Sands Chevrolet “Copper on Dirt”

One of the major races of the year, the second annual Sands Chevrolet Copper on Dirt, gets the 2008 open wheel season underway February 15-16 at Manzanita Speedway.

USAC will be the sanctioning body for the event and the Copper on Dirt is also one of their main events of 2008. USAC Midgets will be running for points in both the chase for the Nationals championship but for Western States points as well. USAC Silver Crown and USAC/CRA sprint cars are also part of the show with all three divisions racing on Manzy’s famed half mile track.

The inaugural Copper race attracted 130 entries last year and at least that many cars should again crowd into the pit area. In fact USAC is hopeful of putting no less than 150 open wheel cars into the pits.

Jerry Coons, Jr., the defending two time champion in the USAC midgets heads a strong 52 car field in the first points race of the year. Coons got to a good start in quest of a second straight driving championship when he finished third in last year’s Copper main event. Cory Kruseman took the win with Darren Hagen second.

The midget races have attracted most of the well known drivers. Damion Gardner, winner of the recent Chili Bowl, Brady Bacon, Levi Jones and Nathan High who was tenth in the Chili Bowl are all judged capable of taking the win.

Ricky Stenhouse, a relative unknown, won both the Silver Crown and Sprint Car features. He led the final 25 laps in beating Hagen, former USAC/CRA champion Damion Gardner and 2007 champion Tony Jones. He then waged a race long battle with Shane Cottle before taking the lead on the 42nd lap in the Silver Crown champion.

Even with two time USAC sprint car champion Levi Jones and 2005 Western World champion Dave Darland plus local favorites such as Charles Davis, Jr. Nathan High and others in the field, it could well be a west coast driver that puts his car into the winner’s circle.

Kruseman and Mike Spencer should have the adrenaline flowing after they ran one-two in the two nights of racing at Perris Auto Speedway last week. Spencer set quick time Friday night and Kruseman was quickest Saturday night.

R.J. Johnson finished fifth on Friday and was tenth Saturday. Chad Boat, who at age 16 has secured a USAC license and finished 11th in his first ever USAC race and his first race on the Perris track. Boat plans to head to the Midwest when USAC opens its sprint car series in April.

Several drivers, including Spencer and three time Arizona champion Jeremy Sherman figure to be among the drivers who will be entering the Copper at the pit gate Friday night. The early entry list has only 31 cars but USAC figures it will be well over 40 by race time.

The Silver Crown pre-entry list has nineteen names on it but several more entries are expected. Stenhouse will be back as well as Cottle. Coons will be racing in all three divisions as will Darland and Hagen.

Tracy Hines won heat races in all three divisions last year but is not on the list of early entries for the sprints. He will be driving for Tony Stewart in both the midgets and silver crown and it is possible that Stewart will also field his sprint cars.

Tickets for both nights are still available at the Manzanita ticket office at 35th Ave. and Broadway and by phone at 602 276-7575.

A practice session will be held Thursday, 5 – 10 P.M. and is open to the public.