Arizona sprint car fans are in for a treat this Friday and Saturday with the announcement that talented teenager Braden Chiaramonte is headed to the USAC/CRA Western World Championships at the Cocopah Speedway. The two-night affair will be the 16-year-old’s first appearance at the track that is located about 12 miles north of the USA/Mexico border and only his second time driving a 410 sprint car.
Three weeks ago, Chiaramonte shocked racing fans with a dazzling performance at the USAC/CRA race at Arizona’s Mohave Valley Raceway. It was his first night competing in a 410 sprint car. 410 sprint cars are considered to be the toughest cars to drive in all of sprint car racing. Taking to them like a duck takes to water, Chiaramonte was the fastest car in hot laps at Mohave. He really made the fans sit up and take notice when he posted the third-fastest qualifying time of the 26 cars on hand at the 1/3 mile banked clay oval.
When it was time for the heat races, Chiaramonte battled hard but ended up finishing sixth. That meant he had to contest the B main. Without a provisional at his disposal, he had to finish in the top 12 to get into the A main event or he was done for the night. He easily did that when he placed fourth.
In what turned out to be a great gift for the fans, the youngster had to start ninth in the 30-lapper. From there he thrilled the big crowd with an impressive run towards the front. Running on the edge at the top, he passed some of the West Coast’s top stars and the roar from the crowd when he momentarily went by the leader drowned out the noise of the engines. Unfortunately, seconds after he took the lead, a yellow flag came out and the field reverted back to the last completed lap and Chiaramonte had to go back to second. A slip-up on the last lap saw him finish fourth but his charge to the front is what will be remembered by the appreciative crowd.
This weekend’s races will be Chiaramonte’s fifth and sixth in Arizona in 2023. He made three visits to the Adobe Mountain Speedway in his 600cc outlaw micro in April. He won two of the three and finished sixth in the other. In July, he visited the Deuce of Clubs Thunder Raceway for the first time to contest a 360 wingless sprint car race. The high altitude track proved to be a challenge for the crew getting the engine tuned correctly. Starting fifth in the main, the talented driver set his sights on the front of the pack. He drove by the fourth-place car and was in the process of moving up to third when he slapped the wall with his right rear. The slam bent the Jacob’s ladder and flattened the right rear tire. Despite those handicaps, he stayed on the track and was fifth when the damage finally forced him out six laps later.
In addition to his sojourns to Arizona this year, he performed at a pair of races at Adobe Mountain in 2022. Included was a second-place finish at the Billy Shuman Tribute on November 11th.
Chiaramonte, who lives in El Cajon, California, will be making his 34th and 35th starts of the season at this weekend’s races in the “Grand Canyon State.” His prior 33 appearances this year have come on 17 different tracks in six different states and in seven different types of race cars. The personable young driver’s latest showing came two weeks ago at the prestigious 5th Annual Keith Kunz Giveback Classic at Oklahoma’s Port City Raceway. 105 cars jammed the pit area of the popular track for the influential race. On his qualifying night, Chiaramonte finished sixth in the A main. At the finale 48 hours later, he was challenging for second in the B main when he was pinched into an infield tire and had to restart at the back. With limited laps remaining, he dazzled the fans by charging all the way back to ninth and only missing the final transfer to the A main by a half car length at the checkered flag.
After this week’s races at Cocopah, Chiaramonte is expected to be at Perris Auto Speedway for the USAC/CRA season finale on November 11th. Beginning on November 14th, he will race the final seven USAC National Midget races of the year in one of Matt Streeter’s powerful cars. He will conclude his 2023 campaign in the 38th Annual Tulsa Shootout at the famous SageNet Center from December 26th through the 31st.
For fans who want to see this Friday and Saturday’s Western World Championships in person, gates at the Cocopah Speedway will open at 4:00 p.m. with racing at 6:00. Reserved seats are $35.00 and general admission is $25.00. Students 13-17 are $15.00. Kids 12 and under get in for free. The track is located at 3450 W County 15th Streets in Somerton, Arizona (85360). The track website is racecocopahspeedway.com and the office phone number is (602) 292-7607. For those who cannot make it to the Arizona speed plant, the race will be shown live on Speed Sport TV. Ordering or more information is available at https://speedsport.tv/videos/30446.
Chiaramonte would like to thank all his sponsors who have made his racing efforts possible. RTL Traffic Control, AM Ortega, Hyper Racing, Chop Design, Adams Motors, Hacienda Casa Blanca Fine Mexican Dining, Evil Plus Injection, King Racing Products, Tiner-Hirst Enterprises, and Keizer Wheels.
Chiaramonte and his team are in the midst of a busy racing season. If you are interested in becoming a marketing partner with one of the most talented and personable young drivers in the sport, please feel free to call or e-mail Daniel Chiaramonte mailto:[email protected] or (619) 988 7563.
Braden Chiaramonte PR
