(Chino Hills, CA, February 28, 2022) Normally, five weeks would not seem like a long time to USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series competitor Eddie Tafoya Jr. However, coming off a series-best second-place finish at Arizona’s Cocopah Speedway at the end of January, the wait for this weekend’s Central California doubleheader at the Stone Chevrolet Buick GMC Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare and Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford has seemed like an eternity.
Second-generation sprint car racer Tafoya, who lives in Chino Hills, California, opened the 2022 season with a seventh-place finish at Cocopah. The following night he slipped back two spots and finished ninth. The highlight of the weekend came when he drove the beautiful #51T to a second-place finish in the 30-lap main on the final night before heading back to So Cal. The three top 10 finishes to open the campaign see the 2019 “Rookie of the Year” fourth in the 2022 championship standings before this week’s races.
Friday’s race will only be Tafoya’s second appearance at Tulare. His first outing at the track came last March and it is one he plans to improve on. The likable driver qualified 16th in the 21-car field with a time of 16.543. After qualifications, he started in the first heat race and finished his night on the last circuit of the 10-lapper when he flipped into the turn one billboards. The crash did not seem exceptionally violent, but after returning to the pits, Tafoya’s crew quickly found out the unforgiving Tulare billboards were a clear KO winner as the chassis was destroyed.
While the 2018 Perris Auto Speedway Young Guns champion’s presence at Tulare will only be his second ever at the track, it is two more appearances than he has made at Keller Auto Speedway!
This week’s Central California doubleheader is the first of three for Tafoya and the other USAC/CRA drivers in 2022. The next time they pull the Tulare/Hanford double will be April 1st and 2nd and it will be followed by one more trip on July 8th and 9th.
Tafoya fans who cannot make the trek up the 99 this week can see both nights of action on Flo Racing. Details on a Flo Subscription are available at www.floracing.com.
This week’s action in Tulare will get underway when spectator gates open at 4:00 p.m. Hot laps will follow at 5:00 with qualifying at 6:00 and the first green flag of the night will be at 7:00. The Stone Chevrolet Buick GMC Thunderbowl Raceway is located at the Tulare County Fairgrounds on the corner of Bardsley and K Streets at 620 South K Street Tulare, California 93274. The track website is http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com/ and the office phone number is (559) 688-0909. Camping will be available off turns three and four.
Spectator gates in Hanford will swing open at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. The track is located at 801 S. 10th Avenue in Hanford (93230) and its website is https://www.racekingsspeedway.com/
After this Friday and Saturday’s races, Tafoya will be off until the USAC/CRA Series joins the World of Outlaws for the annual “SoCal Shootout” at Perris Auto Speedway on March 26th.
Tafoya and the #51T team would like to welcome new sponsor Weld Wheels for joining the 2022 championship effort. He wants to thank them along with Specialty Fasteners, DRC Chassis, Ryder Racing Engines, Simpson Safety Products, Bell, Benic Enterprises, BR Motorsports, PSC Powder Coating, Magik Graphics, and Gasper Transportation for making this 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 teamtafoya@aol.com. He will be happy to talk to you and lay out the team’s 2022 plans.
Fans can follow Tafoya on Instagram @eddietafoya51. The same contact point can be used to purchase his great-looking shirts via mail.
Eddie Tafoya Jr. 2022 Race Results
1-27 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 7th A Main
1-28 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 9th A Main
1-29 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 2nd A Main
