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TOMMY MALCOLM RETURNS TO PERRIS
FOR THE SALUTE TO INDY AFTER HIS FIRST
SPRINT CAR WIN LAST SATURDAY AT TULARE By Scott Daloisio
(Perris, CA, May 22, 2022) After
several years of trying and numerous
heartbreaking near misses, Tommy “Thunder”
Malcolm scored the first sprint car win of
his career last Saturday night at the
Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, California.
This Saturday, the now 30-year-old returns
to where it all started for him, Perris
Auto Speedway, when Heimark Distributors
Anheuser Busch presents the Amsoil
USAC/CRA Sprint Cars in the prestigious
“Salute to Indy.”

Tommy "Thunder" Malcolm, winner of his
first sprint car main last Saturday, will
be at Perris this Saturday. Lance
Jennings photo.
It was
approximately 15 years ago that Malcolm
began racing a PASSCAR Street Stock on the
Riverside County half-mile clay oval.
There he raced alongside his stepdad Dino
Napier and his brother Johnny. It was also
where he picked up the nickname “Thunder.”
His brother was dubbed “Lightning” so it
was only appropriate that he was tagged
with the “Thunder” moniker.
At the
time, Malcolm’s age, diminutive size, and
natural talent endured him to the fans. He
followed his dad and brother into late
model racing and quickly made a name for
himself and was a threat wherever he
raced. However, when the late model scene
began to dry up in California, Malcolm had
to find a new racing path and that path
led him to sprint cars. He immediately
proved to be as smooth in a sprint car as
he was in a late model. With laps and
experience came speed. Suddenly he became
a contender and his first win was just
around the corner. Then around another
corner and another. Many times he was
close to a win, only to have fate rob him
of the victory.
Perhaps the
biggest disappointment for the
fan-friendly racer came last year at the
Bakersfield Speedway. Late in the main
event he was leading and clearly had the
fastest car. The victory was within his
grasp but he suffered a flat tire during a
yellow flag period. He pulled to the work
area, his crew changed the tire and he had
to restart at the back of the pack. He is
such a popular driver that many of his
fellow competitors lamented his misfortune
with the flat tire. The same racers also
lauded his victory on Saturday.
The
Bakersfield disappointment and the others
accumulated along the way were all
forgotten last Saturday night when
Malcolm, who lives in Yucaipa, California,
and who was making his 109th USAC/CRA
start, began the race on the outside of
the front row and led every inch of the
way for his first sprint car victory.
Appropriately, “Thunder’s“ first sprint
car triumph came at the track named the
Thunderbowl.
“The track was hard to
pass on last night and the advantage I had
was being out front,” Malcolm told host
Dave Stall on Sunday’s “Racer Radio Show.”
“I led all 30-laps. There had to have been
six or seven cautions maybe. I was nervous
on the restarts because I knew Brody
(series point leader Brody Roa) was behind
me. So every restart I did something a
little bit different. I tried the top, I
tried the bottom, I tried everything. We
have been really close a bunch of times
and finally to get that first win has been
pretty nice.”
“The car is ready to
go this weekend at Perris Auto Speedway.
Believe it or not, we actually last night
(Saturday at Tulare) tried a new set up
for the first time ever. It worked great.
We do a certain set up at every track we
go to. It is just the fine changes after
that. We are after that certain balance
and I think it (the set up they used at
Tulare) is going to work well for Perris.
So, I am really excited.”
Malcolm’s
Win at Tulare makes him one of the
favorites for Saturday’s 70th running of
the “Salute to Indy.” The race started in
1948 when Dempsey Wilson won the first
edition. Since that time some of the
greatest drivers in sprint car racing
history have won the event. The list
includes National Sprint Car Hall of
Famers Billy Wilkerson, Bob Hogle, Jimmy,
Oskie, Colby Scroggin, Dean Thompson, Hal
Minyard, Bubby Jones, Art Bisch, Brad
Noffsinger, Rip Williams, Ron Shuman, Cory
Kruseman, Richard “The Gasman” Griffin,
and Lealand McSpadden.
When Ascot
closed at the end of the 1990 season, the
“Salute to Indy” went into hibernation
until Perris opened in 1996. Since then it
has been held every year except for 2008
when it was rained out and 2020 when it
was canceled due to Covid.
Last
year, Norco’s Cody Williams became the
third member of his family to win “The
Salute to Indy.” In 1983, his father Rip
won his first of over 100 sprint car mains
when he topped the “Salute to Indy” at
Ascot. Cody’s brother Austin leads the
family with two wins in 2016 and 2018.
Besides the Williams brothers, other past
winners who will be competing on Saturday
night are Matt Mitchell (2011 & 2013
winner) of Costa Mesa and Garden Grove’s
Brody Roa, who won the race in 2021.
In addition to the Amsoil USAC/CRA
Sprint Cars, the POWRi Southwest Lightning
Sprints, PAS Senior and Young Gun Sprints
and the PASSCAR Street Stocks will also be
in action. Spectator gates will open at
5:00 p.m. with racing starting at 7:00.
Adult tickets for Saturday’s race are
$30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for
$25.00. Kids 6-12 get in for $5.00 and
children 5 and under are free. The
fairgrounds charge $10.00 for parking. For
fans who wish to order advance tickets,
they are available 24 hours a day online
at the following website
https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7 or
by calling 1-800-595-4849. For fans who do
not wish to buy tickets in advance, there
will be plenty available for everyone at
the ticket window on Saturday night.
Perris Auto Speedway is conveniently
located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds
(home of the Southern California Fair),
one-hour east of Los Angeles and one-hour
North of San Diego. To get to the track,
take the 215 freeway, exit on the Ramona
Expressway, and go three miles east to the
fairgrounds. For directions online, the
address to enter is: 18700 Lake Perris
Drive and the zip code is 92571.
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,
Tire Choice Auto Service, 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.
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 2023 SCHEDULE
May 20th LKQ
Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF
DESTRUCTION III - Demo Cross, Figure 8's,
Mini Stock Figure 8’s, Mini Stocks And
Insane Double Deckers Plus “Power Of
Purple Night” Benefiting The American
Cancer Society Relay For Life Riverside
County East
May 27th Heimark
Distributors/Anheuser Busch Presents the
“SALUTE TO INDY" AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT
CARS,
PAS Senior/Young Guns Sprint
Cars, Southwest Lightning Sprints And
PASSCAR Street Stocks Plus “Power Of
Purple Night” Benefiting The American
Cancer Society Relay For Life Riverside
County East
June 3rd LKQ Pick Your
Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION IV -
Demo Cross, Figure 8's, Mini Stock Figure
8’s, Mini Stocks And Insane Double Deckers
June 10th Heimark
Distributors/Anheuser Busch Presents the
“BUBBY JONES / RAY SHEETZ MEMORIAL” AMSOIL
USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS (40 Lap Main Event)
And PAS Senior/Young Guns Sprint Cars Plus
“Power Of Purple Night” Benefiting The
American Cancer Society Relay For Life
Riverside County East
June 17th
PASSCAR - Super Stocks, Street Stocks,
American Factory Stocks, IMCA Modifieds
And IMCA Sport Compacts
July 1st
LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF
DESTRUCTION V - Demo Cross, Figure 8's,
Mini Stock Figure 8’s, Mini Stocks And
Insane Double Deckers Plus “Power Of
Purple Night” Benefiting The American
Cancer Society Relay For Life Riverside
County East
July 15th Heimark
Distributors/Anheuser Busch Presents the
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS
SENIOR/YOUNG GUNS Sprint Cars And PASSCAR
Factory Stocks Plus “Power Of Purple
Night” Benefiting The American Cancer
Society Relay For Life Riverside County
East
July 22nd PASSCAR - Super
Stocks, Street Stocks, American Factory
Stocks, IMCA Modifieds And IMCA Sport
Compacts
August 5th LKQ Pick Your
Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION VI -
Demo Cross, Figure 8's, Mini Stock Figure
8’s, Mini Stocks And Insane Double Deckers
August 12TH PASSCAR - Super Stocks,
Street Stocks, American Factory Stocks,
IMCA Modifieds And IMCA Sport Compacts
August 19th Heimark
Distributors/Anheuser Busch Presents the
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS
Senior/Young Guns Sprint Cars, Southwest
Lightning Sprints And WRA Vintage Cars On
Display Plus “Power Of Purple Night”
Benefiting The American Cancer Society
Relay For Life Riverside County East
September 16TH LKQ Pick Your Part
Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION VII - DEMO
CROSS, FIGURE 8'S, MINI STOCK FIGURE 8’S,
MINI STOCKS AND INSANE DOUBLE DECKERS
September 23rd Heimark
Distributors/Anheuser Busch Presents the
"GLENN HOWARD CLASSIC" AMSOIL USAC/CRA
SPRINT CARS PAS Senior/Young Guns Sprint
Cars, PASSCAR Super Stocks
September 30th PASSCAR - Super Stocks,
Street Stocks, American Factory Stocks,
IMCA Modifieds And IMCA Sport Compacts
October 21st LKQ Pick Your Part
Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION VIII - Demo
Cross, Figure 8's, Mini Stock Figure 8’s,
Mini Stocks And Insane Double Deckers
October 28th PASSCAR - Super Stocks,
Street Stocks, American Factory Stocks,
PAS Modifieds And IMCA Sport Compacts
November 11th Heimark
Distributors/Anheuser Busch Presents the
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS (40 LAPS), PAS
Senior/Young Guns Sprint Cars And
Southwest Lightning Sprint Cars
THIS SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. |
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