Rain Forces USA Raceway Cancellations

DARLAND CAPTURES “WINTER CHALLENGE” TITLE

by Dick Jordan

Dave Darland is the 2015 “Winter Challenge” Champion following the cancellations of Friday and Saturday’s races at USA Raceway in Tucson, Ariz. because of rain.

Darland coupled a pair of second-place finishes and a third in last week’s trio of USAC West Coast/Southwest Sprint Car “special events” at Peoria, Ariz. to gain a 10-point margin over series runner Brady Bacon, winner of the January 23 opener. R.J. Johnson, the defending USAC Southwest Sprint Champ, finished third in the final points, followed by Charles Davis Jr. and Ryan Bernal. Bernal won last Saturday and Sunday’s races at Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria.

The 2015 USAC calendar now moves on to Ocala, Fla. where the AMSOIL USAC National Sprints cars will battle in the “Winter Games VI” openers at Bubba Raceway Park February 19-20-21.

The USAC West Coast and Southwest Sprint cars will resume action on March 6 at the Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway Dirt Track.

2015 USAC “Winter Challenge” Final Standings: 1-Dave Darland-197, 2-Brady Bacon-187, 3-R.J. Johnson-186, 4-Charles Davis Jr.-176, 5-Ryan Bernal-174, 6-Dalten Gabbard-152, 7-Mike Martin-149, 8-Stevie Sussex-139, 9-Rick Ziehl-121, 10-David Dykes-106.