GARDNER, JOHNSON LEAD SPRINTS TO OCEAN FRIDAY;

CRA SPRINTS TACKLE SANTA MARIA SATURDAY

Damion Gardner and D.J. Johnson will try to protect point leads this Friday when the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint and the USAC Western Classic Sprints combine for Friday night’s program at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, Calif.

Saturday night, the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprints continue their 2013 campaign at the Santa Maria (Calif.) Speedway.

Gardner has a 44-point lead over teammate Nic Faas entering this weekend’s pair of USAC/CRA races, while Johnson holds a tenuous five-point lead over Ryan Bernal in the Western Classics going into the Watsonville event.

Gardner has five wins in the last eight USAC/CRA outings and was the Watsonville winner in June. Faas has a pair of victories this year, while five-time series champion Mike Spencer has one.

Johnson has four “top-10” finishes in the Western Classics, while Bernal swept the two series openers, including the series debut this year at Ocean Speedway.

Bud Kaeding, currently fourth in the USAC/CRA points, was the winner at Watsonville last month. Gardner won the only previous USAC/CRA race this year at Santa Maria.

In related news, the August 17 Western Classic race at Reno-Fernley Raceway in Nevada has been removed from the calendar.