by Lonnie Wheatley
PEORIA, Ariz. | Nov. 14, 2013 - With the anticipation reaching a fever pitch, it’s finally here. Western World week is upon as the 46th Annual Sands Chevrolet Western World Championships presented by Racers Advantage Store takes place at Canyon Speedway Park this weekend.
While a potential $20,000 payday awaits one of the many Midget and Sprint Car entries for the event that takes place Thursday, Friday and Saturday atop the 1/3-mile clay oval, festivities get under way one night earlier with an open practice session on Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Then taking to the track to battle it out for three nights to determine the champions of the 46th Western World will be the Honda USAC National Midgets and the USAC Southwest vs. USAC West Coast non-wing Sprint Cars.
A $7,500 winner’s share is posted for both the Midgets and Sprint Cars, with a $5,000 bonus courtesy of E&K Construction available for any driver that top both portions of the event, bringing the possible take to $20,000.
Bryan Clauson is the reigning Western World Sprint Car winner while Midgets join in on the WWC spotlight for the first time.
Fresh off winning the USAC National championship, Clauson has enjoyed his share of success at CSP by winning seven features atop the 1/3-mile clay oval in 2013 after winning last year’s Western World. Clauson has piled up a total of 23 overall feature wins this season including 16 in Sprint Cars and seven in Midgets.
Noblesville, Indiana’s Clauson is joined by another pair of recent Western World winners in the wingless Sprint Car ranks including Brady Bacon, who went back-to-back in 2009 and 2010, and 2011 champion Tracy Hines.
Among those defending home turf will be current USAC Southwest points leader R.J. Johnson along with defending Arizona champ Charles Davis, Jr.
Christopher Bell of Norman, OK, leads the Honda USAC National Midget ranks into the event as he seeks his fist National Midget championship. The 18-year-old from Norman, OK, has enjoyed a breakout season with 17 overall wins including nine in the Midget ranks.
Bell leads USAC National Midget points ahead of Clauson, Hines, Darren Hagen and Rico Abreu with POWRi Midget champion Zach Daum and USAC Western Midget points leader Ronnie Gardner among the all star field.
Several drivers are tabbed for double-duty with an eye on the $20,000 for a potential sweep including Clauson, Bacon, Hines, Dave Darland, R.J. Johnson, Mike Spencer, Josh Pelkey, Richard Vander Weerd, Aaron Reutzel and Tony Everhart.
Approximately 30 Midgets and 50 Sprint Cars are anticipated for the event, with a quick glimpse at the entry list revealing one of the most competitive fields in Western World history.
Honda USAC National Midgets:
0 Johnny Murdock (Kaufman, TX)
1az Stevie Sussex (Phoenix, AZ)
3 Chris Windom (Canton, IL)
4 Bobby East (Brownsburg, IN)
05 Jake Swanson (Anaheim, CA)
5d Zach Daum (Pocahontas, IL)
7 Shannon McQueen (Bakersfield, CA)
7a Dalton Armstrong (New Castle, IN)
7c Caleb Armstrong (New Castle, IN)
9p Parker Price-Miller (Kokomo, IN)
10 Brad Kuhn (Avon, IN)
11a Andrew Felker (Carl Junction, MO)
12 Josh Pelkey (Peoria, AZ)
15 David Prickett (Fresno, CA)
24 Tracy Hines (Wilkinson, IN)
35 Scott Pierovich (Alamo, CA)
37 Trey Marcham (Oklahoma City, OK)
39 Bryan Clauson (Noblesville, IN)
39 Kyle Edwards (Fountain Valley, CA)
51 R.J. Johnson (Phoenix, AZ)
55 Tony Everhart (El Cajon, CA)
55 Taylor Ferns (Shelby Twp, MI)
56 Darren Hagen (Riverside, CA)
67 Tanner Thorson (Minden, NV)
67x Rico Abreu (Rutherford, CA)
68 Ronnie Gardner (Norco, CA)
71 Christopher Bell (Norman, OK)
73 Dave Darland (Lincoln, IN)
91a Aaron Reutzel (Clute, TX)
91T Tyler Thomas (Collinsville, OK)
99 Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK)
Mike Spencer (Temecula, CA)
Richard Vander Weerd (Visalia, CA)
USAC Southwest vs. USAC West Coast Sprint Cars:
Thursday Qualifiers:
2 Matthew Rossi (Glendale, AZ)
2 Joshua Shipley (Peoria, AZ)
4g Jerry Coons, Jr. (Tucson, AZ)
5 Dalten Gabbard (Peoria, AZ)
5v Bradley Terrell (Sebastopol, CA)
6 Ronnie Clark (Tucson, AZ)
7k Bruce St. James (Phoenix, AZ)
8 Bob Ream, Jr. (Glendale, AZ)
9 Ryan Linder (Phoenix, AZ)
11 Joe Ramaker (Boise, ID)
12 Josh Grady (Floravista, NM)
18 Dustin Cormany (Phoenix, AZ)
20 Shon Deskins (Waddell, AZ)
21a Aaron Reutzel (Clute, TX)
26 Connor Kassik (Hanford, CA)
29 Mike Bonneau (Phoenix, AZ)
48 Thomas Ogle (Phoenix, AZ)
50 Charles Davis, Jr. (Buckeye, AZ)
53 Tom Lee (Prescott, AZ)
57x James Aragon (Glendale, AZ)
68 Gary Taylor (Snohomish, WA)
73 Dave Darland (Lincoln, IN)
74 Colby Copeland (Glendale, AZ)
77m R.J. Johnson (Phoenix, AZ)
88 Richard Vander Weerd (Visalia, CA)
99 Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK)
Friday Qualifiers:
3x Jimmy Crawford (Ventura, CA)
5 Tye Mihocko (Peoria, AZ)
5x Jody Wirth (Queen Creek, AZ)
7m Mike Spencer (Temecula, CA)
10 Jace Vander Weerd (Visalia, CA)
11c Michael Curtis (Cottonwood, AZ)
12 Josh Pelkey (Peoria, AZ)
16 Mike Martin (Yuma, AZ)
18 Dustin Cormany (Phoenix, AZ)
19 Andrew Reinbold (Gilbert, AZ)
20 Bryan Clauson (Noblesville, IN)
20s Jon Stanbrough (Avon, IN)
21 Tracy Hines (Wilkinson, IN)
28 Mark Morin (Surprise, AZ)
32b Brian Hosford (Gilbert, AZ)
41w Rick Ziehl (Las Cruces, NM)
45 Jason Grady (Floravista, NM)
55 Tony Everhart (El Cajon, CA)
57 TBA
60 Michael Harms (Scottsdale, AZ)
74x Chad Boespflug (Hanford, CA)
77 Casey Shuman (Rattlesnake Bend, AZ)
93 Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK)
97 Kevin Thomas, Jr. (Cullman, AL)
98 Matt Lundy (Phoenix, AZ)
Added to the Western World lineup for the first time, the USAC National Midgets will run a “Smackdown” style format while the Sprint Cars will battle it out through a format similar to previous years.
In short, the format for each will be as follows:
Honda USAC National Midgets:
All entries will race each night with Thursday and Friday preliminary events following standard USAC format including qualifying, heat races and features. Separate qualifying, heat and feature points will be tabulated to determine Saturday night Western World Championship lineups.
The top eight in combined points from Thursday and Friday action will be locked into Saturday’s main event. Those eight will engage in a Revenge Draw during Saturday’s opening ceremonies to determine the Dash lineup. The Dash finish will determine the alignment of the front four rows of the main event.
The balance of the field will be aligned in Qualifying races straight up by points, with finishes determining the balance of the night’s “A” and “B” Main lineups.
USAC Southwest vs. USAC West Coast Sprint Cars:
The Sprint Car field will be split with approximately half the entries competing on Thursday and the remaining half competing on Friday to set the stage for Saturday’s Western World Championships finale.
On each preliminary night (Thursday and Friday), pill draw will determine heat race lineups with heat race finishing/passing points then determining qualifying race lineups with finishing/passing points once again in effect. The top 16 in combined finishing/passing points from heats and qualifiers each night advance to the “A” Main with the balance to the “B” Main.
The top four from each preliminary night (Thursday and Friday) “A” Main event will lock into Saturday’s finale. Those eight will engage in a Revenge Draw during Saturday’s opening ceremonies to determine the Dash lineup. The Dash finish will determine the alignment of the front four rows of the main event.
The balance of the field will be lined straight up according to preliminary night point totals in twin “B” Mains (as well as a “C” Main if necessary) to set the balance of the “A” Main starting lineup.
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