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Oval Nationals Returns To Traditional Format
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When Perris Auto Speedway’s annual Budweiser Oval Nationals Presented by All Coast Construction takes place for the 20th time Nov. 12-14, it will return to a format that endeared it to race fans around the country in previous years.
The Oval Nationals began life in October 1996 as a two-day event.
The race remained a two day affair through 2000. In 2001 promoter Don Kazarian added an extra night and split the field in two. Half the cars raced on Thursday, the other half on Friday and they all raced together on Saturday. He kept the event at three days and instituted the policy of all drivers having to race all three nights.
In 2012, it went back to the original two-night format. In 2013 and 2014, it was back to three nights again, but only the last two of those nights featured the 410 sprint cars. It was still the Oval Nationals, but it was not the same show and the fans let Kazarian know that they wanted the three nights of 410 sprint cars back. Much to their delight, in 2015 the show is going back to what made it great in years gone by: Three straight nights of 410 sprint cars with every driver competing all three nights.
“The fans have been asking for three straight nights of 410 sprint cars like we used to have at the Oval Nationals and that is what we are going to give them,” Kazarian said. “The race did lose a little bit of its luster for a few years, but things began to swing around again when we started getting purse back up, thanks to Mike Grosswendt at All Coast Construction. There was a buzz around the race again the past two seasons and there will be even more this year as fans will be able to see their favorites from the USAC National and USAC/CRA Series’ go at it three straight nights like the old days.”
The 2015 edition of the prestigious race will also see it go back to another past tradition of the Oval Nationals. The race started out with just 410 sprint cars and stayed that way for quite some time. However, the past few years have seen a couple of support classes sharing the program with the 410’s. That is not going to be the case this year.
“Fans also asked for 410’s only and no support classes at the Ovals, so that is what we are going to do,” Kazarian said.
The addition of the third night of 410 racing brings on another big chunk of change for the drivers. It will be the largest purse in the 20-year history of the race. That should not only draw the attention of the local drivers in the USAC/CRA Series and the Indiana based USAC National Series, but it should draw interest from drivers from other parts of the nation as well.
Advance tickets for the 20th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals will go on sale within the coming weeks.
The Oval Nationals began life in October 1996 as a two-day event.
The race remained a two day affair through 2000. In 2001 promoter Don Kazarian added an extra night and split the field in two. Half the cars raced on Thursday, the other half on Friday and they all raced together on Saturday. He kept the event at three days and instituted the policy of all drivers having to race all three nights.
In 2012, it went back to the original two-night format. In 2013 and 2014, it was back to three nights again, but only the last two of those nights featured the 410 sprint cars. It was still the Oval Nationals, but it was not the same show and the fans let Kazarian know that they wanted the three nights of 410 sprint cars back. Much to their delight, in 2015 the show is going back to what made it great in years gone by: Three straight nights of 410 sprint cars with every driver competing all three nights.
“The fans have been asking for three straight nights of 410 sprint cars like we used to have at the Oval Nationals and that is what we are going to give them,” Kazarian said. “The race did lose a little bit of its luster for a few years, but things began to swing around again when we started getting purse back up, thanks to Mike Grosswendt at All Coast Construction. There was a buzz around the race again the past two seasons and there will be even more this year as fans will be able to see their favorites from the USAC National and USAC/CRA Series’ go at it three straight nights like the old days.”
The 2015 edition of the prestigious race will also see it go back to another past tradition of the Oval Nationals. The race started out with just 410 sprint cars and stayed that way for quite some time. However, the past few years have seen a couple of support classes sharing the program with the 410’s. That is not going to be the case this year.
“Fans also asked for 410’s only and no support classes at the Ovals, so that is what we are going to do,” Kazarian said.
The addition of the third night of 410 racing brings on another big chunk of change for the drivers. It will be the largest purse in the 20-year history of the race. That should not only draw the attention of the local drivers in the USAC/CRA Series and the Indiana based USAC National Series, but it should draw interest from drivers from other parts of the nation as well.
Advance tickets for the 20th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals will go on sale within the coming weeks.
