Perris Auto Speedway
Home Page
The Track
Maps/Hotels
Social Media
Multimedia
Race Schedule
Press Releases
Race Results
Point Standings
Divisions
Official Rules
Driver Information
Driver Rosters
Track Champions
Special Events
Marketing
Corporate Parties
Track Rental
Sponsors
Industry Links
Contact Us


 


 

  PERRIS FIGURE 8 CHAMP COX LOOKS AT THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
By Scott Daloisio

(Perris, CA, March 3, 2022)
With rainy weather working its way into Southern California, drivers, fans, and officials are crossing their fingers and betting against the forecast in hopes that Perris Auto Speedway can get Night Of Destruction #1, Presented By LKQ Pick Your Part, in the books this Saturday night. One of those anxiously waiting is two-time and defending Figure 8 champion Earl Cox Jr. of Norco.



Earl Cox Jr. with his son-in-law, daughter, granddaughter, and his wife after winning a main event at The PAS in 2021. Doug Allen Photo.

A grandfather, Cox is one of two racing sons of past Southern California racing legend Earl Cox Sr. Beginning in the 1960s, the elder Cox raced around the state at such places as Corona, Saugus, Adelanto, Whiteman Stadium, and most notably legendary Ascot Park in Gardena, California. Like his son nowadays, Cox Sr. was known for his prowess in Figure 8 racing. He was also known as a proficient car builder and Earl Jr. is following in those footsteps as well. He is not only building top-notch cars for himself but for many of his competitors.

“That is when my brother and I learned to build cars,” Cox stated. “We were always down in his shop helping him. He (Earl Sr.) tells me all the time if he was able to come out and race, he would whip my butt. I tell him every time, ‘pick a car. I have any car you want.’”

Like his father, Cox’s feelings for the sport run deep. It is not just a means to get away and have fun, it is a passion that he inherited and how could he not? As a small child, he would sit in the grandstands with his brother as they cheered on their father. Today, he not only competes but he helps and pulls for other drivers to succeed and get better.

“This is my passion and I have been in it all my life,” the two-time Perris Figure 8 champion said. “I would hate to see it die. My motivation is to keep the class going and help other drivers who are coming up. I am no spring chicken. It motivates me to see how these new guys drive. I want to build a new car to keep pace with them. Guys like Jesse Gordon, my brother, he is not a spring chicken either, but he has a new car coming out. Anthony Guisa and his son. Guys like that keep me motivated because I like to see the sport grow.”

“We have built a lot of cars out there,” Cox continued. “I built a new car, besides my brother’s car, for a new guy who is going to be racing this year. I don’t know if he is going to make it to the first race, but I definitely think he is going to make it to the second one. He should be really competitive. We are going to have some fast guys (again) this year once we get going.”

Cox has reached out to many of his competitors, and many have come to him seeking answers to questions. They have become great friends. Even though they are competitors and even though he wants to beat them, he gets a lot of satisfaction in seeing them do well.

“I am really proud of some of these upcoming guys,” Cox continued. “Like my buddy “The Love Doctor” (Anthony Guisa). When he first came out, he was in a Buick, I think. To see him progress and now his son coming up and Jesse Gordon and a few other guys, it is something I am looking forward to.”

When Perris first introduced Night of Destruction, there were only a handful of cars in the Figure 8 class. And unlike today, many of them were junkers. These days that tide has turned, and a lot of it has to do with Cox. As well as building some great cars for the current drivers, when he initially came out, he showed up with a much nicer car than most of the competition. If you want to contend for a win or a championship in the Perris Figure 8s these days, you need a real race car that is well maintained.

“When I first came out (to Perris) there really was no real place to go Figure 8 racing,” Cox confided. “I really did not have a goal then. I just wanted to go racing. At that point in time, I had a car that may have been a little more aggressive (compared to the competition) compared to those cars, but it was still a challenge. You still had to pass guys and you still had to make it through the intersection. Not being fast was not the key. The key was keeping your eyes open around some of those cars. It was tough.”

Not only is Cox putting his best foot forward in trying to grow Figure 8 racing at The PAS, but he is approaching other tracks.

“I have been talking to Ron and Bill (Ron and Bill Meyer, the promoters of the Mohave Valley Raceway) about racing Figure 8’s out at Mohave. Hopefully, if we do that with our cars going there, some cars will come out of there and come to Perris. I am looking forward to that and it will be fun. There for a while we were getting some cars from Barona (the Barona Speedway), but that kind of died off. I wish that would happen again.”

One other thing Cox would like to see happen is to get a female driver involved. Over the past couple of seasons, female drivers have competed at Night of Destruction in the Demo Cross, Mini Stocks, and Double Deckers, but not in Figure 8s. Cox is looking into changing that.

“I think that a competitive female driver would add a lot of interest,” Cox said. “I think that would put some extra people into the stands and increase interest. I think there is a local female driver that could do very well. We will have to see if that happens.”

Weather permitting, Cox, his brother, and all the other Figure 8 drivers will be putting a show on at the 26th Perris Auto Speedway Season opener. The Figure 8 racing will be joined by a Figure 8 Trailer race, Demo Cross, Double Deckers, and the Mini Stocks. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00. Come out early and bring all of the neighborhood kids for the on track autograph and candy giveaway session from 5:15 – 5:45.

Tickets for Saturday’s race are $20.00 for adults. For kids 6-12 it is just $5.00. Children 5 and under are free. The fairgrounds charges $10.00 for parking. There will be plenty of tickets available for everyone at the gate. The race will not sell out.

Advance tickets for the first three months of racing at Perris Auto Speedway are on sale now. Fans can order the tickets online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7 or by calling 1-800-595-4849. Tickets for the remainder of the season will be on sale soon. For fans who do not wish to purchase tickets in advance, there will be plenty available for everyone at the gate each race night.

Fans can stay up to date on track and driver news on The PAS social media efforts at the links below.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Perris-Auto-Speedway/113876798686480?ref=hl
Twitter: Perris Auto Speedway on Twitter.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perrisautospeedway/
Website: http://perrisautospeedway.com/

Perris Auto Speedway wants to thank the following corporate partners. Ahern Equipment Rentals, Anderson Chevrolet, Battery Systems, Bud’s Tire Pro, Chris’ Hauling, City of Perris, Communication Innovations, Daytona Boat & RV Storage, Ed Moore Bullet Proof Driveshaft, Flowdynamics, HD Industries, Hoosier Tires, Inland Rigging, Living Water’s Hospice, LKQ Pick Your Part, Luke’s Transmission, Moose Racing, Pepsi-Cola, Performance Online, Pole Position, PrintItNow.com, Rainbow Bolt & Supply, Rugged Radios, Shaver Specialties, Square H, Sunoco Race Fuels, Trench Shoring, Upland Rock, Varner Construction and Vista Paint.

Video and DVD productions of all racing sprint cars events at Perris Auto Speedway are available from Loudpedal Productions. For more information on these productions you can contact them by calling (805) 844-3854, E-mailing mailto:trtruex@gmail.com or you can visit the website LoudPedal Productions.

DVDs of all the PASSCAR/IMCA racing and Nights of Destruction at The PAS are available from Fourvideos. For more information call (714) 225-9500.

mailto:perrisautospeedway1@gmail.com is the only authorized Internet address to issue official media news released from The Perris Auto Speedway or Oval Entertainment.

Perris Auto Speedway 2022 Schedule

March 5th "OPENING NIGHT” LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION I - DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8'S, TRAILER FIGURE 8'S, MINI STOCKS AND DOUBLE DECKERS

March 19th PASSCAR SERIES - SUPER STOCKS, STREET STOCKS, AMERICAN FACTORY STOCKS, IMCA SPORT COMPACTS AND IMCA MODIFIEDS

March 26th NOS ENERGY DRINK WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SERIES, AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS AND PAS SENIOR/YOUNG GUNS SPRINT CARS

April 2nd PASSCAR SERIES - SUPER STOCKS, STREET STOCKS, AMERICAN FACTORY STOCKS AND IMCA SPORT COMPACTS

April 23rd LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION II - DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8'S, TRAILER FIGURE 8'S, MINI STOCKS AND DOUBLE DECKERS

April 30th "SOKOLA SHOOTOUT" AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS SENIOR/YOUNG GUNS SPRINT CARS AND IMCA MODIFIEDS

May 14th PASSCAR SERIES - SUPER STOCKS, STREET STOCKS, AMERICAN FACTORY STOCKS AND IMCA SPORT COMPACTS

May 21st LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION III DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8’S, TRAILER FIGURE 8'S, MINI STOCKS AND DOUBLE DECKERS

May 28th "SALUTE TO INDY" AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS SENIOR/YOUNG GUNS SPRINT CARS AND IMCA MODIFIEDS

June 4th PASSCAR SERIES - SUPER STOCKS, STREET STOCKS,

AMERICAN FACTORY STOCKS AND IMCA SPORT COMPACTS

June 11th LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION IV DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8'S, TRAILER FIGURE 8'S, MINI STOCKS AND DOUBLE DECKERS

June 25th “BUBBY JONES / RAY SHEETZ MEMORIAL” AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS SENIOR/YOUNG GUNS SPRINT CARS AND IMCA MODIFIEDS

July 2nd FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR LKQ Pick Your Part Presents

NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION V - DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8'S, TRAILER FIGURE 8'S, MINI STOCKS AND DOUBLE DECKERS

August 13th LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION VI DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8'S, TRAILER FIGURE 8'S, MINI STOCKS AND DOUBLE DECKERS

August 20th “CALIFORNIA RACERS HALL OF FAME NIGHT" AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS SENIOR/YOUNG GUNS SPRINT CARS AND IMCA MODIFIEDS

August 27th PASSCAR SERIES - SUPER STOCKS, STREET STOCKS, AMERICAN FACTORY STOCKS AND IMCA SPORT COMPACTS

September 3rd LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION VII DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8'S, TRAILER FIGURE 8'S, MINI STOCKS AND DOUBLE DECKERS

September 10th PASSCAR SERIES - SUPER STOCKS, STREET STOCKS, AMERICAN FACTORY STOCKS AND IMCA SPORT COMPACTS

September 17th "GLENN HOWARD CLASSIC" AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS SENIOR/YOUNG GUNS SPRINT CARS, IMCA MODIFIEDS AND Lucas Oil POWRi SOUTHWEST LIGHTNING SPRINT CARS

September 24th PASSCAR SERIES - SUPER STOCKS, STREET STOCKS, AMERICAN FACTORY STOCKS AND IMCA SPORT COMPACTS

October 1st AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS SENIOR/YOUNG GUNS SPRINT CARS AND IMCA MODIFIEDS

October 15th LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION VIII DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8'S, TRAILER FIGURE 8'S, MINI STOCKS AND DOUBLE DECKERS

October 22nd PASSCAR “CHAMPION’S NIGHT” SUPER STOCKS, STREET STOCKS, AMERICAN FACTORY STOCKS, PAS MODIFIEDS AND PAS SPORT COMPACTS

November 2nd 26TH ANNUAL OVAL NATIONALS - Practice Night

November 3rd 26TH ANNUAL OVAL NATIONALS - AMSOIL USAC NATIONAL AND AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS

November 4th 26TH ANNUAL OVAL NATIONALS - AMSOIL USAC NATIONAL AND AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS

November 5th 26TH ANNUAL OVAL NATIONALS - AMSOIL USAC NATIONAL AND AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS

November 12th LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION IX DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8'S, TRAILER FIGURE 8'S, MINI STOCKS AND DOUBLE DECKERS

THIS SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.