Perris Auto Speedway will pay homage to a pair of legends who were very instrumental in the design and building of the famous Riverside County half-mile clay Oval when it hosts the inaugural Bubby Jones/Ray Scheetz Memorial this Saturday night, June 25. Saturday’s exciting racing program will feature the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, and The PAS Senior and Young Gun Sprints. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00.
Saturday’s race will honor Bubby Jones, who passed away on January 18, 2020, and Ray Scheetz, who passed on October 8, 2013. A member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, Jones moved to California to drive the Kazarian family sprint car in the original CRA series in 1980. He was teamed up with crew chief Scheetz. The duo immediately bonded and the team quickly became one of the most recognized and successful sprint car operations in the nation. Together they won the CRA championship in 1983 and 1984 and they won 64 main events from 1980 through 1985.
In addition to Jones driving the Kazarian’s car and Scheetz being the crew chief on it, they also held down jobs in the Kazarian’s family business. In 1996 they became instrumental in the design and building of Perris Auto Speedway. When construction of the track was completed in March of that year, they stayed on and worked years at the track and helped turn it into one of today’s most popular and well-run dirt tracks in the world.
“It is only appropriate that we honor Bubby Jones and Ray Scheetz on the same night,” promoter Don Kazarian said. “The first thing people think about when they see photos of the Gas Chem Sprint Car is Bubby Jones. And when they think of Bubby the next thing that crosses their minds is Ray Scheetz. They were a dynamic team that worked so well together at the racetrack. They won two championships together and over 60 main events. They also worked at our family business. When Perris Auto Speedway opened, they were here from day one helping design, and build the track. When the construction was done, they took positions here as well. They worked just as hard at this racetrack as they did at winning races. We certainly miss them every single day.”
Before venturing to settle in the west, Jones was one of the “Original Outlaws” and raced around the country searching for the highest paying sprint car races. He won from coast to coast and everywhere in between. While he was well known in the sprint car ranks, he could also get the job done in the dirt champ cars (now known as silver crown) and midgets. In 1976, he won the nation’s two most prestigious midget races, the “Hut Hundred” at Terre Haute and the “Turkey Night Grand Prix” at Ascot.
As well as his prowess in sprint cars, dirt champ cars, and midgets, Jones raced in the 1977 Indianapolis 500. It took a last-second effort on bump day to break into the field, but he did so in a car owned by Texan Bobby Hillin with a speed of 184.938 mph. That put him 33rd on the starting grid with the slowest qualifying speed to make the race. However, once the race began, “Ol’ Bub” began flying towards the front. He made it all the way from 33rd up to ninth before his engine expired on the 78th lap.
In addition to working with Jones, Scheetz was well known as a top mechanic and crew chief in all forms of open-wheel racing. At the conclusion of World War II, his dad began preparing a track roadster for competition and young Ray began wrenching it. His work eventually caught the attention of John Pouelsen. In 1963 Pouelsen brought Scheetz to Indianapolis to be part of the Agajanian #98 crew that won the race with Parnelli Jones at the wheel. From 1964 through 1966, he worked on the Bowes-Seal Fast car driven by A.J. Foyt on the USAC Champ Car circuit.
Scheetz returned to Southern California in 1968 and began a sterling career wrenching west coast cars. In addition to working on the Kazarian’s car, he worked on the famous Tamale Wagon and several other well-known cars amassing 155 wins and 10 series championships. In addition to Jones, he helped mold the careers of such stars as Ron Shuman, Billy Wilkerson, Rick Goudy, Nick Valenta, Howard Gardner, Bob Hogle, Colby Scroggins, Chuck Hulse, Ray Douglas, and others.
Adult tickets for Saturday’s Bubby Jones/Ray Scheetz Memorial are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. Kids 6-12 are $5.00 and children 5 and under are free. The fairgrounds charges $10.00 for parking.
Perris Auto Speedway is located on the freeway close Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in The City of Perris (92571). Take the 215 Freeway, exit at the Ramona Expressway, and go three miles east to the fairgrounds. The track website is http://www.perrisautospeedway.com/. The office phone number is (951) 940-0134.
Advance tickets for all Perris Auto Speedway events, including this Saturday, are on sale now. Fans can order the tickets online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7 or by calling 1-800-595-4849. For fans who do not wish to purchase tickets in advance, there will be plenty of tickets available for everyone at the gate each race night.
Fans can stay up to date on track and driver news on The PAS social media efforts at the links below.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Perris-Auto-Speedway/113876798686480?ref=hl
Twitter: Perris Auto Speedway on Twitter.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perrisautospeedway/
Website: http://perrisautospeedway.com/
Perris Auto Speedway wants to thank the following corporate partners. Ahern Equipment Rentals, Anderson Chevrolet, Battery Systems, Chris’ Hauling, City of Perris, Communication Innovations, Daytona Boat & RV Storage, Ed Moore Bullet Proof Driveshaft, Flowdynamics, HD Industries, Heimark/Anheuser Busch, Hoosier Tires, Inland Rigging, Living Water’s Hospice, LKQ Pick Your Part, Luke’s Transmission, Moose Racing, Pepsi-Cola, Performance Online, Pole Position Raceway, PrintItNow.com, Rainbow Bolt & Supply, Rene’s Bar & Grill, Rugged Radios, Shaver Specialties, Square H, Sunoco Race Fuels, Trench Shoring, Upland Rock, Varner Construction and Vista Paint.
PAS PR
