68TH RUNNING OF THE USAC TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX THIS THURSDAY AT TOYOTA SPEEDWAY AT IRWINDALE

Source: Toyota Speedway Medi Relations/ko
Date: 11/25/2008

IRWINDALE, California — The 2008 North American Motorsports calendar comes to a conclusion on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 27 at TOYOTA Speedway at Irwindale Speedway when it hosts the 68th Running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix presented by Agajanian Promotions.

The Turkey Night event has for many years served as the “last word” for the North American Motorsports calendar of major events and is a highlight for race fans, especially those fans traveling across the country as evidenced by the number of motor homes already parked in the Speedway’s RV area. Many of the traveling fans have enjoyed the tradition of preparing a Thanksgiving dinner in the Speedway’s parking lot during the afternoon leading up to an evening of USAC Midget, Sprint and Ford Focus racing.

The event is equally popular with racing competitors as 56 USAC National and Western Championship entrants have already registered bringing together the best of America’s Midget racers. The field of entrants includes IRL and Indy 500 veterans Davey Hamilton, P.J. Jones and NASCAR stars Kasey Kahne and Jason Leffler.

Tracey Hines of New Castle, Ind. and Cole Whitt of Alpine, Calif. are separated by only 17 points going into Thursday’s Midget finale. Hines is attempting to secure USAC’s Triple Crown having already earned Silver Crown and National Sprint Car titles. The Midget crown would place him in a select group of drivers that includes Tony Stewart, J.J. Yeley, Pancho Carter, Dave Darland and Jerry Coons Jr. as the only drivers in USAC history to win all three national titles in their career. Whitt is 17 years old and has never challenged for a USAC title before and could become USAC’s youngest ever national champion.

The 98-lap Midget race, honoring the memory of the late race organizer J.C. Agajanian, with whom the number 98 was synonymous, also concludes the Western Midget season with Nic Faas of Huntington Beach, Calif. set to claim the 2008 championship.

The race also marks the finale of the 2008 “Toyota Challenge” honoring the top car owner performance in three selected 2008 USAC National Midget events as well as the retirement of Steve Lewis of Laguna Beach, Calif. the owner of the famed Nine Racing Midget team. During his 29 year career as a team owner, Lewis saw his team win ten USAC National Midget titles and over 130 feature races.

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USAC’s Western Sprint Car championship will wrap up its season on Thursday night with a 40-lap feature race. Tanner Swanson of Kingsburg, Calif. will earn the series championship in his “rookie’ season and is the younger brother of Kody Swanson, the 2005 Western Sprint Car champion.

Points leader Ian Miille of Pleasanton, Calif. and second place Alex Bowman of Tucson, Ariz. are separated by 35 points as they compete for both the 2008 USAC California Pavement Ford Focus Series Championship and the USAC Ford Focus Series National Championship in a 40-lap feature race on the Speedway’s third-mile oval. Brandon Langlois of Kamloops, B.C., Canada remains mathematically eligible for the crown but trails Miille by 69 points.

Spectator gates open at 4 p.m. The King Taco fan appreciation autograph session with drivers and cars on the track is scheduled at 5:45 p.m. with racing scheduled to get underway at 7 p.m.

The first 2,000 fans entering the spectator gates will receive courtesy of Toyota a Toyota NASCAR Sprint Cup 1:64 die cast collectible car. Also, fans attending Thursday’s event are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to benefit the annual U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Collection. All toys collected will be distributed to children throughout the Los Angeles area this holiday season.

During Thursday’s event, Toyota and the Southern California Toyota dealers will be hosting two busloads of Marines from the Camp Pendleton, Calif. Marine Corps base. The Marines will be recognized during the on track autograph session and will be served a turkey dinner.

Wednesday’s (November 26) open practice for USAC Midget, Sprint and Ford Focus competitors will take place from 3:30-8:30 p.m. Spectators will be admitted for $10.00 with kids 12 and under admitted for free.

Tickets for the Turkey Night Grand Prix are available for purchase at the Speedway ticket office, on the Internet at www.toyotaspeedwayatirwindale.com or by calling (626) 358-1100.

Auto Club of Southern California members receive a 10% discount off of the purchase of up to four (4) adult general admission tickets for the Turkey Night Grand Prix when they show their AAA membership card.

Additional information on the events and racing series can be obtained by logging onto www.usacracing.com and the Speedway’s web site www.toyotaspeedwayatirwindale.com.

TOYOTA Speedway at Irwindale is located at 500 Speedway Drive off of Live Oak Ave. and I-605, between the 10 and 210 freeways in Irwindale, Calif.

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