One Tafoya Out – One Tafoya in – Saturday at Perris Auto Speedway - Speedway Digest

Sprint Car racing is a very unpredictable sport. Most people attribute that to the ever-changing dirt track surfaces. That unpredictability is predictable. However, something that is unpredictable is going to happen at Perris Auto Speedway on Saturday night. Rising young star Eddie Tafoya Jr. lost two engines last weekend at the Western World Championships at Arizona’s Cocopah Speedway. Thus, he is out for Saturday’s 2023 finale at Perris. However, his father, Eddie Tafoya Sr. is back in a car after quite some time out of the cockpit.

This scenario all came about when Tommy and Christy Dunkel, the 2023 USAC/CRA car owner champions, offered Tafoya Sr. the ride in their 360 car to race with the Senior Sprints this Saturday. Seven years ago, Tafoya Sr., a past draft pick of baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates, won The PAS Senior Sprint Car Series championship. He has also started a handful of USAC/CRA main events. With experience at the track not only in sprint cars but also off road cars, Tafoya Sr. jumped at the opportunity.

Tafoya Sr. actually gave up his ride to Eddie Jr. in 2019. One year earlier, Eddie Jr. won The PAS Young Guns championship. One night when the family patriarch was late for a race, Eddie Jr. jumped in and hot lapped the car. He did so well that his dad left him in the car and began watching from the sidelines. The move paid dividends as the youngster, who won the USAC/CRA and USAC Southwest Rookie of the Year awards in 2019, has turned into one of sprint car racing’s fastest rising stars.

Last week at Cocopah for the Western World, Eddie Jr, qualified ninth fastest of the 33 cars on hand. However, issues started when he began fourth in the first heat race and almost immediately slid back into the pack. The B main was different. Eddie Jr. started third and stayed there for the first 2/3 of the race. At that point, he went from third to the rear and pulled off a couple of laps later. Two races and two engines down, his 410 season had come to an end.

While Eddie Jr. will be out of this week’s race, he will be back in action at the 82^nd running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix on Thanksgiving weekend. The prestigious race will take place on the same Ventura Raceway where he earned his first Woodland Auto Display USAC/CRA Fast Time award a year and a half ago.

All active military members with proper ID will get into Saturday night’s race at Perris for just $5.00. In addition, they will receive one free pass for an accompanying guest.

Adult tickets for Saturday’s race 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. The fairgrounds charge $10.00 for parking.

Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in the City of Perris. The track website is http://www.perrisautospeedway.com/ and the office phone number is (951) 940-0134.

If you would like to hear the friendly driver on the Dirt Tracks and Rib Racks Podcast, please visit the following link https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Hox9dg0iRGXo0szabeqDy

The Specialty Fasteners #51T team is always exploring corporate partnership opportunities. If you or your company would like to be a partner with the hard-working sprint car squad, please contact Eddie Tafoya Jr. via phone at (909) 393-3999 or by e-mail at mailto:[email protected]. He will be happy to talk to you and lay out the team’s plans.

Tafoya’s great-looking shirts and hoodies are available online at www.specialty-fasteners.com.

Tafoya has a great YouTube channel at the following link https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1hrmC5L80EU.

Fans can follow Tafoya on Instagram @eddietafoya51.

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 supporting its racing program.

Eddie Tafoya PR