Rick Ziehl Puts on a Driving Expo at USA Raceway’s Roger McCluskey Classic
Kevin Montgomery Tucson, AZ (January 4th, 2009) – Rick Ziehl lived up to his nick name “The Real Deal” as he swept the 6th Annual Roger McCluskey Classic at Tucson’s USA Raceway. Ziehl driving the NAPA Auto Parts/Lucas Oil John Ziehl entry dominated the two day event and kicked off 2010 with back to back feature wins.
Winning the ASCS Southwest Championship and the Discount Tire Challenge Wing vs. Non-Wing Title in 2009, Ziehl set his mark as the man to beat for 2010. Ziehl held off last years winner, Johnny Herrera, to take Saturday’s preliminary race and locked himself into a pole starting position for Sunday’s feature. It was all Ziehl for Sunday as he set the pace early and left the rest of the field racing for second.
Dave Darland made a late race pass on 2009 ASCS Canyon Region Champ, Charles Davis Jr., to take the runner up position with Davis rounding out the podium. RJ Johnson won the “Jim Fargo” hard Charger award as he came home fourth just ahead of 2008/2009 USAC/CRA Champion, Mike Spencer.
Sherman Barnett took home the money in the X-Mod Shootout as he made a late race pass to beat Ricky McQuire and Greg Gorham. Pole Sitter and Saturday Feature winner, Robert Adams, dropped out early with mechanical failures giving way to Dusty Riggs to lead all but the last two laps of Sunday’s Feature. Barnett waited for the right moment and executed a pass on the race leader to take home the win and $1k.
John Priest carried over his dominance of USA Raceway into the New Year by winning the $1k Sunday feature in the Modlite Division. Priest edged out Saturday winner Bud Grossenbacher with Mike Martin taking the show position for both nights.
The Wild West Shootout will fire up this Saturday and commence the following weekend. The best of the best in Super Late Models and Modifieds will tackle USA Raceway's 3/8-mile clay oval for six days on January 9, 10, 13, 15, 16 and 17, with more than $150,000 in prize money to be distributed over the course of the blockbuster event. A $10,000 top prize awaits the shootout event finale, The Bill Cheesebourg Memorial, on January 17.
Ticket pricing and purchasing information can be found online at http://www.usaraceway.net/Uploads/WildWestShootoutTicketForm.pdf or by calling the USA Raceway office at 520-574-8515
Hotel Information can be found at www.usaraceway.net/lodging.php or by calling the Tucson Airport Courtyard by Marriott at 520-573-0000
Terry Phillips leads the Wild West Shootout win list capturing 8 out of 33 total events with Steve Francis in second with 4 total feature wins. John Anderson sits third for all time WWS victories with 3 wins.
Multiple winners have graced victory circle at the Wild West Shootout including Ken Schrader, Wendell Wallace, Billy Moyer, Jimmy Mars and Jack Sullivan.
More than 100 of the top cars and drivers will take to the track over the nine day event that begins on Saturday January 9th with the $3k to win Wild West Shootout opener and will conclude with the $10k to win Wild West Shootout “Bill Cheesebourg Memorial”.
USA Raceway is located east of Tucson off I-10 exit 268, then 1.6 miles south on Craycroft Road, which turns into Los Reales. For more information please, contact the track at 520-574-8515 or additional information regarding USA Raceway can be found at www.usaraceway.net
