WHO’LL CHALLENGE SPENCER SATURDAY AT SANTA MARIA?

 


Mike Spencer of Temecula, Calif. enters Saturday night’s racing program at Santa Maria (Calif.) Speedway with a 23-point lead over Nic Faas in the 2011 AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint car standings. This year’s results don’t reflect that close of a title chase, with Spencer already posting five wins and Faas still seeking his first win of the campaign.


 


Actually, third-place Matt Mitchell is only 36 points back of Spencer with 74 available Saturday. Mitchell’s only 2011 victory came in May at Perris, Calif.


 


Spencer opened the season with three straight wins and has strung together two straight going into Saturday’s race. In June, Spencer posted his worst finish of the season at Santa Maria, an 18th, in a race won by Cory Kruseman.


 


Spencer ranks third on the all-time USAC/CRA victory list with 23 wins to his credit. Damion Gardner, with 40, and Kruseman, with 33, are the leaders.