Eddie Tafoya Jr Heads to Perris Auto Speedway to Finish His 2024 Season

Eddie Tafoya Jr. will head to the racetrack for the final time in 2024 when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars visit Perris Auto Speedway this Saturday night, November 9^th.  The race will be followed by a short winter before he heads back to the track early in 2025.

Saturday’s race will be the ninth time the popular 27-year-old has raced at Perris in 2024.  After a rough start at the track at the beginning of the year when he was clobbered by another car at the season opener in February and when he exited the second race when his steering box broke with three laps to go in March, he has reeled off six straight top 10 finishes on the lightning quick half-mile clay oval.  The best of the streak came the last time the series stopped at its home track on September 21^st.  On that night, Tafoya finished sixth in the 30-lap main.

Tafoya did not chase the series title in 2024 and missed some races, but the 2019 Rookie of the Year will still finish 11^th in the championship point standings.

Last week Tafoya and his Specialty Fasteners team headed to Arizona for two nights of racing in the 57^th Annual Avanti Windows and Doors Western World Championships at the Mohave Valley Raceway.  One of the country’s longest-running and most prestigious sprint car races, the event drew 45 cars from nine different states on Friday and 42 cars on Saturday.

The first night was the better of the two for the Chino Hills, California-based racer.  He ended up with the 18^th best time in qualifying of the 45 cars on hand at the banked 1/3 mile clay oval.  He started on the outside of the front row and raced to the win in his 10-lap heat race.  That led to a direct transfer into the 30-lap A main event.

Starting 17^th in the toughest traditional sprint car field assembled west of the Mississippi in 2024, Tafoya moved forward to finish 14^th.   

Twenty-four hours later and poised for a good night, things did not go as planned.  The evening started well enough when the likable driver recorded the seventh-fastest time in hot laps.  Unfortunately, problems set in after that.  When he came out to qualify, he could not get the car to fire.  That meant he would get one lap at the end of the time trial session.  Sadly, the car would not fire again.

The problem ended up being the magneto ground wire came apart.  Missing qualifying meant that Tafoya would have to start at the back of any race he contested on the night.  He could not make the call for the heat race, but the team had the car ready to run in the B main.

Starting last, 21^st, in the B main, Tafoya had his work cut out for him.  He needed to pass 17 cars to reach fourth, the final transfer spot to the A main.  With only 12 laps to get there and lots of traffic, the odds were stacked against him.  Once the green flag waved, Tafoya quickly proved that his car was running again as he raced forward.  He was up to 14^th when the checkered signaled the end of the race.

The B main finish seemed to have spelled the end for Tafoya, but he still had an ace up his sleeve in the form of a provisional.  He wisely used it and started at the back of the 26-car field.  Unfortunately, after 14 laps, the veteran driver pulled off the track with issues again.  It was the end of the line, and he finished 25^th. 

Spectator gates at Saturday’s season finale will open at 5:00 PM, and racing will begin 30 minutes earlier than normal at 6:30. Adult tickets are $30.00. For Seniors 65 and over, it is $25.00.  Kids six to 12 get in for only $5.00, and children five and under are free.  The fairgrounds charge $10.00 for parking.  Advance tickets are available  at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7 or by calling 1-800-595-4849. Plenty of tickets will be available at the ticket window for fans who do not wish to purchase in advance.  Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in the City of Perris.

Fans can follow Tafoya on Instagram @eddietafoya51.

Tafoya and the #51T team would like to thank Specialty Fasteners, Inland Rigging, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Gasper Transportation, CMI Precision Machining, Owen’s Insurance Services, Keen Concrete, DRC Chassis, and Rider Racing Engines for supporting its racing program.

Eddie Tafoya PR