running in the top 10. However, it all unraveled for him in one fell swoop. In turn four on the 22nd lap, he ended up tangled with three other cars. The four-car incident produced enough damage to knock the teen out of the race with a frustrating 19th-place result. Grant's misfortune left Brent to fly the SGR flag for the remainder of the race. Unfortunately, the 51-year-old did not get much farther. However, his situation was a little more serious. The Tennessee native tangled with another car and flipped in turn four. Fortunately, he climbed out of his car unhurt. However, he had to add more to the list of replacement parts he and Grant will need before May 18th. The finishing order broke the tie between the two in the season-long standings. Brent is now alone in 15th on the data sheet. Grant is a mere five points behind. After the May 18th date at Bakersfield, Sexton Gatlin Racing will be back in action the following week when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars contest one of the nation's longest-running sprint car races, the Annual Salute to Indy, on May 25th. Sexton Gatlin Racing would like to thank the following companies for making the 2024 season possible. East County Electric Works, Keys Brothers, BR Motorsports, Maxima Oil, Automated Interiors, Sexton Fire Protection, BK Wings, Troy Dirt. If you or your company are interested in becoming a marketing partner with Sexton Gatlin Racing in 2024, please call (619) 454-6945 or E-mail mailto:sextonfire@cox.net or mailto:sextonfire@gmail.com. Brent Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main 3/1/24 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Lightning Sprints 4th A Main 3/2/24 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Lightning Sprints 2nd A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 12th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 16th A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 13th A Main 3/23/24 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 14th A Main 4/6/24 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 17th A Main 4/20/24 Bakersfield Speedway USCS Sprint Cars 25th A Main 4/20/24 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 6th A Main 4/27/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main Grant Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 18th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 9th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main 3/23/24 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main 4/6/24 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 11th A Main 4/20/24 Bakersfield Speedway USCS Sprint Cars 16th A Main 4/27/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 19th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. Contact (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- THE FIRST OF THREE MAY RACES FOR EDDIE TAFOYA JR. THIS SATURDAY AT KERN
(Chino, CA, May 2, 2024) Veteran sprint car racer Eddie Tafoya Jr. will begin a busy month of racing this Saturday night, May 4th, in the Ultimate Sprint Car Series Presented by Inland Rigging at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway. After taking the Mother's Day weekend off, he will be at the Bakersfield Speedway for the next USCS race on the 18th and at Perris Auto Speedway for the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series annual Salute to Indy on the 25th. Tafoya, 26, comes into Saturday's race ranked 10th after the historical first race of the USCS at the Bakersfield Speedway two weeks ago. Wheeling the Tom and Christy Dunkel #17T at that first race, Tafoya was the ninth fastest of the 30 cars on hand in qualifying. He followed qualifying up with a second-place finish in his heat. In the main, Tafoya, the 2019 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year, was moving forward after starting eighth. He marched up to sixth and was streaking toward the top five when mechanical issues forced him to the sidelines with a 22nd place finish. For fans wanting to travel to this week's race, adult tickets are $25.00. For kids 6-13 it is only $10.00. Children 5 and under are free. Advance tickets are available from the track's website at https://www.kernraceway.com/. Hot laps will begin at approximately 5:00 p.m. with opening ceremonies at 6:30. The track is located at 13500 Raceway Boulevard in Bakersfield, California. The office phone number and email are (661) 835-1264 mailto:info@kernraceway.com. Last week at Perris, Tafoya contested his 10th race of the 2024 campaign. He was driving the familiar Tafoya family-owned #51T at the track where he captured The PAS Young Gun title in 2018. The personable Chino Hills, California resident came into the night 12th in the series point standings. A lap of 16.873 was the 12th fastest of the night, placing the pretty car with the red chrome trim inside the second row of heat race #3. He pushed the car to a fifth-place finish in the 10-lapper. For the 30-lap main, which turned wild over the last 10 laps with a couple of red flags and numerous yellows, Tafoya started 12th and drove forward to finish ninth. It was his second top 10 in a row in the USAC/CRA Series and was only surpassed by his sixth-place finish at Perris on March 16th. The performance shot Tafoya up to ninth in the championship standings, only 12 points out of eighth heading into the next series race at Perris on Memorial Day Weekend. Friendly Tafoya is always happy to meet the fans in the pits after every race. He will be signing autographs, posing for photos, and will also have his beautiful 2024 team shirts for sale. For fans who cannot attend the races, the team shirts are available at www.specialty-fasteners.com. Fans can follow Tafoya on Instagram @eddietafoya51. Tafoya and the #51T team would like to thank Specialty Fasteners, Inland Rigging, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Gasper Transportation, CMI Precision Machining, Owen's Insurance Services, Keen Concrete, DRC Chassis, and Rider Racing Engines for supporting its racing program. Eddie Tafoya Jr. 2024 USAC National Results January 11 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 22nd A Main January 14 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 7th D Main February 24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main March 9 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 13th A Main March 10 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 17th A Main March 16 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main March 23 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 12th A Main April 6 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main April 20 Bakersfield Speedway Ultimate Sprint Car Series 22nd A Main April 27th Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 9th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- CRASH KNOCKS BRADEN CHIARAMONTE OUT OF USAC/CRA RACE AT PERRIS
(El Cajon, CA, May 1) Driving a brand new car, Braden Chiaramonte was working his way towards the front in the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA 30-lap main event last Saturday at Perris Auto Speedway. However, a tangle that involved some lapped cars gathered him in and knocked him out of the race with nine laps to go. Sadly, what could have been a top-five finish ended up being a 20th. After a practice session at the track the week before, Chiaramonte was debuting his new DRC Chassis along with a 410 engine obtained from Arizona native Sterling Cling who now does most of his racing in the Midwest. Of the 22 cars on hand on Saturday, Chiaramonte ended up 13th fastest in qualifying with a time of 17.031. That was his second-fastest lap in 2024 at the famous Riverside County half-mile clay oval. It was only surpassed by his 16.995 on March 16th. Chiaramonte, in his pretty #73B, started on the outside of the front row in the first 10 lap heat race. When the checkers ended the preliminary, he ended up fourth. That Kept him in contention for one of the invert spots to start in the first three rows of the main event. Unfortunately, after the second and third heat races, he was out of the invert and was forced to start the 30-lapper in 13th. In the main, like always, Chiaramonte was moving forward. He was picking off cars and confidently made his way into the top 10. At the halfway point, the talented young driver was up to eighth and seemed headed for the top five. However, coming off turn four on the 22nd circuit, he got caught up in someone else's mess and was done for the night with a 20th place finish. Despite other racing duties that saw the El Cajon, California resident miss the two USAC/CRA races in Arizona, Chiaramonte is still 21st in the championship standings and he is third in the Rookie of the Year chase. Chiaramonte is taking this weekend off to watch his older brother Bronsen race in the "Weedle Industries Perfect 10 Challenge" desert race in Johnson City, California. Next weekend he will be back in action in his winged 360 sprint car at a pair of races on two of the crown jewel tracks in Northern California. On Friday the 10th, he will be at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. Twenty-four hours later and 120 miles south, he will compete on the banked, 58-year-old Placerville Speedway. Chiaramonte would like to thank all his sponsors who have made his racing efforts possible. RTL Traffic Control, AM Ortega, OCC Motorsports, Hyper Racing, Chop Design, Adams Motors, Hacienda Casa Blanca Fine Mexican Dining, Evil Plus Injection, King Racing Products, Tyner, and Keizer Wheels. If you would like to be a partner with one of America's fastest-rising racing stars, please contact Daniel Chiaramonte via email at mailto:dchiaramonte@rtltraffic.com or by calling (619) 988-7563. Braden Chiaramonte's 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 1st A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars DNS 3/30/24 Adobe Mountain Speedway Non Wing 600 Outlaw Micro 1st A Main 4/6/24 Stockton Dirt Track Sprint Car Challenge Tour 14th A Main 4/19/24 Lemoore Jet Bowl Non Wing Outlaw Micro 7th A Main 4/20/24 Merced Speedway Sprint Car Challenge Tour 15th A Main 4/27/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 20th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. You can contact him online at mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com or by calling (909) 226-7768.
- DOUBLE TROUBLE FOR SEXTON GATLIN RACING IN THE INAUGURAL USCS RACE AT BAKERSFIELD
(Lakeside, CA, April 26, 2024) The first-ever Ultimate Sprint Car Series race presented by Inland Rigging last Saturday night at the Bakersfield Speedway proved to be a tough one for Sexton Gatlin Racing drivers Brent Sexton and his son Grant as both did not finish the 30-lap main event. On the brighter side, Brent, a two-time California Lightning Sprint Car Series champion, placed sixth in the CLS main. After qualifying concluded, 19-year-old Grant was second fastest in his group and third fastest of the 28 cars who turned in laps on the 1/3 mile track. Brent was matched against Grant in group #1 and was eighth fastest. Being in the same group meant they would also square off in the first heat race of the night. Grant started fourth in the 10-lapper and Brent began in seventh. Grant advanced one spot forward to finish third. That earned him a direct transfer into the A main. Brent finished right where he started and had to take a trip to the B main. The B main ended up being flagged early with Brent in third place. He got a ticket to the 30-lapper but unbeknownst to him at the time, he was not going to get a lot of feature laps in. Early in the going, he slammed the front stretch wall and tore the rear end out of the #44. He was credited with 25th. Grant's fate in the main seemed a lot better. The 2023 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year began the race in 10th but drove forward to the fourth-place spot. In the tight race between the top four, the youngster was all over the second and third-place cars. However, they were mired in heavy-lapped traffic. The odds of trouble with the lappers grew with each passing go around but the laps were dwindling fast. Unfortunately, not fast enough. Going into turn three on lap 28, the second-place car got into a lapper. The third-place car had nowhere to go and plowed into what was quickly turning into a mess. Then the accordion effect swept up Grant and one other car. That tangle proved to be the end of the line for Grant on the night. A top-four finish flew out the window with the crash and he ended up 16th. Not long after the USCS main, Brent started eighth in the 25-lap California Lightning Sprint feature and closed the night with a refreshing sixth-place result. This Saturday, the father and son team will be in action at Perris Auto Speedway in the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car race. Ironically, they are tied for 15th place in the championship standings. In addition, Brent is currently second in the series Rookie of the Year race. For fans who would like to see the Sexton's racing at Perris, spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and the first race will take the green flag at 7:00. Adult tickets for the night of exciting dirt track racing action and clean family fun are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. For kids 6-12 it is only $5.00, and children 5 and under are admitted free. Advance tickets are available online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7. They can also be ordered by phone at 1-800-595-4849. For fans who do not wish to purchase tickets in advance, there will be plenty available at the ticket window. The track is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in the City of Perris. The fairgrounds charge $10.00 for parking. After Saturday's race at Perris, the team will take two weeks off from the track. Brent, who is about to celebrate birthday #52, is jumping on a plane on Sunday morning and heading for a fly fishing expedition in Montana. Once he returns, he is headed for several days in Mexico. Up next on the team's racing schedule will be the USCS race at Bakersfield on May 11th. Two weeks later it will return to Perris Auto Speedway for the Salute to Indy on May 25th. Sexton Gatlin Racing would like to thank the following companies for making the 2024 season possible. East County Electric Works, Keys Brothers, BR Motorsports, Maxima Oil, Automated Interiors, Sexton Fire Protection, BK Wings, Troy Dirt. If you or your company are interested in becoming a marketing partner with Sexton Gatlin Racing in 2024, please call (619) 454-6945 or E-mail mailto:sextonfire@cox.net or mailto:sextonfire@gmail.com. Brent Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main 3/1/24 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Lightning Sprints 4th A Main 3/2/24 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Lightning Sprints 2nd A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 12th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 16th A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 13th A Main 3/23/24 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 14th A Main 4/6/24 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 17th A Main 4/20/24 Bakersfield Speedway USCS Sprint Cars 25th A Main 4/20/24 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 6th A Main Grant Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 18th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 9th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main 3/23/24 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main 4/6/24 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 11th A Main 4/20/24 Bakersfield Speedway USCS Sprint Cars 16th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. Contact (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- AFTER A GOOD START, MECHANICAL WOES TOOK A TOLL ON TAFOYA AT BAKERSFIELD
(Chino, CA, April 25, 2026) After a good start in the inaugural Ultimate Sprint Car Series race Presented By Inland Rigging at the Bakersfield Speedway, mechanical ills foiled Eddie Tafoya Jr.'s hopes of victory last Saturday night. This Saturday Tafoya will be at his home track, Perris Auto Speedway, for round #5 of the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Series. Tafoya, in the Tom and Christy Dunkel-owned Inland Rigging #17T, came out in the second of the three qualifying groups and turned in a lap of 13.711. That was good enough for fourth fastest in the group of 10 and the 10th fastest of the 28 cars that recorded qualifying times. Tafoya's time placed him outside the front row for the second heat race in USCS history. The steady driver stayed there for the duration of the 10-lap race. That sounds easier than it was. He had to fend off a couple of determined drivers to hang onto the runnerup spot on "The Fastest 1/3 High Banked Clay Oval In The West." For the main, second-generation racer Tafoya, who spent a lot of time racing with the USAC National Sprint Cars in 2023, came from the outside of row four in the eighth position on the start. It was clear that he had a good car as he advanced one spot forward to seventh before the end of the second go-around. A couple of laps later he was up to sixth and looked to be ready for the top five when he was rocked by mechanical issues and was done for the night. What seemed to be a certain top-five ended up with a frustrating 22nd. Nonetheless, he still comes out of the inaugural event 10th in USCS points. This Saturday night, Tafoya will be back in the family-owned #51T for the USAC/CRA Series event on the track that is nearest to his Chino Hills, California home, Perris Auto Speedway. Tafoya goes into Saturday's race after a season-best USAC/CRA sixth-place finish three weeks ago at the Mohave Valley Raceway. The MVR result advanced him to 12th in the USAC/CRA standings, only 15 points out of 10th. For fans who would like to see Tafoya live in action at Perris, spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and the first race will take the green flag at 7:00. Adult tickets for the night of exciting dirt track racing action and clean family fun are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. For kids 6-12 it is only $5.00, and children 5 and under are admitted free. Advance tickets are available online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7. They can also be ordered by phone at 1-800-595-4849. For fans who do not wish to purchase tickets in advance, there will be plenty available at the ticket window. The track is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in the City of Perris. The fairgrounds charge $10.00 for parking. After Saturday, Tafoya will have three races in the month of May. The first two will be USCS races starting with the David Calderwood Memorial at Kevin Harvick's Kern County Raceway on the fourth. On the 18th, he will be back at the Bakersfield Speedway. He will close the month with the prestigious USAC/CRA Salute to Indy at Perris on the 25th. Affable Tafoya is always happy to meet the fans in the pits after every race. He will be signing autographs, posing for photos, and will also have his beautiful 2024 team shirts for sale. For fans who cannot attend the races, the team shirts are available at www.specialty-fasteners.com. Fans can follow Tafoya on Instagram @eddietafoya51. Tafoya and the #51T team would like to thank Specialty Fasteners, Inland Rigging, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Gasper Transportation, CMI Precision Machining, Owen's Insurance Services, Keen Concrete, DRC Chassis, and Rider Racing Engines for supporting its racing program. Eddie Tafoya Jr. 2024 USAC National Results January 11 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 22nd A Main January 14 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 7th D Main February 24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main March 9 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 13th A Main March 10 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 17th A Main March 16 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main March 23 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 12th A Main April 6 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main April 20 Bakersfield Speedway Ultimate Sprint Car Series 22nd A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- CHIARAMONTE'S SPEED IMPRESSIVE AT MERCED - DEBUTS NEW CAR AT PERRIS ON SATURDAY
(El Cajon, CA, April 24) Always busy Braden Chiaramonte made the trek to the lightning-quick Merced Speedway last Saturday night for round #2 of the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour. The teen impressed his fellow competitors and fans by winning his heat, placing second in the dash, and running second early on in the main. Back in the Tiner/Hirst Enterprises Slade Precision Shocks/Larry Davis Farms/System 1 Pro Ignition/#94TH, Chiaramonte was the sixth fastest qualifier of 18 cars in Group B. The time placed the El Cajon, California resident on the outside of the front row in his 10-lap heat race. After a spirited battle early on, Chiaramonte scored a runaway victory for his first SCCT heat race win of the year. The young driver's prowess in the heat sent him to the six-lap dash. Things kept going the way of the driver known as "Spare Change" when he pulled the #1 spot. For fans unfamiliar with Chiaramonte who may have thought his heat race victory was a fluke, they were convinced he was the real deal after the dash. Starting on the outside of the front row against a field that included several veteran stars who had a lot more experience on the track than himself, he fought tooth and nail throughout the race. Running second, he was passed by one of Nor Cal's biggest stars. Not to be deterred, Chiaramonte awed the crowd when he ducked back underneath the driver one lap later, made the pass, and pulled away to sew up the outside front row starting spot for the 30 lap main. Chiaramonte flexed his muscles early on in the finale. Coming off turn two on the opening lap, a pair of drivers aggressively dove to the inside of the teen sensation. However, running the high line where he was so fast all night long, he easily beat them to turn three. He then set his sights on the leader and began to reel him in. At the end of the fourth circuit, he was 0.472 behind the race's front runner. By the time a yellow flag slowed the action five laps later, he had shaved the leader's advantage to 0.453. As soon as the race resumed, Chiaramonte continued to rip the top and was close behind the leader. However, coming off turn two on lap 11, he slid off the top of the track bringing out a yellow flag. Chiaramonte went to the work area where the Tiner/Hirst crew quickly changed the left rear tire and sent him back onto the battleground. For the restart, Chiaramonte was at the back in 23rd. However, he was not there for long. He immediately began picking off the competition and was all the way back up to 15th when the checkered flag brought the proceedings to a conclusion. It was not the outcome the young driver wanted, but his overall performance drew wide praise on social media after the race. "Second race of the year in the #360 SCCT," Chiaramonte reported to his Facebook fans. "Went out late in qualifying and the track was really slick but still went sixth quick. Started second in the heat and finished first. Pulled the #1 for the dash and finished second. I started second in the main, was running down the leader and made a mistake which cost me a good finish. Overall it was a good night. We have tons of speed, just need to put it all together. Thanks to everyone who helps." Heading into the third round of the SCCT season at Marysville on May 25th, Chiaramonte is 13th in the championship standings. Twenty-four hours earlier and 88 miles south of Merced, Chiaramonte ran his 600cc non wing Micro in the Jet Bowl Classic at the Lemoore Jet Bowl. In his first micro race of the year, the 17-year-old out qualified the 27 car field with a lap of 11.627. He followed that up by starting fourth and finishing second in his heat race. For the 30-lap main, he started sixth and slipped back to ninth. He then charged all the way up to second and was seventh when the checkered flag flew. . The Saturday, April 27th, Chiaramonte will return to Perris Auto Speedway for the first time since his March 16th crash on the famous Riverside County oval. That crash destroyed his car so he will be driving a brand new DRC Chassis with a powerful 410 engine purchased from Midwest racer Sterling Cling. At the February opener on the same track, he finished eighth. Spectator gates at Perris will open at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and the first race will take the green flag at 7:00. Adult tickets for the night of exciting dirt track racing action and clean family fun are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. For kids 6-12 it is only $5.00, and children 5 and under are admitted free. Advance tickets are available online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7. They can also be ordered by phone at 1-800-595-4849. For fans who do not wish to purchase tickets in advance, there will be plenty available at the ticket window. The track is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in the City of Perris. The fairgrounds charge $10.00 for parking. Chiaramonte would like to thank all his sponsors who have made his racing efforts possible. RTL Traffic Control, AM Ortega, OCC Motorsports, Hyper Racing, Chop Design, Adams Motors, Hacienda Casa Blanca Fine Mexican Dining, Evil Plus Injection, King Racing Products, Tyner, and Keizer Wheels. If you would like to be a partner with one of America's fastest-rising racing stars, please contact Daniel Chiaramonte via email at mailto:dchiaramonte@rtltraffic.com or by calling (619) 988-7563. Braden Chiaramonte's 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 1st A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars DNS 4/6/24 Stockton Dirt Track Sprint Car Challenge Tour 14th A Main 4/19/24 Lemoore Jet Bowl Non Wing Outlaw Micro 7th A Main 4/20/23 Merced Speedway Sprint Car Challenge Tour 15th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. You can contact him online at mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com or by calling (909) 226-7768.
- BRADEN CHIARAMONTE'S RESULTS FROM THE ASPARAGUS CUP AT STOCKTON AND UPCOMING EVENTS
(El Cajon, CA, April 11) Rising Southern California star Braden Chiaramonte made the long trek north for last week's Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour "Asparagus Cup" at the newly configured Stockton Dirt Track. The young driver transferred directly from his heat race into the main event and finished 14th after having to restart at the back early in the going. Located east of San Francisco on the San Joaquin Fairgrounds, it was the first race on the track that was reconfigured from a half-mile to a quarter mile over the off-season. For Chiaramonte, who never raced on the half-mile, it was not his first race on the fairgrounds that is located 471 miles from his El Cajon, California home. Last June, he competed in a two-night Outlaw Micro 600 race at the Delta Speedway which is on the fairgrounds and only a few hundred feet from the dirt track. His best finish of the two nights was a fifth on June 22nd. Last week, the new track surface did present some challenges for the teams on hand starting with qualifying. Driving the well-known Tiner/Hirst Enterprises #94TH that is sponsored by Slade Precision Shocks/Larry Davis Farms/System 1 Pro Ignition, Chiaramonte timed in 11th fastest of the 16 cars in group B qualifying with a time of 14.809. Chiaramonte's first race of the night was the third heat. Eight cars lined up for the 10-lapper and only the top five would get an automatic ticket into the night's 30-lap main event. All he had to do was move up one spot to get a transfer to the main. That is exactly what he did but it was not without working hard as he was battling for position a majority of the race. By the time the finale rolled around, some portions of the track were taking on a lot of character. Especially turns three and four. Chiaramonte started 18th in the 24-car, 30 lapper, and nearly got bitten early in the race. A Talladega-style tangle in turn four that involved seven cars nearly blocked the entire track. It almost gathered Chiaramonte in. However, he alertly dove to the inside to narrowly escape the carnage that brought out a red flag. For the restart after the "Big One," Chiaramonte was 10th. However, on lap six two cars got together directly in front of the young star. With nowhere to go, he slid into them pushing the right-side nerf bar into the rear tire. That resulted in a trip to the work area where the Tiner/Hirst crew quickly straightened out the damage and sent him back out to battle. Starting at the back, Chiaramonte worked his way forward and at one point was up to 12th. When the checkered signaled an end to the rough and tumble affair, the young driver came home with a hard-fought 14th-place finish. "First wing race of the year is in the books and it was not a bad night," Chiaramonte told his Facebook followers a few days after the race. "Didn't qualify to good. Started sixth in the heat and finished fifth. Started 18th in the main and got up to 10th and two cars got together in front of me. Slid into them and the nerf bar was in the right rear tire. Got to the pits and they pulled it off. I went back and finished 14th. It was a good first night. I learned a lot and am ready for the next one." That next one was supposed to be at the Placerville Speedway on April 13th. However, like so many races in California early in the 2024 season, rain wiped that show out. This week Chiaramonte and the team will head north to Kevin Lockwood's racy Merced Speedway for the next round of the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour. In addition, the team is contemplating taking the micro along to race at the Delta Speedway in Stockton, which is 70-miles north of Merced, on Friday night. Spectator gates at Merced will open at 5:00 p.m. and the first green flag will fly at 7:00. The track is located at 900 Martin Luther King Drive in Merced, California. The website is http://www.mercedspeedway.net/ and the office phone number is (209) 383-7799. If things have not been busy enough, the team just rolled out its brand new DRC chassis to race with the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA 410 Sprint Car Series. They finished building the car on Saturday and tested it Sunday morning at Perris Auto Speedway. Chiaramonte would like to thank all his sponsors who have made his racing efforts possible. RTL Traffic Control, AM Ortega, Hyper Racing, Chop Design, Adams Motors, Hacienda Casa Blanca Fine Mexican Dining, Evil Plus Injection, King Racing Products, Tyner, and Keizer Wheels. If you would like to be a partner with one of America's fastest-rising racing stars, please contact Daniel Chiaramonte via email at mailto:dchiaramonte@rtltraffic.com or by calling (619) 988-7563. Braden Chiaramonte's 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 1st A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars DNS 4/6/24 Stockton Dirt Track Sprint Car Challenge Tour 14th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. You can contact him online at mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com or by calling (909) 226-7768.
- EDDIE TAFOYA JR. FINISHES SEASON-BEST SIXTH IN MOHAVE VALLEY RACEWAY USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE
(Chino, CA, April 11, 2024) After a rough start to his season in the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, things finally went Eddie Tafoya Jr.'s way when he placed sixth in the main event at the Mohave Valley Raceway. It was the first time this season that the past series Rookie of the Year placed in the top 10. Tafoya put his early season string of bad luck in the rearview mirror when he qualified second fastest in the tough 28-car field with a lap of 14.525. That was just .034 off the night's fast time. A sixth to fourth-place run in his ten-lap heat race sent him straight into the A-main. For the main, Tafoya started inside the third row in fifth and stayed around the top five all race long. When the checkers ended the 30-lapper, the Chino Hills, California driver flew past the flagstand in sixth. The finish was his best at the track since he recorded a third there on April 24th, 2022. All told, he has now competed at the racy little joint located near the Colorado River five times and he has three top-10 finishes. The results in Arizona saw Tafoya leapfrog from 15th in the USAC/CRA championship standings all the way up to 12th. Going into the next series race at Perris Auto Speedway, he could take another leap on the points table as he is only three points out of 11th and 15 points from 10th. Tafoya's woes in the 2024 USAC/CRA Series began at the season opener at Perris on February 24th. While running in the lead pack, he was clobbered from behind and sent careening into the infield crash wall. The impact destroyed the front end and he finished 21st. On March 16th at Perris, he was lightning quick and was running in the top 10 when his steering box failed with only three laps to go. That resulted in a 16th-place finish. Two weeks before the Mohave race, he ended up 12th at the Cocopah Speedway on a wind-blistered track that saw the main end 10-laps early when rain moved in. Tafoya's next appearance in the USAC/CRA Series will come at Perris on April 27th. Unfortunately for Tafoya and the other So Cal sprint car teams, the inaugural Ultimate Sprint Car Series race slated for this Saturday at the Ventura Raceway was canceled due to rain. However, good news is on the horizon. The series, which is presented by Inland Rigging, will kick off its schedule next Saturday, April 20th, at the Bakersfield Speedway. Tafoya will be in the Tom and Christy Dunkel owned Inland Rigging #17T for the historic first race for the new club. Spectator gates for the race on the famous Bakersfield oval will open at 4:00 p.m. with racing at 6.:00. Adult tickets are $20.00. Seniors 65+ and military get in for $18.00. For kids 6-12 it is $15.00 and children 5 and under are free. Parking is free. The track is located at 5001 North Chester Ext. Ave., Bakersfield (93308). The track website is http://www.bakersfieldspeedway.com/ and the office phone number is (661) 393-3373. Tafoya is always happy to meet the fans in the pits after every race. He will be signing autographs, posing for photos, and will also have his beautiful 2024 team shirts for sale. For fans who cannot attend the races, the team shirts are available at www.specialty-fasteners.com. Fans can follow Tafoya on Instagram @eddietafoya51. Tafoya and the #51T team would like to thank Specialty Fasteners, Inland Rigging, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Gasper Transportation, CMI Precision Machining, Owen's Insurance Services, Keen Concrete, DRC Chassis, and Rider Racing Engines for supporting its racing program. Eddie Tafoya Jr. 2024 USAC National Results January 11 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 22nd A Main January 14 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 7th D Main February 24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main March 9 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 13th A Main March 10 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 17th A Main March 16 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main March 23 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 12th A Main April 6 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- EDDIE TAFOYA JR. BACK ON TRACK THIS SATURDAY AT MOHAVE VALLEY RACEWAY
(Chino, CA, April 5, 2024) For only the fifth time in his career, Eddie Tafoya Jr. will be competing at the Mohave Valley Raceway this Saturday, April 6th, when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series visits the fast 3/8 of a mile banked oval. It will be the first of two series appearances at the track that is located five minutes from the Colorado River and 20 minutes from downtown Laughlin, Nevada. Saturday's race will be the sixth for the series at the track promoted by second-generation racers Ron & Bill Meyer along with their families. Tafoya, who lives 240 miles southwest of the facility in Chino Hills, California, has competed there four times. The only series race he missed at MVR was 11 months ago when he was away competing at Ohio's Eldora Speedway. His best finish of the four came in his initial outing at the track when he placed third on April 23rd, 2022. Six months later he came back to "Arizona's Baddest Bull Ring," and finished eighth. In 2023 when Tafoya was back and forth between the Midwest and West Coast and was competing with the USAC National Sprint Car Series and USAC/CRA, he raced at the track on April 1st and October 13th. The now-veteran racer finished 12th and 13th. Neither finish was indicative of how the nights went. At the April 1st race, the 2019 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year turned in the third fastest time in qualifying in the 30-car field. He started sixth in his 10-lap heat and finished third. For the main, the pretty #51T started on the inside of row three and stayed in the top five in the early laps of the race. However, he slid to a stop in turn one and had to restart at the back. After going to the rear for causing the yellow, Tafoya put on a show. Over the final 25 laps he passed more cars than any other driver in the race and ended up 12th. When he returned last October he was quick again. After qualifying 10th fastest, he steered his eye-catching car to the win in his heat race. In the main, Tafoya drove to second three separate times. However, each time a yellow came out, the scoring reverted to the last completed lap and he went back to third. He was still third when a red flag halted the action. When the race restarted, Tafoya's engine started to lay down and he wisely rolled it back to the pits to avoid damaging the bullet. He was credited with a 13th-place finish. Tafoya looks to get his season righted this week at Mohave. Through the first three series races of 2024, he has been plagued by bad luck and his best finish has been a 12th. Thus, he is ranked 15th in points. Despite that, he has an excellent chance to climb several spots in the standings at this week's race. Gates at the popular track, which is located less than a half hour from downtown Laughlin, will open at 5:00 p.m. The first green flag of the night will wave at 7:00. Adult tickets are $25.00. For active military with proper id, it is $20.00. Kids 6-12 get in for just $15.00 and children five and under are free. It is cash only for tickets (no ATMs on site). Concessions, souvenirs, and the beer garden take cash or cards. For more information, the track website is https://www.mohavevalleyraceway.com/ and the office phone is (928) 346-6000. After Saturday's race, Tafoya will be in one of the Inland Rigging Cars for the season opener for the Ultimate Sprint Car Series presented by Inland Rigging at the Ventura Raceway on April 13th. He will follow that up with a USCS race the following week at the Bakersfield Speedway and will close the month in the USAC/CRA race at Perris Auto Speedway on April 27th. Tafoya is always happy to meet the fans in the pits after every race. He will be signing autographs, posing for photos, and will also have his beautiful 2024 team shirts for sale. For fans who cannot attend the races, the team shirts are available at www.specialty-fasteners.com. Fans can follow Tafoya on Instagram @eddietafoya51. Tafoya and the #51T team would like to thank Specialty Fasteners, Inland Rigging, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Gasper Transportation, CMI Precision Machining, Owen's Insurance Services, Keen Concrete, DRC Chassis, and Rider Racing Engines for supporting its racing program. Eddie Tafoya Jr. 2024 USAC National Results January 11 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 22nd A Main January 14 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 7th D Main February 24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main March 9 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 13th A Main March 10 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 17th A Main March 16 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main March 23 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 12th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- BRADEN CHIARAMONTE RETURNS TO ACTION SATURDAY AT STOCKTON - LEAVES FOR TEXAS ON SUNDAY
(El Cajon, CA, April 4, 2024) After a couple of weeks off, things are about to get busy for teen racing star Braden Chiaramonte. This Saturday he heads north for the opening round of the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Series at the Asparagus Cup on the recently renovated Stockton Dirt Track. Sunday morning he plans to catch a flight back to So Cal and then drive straight to Texas for Monday's practice for the Third Annual TMS Micro Mania KKM Motorsports Challenge at Lil' Texas Motor Speedway. However, potential rainy weather in the "Lone Star State" may force postponement of the important outlaw micro race. If the schedule sounds busy, it was even busier until Thursday afternoon. Chiaramonte had planned on racing with the winged 360 sprint cars at Chico's Silver Dollar Speedway on Friday night. However, the famous track was pummeled by rain on Thursday. Mother Nature's tear drops left the facility completely saturated. Combined with a sunless forecast and cold temperatures, there was no chance to get the facility dried out for Friday night and promoters were forced to pull the plug. Last week's rainout at Placerville means Saturday's race at Stockton will be the first of the year for the Sprint Car Challenge Tour. It will also be the first appearance at Stockton for Chiaramonte. While it will be his initial time at the facility, he will be on level footing with all of the other drivers as the track underwent a major renovation over the winter. Formerly a 4/10 of a mile track, the size has been reduced to a quarter mile with 9-degree banking in the turns. The reduction in size should make the racing much tighter and thus, more exciting for the fans. In addition, the racing surface has been brought closer to the grandstands giving spectators a much better view of the action. The plan as of now is for Chiaramonte to fly home early Sunday morning after Stockton. The team will then head out with their car for the Micro Mania in Texas. Practice is scheduled for Monday with preliminaries taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday. The finals are slated for Thursday. However, predictions of possible thunderstorms and rain starting late Monday afternoon and lasting until the early morning hours of Thursday are putting the event in jeopardy. A decision should be made on Friday on whether the race will take place next week or be moved to a date later in the year. Last season Chiaramonte shined at the Micro Mania race that is sanctioned by POWRi. Held in September, he dominated opening night by scoring a clean sweep being fastest in time trials, winning his heat, qualifier, and the main event. Going into the finale 24 hours later, he was the highest point driver of the 86 competitors on hand. That put him in the King of Texas Trophy Pool Shootout. The personable racer kept his perfect batting average intact when he started the night off by winning that short race to earn the right to start on the pole for the main. Chiaramonte led the first six laps before slipping to second. From there he hounded the eventual winner all the way to the checkered flag. Thus, in six events (including qualifying) over the two days, he had five wins and a single second place. On Saturday in Stockton, the gates will open at 5:00 p.m. and racing will begin at 6:00. Tickets for those aged 18-64 are $30.00. It is $25.00 for those from 5-17, seniors and military with i.d. It is free for kids 4 and under, and parking is free, too. The track is located on the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds at 1658 S. Airport Way in Stockton. The track's website is StocktonDirtTrack.com and the office phone is (916) 370-9417. For full details on next week's Micro Mania, please visit the event website at https://www.texasmotorspeedway.com/events/micro-mania/. Good news from the Chiaramonte team is the fact that it has purchased a 410 engine from Sterling Cling Racing. The bullet, which should arrive on Friday, replaces the one that was damaged in the crash at Perris Auto Speedway on March 16th. The engine will be installed and ready when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Series races at Perris on April 27th. Chiaramonte would like to thank all his sponsors who have made his racing efforts possible. RTL Traffic Control, AM Ortega, Hyper Racing, Chop Design, Adams Motors, Hacienda Casa Blanca Fine Mexican Dining, Evil Plus Injection, King Racing Products, Tyner, and Keizer Wheels. If you would like to be a partner with one of America's fastest-rising racing stars, please contact Daniel Chiaramonte via email at mailto:dchiaramonte@rtltraffic.com or by calling (619) 988-7563. Braden Chiaramonte's 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 1st A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars DNS This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. You can contact him online at mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com or by calling (909) 226-7768.
- AFTER A WEEK OFF, SEXTON GATLIN RACING IS AT MOHAVE VALLEY RACEWAY THIS SATURDAY
(Lakeside, CA, March 31, 2024) After a week off, Sexton Gatlin Racing team drivers Brent Sexton and his 19-year-old son Grant will be back in action this Saturday night, April 6th, when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series races at Arizona's Mohave Valley Raceway. The race will be the first of two in 2024 at the track that is located minutes from the Colorado River. Going into the race on the high-speed all-action banked 1/3 mile oval, 50-year-old Brent, sits 14th in the series championship standings. In addition, he is second in the Rookie of the Year chase driving his Triple X chassis powered by a past Rico Abreu 360 Shaver Racing Engine. In three USAC/CRA races this season, his best finish was a 13th on March 16th at Perris Auto Speedway. In addition to competing in USAC/CRA's 20th season, the Tennessee native contested two open comp sprint car races and two So Cal Lightning Sprint Car events during the California Mid-Winter at the Imperial Valley Raceway. A three-time lightning sprint car champion (1999 & 2008 California Lightning Series and 2022 POWRi Southwest Lightning Series), he placed second and fourth at the two lightning races at Imperial. A week later he was 14th and 16th in the open comp sprints. Grant, who won the coveted USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year award in 2023, has been the victim of bad luck in the first three series races of the year. At the season opener at Perris on March 24th, the 2021 POWRi Lightning Sprint champion was forced out of the action early with overheating issues. Three weeks later after turning a career-best third fastest time in qualifying, he was battling in the top five in the main event when contact with another car sent him catapulting wildly into the catch fence. The frightening crash left the competitive driver with a destroyed race car and a not-so-happy disposition. Last week on the Lakeside, California team's first 2024 trip to Arizona to compete at the Cocopah Speedway, Grant turned in another good qualifying effort being seventh fastest of the 17 cars on hand. Brent qualified 14th. The father and son were matched up in the first 10-lap heat race at the track known as "The Diamond in the Desert." Grant earned the family bragging rights in that one placing sixth with Brent one spot behind in seventh. For the main event, Grant started in eighth and was hoping the prevalent heavy winds would blow away the bad luck he was plagued by in the first two USAC/CRA races of the year. Unfortunately, that was not to be. When the green flag waved he immediately went to the high side to fight with the Cocopah cushion. The talented teen got as far up as seventh before racing bad luck struck again. His pretty #22 car overheated and he wisely pulled it off the track to try and limit the possibility of damage to it. The culprit of the problem was a faulty water pump and the early departure saddled him with a very frustrating 15th-place finish. Brent started the main in 14th and was in the same spot when rain took over the track on lap 20 forcing a premature end to the race. This Saturday night the action swings to the racy Mohave Valley Raceway and both SGR drivers are familiar with the facility. Brent has enjoyed tremendous success on the speedy oval while racing lightning sprints taking three wins on the Meyer family-owned track since 2021. Saturday will be his first time attacking the track in a full-size sprint car. Grant's best outing at Mohave Valley came when he placed third in a POWRi Southwest Lightning main early in his championship season of 2021. Last year he ran three 410 races on the Arizona clay with USAC/CRA and made the A main at two of the three appearances. His best outing of the three happened when he came home sixth on May 6th. Gates at the popular track, which is located less than a half hour from downtown Laughlin, will open at 5:00 p.m. The first green flag of the night will wave at 7:00. Adult tickets are $25.00. For active military with proper id, it is $20.00. Kids 6-12 get in for just $15.00 and children five and under are free. It is cash only for tickets (no ATMs on site). Concessions, souvenirs, and the beer garden take cash or cards. For more information, the track website is https://www.mohavevalleyraceway.com/ and the office phone is (928) 346-6000. Sexton Gatlin Racing would like to thank the following companies for making the 2024 season possible. East County Electric Works, Keys Brothers, BR Motorsports, Maxima Oil, Automated Interiors, Sexton Fire Protection, BK Wings, Troy Dirt. If you or your company are interested in becoming a marketing partner with Sexton Gatlin Racing in 2024, please call (619) 454-6945 or E-mail mailto:sextonfire@cox.net or mailto:sextonfire@gmail.com. Brent Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main 3/1/24 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Lightning Sprints 4th A Main 3/2/24 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Lightning Sprints 2nd A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 12th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 16th A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 13th A Main 3/23/24 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 14th A Main Grant Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 18th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 9th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main 3/23/24 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. Contact (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- JEFF DYER EXPERIENCED MIXED RESULTS IN LAST TWO RACES - WEATHER MAY AFFECT WHERE HE RACES SATURDAY
(Yucca Valley, CA, March 20, 2024) For veteran open-wheel racer Jeff Dyer, the past two weeks have produced vastly different results in two separate disciplines of open-wheel competition. On March 9th, the racing California Highway Patrol Officer finished second in the California Lightning Sprint Car Series main event at the Bakersfield Speedway. One week later, he ended up 19th in the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series main event at Perris Auto Speedway. Dyer, who turned 41 last week, hopped into his son Seth's car for the impressive performance at Bakersfield. The unselfish teen offered Dyer the ride after the latter lost an engine during the California Mid-Winter Fair races at the Imperial Valley Raceway. The CLS has a throwaway rule where each driver throws out a race throughout the year. The elder Dyer used his throwaway when mechanical ills plagued him at the season-opening race. Thus, he could not afford to sit out the Bakersfield event. However, he was prepared to do so until Seth approached him with an idea. The teen would sit out and use his throwaway and his father would not lose a race. The move paid great dividends for both. Jeff got to race and in doing so, he got seat time in Seth's car and adjusted it for the teen's future races. After qualifying fourth fastest in the 14-car field with a lap of 13.062, the Yucca Valley, California racer placed fourth in his eight-lap heat race. For the main at Bakersfield, Dyer, who won a main event at the track last June, was starting on the inside of row three. After initially slipping back to sixth, the veteran racer moved back to fifth on lap four. Two laps later he executed a daring pass going into turn one. He passed two cars at one time and found himself in third. From laps six through 19, Dyer became mixed up in one of the best scraps for position the CLS has seen in quite some time. It was initially a seesaw battle with Aiden Lange that had them fighting for third place. Simultaneously, they sandwiched the second-place car and suddenly the battle between the two was for the number two spot. Dyer finally took control of that position on lap 19. He set his sights on the race-long leader, but victory was not his to be and he raced home second. When the CLS next hits the track in April, Dyer will be sixth in points. While things went well at Bakersfield, the same could not be said for the March 16th race in the USAC/CRA Series at Perris Auto Speedway. After qualifying with a lap of 17.117, things spiraled downhill in a hurry. In his heat race, lap seven contact with another car knocked him out of the 10-lapper. The tangle destroyed the front shocks, a wheel, and a few other bolt-on parts. Dyer and his crew got the car repaired for the main event and he started the 30-lapper in 19th. Things were going better until lap 22 when disaster struck. As Dyer sped into turn four, a car was stopped on the cushion. With no time to miss the car, Dyer threw it sideways and hit it. The contact saw Dyer get airborne and head back across the track where he landed on top of another car before settling right side up. This time the yellow #39 sustained too much damage and was towed back to the pit area to be loaded back into the trailer. "We hit sideways," he commented about the main event tangle. "It was no man's land at that point in time as I had already committed. We hit Ricky Lewis bounced down the track and then Cody Williams hit us. We were ready to flip and when Cody hit us it brought us back down to earth. Cody had nowhere to go. It (the crash) ripped the rear end out of the car and it destroyed the header and some other bolt-on pieces. Actually, it was not as bad as we thought. The chassis is okay. I thought it was going to be bent for sure. It is all fixable. Unfortunately, I was gone last week and we could not get it fixed for Cocopah." "I really did not expect the track to be that good and I completely missed the setup in qualifying," the CHP Officer nicknamed "Ponch" lamented. "We were way too tight. In the heat, we were doing pretty good and then we got in that tangle. We were pretty good in the main, too. We need to do a little bit more to the car. I called Spike ( the Spike Chassis company) and got some notes from them. Actually, the notes they gave me, we were quite a bit off from where we should be. With the changes they told us, we should be a lot better." Last week Dyer was doing some training at the CHP facility in Sacramento, California. Being there for the week meant he did not have time to fix his car for last Saturday's USAC/CRA race at Arizona's Cocopah Speedway. Weather permitting, he will return to the track for the first race in the new Ultimate Sprint Car Series presented by Inland Rigging at the Kevin Harvick Kern Raceway this Saturday, March 30th. In case of inclement weather, Dyer and his teenage son will head south to the Barona Raceway for the So Cal Lightning Sprint Car race. If the race happens at Kern, hot laps will begin at 4:45 p.m. and opening ceremonies will be at approximately 6:30. Adult tickets are $25.00. Kids five and under are free. The track is located at 13500 Raceway Boulevard Interstate 5 and South Enos Lane in Bakersfield. The track website is https://www.kernraceway.com/ and the office phone is (661) 835-1264. If the weather gets the best of Kern and Dyer heads to Barona, the track is located at 1754 Wildcat Canyon Road, in Lakeside, California. Gates will open at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday with racing at 6:00. Adult tickets are $20.00. For kids 7 to 17, admission is $10.00. Seniors, Military, and EMTs also get in for $10.00. Children 6 and under and parking are free. Family packs of two adults and two kids are $50.00. The track website https://baronaspeedway.com/ and the phone number is (619) 994-6560. Upcoming on Dyer's schedule is a date at Arizona's Mohave Valley Raceway on April 6 for round #4 of the USAC/CRA Series. On April 13th he and Seth will make the long drive north to the Merced Speedway for the opening battle in the annual California Lightning Sprint Cars vs Bay Cities Racing Association Civil War Series. In 2024, the following marketing partners will help keep the Dyers on track. Dependable Machine Inc., Haircuts By Susie, Jobu Racing, LBA Investigations, Straight Time Stirrups, Justice Brothers, Fonseca Racing, Specialty Fasteners, and Blud Racing Lubricants. If you would like to be a part of Dyer Motorsports in 2024, call (760) 550-7237 or send an email to mailto:dyermotorsports4@gmail.com. Jeff is racing in memory of his grandparents, Glenn, and Beverly Sels, throughout the 2024 season. Jeff Dyer's 2024 Racing Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 14th A Main 3/1/24 Imperial Valley Raceway California Lightning Sprints DNS 3/2/24 Imperial Valley Raceway California Lightning Sprints 7th A Main 3/9/24 Ventura Raceway California Lightning Sprints 2nd A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 19th A Main Seth Dyer's 2024 Racing Results 3/1/24 Imperial Valley Raceway California Lightning Sprints 7th A Main 3/2/24 Imperial Valley Raceway California Lightning Sprints 13th A Main Scott Daloisio produced this release. For more information: phone (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com.
- BRADEN CHIARAMONTE PLANS TO RETURN TO ACTION MARCH 30TH AT PLACERVILLE
(El Cajon, CA, March 21, 2024) After escaping serious injury in a nasty crash during last Saturday's Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series race at Perris Auto Speedway, Braden Chiaramonte hopes to be back in action when the Sprint Car Challenge Tour kicks off its 2024 season in the 8th Annual Sprint Frenzy at the Placerville Speedway on March 30th. Coming off an impressive win during the California Mid-Winter Fair at the Imperial Valley Raceway the previous week, the 17-year-old racer was hoping for another good run at Perris on Saturday night. Three weeks earlier he started 16th in the USAC/CRA main event at Perris and finished eighth. That had him eighth in points and second in the Rookie of the Year chase going into last Saturday's race. Chiaramonte qualified at 16.995 on the lightning-quick surface. That sent him to the second 10-lap heat race. The El Cajon, California driver turned his fastest lap of the heat on lap six. A lap and a half later, disaster struck. Contact with another car on the backstretch sent him into a long series of frightening flips. The young driver climbed out of the car and the track safety crew placed him in the ambulance for observation. A few minutes later they determined that he should take a ride to the hospital. After a short visit to the hospital, Chiaramonte was on the way back home. He was "pretty sore and swollen" according to his father Daniel but was already itching to get back into a race car. One he would not be getting back into is the one from Perris. That car was destroyed in the terrifying crash. Unfortunately, that included the engine. Daniel tried to find a 410 to get him on the track for Saturday's USAC/CRA race at Cocopah, but the search proved to be fruitless and he is sitting out this weekend. "Well, got my first big one out of the way," Chiaramonte posted to all of his Facebook followers. "Didn't have the night we wanted but that's part of racing. Big thanks to all the officials for the help getting me out of the car and everyone else that helped out. And big thanks to everyone for checking in on me and making sure I was all good. I'm ready to get back in the car and wishing we had a motor for this weekend." Look for Chiaramonte to return to action next Saturday, March 30th, at Placerville. It will be his first full-size winged sprint car start since last August at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. Chiaramonte would like to thank all his sponsors who have made his racing efforts possible. RTL Traffic Control, AM Ortega, Hyper Racing, Chop Design, Adams Motors, Hacienda Casa Blanca Fine Mexican Dining, Evil Plus Injection, King Racing Products, Tyner, and Keizer Wheels. If you would like to be a partner with one of America's fastest rising racing stars, please contact Daniel Chiaramonte via email at mailto:dchiaramonte@rtltraffic.com or by calling (619) 988-7563. Braden Chiaramonte's 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 1st A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars DNS This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. You can contact him online at mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com or by calling (909) 226-7768.
- AFTER AN INTERESTING NIGHT AT PERRIS, SEXTON GATLIN RACING HEADS TO COCOPAH SATURDAY
(Lakeside, CA, March 21, 2024) After what was a very interesting night when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars visited Perris Auto Speedway last weekend, Sexton Gatlin Racing drivers Brent and Grant Sexton are headed to Arizona's Cocopah Speedway Saturday night, March 23rd. The race will be round number three of the 2024 campaign for the top traditional sprint car series west of the Mississippi. Last Saturday had a dream start for 2023 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year Grant Sexton. The 19-year-old, who was the POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series champion in 2021, flashed some of his talent on several occasions in 2023. However, last Saturday, he seemed to put it all together in one night. He was the first car on the track to qualify. A lightning-quick surface greeted the 24 cars on hand and produced the best times for several drivers including a nearly new track record. Grant led off the session with a career-best 16.258. That ended up being the third fastest time of the night. In addition, it was his fastest-ever qualifying lap at The PAS. Brent qualified later in the order. Like his offspring, the 50-year-old had his best qualifying lap on the famous track, a 17.575. It was his first time in the 17s at the track that is located 72 miles east of Los Angeles. Brent started eighth in the second heat and finished fifth. Grant started sixth in his heat, and like his dad, he finished better than where he started when he came home in fourth. That was important for Grant as the finish put him in the inversion and he started fourth in the 30-lap main. It was his best starting position in a USAC/CRA main event. Had he finished fifth or farther back in the heat, he would have started seventh in the feature. Once the race began, Grant was giving a good account of himself early on by trading sliders to stay in the top five. The key word was early on. To be precise, the first three laps. In turn four on the third circuit, contact with another car launched him into orbit and a resulting thud high on the catch fence. The incident destroyed his beautiful #22 car. When the car came back down to earth, Grant climbed out under his own power. The young driver was uninjured but let his feelings be known that he was not happy with the incident. Once the crash scene was cleaned up, the race resumed and Brent was still in it. In fact, he was in it 28 laps later when the checkered flag flew. In between lap 2 and 30, the race was plagued by yellow and red flags due to numerous crashes. Even though he was one of three rookies in the race, he managed to avoid the chaos and finished 13th after starting 21st. The morning after the race at the team's Lakeside, California headquarters, the crew was busy building a new car for this Saturday's show at Cocopah. "Highs and lows," Brent Sexton commented when asked how last Saturday went for him. "Obviously, it was great sitting in the car and watching Grant go out first for qualifying and setting the third fastest time of the night. It was his best qualifying effort in USAC. So, we were stoked about that. And then I qualified faster than I ever had at Perris getting into the 17s. All around it was our best qualifying effort as a team." "Watching our buddy Braden (rookie Braden Chiaramonte who went to the hospital after a crash, but who is doing fine) being carted out in his heat race was kind of disheartening. The same with Grant being one of the first ones out in the main in the crash. I did not see it as they were too far ahead of me. I was at the tail end." The front gate will open at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday at Cocopah with the first race at 6:00. Adult tickets are $20.00. Seniors and military with id get in for $18.00. For students 13-17 it is only $10.00 and children 12 & under are free. The track is located at 3450 W. County 15th Street in Somerton, Arizona (85350). The track website is http://www.racecocopahspeedway.com/ and the office phone number is 602-292-7607. Sexton Gatlin Racing would like to thank the following companies for making the 2024 season possible. East County Electric Works, Keys Brothers, BR Motorsports, Maxima Oil, Automated Interiors, Sexton Fire Protection, BK Wings, Troy Dirt. If you or your company are interested in becoming a marketing partner with Sexton Gatlin Racing in 2024, please call (619) 454-6945 or E-mail mailto:sextonfire@cox.net or mailto:sextonfire@gmail.com. Brent Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main 3/1/24 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Lightning Sprints 4th A Main 3/2/24 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Lightning Sprints 2nd A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 12th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 16th A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 13th A Main Grant Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 18th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 9th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main 3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. Contact (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- EDDIE TAFOYA JR. HOPES FOR A CHANGE OF LUCK THIS SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE COCOPAH SPEEDWAY
(Chino, CA, March 21, 2024) Eddie Tafoya Jr. hopes to turn around what has so far been a bad luck-plagued season when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars visit Arizona's Cocopah Speedway this Saturday night, March 23rd. The track could turn out to be a slump buster for the popular driver as two years ago this past January, he notched his first second-place finish in the series. The runner-up result combined with seventh and ninth-place finishes on the same weekend kick-started a season where he finished third in series points. Last Saturday night at the USAC/CRA Series race on its home track, Perris Auto Speedway, Tafoya timed in 14th fastest in the 24-car field with a lap of 16.574. He followed that up with a third-place finish in his 10-lap heat. For the main, the 26-year-old started in 14th. Alertly dipping and diving to stay out of the early crashes that plagued many in the field, he was in the top 10 in the second half of the 30-lapper. The now veteran driver was fast in the race as only seven drivers recorded faster laps than his 18.356 on the sixth circuit. However, his effort was short-circuited when his steering box broke on lap 27 sending him into the turn three crash wall. Tafoya was not injured, but his car had to be towed back to the pits and he was credited with a 16th place finish. The race came three weeks after the Chino Hills, California resident was breaking into the top five in the main event when he was clobbered from behind and knocked out of the season-opening feature at Perris. Even though he has had a rough start to the 2024 season, Tafoya is still tied for 16th in the championship standings going into Saturday's race in the "Grand Canyon State." A top finish, which he is more than capable of, should catapult him into the top 10 going into the next series event at Arizona's Mohave Valley Raceway on April 6th. Sandwiched in between will be the inaugural race of the Ultimate Sprint Car Series presented by Inland Rigging at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway on March 30th. Tafoya, the 2018 Perris Auto Speedway Young Guns Champion and 2019 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year, made his debut at Cocopah at the January 2022 races. Since that weekend, he has raced at the track three more times. They included the 2022 Western World Championship which featured the USAC National Sprint Cars along with USAC/CRA. He qualified for the A main each night recording 16th and 19th place finishes. Last year in the Western World, Tafoya lost two engines. The second came in the B main when he had third place and a trip to the A main locked up. The front gate will open at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday at Cocopah with the first race at 6:00. Adult tickets are $20.00. Seniors and military with id get in for $18.00. For students 13-17 it is only $10.00 and children 12 & under are free. The track is located at 3450 W. County 15th Street in Somerton, Arizona (85350). The track website is http://www.racecocopahspeedway.com/ and the office phone number is 602-292-7607. Tafoya is always happy to meet the fans in the pits after every race. He will be signing autographs, posing for photos, and will also have his beautiful 2023 team shirts (pictured below) for sale. For those out of town or who cannot make it to the races, the shirts are also available online at specialty-fasteners.com. If you would like to hear the friendly driver on his 2023 Dirt Tracks and Rib Racks Podcast, please visit the following link https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Hox9dg0iRGXo0szabeqDy Fans can follow Tafoya on Instagram @eddietafoya51. Tafoya and the #51T team would like to thank Specialty Fasteners, Inland Rigging, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Gasper Transportation, CMI Precision Machining, Owen's Insurance Services, Keen Concrete, DRC Chassis, and Rider Racing Engines for supporting its racing program. Eddie Tafoya Jr. 2024 USAC National Results January 11 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 22nd A Main January 14 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 7th D Main February 24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main March 9 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 13th A Main March 10 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 17th A Main March 16 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- AFTER TWO NIGHTS OF ACTION AT IMPERIAL VALLEY, SEXTON GATLIN RACING RETURNS TO USAC/CRA COMPETITION SATURDAY AT PERRIS
(Lakeside, CA, March 15, 2024) After a weekend of racing during the California Mid-Winter Fair at the Imperial Valley Raceway, Sexton Gatlin Racing drivers Brent and Grant Sexton will return to the home track of the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, Perris Auto Speedway, this Saturday Night, March 16th. The event will be round #2 of the 2024 USAC/CRA campaign. Brent, 50, comes into Saturday's race on the famous Riverside County half-mile clay oval 16th in the USAC/CRA championship point standings. In addition, he is third in the Rookie of the Year chase. He placed 15th at the season opener on the same track three weeks ago. Grant, 19, battled overheating problems all night long and pulled out of the main early at the opener. He ended up getting credit for 17th and enters Saturday's fray 19th in points. Last Friday and Saturday the father and son duo contested both nights of the Imperial Valley Raceway 360/410 Sprint Car Series. Journeying 127 miles from their El Cajon, California home, the two were close together in qualifying on the first night. Grant was seventh quick with a 12.662. Brent was only a blink slower at 12.882. However, in a tight qualifying group, he was four spots behind in 11th. Matched together in the first heat of the night, Brent earned bragging rights in the SGR pits by placing second in the first 10-lapper. Grant ended up sixth. In the 20-lap A, Grant came home ninth with Brent 12th. Night two saw Grant turn in the seventh fastest lap again with a time of 13.091. Brent's 13.277 was good enough for 10th best in the 18-car field. Once again they were matched in the same heat and this time youth prevailed when Grant came home third with Brent fifth. In the Saturday finale, Grant picked up his first top-five of the early season when he placed fifth. His dad ended up 16th. "My qualifying effort was better for me," Brent Sexton said. "I think I was 10th and 11th both nights. I was pretty stoked with it. It was nothing spectacular but I am still learning the car. I felt a lot more comfortable on the quarter mile and was getting racy with those guys. The more seat time I get, the more comfortable I will be." Spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and the first race will get the green flag at 7:00. Adult tickets for the night of exciting dirt track racing and clean family fun are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. For kids 6-12 it is only $5.00, and children 5 and under are admitted free. Advance tickets are available online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7. They can also be ordered by phone at 1-800-595-4849. For fans who do not wish to purchase tickets in advance, there will be plenty available for everyone at the ticket window on Saturday. Perris Auto Speedway is conveniently located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds (home of the Southern California Fair), 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 three miles east to the fairgrounds. For directions online, the address to enter is: 18700 Lake Perris Drive and the zip code is 92571. After this week at Perris, the team will head to Cocopah Speedway, which is located near Yuma, Arizona, for round #3 of the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Series on March 23rd. Sexton Gatlin Racing would like to thank the following companies for making the 2024 season possible. East County Electric Works, Keys Brothers, BR Motorsports, Maxima Oil, Automated Interiors, Sexton Fire Protection, BK Wings, Troy Dirt. If you or your company are interested in becoming a marketing partner with Sexton Gatlin Racing in 2024, please call (619) 454-6945 or E-mail mailto:sextonfire@cox.net or mailto:sextonfire@gmail.com. Brent Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main 3/1/24 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Lightning Sprints 4th A Main 3/2/24 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Lightning Sprints 2nd A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 12th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 16th A Main Grant Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 18th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 9th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. Contact (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- EDDIE TAFOYA JR. BACK IN ACTION AT PERRIS AUTO SPEEDWAY THIS SATURDAY NIGHT
(Chino, CA, March 14, 2024) When the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series returns to Perris Auto Speedway for round #2 of the 2024 season this Saturday night, March 16th, Eddie Tafoya Jr. hopes for a better result than he experienced at the season opener in February. Through no fault of his own, he was knocked out of the 30-lap main event and the tangle cost him a top finish. After a month and a half off following January's Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, Tafoya got into his gorgeous #51T for the first time this year on February 24th. He then had a week off before last Friday and Saturday's Imperial Valley Raceway 360/410 Sprint Cars show during the California Mid-Winter Fair. After this week at Perris, he will journey to Arizona's Cocopah Speedway for the third round of the USAC/CRA Series. He will wrap up the busy month when he drives one of the Tom & Christy Dunkel-owned Inland Rigging Specials in the first race of the new Ultimate Sprint Car Series at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway on March 30th. It is the first full month of racing in what promises to be an extremely busy 2024. At last month's race at Perris, Tafoya, 26, was headed toward the front of the pack in the 30-lap main event when he was clobbered from behind by another car at nearly 100 mph. The bash sent him careening into the inside crash wall on the front straightaway. One look at the car and the crew knew he was done for the night as the front end was torn out. Last weekend at Imperial, Tafoya raced on Friday and Saturday. Rear-end problems forced him to miss qualifying on the opening night. With repairs made, he started at the back of the eight-lap heat race and advanced forward to finish fifth. In the 20-lap feature, he again started at the back and finished 13th. Twenty-four hours later, things started much better when the affable Chino Hills, California resident qualified sixth fastest of the 18 cars on hand with a lap of 12.784. A third-place finish in his eight-lap heat race earned him the sixth place starting spot, outside row three, in the 30-lap A main. The friendly racer stayed within the top eight for the first two-thirds of the event. However, a spin necessitated by someone else's mess late in the going forced him to restart at the back and he finished a frustrating 17th. Fans can see Tafoya and the remainder of the stars from the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Series this Saturday night at Perris Auto Speedway. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. and the first race will get the green flag at 7:00. Adult tickets for the night of exciting dirt track racing and clean family fun are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. For kids 6-12 it is only $5.00, and children 5 and under are admitted free. Advance tickets are available online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7. They can also be ordered by phone at 1-800-595-4849. For fans who do not wish to purchase tickets in advance, there will be plenty available for everyone at the ticket window on Saturday. Perris Auto Speedway is conveniently located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds (home of the Southern California Fair), one hour east of Los Angeles and one hour North of San Diego. To get to the track, take the 215 freeway, exit at the Ramona Expressway, and go three miles east to the fairgrounds. For directions online, the address to enter is: 18700 Lake Perris Drive and the zip code is 92571. Tafoya is always happy to meet the fans in the pits after every race. He will be signing autographs, posing for photos, and will also have his beautiful team shirts for sale. If you would like to hear the friendly driver on his 2023 Dirt Tracks and Rib Racks Podcast, please visit the following link https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Hox9dg0iRGXo0szabeqDy Fans can follow Tafoya on Instagram @eddietafoya51. Tafoya and the #51T team would like to thank Specialty Fasteners, Inland Rigging, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Gasper Transportation, CMI Precision Machining, Owen's Insurance Services, Keen Concrete, DRC Chassis, and Rider Racing Engines for supporting its racing program. Eddie Tafoya Jr. 2024 USAC National Results January 11 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 22nd A Main January 14 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 7th D Main February 24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main March 9 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 13th A Main March 10 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 17th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- BRADEN CHIARAMONTE PICKS UP HIS FIRST WIN OF 2024 AT IMPERIAL VALLEY - HEADED TO PERRIS THIS SATURDAY
(El Cajon, CA, March 12, 2024) In only his third start of 2024, newly turned 17-year-old Braden Chiaramonte outdistanced the field in the Imperial Valley Raceway 360/410 Sprint Cars main event last Saturday night. The triumph was the first of his young career in a 410 sprint car. Riding the crest of his victory wave, the talented teen driver will be back at Perris Auto Speedway this Saturday, March 16th. Saturday's victory came on the second straight night of racing during the California Mid-Winter Fair. Eighteen cars showed up for the race at the track that is located just north of the USA/Mexico border. Chiaramonte, debuting a bright red #73B paint scheme on the weekend, was the fourth-fastest car in hot laps. He followed that up by qualifying second fastest with a time of 12.594 in the 18 car field. That placed him in the second heat where he finished fifth. By the time the cars came onto the track for the 30-lap Saturday main event, blustery winds and cool temperatures had taken over. Still, the track was very racy. Chiaramonte had some veteran heavy hitters from California, Arizona, and Ohio starting in front and behind him in the stacked finale. In his typical confident style that belies the fact that he is only 17, he showed all of the savvy of a longtime pro and steered his way to the front for the first 410 sprint car win of his career. Last week's victory came on the second weekend of racing during the annual fair. Before his Saturday win, he also competed Friday on the same track. Thirteen sprint cars were in the pits for the Friday show. As usual, Chiaramonte was fast from the first time he wheeled his #73B onto the racing surface. He was the fastest in hot laps with a time of 12.248. Moments later, he turned in the fastest qualifying time of the night at 12.335. Later in the evening, he came home eighth in his heat and fifth in the 20-lap main. Dating back to October of last year, Chiaramonte has competed in his 410 sprint car five times. Amazingly he has never finished worse than eighth. And, the night he finished eighth, he started 16th. The other finishes include a win, a fourth-place finish, and two fifth-place results. This Saturday night Chiaramonte will return to Perris Auto Speedway for round #2 of the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA 410 Sprint Car Series. At the season opener three weeks ago, he qualified 17th fastest on the famous half-mile clay oval with a lap of 17.343. A sixth-place finish in his heat forced him into the 12-lap B main where he came home second. That was followed by another impressive performance when he came from 16th to eighth in the main. In that finale, only one of the 22 other drivers bettered his sizzling lap of 17.072. Chiaramonte enters Saturday's Perris race eighth in the USAC/CRA championship point standings. In addition, he is second in the series Rookie of the Year chase. For fans who would like to see the rising young star take on the best non-wing drivers west of the Mississippi on Saturday, spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00. Adult tickets for the night of exciting dirt track racing and clean family fun are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. For kids 6-12 it is only $5.00, and children 5 and under are admitted free. Advance tickets are available online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7. They can also be ordered by phone at 1-800-595-4849. For fans who do not wish to purchase tickets in advance, there will be plenty available for everyone at the ticket window on Saturday. Perris Auto Speedway is conveniently located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds (home of the Southern California Fair), 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 three miles east to the fairgrounds. For directions online, the address to enter is: 18700 Lake Perris Drive and the zip code is 92571. After this week's race at Perris, Chiaramonte and his team will head east to Arizona's Cocopah Speedway on March 23rd for the third USAC/CRA race of the 2024 campaign. Chiaramonte would like to thank all his sponsors who have made his racing efforts possible. RTL Traffic Control, AM Ortega, Hyper Racing, Chop Design, Adams Motors, Hacienda Casa Blanca Fine Mexican Dining, Evil Plus Injection, King Racing Products, Tyner, and Keizer Wheels. If you would like to be a partner with one of America's fastest rising racing stars, please contact Daniel Chiaramonte via email at mailto:dchiaramonte@rtltraffic.com or by calling (619) 988-7563. Braden Chiaramonte's 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th A Main 3/8/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 5th A Main 3/9/24 Imperial Valley Raceway Imperial Valley 360/410 Sprint Cars 1st A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. You can contact him online at mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com or by calling (909) 226-7768.
- BRADEN CHIARAMONTE PICKS UP HIS FIRST WIN OF 2024 AT IMPERIAL VALLEY
In only his third start of 2024, newly turned 17-year-old Braden Chiaramonte outdistanced the field in the Imperial Valley Raceway 360/410 Sprint Cars main event last Saturday night.
- BRADEN CHIARAMONTE IS IN ACTION FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AT THE IMPERIAL VALLEY RACEWAY
(El Cajon, CA, March 7, 2024) After a dazzling performance in the USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series at Perris Auto Speedway two weeks ago, teenage racing star Braden Chiaramonte returns to the dirt track wars this Friday and Saturday at the Imperial Valley Raceway. The savvy young racer will be in the family owned #73B for the two nights of open comp sprint car racing during the California Mid-Winter Fair. Newly turned 17-year-old Chiaramonte is no stranger to the clay oval that is located on the Imperial Valley Fairgrounds. Dating back to March 5th, 2022, he has competed on the track five times and never finished worse than ninth. Included in the races on the fairgrounds track, is a pair of 2023 wins in the POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series. The latest of the wins came a year ago this weekend. On the same weekend, he raced a full-size sprint car there in an open comp show and finished ninth. His first appearance in the SWLS on the fabled fairgrounds was two years ago and he placed second in the main event. Twenty-four hours later, he finished eighth. This week's appearance comes after an impressive showing when the USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series opened its 20th season of racing at Perris on February 24th. Driving a 410 sprint car for only the fourth time, Chiaramonte dominated the 12-lap B main. Just like his two previous 410 races at the end of 2023, he faced a stellar field of veteran 410 drivers in the A main. He started 16th and drove to an impressive eighth-place finish. In addition to moving up through the field, his lap of 17.072 was faster than the winner's best time and it was the second-fastest lap of any driver in the 22 car, 30-lap race. For Chiaramonte, who resides in El Cajon, California, this weekend will be like a family affair. His older brother Bronsen, who is a student at Arizona State, is also the race director at Imperial Valley Raceway. As always, the two boys will be joined by their parents Daniel and Terra for the two nights of racing. Friday and Saturday's races come just one week after the 67th anniversary of the first CRA Sprint Car race held on the fairgrounds that is located about 15 miles north of the USA/Mexico border. The USAC/CRA Series Chiaramonte raced in two weeks ago and will race in Saturday, March 16th at Perris, morphed from that original CRA. If you would like to see this rising young star in person this week, wheel packing will start at 5:30 with hot laps and single car qualifying to follow on Friday. The first race of the night will begin at 7:00. On Saturday, wheel packing will be at 4:30 and again will be followed by hot laps and single car qualifying. The first race will start at 6:30. Chiaramonte would like to thank all his sponsors who have made his racing efforts possible. RTL Traffic Control, AM Ortega, Hyper Racing, Chop Design, Adams Motors, Hacienda Casa Blanca Fine Mexican Dining, Evil Plus Injection, King Racing Products, Tyner, and Keizer Wheels. Braden Chiaramonte's 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. You can contact him online at mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com or by calling (909) 226-7768.
- BRENT SEXTON GETS TWO TOP-FOUR FINISHES AT THE IMPERIAL VALLEY RACEWAY
(Lakeside, CA, March 5, 2024) Three-time lightning sprint car champion Brent Sexton turned in two top-four finishes when the SoCal Lightning Sprint Car Series opened its 2024 season last Friday and Saturday at the Imperial Valley Raceway. The 50-year-old star placed fourth in Friday night's 20-lap main event. He bested that outcome by two spots when he came home second on Saturday. This Friday and Saturday, Sexton and his 19-year-old son Grant will be at the same track to contest two nights of open class sprint car racing during the historic California Mid-Winter Fair. Last week Brent had planned to race his lightning sprint on Friday in the SCLS show and then head to the Ventura Raceway to compete with Grant in the inaugural Ultimate Sprint Car Series event on Saturday. However, heavy rains doused the beach-side track and forced a cancellation. So, Brent stayed at Imperial and ran the lightning sprint on the racy track located in the Southeast corner of California both nights. Brent, who lives in Lakeside, California with Grant, and his other son Dalton, turned in impressive performances both nights last week. On Friday he qualified eighth fastest in the 21-car field with a lap of 12.508. He placed second in a stacked eight-lap heat race. In the main, he began in the fifth-place spot and moved one position forward to finish fourth. Twenty-four hours later, the Tennessee-born star qualified sixth fastest when he stopped the clocks in a near identical 12.520. He then proceeded to win his heat race. On Saturday night, which was very chilly and windy, Brent started the main in third. He took second on lap six and then fended off pursuers over the final 14 laps for his first podium finish of the year. The impressive results left Sexton, a three-time lightning sprint car champion, only seven points out of first in the CLS standings. However, he is focusing on the full-size sprint car this season including the races at Imperial this Friday and Saturday. Sexton Gatlin Racing has had a lot of success at Imperial over the past three seasons. In addition to Brent's fourth and fifth-place finishes there last weekend, he competed there four times in a lightning sprint car last year and posted a win, a second, a third, and a fourth-place finish. USAC/CRA star AJ Bender drove a different SGR car to a lightning sprint win at Imperial on March 3, 2023. Grant drove his full-size sprint car at the track one time last season and finished fifth. In 2022, Brent and his oldest offspring Dalton swept the POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series opening main events in March. Brent grabbed another win there in October and Grant had a third in his 360 sprint car there late in the season. March is a busy month for Sexton Gatlin Racing. Following the two races last week at Imperial, they will be back there this Friday with Brent and Grant both competing in the open comp. sprint car show. Next week, the father and son duo will be in action in the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Series at Perris. The plan now is to close the month at the USCS inaugural race at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway in Bakersfield on the 30th. For fans who want to attend this week's races at Imperial, wheel packing will start at 5:30 with hot laps and single-car qualifying to follow on Friday. The first race of the night will begin at 7:00. On Saturday, wheel packing will be at 4:30 and again will be followed by hot laps and single car qualifying. The first race will start at 6:30. Sexton Gatlin Racing would like to thank the following companies for making the 2024 season possible. East County Electric Works, Keys Brothers, BR Motorsports, Maxima Oil, Automated Interiors, Sexton Fire Protection, BK Wings, Troy Dirt. If you or your company are interested in becoming a marketing partner with Sexton Gatlin Racing in 2024, please call (619) 454-6945 or E-mail mailto:sextonfire@cox.net or mailto:sextonfire@gmail.com. Brent Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main 3/1/24 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Lightning Sprints 4th A Main 3/2/24 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Lightning Sprints 2nd A Main Grant Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 18th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. Contact (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- EDDIE TAFOYA JR. 2024 USAC/CRA SERIES OPENING NIGHT RESULTS
(Chino, CA, March 1, 2024) Eddie Tafoya Jr's promising opening night in the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series at Perris Auto Speedway came to an end when he was clobbered from behind in the 30-lap main event. One of the favorites for the series title in 2024, his #51T will be repaired and ready for round #2 at the same Riverside County half-mile clay oval on March 16th. Twenty-seven cars showed up for the 2024 season opener on a chilly Southern California night. Tafoya's popular sprint car, adorned with red foil trim, was one of the 27 on hand and he first showed the speed of the flashy machine when he was seventh fastest in hot laps with a best lap of 17.343. That was followed up with a 16.889 time in qualifying, which was 10th fastest in the talent-laden field. Tafoya, 26, started third in the series' first 10-lap heat race of the campaign and advanced up to second by race end. The finish earned him a ticket straight into the 30-lap main event. For the A, the 2018 PAS Young Guns Champion and 2019 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year started on the outside of row four in eighth. Working his way forward, the talented driver was attempting to break into the top five. However, at the end of lap nine, he was clobbered from behind on the front straightaway. The hit triggered a multi-car crash that sent Tafoya hard into the inside wall. The wallop tore the front end out of the car and left him with an annoying 21st-place finish. Tafoya was set to debut in the new Ultimate Sprint Car Series Presented By Inland Rigging this Saturday at the Ventura Raceway. However, on Thursday morning track officials canceled the race due to incoming rain. The race has been rescheduled for April 13th. The veteran racer will now debut in the USCS when it visits Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway on March 30th. While the Chino Hills, California driver saw this weekend get washed out, he will still have a busy month of on-track activities. This coming Friday and Saturday, March 8th and 9th, Tafoya and Inland Rigging teammates Tommy Dunkel and Austin Williams will be racing during the California Mid-Winter Fair at the Imperial Valley Raceway. Both nights will be complete shows. He will make his first of two 2023 trips to Arizona's Cocopah Speedway on March 23rd. Those races will be joined by the aforementioned March 16th and 30th dates at Perris and Kern. Tafoya's busy schedule will continue in April when he will be racing every Saturday during the month. On April 6th and 27, he will be contesting USAC/CRA races at Mohave Valley Raceway and Perris. Sandwiched in between will be USCS shows at Ventura and the Bakersfield Speedway. If you would like to hear the friendly driver on his 2023 Dirt Tracks and Rib Racks Podcast, please visit the following link https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Hox9dg0iRGXo0szabeqDy Fans can follow Tafoya on Instagram @eddietafoya51. Tafoya and the #51T team would like to thank Specialty Fasteners, Inland Rigging, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Gasper Transportation, CMI Precision Machining, Owen's Insurance Services, Keen Concrete, DRC Chassis, and Rider Racing Engines for supporting its racing program. Eddie Tafoya Jr. 2024 USAC National Results January 11 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 22nd A Main January 14 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 7th D Main February 9 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 21st A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- CHAMPION CAR OWNERS IMPRESSED WITH AUSTIN WILLIAMS DEBUT
(Menifee, CA, February 29, 2024) When it comes to creating a positive impression, veteran driver Austin Williams had some big shoes to fill when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series opened the 2024 campaign last Saturday at Perris Auto Speedway. After all, he was the new driver for 2023 champion car owners Tom and Christy Dunkel. When all was said and done, the owners were ecstatic with the veteran driver's initial outing in their ultra-clean #17W. Williams, the son of National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Rip Williams, picked up the Inland Rigging ride when 2023 champion Brody Roa stepped out of the car in January to spend more time with his family. When Williams got the ride, there was a marriage of the two teams. The result is a car, driver, and crew that is one of the favorites to win the 2023 championship. The owners began the campaign brimming with hope and they were quickly rewarded with a great qualifying effort from the Corona, California driver. He turned in a lap of 16.658. That proved to be the third quickest of the 27 cars on hand. Needless to say, everyone in the #17W camp was very happy. In his 10-lap heat race, the driver who will be walking down the aisle on May 18th, ended up second. That was despite an issue developing with the car. "We were extremely thrilled with what we were able to salvage," Tom Dunkel said a couple of days after the race. " Unfortunately, we developed some brake issues. With two laps to go in the heat race, he lost all brakes. So, we scrambled between the heat race and the main and we got brakes for him. We replaced a bunch of stuff. We got it to where he was real happy with the pedal, but as he pushed off for the main he hollered at us that he had no brakes." No brakes or not, Williams, who is affectionately known as "The Big Game Hunter" to all of his fans, was off to a good start. Much to the delight of the team, he was going to be a contender for the victory. "He was doing extremely well and was trying to run the bottom, the top, and moving around," Dunkel exclaimed. "I could not have been any more happy with him for his will to drive that thing with no brakes. It was absolutely impressive with what he was able to do." Things were looking good early on as Williams masterfully kept the car in contention. Then disaster struck on lap 10. Cars in front of him tangled and he had nowhere to go and got involved. Two other cars who got collected and came to a stop in the shunt with Williams were his older brother Cody and Inland Rigging sponsored Eddie Tafoya Jr. While the other two were done for the night, Williams made a quick trip to the work area where the Inland Rigging crew jumped into action. "Unfortunately, he got tangled up there, with Tafoya and Cody," Dunkel commented. "It ended up knocking the front end out. It was good enough to keep rolling, but with no brakes and a bent front end, to come from the back to 11th it was absolutely impressive. I could not have been any happier." "It was 100% a racing deal," Dunkel stressed. "It was just one of those things where we were in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Everybody was going for a limited amount of real estate. Thankfully, we were able to restart so we had the opportunity to kind of help salvage our night." Williams started at the back in the wounded car and masterfully drove forward for an extremely hard-fought 11th-place finish. He recorded a lap of 17.230 during the race. Amazingly, that came on lap 24 after the car was damaged in the tangle. Only six other drivers recorded faster times. Dunkel was very happy with the way the driver and the new and old crew members meshed together. Everybody's work and dedication promise some wins and a championship run in 2024. "He has his driving style and he knows what he likes," Dunkel happily stated. "It was actually super flawless. It was kind of unfortunate our results really didn't show how good we were all night and how well we worked together on and off the track. I was extremely happy working with him and his entire crew. Rich Rustin, Paul Dean, and Joe, were there and my son Aiden was out there as well." "Unfortunately, Zac (team manager Zac Bozanich) had some plans and was not able to make it but he was on the phone all night long," Dunkel said of Brody Roa's longtime crew chief. "I cannot say enough about him. There is so much to say about his effort leading up to this race that really helped us all night." This week Dunkel and Tafoya were scheduled to contest the inaugural race of the Ultimate Sprint Car Series Presented By Inland Rigging at the Ventura Raceway. However, due to the impending rain, the race was postponed until April 13th. Next for the Inland Rigging team will be two nights of racing, Friday, March 8th, and Saturday, March 9th, at the Imperial Valley Raceway during the California Mid-Winter Fair. Williams will be joined by Dunkel and Tafoya for the late winter show. Dunkel would like to thank the following 2024 season sprint car sponsors. Inland Rigging, Dunkel Farms, Specialty Fasteners, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Osborne Speed & Machine, Maverick Transport, and HBC. If you would like to join this championship team for another title run this year, please contact Dunkel using the information at the top of this release. Tom Dunkel's 2024 Racing Results 1/11/24 SageNet Center Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 8th C Feature 1/13/24 SageNet Center Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 11th L Feature Austin Williams 2024 Race Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 11th A Main This release was produced by Scott Daloisio Sports (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- FATHER AND SON BRENT AND GRANT SEXTON BOTH MAKE USAC/CRA MAIN AT PERRIS
(Lakeside, CA, February 29, 2024) The Sexton Gatling Racing Team combo of father and son Brent and Grant Sexton, made its 2024 debut when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series opened its season last Saturday at Perris Auto Speedway. Both team drivers made the night's main event. This Friday and Saturday, Brent will be racing in the 30th anniversary season openers for the California Lightning Sprint Car Series at the Imperial Valley Raceway. Grant, who was the 2023 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year, was the fastest qualifier of the family duo with a lap of 17.500. That was 20th in the stellar field of 27 cars that showed up with top drivers from California, Indiana, Arizona, and Ohio. Brent was four spots behind his youngest offspring with a time of 18.212. Heat race action saw Grant on the track first in the second 10-lapper of the night. Starting seventh, his car was suffering from overheating issues. Unfortunately, he finished in the same spot that he started. That meant a trip to the 12-lap B main. A few minutes later, 50-year-old Brent was in the third heat. Like Grant, he also started and finished seventh. That meant both would be fighting for one of the 10 sought-after transfer spots in the B main. The B main featured 13 cars. Grant was again starting seventh, while Brent began in the 10th and final transfer spot. In the race, Grant caught a piece of someone else's mess and bent his front axle. Despite that, he was still eighth when the Steve Russell checkered flag signaled an end to the 12-lapper. Brent held off the drivers behind him and also earned a ticket into the A by placing 10th. For the start of the 30-lap finale, both Sexton's were mired deep in the pack. Grant started 18th and Brent was inside row 11 in the 21st position. Grant was babying his engine in the 30-lapper due to the overheating problem earlier in the night. However, when it sprayed him with hot water, he pulled off the track to avoid damaging the power plant. That happened 10 laps before the checkers and he placed 18th. Brent, who is trying to follow up Grant's 2023 Rookie of the Year award by taking the crown in 2024, was still slicing and dicing at the end and placed 15th. "I was excited for how I did," Brent said afterward. "I did exactly what I wanted to do. Just make the main and finish it. There were 27-cars there and I did that, so I was pretty stoked." Earlier in the night after his heat race, he was not so sure he was doing well. The reason was, he was being pranked by his crew. "The crew was giving me a hard time after the heat race telling me I sucked," Sexton said with a laugh. "I told Bezio (crew chief David Bezio) I was going to drive it in so hard in the B main. Then he told me they were just kidding and I was doing fine." This weekend's conundrum regarding who was going to race where, was canceled early on Thursday when the inaugural event for the Ultimate Sprint Car Series at the Ventura Raceway was postponed until April 13th due to this weekend's incoming rain. Brent's initial plan was to race on Friday at Imperial and then race with Grant at Ventura. AJ Bender would take his place at Imperial on Saturday. With the rainout, Brent will be in the lightning sprint for both races at Imperial. For fans who want to attend this week's races at Imperial, wheel packing will start at 5:00 with hot laps and single-car qualifying to follow on Friday. The first race of the night will begin at 7:00. On Saturday, wheel packing will be at 4:30 and again will be followed by hot laps and single car qualifying. The first race will start at 6:30. If you or your company are interested in becoming a marketing partner with Sexton Gatlin Racing in 2024, please call (619) 454-6945 or E-mail mailto:sextonfire@cox.net or mailto:sextonfire@gmail.com. Sexton Gatlin Racing would like to thank the following companies for making the 2024 season possible. East County Electric Works, Keys Brothers, BR Motorsports, Maxima Oil, Automated Interiors, Sexton Fire Protection, BK Wings, Troy Dirt. Brent Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main Grant Sexton 2024 Results 2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 18th A Main Photo courtesy of Anthony Hernandez This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. Contact (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- BRENT SEXTON HOPES TO KEEP THE USAC/CRA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD IN THE FAMILY
(Lakeside, CA, February 21, 2024) When it comes to one family member following another in most sports, it is usually the child following their father or mother. When it comes to open-wheel racing, the Sexton's of Southern California like to do things differently. Case in point, last year 19-year-old Grant Sexton won the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Rookie of the Year Award. When the series kicks off its 20th season at Perris Auto Speedway this Saturday night, one of the favorites for Rookie of the Year this season is Sexton's 50-year-old father, Brent! While the elder Sexton is racing for Rookie of the Year in the USAC/CRA Series, he is hardly a rookie to motorsports. Quite the contrary. The Lakeside, Californian has been one of the top lightning sprint car drivers in the country for over a quarter of a century and has multiple wins and three lightning sprint car titles on his resume. The first of the three titles came in the California Lightning Sprint Car Series in 1999. Nine years later he backed that up with another CLS crown. If you thought it was a long time between his first two lightning championships, wait until you hear this. It was 14 years more before he won his third lightning title in 2022 with the POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints. That was 23 seasons after his first championship campaign. Last season he battled in the lightning wars racing in the SWLS and the CLS. He notched three SWLS wins and ended up finishing second in the championship standings despite missing some races. Things changed for Sexton on June 10th when he accompanied Grant to a race at Perris Auto Speedway like normal. What was not normal was they took two cars with them. Grant's 410 USAC/CRA ride and a 360 for Brent to run with the PAS Senior Sprints. When the CRA field was a few cars shy, Brent was talked into racing that portion of the program as well. He placed second in the Senior Sprint main and then shocked everyone by coming from near the back of the pack to finish seventh in the CRA feature. He even beat Grant who dropped out early and placed 15th. "I always dreamt about driving an actual sprint car," the fun-loving driver said. "Not that lightning sprints are easy to handle. It is just that I had done it so long and never had the funds to race an actual sprint car. It is a midlife-type crisis I guess. I seen time slipping away and I want to do it while I can and to do it with my son seeing how much fun he had. Why not try and put our names together in the record books." "It was definitely an eye-opener," Sexton went on about his first race in a full size sprint car. "A lot of it (his seventh-place finish) was due to attrition but we definitely had a blast doing it. We have been snake bit ever since. We enjoyed it so much we thought why not throw my hat in the ring this year (for Rookie of the Year) and see what I can do." To say Sexton Gatlin Racing is serious is an understatement. They have fielded top-of-the-line equipment in lightning sprints for years. Two years ago when Grant jumped up to a full-size car, they began in used gear but stepped up big time last year with a new Triple X Chassis powered by a powerful 410 Shaver Racing Engine. After Brent got bitten by the big car bug last year, he decided to step up in style not only with his chassis, but also in the engine department. "It is a Triple X Chassis because that is what I ran in the lightning sprints," the talented driver said. "It is the 360 motor that we bought from Rico Abreau last year. It has been a great piece for Grant as he ran it at Ventura on Turkey Night and had a great time. I hope it treats me well this year." When it came to CRA shows, Grant was the main focus for the team. That no doubt came in handy as he was learning the ropes and capturing the Rookie of the Year Award. The talented teen who will turn 20 in July, recorded five top-10 finishes in 2023. His best outing came at the Bakersfield Speedway on June 24th when he placed fifth. This year the youngster hopes to continue his climb towards the top of the racing ladder. However, things will be a little different as the crew will also be devoting attention to his dad. "He is funny about it because I think he likes us to only have to worry about one car," Brent laughed. "Now everybody is going to have to focus on two cars and the effort that goes into it. He is part of it with our crew chief David Bezio, Johnny, and Tavo. They are there three or four times a week and then on Saturday night we go out there and try to tear them up (the cars)." "I am ecstatic," the proud father said when asked about Grant's performance last season. "For as rough of a start as he got last year, he far surpassed anything that I expected. As a dad, I want to push him more this year and see if he can get his qualifying down. That is the only flaw I can see. See if we can get him in that invert so he can start getting some top-five finishes. As a dad, he has made me proud every time. Both of the boys did. Dalton is more dedicated to his work and his girlfriend now and wants to save money instead of spending it on race cars." If the two big cars are not enough, Brent still has a lightning sprint that he will race when his schedule permits. That includes an appearance on March 1st during the California Mid-Winter Fair at the Imperial Valley Raceway. The next night he will be heading to Ventura for the USCS opening race. While he is there, the lightning sprint will still be in action for night #2 at Imperial with someone else behind the wheel. "I am not sure who is going to run it the second night," Sexton said regarding the lightning at Imperial. "AJ Bender has been bending my ear to run it on Saturday night while we go up to Ventura to run the Ultimate Series. It is going to be a busy back and forth for the next few weeks as we will be back at Imperial the following week for the sprint car open comp show and back to Perris on March 16th for the USAC race." Grant is pretty much slated into a full year in USAC/CRA this season. Brent has hopes of doing the same but there are some variables that could come into play. "Honestly, it is all going to depend on how the year starts off," Sexton said about running the full USAC/CRA Series. "That and funding. We have some good sponsors including East County Electric, which is probably Grant's future father-in-law. He is our primary. Keys Brothers are back along with Sexton Fire Protection. BR Motorsports from up north is helping us out with parts. Also, Maxima Oil, Automated Interiors, BK Wings, and Troy Dirt. And my mom. We could not do it without her. With all of the traveling, she is a big part of it from feeding us to doing so much behind the scenes. She is definitely the glue that keeps all of us together." Spectator gates to see the Sextons in action on Saturday will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00. Adult tickets for Saturday's race are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. For kids 6-12 it is only $5.00 and children 5 and under are free. Advance tickets are available 24 hours a day online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7 or by calling 1-800-595-4849. For those who do not want to purchase advance tickets, there will be plenty of tickets for everyone at the ticket window on Saturday. The fairgrounds charge $10.00 for parking. Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in the City of Perris. The track website is http://www.perrisautospeedway.com/ and the office phone number is (951) 940-0134. If you or your company are interested in becoming a marketing partner with Sexton Gatlin Racing in 2024, please call (619) 454-6945 or E-mail mailto:sextonfire@cox.net or mailto:sextonfire@gmail.com. Sexton Gatlin Racing would like to thank the following companies for making the 2024 season possible. East County Electric Works, Keys Brothers, BR Motorsports, Maxima Oil, Automated Interiors, Sexton Fire Protection, BK Wings, Troy Dirt. This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. Contact (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- JEFF DYER OPENS A BUSY 2024 SEASON AT SATURDAY'S USAC/CRA RACE AT PERRIS AUTO SPEEDWAY
(Yucca Valley, CA, February 18, 2024) Sprint car racing California Highway Patrol Officer Jeff Dyer will kick off a busy season when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series opens its 20th campaign this Saturday night, February 24th, at Perris Auto Speedway. Dyer will be returning to the track for the first time since he closed his 2023 season last October. 2023 ended up being a triumphant year for the Dyer Motorsports team. Jeff Dyer captured the championship in the final season of the POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series. In addition, his teenage son, Seth, whacked the field to notch his first win in a SWLS race at the Imperial Valley Raceway on October 21st. As well as that accomplishment, the personable young driver was named the series Rookie of the Year. Despite the triumphs, the season had tribulations. Most notable was Jeff suffering a torn Achilles tendon playing softball last August. Initial reports had "Ponch" done for the season. However, he believed that he could make it back before the year ended. Against the odds, he amazingly returned to action and dominated the competition in a Lightning Sprint Car race at the Mohave Valley Raceway on October 14th. Hard work since then has him nearly as good as new. "It is going well," the Yucca Valley, Californian commented on his rehab. "I am probably about 85% back to normal. It is getting better. In the morning when it is cold out, it is a little stiff until I get up and start walking around. I can pretty much do everything I was doing before." Getting his Achilles straightened out did take some time away from working on the cars for the 2024 season. However, the most important things were recovering from the injury and getting in better shape. Happily, he has achieved both. "First of all, I have been working on myself and my fitness," he said. " I have lost 30 pounds over the off-season. I have been working hard on that. On the cars, we kind of got off to a late start. Me and Seth were kind of burned out through the end of the year. We went through the holidays without touching the cars from the last race. After the new year, we really started getting on it. Now things are starting to get together and we are more excited about it." The plan for 2024 was for Jeff to run all of the Perris USAC/CRA races, a lot of CLS races, and when possible, a few races with the new Ultimate Sprint Car Series. After an impressive run at the end of last season, Seth's main focus this year is on the GAS Chassis Young Gun Sprint Cars at Perris Auto Speedway. However, he will miss the season opener this weekend as his engine is not ready. He will also run as many CLS races as possible. While Seth is out of action this Saturday, he will not have long to wait to get in his first laps of the year. Both he and Jeff will be at the Imperial Valley Raceway when the California Lightning Sprint Car Series starts its 30th season during the Midwinter Fair on March 1st and 2nd. "When we get to Imperial it will be pretty much what we did last year," Jeff said. "The same cars. Well, we built Seth a new car last year so it is ready to go. We made a couple of changes on mine that will hopefully work. I am not going to tell you what they are but we made some drastic changes to my car. We are excited to see what happens with that." Saturday's race, which will be the opener for Perris Auto Speedway's 28th season, will begin at 7:00 p.m. Spectator gates will open at 5:00. Adult tickets are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. For kids 6-12 it is only $5.00 and children 5 and under are admitted free. The fairgrounds charge $10.00 for parking. Advance tickets for Saturday's opener are available 24 hours a day at the following link https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7. You can also order on the phone by calling 1-800-595-4849. If you do not wish to purchase advance tickets, there will be plenty available for everyone at the ticket window on Saturday. Perris Auto Speedway is conveniently located on the freeway close Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in the City of Perris (92571). Take the 215 Freeway. Exit at the Ramona Expressway and head three miles east to the fairgrounds. In 2024, the following marketing partners are helping keep the Dyers on the track. Dependable Machine Inc., Haircuts By Susie, Jobu Racing, LBA Investigations, Straight Time Stirrups, Justice Brothers, Fonseca Racing, Specialty Fasteners, and Blud Racing Lubricants. If you would like to be a part of Dyer Motorsports in 2024, call (760) 550-7237 or send an email to mailto:dyermotorsports4@gmail.com. Jeff is racing in memory of his grandparents, Glenn, and Beverly Sels, throughout the 2024 season. Jeff Dyer 2023 Results 3-10-23 Imperial Valley Raceway Best of the West Lightning Sprints 10th A Main 3-11-23 Imperial Valley Raceway Best of the West Lightning Sprints 17th A Main 3-10-23 Imperial Valley Raceway Open Comp. Sprints 15th A Main 4-8-23 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 7th A Main 4-15-23 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main 5-5-23 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main 5-13-23 Ventura Raceway California Lightning Sprints 11th A Main 5-20-23 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 3rd A Main 5-27-23 Perris Auto Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 1st A Main 5-27-23 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 17th A Main 6-3-23 Bakersfield Speedway CLS/BCRA Civil War 1st A Main 6-10-23 Barona Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 12th A Main 6-17-23 Ventura Raceway California Lightning Sprints 2nd A Main 6-24-23 Bakersfield Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 10th A Main 7-8-23 Ventura Raceway California Lightning Sprints 2nd A Main 7-15-23 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 14th A Main 8-5-23 Barona Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 1st A Main 10-14-23 Mohave Valley Raceway CLS vs SWLS Best of the West 1st A Main 10-20-23 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 3rd A Main 10-21-23 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 6th A Main 11-14-23 Bakersfield Speedway Lightning Sprint Western States Champ. 3rd A Main Seth Dyer 2023 Lightning Sprint Results 3-10-23 Imperial Valley Raceway Best of the West Lightning Sprints 12th A Main 3-11-23 Imperial Valley Raceway Best of the West Lightning Sprints 10th A Main 4-8-23 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints DNS 5-13-23 Ventura Raceway California Lightning Sprints 8th A Main 5-20-23 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 11TH A Main 5-27-23 Perris Auto Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 3rd A Main 6-3-23 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 10th A Main 6-10-23 Barona Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning 6th A Main 6-17-23 Ventura Raceway California Lightning Sprints 8th A Main 7-8-23 Ventura Raceway California Lightning Sprints 8th A Main 8-5-23 Barona Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 7th A Main 9-23-23 Perris Auto Speedway Young Gun Sprint Cars 5th A Main 9-30-23 Merced Speedway California Lightning Sprints 8th A Main 10-14-23 Mohave Valley Raceway California Lightning Sprints 8th A Main 10-20-23 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 9th A Main 10-21-23 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 1st A Main 11-14-23 Bakersfield Speedway Lightning Sprint Western States Champ. 14th A Main AJ Bender 2023 9-30-23 Merced Speedway California Lightning Sprints 2nd A Main Scott Daloisio produced this release. For more information: phone (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com.
dirt track racing advertisement
Imperial Valley Raceway Nearby Dirt Tracks
- Cocopah Speedway Race Track55 miles away - Somerton, Arizona, USA
- Barona Speedway Race Track74 miles away - Lakeside, California, USA
Distance information is direct (as the crow flies) - driving distance will differ due to road routes and things like lakes or mountains.
dirt track racing advertisement
Imperial Valley Raceway Dirt Track Racing Organizations
- CLS - California Lightning Sprints Dirt Track Racing Organization
- POWRi - Performance Open Wheel Racing Inc Dirt Track Racing Organization