MATT MITCHELL BECOMES 8TH DIFFERENT USAC/CRA WINNER OF 2016 AT PERRIS
Making his first second start of the campaign, Matt Mitchell (Yorba Linda, California) raced to Saturday’s victory at Perris Auto Speedway. Leading the last four laps, Mitchell earned $2,500 for his seventh career AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car triumph. The two-time “Salute to Indy” winner finished ahead of Austin Williams, fast qualifier Ronnie Gardner, Jake Swanson, and “The Cadillac” Cody Williams.
Looking for his first win of the year, five-time champion Mike Spencer led the first 17 laps before “The Demon” Damion Gardner took control. A flip by Danny Faria Jr. halted the action and numerous caution flags had plagued the main event. Entering the closing laps, fuel issues became a problem and knocked front runners Damion Gardner, Mike Spencer, and Richard Vander Weerd out of contention. Charging from 13th, Mitchell inherited the top spot and became the eighth different winner in as many races.
Subbing for Stevie Sussex, Matt Mitchell piloted Mike Burkhart’s #21AZ Stratis Construction / Westin Diversified RSS to the 30-lap triumph and earned the night’s BR Motorsports / King Racing Products “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors. Earlier in the program, Mitchell qualified 13th out of 26 racers and ran second to Damion Gardner in his heat race.
Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, California) had a solid night and ran second in the Perris main event. Driving Jack Jory’s #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams was third fast in time trials and ran second to Jace Vander Weerd in his heat race. The second generation driver left his home track ranked sixth in points with one feature win, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, one Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Semi-Main win, one BR Motorsports / King Racing Products Hard Charger Award, six top-10 finishes, and 30 feature laps led.
Ronnie Gardner (Corona, California) claimed third at Perris Auto Speedway after starting sixth. Making his second start in Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92M Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Clackamas Rigging & Transfer Victory, Gardner posted his third career Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award and placed fourth in his heat race.
Piloting a brand new Tom and Laurie Sertich-owned #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Clackamas Rigging & Transfer Triple X, Jake Swanson (Anaheim, California) scored fourth in the 30-lap feature. The 2012 Rookie of the Year had qualified sixth overall and ran third in his heat race. With one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, one heat race victory, one Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Semi-Main, and eight top-10 finishes, Jake has climbed to second in the point chase.
“The Cadillac” Cody Williams (Corona, California) drove to fifth in the main event after starting twelfth. Racing Jack Jory’s #44 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams was 12th fast in time trials and scored fourth in his heat race. Heading to the “California Racers Hall of Fame Night,” the second generation driver is currently seventh in the point standings with four top-10 finishes on the season.
“The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, California) raced to his series leading fifth heat race victory of the year. Driving Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / Weld Racing Spike, Gardner qualified fourth overall, won the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1, and finished ninth in the main event after leading eight laps. The four-time champion left Perris ranked third in points with seven top-10 finishes and 36 feature laps led in the campaign.
Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) won the night’s 10-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Piloting the BR Performance owned #91R HD Industries / Lee & Norma Leonard Maxim, Roa was 11th quick in time trials and scored 17th in the main event. To date, the defending 360 Western World Champion is fourth in the standings with one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, two heat race victories, six top-10 finishes, and eight feature laps led on the year.
Jace Vander Weerd (Visalia, California) scored the 10-lap Circle Track Performance / Keizer Aluminum Wheels Heat Race #3 victory. Racing the family-owned #88 Vander Weerd Construction / Stone Gate Development Maxim, Jace qualified 15th overall and finished 18th in the main event. The 2010 Rookie of the Year is currently 13th in points with three heat race victories, one BR Motorsports / King Racing Products Hard Charger Award, and two top-10 finishes.
Max Adams (Loomis, California) won the night’s 12-lap Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Semi-Main. Borrowing a car from Steve Watt, the pilot of the #5M ART Speed Equipment entry was seventh fast in time trials, placed sixth in his heat race, and ran 15th in the feature. The leading rookie contender is ninth in the point standings with one BR Motorsports / King Racing Products Hard Charger Award and four top-10 finishes on the season.
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will return to action at Don Kazarian’s Perris Auto Speedway on August 27th for the “California Racers Hall of Fame Night.” Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds in Perris, California, 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 and Miller Racing Solutions, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Incorporated, DJ Safety, Diversified Machine Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, King Racing Products, Rod End Supply, Stand 21 Racer Goes Safer Foundation, www.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, email 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 and Twitter pages.
Loudpedal Productions has AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car DVDs and videos on demand available for purchase at www.loudpedal.tv and 805.407.7229.
LANCE JENNINGS – USAC MEDIA
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USAC/CRA AMSOIL SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS: July 30, 2016 – Perris, California – Perris Auto Speedway
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Ronnie Gardner, 92M, Sertich-16.626; 2. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-16.832; 3. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-16.872; 4. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-16.911; 5. Mike Spencer, 4S, Gansen-16.957; 6. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-16.979; 7. Max Adams, 5M, Adams-17.039; 8. Parker Colston, 64, Gore-17.043; 9. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-17.060; 10. Richard VanderWeerd, 10, VanderWeerd-17.068; 11. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-17.069; 12. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-17.107; 13. Matt Mitchell, 21AZ, Burkhart-17.127; 14. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-17.179; 15. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-17.266; 16. Anthony Lopiccolo, 36, Springstead-17.408; 17. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-17.464; 18. Tommy Malcom, 5X, Napier-17.466; 19. Kenny Perkins, 0K, Perkins-17.632; 20. Jeremy Ellertson, 98, Ellertson-17.641; 21. Verne Sweeney, 98V, Tracy-17.880; 22. Steve Hix, 57, Hix-17.939; 23. Andrew Sweeney, 98JR, Tracy-18.074; 24. Matt Stewart, 84, Stewart-18.323; 25. Jeff Dyer, 39, Cal-Sun-18.425; 26. Austen Figueroa, 49, Bach-18.747.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. D.Gardner, 2. Mitchell, 3. R.Vander Weerd, 4. R.Gardner, 5. Lopiccolo, 6. Adams, 7. Hix, 8. Dyer, 9. Perkins. NT
DJ SAFETY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Roa, 2. Bender, 3. Spencer, 4. Faria, 5. Ellertson, 6. A.Sweeney, 7. Gansen, 8. Figueroa, 9. Colston. NT
CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE / KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. J.Vander Weerd, 2. A.Williams, 3. Swanson, 4. C.Williams, 5. L.Williams, 6. Malcolm, 7. V.Sweeney, 8. Stewart. 3:02.06
BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS SEMI: (12 laps) 1. Adams, 2. L.Williams, 3. Colston, 4. Malcolm, 5. Perkins, 6. V.Sweeney, 7. Ellertson, 8. Gansen, 9. A.Sweeney, 10. Stewart, 11. Hix, 12. Dyer, 13. Lopiccolo, 14. Figueroa. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Matt Mitchell, 2. Austin Williams, 3. Ronnie Gardner, 4. Jake Swanson, 5. Cody Williams, 6. Logan Williams, 7. Mike Spencer, 8. Tommy Malcolm, 9. Damion Gardner, 10. Matt Stewart, 11. Verne Sweeney, 12. Richard Vander Weerd, 13. Chris Gansen, 14. Andrew Sweeney, 15. Max Adams, 16. Kenny Perkins, 17. Brody Roa, 18. Jace Vander Weerd, 19. Danny Faria Jr., 20. A.J. Bender, 21. Parker Colston, 22. Jeremy Ellertson. NT
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**Faria flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-17 Spencer, Laps 18-25 D.Gardner, Lap 26 Spencer, Laps 27-30 Mitchell.
BR MOTORSPORTS / KING RACING PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER: Matt Mitchell (13th to 1st)
NEW USAC/CRA AMSOIL SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-R.Vander Weerd-526, 2-Swanson-520, 3-D.Gardner-519, 4-Roa-492, 5-Spencer-489, 6-A.Williams-464, 7-C.Williams-342, 8-L.Williams-336, 9-Adams-328, 10-Gansen-319;
NEXT USAC/CRA AMSOIL SPRINT CAR RACE: August 27 – Perris (CA) Auto Speedway – “California Racers Hall of Fame Night”