Eddie Tafoya heading to Indiana sprint week

By:
On:
In: Racing News

With his racing in California pretty much on hold due to the COVID-19 crisis, Chino Hills, California sprint car racer has had enough!  The young driver is heading east to contest the annual “Indiana Sprint Week” where he will face off against the best traditional sprint cars and drivers in the nation on seven different tracks he has never raced on before.

Tafoya, who turned 23-earlier this month,  raised racing insider’s eyebrows two years ago when he debuted in the Perris Auto Speedway Young Guns Sprint Car Series.  Coming in with only kart and motocross experience, he impressed the masses when he dominated the class and won the series championship. 

A highly competitive person, the second-generation sprint car driver, whose father Eddie Sr. won The PAS Senior Sprint Car title in 2016, was not content to rest on his laurels and race in the Young Guns two years in a row.  Instead, he jumped to the USAC/CRA Sprint Car and the USAC Southwest Sprint Car Series’ in 2019.  The USAC/CRA Series is considered to be the toughest 410 traditional sprint car group west of the Mississippi.  How did he fare?  He won the Rookie of the Year title in both series. 

Vaulting into those two series also meant he would tangle with the stars and cars of the USAC National Sprint Car Series when they came west last November for the Oval Nationals at Perris Auto Speedway and the Western World Championships at the Arizona Speedway.   Tafoya gave a good account of himself at both.  Especially at the Oval Nationals when he qualified sixth fastest in the Saturday portion of the three-day show.  In addition to that qualifying effort, he made two of the three main events that matches the best drivers in the Midwest against the best from out west.  One week later against the same group of bigtime stars, he qualified for the main event at the season-ending Western World Championships at the Arizona Speedway. 

“We have had to deal with all of the COVID stuff,” the young racer said when asked why the team was making the trek to the Midwest for his first foray in Indiana.  “Me and my dad’s whole lives revolve around racing, so we have been chomping at the bit to get some driving in.  Nothing is going on around here so we thought we would head back there and get some experience and try to run with all of the big guys.  To me, it actually helps a lot running with those guys.  That is the speed and intensity I want to be at.  Going back there will really show what I can do.  Hopefully, I can get up to speed quick. At the end of the season (2019) at the Oval Nationals, we qualified sixth (on Saturday).  This year we have a whole new chassis package with DRC, and we started on the pole of the first race of the year.”

Indiana Sprint Week will test the skills of Tafoya and his crew as they attack seven races on seven different tracks.  Those seven races will be crammed into nine nights.  To start, the grueling series will kick off  July 24th and run three straight nights.  After two evenings off for rest and repair, racing will commence again on July 29th for four straight nights of action.  The series will conclude on August 1st. 

Gas City I69 Speedway will kick things off on July 24th.  The following night will see the series take on “Indiana’s Baddest Bull Ring,” the Kokomo Speedway.  The first portion of the series will close on July 26th on Lawrenceburg Speedway’s high banks.  Tafoya and the team will then get a couple nights off the track to get ready for the final four races beginning at the Terre Haute Action Track on July 29th.  Lincoln Park Speedway will be the place for the action on the 30th.  The final two nights will be at Bloomington Speedway on July 31st and Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt on August 1st. 

The thought of racing at those tracks for the first time has not fazed Tafoya.  While it will be a learn as you go in the cockpit, the team will have some valuable help when it comes to setups. 

“Driving wise yeah, but setup wise we have friends back there who race and they are going to help us out,” Tafoya answered when asked if it will be a seat of the pants deal when he gets onto the tracks the initial times.  “And DRC is based out of Indy.  So, we will have some good information.  We will see what we can do with it.” 

Fans can meet Tafoya at the Indiana races to get autographs and purchase one of his 2020 team shirts.

Fans who cannot get away to watch Tafoya live, can see all the races on the Flo Racing website.  For details, please click on the following link. https://www.floracing.com/

Eddie Tafoya PR

Speedway Digest Staff
Follow Me
Latest posts by Speedway Digest Staff (see all)
Post Views: 48