ROA LEADS USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINTS TO PERRIS OVAL NATIONALS
By Lance Jennings
NOVEMBER 4, 2019... The championship point chase for the Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Cars will head to Perris Auto Speedway for the "24th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals presented by All Coast Construction." Promoted by Don Kazarian, the prestigious event opens with a special practice session on Wednesday, November 6th, followed by three nights (November 7, 8, 9) of intense racing with the AMSOIL USAC National and USAC/CRA Sprint Cars. "America's Premier Dirt Track" is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds in Perris, California and for more event information, visit the track’s website at perrisautospeedway.com or call 951.940.0134.
NOTICE TO RACERS:
- 2019 USAC/CRA APPROVED MUFFLERS ARE LEGAL AT THE OVAL NATIONALS: EXTREME: 6014-3535, 3615-3535, BILLY BOAT: FRAC-0375S, COAST FABRICATION: 350x625x17-2S, FLOWMASTER: 53545-10, 13516100, 13516101, SCHOENFELD: 14272535, 14272735-78, SPINTECH: 1545P SUPER STOCK. *Failure to comply with the muffler rule will risk disqualification from the event.
- FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin to King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
- FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS ARE MANDATORY.
- Hoosier Tires are required on all four corners with the 105/16 Medium, 105/18 Hard, and 105/18 F85A as the only approved right rear tires. The “Medium” is also legal with the USAC National, USAC/CRA, USAC West Coast, and VRA Sprint Cars.
- COCKPIT ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS ARE ALLOWED.
- USAC MEMBERSHIPS can be purchased at the track or online at usaclicense.com.
- WEIGHT RULE: 1,325 lbs. with driver and the USAC National, USAC/CRA, and USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Rule Book can be found online at usacracing.com.
- USAC MEMBERSHIPS can be purchased at the track or online at usaclicense.com.
- USAC BONUS / Any racer who enters every event for both the AMSOIL USAC/CRA and Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car schedules will have their entry fees reimbursed at the end of the year.
PRACTICE SESSION: The festivities will begin on Wednesday, November 6th with a special practice session for cars that are only entered in the Oval Nationals. Admission to the grandstands is FREE and cars will be on the track around 5:00pm. The concession stands will be open with $2 pizza, $2 soda, and $2 beers. The fairgrounds will not charge for parking on practice night.
SPECTATOR GATES: The Front gates will open at 5:00pm on Thursday & Friday with Racing at 7:00pm. On Saturday, the front gates will open and 4:00pm, with Racing at 7:10pm.
DRIVER AUTOGRAPH SESSION: An autograph session will be held on Saturday on the front straightaway from 4:00pm to 5:00pm.
GRAND MARSHALS: Tom and Laurie Sertich, owners of the Moose Racing #92, will serve as Grand Marshals of the 24th Annual Oval Nationals. Currently in their 25th year as car owners, the team is enjoying a successful campaign with “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams behind the wheel. At press time, Williams ranks second in USAC/CRA points and eleventh in the SouthWest standings. The “Moose mobile” scored wins at the August 31st opening night of Calistoga’s “Louie Vermeil Classic” and the September 21st “Glenn Howard Memorial” at Perris. In addition, Williams has posted two USAC/CRA Woodland Auto Display Fast Times, with the last award coming at the September 28th “Hall of Fame Classic” at San Tan Valley, Arizona.
ENTRY LIST: Over 40 cars have entered the event, with more entries expected on race day. The current Oval Nationals pre-entry list is at the end of this release, courtesy of Perris Auto Speedway.
Since 1996, the Budweiser Oval Nationals has been one of the most prestigious events for non-wing sprint car racing across the country. “The Professor” Jimmy Sills won the inaugural event and there have been fifteen different drivers that have claimed the checkered flags. Bud Kaeding, “The People’s Champion” Dave Darland, and “The Demon” Damion Gardner lead all drivers with three Oval National wins. Alabama’s Kevin Thomas Jr. has claimed the last two Oval Nationals and has a chance to become the only driver with three consecutive victories. The winner’s list is at the end of this release.
Entering the fourteenth point race, there have been ten different winners. Point leader Brody Roa, R.J. Johnson, and C.J. Leary lead all drivers with two feature victories. “The Demon” Damion Gardner, Josh Hodges, “The Magic Man” Mike Martin, Hunter Schuerenberg, Logan Seavey, Jake Swanson, and Stevie Sussex have one win on the season.
Heading to the “Oval Nationals,” Brody Roa (Garden Grove, CA) holds a slim 10-point lead over the competition. Racing Tanner Grau’s #34 Western Premier Hauling / Westin Diversified Maxim, Roa led six laps before scoring a fourth place finish at the October 26th “Howl-O-Ween Bash” at Central Arizona Speedway. To date, the 2016 USAC West Coast champion has two feature wins, one Beaver Stripes Fast Time Award, four heat race victories, two Saldana Racing Products Hard Charger Awards, twelve top-10 finishes, and 109 feature laps led to his credit. Currently tied with “The People’s Champion” Dave Darland and “The Real American” Matt Rossi with four SouthWest wins, Roa will be looking to win the Oval Nationals aboard Dwight Cheney’s #42 Racing Optics / Sander Engineering Maxim.
R.J. Johnson (Laveen, AZ) ranks second in the USAC SouthWest point chase. Piloting the Bobby Martin Racing #51 Martin Auto Museum / AME Electrical Contracting Sherman, Johnson placed fifth at Casa Grande’s “Howl-O-Ween Bash.” At press time, the five-time champion has two feature wins, four heat race victories, two Saldana Racing Products Hard Charger Awards, twelve top-10 finishes, and 35 feature laps led on the season. R.J. has fifty-seven USAC SouthWest victories and will have his sights on adding the “Oval Nationals” to his resume.
Stevie Sussex (Tempe, AZ) is third in championship point standings. Driving Robbie and Gaye Allen’s #12 ABC Body Shop / PPG Automotive Finishes Maxim, Sussex had a tenth place finish at the Pinal County Fairgrounds. To date, the 2017 USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year has one feature win, two heat race victories, one Saldana Racing Products Hard Charger Award, twelve top-10 finishes and 32 feature laps led on the year. Stevie has 13 SouthWest victories and will be looking to win the Oval Nationals at Perris Auto Speedway.
“Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. (Buckeye, AZ) sits fourth in the chase for the championship. Honoring his father aboard the renumbered #47 RSS Industries / MP Environmental RSS, Davis charged from eleventh to second at Central Arizona Speedway. At press time, the multi-time Arizona champion has one Beaver Stripes Fast Time Award, six heat race victories, one Saldana Racing Products Hard Charger Award, nine top-10 finishes, and 11 feature laps led in the campaign. “Chargin” Charles has 30 USAC SouthWest wins and will have his sights on the Oval Nationals victory.
“The Magic Man” Mike Martin (Yuma, AZ) ranks fifth in the championship points. The pilot of the #16 Naquin Precision Earth Moving / American FlowTech Maxim skipped Casa Grande to regroup for the Oval Nationals and Western World Championships. To date, the 2012 “Hall of Fame Classic” champion has one feature win, one heat race victory, one Saldana Racing Products Hard Charger Award, eight top-10 finishes, and 4 feature laps led on the year. “The Magic Man” has seven SouthWest wins and will be looking to add the eagle trophy to his collection.
Currently ranked sixteenth in points, Stephen Sanchez (Flagstaff, AZ) leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (Chino Hills, CA), Ryan Cully (Alger, WA), and Jeff Dyer (Bermuda Dunes, CA) are also in contention.
“The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, CA) leads a strong contingent with the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series. “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams, Brody Roa, Jake Swanson, Chris Gansen, Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., Matt McCarthy, Eddie Tafoya Jr., and “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. round out the top-10 drivers.
C.J. Leary (Greenfield, IN) leads the AMSOIL USAC National point chase. “Sunshine” Tyler Courtney, Kevin Thomas Jr., Justin Grant, “The Bear” Chris Windom, “The Macho Man” Brady Bacon, Chase Stockon, Jason McDougal, Carson Short, and Isaac Chapple round out the top-10 in points.
Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California. Advance tickets are available online and for more information, visit the track’s website at perrisautospeedway.com or call 951.940.0134.
The Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series thanks AAA Car Buying, AMSOIL, Beaver Stripes, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Butlerbuilt Professional Seat Systems, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Hoosier Racing Tire, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Saldana Racing Products, Sway-A-Way Racing Technology, and Ultra Shield Race Products 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 the series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content at southwestsprintcars.com and the USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Facebook and Twitter pages.
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2019 OVAL NATIONALS ENTRY LIST: (courtesy of Perris Auto Speedway) 4-Damion Gardner, 4-Justin Grant, 4G-Chris Gansen, 5-Tye Mihocko, 5G-Chris Windom, 5X-Tommy Malcolm, 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 7G-Don Gansen, 10-Richard Vander Weerd, 12-Stevie Sussex, 12B-Joel Rayborne, 13G-Dennis Gile, 13M-Thomas Meseraull, 15-Chris Bonneau, 16-Mike Martin, 19-Kevin Thomas Jr., 19-Logan Seavey, 19AZ-C.J. Leary, 19S-Hunter Schuerenberg, 28M-Matt McCarthy, 32-Chase Stockon, 34AZ-Jake Swanson, 42-Brody Roa, 42X-Jason McDougal, 44-Cody Williams, 44-Jake Helsel, 47-Charles Davis Jr., 51-R.J. Johnson, 51T-Eddie Tafoya Jr. ®, 57-Steve Hix ®, 68-Chase Johnson, 69-Brady Bacon, 73T-Max Adams, 74X-Josh Hodges, 83-Austin Liggett, 88-Jace Vander Weerd, 91R-Brody Roa, 92-Austin Williams, 98-Verne Sweeney, 98X-Jeremy Ellertson / Lawndale, CA / Jeremy Ellertson, 0-Bud Kaeding, Y69-Randy Waitman.
SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2013-R.J. Johnson, 2014-R.J. Johnson, 2015-R.J. Johnson, 2016-R.J. Johnson, 2017-R.J. Johnson, 2018-Charles Davis Jr.
BUDWEISER OVAL NATIONALS WINNERS: 1996-Jimmy Sills, 1997-Rip Williams, 1998-Rodney Argo, 1999-Rickie Gaunt, 2000-Tony Jones, 2001-Bud Kaeding, 2002-Bud Kaeding, 2003-Cory Kruseman, 2004-Cory Kruseman, 2005-Dave Darland, 2006-Dave Darland, 2007-Bud Kaeding, 2008-Jesse Hockett, 2009-Damion Gardner, 2010-Chris Windom, 2011-Damion Gardner, 2012-Mike Spencer, 2013-Dave Darland, 2014-Robert Ballou, 2015-Bryan Clauson, 2016-Damion Gardner, 2017-Kevin Thomas Jr., 2018-Kevin Thomas Jr.
2019 SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR WINS: 2-C.J. Leary, 2-R.J. Johnson, 2-Brody Roa, 1-Damion Gardner, 1-Josh Hodges, 1-Mike Martin, 1-Hunter Schuerenberg, 1-Logan Seavey, 1-Stevie Sussex, 1-Jake Swanson.
PERRIS SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR WINS: (Includes non-point shows): 1-Damion Gardner, 1-C.J. Leary, 1-Mike Spencer, 1-Jake Swanson.
SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Brody Roa-897, 2. R.J. Johnson-887, 3. Stevie Sussex-828, 4. Charles Davis Jr.-790, 5. Mike Martin-655, 6. Jake Swanson-578, 7. Matt Lundy-500, 8. Chris Bonneau-434, 9. Michael Curtis-433, 10. Matt Rossi-413, 11. Austin Williams-401, 12. Damion Gardner-342, 13. Tommy Malcolm-256, 14. Dennis Gile-242, 15. Matt McCarthy-223, 16. Stephen Sanchez ®-208, 17. Josh Hodges-202, 18. Jonas Reynolds-201, 19. Isaac Chapple-200, 20. Hunter Schuerenberg-197.
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Damion Gardner-1215, 2. Austin Williams-1160, 3. Brody Roa-1116, 4. Jake Swanson-1012, 5. Chris Gansen-790, 6. Tommy Malcolm-732, 7. Charles Davis Jr.-651, 8. Matt McCarthy-635, 9. Eddie Tafoya Jr. ®-600, 10. Danny Faria Jr.-583, 11. R.J. Johnson-575, 12. Steve Hix ®-546, 13. Mike Martin-519, 14. Richard Vander Weerd-508, 15. Cody Williams-495, 16. Austin Liggett-453, 17. Stevie Sussex-426, 18. Verne Sweeney-391, 19. Jace Vander Weerd-351, 20. A.J. Bender-307.
AMSOIL USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. C.J. Leary-2003, 2. Tyler Courtney-1956, 3. Kevin Thomas Jr.-1861, 4. Justin Grant-1850, 5. Chris Windom-1843, 6. Brady Bacon-1837, 7. Chase Stockon-1757, 8. Jason McDougal-1483, 9. Carson Short-1361, 10. Isaac Chapple-1193, 11. Kyle Cummins-899, 12. Dave Darland-866, 13. Josh Hodges-726, 14. Dustin Clark ®-678, 15. Chad Boespflug-669, 16. Robert Ballou-568, 17. Max Adams-566, 18. Brian VanMeveren ®-549, 19. Matt Westfall-512, 20. Timmy Buckwalter-435.
2019 SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE
DATE – TRACK – LOCATION
March 2: Central Arizona Speedway – Casa Grande, AZ (Winner: C.J. Leary)
March 8: #Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Winner: Josh Hodges)
March 9: #Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Winner: Hunter Schuerenberg)
April 20: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Winner: Logan Seavey)
April 27: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Winner: Brody Roa)
May 18: Central Arizona Speedway – Casa Grande, AZ (Winner: Stevie Sussex)
June 1: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Winner: R.J. Johnson)
June 8: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Winner: Mike Martin)
July 13: #Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Damion Gardner)
August 17: #Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Jake Swanson)
September 14: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Winner: Brody Roa)
September 28: #Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Winner: R.J. Johnson)
October 26: Central Arizona Speedway – Casa Grande, AZ (Winner: C.J. Leary)
November 7: *#Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)
November 8: *#Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)
November 9: *#Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)
November 15: *#Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 16: *#Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Cars.
# = Co-Sanctioned Event with AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Cars.
This schedule is subject to change.