05/22/2026
Taken from Perris Auto Speedway :
Perris Auto Speedway Hosts $2,000.00-to-Win Street Stock Race on May 23!
Perris, California — May 11, 2026 — In addition to hosting one of the longest-running sprint car races, the 73rd Salute to Indy, on May 23, Perris Auto Speedway will also host a $2,000.00-to-win Street Stock race on the same night. It will be the highest-paying stock car race at the longtime Southern California racing facility in several years.
The race came at the suggestion of PASSCAR Street Stock owners and track champions Chris Leventis and Shaun Estes. Originally planned for last month, the race was moved to the Memorial Day weekend show and will now be staged alongside the Salute to Indy, which began in 1948 when it was won by four-time Indianapolis 500 starter Dempsey Wilson.
“Car owners Chris Leventis and Shawn Estes got the ball rolling by putting some extra cash up for grabs,” promoter Don Kazarian said. “They want to get some more cars out there, so they put up some extra prize money. Hopefully, we will see some cars out there that have not been with us in a while. So far, they are reporting that there is a lot of extra interest from cars that race at other tracks. It is going to be a good addition to the Salute to Indy.”
Leventis, who lives in Rancho Palos Verdes, began racing in the 1980s and competed at world-famous Ascot Park in Gardena. He then took a long time away from racing to raise his two sons. Since returning, he captured the PASSCAR Street Stock championships in 2022 and 2023. He will be fielding cars for his son, George and five-time PAS champion Billy Griffin of Buena Park.
Estes, a longtime PAS competitor, won his first PASSCAR Street Stock title in 2012. Thirteen years later, in 2025, he captured the crown for the second time. He will be fielding cars for his sons-in-law, Chad Mahony, and Morgan Rowland, as well as for himself in the 25-lap main event.
“Hopefully it draws a crowd (of drivers),” Leventis said last week. “We are just trying to get these guys to come back out. With the price of fuel and everything, it is hard. We feel we are putting a pretty good purse out there. I have heard from guys from Bakersfield, back east, Arizona, and Barona.”
On top of the regular purse, Leventis and Estes each put up an extra $1,000.00. Stefan Davies, the 2011 track Street Stock champion, added another $500.00. Likewise, the grandmother of one of Estes’ sons-in-law, added $500.00 as well. The initial $2,000.00 will go to the winner, with the remainder being spread throughout the field.
“It is going to be interesting,” Leventis continued. “Stefan (Davies) is going to come out. Blaine (Whitson, who owns three PAS championships) is coming out. I think Tom Smith (another PAS multi champion) is coming. Justin Dunn is coming, a couple guys from Bakersfield are coming, some guys from Arizona are coming. Mohave is closed down for the summer months, so we might get a bunch of cars from there, too.”
“I ran back in the day,” said Leventis, who would still like to be out there racing. “Then I had a couple of kids. I pulled away (from racing) to take care of the kids. When they grew up to a certain age, I got back into it. It is still fun. I would still like to be doing it, but the doctor said no more. So I enjoy watching George, Billy, and everyone run. It is great.”
The $2,000.00-to-win race is based on 17 entries. To see the full purse or the rules, please use the following link: bit.ly/3PkyuzT.
Gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00 p.m. Adult tickets are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. Students 13-17 with a school ID are $15.00. Kids 6-12 are $10.00 and children 5 and under are free. Active military members with proper ID get in for $5.00. The fairgrounds charge $20.00 for parking (parking payment is by card only).
Advance tickets for all 2026 PAS races are available at tix.com. For fans who do not want to purchase advance tickets, there will be plenty available for everyone at the ticket windows on race night.
