DAMION GARDNER TOPS PERRIS THRILLER
PERRIS, CA – JUNE 19, 2021… Taking advantage of a lap 24 restart, “The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, CA) powered by Matt Mitchell and led the rest of the way to claim his second win of the year at Perris Auto Speedway. Racing Mark Alexander’s #1 PerformanceOnline.com / Carman Trucking Spike, Gardner earned his 85th career AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car triumph and the 80th series win for Alexander. Mitchell, Brody Roa, Eddie Tafoya Jr., and A.J. Bender chased the eight-time champion to the finish line.
Matt McCarthy (Riverside, CA) scored the night’s In Memory of Jim & Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award with thirteenth to eighth place run. The 2017 Rookie of the Year qualified thirteenth overall, won the 10-lap Flowdynamics Incorporated Heat Race and left his “home track” ranked twelfth in the point chase.
Starting on the outside of the front row, Matt Mitchell (Yorba Linda, CA) was looking for his first Perris victory since July 30, 2016. The 2014 USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Champion got a great start and grabbed the top spot. Setting a torrid pace, Mitchell soon carved his way through traffic and nearly had a straightway lead over the competition. On lap 24, second running “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams bicycled his mount in the south turns. Williams tagged the wall, and brought out the caution flag. After inspection, Austin’s night was over and Gardner was now on Mitchell’s back bumper. On the restart, “The Demon” completed the pass for the lead and raced to the 30-lap feature win.
At the start of the night, “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, CA) posted his seventh career Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award. The pilot of the Moose Racing #92 DRC recorded a time of 16.501 over the 20-car roster, ran second in his heat race, placed seventeenth in the feature after an early exit, and currently sits third in the standings.
The night’s 10-lap heat race victories went to McCarthy (Flowdynamics First Heat), Gardner (Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror Second Heat), and Roa (All Coast Construction Third Heat).
Logan Williams (Yorba Linda, CA) took home the night’s Shawn McDonald Memorial Qualifying and Feature award. The youngest son of Hall of Famer “The Ripper” Rip Williams was sixth quick in time trials, finished sixth in the main event, and has climbed to sixteenth in points.
By virtue of his thirteenth place finish, Brent Owens (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) claimed the night’s Wilwood Disc Brakes’ Lucky 13 Award. The rookie contender qualified fourteenth overall and placed fourth in his heat race.
The traditional USAC/CRA 410 sprint cars will return to action on Saturday, July 3rd at Santa Maria Raceway (Santa Maria, CA).
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks All Coast Construction, BillsJerky.com, Component Repair Company, Factory Wraps, Flowdynamics, The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim & Chet Gardner), Hoosier Racing Tires, Huntington Beach Glass and Mirror, Woodland Auto Display, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Loudpedal Productions, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Sway-A-Way Torsion Bars, surfnsprint.com, Ultra Shield Race Products, and Wilwood Disc Brakes for their support.
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AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: June 19, 2021 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, California
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFYING: 1. Austin Williams, 92, Sertich-16.501; 2. Damion Gardner, 1, Alexander-16.525; 3. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-16.705; 4. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-16.770; 5. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-16.825; 6. Logan Williams, 5W, McCarthy-16.945; 7. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-16.999; 8. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-17.045; 9. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-17.085; 10. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-17.197; 11. Cody Williams, 44, Williams-17.205; 12. Verne Sweeney, 98, Tracy-17.213; 13. Matt McCarthy, 28M, McCarthy-17.378; 14. Brent Owens, 71, Martin-17.467; 15. Randy Nelson, 9X, Nelson-17.710; 16. Austin Grabowski, 72, Grabowski-17.782; 17. Joel Rayborne, 12B, Blair-18.144; 18. Shane Sexton, 74, Sexton/Gatlin-18.407; 19. Dan Taylor, T5, Taylor-18.498; 20. Steve Hix, 57, Hix-NT.
FLOWDYNAMICS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. McCarthy, 2. A.Williams, 3. Bender, 4. Tafoya, 5. Gansen, 6. Taylor, 7. Grabowski. NT.
HUNTINGTON BEACH GLASS & MIRROR SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Gardner, 2. Mitchell, 3. C.Williams, 4. Owens, 5. Rayborne, 6. Faria. NT.
ALL COAST CONSTRUCTION THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Roa, 2. Malcolm, 3. L.Williams, 4. Sweeney, 5. Nelson, 6. Sexton. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Damion Gardner (5), 2. Matt Mitchell (2), 3. Brody Roa (4), 4. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (3), 5. A.J. Bender (7), 6. Logan Williams (1), 7. Danny Faria Jr. (8), 8. Matt McCarthy (13), 9. Chris Gansen (10), 10. Verne Sweeney (12), 11. Randy Nelson (15), 12. Joel Rayborne (17), 13. Brent Owens (14), 14. Shane Sexton (18), 15. Tommy Malcolm (9), 16. Dan Taylor (19), 17. Austin Williams (6), 18. Cody Williams (11). NT.
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**Austin Grabowski was slated to start 16th but did not start.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-24 Mitchell, Laps 25-30 Gardner.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: Matt McCarthy (13th to 8th)
SHAWN McDONALD MEMORIAL QUALIFYING AWARD: Logan Williams
SHAWN McDONALD MEMORIAL FEATURE AWARD: Logan Williams
WILWOOD DISC BRAKES LUCKY 13 AWARD: Brent Owens
NEW AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Damion Gardner-508, 2-Brody Roa-445, 3-Austin Williams-430, 4-Chris Gansen-410, 5-Tommy Malcolm-354, 6-Cody Williams-334, 7-Matt Mitchell-328, 8-A.J. Bender-287, 9-Verne Sweeney-254, 10-Charles Davis Jr.-253.
NEXT AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: July 3 – Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, California