Former Stockton 99 Speedway Champion Returns for a Wild West Shootout
Bakersfield, CA – The 2003 Stockton 99 Speedway Late Model champion Eric Schmidt will make the short hop from Roseville, to Stockton, to make a run at a $10,000 victory in the “JM Environmental Wild West Shootout There’s Gonna Be Some Rockin’ 127”. Schmidt is a five-time winner in the SRL, and the series 2006 champion, but he is still looking for that first series win at Stockton.
Schmidt is not without touring series victories at “99”. He is a three-time winner in the Pacific Challenge Series and also has a win in the Westcar Late Model Series. In fact, Schmidt has been devastatingly close to winning with the SRL, with an incredible six runner-up efforts at the ¼-mile oval. That included three in-a-row at one point. Schmidt’s wins were at Mesa Marin Raceway (2), Shasta Speedway (1), Madera Speedway (1), and Irwindale Speedway (1).
In addition to his wins, Schmidt has 32 top five (sixth best all-time) and 51 top 10 (sixth best all-time) finishes to go along with three poles in his 80 starts. He has five starts with the ARCA Menards Pro Series West, where he earned an impressive three top fives. He was the 2013 Pacific Challenge Series champion and had eight career wins in only 20 starts. He has track championships at Stockton as well as All American Speedway (CA). He finished second in the “Summer Showdown” at Evergreen Speedway in 2013 and was a winner in All American Speedway’s Wild West Shootout Series in 2023. The Roseville, CA driver only made five starts in the NASCAR Southwest Tour Series, but earned a top five finish in the prestigious “October Classic”, at the now defunct Mesa Marin Raceway (CA)
On September 21st, Schmidt will seek to add Stockton to his SRL Series victory list. He will be in his Sierra Speed and Technology Toyota Camry Super Late Model. It will be Round #2 of the “JM Environmental Wild West Shootout” series and pay $10,000-to-win! It will be the series thirty fourth visit to the venerable speedway, in its’ 75th Anniversary season.
Celebrating its twenty fourth season in 2024, the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series is a regional stock car series competing on paved ovals in the southwestern portion of the U.S. “The SPEARS Southwest Tour Series…Where the Champions Race”.
Story, PC: K. Peters, SRL Media
