Young NASCAR Sprint Cup star Kyle Larson will be racing at the 74th Running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Perris Auto Speedway on Thanksgiving night. It will be the popular 22-year-old star’s first appearance on a dirt track since racing in the Chili Bowl Midget event in Tulsa, Oklahoma last January.
The longest running and most prestigious Midget race in the nation, the Turkey Night Grand Prix was first contested in 1934 at Gilmore Stadium, which is now the site of the CBS Studios in Los Angeles. The race was held at a variety of tracks throughout the years since. Most notably at J.C. Agajanian’s legendary Ascot Park in Gardena where it was staged all but one year from 1960 until it closed in 1990. With the exception of being run at Saugus Speedway in 1991, Turkey Night stayed true to its dirt roots until moving to the Irwindale Speedway from 1999 through 2011. When it made its much heralded return to the dirt at Perris Auto Speedway in 2012, Kyle Larson stood head and shoulders above the competition for a historic win.
NASCAR star Kyle Larson on his way to winning the 2012 Turkey Night Grand Prix at Perris Auto Speedway. Media feel free to publish this and the other photo in this release and please give photo credit to Doug Allen.
“It is huge news throughout the racing industry that Kyle Larson is coming back to his racing roots to race a Midget on dirt for the first time in nearly a year,” Perris Auto Speedway promoter Don Kazarian said with a huge smile. “We are ecstatic that his first race back will be at the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Perris Auto Speedway. He raced here several times over the years, but the most memorable was two years ago when he won the Turkey Night Grand Prix. The race always draws a lot of buzz from fans and the media. His inclusion in this year’s race has escalated that buzz to a roar and the race is still two weeks away.”
In his first full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, Larson has been impressive since the first green flag of the season at Daytona last February. Heading into Sunday’s finale in Miami, Florida, he has more top five finishes (8) than two of the final four drivers in the Chase! He also has 17 top 10 finishes. Only two of the drivers in the final four have more.
On Thanksgiving, Larson will be driving a Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian owned Midget. He was driving for Kunz when he won the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Perris in 2012.
“Kyle Larson’s entry makes an already huge event even bigger,” Kazarian said. “He is teaming up with Keith Kunz again and he has to be one of the favorites for the win and a chance to kiss the Aggie Trophy for the second time.”
In addition to seeing him compete in the event, fans will also be able to meet him on the track at the autograph session with all of the drivers before the races begin.
They can be obtained at The PAS souvenir stand on a race night, by phone at 1-800-595-4849 or online by clicking on the following link: http://pas.tix.com/Schedule.aspx?OrgNum=7
For more information on The PAS call: (951) 940-0134.
Camping for all events at The PAS is available for $25.00 per night. The campground will open at noon on Friday. Tailgating in the spectator parking lot will begin at 1:00 PM for all PAS events as well.
Perris Auto Speedway PR
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