GARDNER & SWANSON SHINE AT USAC/CRA “HALL OF FAME CLASSIC”
By Lance Jennings
OCTOBER 1, 2018... Securing the lead from R.J. Johnson on lap seventeen, “The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, CA) streaked to last Saturday’s “Hall of Fame Classic” victory at Arizona Speedway. Racing Mark Alexander’s #4 Trench Shoring / Weld Racing Spike, Gardner earned his fifth AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car triumph over Logan Seavey, hard charger Brody Roa, Johnson, and Friday night winner Jake Swanson.
As the green flag waved, outside front row starter Johnson grabbed the early lead. Despite a few caution flags, Johnson maintained the top spot and led the first ten laps at the San Tan Valley clay oval. Charging from sixth, Gardner powered to the lead on the next circuit but Johnson had other plans. Reclaiming the top spot on the following lap and looking for his first win of the campaign, R.J. led the next five laps in the Moose Racing #92 Triple X. “The Demon” returned the favor for the lead and held off a late surge by Seavey and Roa to take the checkered flags.
Gardner swept the Saturday night finale by setting his sixth Woodland Auto Display Fast Time, winning the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1, and claiming the 80th series win of his career. With twenty-one racers in the pit area, Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm (Corona, CA) won the Circle Track Performance / Rod End Supply Heat Race #2. Brody Roa (Garden Grove, CA) topped the night’s Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Rod End Supply Heat Race #3 and earned the Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award with a third place run from nineteenth.
Friday’s opening night of the “Hall of Fame Classic” belonged to Jake Swanson (Anaheim, CA). Starting on the pole position and despite losing his brakes, Swanson led all 30-laps in John Grau & Mike Burkhart’s #34AZ Western Premier Hauling / KSE Custom Drywall DRC. Swanson’s win marked the first USAC/CRA triumph for Team AZ Racing and the second career victory for their driver. Roa, Gardner, Johnson, and “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. rounded out the top-five drivers.
Logan Seavey (Sutter, CA) began the “Hall of Fame Classic” be earning his first Woodland Auto Display Fast Time aboard the Reinbold / Underwood #19S AME Electrical Spike. Matt Rossi (Glendale, AZ) topped the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1, Gardner won the Circle Track Performance / Rod End Supply Heat Race #2, and Malcolm claimed the Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Rod End Supply Heat Race #3. “The Radio Flyer” Bruce St. James (Phoenix, AZ) dropped two cylinders of his 360 engine and earned the night’s Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award with an eleventh place run from eighteenth.
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will take a break and return to action on Saturday, October 20th at Perris Auto Speedway. Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds in Perris, California, the nineteenth point race 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, Bullet Impressions, 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: September 28&29, 2018 – San Tan Valley, Arizona – Arizona Speedway – “Hall of Fame Classic”
9/28 FRIDAY SAN TAN VALLEY FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Jake Swanson, 2. Brody Roa, 3. Damion Gardner, 4. R.J. Johnson, 5. Charles Davis Jr., 6. Austin Williams, 7. Danny Faria Jr., 8. Mike Martin, 9. Tommy Malcolm, 10. Matt Rossi, 11. Bruce St. James, 12. Zack Madrid, 13. Tye Mihocko, 14. Matt McCarthy, 15. Logan Williams, 16. Cody Williams, 17. Chris Gansen, 18. Joel Rayborne, 19. Logan Seavey, 20. Matt Lundy, 21. Austin Ervine. NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Swanson
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Bruce St. James (18th to 11th)
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9/29 SATURDAY SAN TAN VALLEY FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Damion Gardner, 2. Logan Seavey, 3. Brody Roa, 4. R.J. Johnson, 5. Jake Swanson, 6. Danny Faria Jr., 7. Charles Davis Jr., 8. Austin Williams, 9. Zack Madrid, 10. Cody Williams, 11. Tommy Malcolm, 12. Tye Mihocko, 13. Mike Martin, 14. Matt McCarthy, 15. Bruce St. James, 16. Chris Gansen, 17. Logan Williams, 18. Matt Lundy, 19. Austin Ervine, 20. Matt Rossi, 21. Joel Rayborne. NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-10 Johnson, Lap 11 Gardner, Laps 12-16 Johnson, Laps 17-30 Gardner.
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Brody Roa (14th to 3rd)
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AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Brody Roa-1292, 2. Damion Gardner-1262, 3. Austin Williams-1108, 4. Cody Williams-1012, 5. Jake Swanson-947, 6. Max Adams-912, 7. R.J. Johnson- 898, 8. Danny Faria Jr.-864, 9. Logan Williams-789, 10. Chris Gansen-750, 11. Tommy Malcolm-600, 12. Ryan Bernal-527, 13. A.J. Bender-472, 14. Matt McCarthy-436, 15. Joel Rayborne-401, 16. Austin Ervine-359, 17. Verne Sweeney-309, 18. Matt Rossi-258, 19. Charles Davis Jr.-256, 20. Austin Liggett-252.
2018 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE-TRACK-LOCATION
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.