From Perris Auto Speedway
Perris, CA — (May 23rd, 2011) — For the first time in seven weeks, the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will return to its home track, Perris Auto Speedway, this Saturday night, May 28th, for the Annual Salute to Indy. Joining the top racing stars on the west coast for the open wheel extravaganza will be the California Lightning Sprint Cars, the first ever race for the Senior Sprints at The PAS and the WRA Vintage Cars.
Spectator gates will open at 5:00 PM and the first race will be at 7:00. Tickets are $20.00 for adults and $15.00 for Seniors. It is $5.00 for active military members with proper id, teens 13-18 with their school id and kids 6-12. Children 5 and under are admitted free.
Media, attached to this release is a photo of #66 Rickie Gaunt (Torrance), #59 David Cardey (Riverside) and #69 Randy Waitman (Ramona) racing three-abreast at The PAS earlier this year. Please feel free to use the photo and please give credit to Doug Allen.
When the USAC/CRA Series last appeared at The PAS on April 2nd, Temecula, California superstar Mike Spencer recorded his third straight win to open the season and he seemed ready to waltz away to his fourth consecutive series title. However, the Cal Poly Pomona Engineering graduate suffered a flat tire and ended up 18th in the main event at Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway in Hanford on May 7th.
The talented driver’s misfortune is a boon to his closest pursuers as they try to prevent him from winning the coveted crown in 2011. After the April 2nd outing at The PAS, Spencer left with a 29-point advantage over his closest pursuer and the fourth place driver in the standings was 51-points behind. Heading into this Saturday’s race, his lead over the second place driver has dwindled to six points and the fourth place driver is a mere 20-points out of first.
Riverside’s “Dynamite” David Cardey, who maintains he will not chase the championship unless additional sponsorship is acquired, is second in points. Cardey finished eighth in the main event in Hanford. A pair of Yorba Linda drivers, Matt Mitchell and Blake Miller, are third and fourth. Mitchell, who turned 24 earlier this month, finished third at Hanford. Miller, the 2005 VRA Sprint Car Champion and 2006 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year, is fourth in points after an 11th place finish in Hanford. Mitchell is 18 points behind Spencer and Miller is 20 behind. Visalia’s Greg Bragg, who drives the Moose Racing #92 out of Huntington Beach, rounds out the top five in the standings (you can see the top 10 in points near the end of this release).
Perhaps the hottest driver racing at The PAS on Saturday will be in the Lightning Sprint Car Series. Kevin Michnowicz, a 17-year-old student from Lomita, has made four starts in the CLS Series in 2011 and won three of them including both races at The PAS. Included in his victories was the last race in the series at Santa Maria Speedway on May 14th. In the only one of his starts that he did not win, Michnowicz crashed out in his heat at Ventura. Last Saturday Michnowicz made his first ever 360 Sprint Car start in the ASCS Southern California Regional race at Hanford and placed 13th in the main event. Wildomar’s Tim Brown continues to lead the CLS standings over longtime open wheel chauffer Dan Hillberg of Placentia.
Saturday’s race card will feature the first ever Senior Sprint Car race at The PAS. Open to drivers 45 and older, the rules are quite simple. Cars must feature a 360 a cast iron block engine that is either fuel injected or normally aspirated. “With the exception of a 360 cast iron block and the obvious safety equipment, there is basically no rules,” promoter Don Kazarian stated. “This is going to be an old school, run what ya’ brung’ class. There is no weight or tire rule and no gasket or restrictor garbage either. This is all about strapping into the car, stomping down on the throttle and having fun.”
Rounding out Saturday’s program will be the WRA Vintage Cars. They are gorgeous original Sprint Cars, Midgets and Jalopies restored to their initial beauty.
To keep up with all of the latest Perris Auto Speedway news, photos, gossip and receive special offers, sign up at The PAS Facebook site at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Perris-Auto-Speedway/113876798686480
You can also keep up with the latest news and receive special offers from The PAS Twitter site: http://twitter.com/perrisautospdwy.
Perris Auto Speedway wants to thank its corporate sponsors for the 2011 season. Aaron’s, Ahern Rentals, All Coast Construction, Amsoil, Ayers Hotel and Spa, Budweiser, Champion Towing, City of Perris, Comfort Inn, Comunidad Latina, Daytona Boat & RV Storage, Frazee Paint, Hoosier Tires, JD Fields Lumber, K&N Engineering, P.I.P.E., Pepsi-Cola, Pick-A-Part Auto Salvage, Prolong Super Lubricants, Soboba Casino, Square H, Temecula Valley Pipe & Supply, Trench Shoring, US Foods, Valley Auto Salvage and Zanzabuku Sports Lounge.
For more information call The PAS at: (951) 940-0134.
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.
Video and DVD productions of all racing events at Perris Auto Speedway 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.
racesatthepas@aol.com is the only authorized Internet address to issue official media news released from The Perris Auto Speedway or Oval Entertainment
2011 Amsoil USAC/CRA Points Standings
1. Mike Spencer – Temecula – 242
2. David Cardey – Riverside – 236
2. Matt Mitchell – Yorba Linda – 224
4. Blake Miller – Yorba Linda – 222
5. Greg Bragg – Visalia – 181
6. Nic Faas – Huntington Beach – 163
7. Rickie Gaunt – Torrance – 163
8. Cody Williams – Yorba Linda – 130
8. Austin Williams – Yorba Linda – 124
10. David Bezio – San Diego – 117
2011 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Point Standings
1. Kevin Michnowicz – Lomita – 845
2. Dan Hillberg – Placentia – 809
3. Jacob Will – Carlsbad – 770
4. Alexander Bissett – Hemet – 763
5. Dale Gamer – Anaheim – 702
6. Paul Krueger – Buena Park – 664
7. Darren Hillberg – Corona – 653
8. Stephon Limon – Corona – 638
9. Dan Lancaster – 627
10. Jarrett Kramer – Spring Valley – 607
The 2011 Perris Auto Speedway schedule is listed below.
April 2nd: USAC/CRA Sprint Cars & California Lightning Sprints – Relay for Life Giveaway and Fundraiser
May 28th: “SALUTE TO INDY” USAC/CRA Sprint Cars & California Lightning Sprints
June 4th: Off Weekend
June 11th: Off Weekend
June 18th: “Night of Destruction 3” Rollover Contest, Demo Cross, Fresh Car Demo Derby
June 25th: PASSCAR Super Stocks, Street Stocks, Modifieds, Factory Stocks, CDCRA Dwarf Cars
July 2nd: City of Perris “CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION – FIRECRACKER 30 & SKY CONCERT” USAC/CRA Sprint Cars & California Lightning Sprints
July 9th: Off Weekend
July 16th: To Be Announced
July 23rd: PASSCAR Super Stocks, Street Stocks, Modifieds, Factory Stocks – PLUS A “SPECIAL EVENT”
July 30th: “KINDOLL CLASSIC” USAC/CRA Sprint Cars & California Lightning Sprints
August 6th: Off Weekend
August 13th: To Be Announced
August 20th: USAC/CRA Sprint Cars & California Lightning Sprints
August 27th: Off Weekend
September 3rd: PASSCAR Super Stocks, Street Stocks, Modifieds, Factory Stocks – PLUS A “SPECIAL EVENT”
September 10th: “Night of Destruction 4” Fig 8′ Trailer Racing, Rollover Contest, Iron Man Demo Derby
September 17th: Off Weekend
September 24th: “GLENN HOWARD MEMORIAL” USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
October 1st: PASSCAR Super Stocks, Street Stocks, Modifieds, Factory Stocks
October 8th: “So Cal Fair” USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
October 15th: Southern California Fair
October 22nd: Off Weekend
October 29th: PASSCAR “CHAMPIONS NIGHT” Super Stocks, Street Stocks, Modifieds, Factory Stocks, CDCRA Dwarf Cars and 2nd Annual Oil Twins Challenge
November 3rd: Budweiser “Oval Nationals”
November 4th: Budweiser “Oval Nationals” & California Lightning Sprints
November 5th: Budweiser “Oval Nationals” & California Lightning Sprints