By Lance Jennings
PERRIS, CA – AUGUST 2, 2011… Starting from the fourth starting spot, Temecula’s Mike Spencer won his fifth Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series feature last Saturday night at Perris Auto Speedway. The 3-time defending series champion passed Greg Bragg of Visalia on lap four and led the rest of the way to claim the annual Kindoll Classic victory. Spencer was followed by Nic Faas, Danny Sheridan, Austin Williams, and fast time qualifier Ronnie Gardner.
Piloting Ron Chaffin’s #50 Madera Produce / Grubstake Mini Storage Maxim, Spencer was sixth quick in time trials and won his third 10-lap event of the year by scoring the Saldana Racing Products / Circle Track Performance Heat Race #2. To date, the point leader holds a twenty-three point advantage over the competition with three Sander Engineering Fast Time Awards, one Competition Suspension Inc. Semi-Main win, six top-10 finishes, and 114 feature laps led to his credit.
With his runner-up finish at the Kindoll Classic, Nic Faas of Huntington Beach is now second in the point chase. Driving Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / VP Racing Fuels Spike, Faas was second quick on the night, third in his heat race, and won the Walt James Last Man Standing Dash. The former USAC Western Midget Series Champion has one Sander Engineering Fast Time Award, four heat race victories, one Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Award, and seven top-10 finishes on the year.
After winning the night’s Competition Suspension Inc. Semi-Main, “Showtime” Danny Sheridan of Santa Maria finished third in the 30-lap feature. Piloting the Kittle Motorsports #18 Pace Lighting / PIPE Sherman, Sheridan qualified fifth overall and scored fifth in his heat race. In limited action, the former Bandit Sprint Car Champion is twelfth in the point standings with one heat race victory and four top-10 finishes on the season.
Yorba Linda’s Austin Williams drove Jack Jory’s #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Viper to fourth in the Kindoll Classic. The young driver was fourth fast in time trials, second in his heat race, and second in the Walt James Last Man Standing Dash. Williams sits fourth in the standings with one heat race victory, one Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Award, and six top-10 finishes in 2011.
Ronnie Gardner of Norco scored fifth in the Perris 30-lapper and earned his second Sander Engineering Fast Time Award of the season. Piloting Jeff Gardner’s #93 Jamison Engineering / DWT Wheels Sled, Ronnie was second in his heat race and finished third in the Walt James Last Man Standing Dash. Currently ninth in the points, Gardner has one heat race victory and four top-10 finishes in the 2011 campaign.
Buena Park’s Brody Roa earned the Keizer Wheels Hard Charger / Best Passing Job honors on the night with a seventh place run after starting fifteenth. Driving the BR Performance #91R L.A. Prep / “Biker” Bruce Fischer Stinger, Roa also earned the bonus for the highest finishing 360 cubic inch powered entry. Earlier in the program, last year’s Wagsdash Champion was fifteenth quick in time trials and second in his heat race. Now twenty-second in the point standings, the young driver has one Competition Suspension Inc. Semi-Main win and one top-10 finish on the year.
“Dynamite” David Cardey of Riverside won the night’s Extreme Mufflers / Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror Heat Race #1. Piloting his #59 Circle Track Performance / Pick’s Racing Engines Viper, Cardey was ninth fast on the night and scored eighteenth in the feature. The former California Lightning Sprint Champion is seventh in the points with one Sander Engineering Fast Time Award, three heat race victories, one Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Award, and four top-10 finishes on the season.
Matt Mitchell of Yorba Linda won the program’s DJ Safety Heat Race #3, his fourth 10-lap triumph of the year. Driving the J.W. Mitchell Motorsports’ #37 Mancha Realtors / Sierra Springs Maxim, Matt was third fast in time trials, fourth in the Walt James Last Man Standing Dash, and eleventh in the main event. Currently third in the standings, the USAC Western Midget Series graduate has one feature victory, seven top-10 finishes and led twenty-six laps of main event competition.
Visalia’s Greg Bragg raced Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Pacific Business Machine Buckley to victory in the Electro Tech Powder Coating / Rod End Supply Heat Race #4. The 3-time California Lightning Sprint Champion qualified eighth quick on the night and was ninth in the feature after leading the three circuits. Currently fifth in the point chase, Bragg has two heat race wins, two Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Awards, seven top-10 finishes, and led five main event laps on the year.
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, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Sander Engineering, and So-Cal Performance for their support. In addition, series officials would like to thank Chris Holt and the many contributors that made the Kindoll Classic an event to remember. For more information, visit www.usacracing.com/cra or follow the series on facebook.
The tenth round of competition for the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will be held Saturday, August 13th at Chris Kearns’ Santa Maria Speedway. Located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange at 1900 Hutton Road in Nipomo, more event information can be found at www.racesantamariaspeedway.com or calling (805) 922-2232.
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AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT RACE RESULTS:
July 30, 2011 – Perris, California – Perris Auto Speedway – “Kindoll Classic”
SANDER ENGINEERING TIME TRIALS:
1. Ronnie Gardner, 93, Gardner-16.504; 2. Nic Faas, 4, Alexander-16.525; 3. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-16.645; 4. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-16.668; 5. Danny Sheridan, 18, Kittle-16.742; 6. Mike Spencer, 50, Chaffin-16.743; 7. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-17.060; 8. Greg Bragg, 92, Sertich-17.099; 9. David Cardey, 59, Cardey-17.160; 10. Damion Gardner, 42, Cheney-17.411; 11. Bobby Bender, 12x, Bender-17.613; 12. Rodney Argo, 19, Argo-17.664; 13. Kenny Perkins, 0K, Perkins-17.738; 14. Jesse Denome, 6x, Denome-17.753; 15. Brody Roa, 91R, Roa-17.812; 16. Bruce Douglas, 31, Douglas-17.848; 17. David Bezio, 37X, Bezio-17.989; 18. Randy Waitman, 69, Waitman-18.004; 19. Gavin Matlock, 25, Matlock-18.071; 20. Brandon Thomson, 36, Springstead-18.128; 21. Johnny McCall, 77, McCall-18.221; 22. Cory Ballard, 20, Ballard-18.362; 23. Matt Shedarowich, 12, Blair-18.407; 24. Ray Potter, 33X, Potter-18.594; 25. Ed Schwarz, 0, Perkins-18.617; 26. Mike Collins, 50X, Perkins-18.874; 27. Jerry Welton, 62, Welton-19.251; 28. Gary Potter, 6, Potter-19.418.
EXTREME MUFFLERS / HUNTINGTON BEACH GLASS & MIRROR HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. David Cardey, 2. Ronnie Gardner, 3. Kenny Perkins, 4. David Bezio, 5. Danny Sheridan, 6. Johnny McCall. NT.
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. Mike Spencer, 2. Damion Gardner, 3. Nic Faas, 4. Randy Waitman, 5. Cory Ballard, 6. Jesse Denome, 7. Mike Collins. NT.
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps)
1. Matt Mitchell, 2. Brody Roa, 3. Cody Williams, 4. Bobby Bender, 5. Matt Shedarowich, 6. Gavin Matlock, 7. Jerry Welton. NT.
ELECTRO TECH POWDER COATING / ROD END SUPPLY HEAT RACE 4: (8 laps)
1. Greg Bragg, 2. Austin Williams, 3. Rodney Argo, 4. Brandon Thomson, 5. Gary Potter, 6. Ray Potter. NT.
WALT JAMES LAST MAN STANDING DASH:
1. Nic Faas, 2. Austin Williams, 3. Ronnie Gardner, 4. Matt Mitchell. NT.
COMPETITION SUSPENSION INC. SEMI-MAIN: (12 laps)
1. Danny Sheridan, 2. Johnny McCall, 3. Jesse Denome, 4. Matt Shedarowich, 5. Cory Ballard, 6. Gavin Matlock, 7. Jerry Welton, 8. Gary Potter, 9. Mike Collins, 10. Ray Potter. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Mike Spencer (4th), 2. Nic Faas (7th), 3. Danny Sheridan (9th), 4. Austin Williams (5th), 5. Ronnie Gardner (8th), 6. Cody Williams (3rd), 7. Brody Roa (15th), 8. Kenny Perkins (13th), 9. Greg Bragg (2nd), 10. Damion Gardner (10th), 11. Matt Mitchell (6th), 12. David Bezio (16th), 13. Johnny McCall (19th), 14. Brandon Thomson (18th), 15. Matt Shedarowich (20th), 16. Jesse Denome (14th), 17. Bobby Bender (11th), 18. David Cardey (1st), 19. Rodney Argo (12th), 20. Randy Waitman (17th). NT.
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-3 Greg Bragg, Laps 4-30 Mike Spencer.
KEIZER WHEELS HARD CHARGER: Brody Roa (15th to 7th)
NEW AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT POINTS:
1-Mike Spencer-502; 2-Nic Faas-479; 3-Matt Mitchell-466; 4-Austin Williams-391; 5-Greg Bragg-385; 6-Cody Williams-332; 7-David Cardey-318; 8-Rickie Gaunt-304; 9-Ronnie Gardner-281; 10-Blake Miller-277.
NEXT AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT RACE:
August 13 – Santa Maria (CA) Speedway