By Lance Jennings
VICTORVILLE, CA – MARCH 28, 2011… Last Saturday night, Temecula’s Mike Spencer scored the 30-lap Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series feature win at Victorville Raceway Park. The historic victory marked the first series appearance at Steve Quercio’s 3/8-mile facility and Mike’s second win of the 2011 campaign.
Despite cool temperatures dipping into the low 40s, the largest crowd in track history assembled to witness the event. With thirty cars in the pit area and other Southern California tracks closed for rain, the fans that made the journey to Victorville were not disappointed.
Driving Ron Chaffin’s #50 Madera Produce / Grubstake Mini Storage Maxim, Spencer started fifth in the main event. At the drop of the starter’s green flag, pole sitter Bill Rose of Plainfield, Indiana took command over the field. Rose led a string of challengers, including “The Kruser” Cory Kruseman of Ventura, Norco’s Ronnie Gardner, “Super” Rickie Gaunt of Torrance, Spencer, and Matt Mitchell of Yorba Linda.
The USAC/CRA Sprinters set a blistering pace on the high desert clay oval with drivers searching high and low to charge forward. Gaunt soon made his way to second and Spencer claimed third from Gardner. The two veteran drivers closed in on Rose and Spencer carried his momentum to take the lead on the eleventh lap. Gaunt powered by Rose for second and eighth starting Nic Faas of Huntington Beach challenged the Indiana driver for third.
The Victorville clay had some bite as Faas bicycled his mount off the turn two cushion and nearly caught the back stretch fence. Faas began to slow with problems as Mitchell and fellow Yorba Linda resident Cody Williams stopped. As the yellow flag waved, Faas went to the work area and returned to action. Mitchell was able to restart and Williams was done for the night.
Spencer set the pace as Gaunt looked to challenge for the lead. The 3-time champion drove harder into the corners and hit the same spot that nearly claimed Faas. The Bruce Bromme Jr. wrenched machine bicycled high in the air and Mike saved it from disaster. Maintaining the lead, Spencer regrouped as Riverside’s “Dynamite” David Cardey made his presence felt. Charging from the eleventh starting spot, Cardey passed Gaunt with an aggressive move to take second. From there, it was all Spencer as he was followed by Cardey, Gaunt, “Bullet” Blake Miller, and Rose.
With his second main event win of the young season, Mike Spencer now holds a twenty-four point advantage over the competition. Earlier in the program, the second generation driver was fourth quick in time trials and second in his heat race. Spencer will be looking for another victory this Saturday at Perris as he looks to make USAC history with his fourth straight title.
Driving his own #59 Circle Track Performance / Pick’s Racing Engines Viper, “Dynamite” David Cardey earned “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors on the night. Claiming second after starting eleventh, the former California Lightning Sprint Champion was twelfth fast in qualifying and won the 10-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #3. Cardey is now tied for second in the point standings as the series heads to Perris, where he won four main events last year.
“Super” Rickie Gaunt had his best finish of the year with a third place performance. Piloting David Miller’s #66 Eagle backed by Tom Roberts Designs and Barnes Systems, Gaunt made several challenges for the lead before scoring third at the checkered flags. The former SCRA Sprint Car Champion was sixth quick in the night’s program and claimed second in his heat race. “Super” Rickie is currently seventh in the championship points heading into next Saturday’s action.
Yorba Linda’s “Bullet” Blake Miller claimed his second straight fourth place finish of 2011. Driving Mark Priestley’s #7 Roy Miller Freightlines / Sander Engineering Maxim, Miller was second fast in qualifications and finished third in his heat race. Starting seventh in the main event, the former VRA Sprint Car Champion steadily worked his way forward on the track where he claimed six wins in 2009. “The Bullet” is currently tied for second in the point chase with David Cardey.
Piloting the R&B Racing #10T DRC sponsored by R&B Truckers and KJM Trucking, Bill Rose led the first ten circuits before falling to Spencer. The veteran driver fought hard to stay up front and took fifth at he checkered flags. Earlier in the night’s action, the inaugural USAC Western Classic Racing Series feature winner was ninth quick in time trials and third in his heat race. Rose is thirteenth in the USAC/CRA championship points.
Nic Faas earned the night’s Sander Engineering Fast Time Award and broke Mike Spencer’s track record set in April 2008. Driving Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / VP Racing Fuels Spike, Faas claimed third in his heat race and rebounded to score twelfth in the 30-lap main event. The former USAC Western Midget Series Champion sits fifth in the standings heading to Perris, six points behind Matt Mitchell.
Yorba Linda’s Austin Williams won the night’s first heat race, sponsored by Extreme Mufflers and Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror. Piloting John Jory’s #2 Viper backed by the John Jory Corporation and AMA Plastics, Williams was fourteenth quick in time trials and scored twenty-first in the main event. The 2009 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year currently sits tenth in the point chase.
“Cadillac” Cody Williams of Yorba Linda scored the Saldana Racing Products / Circle Track Performance Heat Race #2 victory. Driving John Jory’s #44 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Viper, Williams was eleventh fast in qualifications and seventeenth in the feature. The 2008 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Co-Rookie of the Year is ninth in the point standings.
Visalia’s Greg Bragg claimed victory in the 10-lap Electro Tech Powder Coating Heat Race #4. Piloting Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Moose Racing Buckley, sponsored by Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror and Pacific Business Machine, Bragg was thirteenth quick in time trials. The 3-Time California Lightning Sprint Champion went on the finish eighth in the feature and is currently sixth in the point chase.
Brody Roa of Buena Park won the 8-lap Competition Suspension Inc. Semi-Main Event. Driving BR Performance’s 360 cubic-inch powered #91R LA Prep / “Biker” Bruce Fischer Stinger, Roa was eighteenth fast and fifth in his heat race. Also earning transfer spots to the feature were Brandon Thomson, Marcus Niemela, A.J. Bender, Kyle Smith, and Tom Grunkemeyer. Roa took fourteenth in the main event, while Thomson claimed fifteenth, and Niemela scored nineteenth. Bender was twenty-first, Smith finished sixteenth, and Grunkemeyer scored twenty-second in the 30-lap event.
“Showtime” Danny Sheridan of Santa Maria and Las Vegas, Nevada’s Seth Wilson flipped during time trials. Sheridan’s #18 Kittle Motorsports Sherman entry was done for the night, while Wilson had to be transported to a local hospital. Seth suffered a broken knee cap in the crash and has since undergone surgery. Everyone with USAC/CRA wishes Seth a speedy recovery.
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series would like to thank Hoosier Tire, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Donovan Engineering, Electro Tech Powder Coating, Extreme Mufflers, Hilborn Fuel Injection, Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror, Keizer Wheels, Saldana Racing Products, and Sander Engineering for their support. For more information, visit usacracing.com or follow the series on facebook.
The third round of action for the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will be held this Saturday, April 2nd, at the Perris Auto Speedway. Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds in Perris, more event information can be found at www.perrisautospeedway.com or call (951) 940-0134.
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AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT RACE RESULTS:
March 26, 2011 – Victorville, California – Victorville Raceway Park
SANDER ENGINEERING TIME TRIALS:
1. Nic Faas, 4, Alexander-13.145 (New Track Record); 2. Blake Miller, 7, Priestley-13.390; 3. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-13.484; 4. Mike Spencer, 50, Chaffin-13.555; 5. Seth Wilson, 1X, Wilson-13.583; 6. Rickie Gaunt, 66, Miller-13.614; 7. Ronnie Gardner, 93, Gardner-13.639; 8. Cory Kruseman, 21K, Kruseman-13.643; 9. Bill Rose, 10T, R&B-13.656; 10. Rip Williams, 3, Jory-13.677; 11. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-13.692; 12. David Cardey, 59, Cardey-13.707; 13. Greg Bragg, 92, Sertich-13.777; 14. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-13.788; 15. Brandon Thomson, 92T, Thomson-14.007; 16. David Bezio, 37D, Bezio-14.215; 17. Brian Camarillo, 51, Camarillo-14.374; 18. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-14.455; 19. Kenny Perkins, 0K, Perkins-14.460; 20. Marcus Niemela, 69, Watt-14.466; 21, Gavin Matlock, 25, Williams-14.637; 22. Ed Schwarz, 0, Perkins- 14.721; 23. Cal Smith, 39, Cal Sun-15.020; 24. Hobie Conway, 29K, Kruseman-15.033; 25. Kyle Smith, 55S, Camarillo-15.081; 26. Jeremy Ellertson, 98, Ellertson-15.241; 27. A.J. Bender, 11B, Bender-15.245; 28. Tom Grunkemeyer, 36, Springstead-15.959; 29. Tony Everhart, 55, Everhart-16.791; 30. Danny Sheridan, 18, Kittle-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS / HUNTINGTON BEACH GLASS & MIRROR HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. Austin Williams, 2. Rickie Gaunt, 3. Nic Faas, 4. Rip Williams, 5. Brody Roa, 6. Jeremy Ellertson. NT.
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. Cody Williams, 2. Ronnie Gardner, 3. Blake Miller, 4. Kenny Perkins, 5. Brandon Thomson, 6. A.J. Bender, 7. Cal Smith. NT.
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps)
1. David Cardey, 2. Cory Kruseman, 3. David Bezio, 4. Matt Mitchell, 5. Marcus Niemela, 6. Tom Grunkemeyer, 7. Hobie Conway. NT.
ELECTRO TECH POWDER COATING HEAT RACE 4: (10 laps)
1. Greg Bragg, 2. Mike Spencer, 3. Bill Rose, 4. Brian Camarillo, 5. Gavin Matlock, 6. Kyle Smith. NT.
COMPETITION SUSPENSION INC. SEMI-MAIN: (8 laps)
1. Brody Roa, 2. Brandon Thomson, 3. Marcus Niemela, 4. A.J. Bender, 5. Kyle Smith, 6. Tom Grunkemeyer, 7. Hobie Conway, 8. Gavin Matlock. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Mike Spencer (5th), 2. David Cardey (11th), 3. Rickie Gaunt (4th), 4. Blake Miller (7th), 5. Bill Rose (1st), 6. Cory Kruseman (2nd), 7. Rip Williams (9th), 8. Greg Bragg (12th), 9. Matt Mitchell (6th), 10. Ronnie Gardner (3rd), 11. David Bezio (15th), 12. Nic Faas (8th), 13. Brian Camarillo (16th), 14. Brody Roa (17th), 15. Brandon Thomson (14th), 16. Kyle Smith (20th), 17. Cody Williams (10th), 18. A.J. Bender (21st), 19. Marcus Niemela (19th), 20. Kenny Perkins (18th), 21. Austin Williams (13th), 22. Tom Grunkemeyer (22nd). NT.
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**Danny Sheridan & Seth Wilson flipped during qualifications. Wilson transported to local hospital.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS:
Laps 1-10 Bill Rose. Laps 11-30 Mike Spencer.
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT POINT STANDINGS:
1. Mike Spencer 142; 2. David Cardey 118; 3. Blake Miller 118; 4. Matt Mitchell 104; 5. Nic Faas 98; 6. Greg Bragg 90; 7. Rickie Gaunt 81; 8. David Bezio 67; 9. Cody Williams 67; 10. Austin Williams 66; 11. Damion Gardner 62; 12. Ronnie Gardner 55; 13. Bill Rose 54; 14. Danny Sheridan 52; Cory Kruseman 52; 16. Rip Williams 47; 17. Greg Alexander 41; 18. Seth Wilson 36; 19. Jace VanderWeerd 36; 20. Richard VanderWeerd 33.
NEXT AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT RACE:
April 2nd – Perris (CA) Auto Speedway