DAMION GARDNER ADDS BAKERSFIELD TO USAC/CRA WIN LIST
By Lance Jennings
APRIL 17, 2017... Taking control from “The Cadillac” Cody Williams on the fourteenth lap, “The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, California) claimed last Saturday’s return to Bakersfield Speedway. For Gardner, the $3,000 AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car victory was his second win of the campaign with Brody Roa, “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr., Jake Swanson, and Williams rounding out the top-five drivers.
Racing Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / Weld Racing Spike, Damion Gardner continues to make USAC/CRA history. The five-time champion set the standard in time trials over the twenty-three car roster and earned his 71st career Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award. After running third in his heat race, “The Demon” started sixth in the feature and charged to his first victory at the Bakersfield oval. By taking the 30-lap win, Gardner recorded his 72nd series triumph and gave Alexander the series car owner lead with 67 victories. Damion left Bakersfield with a twenty-nine point lead on the strength of two feature wins, two Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, two heat race victories, three top-10 finishes, and 40 feature laps led.
After restarting at the back, Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) raced through the field and got to within striking distance of the leader. Driving the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Frank Baldozier Racing Maxim, Roa qualified third overall and won the night’s Circle Track Performance / Keizer Aluminum Wheels Heat Race #3. The 2016 USAC West Coast Champion has climbed to second in the point chase with three top-10 finishes and 6 feature laps led on the year.
Making his first USAC/CRA start of the year, “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. (Tipton, California) scored third at Bakersfield Speedway. Racing his #17V Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / DeBoer & Sons Trucking Spike, Faria had briefly taken the lead from Williams before a caution flag erased the pass. Now tied with R.J. Johnson for eighteenth in points, the two-time USAC West Coast Champion was seventh fast in time trials and ran second to Kenny Perkins in his heat race.
Like Roa, Jake Swanson (Anaheim, California) restarted at the back and battled his way forward on the tricky surface. Claiming fourth at the checkered flags, the pilot of Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Clackamas Rigging & Transfer XXX qualified sixth overall and placed fourth in his heat race. The 2012 Rookie of the Year heads to Ventura ranked third in the point standings with one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, one heat race victory, and three top-10 finishes.
After leading the first thirteen laps, “The Cadillac” Cody Williams (Corona, California) placed fifth at the checkered flags. Driving Jack Jory’s #44 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams had benefitted from three caution flags to regain the lead. Earlier in the program, the former Victorville Champion was fifth quick in time trials and ran third in his heat race. Cody left Bakersfield placed fifth in points with three top-10 finishes and 13 feature laps led to his credit.
Making her first career USAC/CRA start, Shannon McQueen (Bakersfield, California) earned the night’s Saldana Racing Products / Rod End Supply “Hard Charger Award / Best Passing Job” honors with a twelfth place run from eighteenth. Piloting Bob and Toni Van Meter’s #7 Simpson Race Products / Lucas Oil Spike with 360 power, McQueen qualified eighteenth overall and placed seventh in her heat race. The former USAC Western States Midget Champion left her hometown track ranked twenty-first in points.
Kenny Perkins (Oak Hills, California) raced to victory in the night’s 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Driving the family owned #0K Sprint Car Driving Experience / Victory Race Cars entry, Perkins was thirteenth fast in time trials and scored eleventh in the main event.
Leading rookie contender Matt McCarthy (Riverside, California) earned his first career USAC/CRA heat race victory by taking the Brown & Miller Racing Solutions event. Racing the family owned #28M Flowdynamics Incorporated / Napa Auto Parts Maxim, McCarthy qualified fourteenth overall and scored twenty-third in the feature after an early exit. Matt heads to the May 6th Ventura event ranked twelfth in the standings.
On Saturday, May 6th, the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will invade Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway. Located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 West Harbor Blvd. in Ventura, California, the VRA Senior Sprints and Focus Midgets will share the card. More event and ticket information can be found at www.venturaraceway.com or calling 805.648.RACE.
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks Hoosier Tire, All Coast Construction, BR Motorsports, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, King Racing Products, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, surfNsprint.com, Ultra Shield Race Products, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, contact PR Director Lance Jennings at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
For more information on USAC/CRA, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at www.usacracing.com. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
Loudpedal Productions has USAC/CRA DVDs and videos on demand available for purchase at www.loudpedal.tv and 805.407.7229.
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AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: April 15, 2017 – Bakersfield, California – Bakersfield Speedway
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-12.545; 2. Mike Spencer, 4S, Gansen-12.586; 3. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-12.640; 4. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-12.713; 5. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-12.746; 6. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-12.828; 7. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-12.945; 8. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-12.992; 9. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-13.005; 10. Max Adams, 42, Cheney-13.007; 11. Parker Colston, 64, Gore-13.047; 12. Chase Johnson, 68, Thomas-13.073; 13. Kenny Perkins, 0K, Perkins-13.089; 14. Matt McCarthy, 28M, McCarthy-13.092; 15. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-13.098; 16. Rick Hendrix, 15, Hendrix-13.186; 17. Eddie Tafoya, 51T, Tafoya-13.466; 18. Shannon McQueen, 7, Van Meter-13.617; 19. A.J. Bender, 21B, Bender-13.653; 20. Jeremy Ellertson, 98, Ellertson-13.999; 21. Hobie Conway, 1K, Kruseman- 14.030; 22. James Herrera, 5J, Herrera-14.394; 23. Brent Owens, 71, Martin-14.950.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Perkins, 2. Faria, 3. Gardner, 4. A.Williams, 5. Adams, 6. Hendrix, 7. Bender, 8. Herrera. NT
BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. McCarthy, 2. Spencer, 3. C.Williams, 4. Colston, 5. Tafoya, 6. Owens, 7. Ellertson, 8. Malcolm. NT
CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE / KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Roa, 2. Gansen, 3. L.Williams, 4. Swanson, 5. Johnson, 6. Conway, 7. McQueen. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Damion Gardner (6th), 2. Brody Roa (4th), 3. Danny Faria Jr. (7th), 4. Jake Swanson (1st), 5. Cody Williams (2nd), 6. Austin Williams (3rd), 7. Tommy Malcolm (8th), 8. Chase Johnson (12th), 9. Mike Spencer (5th), 10. Logan Williams (15th), 11. Kenny Perkins (13th), 12. Shannon McQueen (18th), 13. Parker Colston (11th), 14. Chris Gansen (9th), 15. Jeremy Ellertson (20th), 16. Hobie Conway (21st), 17. Brent Owens (23rd), 18. Eddie Tafoya (17th), 19. James Herrera (22nd), 20. Rick Hendrix (16th), 21. Max Adams (10th), 22. A.J. Bender (19th), 23. Matt McCarthy (14th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-13 C.Williams, Laps 14-30 Gardner
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / ROD END SUPPLY HARD CHARGER: Shannon McQueen (18th to 12th)
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Damion Gardner-246, 2. Brody Roa-217, 3. Jake Swanson-208, 4. Mike Spencer-192, 5. Cody Williams-179, 6. Austin Williams-157, 7. Richard Vander Weerd-151, 8. Tommy Malcolm-150, 9. Logan Williams-136, 10. Chris Gansen-122, 11. Parker Colston-113, 12. Matt McCarthy-104, 13. Jace Vander Weerd-102, 14. Jeremy Ellertson-98, 15. Eddie Tafoya-96, 16. Verne Sweeney-86, 17. Kyle Edwards-76, 18. Danny Faria, Jr.-71, R.J. Johnson-71, 20. Chad Boespflug-51
2017 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE
DATE-TRACK-LOCATION
May 6: Ventura Raceway - Ventura, CA
May 27: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Salute to Indy)
June 24: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA
July 1: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA (Doug Fort Memorial)
July 22: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA
August 5: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA
August 26: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (California Racers Hall of Fame Night)
September 2: Calistoga Speedway - Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic / California Sprint Week)
September 3: Calistoga Speedway - Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic / California Sprint Week)
September 4: Petaluma Speedway - Petaluma CA (California Sprint Week)
September 7: Silver Dollar Speedway - Chico, CA (Gold Cup Race of Champions / California Sprint Week)
September 8: Ocean Speedway - Watsonville, CA (California Sprint Week)
September 9: Keller Auto Speedway - Hanford, CA (California Sprint Week)
September 23: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Glenn Howard Classic)
October 21: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA
November 3: *Arizona Speedway - San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 4: *Arizona Speedway - San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 9: *Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Budweiser Oval Nationals presented by All Coast Construction)
November 10: *Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Budweiser Oval Nationals presented by All Coast Construction)
November 11: *Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Budweiser Oval Nationals presented by All Coast Construction)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with Amsoil USAC National Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.
