Wolfgang to Race in Ascot National

Doug Wolfgang, the most successful sprint car driver this year, will attempt to add the Pacific Coast Nationals to his list when the $70,000 event opens Wednesday night at Ascot Park in Gardena.

The “Wolf” as he is known to friends and fans, will be driving his regular Weikert Livestock sprinter out of Pennsylvania. It is the machine that carried him to his fourth U.S. Nationals victory in August at Knoxville, Iowa. The victory tied him with former Weikert driver Kenny Weld as the winningest driver in that event.

In addition to the Knoxville win, the Sioux Falls, S.D., driver also was victorious in the richest sprint car race, taking home $50,000 for a 50-lap victory at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

In addition to these accomplishments, Wolfgang won almost half of the events he entered in his regular circuit in Pennslyvania en route to setting a new one-season record of 52 main event victories. This broke his own mark of 45 he set in 1977.

However, at Ascot, Wolfgang will be at somewhat of a disadvantage. All of his races this year have come running with wings, the huge airfoils on top and front of the car.

However, the three-day Pacific Coast and the United States Auto Club vs. California Racing Assn. Challenge Series will be run without wings.

Joining Wolfgang in the bid for the $11,000 winner’s purse are a couple of other drivers who spent the year running winged cars on the World of Outlaws circuit, Steve Kinser of Bloomington, Ind., and Ron Shuman of Tempe, Ariz.

Kinser, who won his fifth World of Outlaws championship this season, has come close but has never won the Pacific Coast. Shuman, on the other hand has won it three times, the last in 1983.

Heading the home forces will be a familiar pair from the past, driver Bubby Jones and the Kazarian Bros. Gas Chem sprinter. This combination is the defending champion in the 50-lap. Although Jones has raced at Ascot a few times this season, winning one race, it will be the 1985 Ascot debut of the No. 1 Gas Chem machine. After winning a second straight CRA championship last year, the Kazarians decided to cut back on their racing activities.

Dean Thompson, the only other three-time winner of the Pacific Coast, also will be gunning for his fourth victory. Thompson was third last year behind Jones and Kinser and in his last Ascot start picked up his 100th CRA victory.

Other locals who figure to give a good account of themselves are Eddie Wirth and Mike Sweeney, who are running 1-2 in the CRA standings, Rip Williams and Brad Noffsinger.

Friday night’s USAC vs. CRA Challenge Series is the final of the 10-race series. USAC sprint car champion Rick Hood of Memphis is leading the standings with Sweeney second.

Saturday’s 26-car Pacific Coast Nationals field will be made up of the top 10 drivers from the qualifying main events on Wednesday and Thursday, plus six driver from Saturday night’s semi-main.