The tradition of the legendary “Western World Championships” continues at a new venue this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 4-5, as both the USAC AMSOIL National and CRA Sprint Car Championships head to Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek for the 49th edition of the prestigious event.
Brady Bacon (National) and Damion Gardner (USAC/CRA) are the respective points leaders for each division as they take part in the first of five combined races to conclude the 2016 season, wrapping up with the 21st annual Budweiser “Oval Nationals” at Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway on Nov. 10-11-12 following this weekend’s back-to-back nights in Queen Creek.
Bacon took his lone Arizona USAC National Sprint Car victory during a preliminary feature in last season’s “Western World” at Tucson, Arizona’s USA Raceway.
However, Bacon is a two-time winner of the “Western World” Saturday night finale in 2009-2010 when the race was under ASCS sanction.
Gardner’s one “Western World” victory came in a preliminary event at the defunct Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix back in 2005!
With a commanding 233-point lead, Bacon has a stranglehold in his quest to become a two-time USAC National Sprint Car champion.
Meanwhile, Gardner has been red-hot of late, which has shot him out to a 117-point advantage in the CRA standings as he eyes a fourth consecutive series title and fifth overall.
Activity will unfold on Friday and Saturday nights, with feature events completing each night’s program.
Bryan Clauson won last year’s “Western World” finale, holding off Robert Ballou on the final lap to take the victory. USAC Southwest Sprint Car regular Matt Rossi was victorious at the “Western World” in 2014 while Dave Darland, who currently stands third in National Sprint points, won the “Western World” in 2005.
The event dates to Bob Cleberg’s 1968 triumph at Manzanita, which was home of the “Western World” from 1968-2008.
Also on the card of event both nights are the final two series races for USAC’s Southwest Sprint Car Series.
Both nights, spectator gates open at 4pm with racing set to get underway at 7pm.
Grandstand admission is $20 for adults on Friday night and $25 on Saturday. Both nights, gate admission for children ages 7-12 is just $10 and FREE for children 6 and under. Pit passes are $35. Two-day general admission tickets for adults are available for the discounted price of $40 and $15 for children ages 7-12.
Both nights of this weekend’s “Western World” will be available via live streaming on http://www.speedshifttv.com/.
- administrator on Nov 01, 2016
- Article Date: 11/1/2016