From Scott Daloisio
(NOVEMBER 24, 2009, PERRIS, CA) Perris Auto Speedway will close the 2009 season this Saturday night, November 28th, with the running of the 2nd Annual Glenn Howard Memorial for the USAC/CRA Sprint Cars. The $30,000.00 Glenn Howard Challenge will also be a part of the show which has drawn entries from all of the USAC/CRA stars as well as Midwestern based drivers Damion Gardner, Dave Darland, Bryan Clauson, Nic Faas and Cole Carter. Spectator gates will open at 5 PM and the first race will begin at 7:00.
“We are pleased to host the Glenn Howard Memorial and the Glenn Howard Challenge,” promoter Don Kazarian said from his office on Monday. “Glenn did just about everything there was to do in racing. He was a driver, owner, official and innovator. Most of all he was a great guy. Last year’s initial Glenn Howard Memorial was a great event and with the addition of the Glenn Howard $30,000.00 Challenge, this year’s race has added excitement.”
Before the main event begins, the driver who is slated to start on the pole will be presented with the Glenn Howard Challenge. If he accepts the challenge, he will relinquish his pole position starting spot and go to the back of the field. If he wins from the back, he will collect a $30,000.00 bonus. Two drivers have won from the last starting spot at The PAS before and both will be in action on Saturday. Damion Gardner, a native of Concord, California who resides in Pittsboro, Indiana during the racing season, and Yorba Linda, California’s Rip Williams.
While the fight for the Glenn Howard Memorial will rage for 30-laps until the checkered flag brings a close to the 2009 season, one battle has already been determined. Temecula, California’s Mike Spencer has already sewn up the 2009 USAC/CRA championship after a hard fought battle with David Cardey of Riverside, California. Spencer, an engineering graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, becomes the first two-time champion of the USAC/CRA series (he won the crown in 2008 as well).
While Spencer has already clinched the title, Manhattan Beach California’s Garrett Hansen, who will claim the 2009 USAC Western Midget championship at the 69th running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix on Thursday at Toyota Speedway At Irwindale, still has a shot of stealing second from Cardey in the final USAC/CRA standings. Hansen trails Cardey by 50 points heading into Saturday’s season the finale.
The most intriguing points fight as the USAC/CRA series comes to a conclusion is the battle for fourth overall. A mere 21 points separates the fourth, fifth and sixth place drivers. Yorba Linda, California’s Blake Miller, the 2006 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year who will turn 23 on Sunday, is currently in fourth with 719 points. Gregg Bragg, a three time California Lightning Sprint Car champion from Visalia, California, is fifth with 700 points. Two points behind Bragg with 698 points in the popular Kittle Motorsports #18 is Santa Maria, California’s “Showtime” Danny Sheridan.
Saturday’s open wheel prelude to Auld Lang Syne will feature qualifying, four ten-lap heat races a 12-lap B main, the 30-lap Glenn Howard Memorial and the $30,000.00 Glenn Howard Challenge.
Advance tickets for this Saturday are available 24 hours a day by calling 1-800-595-4849. They can also be ordered on the Internet at tix.com or perrisautospeedway.com.
For more information call The PAS at: (951) 940-0134.
You can keep up with all of the latest news from Perris Auto Speedway on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/perrisautospdwy
Video and DVD productions of all USAC/CRA races at The PAS dating back to 2004 and including the last five Budweiser Oval Nationals are available from Jeff Kristensen’s Raceway Video. For more information on these productions you can call: (818) 618-9764 or visit the web site at: racewayvideo.com.
Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds (home of October’s Southern California Fair), approximately one hour east of Los Angeles and one hour North of San Diego. To get to the track, take the 215 freeway, exit on the Ramona Expressway and go three miles east to the fairgrounds.