JUSTIN GRANT SPRINTS TO PERRIS USAC/CRA VICTORY
By Lance Jennings
JUNE 27, 2018... Starting fourth, Justin Grant (Ione, California) had a furious battle with “The Demon” Damion Gardner and raced to victory last Saturday night at Perris Auto Speedway. Living in Indiana and running an Arizona based car, Grant took the lead for good on the twenty-fifth lap and claimed the second AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car triumph of his career. Gardner, Brody Roa, “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams, and Jake Swanson rounded out the top-five drivers.
In one of the most furious main events at Perris, outside front row starter Logan Williams grabbed the early lead. Looking for his first win, Williams led the first two circuits before Damion Gardner grabbed the top spot. With two grooves for the racers to choose, Gardner led the next nine laps before Grant powered to the lead on lap twelve. Grant maintained the top spot until the twenty-fourth lap when Gardner returned the favor. Grant battled back and regained the lead on the next circuit as the pair fought through slower traffic. Gardner inched closer to make another challenge, but the night belonged to Justin Grant
Making his first start in the Andy Reinbold / Todd Underwood owned #19S AME Electrical / Ross Equipment Rental Spike, Justin Grant qualified third out of twenty-four racers. The USAC National driver finished third in his 10-lap heat race and left Perris ranked twenty-fourth in point.
Looking for his third USAC/CRA win of the campaign, “The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, California) led ten laps of the main event before taking second at the checkered flag. Piloting Mark Alexander’s #4 Trench Shoring / Weld Racing Spike, Gardner was sixth quick in time trials and won the night’s Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Rod End Supply Heat Race #3. The point leader heads to Santa Maria with a 22-point advantage with four heat race victories, six top-10 finishes, and 97 feature laps led.
Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) raced from seventh to score third at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds. Driving the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Roa qualified seventh overall, scored eighth in his heat race with a flat tire, and won the 12-lap Competition Suspension Incorporated / Rod End Supply Semi-Main. The 2016 USAC West Coast 360 Champion is third in the point chase with one feature win, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, five top-10 finishes, and 34 feature laps led to his credit.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, California) finished fourth in the Perris 30-lap main event. Racing Jack Jory’s #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams was second fast in time trials and placed third in his heat race. The 2009 Rookie of the Year ranks sixth in the point standings with one feature win, one Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, three top-10 finishes, and 4 feature laps led on the season.
Jake Swanson (Anaheim, California) fought hard to take fifth at Perris Auto Speedway. Piloting Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Phil & Eileen King Triple X, Swanson qualified fourth overall and won the night’s Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. The defending USAC West Coast 360 Champion is second in the point chase with one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, two heat race victories, one Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, six top-10 finishes, and 9 feature laps led.
Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm (Corona, California) earned his second Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics “Hard Charger Award / Best Passing Job” honors with a sixth place run from eighteenth. Driving Dino Napier’s #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / Rockstar Coatings Maxim, Malcolm was eighteenth quick in time trials and ran second to Damion Gardner in his heat race. To date, Tommy “Thunder” ranks eighth in the point standings with three top-10 standings.
Making his first start in the John Grau / Mike Burkhart owned #34AZ Western Premier Hauling / KSE Custom Drywall DRC, Matt Mitchell (Yorba Linda, California) claimed the night’s Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award. Mitchell scored fourth in his heat race and finished twenty-second in the feature after suffering mechanical problems.
Chris Gansen (Verdemont Heights, California) raced to victory in the Circle Track Performance / Rod End Supply Heat Race #2. Racing the family owned #4G Trench Shoring / Circle Track Performance Maxim, Gansen qualified eleventh overall and placed twelfth in the main event. At press time, Chris sits eleventh in the point chase with two top-10 finishes on the year.
On Saturday, July 7th, the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will make their first of two appearances at Nick Duggan’s Santa Maria Raceway. “The 10th Annual Doug Fort Memorial” will also feature IMCA Modifieds, Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, and the Santa Maria Dwarf Cars. Santa Maria Raceway is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange at 1900 Hutton Road in Nipomo, California. Adult tickets are $25 and for more event information, visit the track’s website at www.santamariaraceway.com or call 805.922.2232.
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: June 23, 2018 – Perris, California – Perris Auto Speedway
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Matt Mitchell, 34AZ, Grau/Burkhart-16.710; 2. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-16.770; 3. Justin Grant, 19S, Reinbold/Underwood-16.777; 4. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-16.794; 5. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-16.799; 6. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-16.814; 7. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-16.887; 8. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-16.975; 9. Max Adams, 5M, Adams-17.081; 10. Matt Rossi, 02, Rossi-17.090; 11. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-17.144; 12. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-17.365; 13. R.J. Johnson, 42, Cheney-17.402; 14. Randy Waitman, 90, Waitman-17.506; 15. Trent Williams, 52V, Williams-17.556; 16. Verne Sweeney, 98V, Tracy-17.570; 17. Matt Stewart, 23, Bellegante-17.624; 18. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-17.852; 19. Tye Mihocko, 5T, Mihocko-17.991; 20. Jeff Dyer, 39, Cal-Sun-18.035; 21. Tony Everhart, 55, Everhart-18.132; 22. Gary Marshall Jr., 72, Marshall-18.207; 23. Joel Rayborne, 12B, Blair-18.469; 24. Austin Ervine, 51, AJ-20.562.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Swanson, 2. Johnson, 3. Sweeney, 4. Mitchell, 5. Rossi, 6. Mihocko, 7. Marshall, 8. Roa. NT
CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE / ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Gansen, 2. L.Williams, 3. A.Williams, 4. Stewart, 5. C.Williams, 6. Waitman, 7. Dyer, 8. Rayborne. 2:57.44.
KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS / ROD END SUPPLY THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Gardner, 2. Malcolm, 3. Grant, 4. T.Willliams, 5. Adams, 6. Bender, 7. Everhart, 8. Ervine. 2:54.08.
COMPETITION SUSPENSION INCORPORATED / ROD END SUPPLY SEMI: (12 laps) 1. Roa, 2. Bender, 3. Adams, 4. C.Williams, 5. Rossi, 6. Waitman, 7. Everhart, 8. Rayborne, 9. Ervine, 10. Dyer, 11. Marshall, 12. Mihocko. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Justin Grant (4th), 2. Damion Gardner (1st), 3. Brody Roa (7th), 4. Austin Williams (5th), 5. Jake Swanson (3rd), 6. Tommy Malcolm (18th), 7. Max Adams (9th), 8. Cody Williams (8th), 9. R.J. Johnson (13th), 10. Logan Williams (2nd), 11. A.J. Bender (12th), 12. Chris Gansen (11th), 13. Trent Williams (15th), 14. Matt Stewart (17th), 15. Randy Waitman (14th), 16. Joel Rayborne (21st), 17. Jeff Dyer (19th), 18. Verne Sweeney (16th), 19. Austin Ervine (22nd), 20. Tony Everhart (20th), 21. Matt Rossi (10th), 22. Matt Mitchell (6th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-2 L.Williams, Laps 3-11 Gardner, Laps 12-23 Grant, Lap 24 Gardner, Laps 25-30 Grant.
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Tommy Malcolm (18th to 6th)
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Damion Gardner-450, 2. Jake Swanson-428, 3. Brody Roa-421, 4. Cody Williams-341, 5. R.J. Johnson-320, 6. Austin Williams-303, 7. Max Adams-293, 8. Tommy Malcolm-287, 9. A.J. Bender-275, 10. Logan Williams-243, 11. Chris Gansen-231, 12. Ryan Bernal-152, 13. Matt Rossi-150, 14. Richard Vander Weerd-148, 15. Trent Williams-142, 16. Charles Davis Jr.-133, 17. Verne Sweeney-128, 18. Joel Rayborne-125, 19. Austin Liggett-120, 20. Matt McCarthy-118.
2018 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE-TRACK-LOCATION
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.