TULARE THUNDERBOWL HOSTS CRA MAY 18;

GARDNER NOTCHES 26TH PERRIS CRA VICTORY

Damion Gardner’s lead in the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint standings entering the May 18 race at the Tulare (Calif.) Thunderbowl Raceway stands at 12 points after he scored his third consecutive series victory Saturday at Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway.

Gardner, of Concord, Calif., led the final 22 laps of the 30-lap “Don Flanders Classic” in his Scott Sales Company/CSI Shocks Spike/J & D. He was the fastest qualifier and first heat winner and passed Mike Spencer on lap nine for the lead which he never relinquished. Spencer was second ahead of Nic Faas, Cody Williams, who led the first three laps, and Austin Williams.

The win was Gardner’s 26th in USAC/CRA action at Perris as he extended his all-time lead over Spencer, who has 24 career wins at the half-mile dirt oval.

USAC’s last Tulare USAC/CRA outing was in 2010, a race in which Gardner flipped and Bud Kaeding took the victory. Kaeding currently sits fourth in the latest AMSOIL USAC/CRA standings.