NM-AZ Regional Sprint Labor Day preview

New Mexico/Arizona Sprints eye 3-race Labor Day swing.

The 2002 USAC New Mexico/Arizona Sprint Car Series is preparing for a three-race Labor Day Swing August 30-September 1 which could very well determine the series' inaugural driving champion. Races are scheduled Friday, August 30 at Hollywood Hills Speedway in San Felipe Pueblo, N.M., Saturday, August 31 at Thunder Raceway in Show Low, Ariz. and Sunday, September 1 at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix, Ariz.

Mike Boat of Phoenix leads the series standings by 59 points over Mike Martin of Yuma, Ariz. with 216 points available in the three upcoming races.

New Mexico and Arizona have "split" the feature wins so far in the new series, with Boat winning at Tucson in May and Aztec, NM in June and Phoenix' Kaylene Verville winning at Show Low in May. Albuquerque drivers Tim West and Tom Ball won at Tularosa, NM in July and Aztec in August respectively, while Las Cruces, N.M. driver Rick Ziehl won the series opener at Las Cruces in April.

Co-sanction from the New Mexico Motor Racing Association (NMMRA) for the August 30 Hollywood Hills race should create an accelerated car count to kick off the three-race swing. Race sponsorships are also in the negotiation stage, with NAPA already on board for the August 31 race at Show Low.

A special 20-lap "Shootout" is also being planned for the Labor Day Swing finale at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix. It would start up to 20 cars and offer a full purse with starters based on points earned from the previous two events.

Thirty-lap features are on tap at each of the three Labor Day Swing events. The August 30 race will mark USAC's debut at the brand new 3/8-mile dirt Hollywood Hills Speedway. Thunder Raceway's 1/4-mile dirt in Show Low, Ariz. yielded the first feature win for a female driver in USAC Sprint Car history May 25 when Kaylene Verville was the winner. The Labor Day Swing concludes at the 1/2-mile dirt Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix, a track which has hosted USAC racing for 40 years and has witnessed USAC Sprint car wins in the past by Mario Andretti, Lealand McSpadden, Rick Hood and Bob East.

The 2002 USAC New Mexico/Arizona Sprint Car Series is presently set to conclude October 12 at the Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces.

USAC NEW MEXICO/ARIZONA REGIONAL SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS

1. Mike Boat 355
2. Mike Martin 296
3. Rick Sipes 275
4. Mike Ziehl 240
5. Dave Burns 240
6. Rick Ziehl 201
7. Steve Stone 193
8. Matt Ziehl 186
9. Steve Nix 183
10. Christy Smith 178

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