SOMERTON, Ariz. — Starting this Friday, the battle for the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Championship resumes at Cocopah Speedway’s 56th Western World Championships presented by Avanti Windows & Doors and Yuma Insurance.
The prestigious event will have two nights of intense racing that also features the non-winged ASCS 360 Sprint Cars, Nov. 3-4.
The event will be broadcast live by SPEEDSPORT.tv.
Noted as an Arizona tradition since 1968 when Bob Cleberg took the checkered flags at the Manzanita Speedway, the Western World Championships has been a premier event for sprint car racing. While the headline divisions and host tracks may have changed, some of the most notable names in the sport have claimed victory at the Western World.
Hall of Fame racers like Jan Opperman, Rick Ferkel, Ron Shuman, Bubby Jones, Lealand McSpadden, Sammy Swindell and Steve Kinser have stood atop the podium. Last year, Jake Swanson claimed his first Western World Championship.
Friday’s event marks the 11th race in USAC/CRA history at the fast three-eighths-mile clay oval. Damion Gardner leads all drivers with five Cocopah wins, while Brody Roa won the series’ first Yuma main event on June 2, 2012. Roa also claimed the two January season openers as Swanson established the track record of 16.127 seconds on October 29, 2022.
Standings Overview
Heading to the Cocopah Speedway, Roa leads the USAC/CRA standings with a stout 127-point lead. Driving the Tom & Christy Dunkel / BR Performance owned No. 17R, Roa scored eighth at Mohave Valley Raceway on October 14.
Currently, Road has eight feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, five heat race victories, one In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, 14 top-10 finishes, and 177 feature laps led to his credit. The 2019 USAC SouthWest Sprint Car champion ranks fourth with 21 career USAC/CRA triumphs and will be looking to add the Western World Championships to his résumé.
Tommy Malcolm ranks second in the USAC/CRA point standings. Racing Dino Napier’s No. 5X, Malcolm charged from 16th to second at the Mohave Valley return. To date, the veteran driver has three feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, five heat race victories, two Wilwood Disc Brakes Lucky 13 Awards, one In Memory of Jim & Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, 12 top-10 finishes, and 95 feature laps led on the year. Malcom will have his sights on gaining valuable points with a win at Cocopah.
Austin Williams is third in the USAC/CRA championship standings. Piloting the family owned No. 2, Williams raced from 11th to seventh on October 14.
The 2009 co-rookie of the year has one heat race victory, one In Memory of Jim & Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, 11 top-10 finishes, and 32 feature laps led to his credit. With 11 career triumphs, Williams will be looking to earn his first win of the season at The Diamond in The Desert.
Cody Williams sits fourth in the chase for the championship. The owner/driver of the No. 44 entry scored 17th in the Mohave Valley feature. To date, the former National Non-Wing Sprint Car Rookie of the Year has six Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, two heat race victories, nine top-10 finishes, and three feature laps led on the season.
“The Cadillac” has three career wins and will have his sights on his first victory of the season.
A.J. Bender ranks fifth in the USAC/CRA championship points. Racing the family owned No. 21 entry, Bender finished 12th at Mohave Valley. The 2022 USAC Western States Midget Rookie of the Year has six heat race victories, one In Memory of Jim & Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, and 10 top-10 finishes in the campaign.
Bender will be looking to claim the first USAC/CRA victory at the Western World Championships.
Grant Sexton leads the chase for rookie of the year honors and ranks eighth in the point standings. The driver of the family-owned No. 22 entry is followed by James Turnbull II, Jake Andreotti, Tom Dunkel, Brody Fuson, Dawson Faria and Jim Vanzant.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are Logan Calderwood, Charles Davis Jr., Verne Sweeney, R.J. Johnson, Logan Williams, Ricky Lewis, Chris Gansen, Matt McCarthy, Brent Owens, Austin Grabowski, Eddie Tafoya Jr., Andrew Sweeney, Matt Mitchell, Chris Bonneau, Kyle Edwards, Shane Sexton, Mike Martin and more.