JUSTIN GRANT WINS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR CLASH AT PERRIS
By Lance Jennings
OCTOBER 24, 2017... With seven official lead changes and possibly ten more exchanges of the top spot, Justin Grant (Ione, California) emerged victorious last Saturday at Perris Auto Speedway. Claiming his first career AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car triumph, the USAC National point leader finished ahead of Mike Spencer, “The Demon” Damion Gardner, “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams, and fast qualifier Jake Swanson.
Testing for the upcoming Oval Nationals, Grant started third and slipped by Gardner for the lead on the eleventh circuit. Six laps later, front row starting Brody Roa regrouped and powered by Grant for the top spot. From there, the two had a classic sprint car battle by exchanging “slide jobs” with three lead changes per lap. Four circuits later, Grant managed to shake free from his challenger, but Roa gathered himself and made one more bid for the lead. With changing track conditions, Brody’s challenge fell short and the former USAC West Coast series champion slid to a stop. When racing resumed, Justin had an excellent restart and took his first checkered flags at Perris Auto Speedway.
Driving the Sam McGhee Motorsports #17 ProGlide Bearings / Mike McGhee & Associates Maxim, Justin Grant qualified fourth out of twenty-one racers and ran third in his heat race. After his first USAC/CRA start, the Midwest based driver left the Lake Perris Fairgrounds ranked thirty-eighth in the standings.
Mike Spencer (Temecula, California) started seventh in the feature and powered by Gardner on the last lap to secure second. Racing the Gansen Engineering Motorsports’ #4S Trench Shoring / Ram-Bull Racing Maxim, Spencer was seventh fast in time trials and ran second to Jake Swanson in his heat race. To date, the five time champion is fourth in the point chase with one feature win, four heat race victories, thirteen top-10 finishes, and 45 feature laps led on the season.
“The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, California) started fifth and led laps nine and ten before scoring third in the 30-lap main event. Piloting Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / Weld Racing Spike, Gardner qualified second overall and won the night’s Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Heat Race #2. The five-time champion heads to the Western World Championships in San Tan Valley, Arizona with a 101-point lead on the strength of five feature wins, five Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, eleven heat race victories, fifteen top-10 finishes, and 150 feature laps led.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, California) raced hard to score fourth at Perris after leading seven early laps. Driving Jack Jory’s #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams was sixth quick in time trials and placed third in his heat race. The 2009 Rookie of the Year left his “home track” sitting fifth in points with four heat race victories, two Saldana Racing Products / Rod End Supply Hard Charger Awards, and eleven top-10 finishes to his credit.
Jake Swanson (Anaheim, California) claimed fifth at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds. Racing Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Clackamas Rigging and Transfer Triple X, Swanson earned his fifth Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award and won the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. To date, the USAC West Coast Sprint Champion has climbed to second in points with five heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Incorporated Semi-Main win, one Saldana Racing Products / Rod End Supply Hard Charger Award, sixteen top-10 finishes, and 13 feature laps led in the campaign.
Stevie Sussex (Tempe, Arizona) earned the night’s Saldana Racing Products / Rod End Supply “Hard Charger Award / Best Passing Job” honors with a seventh place run from seventeenth. Piloting Dwight Cheney’s #42 Racing Optics / Sander Engineering Maxim, Sussex qualified eighteenth overall and placed fourth in his heat race. In limited starts, the two-time Hank Arnold Memorial winner is twenty-fifth in USAC/CRA points with one heat race victory, four top-10 finishes, and 23 feature laps led on the year.
Max Adams (Loomis, California) raced to victory in the Circle Track Performance / Keizer Aluminum Wheels Heat Race #3. Driving his #5M ART Speed Equipment / Ken Imler Diesel Performance Maxim, Adams was ninth fast in time trials and scored eighteenth in the feature after an early exit. The 2016 Rookie of the Year sits eighth in points with three heat race victories, one Saldana Racing Products / Rod End Supply Hard Charger Award, five top-10 finishes, and three feature laps led.
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will travel to Arizona Speedway in San Tan Valley, Arizona on November 3rd and 4th. The “50th Annual Western World Championships” will also feature the AMSOIL USAC National and the Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Cars. Located at the ET Motopark, more event and ticket information can be found at www.arizonaspeedway.net or calling 480.926.6688.
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: October 21, 2017 – Perris, California – Perris Auto Speedway
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-16.519; 2. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-16.604; 3. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-16.696; 4. Justin Grant, 17, McGhee-16.712; 5. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-16.761; 6. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-16.790; 7. Mike Spencer, 4S, Gansen-16.817; 8. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-16.838; 9. Max Adams, 5M, Adams-17.079; 10. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-17.187; 11. Matt McCarthy, 28M, McCarthy-17.221; 12. Isaac Chapple, 52, Chapple-17.287; 13. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-17.328; 14. Jeremy Ellertson, 98, Ellertson-17.347; 15. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-17.519; 16. Verne Sweeney, 98V, Tracy-17.540; 17. Trent Williams, 52V, Williams-17.588; 18. Stevie Sussex, 42, Cheney-17.641; 19. Randy Waitman, 90, Waitman-17.831; 20. Matt Stewart, 23, Bellegante-18.071; 21. Gary Marshall Jr., 72, Marshall-19.111.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Swanson, 2. Spencer, 3. Grant, 4. T.Williams, 5. McCarthy, 6. Ellertson, 7. Stewart. 3:01.63.
BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Gardner, 2. Roa, 3. Chapple, 4. Sussex, 5. Bender, 6. Gansen, 7. Marshall. 2:58.40.
CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE / KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Adams, 2. Malcolm, 3. A.Williams, 4. C.Williams, 5. Waitman, 6. Sweeney. 3:08.75.
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Justin Grant (3rd), 2. Mike Spencer (7th), 3. Damion Gardner (5th), 4. Austin Williams (1st), 5. Jake Swanson (6th), 6. Isaac Chapple (11th), 7. Stevie Sussex (17th), 8. A.J. Bender (8th), 9. Cody Williams (12th), 10. Jeremy Ellertson (13th), 11. Matt McCarthy (10th), 12. Verne Sweeney (15th), 13. Trent Williams (16th), 14. Brody Roa (2nd), 15. Matt Stewart (19th), 16. Gary Marshall Jr. (20th), 17. Randy Waitman (18th), 18. Max Adams (9th), 19. Chris Gansen (14th), 20. Tommy Malcolm (4th). NT
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**L.Williams flipped during qualifications. Malcolm flipped on lap 16 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Lap 1 Roa, Laps 2-8 A.Williams, Laps 9-10 Gardner, Laps 11-16 Grant, Lap 17 Roa, Lap 18 Grant, Lap 19 Roa, Laps 20-30 Grant.
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / ROD END SUPPLY HARD CHARGER: Stevie Sussex (17th to 7th)
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Damion Gardner-1294, 2. Jake Swanson-1193, 3. Brody Roa-1167, 4. Mike Spencer-1015, 5. Austin Williams-899, 6. Cody Williams-829, 7. Logan Williams-735, 8. Max Adams-702, 9. Chris Gansen-677, 10. Matt McCarthy-598, 11. Jeremy Ellertson-581, 12. Richard Vander Weerd-560, 13. Kevin Thomas, Jr.-415, 14. Jace Vander Weerd-409, 15. Tommy Malcolm-393, 16. Chase Johnson-391, 17. Ronnie Gardner-386, 18. Danny Faria, Jr.-383, 19. R.J. Johnson-381, ... Geoff Ensign-381.
2017 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE
DATE-TRACK-LOCATION
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.
