BRODY ROA BREAKS THROUGH AT SANTA MARIA
By Lance Jennings
AUGUST 8, 2017... Taking advantage of slower traffic, Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) slipped past Mike Spencer on lap eighteen and claimed last Saturday’s feature at Santa Maria Raceway. For Roa, the $3,000 AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car victory marked his first series win since June 2, 2012. Jake Swanson, Spencer, Ryan Bernal, and “The Cadillac” Cody Williams followed Brody to the checkered flags.
Racing the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Brody Roa qualified second out of nineteen racers and ran second to Max Adams in his heat race. Starting fifth in the 30-lap main event, last year’s USAC West Coast Champion earned the second USAC/CRA victory of his career. Roa gained valuable points at Santa Maria and heads to Perris ranked second in the standings, just four point behind Damion Gardner. To date, Brody has posted two heat race victories, nine top-10 finishes, and 57 feature laps led on the season.
After a late restart Jake Swanson (Anaheim, California) slipped by Spencer to take second at Santa Maria after starting fourth. Piloting Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Clackamas Rigging & Transfer Triple X, Swanson was third quick in time trials and ran second to Spencer in his heat race. At press time, the 2012 Rookie of the Year is third in points with three Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, three heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Inc. Semi Main Win, and seven top-10 finishes.
After leading the first seventeen laps, Mike Spencer (Temecula, California) scored third at the checkered flags. Driving the Gansen Engineering Motorsports #4S Trench Shoring / Ram-Bull Racing Maxim, Spencer qualified sixth overall and won the Circle Track Performance / Keizer Aluminum Wheels Heat Race #3. To date, the five-time champion is fourth in the point chase with one feature win, four heat race victories, nine top-10 finishes, and 45 feature laps led to his credit.
Starting ninth, Ryan Bernal (Hollister, California) drove to fourth in his USAC/CRA return at Santa Maria. Racing Keith Ford’s #73 Edgewater Construction / Sun Valley Ag Transport Triple X, the two-time USAC Western Classic Champion was tenth fast in time trials and scored third in his heat race.
“The Cadillac” Cody Williams (Corona, California) ran fifth at the “West’s Best Short Track.” Piloting Jack Jory’s #44 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams qualified fourth overall and placed fourth in his heat race. At press time, “The Cadillac” is sixth in the point chase with one heat race victory, seven top-10 finishes, and 14 feature laps led in the campaign.
Max Adams (Loomis, California) earned the night’s Saldana Racing Products / Rod End Supply “Hard Charger Award / Best Passing Job” honors with a seventh place run from fourteenth. Returning to Dwight Cheney’s #42 Racing Optics / Sander Engineering Maxim, Adams was fourteenth quick in time trials and won the night’s Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Heat Race #2. To date, last season’s Rookie of the Year sits ninth in points with one feature win, one heat race victory, five top-10 finishes, and two feature laps led to his credit.
“The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, California) earned his fourth Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of 2017. Driving Mark Alexander’s #4 S.P. Beagle Plumbing / Scott Sales Company Spike, Gardner won the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1 and rebounded to score ninth in the main event after suffering a flat tire. At press time, the point leader has three feature wins, eight heat race victories, eight top-10 finishes, and 60 feature laps led.
On Saturday, August 26th, 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 “California Racers Hall of Fame Night” will also feature the PAS Senior Sprint Cars and PAS Young Gun Sprint Cars. 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.
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AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: August 5, 2017 – Santa Maria, California – Santa Maria Raceway
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-13.489; 2. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-13.823; 3. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-13.825; 4. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-14.051; 5. Shannon McQueen, 7, Van Meter-14.063; 6. Mike Spencer, 4S, Gansen-14.086; 7. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-14.095; 8. Klint Simpson, 3F, Finkenbinder-14.165; 9. Ryan Bernal, 73, Ford-14.177; 10. Jeremy Ellertson, 98, Ellertson-14.239; 11. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-14.277; 12. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-14.279; 13. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-14.280; 14. Max Adams, 42, Cheney-14.402; 15. Matt McCarthy, 28M, McCarthy-14.505; 16. Ryan Stolz, 63, Stolz-14.848; 17. Gary Nelson Jr., 2K, Keller-14.897; 18. James Herrera, 5J, Herrera-15.380; 10. Steve Demott, 16J, Herrera-15.441.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Gardner, 2. L.Williams, 3. Bender, 4. C.Williams, 5. Stolz, 6. Ellertson, 7. Demott. NT
BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Adams, 2. Roa, 3. Simpson, 4. A.Williams, 5. McQueen, 6. Nelson. NT
CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE / KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Spencer, 2. Swanson, 3. Bernal, 4. Gansen, 5. McCarthy, 6. Herrera. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Brody Roa (5th), 2. Jake Swanson (4th), 3. Mike Spencer (2nd), 4. Ryan Bernal (9th), 5. Cody Williams (3rd), 6. Austin Williams (11th), 7. Max Adams (14th), 8. Logan Williams (13th), 9. Damion Gardner (6th), 10. A.J. Bender (1st), 11. Gary Nelson Jr. (17th), 12. Shannon McQueen (7th), 13. Matt McCarthy (15th), 14. Ryan Stolz (16th), 15. Chris Gansen (12th), 16. James Herrera (18th), 17. Klint Simpson (8th), 18. Steve Demott (19th), 19. Jeremy Ellertson (10th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-17 Spencer, Laps 18-30 Roa.
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / ROD END SUPPLY HARD CHARGER: Max Adams (14th to 7th)
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Damion Gardner-658, 2. Brody Roa-654, 3. Jake Swanson-592, 4. Mike Spencer-591, 5. Austin Williams-529, 6. Cody Williams-462, 7. Logan Williams-423, 8. Chris Gansen-368, 9. Max Adams-358, 10. Richard Vander Weerd-345, 11. Matt McCarthy-315, 12. Jeremy Ellertson-287, 13. Tommy Malcolm-250, 14. A.J. Bender-247, 15. Danny Faria Jr.-245, 16. R.J. Johnson-227, 17. Jace Vander Weerd-221, 18. Ronnie Gardner-210, 19. Verne Sweeney-189, 20. Kyle Edwards-182.
2017 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE
DATE-TRACK-LOCATION
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.
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ATTACHED PHOTOS/IMAGES:
#91R Brody Roa & Team in Santa Maria Victory Circle. Photo by Mike Grosswendt / surfnsprint.com
