R.J. JOHNSON ADDS PERRIS USAC/CRA CALIFORNIA RACERS HALL OF FAME NIGHT TO RESUME
By Lance Jennings
AUGUST 29, 2017... Powering past Max Adams on the second lap, R.J. Johnson (Laveen, Arizona) led the rest of the way to claim last Saturday’s “California Racers Hall of Fame Night” at Perris Auto Speedway. The 30-lap victory marked Johnson’s third consecutive $2,500 AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car triumph at Perris that also netted over $3,000 in bonus money. “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams, fast qualifier Jake Swanson, “Thunder” Tommy Malcolm, and Mike Spencer rounded out the top-five drivers.
While Johnson dominated the main event, it was not an easy win by any means. The driver of Bobby Martin’s #51 Martin Family Museum / Pecon Builders Sherman narrowly escaped disaster several times while passing slower traffic. Before scoring his sixth career USAC/CRA win, the four-time Arizona sprint car champion qualified fifth out of twenty-two racers and finished second to Damion Gardner in his heat race. At press time, R.J. has moved to thirteenth in the point chase with three feature wins, one heat race victory, four top-10 finishes, and 89 feature laps led.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, California) battled hard from ninth to take second at the “California Racers Hall of Fame Night.” Piloting Jack Jory’s #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams was ninth fast in time trials and ran second to his older brother Cody in his heat race. The 2009 Rookie of the Year sits fifth in the point standings with two heat race victories, two Saldana Racing Products / Rod End Supply Hard Charger Awards, and nine top-10 finishes on the season.
Jake Swanson (Anaheim, California) had a solid night with a third place finish at Perris after starting sixth. Racing Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Clackamas Rigging and Transfer Triple X, Swanson earned the $600 Billy Wilkerson / Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, took second in the Junior Kurtz Trophy Dash, and placed second to Danny Faria Jr. in his heat race. To date, the USAC West Coast Sprint Champion is third in points with four Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, three heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Inc. Semi-Main win, and eight top-10 finishes.
Debuting a brand new car, “Thunder” Tommy Malcolm (Corona, California) had his best USAC/CRA finish with a fourth place run from twelfth. Driving Dino Napier’s #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / Rockstar Coatings Maxim, Malcolm qualified twelfth overall and scored fifth in his heat race. The young driver is currently sixteenth in the standings with one heat race victory and three top-10 finishes in the campaign.
Mike Spencer (Temecula, California) took fifth at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds. Piloting the Gansen Engineering Motorsports #4S Trench Shoring / Ram-Bull Racing Maxim, Spencer was third quick in time trials, finished third in the Junior Kurtz Trophy Dash, and placed third in his heat race. At press time, the five-time champion is fourth in the point chase with one feature win, four heat race victories, ten top-10 finishes, and 45 feature laps led on the year.
Making his first start of the year in John Bellegante’s #23 Persall Masonry ITI, Matt Stewart (Menifee, California) earned the night’s Saldana Racing Products / Rod End Supply “Hard Charger Award / Best Passing Job” honors with an eleventh place run from twentieth. The second generation driver qualified twentieth overall and scored sixth in his heat race.
Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) earned top honors in the Junior Kurtz Trophy Dash over Swanson, Spencer, and Ronnie Gardner. Racing the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Roa was second quick in time trials, ran third in his heat race, and fought power steering troubles to score seventh in the main event. Last year’s USAC West Coast Sprint Champion has taken over the point lead from Damion Gardner and has posted one feature win, two heat race victories, ten top-10 finishes, and 57 feature laps led on the season.
“Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. (Tipton, California) raced to victory in the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Piloting his #17V Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / DeBoer & Sons Trucking Spike, Faria qualified tenth overall and scored fourteenth in the 30-lap main event. At press time, the two-time USAC West Coast Champion is fourteenth in the point standings with three top-10 finishes in limited appearances.
“The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, California) won the night’s Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Heat Race #2. Driving Mark Alexander’s #4 S.P. Beagle Plumbing / Scott Sales Company Spike, Gardner was eighth fast in time trials and scored fifteenth in the main event after a flip ended his night. The five-time champion has dropped to second in points with three feature wins, nine heat race victories, eight top-10 finishes, and 60 feature laps led.
“The Cadillac” Cody Williams (Corona, California) won the night’s Circle Track Performance / Keizer Aluminum Wheels Heat Race #3. Driving Jack Jory’s #44 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams qualified fifteenth overall and placed sixteenth in the main event. At press time, “The Cadillac” is sixth in the point chase with two heat race victories, seven top-10 finishes, and 14 feature laps led in the campaign.
On Saturday, September 2nd, the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will kickoff the fourth “California Sprint Week” at Calistoga Speedway. Located on the Napa County Fairgrounds in Calistoga, California, the “10th Annual Louie Vermeil Classic” will also feature the Light Up The World Beverages USAC Western States Midgets and Vintage cars. More event information can be found at www.calistogaspeedway.org or calling 916.773.7225.
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: August 26, 2017 – Perris, California – Perris Auto Speedway – “California Racers Hall of Fame Night”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-16.623; 2. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-16.639; 3. Mike Spencer, 4S, Gansen-16.809; 4. Ronnie Gardner, 12, Allen-16.981; 5. R.J. Johnson, 51, Martin-16.993; 6. Max Adams, 42, Cheney-17.110; 7. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-17.141; 8. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-17.142; 9. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-17.166; 10. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-17.279; 11. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-17.334; 12. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-17.350; 13. Bruce St. James, 7K, St. James-17.457; 14. Matt McCarthy, 28M, McCarthy-17.533; 15. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-17.596; 16. Verne Sweeney, 98V, Tracy-17.678; 17. Eddie Tafoya, 51T, Tafoya-17.775; 18. Randy Waitman, 90, Waitman-18.026; 19. Gary Marshall Jr., 72, Marshall-18.290; 20. Matt Stewart, 23, Bellegante-18.882; 21. Bobby Bender, 21, Bender-19.128; 22. Jeremy Ellertson, 98, Ellertson-NT.
JUNIOR KURTZ TROPHY DASH: 1. Roa (9pts), 2. Swanson (7pts), 3. Spencer (6pts), 4. R.Gardner (2pts).
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Faria, 2. Swanson, 3. R.Gardner, 4. L.Williams, 5. Sweeney, 6. Ellertson, 7. Marshall, 8. St. James. 3:02.64.
BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. D.Gardner, 2. Johnson, 3. Roa, 4. McCarthy, 5. Gansen, 6. Stewart, 7. Tafoya. NT
CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE / KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. C.Williams, 2. A.Williams, 3. Spencer, 4. Adams, 5. Malcolm, 6. Waitman, 7. Bender. 2:57.98.
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. R.J. Johnson (2nd), 2. Austin Williams (9th), 3. Jake Swanson (6th), 4. Tommy Malcolm (12th), 5. Mike Spencer (4th), 6. Matt McCarthy (14th), 7. Brody Roa (5th), 8. Ronnie Gardner (3rd), 9. Chris Gansen (11th), 10. Verne Sweeney (16th), 11. Matt Stewart (20th), 12. Gary Marshall Jr. (19th), 13. Max Adams (1st), 14. Danny Faria Jr. (10th), 15. Damion Gardner (8th), 16. Cody Williams (15th), 17. Jeremy Ellertson (22nd), 18. Bobby Bender (21st), 19. Randy Waitman (18th), 20. Logan Williams (7th), 21. Bruce St. James (13th), 22. Eddie Tafoya (17th). NT
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**Tafoya flipped during the second heat. D.Gardner and Adams flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Lap 1 Adams, Laps 2-30 Johnson
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / ROD END SUPPLY HARD CHARGER: Matt Stewart (20th to 11th)
USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Brody Roa-717, 2. Damion Gardner-699, 3. Jake Swanson-669, 4. Mike Spencer-659, 5. Austin Williams-603, 6. Cody Williams-501, 7. Logan Williams-451, 8. Max Adams-435, 9. Chris Gansen-418, 10. Matt McCarthy-375, 11. Richard Vander Weerd-345, 12. Jeremy Ellertson-319, 13. R.J. Johnson-306, 14. Danny Faria Jr.-288, 15. Ronnie Gardner-268, 16. Tommy Malcolm-250, 17. A.J. Bender-247, 18. Verne Sweeney-236, 19. Jace Vander Weerd-221, 20. Kyle Edwards-182.
2017 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE
DATE-TRACK-LOCATION
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.
