FAST FACTS of the SPEARS SOUTHWEST TOUR SERIES as it HEADS to MADERA


FAST FACTS of the SPEARS SOUTHWEST TOUR SERIES as it HEADS to MADERA

 

FAST FACTS of the SPEARS SOUTHWEST TOUR SERIES

as it HEADS to MADERA

 

 

CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER – Not a surprise to many, but Carson City, Nevada’s Bobby Hodges has led the SPEARS (SRL) Southwest Tour Series championship since the season opener at Irwindale Speedway on March 25th, where Hodges scored his second career SPEARS Southwest Tour win. Hodges leads the standings over Blaine Rocha, 515 to 500. Defending series champ, Derek Thorn, in third with 488 points.

 

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR LEADER – Ricky Schlick has scored the “Rookie of the Race” Award, at each of the first three events. Schlick leads the rookie standings over Cale Kanke and Luke Hall, with championship point totals of 476, 345 and 312 respectively.

 

BULLRING – Even though the series’ latest race was held at “The Bullring” at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 1/3 mile Madera Speedway is the smallest track on the 2017 SPEARS (SRL) Southwest Tour Series schedule.

 

3 RACES 3 WINNERS – Heading to Madera, the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series has had three winners, at the first three races of 2017. Hodges held off Thorn and Tennessee’s Willie Allen at Irwindale on March 25th. At Kern County Raceway, Fresno State freshman, Blaine Rocha, capitalized to win on a late race incident between his team mate Christian McGhee and Thorn, while the two battled for the lead. It was Rocha’s second series win in three races. And at the Bullring, Derek Thorn was back to his winning ways, for his first series win of 2017.

 

DEBUT – Four drivers are scheduled to make their 2017 SPEARS (SRL) Southwest Tour Series debuts at Madera; Michael Sandoval, Tracy Bolin, Bob Lyon and Justin Westmoreland.

 

MOST WINS – Derek Thorn has won the most races, at Madera Speedway, in SRL competition with six.

 

MULTIPLE WINNERS – There have been seven different drivers to score multiple wins at Madera Speedway in SPEARS Southwest Tour Series competition: Derek Thorn (6), Ray Lawson Jr. (5), M.K. Kanke and Jim Pettit II (4), Ryan Foster, Chad Nichols and Nathan Tucker (2).

 

ROOKIES – There have been eleven rookies to score championship points in the SRL this season; Ricky Schlick, Cale Kanke, Luke Hall, Lance Wilson, Toby Becker, Cole Moore, Trevor Huddleston, Dennis Furden, Matthew Meech, Buddy Shepherd and Jack Wood.

 

PERFECT ATTENDANCE – Twelve drivers have started every SPEARS (SRL) Southwest Tour Series event this season; Bobby Hodges, Blaine Rocha, Derek Thorn, Ricky Schlick, Jacob Gomes, Carlos Vieira, Craig Raudman, Eric Schmidt, Cale Kanke, Donny St. Ours, Scott Sanchez and Luke Hall.

 

MOST STARTS – Troy Ermish has the most starts in SRL competition, at Madera Speedway, with 20.

 

VARIETY OF WINNERS – Twenty-one different drivers have taken the checkered flag first, in SPEARS (SRL) Southwest Tour Series action at Madera Speedway.

 

2017 STARTS – Thirty-six different drivers have taken the green flag, in the first three SPEARS Southwest Tour Series races of 2017.

 

FAMILIAR FEELING – This will be the series thirty-eighth SRL race at Madera Speedway. The most, of any track all-time.

 

HOMETRACK – Several SPEARS (SRL) Southwest Tour Series drivers consider Madera Speedway, as one of their home tracks. Justin Westmoreland, Colby Potts, Blaine Rocha, Carlos Vieira and Jacob Gomes all have competed often at Madera Speedway during their careers.

 

JACOB GOMES – Jacob Gomes will be the featured driver at Madera Speedway, for the SPEARS (SRL) Southwest Tour Series. Gomes has 12 starts, with five top five, and nine top ten finishes, in SRL completion at Madera. His best finish was a second place effort. He was the winner of the 2015 Pacific Challenge Series season opener in 2015, and finished second in his only other Madera start with the series. An autographed driver profile of Jacob will be available for fans, while supplies last, at the general admission gate on race day.

 

RACE LENGTH – The SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series will race for 125 laps in the “51FIFTY Energy Drink 125” at Madera Speedway on July 15th. It is the fourth event on the 2017 SRL schedule.