LIGGETT EARNS FIRST USAC/CRA SPRINT WIN AT TULARE
By Lance Jennings
APRIL 17, 2018... Last Saturday night, Austin Liggett (Tracy, California) secured the lead on lap fifteen and powered to his first career AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car victory. Facing changing track conditions at Tulare’s Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway, Liggett became the 68th driver to earn a series win and earned $3,000 for his efforts. Fast qualifier Richard Vander Weerd, Brody Roa, “The Demon” Damion Gardner, and hard charger Jake Swanson rounded out the top-five drivers.
Starting on the outside of the front row, Liggett took the family owned #83 Excel Environmental Services / Lucas Oil Maxim past Gardner on the second lap. Damion was able to return the favor seven laps later but Austin had other plans. After settling into second, Liggett regrouped and managed to regain the top spot from Gardner at the midway point. From there, Austin held off a late charge by Vander Weerd to take the checkered flags at the Tulare County Fairgrounds.
Austin Liggett began his night by qualifying fifth out of twenty racers. The former USAC West Coast 360 Rookie of the Year finished second in his 10-lap heat race to Jace Vander Weerd and is now tied for eleventh in points. Liggett nearly swept the night by charging from thirteenth to second in the companion USAC Western Midget feature.
Starting sixth, Richard Vander Weerd (Visalia, California) mounted a late charge but had to settle for second at Tulare. Racing the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Stone Gate Development Maxim, Richard earned his first Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award and took third in his heat race. The 2011 USAC West Coast 360 Champion heads to Perris tied with Liggett for eleventh place in the standings.
After winning a Hanford West Coast 360 show a week earlier, Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) finished third at Thunderbowl Raceway. Driving the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Roa was third fast in time trials and ran second to Ryan Bernal in his heat race. The 2016 USAC West Coast 360 Champion left Tulare ranked second in the chase for the championship.
“The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, California) started fifth and took the lead on the first lap. Slipping back, the pilot of Mark Alexander’s #4 Trench Shoring / Weld Racing Spike regained the top spot for six laps before running fourth at Tulare. This six-time champion qualified second overall and ran third in his heat race. “The Demon” heads to Saturday’s “Sokola Shootout” with a 13-point lead.
Jake Swanson (Anaheim, California) earned the night’s Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics “Hard Charger Award / Best Passing Job” honors with a fifth place run from twentieth. Racing Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Phil & Eileen King Triple X, Swanson flipped in time trials, qualified twentieth, and placed fifth in his heat race. The 2017 USAC West Coast 360 Champion heads to Perris Auto Speedway ranked third in the point chase.
“Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. (Tipton, California) returned to USAC/CRA action and won the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Driving his #17V Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / DeBoer & Sons Trucking Spike, Faria was fourth quick in time trials and finished sixteenth in the main event. The two-time USAC West Coast 360 Champion left Tulare placed twenty-third in the standings.
Jace Vander Weerd (Visalia, California) won the 10-lap Circle Track Performance / Rod End Supply Heat Race #2 at Tulare. Piloting the family owned #88 Vander Weerd Construction / Stone Gate Development Maxim, Jace qualified eleventh overall and scored eighteenth in the feature. The 2010 Rookie of the Year enters the “Sokola Shootout” tied for twenty-sixth in points.
Ryan Bernal (Hollister, California) claimed victory in the night’s Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Rod End Supply Heat Race #3. Racing the #73 Edgewater Construction / Sun Valley AG Transport Triple X, Bernal was ninth fast in time trials and claimed eleventh in the feature. The two-time USAC Western Classic Champion is currently tied for twentieth in the USAC/CRA standings.
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will return to action this Saturday, April 21st, at Perris Auto Speedway for the annual “Sokola Shootout.” Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds in Perris, California, the American Cancer Society Night Benefiting the Up, Down 'n Dirty 4 a Cure Mud Run 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, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, 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 SERIES RACE RESULTS: April 14, 2018 – Tulare, California – Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-15.871; 2. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-15.991; 3. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-16.021; 4. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-16.145; 5. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-16.220; 6. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-16.327; 7. Gary Paulson, 45, Kleinhans-16.334; 8. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-16.341; 9. Ryan Bernal, 73, Ford-16.369; 10. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-16.375; 11. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-16.412; 12. Max Adams, 5M, Adams-16.434; 13. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-16.495; 14. Matt Rossi, 02, Rossi-16.599; 15. Matt McCarthy, 28M, McCarthy-16.661; 16. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-16.792; 17. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-16.943; 18. R.J. Johnson, 42, Cheney-16.976; 19. Jeremy Ellertson, 98, Ellertson-17.232; 20. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-23.371.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Faria, 2. C.Williams, 3. R.Vander Weerd, 4. Bender, 5. Paulson, 6. Gansen, 7. Ellertson. NT
CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE / ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. J.Vander Weerd, 2. Liggett, 3. Gardner, 4. A.Williams, 5. Swanson, 6. L.Williams, 7. Rossi. NT
KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS / ROD END SUPPLY THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Bernal, 2. Roa, 3. Malcolm, 4. McCarthy, 5. Johnson, 6. Adams. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Austin Liggett (2nd), 2. Richard Vander Weerd (6th), 3. Brody Roa (4th), 4. Damion Gardner (5th), 5. Jake Swanson (20th), 6. Cody Williams (10th), 7. Max Adams (12th), 8. A.J. Bender (13th), 9. Matt Rossi (14th), 10. Logan Williams (8th), 11. Ryan Bernal (9th), 12. Matt McCarthy (15th), 13. R.J. Johnson (18th), 14. Chris Gansen (16th), 15. Jeremy Ellertson (19th), 16. Danny Faria Jr. (3rd), 17. Austin Williams (17th), 18. Jace Vander Weerd (11th), 19. Tommy Malcolm (1st), 20. Gary Paulson (7th). NT
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**Swanson flipped during qualifications. Paulson flipped on lap 17 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Lap 1 Gardner, Laps 2-8 Liggett, Laps 9-14 Gardner, Laps 15-30 Liggett.
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Jake Swanson (20th to 5th)
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Damion Gardner-154, 2. Brody Roa-141, 3. Jake Swanson-136, 4. R.J. Johnson-112, 5. Cody Williams-107, 6. Austin Williams-89, 7. Logan Williams-87, 8. A.J. Bender-87, 9. Matt Rossi-81, 10. Matt McCarthy-80, 11. Richard Vander Weerd-79, --. Austin Liggett-79, 13. Tommy Malcolm-72, 14. Chad Boespflug-69, 15. Charles Davis Jr.-67, 16. Chris Gansen-62, 17. Stevie Sussex-58, 18. Max Adams-55, 19. Zack Madrid-54, 20. Isaac Chapple-49, --. Ryan Bernal-49.
2018 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE-TRACK-LOCATION
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.