It’s always been Ryan Bernal’s dream to take his driving talents
to the United States Auto Club Racing league, but never thought he
would have so much success early.
In his rookie year in the West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series, a
subdivision of USAC Racing, Bernal has dominated by finishing
second in four races and placing first in his latest race Saturday
in Santa Maria.
It’s always been Ryan Bernal’s dream to take his driving talents to the United States Auto Club Racing league, but never thought he would have so much success early.
In his rookie year in the West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series, a subdivision of USAC Racing, Bernal has dominated by finishing second in four races and placing first in his latest race Saturday in Santa Maria.
It was Bernal’s 29th main event win, but his first in the West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series. In his first victory, Bernal led for 28 of the race’s 30 laps and moved up to third place in the series’ overall standings.
Bernal’s car was fast enough to lap the ninth-place finisher. Once he took the lead in the race’s third lap, he never trailed again.
“Once I got the lead I never looked back,” he said. “The car was going good.”
His car was so strong because of a decision he made with is father beforehand, Bernal said.
His dad, Rick Bernal, laid out two options for Ryan Bernal: Race as is or change the setup. The Bernals decided to change the car’s setup and its tire stagger. By tilting the car with six-inch and nine-inch back wheels, the Bernals thought the car would handle better in the moist Santa Maria air.
“When it gets dark the track gets some moisture, we thought it would make the car handle better,” Ryan Bernal said.
And it did.
The win moved him 81 points back from leader Richard VanderWeerd in the league’s overall standings. Through 8 races, Bernal has led the standings in five of those weeks.
“It means a lot,” he said. “We’ve taken each step, step by step to get where we are now. It’s a great feeling.”
Through all of those steps, Bernal, who is now 17, his mom, Dana, and dad have been at his side.
“It’s really been just us – through all of this,” he said.
Bernal was introduced to racing at an early age by his dad. Since then, his father has watched him grow up to be one of the best racers in the state.
“The level of competition he is going against is really great,” he said. “Ryan is one of only two from Northern California in the series.”
Bernal is also racing in two different leagues at the same time, the faster West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series and the Wingless Sprint series at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville.
Bernal is in 13th place, 244 points behind the leader at Ocean Speedway, according to the track’s website.
Bernal’s next race in the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Series in Aug. 20 at Hanford’s Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway. There are six more races left on the schedule.
The season will end Oct. 15 in Hanford.
