This Weekend’s Hot Spots – The Weekend Race Guide

The Wheatley Chronicles – Volume III, No. 16

Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (March 19, 2015) – What do Stockton, Tucson and Tulsa have in common? Well, for open wheel race fans, those are this weekend’s most likely best destinations for some top-flight action.

Outlaws on the West Coast, a winged and wingless doubleheader in the Arizona desert and Midgets in Tulsa lead the list of this weekend’s slate of events.

Cali is easily the best place to be for those looking to make it a three-night weekend. The winged 360 Civil War series kicks off the 2015 season on Friday night at Marysville Raceway Park, less than 100 mies north of where the World of Outlaws will mix it up at the Stockton Dirt Track on Saturday and Sunday.

Rico Abreu and Kerry Madsen split Stockton honors last year. Last Saturday night, Abreu became the eighth different winner in as many WoO events thus far in 2015. Madsen is still among the winless and would like to extend the streak to at least nine.

The Copper on Dirt shifts back to Tucson’s USA Raceway on Friday and Saturday with a full slate of USAC/CRA Sprint Cars and ASCS Southwest Sprint Cars with West Coast Late Models in the mix as well.

While Richard Vander Weerd leads the USAC/CRA ranks into Tucson after winning the recent series opener at Perris, reigning series champ Damion Gardner topped last year’s edition that was shortened to one night by weather at Canyon Speedway Park.

The winged 360’s of the ASCS Southwest Region join in on the fun this time with current Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour points leader Aaron Reutzel added to the mix after a Devil’s Bowl rainout. Reutzel joins a cast of characters that includes perennial Southwest champ Rick Ziehl and South Dakota’s Dusty Zomer, who dispatched the SW regulars last weekend at Canyon.

Midgets fire to life in North America for the first time since Chili Bowl with this weekend’s POWRi Midget Turnpike Challenge at Port City Raceway. Christopher Bell will be among a strong field of entries as he tries for a repeat of last year’s sweep after taking Rattler 250 Super Late Model honors in Alabama last weekend.

Central PA isn’t left out either with Lincoln Speedway trying to get action in for the second week in a row after Greg Hodnett topped last Sunday’s Icebreaker 30 event.

The weekend schedule at a glance:

Friday (March 20, 2015):

Hattiesburg Speedway (Hattiesburg, MS) – Southern Outlaw Winged 360s

Heart O’ Texas Speedway (Waco, TX) – SST 305s

Marysville Raceway Park (Marysville, CA) – Civil War Winged 360s

Port City Raceway (Tulsa, OK) – POWRi Midgets

Red River Speedway (Wichita Falls, TX) – 305s

USA Raceway (Tucson, AZ) – USAC/CRA Non-Wing 410s & ASCS Southwest Winged 360s

 

Saturday (March 21, 2015):

Bakersfield Speedway (Bakersfield, CA) – USAC Western Midgets & 305s

Cotton Bowl Speedway (Paige, TX) – 305s

Dixieland Dirt Track (Dothan, AL) – Southern Outlaw Winged 360s

East Bay Raceway Park (Tampa, FL) – Top Gun Winged 360s

Kennedale Speedway Park (Kennedale, TX) – 305s

Lincoln Speedway (Abbottstown, PA) – Winged 410s

Port City Raceway (Tulsa, OK) – POWRi Midgets

Stockton Dirt Track (Stockon, CA) – World of Outlaws Winged 410s

USA Raceway (Tucson, AZ) – USAC/CRA Non-Wing 410s & ASCS Southwest Winged 360s

Ventura Raceway (Ventura, CA) – VRA Non-Wing 360s

 

Sunday (March 22, 2015):

Stockton Dirt Track (Stockon, CA) – World of Outlaws Winged 410s

 

The Wheatley Chronicles brings insight and highlights from all variety of racing series throughout the nation in 2015 and beyond along with the Open Wheel Power Rankings on a regular basis. Please send any comments, questions or advertising inquiries regarding The Wheatley Chronicles at www.sprintcarmania.com to Lonnie Wheatley at lonniewheatley@gmail.com.