Press Release by Jim Pluhar
Santa Maria, CA - July 25, 2009

West Coast 360 Sprint Cars, Papich Construction IMCA Modifieds, MMI Factory Stocks and Toste Grading & Paving Mini Stocks raced Santa Maria Speedway Saturday night. Ladies in the crowd received special gifts for Mega 97.1 FM and Hyundai of Santa Maria Ladies Night. The City of Santa Maria gave oil collection pans, funnels and shop rags to spectators to celebrate Race to a Better Environment Night.

Danny Sheridan, of Santa Maria, had a night off from the USAC/CRA 410 Sprints and brought his 360 Sprint Car out for the night. Sheridan started third in the field and managed to outduel third place Davey Pombo, of Kerman, and fourth place Rusty Carlile, of Bakersfield, but couldn't run down Richard VanderWeerd, of Visalia, who captured his second straight 30-lap feature event. Dennis Howell, of Rancho Palos Verdes, finished fifth. Pombo set fast time of 14.111 seconds and VanderWeerd, Sheridan, and Atascadero's Greg Porte captured 8-lap heat races.

Clay Daly, of Watsonville, outlasted Nipomo's Kenny Kirkpatrick for his second 25-lap IMCA Modified main event win of the season. Jason Papich, of Arroyo Grande, finished third, followed by Paul Terrones, of Lompoc, and Jared Domingos of Santa Maria. Daly, Kirkpatrick, and Lompoc's Mike Johnson won 8-lap heat races.

Kirk Morgan, of Santa Maria, made a last lap pass on race leader Dale Sylvester, of Arroyo Grande, to claim the 20-lap Factory Stock main event which was shortened to 17 laps due to numerous yellows and two red flags. Sylvester's second place finish made him the big winner in the point standings since the point leader's closest rivals placed sixth and eleventh. Santa Maria's Glen Sparks, Atascadero's Mike Leland, and Chuck Barfoot, of Pismo Beach, made up the rest of the top-five. Morgan, Barfoot, and Doyle Graham, of Grover Beach, picked up 8-lap heat race wins.

Tom Grzincic, of Atascadero, continued to put his stamp on the Mini Stock division by claiming his eighth consecutive 20-lap Mini Stock feature victory. Nipomo drivers filled the next three spots with Korban Ensign second, followed by Jeremy Heroux and Kurt Larsen. Hardy Ensign, of Orcutt, came home fifth. Eight-lap heat race wins were chalked up by K. Ensign, Heroux, and Nipomo's Taelor Janes.

Next Saturday night Super Late Models, East vs. West Super Streets, and MMI Factory Stocks will provide the racing thrills. But, the highlight of the evening will be at intermission when Factory Stock driver Mike Leland is scheduled to tie the knot with his betrothed.  Tickets prices will be $16.00 for adults, $14.00 for seniors and military and their spouses, and $5.00 for children six to twelve. Kids five and under are free. Gates will open at 3:00 p.m., with qualifying at 5:00 p.m. and racing at 6:00 p.m. the Speedway is located 1/4-mile north of the US 101/166 interchange on Hutton Road.

RACE SUMMARIES:
Sprint Cars: Fast Time - Davey Pombo, 14.111.
Heat 1 - Greg Porte, Rusty Carlile, D. Pombo, Ryan Guy, Rick Eberhardt, Mike Knopf, T.J. Smith, Jonathan Logan.
Heat 2 - Danny Sheridan, Greg Alexander, Justyne Hamblin, Jace VanderWeerd, Steve DeMott, Terry Nichols, Mike Smith, Joey Layman.
Heat 3 - Richard VanderWeerd, Albert Pombo, Peter Murphy, Bill Jones, Dennis Howell, Lynn Anderson, Billy Buttler.
Main Event - R. VanderWeerd, Sheridan, D. Pombo, Carlile, Howell, Hamblin, A. Pombo, Alexander, Murphy, J. VanderWeerd, T. Smith, Jones, Layman, DeMott, Knopf, Anderson, M. Smith, Eberhardt, Buttler, Porte, Nichols, Guy, Logan (DNS).

IMCA Modifieds:
Heat 1 - Clay Daly, Jason Papich, Danny Lauer, Jake Jones, Doug Thornton, Frank Russell, Ken Kehs.
Heat 2 - Mike Johnson, Bryan Clark, Joey Claborn, Jimmy Justice, Tony Toste, Ian Hunter.
Heat 3 - Kenny Kirkpatrick, Bob Diaz, Chad Weber, Paul Terrones, Jared Domingos, Daylan Coffey.
Main Event - Daly, Kirkpatrick, Papich, Terrones, Domingos, Weber, Thornton, Toste, Jones, Johnson, Lauer, Hunter, Russell, Justice, Kehs, Diaz, Clark, Coffey, Claborn (DNS).

Factory Stocks:
Heat 1 - Doyle Graham, Gary Rayburn, Jr., Glen Sparks, Theo Van De Sande, Kevin Linson, Jonathan LaRosa, Matt Marchiando, Tim Correia.
Heat 2 - Kirk Morgan, Mike Leland, Dale Sylvester, Randy Obert, Dan Bryant, Robert Read, Brandon Brickey, Sr.
Heat 3 - Chuck Barfoot, Michael Frazier, John Hanson, Derek Todd, Bill Spratlin, Lisa Bennett, Tim Bennett.
Main Event - Morgan, Sylvester, Sparks, Leland, Barfoot, T. Bennett, Todd, Bryant, Hanson, LaRosa, Frazier, L. Bennett, Read, Correia, Spratlin, Van De Sande, Brickey, Linson, Marchiando, Obert, Rayburn, Graham.

Mini Stocks:
Heat 1 - Taelor Janes, Kurt Larsen, Ben Caswell, Kevin Dye, Phillip Sewell, Adrian Guzman, Rich Stevens.
Heat 2 - Jeremy Heroux, Pat Fausel, Robby Cervantes, Travis Peterson, Robert Dye, Tim Douglas, Evan Menane.
Heat 3 - Korban Ensign, Tom Grzincic, Hardy Ensign, Dustin Ensign, Jeff Dye, Mike Keebler.
Main Event - Grzincic, K. Ensign, Heroux, Larsen, H. Ensign, Fausel, Caswell, R. Dye, Douglas, Peterson, D. Ensign, J. Dye, Keebler, Janes, Guzman, Sewell, Menane, Stevens, Cervantes, K. Dye.

POINT STANDINGS:
IMCA Modifieds:
1. Chad Weber, 309; 2. Doug Thornton, 289; 3. Tony Toste, 274; 4. Danny Lauer, 263; 5. Daylan Coffey, 242.

Factory Stocks:
1. Dale Sylvester, 326; 2. Michael Frazier, 296; 3. Tim Bennett/Kevin Linson, 291; 5. Brandon Brickey, Sr., 290.

Mini Stocks:
1. Tom Grzincic, 498; 2. Jeremy Heroux, 438; 3. Kurt Larsen, 384; 4. Dustin  En sign, 362; 5. Ben Caswell, 346.