Western States Championship Race Results
Final race results from the Western States Championship. The big money bracket race was completed July 12-14 at Sacramento Raceway.
SACRAMENTO – Big money bracket racing came to Sacramento Raceway July 12-14 with the Western States Championship. The race included 1/8th mile bracket racing in Super Pro and Pro over the three-day weekend.
Racers from across the western United States gathered for a shot at big paydays and a host of prizes. The weekend included bracket racing each day with payouts as high as $7,500 in Super Pro and $3,000 in Pro.
The Western States Championship also included specialty events including a Quick 16 race, two 32-car shootouts, and a team championship competition.
Promoter Jesse Adams awarded numerous large checks and tons of killer prizes throughout the event. In addition to promoting the event, he was the self proclaimed staging lane “Race Master” as he greeted racers as they entered the lanes.
“I kept cases of oil filters with me on my golf cart all weekend and randomly passed out oil filters, hats, and decals to racers as the approached the front of the staging lanes. Racers loved the random surprise of receiving something as simple as a hat or filter,” Adams stated.
Friday Race Results
The event kicked off on Friday with four events. Racers competed for $2,500 to win in Pro ET, $5,000 in Super Pro, $5,000 in Pro 32-Car Shootout, adn $4,000 in Quick 16.
In Pro ET, Tyler Koranda of Sutter, CA drove his street-driven ’65 Chevelle (it does run high 10’s) to the win over Erik Doukas of Fallon, NV. The final was an all ’65 affair as Doukas was driving a ’65 Pontiac LeMans.
Thanks to the live feed provided by Bangshift, Tyler’s parents were able to watch him live online all day. In addition to the big check provided by Las Vegas Custom Graphics, Tyler received a custom trophy from California Custom Iron, and 5 gallons of CleanBoost motor oil.
In Super Pro, Mark Simonian, Sangar, CA, drove his ’06 Racetech dragster to the win over Robert Butler of Citrus Heights, CA. Butler was driving Bill Bertram’s ’66 Chevelle.
Mark walked away with a $5,000 big check, a custom trophy, and five gallons of CleanBoost motor oil for his efforts.
In Friday’s Pro 32-Car Shootout, Trevor Hays of Alta Loma, CA claimed the win in his ’74 Camaro over Marko Perivolaris. Although Marko came up short in his gorgeous ’63 Chevy II, he earned a Moser Engineering stainless steel brake kit for his efforts.
The final event of the night was the Empire Transport Quick 16. With $4,000 on the line, Quarter Mile Kyle Seipel outlasted the field to claim the emotional win. Driving Eric Reyes’ ’14 DN Racecraft dragster, Kyle edged out his teammate Marko Perivolaris for the win. Perivolaris finished the day with two runner up finishes.
Saturday Race Results from the Western States Championship
Racing continued on Saturday with three main events and one bonus event. Pro ET offered racers $3,500 thanks to a $500 bonus added by Hire Up Staffing Services. Super Pro racers chased the $7,500 payday while the Super Pro 32-Car Shootout paid a whopping $10,000.
In the Pro final, Jake “Wheels Up” Guandanolo drove his wheel standing ’70 Nova to the win over Wesley Eisenga. Eisenga, driving his “Valiant Effort” ’69 Plymouth Valiant, hogged up the stripe sending the $3,500 check to Jake.
Guandanolo also collected a $600 M7 Performance spool and axle kit while Wesley earned $1,500 and a torque converter from D&P Converters.
The Super Pro class saw Marko Perivolaris make his third final round appearance in two days. Marko once again came up just short sending Greg Hicks to the winners circle. Hicks, of Las Vegas, NV, claimed the $7,500 win in a dragster he borrowed out of Jesse Adams’ trailer.
Hick’s dragster was a Sarmento built, Jesse Adams’ Sunset Performance Engines 632″ BBC powered, car owned by Eathon Lanfri. Perivolaris was also driving a Sarmento built dragster in the final round.
Hicks walked away with a number of other goodies including a big check, custom trophy, a torque converter, and a driving jacket courtesy of FTI Performance. Marko collected a GZ Vacuum Pump kit and $2,000 for his runner up finish.
The largest payout of the weekend came on Saturday night in the 32-Car Super Pro Shootout. With $10,000 on the line, David Myhre drove his ’10 Racetech dragster to the win over Robert Butler. For his second runner up of the weekend, Butler collected a Moser Engineering stainless steel brake kit.
To wrap up Saturday’s racing activities, Adams hosted a Golf Cart race. DeAndre Fitzgerald, commonly referred to as Afro-Man or Fro-Fasho, put the smack down on the competition. In the final Fitzgerald defeated the son of JR Leerkamp from Washington. It was great seeing the young bloods tear it up in the golf carts.
DeAndre collected $800 along with a $150 Zex Nitrous Systems gift certificate while Leerkamp earned $500 and a $150 certificate from TCI.
Four Titles awarded on Sunday
Sunday’s scheduled included two events and two specialty awards. The plan was to get done so racers could get on the road at a reasonable hour.
In an historic, monumental, and nearly unbelievable fashion, Bill Taggart out of Pacheco, CA was the Pro winner in his ’02 FOUR DOOR Ford Taurus. Bill was the slowest car on the property, dialing 11.30s in the 1/8 mile all weekend, nearly 3 seconds slower than any other entry!!
For Bill’s win, he earned $2,500 along with the big check and one of the amazing trophies made special for the event. Bill also received 5 gallons of CleanBoost motor oil and a $100 certificate to Dice Converters. Wesley Eisenga claimed his 2nd runner up of the weekend in his ’69 Valiant.
The $5,000 Super Pro win was claimed by Craig Renke of Yuba City, CA. Renke drove his Hillburn injected, 406″ SBC powered, ’63 Chevy II to the win over JR Leerkamp over Olympia, WA. Craig also collected 5 gallons of CleanBoost motor oil and a $100 Dice Converters certificate.
The Western States Team Championship was awarded to the “Almost Nutz” team. The team consisted of Dean & James Kirkman, Kirsta Suydam, Mark Simonian, and Wesley Eisenga. Together they tallied up enough points to claim the $3,000 championship along with a custom 5-piece trophy.
The team championship purse, originally slated to be $2,500, was increased to $3,000 yet again by Hire Up Staffing Services. Hire Up proved to be a tremendous cash sponsor for the event and have already signed on for next year!
Last but not least, our “Best In The West” honor was awarded to none other than Marko Perivolaris. Marko managed to win more rounds than any other driver as a single entry effort. He was awarded with a custom painted Racequip helmet, painted by the increasingly famous “Flying Airbrush”, Jerron Settles.
Marko was also awarded a certificate from Sunset Performance Engines valued at $500 towards an engine freshen or $1,000 off the purchase of a new engine.
Other Specialty Awards
A K&N carbon fiber door car scoop was awarded to Larry Gilley. Gilley’s name was pulled from a hat of all drivers who recorded a perfect reaction time in the Pro category Friday and Saturday.
A K&N carbon fiber dragster scoop was awarded to Krista Suydam. Suydam’s name was pulled from a hat of all drivers who recorded a perfect reaction time in the Super Pro category Friday and Saturday.
Kidd Performance handed out $100 each to Tom Marchesano, John Victorino, and Dean Kirkman. Each driver posted the first .000 reaction time of the day in the Pro category on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
TBM provided $500 certificates to the best losing packages in round 2 of each category, each day. Those lucky….ummmm, losers, were: Jason Vanderpool, Jake Guadanolo, Sean McInnes, Robert Butler, Ken McConnell, and Roger Phillips.
K&R Performance Engineering provided the best losing package awards each day to each category. Steve Caldwell, Katie Harkema, Eric Wauiter, Bill Taggart, Jason Vanderpool, and David Myhre took home the K&R certificates.
Trey Sommers received an automotive detailing kit for having one of the nicest cars on the property.
Bill Taggart won a $250 Zex Nitrous System certificate for competing in the SLOWEST car throughout the weekend! Dialing 11.30s in the 1/8 mile, that man needs some nitrous!
Casey Nelson received a $150 Comp Cams certificate as a random buyback tech card pull.
Patrick Williams was the first DEAD ON ZERO loss in Pro to pick up a $250 Comp Cams certificate.
Jessica Opperman took home a $100 Comp Cams certificate as the result of a random tech card drawing in Fridays Super Pro Buyback round.
Junior Stanley received a $150 TCI certificate as a random Pro buyback tech card drawing on Sunday.
Ken McConnell grabbed a $250 certificate to TCI as the first DEAD ON ZERO loss in Super Pro.
Duston Wurtz was given a set of Moroso spark plug wires as he split Saturday’s $1,000 RFTM with Jake Wood who grabbed a Stunna Stacker and Moroso tire pressure gauge.
Dan Bain received the “Hard Luck Award” from Robert Perryman and Hoosier Racing Tires, as a sensitive situation on Friday was resolved based on the numbers. Dan was came out on the losing end of that pair of cars, but due to the situation, he was still given a free set of Hoosier Racing Tires for the hard luck.
North Cal Paving supplied two Summit Racing gift cards valued at $150 each for the weekend. The first was labeled “Sorry for your troubles” and was handed to Steve Kelly from Washington. Somewhere in the pits Steve punctured a tire and it was nearly flat as he launched in the buyback round on Saturday. We tried to clean the entire facility as best as we could, but Steve still grabbed this consolation prize as he had to abort the run and have his slick repaired. The second $150 certificate went to Jeff Taylor from Washington in a random tech card drawing.
Saturday Round 3 was our Hoosier Racing Tires round with the best losing packages in Pro and Super Pro going to Brian Kam and JR Leerkamp. Each racer won Hoosier Buy 1-Get one free gift certificates.
Dwayne Opperman was also given a Buy 1-Get one free Hoosier certificate as a random tech card drawing.
Brian Kam earned a $250 FAST certificate and Andrew Olsen received a $150 certificate during a random Tech card drawing.
We are already in the planning stages to host the Western States Championship in 2020!! I am sure we will be adding to the purses and prizes over the next 11 months! Be on the lookout for updates!
Words by Jesse Adams.
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