Shaking off the effects from a nasty flip in a shifter kart a few days earlier, Eddie Tafoya Jr. finished third in the USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series 30-lap main event at Arizona’s Mohave Valley Raceway last Saturday night. The race was the first-ever for Tafoya, and for the series as well, on the fast 1/3 mile semi-banked clay oval that is located just minutes away from the Colorado River.
After starting the season off with three top 10 finishes, including a career-best USAC/CRA second-place result on January 29th, Tafoya had mysteriously finished out of the top 10 in his last three outings. Going over every inch of the car before last week’s race, the crew made several changes. The changes paid immediate dividends as the likable driver returned to his early-season form and finished on the podium for the second time in the last five races.
The weekend prior, Tafoya, who lives 32 miles east of Los Angeles in Chino Hills, California, was driving his shifter kart at the Adams Motorsports Park in Riverside. A rear brake rotor broke sending the kart flipping into the air and landing on top of the 2018 Perris Auto Speedway Young Guns champion. The violent wreck left Tafoya battered and bruised but it did not diminish his will to make the trek to Arizona for Saturday’s sprint car race.
The series had another nice turnout of cars with 27-signing in at the back gate on the windy day. Tafoya timed in sixth quick in qualifying with an impressive lap of 14.554. The 2019 USAC/CRA and Southwest Series Rookie of the Year started fifth in his heat race and placed third in the 10-lapper. The qualifying effort along with his finish in the top four in the heat netted him the outside front row starting spot in the 30-lap main.
With the day-long winds finally relenting, the 22-car main event field took the green flag in front of one of the largest crowds in the track’s history. Initially, Tafoya slipped backward. On Lap five, he was fifth. By the time the race reached the halfway point, he was back to sixth. However, things began to change quickly and the #51T began a resilient move forward.
By the end of the 20th go around, Tafoya had raced his way back to fifth. Before a restart two laps later, he had picked off another competitor and was fourth. When the third-place car slipped off the bottom of the track at the end of the 22nd lap, Tafoya quickly pounced on the opportunity presented to himself, and with a slick inside move, he sailed into third. He then turned his attention to the cars running first and second and he quickly chased them down. Over the last five laps, Tafoya hounded the leaders and stayed close to the end to finish third in the 30-lapper.
While it was not a win, Tafoya was right there at the end with a car that was capable of getting to the checkered flag first. That top-notch car now has a driver who has proven that he can run with the big dogs and is skilled enough to win. And the series now has another top contender who can give the longtime veterans all they can handle.
The impressive performance saw “Mr. Smooth” move up one spot to fifth in the season-long championship standings. He will be looking to move up once again and will be after his first win this Saturday night, April 30th, when the USAC/CRA Series visits Perris Auto Speedway for the “Sokola Shootout.” Spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00. Adult tickets are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. For kids 6-12 it is only $5.00 and children 5 and under are free. Advance tickets are available online at the following link https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7/event/1256360 or by calling 1-800-595-4849.
Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in the City of Perris (92571).
Tafoya and the #51T team would like to thank Specialty Fasteners, DRC Chassis, Ryder Racing Engines, Simpson Safety Products, Bell, Benic Enterprises, BR Motorsports, PSC Powder Coating, Magik Graphics, Gasper Transportation, Owen’s Insurance Services, and Weld Wheels for making the 2022 season possible.
If you or your company would like to be a part of the Specialty Fastener team’s 2022 season effort, please contact Eddie Tafoya Jr. via phone at (909) 393-3999 or by e-mail at [email protected]. He will be happy to talk to you and lay out the team’s 2022 plans.
Eddie Tafoya PR
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