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THREE PAST
WINNERS - THOMAS, BALLOU AND LEARY - ENTER
26TH OVAL NATIONALS
By Scott Daloisio
#saveperris
(Perris, CA, October 24, 2022)
Three more past winners are among the
latest entries into the November 3rd, 4th
and 5th 26th Annual Heimark Anheuser Busch
Budweiser Oval Nationals at Perris Auto
Speedway. The trio is made up of
three-time and defending champion Kevin
Thomas Jr., C.J. Leary, and Robert Ballou.
In addition, Justin Grant, and Brady
Bacon, who are currently ranked first and
second respectively in the USAC National
Sprint Car point standings, have also
submitted their entries.
Thomas has
been the dominant driver in the Oval
Nationals in recent years. The Cullman,
Alabama native has won three of the last
four running’s of the prestigious race. He
went back to back in 2017 and 2018. In
2019, he started 16th in the stacked field
and came all the way forward to sixth at
the finish. Due to Covid, the race was not
held in 2020, but last year Thomas came
back to win again. That victory tied him
with Concord, California’s Damion Gardner
(2009, 2011, 2016) and Bud Kaeding of
Campbell, California (2001, 2002, 2007) as
one of only three drivers to have won the
Ovals three times. Thomas will be wheeling
a car for California native Michael
Dutcher while Gardner will be in Mark
Alexander’s famous silver #1 as they each
try to become the first four time winner
of the race.
Kevin Thomas Jr. on his way to his first
Oval Nationals victory in 2017. Doug Allen
photo.
When Thomas finished sixth
in 2019, all eyes were on Leary at the end
of the 40-lap grind. The Greenfield,
Indiana star started on the pole and led
24-laps to secure his first-ever win at
the Ovals. While Leary was the winner of
the race, he was not the favorite going
into the final night. Broken Arrow,
Oklahoma’s Bacon started on the pole in
the Thursday preliminary and proceeded to
lead all 30-laps. On Friday night he
dominated again. He started third and led
every single lap for the second night in a
row. Anyone would have been a fool to bet
against him in the 40-lap finale. Starting
fourth he was a contender throughout and
was challenging for the lead when a yellow
flag came out. Leader Chase Stockon slowed
dramatically going into turn three when he
saw the yellow light. Bacon clipped
Stockon’s left rear tire and slid to a
stop by the wall ending his hopes of
sweeping the weekend.
For Ballou,
2022 will be his first Oval Nationals
since 2017. In 2014, the Rocklin,
California native finished 23rd in the
Thursday preliminary main. However, from
that point on, he was on a roll. He won
the Friday night preliminary and backed
that up with a win in Saturday’s 40-lap
final. Twelve months later in 2015, Ballou
mowed through the competition and won the
30-lappers on both preliminary nights.
Counting the prelim mains and the 2014
finale, he had won four main events in a
row at the Ovals. He was the favorite for
the finale, but Bryan Clauson stole the
show. After blowing an engine late in the
Friday preliminary, Clauson left the track
and drove to Phoenix to borrow a loner
engine from Mike Martin. He picked up the
bullet and drove straight back to Perris,
arriving early in the morning. He then
proceeded to win the main event from the
middle of the pack. Ballou ended up fifth.
While Ballou lost the battle that night,
he won the war by winning his lone USAC
National Sprint Car Series championship.
Thus far, entries have been received
for the top six drivers – Grant, Bacon,
Leary, Ballou, series leading rookie
Emerson Axsom of Franklin, Indian, and
Suter, California’s Logan Seavey - in the
USAC National Sprint Car Series. Going
into this weekend’s 55th Annual Chapman
Chevrolet Of Yuma Western World
Championships Presented By Yuma Insurance
and Avanti at the Cocopah Speedway, Grant
sits on top of the National Sprint
standings. He has a 78-point lead over
three-time series champion Bacon. Leary is
third and trails Grant by 129 points.
Ballou is fourth and Axsom is fifth. The
title will be decided at the Oval
Nationals.
The eight combined wins
by past champions Thomas, Ballou, Leary,
and Gardner accounts for 32% of the first
25 Oval Nationals.
Tickets for the
26th Annual Heimark Anheuser Busch
Budweiser Oval Nationals are on sale
online at the following link or by calling
1-800-595-4849. For those who do not wish
to buy tickets in advance, there will be
plenty of tickets available for everyone
at the ticket window all three nights. In
addition to the three nights of racing,
there will be a practice for Oval
Nationals entered cars on Wednesday,
November 2nd. The practice will begin at
6:00 PM and it will be free for fans in
the grandstands. In addition, fans will be
treated to $2.00 pizza, beer, and soda.
2022 Oval Nationals Entries (as of
October 24)
1 Damion Gardner
Concord, CA Mark Alexander
1J Jake
Neal Omaha, NB Brian Kracht
2
Austin Williams Corona, CA Austin Williams
4 Justin Grant Ion, CA Topp
Motorsports
4G Chris Gansen
Verdemont Hts, CA Gansen Motorsports
5 Tye Mihocko Peoria, AZ Tim Mihocko
5W Logan Williams Yorba Linda, CA John
& Tammy McCarthy
5X Tommy Malcolm
Corona, CA Dino Napier
6 Logan
Calderwood Goodyear, AZ Logan Calderwood
12 Danny Sheridan Santa Maria, CA
Robbie & Gaye Allen
12 Robert
Ballou Rocklin, CA Ballou Motorsports
15 Nate Schank Santa Rosa, CA Nate
Schank
15 Chris Bonneau Peoria, AZ
Chris Bonneau
17GP Kevin Thomas Jr.
Cullman, AL Michael Dutcher Motorsports
21 AJ Bender Ramona, CA Richard Bender
28M Matt McCarthy Riverside, CA John &
Tammy McCarthy
39T Troy DeGaton
Live Oak, CA Troy DeGaton
42 Logan
Seavey Sutter, CA Cheney Racing
44
Cody Williams Norco, CA Cody Williams
47 Charles Davis Jr. Buckeye, AZ
Charles Davis Jr.
47BC Emerson
Axsom Franklin, IN Clauson/Marshal Racing
51T Eddie Tafoya Jr. Chino Hills,
CA Eddie Tafoya Sr.
69 Brad Bacon
Broken Arrow, OK Dynamics, Inc.
72
Austin Grabowski Riverside, CA Austin
Grabowski
74 Shane Sexton Warner
Springs, CA Shane Sexton
77 C.J.
Leary Greenfield, IN Michael Motorsports
91R Brody Roa Garden Grove, CA Brody
Roa Performance
98 Verne Sweeney
Lomita, CA Ken Tracy
Oval
Nationals Winners 1996 – Jimmy Sills
1997 – Rip Williams 1998 – Rodney Argo
1999 – Rickie Gaunt 2000 – Tony Jones
2001 – Bud Kaeding 2002 – Bud Kaeding
2003 – Cory Kruseman 2004 – Cory
Kruseman 2005 – Dave Darland 2006 –
Dave Darland 2007 – Bud Kaeding 2008
– Jesse Hockett 2009 – Damion Gardner
2010 – Chris Windom 2011 – Damion
Gardner 2012 – Mike Spencer 2013 –
Dave Darland 2014 – Robert Ballou
2015 – Bryan Clauson 2016 – Damion
Gardner 2017 – Kevin Thomas Jr. 2018
– Kevin Thomas Jr. 2019 – C.J. Leary
2220 – No Race 2021 – Kevin Thomas Jr.
Perris Auto Speedway is conveniently
located on the freeway close Lake Perris
Fairgrounds, home of the Southern
California Fair, in nearby Riverside
County. The street address is 18700 Lake
Perris Drive in The City of Perris. To get
to the track, take the 215 freeway, exit
at the Ramona Expressway, and go three
miles east to the fairgrounds.
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, Chris’
Hauling, City of Perris, Communication
Innovations, Daytona Boat & RV Storage, Ed
Moore Bullet Proof Driveshaft,
Flowdynamics, HD Industries,
Heimark/Anheuser Busch, Hoosier Tires,
Inland Rigging, Living Water’s Hospice,
LKQ Pick Your Part, Luke’s Transmission,
Moose Racing, Pepsi-Cola, Performance
Online, Pole Position Raceway,
PrintItNow.com, Rainbow Bolt & Supply,
Rene’s Bar & Grill, 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
November 2nd 26TH
ANNUAL HEIMARK/ANHEUSER BUSCH BUDWEISER
OVAL NATIONALS - Practice Night
November 3rd 26TH ANNUAL HEIMARK/ANHEUSER
BUSCH BUDWEISER OVAL NATIONALS - AMSOIL
USAC NATIONAL AND AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT
CARS
November 4th 26TH Annual
HEIMARK/ANHEUSER BUSCH BUDWEISER Oval
NATIONALS - AMSOIL USAC NATIONAL AND
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS
November 5th 26TH Annual HEIMARK/ANHEUSER
BUSCH BUDWEISEROVAL 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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