DAMION GARDNER WINS USAC/CRA SALUTE TO INDY AT PERRIS
By Lance Jennings
MAY 31, 2017... Starting fifth, “The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, California) took the lead from Brody Roa on lap eleven and claimed last Saturday’s “Salute to Indy” at Perris Auto Speedway. The $2,500 AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car victory marked Gardner’s third win of the campaign and the 73rd triumph of his career. Roa, fast qualifier Jake Swanson, Mike Spencer, and Richard Vander Weerd rounded out the top-five drivers.
Racing Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / Weld Racing Spike, Damion Gardner qualified second out of twenty-one racers and won the night’s Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Heat Race #2. The five-time champion left Perris with a 42-point lead with two Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, four heat race victories, five top-10 finishes, and 60 feature laps led on the year.
After leading the first ten laps, Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) had to settle for second at the “Salute to Indy.” Driving the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Roa was fifth quick in time trials and ran third in his heat race. Last season’s USAC West Coast Champion ranks second in the point chase with one heat race victory, five top-10 finishes, and 16 feature laps led in the campaign.
Jake Swanson (Anaheim, California) raced to third at Perris Auto Speedway after starting sixth. Piloting Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Clackamas Rigging & Transfer XXX, Swanson earned his second Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award and won the night’s Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. The 2012 Rookie of the Year ranks fourth in points with three heat race victories and four top-10 finishes to his credit.
Mike Spencer (Temecula, California) had a solid night with a fourth place finish at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds. Racing the #4S Gansen Engineering Motorsports’ Trench Shoring / Ram-Bull Racing Maxim, Spencer qualified third overall and claimed a photo finish win over Danny Faria Jr. in the night’s Circle Track Performance / Keizer Aluminum Wheels Heat Race #3. The five-time champion is third in the point chase with one feature win, three heat race victories, five top-10 finishes, and 28 feature laps led on the season.
Richard Vander Weerd (Visalia, California) scored fifth in the 30-lap main event. Driving the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Stone Gate Development Maxim, Vander Weerd was eighth fast in time trials and ran second to Gardner in his heat race. The 2011 USAC West Coast Champion ranks eighth in the standings with one feature win, three top-10 finishes, and 31 feature laps led on the year.
Leading rookie contender Matt McCarthy (Riverside, California) earned the night’s Saldana Racing Products / Rod End Supply “Hard Charger Award / Best Passing Job” honors with a twelfth place run from nineteenth. Piloting the family owned #28M Flowdynamics / Napa Auto Parts Maxim, McCarthy qualified nineteenth overall and ran fifth in his heat race. Heading to Perris on June 24th, Matt is eleventh in the point standings with one heat race victory on the season.
On Saturday, June 24th, the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will return to Don Kazarian’s Perris Auto Speedway. Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds in Perris, California, the PAS Senior Sprint Cars and the PAS Young Gun Sprint Cars will join the program. 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, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, King Racing Products, Pyrotect Racing Cells, 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: May 27, 2017 – Perris, California – Perris Auto Speedway – “Salute to Indy”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-16.573; 2. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-16.690; 3. Mike Spencer, 4S, Gansen-16.728; 4. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-16.868; 5. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-16.878; 6. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-17.063; 7. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-17.152; 8. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-17.154; 9. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-17.174; 10. Max Adams, 42, Cheney-17.177; 11. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-17.186; 12. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-17.264; 13. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-17.293; 14. Parker Colston, 64, Gore-17.348; 15. Verne Sweeney, 98V, Tracy-17.407; 16. Eddie Tafoya, 51T, Tafoya-17.525; 17. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-17.578; 18. Kyle Edwards, 39E, Edwards-17.600; 19. Matt McCarthy, 28M, McCarthy-17.705; 20. Jeremy Ellertson, 98, Ellertson-17.871; 21. Randy Waitman, 90, Waitman-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Swanson, 2. Malcolm, 3. Adams, 4. J.Vander Weerd, 5. McCarthy, 6. Tafoya, 7. C.Williams. 2:56.84.
BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Gardner, 2. R.Vander Weerd, 3. Roa, 4. Bender, 5. Gansen, 6. Colston, 7. Ellertson. NT
CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE / KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Spencer, 2. Faria, 3. Sweeney, 4. A.Williams, 5. L.Williams, 6. Edwards. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Damion Gardner (5th), 2. Brody Roa (2nd), 3. Jake Swanson (6th), 4. Mike Spencer (4th), 5. Richard Vander Weerd (1st), 6. Danny Faria Jr. (9th), 7. Austin Williams (12th), 8. Cody Williams (8th), 9. Logan Williams (7th), 10. Jace Vander Weerd (13th), 11. A.J. Bender (17th), 12. Matt McCarthy (19th), 13. Chris Gansen (11th), 14. Kyle Edwards (18th), 15. Verne Sweeney (15th), 16. Max Adams (10th), 17. Eddie Tafoya (16th), 18. Parker Colston (14th), 19. Jeremy Ellertson (20th), 20. Tommy Malcolm (3rd). NT
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**Waitman flipped during hotlaps. L.Williams flipped on lap 28 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-10 Roa, Laps 11-30 Gardner
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / ROD END SUPPLY HARD CHARGER: Matt McCarthy (19th to 12th)
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Damion Gardner-408, 2. Brody Roa-366, 3. Mike Spencer-342, 4. Jake Swanson-335, 5. Austin Williams-277, 6. Cody Williams-272, 7. Logan Williams-254, 8. Richard Vander Weerd-216, 9. Chris Gansen-212, 10. Tommy Malcolm-183, 11. Matt McCarthy-171, 12. Jeremy Ellertson-159, 13. Jace Vander Weerd-150, 14. Kyle Edwards-146, 15. Parker Colston-143, 16. Danny Faria, Jr.-133, 17. Eddie Tafoya-130, 18. Verne Sweeney-125, 19. Max Adams-104, 20. R.J. Johnson-71.
2017 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE
DATE-TRACK-LOCATION
June 24: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA
July 1: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA (Doug Fort Memorial)
July 22: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA
August 5: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA
August 26: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (California Racers Hall of Fame Night)
September 2: Calistoga Speedway - Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic / California Sprint Week)
September 3: Calistoga Speedway - Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic / California Sprint Week)
September 4: Petaluma Speedway - Petaluma CA (California Sprint Week)
September 7: Silver Dollar Speedway - Chico, CA (Gold Cup Race of Champions / California Sprint Week)
September 8: Ocean Speedway - Watsonville, CA (California Sprint Week)
September 9: Keller Auto Speedway - Hanford, CA (California Sprint Week)
September 23: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Glenn Howard Classic)
October 21: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA
November 3: *Arizona Speedway - San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 4: *Arizona Speedway - San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
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)
November 11: *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.
