Peter Murphy Classic Results and Stories

Peter Murphy Kyle Hirst sweeps the “3rd Annual Peter Murphy Classic” at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare.

West Coast News and Notes from July 22-23rd Weekend...

By Adam J. Ulrey
www.nwsprintcarhistory.com
 
Anywhere on the west coast from Washington down throughout California you mention Peter Murphy and everyone has a story or something to say about this wonderful man. I have never heard a negative word uttered about him in his whole career and I also have never met anyone who was nicer or more friendly to fans and fellow races than Peter Murphy. He is simply loved in this part of the county and in his native Australia. He was a great racer, no matter what he was in a non-wing or a winged car, a midget and it didn't matter if it was a 360 or a 410 he would drive anything. He was in a bad crash at Antioch a few years back and was told his days driving was over and it was hard for him as he loved to race, but it was for the best and now he gives back every year with this great race that features everything about Peter. Its a double header weekend with 410 King of the West Sprinters headlining but also joined by the non-wing USAC West Coast 360 series both nights. The purse is one of the best offered all year in California with $11,000 to the winner and a $1000 to start in the 410 Final on Saturday night. The last car Peter drove was his 1nz for his New Zeland sponsors that he drove for the last few years of his career. Well he brought out this weekend and out in one of the best shoes on the west coast in Kyle Hirst who has already won in 4 other cars this year, now make that 5. He won both nights of  the Classic this weekend with brilliant driving holding off Bud Kaeding both nights in the #0 of Morrie Williams. I will always remember him coming to Dirt Cup up at Skagit Speedway he loved that race and the Pacific Northwest loved Peter. The Dirt Cup is a 3-day show Thursday through Saturday and after the races on Saturday Night a lot of people would gather around Peter's Hauler in what became known as Peter Story Telling Time and it was a blast with tons of people listening to Peter tell some of the funniest stories around. He loved the fans and I never say him ever brush anyone off if someone says hi to him he will always stop and chat. He's a genuine kind and great man and its a shame to not see him wheeling a car as he was one of the best. In the 360 USAC non-wing races on Friday night it was all Ryan Bernal and on Saturday Troy Rutherford would fine victory lane.

Kyle Hirst Friday July 22, 2016  Thuderbowl Raceway, Tulare, California
Night #1 of Peter Murphy Classic

410 King of the West..

24 Cars

Fast Time:  41 Geo Scelzi  14.740

Heat #1:  0 Bud Kaeding, 1nz Kyle Hirst, 5v Jonathan Allard, 14 Jason Myers, 68 Chase Johnson, 3c Tyler Walker, M21 Kalib Henry, 22 Cori Andrews

Heat #2:  88n DJ Netto, 25 Bobby McMahan, 31c Justyn Cox, 83j Shane Golobic, 12p Scott Parker, 98 Sean Watts, 88k Koen Shaw, 37 Mitchell Faccinto

Heat #3:  18w Colby Copeland, 3 Craig Stidham, 00 Jason Statler, 41 Geo Scelzi, 7 Steven Kent, 12 Jarrett Soares, 74 Michael Cunningham, 4s Michael Kofoid

Pole Shuffle:  1nz Hirst, 0 Bu Kaeding, 88n Netto, 18w Copeland, 25 B McMahan, 83j S Golobic, 00 Statler, 14 Myers
 
A Main:  1nz Hirst, 0 Bu Kaeding, 25 B McMahan, 14 Myers, 88n Netto, 68 C Johnson, 00 Statler, 31c Cox, 83j S Golobic, 5v J Allard, 18w Copeland, 3c Walker, 3 Stidham, 41 G Scelzi, 37 Faccinto, 88k K Shaw, 7 Kent, M21 Henry, 98 Watts, 74 Cunningham, 12p Parker, 22 Andrews

Ryan Bernal USAC 360 West Coast Non-Wing..

29 Cars

Fast Time:  56mw Ryan Bernal  15.359

Heat #1:  33 DJ Johnson, 56mw Ryan Bernal, 21 Carson Macedo, 81s Max Adams, 6n Gary Nelson Jr., 56 Ryan Stolz, 15t Tristan Guardino

Heat #2:  81m Michael Faccinto, 29 Bud Kaeding, 11 Troy Rutherford, 83 Andrew Liggett, 7 Shannon McQueen, 21az Steve Sussex, 85 Eddie Tafoya

Heat #3:  88 Jace Vanderweerd, 81t Danny Sheridan, 10 Richard Vanderweerd, 42n Jeff Sibley, 54 Cody Majors, 58 Steven Garris, 5x Kayyssa Perkins

Heat #4: 17v Danny Faria Jr., 91r Brody Roa, 3f Joe Stronetta Jr., 92 Kyler Shaw, 29t Ryan Timmons, 16k Chris Dyson, 0k Kenny Perkins

B Main:  54 Majors, 29t Timmons, 58 Garris, 6n Nelson Jr., 7 McQueen, 0k K Perkins, 56 Stolz, 85 Tafoya, 16k Dyson, 5x M Perkins

A Main:  56mw Bernal, 91r Roa, 88 J Vanderweerd, 29 Bu Kaeding, 81t Sheridan, 17v Faria Jr., 81m M Faccinto, 33 Johnson, 10 R Vanderweerd, 11 Rutherford, 81s Adams, 92 Shaw, 29t Timmons, 42n Sibley, 6n Nelson Jr., 7 McQueen, 58 Garris, 3f Stornetta Jr., 21 Macedo, 83 Liggett, 0k K Perkins, 54 Majors

Saturday July 23, 2016  Thunderbowl Raceway, Tulare, California
Night #2 of the Peter Murphy Classic
410 King of the West...

22 Cars

Heat #1:  83j Shane Golobic, 3c Tyler Walker, 37 Mitchell Faccinto, M21 Kalib Henry, 12p Scott Parker, 25 Bobby McMahan

Heat #2:  5v Jonathan Allard, 00 Jason Statler, 98 Sean Watts, 12 Jarrett Soares, 88k Koen Shaw, 3 Craig Stidham

Heat #3:  31c Justyn Cox, 18w Colby Copeland, 7 Steven Kent, 41 Geo Scelzi, 74 Michael Cunningham, 22 Cori Andrews

Pole Shuffle:  14 Myers, 31c Cox, 88n netto, 5v J Allard, 25 B McMahan, 0 Bu Kaeding, 1nz Hirst, 83j S Golobic

A Main:  1nz Hirst, 0 Bu Kaeding, 14 Myers, 83j S Golobic, 3c T Walker, 88n Netto, 37 Faccinto, 31c Cox, 25 B McMahan, 00 Statler, 18w Copeland, 41 G Scelzi, 98 Watts, 7 kent, 12p Parker, 88k Ko Shaw, 12 Soares, 22 Andrews, 5v J Allard, M21 Henry, 3 Stidham

Troy Rutherford USAC 360 West Coast Non-Wing...

25 Cars

Heat #1:  10 Richard Vanderweerd, 17v Danny Faria Jr., 3f Joe Stornetta Jr., 92 Kyler Shaw, 6n Gary Nelson Jr., 0k Kenny Perkins, 85 Eddie Tafoya

Heat #2:  11 Troy Rutherford, 81m Michael Faccinto, 54 Cody Myers, 29t Ryan Timmons, 16k Chris Dyson, 21 Carson Macedo, 7 Shannon McQueen

Heat #3:  33 DJ Johnson, 83 Austin Liggett, 81s Max Adams, 15t Tristan Guardino, 42n Jeff Sibley, 56 Ryan Stolz

B Main:  58 Garris, 7 McQueen, 5x Tafoya, 0k K perkins, 21 Macedo, 16k Dyson, 56 Stolz, 42m Sibley

Pole Shuffle:  56mw Bernal, 91r Roa, 88 J Vanderweerd, 81t Sheridan, 29 Bu Kaeding, 11 Rutherford, 10 R Vanderweerd, 33 Johnson

A Main:  11 Rutherford, 56mw Bernal, 29 Bu Kaeding, 91r Roa, 10 R Vanderweerd, 21 Macedo, 17v Faria Jr., 81s Adams, 33 Johnson, 37 Faccinto, 7 McQueen, 54 Majors, 92 K Shaw, 0k Perkins, 81s Sheridan, 88 J Vanderweerd, 29t Timmons, 5x Tafoya, 83 Liggett, 15t Guardino, 3f Stornetta Jr., 58 Garris