DAMION GARDNER GRABS CANYON’S SPRING SHOWCASE OPENER
By Lance Jennings
MARCH 12, 2018... Starting fourth, “The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, California) powered by Jake Swanson on the ninth lap and led the rest of the way to claim last Friday’s main event at Canyon Speedway Park. For Gardner, the $3,000 “Spring Showcase” triumph was the 76th AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car victory of his career. Swanson, R.J. Johnson, Brody Roa, and fast qualifier Chad Boespflug followed “The Demon” to the checkered flags.
Driving Mark Alexander’s #4 Trench Shoring / Weld Racing Spike, Damion Gardner qualified third out of twenty-four racers and won the night’s Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Rod End Supply Heat Race #3. Fresh off his fifth consecutive (sixth overall) USAC/CRA crown, Damion heads to the April 14th Tulare show with an eight point lead over the competition.
Jake Swanson (Anaheim, California) led the first eight laps from the pole position and claimed second in the Canyon Speedway Park return. Racing Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Phil & Eileen King Triple X, Swanson was seventh fast in time trials and ran second to Logan Williams in his heat race. Last year’s USAC West Coast Sprint Car champion left Arizona ranked second in the point chase.
Making his debut in Dwight Cheney’s #42 Racing Optics / Sander Engineering Maxim, R.J. Johnson (Laveen, Arizona) scored third in the “Spring Showcase.” The five-time USAC SouthWest Sprint Car champion qualified sixth overall and placed third in his heat race. Currently third in points, Johnson and the Cheney Racing Team will make a bid for the USAC/CRA championship.
Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) charged from eleventh to fourth in the 30-lap main event. Piloting the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Roa was eleventh fast in time trials and took fourth in his heat race. The 2016 USAC West Coast Sprint Car champion heads to Tulare ranked sixth in the point standings.
“The Hanford Hornet” Chad Boespflug (Hanford, California) traveled from Indiana and claimed fifth in the “Spring Showcase” after starting sixth. Driving Andy Reinbold and Todd Underwood’s #19S AME Electrical / Ross Equipment Rentals Spike, Boespflug earned the Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award and finished fourth in his heat race. The former SCRA 360 Sprint Car Champion left Arizona sitting fourth in championship points.
“Thunder” Tommy Malcolm (Corona, California) earned the night’s Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics “Hard Charger Award / Best Passing Job” honors with a thirteenth place run from twenty-third. Racing Dino Napier’s #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / Rockstar Coatings entry, Malcolm qualified twenty-fourth overall after his time was disallowed and took sixth in his heat race. At press time, the young driver sits fourteenth in the standings.
Logan Williams (Yorba Linda, California) raced to victory in the night’s Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Piloting Jack Jory’s #5 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams was thirteenth fast in time trials and claimed fifteenth in the main event. The 2014 Rookie of the Year heads to Tulare ranked thirteenth in the point chase.
Zack Madrid (Phoenix, Arizona) won the night’s Circle Track Performance / Rod End Supply Heat Race #2. Driving the #5M WSM Auctioneers / Martin Auto Museum Maxim, Madrid qualified fourteenth overall and scored ninth in the “Spring Showcase.” After rain washed away the Saturday night show, Zack sits ninth in the chase for the championship.
Unfortunately for race fans, rain claimed the Saturday show at Canyon Speedway Park.
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will return to action on Saturday, April 14th, at the Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, California. The second point race will also feature the Light Up The World USAC Western States Midgets presented by CBD Living Water and the Western RaceSaver Sprint Cars. Located on the Tulare County Fairgrounds at the corner of Bardsley and K Streets, more event information, can be found at www.tularethunderbowl.com or calling 559.688.0909.
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks Hoosier Tire, All Coast Construction, BR Motorsports, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, King Racing Products, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Racing Optics, 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 RACE RESULTS: March 9, 2018 – Peoria, Arizona – Canyon Speedway Park – “Spring Showcase”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Chad Boespflug, 19S, Reinbold/Underwood-13.465; 2. Charles Davis Jr., 50, Davis-13.566; 3. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-13.622; 4. Stevie Sussex, 34AZ, Grau/Burkhart-13.661; 5. Matt Rossi, 02, Rossi-13.718; 6. R.J. Johnson, 42, Cheney-13.799; 7. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-13.816; 8. Isaac Chapple, 52, Chapple-13.894; 9. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-13.942; 10. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-13.953; 11. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-14.085; 12. Tye Mihocko, 5T, Mihocko-14.102; 13. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-14.164; 14. Zack Madrid, 5M, Madrid-14.214; 15. Chris Bonneau, 15, Bonneau-14.305; 16. Mike Martin, 16, Martin-14.361; 17. Gary Paulson, 45, Kleinhans-14.393; 18. Matt McCarthy, 28M, McCarthy-14.411; 19. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-14.449; 20. Matt Lundy, 98, Lundy-14.467; 21. Jonas Reynolds, 0, Harland-14.961; 22. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-15.190; 23. Asa Kesterson, 18, Kesterson-16.868; 24. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. L.Williams, 2. Swanson, 3. Sussex, 4. Boespflug, 5. Martin, 6. A.Williams, 7. Bender, 8. Gansen. NT
CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE / ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Madrid, 2. Davis, 3. Chapple, 4. Roa, 5. Rossi, 6. Lundy, 7. Paulson, 8. Kesterson. NT
KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS / ROD END SUPPLY THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Gardner, 2. McCarthy, 3. Johnson, 4. Mihocko, 5. C.Williams, 6. Malcolm, 7. Reynolds, 8. Bonneau. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Damion Gardner (4th), 2. Jake Swanson (1st), 3. R.J. Johnson (2nd), 4. Brody Roa (11th), 5. Chad Boespflug (6th), 6. Charles Davis Jr. (5th), 7. Austin Williams (10th), 8. Stevie Sussex (3rd), 9. Zack Madrid (14th), 10. Isaac Chapple (8th), 11. Cody Williams (9th), 12. Mike Martin (16th), 13. Tommy Malcolm (23rd), 14. Tye Mihocko (12th), 15. Logan Williams (13th), 16. A.J. Bender (21st), 17. Matt McCarthy (17th), 18. Matt Rossi (7th), 19. Chris Bonneau (15th), 20. Jonas Reynolds (20th), 21. Chris Gansen (18th), 22. Matt Lundy (19th), 23. Asa Kesterson (22nd). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-8 Swanson, Laps 9-30 Gardner.
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Tommy Malcolm (23rd to 13th)
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Damion Gardner-82, 2. Jake Swanson-74, 3. R.J. Johnson-71, 4. Chad Boespflug-69, 5. Charles Davis Jr.-67, 6. Brody Roa-66, 7. Stevie Sussex-58, 8. Austin Williams-55, 9. Zack Madrid-54, 10. Isaac Chapple-49, 11. Cody Williams-45, 12. Mike Martin-43, 13. Logan Williams-41, 14. Tommy Malcolm-40, --. Tye Mihocko-40, 16. Matt McCarthy-36, 17. Matt Rossi-33, --. A.J. Bender-33, 19. Chris Bonneau-26, --. Matt Lundy-26.
2018 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE-TRACK-LOCATION
April 14: Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA
April 21: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Sokola Shootout)
May 5: Ventura Raceway - Ventura, CA
May 26: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Salute to Indy)
June 23: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA
July 7: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA (Doug Fort Memorial)
August 4: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA
August 18: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (California Racers Hall of Fame Night)
September 1: Calistoga Speedway - Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic / California Sprint Week)
September 2: Calistoga Speedway - Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic / California Sprint Week)
September 3: Petaluma Speedway - Petaluma CA (California Sprint Week)
September 6: Silver Dollar Speedway - Chico, CA (Gold Cup Race of Champions / California Sprint Week)
September 7: Ocean Speedway - Watsonville, CA (California Sprint Week)
September 8: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds - Hanford, CA (California Sprint Week)
September 22: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Glenn Howard Classic)
September 28: Arizona Speedway - San Tan Valley, AZ (Hall of Fame Classic)
September 29: Arizona Speedway - San Tan Valley, AZ (Hall of Fame Classic)
October 20: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA
November 2: *Arizona Speedway - San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 3: *Arizona Speedway - San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 8: *Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Budweiser Oval Nationals presented by All Coast Construction)
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)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with AMSOIL USAC National Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.
