DAMION GARDNER ADDS SANTA MARIA’S “DOUG FORT MEMORIAL” TO RESUME

SANTA MARIA, CA – JULY 3, 2021… Continuing his assault on the record books, “The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, CA) raced to his third AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car victory of the campaign. Driving Mark Alexander’s #1 PerformanceOnline.com / Carman Trucking Spike, Gardner powered by Verne Sweeney on the fourteenth lap, withstood multiple caution flags, and shook free from all challengers to win the $3,000 “12th Annual Doug Fort Memorial” at Santa Maria Raceway. Fast qualifier “The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa, “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr., “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams, and Sweeney rounded out the top-five drivers.

Before winning the 86th USAC/CRA main event of his career, “The Demon” was second quick in time trials, placed fourth in his heat race, and now heads to Perris Auto Speedway on July 17th with a 62-point advantage.

Rookie driver, Ikaika O’Brien (Oahu, HI) scored the night’s In Memory of Jim & Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award with a twelfth place run from eighteenth. Racing his #11O Marshall’s Automotive DRC, O’Brien qualified eighteenth overall, ran third in his heat race, earned the BillsJerky.com Long Tow Award, and now ranks twenty-third in the standings.

Starting on the pole position, Verne Sweeney (Lomita, CA) was looking for the first USAC/CRA triumph of his career. After getting a great start, the veteran driver had held off challenges for the first thirteenth circuits. Up from fifth, Gardner navigated the technical track and found an outside line to his liking. After taking command from Sweeney, Gardner faced constant pressure from Faria throughout the main event and a late surge from Roa. 

“The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa (Garden Grove, CA) earned the seventh Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of his career at Santa Maria. The pilot of the BR Performance owned #91R HD Industries Eagle had recorded a time of 14.003 over the 22-car roster, won the Flowdynamics First Heat Race, ran second to Gardner in the feature after charging from the back twice. At press time, the former USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Champion is second in the point chase.

A.J. Bender (San Diego, CA) took the checkered flag in the 10-lap Huntington Beach Glass and Mirror Second Heat Race. Racing the family owned #21 K&R Motorsports DRC, Bender qualified fourteenth overall, finished twentieth in the feature after an early exit, and sits ninth in the point standings.

Rookie contender, Shane Sexton (Warner Springs, CA) took his #74 Sexton / Gatlin Racing owned Triple X backed by Piston Pete’s Brewery to his first career USAC/CRA heat race victory. Before topping the 10-lap All Coast Construction Third Heat Race, Sexton was fifteenth fast in qualifications, finished eleventh at Santa Maria, and sits forty-first in points.

By virtue of his thirteenth place finish, Jeff Dyer (Yucca Valley, CA) claimed the night’s Wilwood Disc Brakes’ Lucky 13 Award. One of the few drivers to also race with the companion California Lightning Sprints, the driver of the Cal-Sun Racing #39 Justice Brothers Stinger qualified sixteenth, ran second to Roa in his heat race, and now ranks twenty-eighth in points while running a limited schedule.

The traditional USAC/CRA Sprint Cars are back in action on Saturday, July 16th at Perris Auto Speedway (Perris, CA).

The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks All Coast Construction, BillsJerky.com, Component Repair Company, Factory Wraps, Flowdynamics, The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim & Chet Gardner), Hoosier Racing Tires, Huntington Beach Glass and Mirror, Woodland Auto Display, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Loudpedal Productions, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Sway-A-Way Torsion Bars, surfnsprint.com, Ultra Shield Race Products, and Wilwood Disc Brakes for their support. 

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AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: July 3, 2021 – Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, California – “12th Annual Doug Fort Memorial”

WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFYING: 1. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-14.003; 2. Damion Gardner, 1, Alexander-14.536; 3. Cody Williams, 44, Williams-14.541; 4. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-14.641; 5. Austin Williams, 92, Sertich-14.645; 6. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-14.739; 7. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-14.789; 8. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-14.795; 9. Brent Owens, 71, Martin-14.799; 10. Verne Sweeney, 98, Tracy-14.801; 11. Logan Williams, 5W, McCarthy-14.846; 12. Matt McCarthy, 28M, McCarthy-14.864; 13. Ryan Timmons, 29T, Timmons-15.019; 14. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-15.088; 15. Shane Sexton, 74, Sexton/Gatlin-15.326; 16. Jeff Dyer, 39, Cal-Sun-15.394; 17. James Herrera, 5J, Herrera-15.448; 18. Ikaika O’Brien, 11O, O’Brien-15.608; 19. Christopher Muraokoa, 25, Murakoa-15.690; 20. Travis Buckley, 21K, Kruseman-15.772; 21. Frank Herman, 2K, Kruseman-16.812; 22. Danny Sheridan, 73, Ford-NT.

FLOWDYNAMICS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Roa, 2. Dyer, 3. Gansen, 4. Sweeney, 5. Muraokoa, 6. Timmons, 7. Faria, 8. Sheridan. NT.

HUNTINGTON BEACH GLASS & MIRROR SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Bender, 2. L.Williams, 3. Malcolm, 4. Gardner, 5. Buckley, 6. A.Williams, 7. Herrera. NT.

ALL COAST CONSTRUCTION THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Sexton, 2. C.Williams, 3. O’Brien, 4. McCarthy, 5. Owens, 6. Tafoya, 7. Herman. NT. 

FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Damion Gardner (5), 2. Brody Roa (6), 3. Danny Faria Jr. (7), 4. Austin Williams (8), 5. Verne Sweeney (1), 6. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (9), 7. Chris Gansen (3), 8. Logan Williams (11), 9. Matt McCarthy (12), 10. Tommy Malcolm (2), 11. Shane Sexton (15), 12. Ikaika O’Brien (18), 13. Jeff Dyer (16), 14. Travis Buckley (20), 15. Frank Herman (21), 16. James Herrera (17), 17. Brent Owens (10), 18. Christopher Muraokoa (19), 19. Danny Sheridan (22), 20. A.J. Bender (14), 21. Cody Williams (4), 22. Ryan Timmons (13). NT.

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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-13 Sweeney, Laps 14-30 Gardner.

IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: Ikaika O’Brien (18th to 12th)

WILWOOD DISC BRAKES LUCKY 13 AWARD: Jeff Dyer

NEW AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Damion Gardner-588, 2-Brody Roa-526, 3-Austin Williams-496, 4-Chris Gansen-468, 5-Tommy Malcolm-403, 6-Cody Williams-368, 7-Matt Mitchell-328. 8-Danny Faria Jr.-319, 9-A.J. Bender-318, 10-Verne Sweeney-317.

NEXT AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: July 17 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, California