AUSTIN WILLIAMS MAKES MOST OF PERRIS RETURN
By Lance Jennings
AUGUST 20, 2018... Inheriting the lead with five laps remaining, “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, CA) held off all challengers to win last Saturday’s “California Racers Hall of Fame Night” at Perris Auto Speedway. Debuting Jack Jory’s brand new #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics DRC, Williams earned $4,000 by claiming his second AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car win of the campaign. Max Adams, “The Cadillac” Cody Williams, hard charger “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr., and new point leader Brody Roa chased Austin to the checkered flags.
August 4th Santa Maria winner Max Adams took the early lead from the outside front row starting spot. Looking for his first win at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds, Adams’ hopes were dashed when “The Demon” Damion Gardner took command on the fourth lap. Starting sixth, Gardner was poised to sweep the night’s action and set a torrid pace. As the laps counted down and lapped traffic was becoming a factor, Brody Roa mounted a charge and powered to the lead on lap twenty-four. Roa began to inch away but Gardner rallied on the next circuit and closed the gap.
Now within striking distance, Gardner executed a “slide job” in the north corners for the lead that resulted in series of flips for his machine and collected the second running Roa. All drivers were ok, Roa returned to action, and “The Demon’s” mount could not be repaired in time. Third running Austin Williams became the new leader and “Showtime” Danny Sheridan had to give up his second starting spot with a flat tire. Once out front, “The Big Game Hunter” was not to be denied and scored the seventh series win of his career.
Thanks to Perris Auto Speedway infield announcer Chris Holt and supporters, there were extra cash bonuses up for grabs throughout the night. Through Holt’s efforts, Austin Williams earned an extra $1,500 by topping the Perris 30-lap main event. Williams began the night by qualifying fourth out of twenty-two racers, scoring fourth in the special dash, and placed third in his heat race. The second generation driver ranks sixth in the point standings with two feature wins, one Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, six top-10 finishes, and 9 feature laps led.
After leading the first three laps, Max Adams (Loomis, CA) scored one of his best finishes at Perris with a second place run. Piloting his #5M ART Speed Equipment / Ken Imler Diesel Performance ART, Adams was seventh fast in time trials and won the 10-lap Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Rod End Supply Heat Race #3. The 2016 Rookie of the Year sits fifth in the point chase with one feature win, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, two heat race victories, eight top-10 finishes, and 33 feature laps led on the season.
Starting seventh, “The Cadillac” Cody Williams (Corona, CA) returned to the Perris podium with a third place finish at the “California Racers Hall of Fame Night.” Driving Jack Jory’s #44 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams qualified third overall, place third in the special dash, and scored sixth in his heat race. The former Victorville Champion has climbed to third in the standings with two Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, one heat race victory, seven top-10 finishes, and 24 feature laps led in the campaign.
For the second race in a row, “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. (Tipton, CA) earned the Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics “Hard Charger Award / Best Passing Job” honors with fourth place run from twelfth. Racing Dwight Cheney’s #42 Racing Optics / Sander Engineering Maxim, Faria was fourteenth quick in time trials and ran second to Max Adams in his heat race. The two-time USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Champion is currently twelfth in USAC/CRA points with two heat race victories and four top-10 finishes.
After being involved in the lap 25 tangle, Brody Roa (Garden Grove, CA) rebounded from the back to score fifth in the “California Racers Hall of Fame Night.” Piloting the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Roa qualified second overall, placed second in the special dash, and won the Circle Track Performance / Rod End Supply Heat Race #2. The new point leader heads to Northern California with a slim 3-point lead on the strength of two feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, two heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Incorporated / Rod End Supply Semi-Main, one Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, eight top-10 finishes, and 39 feature laps led on the season.
“The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, CA) began the night by earning his first Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of 2018 and pocketed the extra $500 Billy Wilkerson Fast Time Honors. Driving Mark Alexander’s #4 Trench Shoring / Weld Racing Spike, Gardner won three of the four phases of the Junior Kurtz Memorial Trophy Dash, won the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1, and scored seventeenth in the feature. Now second in points, the six-time champion has two feature wins, six heat race victories, eight top-10 finishes, and 97 feature laps led on the year.
On Saturday, September 1st, the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will kickoff the fifth “California Sprint Week” at Calistoga Speedway. Located on the Napa County Fairgrounds in Calistoga, California, the “11th Annual Louie Vermeil Classic” will also feature the Light Up The World Beverages USAC Western States Midgets presented by CBD Living Water, and Vintage cars. More event information can be found at www.calistogaspeedway.org or calling 916.773.7225.
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: August 18, 2018 – Perris, California – Perris Auto Speedway – “California Racers Hall of Fame Night”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-16.662; 2. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-16.764; 3. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-16.885; 4. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-17.104; 5. Danny Sheridan, 12, Allen-17.118; 6. Jake Swanson, 34AZ, Grau/Burkhart-17.165; 7. Max Adams, 5M, Adams-17.310; 8. Tye Mihocko, 5T, Mihocko-17.496; 9. R.J. Johnson, 92, Sertich-17.500; 10. Logan Williams, 5. Jory-17.541; 11. Trent Williams, 52V, Williams-17.584; 12. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-17.613; 13. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-17.635; 14. Danny Faria Jr., 42, Cheney-17.660; 15. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-17.733; 16. Verne Sweeney, 98, Tracy-17.894; 17. Matt Stewart, 23, Bellegante-18.259; 18. Joel Rayborne, 12B, Blair-18.939; 19. Gary Marshall Jr., 72, Marshall-19.431; 20. Austin Ervine, 51, AJ-19.756; 21. Randy Waitman, 90, Waitman-NT, 22. Matt Rossi, 02, Rossi-NT.
JUNIOR KURTZ MEMORIAL TROPHY DASH: (4 3-lap dashes) 1. Gardner-11pts, 2. Roa-7pts, 3. C.Williams-4pts, 4. A.Williams-2pts.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Gardner, 2. Malcolm, 3. A.Williams, 4. Mihocko, 5. Gansen, 6. Rayborne. NT
CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE / ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Roa, 2. Johnson, 3. Sheridan, 4. Sweeney, 5. Marshall, 6. Rossi, 7. Bender. NT
KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS / ROD END SUPPLY THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Adams, 2. Faria, 3. T.Williams, 4. Ervine, 5. Stewart, 6. C.Williams. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Austin Williams (4th), 2. Max Adams (2nd), 3. Cody Williams (7th), 4. Danny Faria Jr. (12th), 5. Brody Roa (5th), 6. Tommy Malcolm (10th), 7. R.J. Johnson (8th), 8. Danny Sheridan (3rd), 9. Chris Gansen (13th), 10. Tye Mihocko (1st), 11. Matt Stewart (15th), 12. Randy Waitman (19th), 13. Verne Sweeney (14th), 14. Austin Ervine (18th), 15. Gary Marshall Jr. (17th), 16. Joel Rayborne (16th), 17. Damion Gardner (6th), 18. A.J. Bender (11th), 19. Matt Rossi (20th), 20. Trent Williams (9th). NT
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**Gardner flipped on lap 25 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-3 Adams, Laps 4-23 Gardner, Laps 24-25 Roa, Laps 26-30 A.Williams.
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Danny Faria Jr. (12th to 4th)
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Brody Roa-643, 2. Damion Gardner-640, 3. Cody Williams-542, 4. Jake Swanson-541, 5. Max Adams-513, 6. Austin Williams-512, 7. Tommy Malcolm-444, 8. R.J. Johnson-422, 9. A.J. Bender-406, 10. Chris Gansen-367, 11. Logan Williams-356, 12. Danny Faria Jr.-305, 13. Verne Sweeney-264, 14. Joel Rayborne-240, 15. Matt Rossi-178, 16. Trent Williams-171, 17. Matt McCarthy-167, 18. Austin Ervine-162, 19. Ryan Bernal-152, 20. Tye Mihocko-149.
2018 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE-TRACK-LOCATION
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.