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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. |
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