BRODY ROA CHARGES TO VICTORY AT MOHAVE VALLEY

By Lance Jennings

MOHAVE VALLEY, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 12, 2022… Starting eleventh, “The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) powered by “The Demon” Damion Gardner on lap 27 to take last Saturday’s $3,000 victory at Mohave Valley Raceway. For Roa, the win marked his third AMSOIL USAC/CRA triumph of the season and the 2019 USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Champion moves to fifth on the series win list with thirteen victories. Gardner, Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm, hard charger Shon Deskins, and “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. followed Roa to the checkered flags.

Outside front row starter “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., led the opening six laps in his #50 MP Environmental J&J. As track conditions were changing, polesitter Jake Helsel slipped by the multi-time Arizona champion for the top spot. Making his first start in the Ream Industries owned #8 GF1 with a 360 cubic inch engine, Helsel maintained the lead for the next twelve circuits. Taking advantage on a restart, point leader Damion Gardner took over from Helsel as the race leader. Looking for his seventh win of the year, Gardner set a torrid pace around the 1/3-mile oval. As the laps counted down, Roa had sliced his way to the front and challenged Gardner for the top spot. Roa snatched the lead and “The Demon” briefly regained command. Brody countered, secured the lead for good, and was not to be denied at Mohave Valley.

Racing the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Eagle, Roa began his night by qualifying eleventh out of a season high of 32 cars. From there, the 2016 USAC West Coast Sprint Car Champion won the 10-lap In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Third Heat Race. Brody left Mohave Valley ranked eighth in the point chase.

Chris Gansen (Verdemont Heights, California) earned the second Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of his career with a time of 14.660 seconds at Mohave Valley. Driving the family owned #4G Trench Shoring / Cam 2 Blue Blood Oil Maxim, Gansen placed fifth in his heat race, scored third in the semi-main, and finished twentieth in the main event. 

Making his first start in the Yeley Racing #2J Avanti Windows and Doors Twister, R.J. Johnson (Laveen, Arizona) raced to victory in the 10-lap Flowdynamics Incorporated First Heat Race. The multi-time USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Champion was seventeenth quick in time trials and raced to seventh in the main event after starting fifteenth. 

Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm (Corona, California) raced to victory in the night’s 10-lap BillsJerky.net Second Heat Race. Piloting Dino Napier’s #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / B&B Powder Coating DRC, Malcolm qualified tenth overall and raced to third in the feature from tenth. Tommy left Mohave Valley ranked fifth in the USAC/CRA point chase.

Racing Mark Alexander’s #1 PerformanceOnline.com / Carman Trucking Spike, “The Demon” Demon Gardner (Concord, California) took the checkered flags in the 10-lap Laserworx Manufacturing Heat Race. Gardner was fourth fast in time trials and led eight main event laps before finishing second to Roa. Looking for his tenth championship, the USAC/CRA point leader heads to Cocopah Speedway with a 188-point advantage.

A.J. Bender (San Diego, California) won the 12-lap Factory Wraps Semi-Main Event. Driving the family owned #21 Bender Pools & Spa / Schweitzer Racing DRC, Bender qualified eighteenth overall, ran sixth in his heat race, and finished twenty-third in the feature after an early flip ended his night.

Shon Deskins (Phoenix, Arizona) claimed Mohave Valley’s hard charger / best passing job honors with a fourth place run from twentieth. Racing his #20 Mesilla Valley Transportation / Premium Coach Group DRC, Deskins was twenty-third quick in time trials and placed third in his heat race. 

By virtue of his thirteenth place finish from seventeenth, Verne Sweeney (Lomita, California) earned the night’s Wilwood Disc Brakes “Lucky 13 Award.” Piloting Ken Tracy’s #98 BillsJerky.net / Faas Cores DRC, Sweeney qualified nineteenth overall, placed fifth in his heat race, and ran fifth in the semi-main.

The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will return to action on October 28 and 29th at Cocopah Speedway in Yuma, Arizona for the “Chapman Chevrolet of Yuma 55th Annual Western World Championships Presented by Yuma Insurance and Avanti.” Co-sanctioned with the AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series, the prestigious race is a must see event for race fans across the country. For more information, visit racecocopahspeedway.com. 

The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks Billsjerky.net, Factory Wraps, Flowdynamics Incorporated, The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim & Chet Gardner), Hoosier Racing Tires, Laserworx Manufacturing, Woodland Auto Display, BR Motorsports, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, FloRacing, In Memory of Shawn McDonald, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Vahlco Wheels, and Wilwood Disc Brakes for their support. 

For more information on the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, visit usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

FloRacing.com has live, flag-to-flag coverage of the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series. You can catch the action by subscribing to FloRacing on a monthly or yearly basis to view their huge catalog of live and on-demand auto racing and sporting events.

AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: October 8, 2022 – Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, Arizona

WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-14.660; 2. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-14.667; 3. Austin Williams, 2, Williams-14.678; 4. Damion Gardner, 1, Alexander-14.694; 5. Sterling Cling, 34, Cling-14.701; 6. Daylin Perreira, 21P, Perreira-14.770; 7. Charles Davis Jr., 47, Davis-14.775; 8. Jake Helsel, 8, Ream-14.811; 9. Logan Calderwood, 6, Calderwood-14.882; 10. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-14.891; 11. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-14.907; 12. Ronald Webster, 51, Webster-14.957; 13. Matt McCarthy, 28M, McCarthy-15.066; 14. Dustin Cormany, 29, Holloway-15.098; 15. Randy Nelson, 9X, Nelson-15.122; 16. Austin Grabowski, 72, Grabowski-15.145; 17. R.J. Johnson, 2J, Yeley-15.156; 18. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-15.235; 19. Verne Sweeney, 98, Tracy-15.244; 20. Chris Bonneau, 15, Bonneau-15.265; 21. Logan Williams, 5W, McCarthy-15.309; 22. Brent Owens, 71, Martin-15.432; 23. Shon Deskins, 20, Deskins-15.470; 24. Shane Sexton, 74, Sexton/Gatlin-15.663; 25. Richard McCormick, 71X, Luport-15.902; 26. Austin Ervine, 21, AJ-15.931; 27. Nate Schank, 1$, Schank-16.159; 28. Eddie Chacon, 17US, Chacon-16.704; 29. James Turnbull II, 2JT, Turnbull-17.937; 30. Cody Williams, 44, Williams-NT; 31. Grant Sexton, 22, Sexton-NT; 32. Todd Pratt, 71T, Pratt-NT.

FLOWDYNAMICS INCORPORATED FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Johnson, 2. McCarthy, 3. L.Williams, 4. Cling, 5. Gansen, 6. Calderwood, 7. McCormick, 8. Turnbull. NT.

BILLSJERKY.NET SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Malcolm, 2. Cormany, 3. C.Williams, 4. Tafoya, 5. Ervine, 6. Bender, 7. Perreira, 8. Owens. NT.

IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Roa, 2. A.Wiliams, 3. Deskins, 4. Davis, 5. Sweeney, 6. Nelson, 7. Schank, 8. G.Sexton. NT.

LASERWORX MANUFACTURING FOURTH HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Gardner, 2. Bonneau, 3. Helsel, 4. Grabowski, 5. S.Sexton, 6. Webster, 7. Pratt. NT.

FACTORY WRAPS SEMI: (12 laps) 1. Bender, 2. Calderwood, 3. Gansen, 4. Schank, 5. Sweeney, 6. S.Sexton, 7. Perreira, 8. McCormick, 9. Pratt, 10. G.Sexton, 11. Webster, 12. Turnbull. NT.

FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Brody Roa (11), 2. Damion Gardner (4), 3. Tommy Malcolm (10), 4. Shon Deskins (20), 5. Charles Davis Jr. (2), 6. Sterling Cling (3), 7. R.J. Johnson (15), 8. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (6), 9. Cody Williams (23), 10. Matt McCarthy (12), 11. Dustin Cormany (13), 12. Jake Helsel (1), 13. Verne Sweeney (17), 14. Austin Williams (5), 15. Nate Schank (22), 16. Logan Williams (19), 17. Shane Sexton (21), 18. Chris Bonneau (18), 19. Daylin Perreira (8), 20. Chris Gansen (7), 21. Logan Calderwood (9), 22. Austin Grabowski (14), 23. A.J. Bender (16). NT.

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**G.Sexton & C.Willams flipped during time trials. Grabowski flipped on lap 1 of the feature.

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Lap 1-6 Davis, Laps 7-18 Helsel, Laps 19-26 Gardner, Laps 27-30 Roa.

IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: Shon Deskins (20th to 4th)

WILWOOD DISC BRAKES LUCKY 13 AWARD: Verne Sweeney

NEW AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Damion Gardner-1112, 2-Austin Williams-924, 3-Matt Mitchell-920, 4-Eddie Tafoya Jr.-903, 5-Tommy Malcolm-806, 6-Logan Williams-768, 7-Cody Williams-745, 8-Brody Roa-740, 9-Charles Davis Jr.-697, 10-Matt McCarthy-637.

NEXT AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACES: October 28 & 29 – Cocopah Speedway – Yuma, Arizona – Co-sanctioned with USAC National Series – “Chapman Chevrolet of Yuma 55th Annual Western World Championships Presented by Yuma Insurance and Avanti”