“Winning the Oval Nationals was a crown jewel in my book,” Leary said. “I had always loved racing at Perris and I won the 360 Nationals on my first visit to the West Coast. Something about that track fits my driving style. So after winning the 360 Nationals in 2014, I set my sights on winning the 410 portion. The Oval Nationals had escaped me year after year. I always led a bunch of laps but had bad luck like a flat tire or breaking a rear end. Sometimes I just stepped on it. So to win in 2019 is something I will never forget. I think I was happier about winning the Oval Nationals than I was the next weekend when I secured the USAC national championship in Arizona.”
USAC star Kevin Thomas Jr. is a two-time Oval Nationals winner and he has fallen in love with the race.
“The Ovals is a race I love,” Thomas said. “There is the overall atmosphere that includes pitting in the infield, the backstretch view of the mountains, and of course, the racing. Perris means a lot to me in many ways. The late Bubby Jones was a big part of my career and his son Davey is as well. I feel different the minute I roll into that place. Having won it twice now is something I will remember forever. The Eagle trophy that you get for winning symbolizes everything about that race.”
An event with this history is bound to have memorable moments. Scott Daloisio has been a steady presence at the Oval Nationals for years and has little difficulty picking out his personal favorite.
“I have been going to races since I was 6 months old in Michigan,” Daloisio said. “I have seen thousands of races all over the country as well as Canada and England, but one race stands out in my mind. It was the Friday night portion of the 2015 Oval Nationals. Late in the race Bryan Clauson blew the only engine the team had with them.
“As soon as the race ended, Bryan jumped in his truck and drove himself to Phoenix to borrow an engine from Mike Martin. He wanted his crew to be able to sleep. He got the engine, turned around and drove straight back to Perris. He got into Perris in the morning and dropped the engine off for his crew to install and went to the hotel to get a few hours of sleep. He started midpack and won the race. He said a few months later, it was his all-time favorite trophy.”
One can understand why people like Kazarian and Daloisio can’t wait for the reprise of this classic West Coast event. Still, there are concerns. The possibility that the COVID numbers can force another partial shutdown is always present.
It is also a bit concerning that the traditional sprint car scene in the West is suffering through what all hope is a temporary downturn.
“The CRA is not flourishing right now,” Kazarian said. “Our shows have been phenomenal, but our car count has been low. How many cars can we pick up in northern California, New Mexico and Arizona? I don’t know. Tony Jones (USAC-CRA sprint coordinator) was back in Indiana, and he did a garage tour checking on teams who were coming out.”
Kazarian and Perris Auto Speedway officials have weathered treacherous times, but are encouraged by the strength of the economy in their home state.
“It is still going to be a three-day show,” Kazarian said. “I am going to put it out there and hope for the best. It is our 25th annual and everybody should want to be there.”
One thing is for certain, the format generally guarantees plenty of action. “You have to race your ass off,” Kazarian noted. “It starts with qualifying, and the way the points are accumulated you can’t sit back and sandbag in the heat race. You have to race hard two nights in a row to end up in the top six going into the final night.”
As for modern-day rivalries, the spoken animosity between Damion Gardner and Brody Roa adds spice to any USAC-CRA date, and when the Oval Nationals comes around the urge to beat the USAC national teams is still strong.
“I hope the West Coast guys do some damage,” Kazarian said, “but it is hard to beat the national boys. They get a lot of seat time.”
One guy who did defend the turf years ago for the home team was the irrepressible Rickie Gaunt. How much did the win mean to him? To this day his vanity license plate is “1 Ovals.”
Simply put, if you are a traditional sprint car racer or team, you want to put an Oval Nationals win on your résumé.