MAX ADAMS GETS FIRST USAC/CRA WIN AT SANTA MARIA
By Lance Jennings
JULY 5, 2017... Last Saturday night, Max Adams (Loomis, California) mounted a late race charge to claim his first career AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car win at Santa Maria Raceway. Using slower traffic to his advantage, Adams took the lead from Brody Roa on lap 29 and sprinted to the $3,000 “9th Annual Doug Fort Memorial” victory. Roa, “The Demon” Damion Gardner, Jake Swanson, and “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. rounded out the top-five drivers.
Piloting Dwight Cheney’s #42 Racing Optics / Sander Engineering Maxim, Max Adams became the 64th driver to win a USAC/CRA main event. Last season’s Rookie of the Year qualified fifth out of twenty-one racers, ran third in his heat race, and started third in the main event. At press time, Adams ranks twelfth in the point chase with three top-10 finishes.
After starting on the pole position and leading the first 28 laps, Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) finished a heartbreaking second at Santa Maria. Driving the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Roa was seventh fast in time trials and ran second to “The Cadillac” Cody Williams in his heat race. Last year’s USAC West Coast champion is second in the point standings with one heat race victory, seven top-10 finishes, and 44 feature laps led.
Starting sixth, “The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, California) scored third at the “Doug Fort Memorial.” Racing Mark Alexander’s #4 S.P. Beagle Plumbing / Scott Sales Company Spike, Gardner qualified second overall and won the Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Heat Race #2. To date, the five-time champion leads the points with three feature wins, two Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, six heat race victories, six top-10 finishes, and 60 feature laps led on the year.
After pressuring Roa for the top spot, Jake Swanson (Anaheim, California) ran fourth in the Santa Maria feature. Piloting Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Clackamas Rigging & Transfer Triple X, Swanson was sixth quick in time trials and ran second to “Showtime” Danny Sheridan in his heat race. At press time, the 2012 Rookie of the Year is fourth in the point chase with three Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, three heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Inc. Semi-Main win, and five top-10 finishes.
“Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. (Tipton, California) returned to USAC/CRA action and placed fifth in the “Doug Fort Memorial.” Driving his #17V Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / DeBoer & Sons Trucking Spike, Faria qualified fourth overall scored fourth in his heat race. The two-time USAC West Coast Champion sits fourteenth in points with three top-10 finishes in the campaign.
Like Faria, Chase Johnson (Penngrove, California) came back to the USAC/CRA wars and earned his first Saldana Racing Products / Rod End Supply “Hard Charger Award / Best Passing Job.” Racing the Thomas Family #68 Pitstop USA / Newman Freeman Racing Maxim, Johnson scored seventh at Santa Maria from twelfth, was twelfth fast in time trials, and took third in his heat race. To date, the Petaluma NARC / KWS feature winner ranks twenty-third in the point chase with three top-10 finishes to his credit.
Starting the night of firsts, Chris Gansen (Verdemont Heights, California) became the 71st driver to earn a USAC/CRA Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award. Piloting a brand new family owned #4G Trench Shoring / Ram-Bull Racing GS1, Gansen finished sixth in his heat race and took twelfth in the main event. As this writing goes to press, Chris is eighth in the point standings with one heat race victory and one top-10 finish in the campaign.
“The Cadillac” Cody Williams (Yorba Linda, California) raced to victory in the night’s Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Driving Jack Jory’s #44 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams qualified thirteenth overall and placed ninth in the Santa Maria feature. To date, the 2010 Victorville Sprint Car Champion is sixth in the standings with six top-10 finishes and 14 feature laps led on the season.
“Showtime” Danny Sheridan (Santa Maria, California) claimed the Circle Track Performance / Keizer Aluminum Wheels Heat Race #3 triumph. Racing Keith Ford’s #73 Edgewater Construction / Sun Valley AG Transport Spike, Sheridan was ninth quick in time trials and scored seventeenth in the main event after an early exit.
On Saturday, July 22nd, the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will return to Don Kazarian’s Perris Auto Speedway. Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds in Perris, California, the PAS Senior Sprint Cars and PAS Young Gun Sprint Cars will join the action. More event information can be found at www.perrisautospeedway.com or calling 951.940.0134.
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks Hoosier Tire, All Coast Construction, BR Motorsports, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, 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.
-----------------------------------------------
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: July 1, 2017 – Santa Maria, California – Santa Maria Raceway – “Ninth Annual Doug Fort Memorial”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-13.411; 2. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-13.435; 3. Mike Spencer, 4S, Gansen-13.597; 4. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-13.622; 5. Max Adams, 42, Cheney-13.632; 6. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-13.711; 7. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-13.712; 8. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-13.725; 9. Danny Sheridan, 73, Ford-13.728; 10. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-13.871; 11. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-13.873; 12. Chase Johnson, 68, Thomas-13.933; 13. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-13.998; 14. Jimmy Thompson, 71, Thompson-14.073; 15. Steven Garris, 58, Garris-14.108; 16. Landon Cling, 16K, Kruseman-14.109; 17. Jeremy Ellertson, 98, Ellertson-14.276; 18. Steve DeMott, 16J, Herrera-14.538; 19. Matt McCarthy, 28M, McCarthy-14.571; 20. James Herrera, 5J, Herrera-14.758; 21. Patrick Clark, 21K, Kruseman-14.918.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. C.Williams, 2. Roa, 3. A.Williams, 4. Faria, 5. Cling, 6. Gansen, 7. McCarthy. NT
BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Gardner, 2. Thompson, 3. Adams, 4. Ellertson, 5. L.Williams, 6. Malcolm, 7. Herrera. NT
CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE / KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Sheridan, 2. Swanson, 3. Johnson, 4. Spencer, 5. DeMott, 6. Clark, 7. Garris. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Max Adams (3rd), 2. Brody Roa (1st), 3. Damion Gardner (6th), 4. Jake Swanson (2nd), 5. Danny Faria Jr. (4th), 6. Austin Williams (10th), 7. Chase Johnson (12th), 8. Mike Spencer (5th), 9. Cody Williams (13th), 10. Jimmy Thompson (14th), 11. Logan Williams (11th), 12. Chris Gansen (7th), 13. Landon Cling (16th), 14. Jeremy Ellertson (17th), 15. Matt McCarthy (19th), 16. James Herrera (20th), 17. Danny Sheridan (9th), 18. Steve DeMott (18th), 19. Patrick Clark (21st), 20. Tommy Malcolm (8th), 21. Steven Garris (15th). NT
-----------------------
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-28 Roa, Laps 29-30 Adams
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / ROD END SUPPLY HARD CHARGER: Chase Johnson (12th to 7th)
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Damion Gardner-520, 2. Brody Roa-502, 3. Mike Spencer-467, 4. Jake Swanson-437, 5. Austin Williams-407, 6. Cody Williams-386, 7. Logan Williams-343, 8. Chris Gansen-291, 9. Richard Vander Weerd-289, 10. Matt McCarthy-246, 11. Tommy Malcolm-240, 12. Max Adams-231, 13. Jeremy Ellertson-229, 14. Danny Faria Jr.-199, 15. Kyle Edwards-182, ... Jace Vander Weerd-182, 17. Verne Sweeney-159, ... Ronnie Gardner-159, 19. A.J. Bender-157, 20. Parker Colston-153.
2017 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE
DATE-TRACK-LOCATION
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)
-----------------------------------------------
* = Co-Sanctioned Event with Amsoil USAC National Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.
