Austin Liggett Tops Peter Murphy Classic at Tulare
TULARE, CA – MAY 17, 2019… Securing the lead from Richard Vander Weerd on lap 14, Austin Liggett (Tracy, CA) held off all challengers to win the “Peter Murphy Classic” at Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway. For Liggett, the $4,000 USAC West Coast Sprint Car victory was his second win of 2019 and the ninth of his career. Driving the family owned #83 Excel Environmental Services / Liggett Trucking Maxim, the defending champion finished ahead of Ryan Bernal, Jace Vander Weerd, Richard Vander Weerd, and “The Radio Flyer” Bruce St. James.
Michael Faccinto earned the night’s Saldana Racing Products Hard Charger Award / Best Passing Job honors with a sixth-place run from twenty-first. “The Rickster” Ricky Kirkbride scored the Wilwood Disc Brakes “Lucky 13 Award” with a thirteenth place finish.
2011 Champion Richard Vander Weerd posted his series-leading 20th Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award over the 22-car roster with a time of 15.432. Richard’s twin brother Jace won the special $500 3-lap Dash For Cash.
The ten-lap heat race victories went to Jace Vander Weerd (Extreme Mufflers First Heat), Koen Shaw (Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat), and Faccinto (Competition Suspension Incorporated / Ultra Shield Race Products Third Heat).
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USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: May 17, 2019 – Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare, California – “6th Annual Peter Murphy Classic”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFYING: 1. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-15.432; 2. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-15.444; 3. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-15.828; 4. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-15.866; 5. Tristan Guardino, 15T, Guardino-15.933; 6. D.J. Johnson, 33, Johnson-16.022; 7. Ryan Timmons, 29T, Timmons-16.118; 8. Bruce St. James, 7K, St. James-16.149; 9. Ryan Bernal, 21, Tarlton-16.155; 10. J.J. Ringo, 2, Keller-16.157; 11. Slater Helt, 81X, Watt-16.247; 12. T.J. Smith, 8M, May-16.295; 13. Kyler Shaw, 92K, Shaw-16.362; 14. Koen Shaw, 88K, Shaw-16.450; 15. Tanner Boul, 99T, Quiring-16.478; 16. Scotty Farmer, 81, Watt-16.490; 17. Ricky Kirkbride, 87, Kirkbride-16.495; 18. Hannah Mayhew, 43, Mayhew-16.543; 19. Steve Hix, 57, Hix-16.769; 20. Austin Ervine, 51, AJ-NT; 21. Michael Faccinto, 8, Richardson-NT; 22. Colby Copeland, 16A, Copeland-NT.
BUTLERBUILT SEATS DASH FOR CASH: (3 laps) 1. J.Vander Weerd, 2. Faria, 3. Liggett, 4. R.Vander Weerd. NT
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. J.Vander Weerd, 2. R.Vander Weerd, 3. Ky.Shaw, 4. Timmons, 5. Ringo, 6. Farmer, 7. Copeland, 8. Hix. NT
BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Ko.Shaw, 2. Guardino, 3. St. James, 4. Liggett, 5. Helt, 6. Kirkbride, 7. Ervine. NT
COMPETITION SUSPENSION INC. / ULTRA SHIELD RACE PRODUCTS THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Faccinto, 2. Boul, 3. Faria, 4. Johnson, 5. Bernal, 6.Smith, 7. Mayhew. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, with starting positions) 1. Austin Liggett (5), 2. Ryan Bernal (9), 3. Jace Vander Weerd (3), 4. Richard Vander Weerd (6), 5. Bruce St. James (8), 6. Michael Faccinto (21), 7. Ryan Timmons (7), 8. Colby Copeland (22), 9. T.J. Smith (12), 10. Kyler Shaw (13), 11. Tristan Guardino (2), 12. Tanner Boul (15), 13. Ricky Kirkbride (17), 14. D.J. Johnson (1), 15. Steve Hix (19), 16. Koen Shaw (14), 17. Hannah Mayhew (18), 18. Austin Ervine (20), 19. Danny Faria Jr. (4), 20. Scotty Farmer (16), 21. J.J. Ringo (10), 22. Slater Helt (11). NT
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**Johnson flipped on lap 18 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-8 Guardino, Laps 9-13 R.Vander Weerd, Laps 14-30 Liggett.
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER: Michael Faccinto (21st to 6th)
WILWOOD DISC BRAKES LUCKY 13 AWARD: Ricky Kirkbride
NEW USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Guardino-405, 2-Timmons-286, 3-Ko.Shaw-262, 4-Jake Swanson-238, 5-Liggett-227, 6-Faria-221, 7-Helt-212, 8-Mayhew-203, 9-Ringo-197, 10-Ervine-187.
NEXT USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR RACE: June 1 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California – “ARP Battle at the Beach Race #2” – co-sanctioned with VRA
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Sources: Richie Murray/USAC PR