By Lance Jennings
CALISTOGA, CA – SEPTEMBER 5, 2011… Temecula’s Mike Spencer extended his point lead with the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series by winning the finale of the Louie Vermeil Classic at Calistoga Speedway. After tire problems claimed race leader Robert Ballou on lap twenty-three, the 3-time series champion led the rest of the way to earn the $5000 victory. Matt Mitchell, Nic Faas, Ryan Bernal, and Geoff Ensign rounded out the top five drivers.
Piloting Ron Chaffin’s #50 Madera Produce / Grubstake Mini Storage Maxim, Mike Spencer quickly worked his way forward from the sixth starting spot. After a few laps, the newly crowned Calistoga Speedway Champion had taken third and began to chase down Matt Mitchell. Robert Ballou, the early race leader, set a torrid pace in Keith Ford’s #72 Berry Pack / A&A Precision Machining Ellis as he looked for his second straight USAC/CRA and Western Classic victory.
Early problems had sidelined “Showtime” Danny Sheridan and a flip ended “The Demon” Damion Gardner’s hope of another Vermeil Classic win. While battling for fourth, contact between Nic Faas and Austin Williams resulted in another red flag, this time for Williams as his car flipped and sustained heavy damage. Both Gardner and Williams walked away uninjured from their incidents.
As the race continued on, tire wear would become a concern for the racers. Andy Forsberg, who was running fifth, came to a stop on lap twenty-three with a flat right rear tire. As the famed “Workin’ Woody” pit vehicle attended to Forsberg, race leader Ballou’s right rear tire was losing air pressure. With the yellow flag displayed over the speedway, Robert exited the track and repairs could not be made in time.
Spencer had inherited the lead, with Mitchell, Faas, Ensign, Colby Copeland, and Greg Bragg close behind. As racing resumed, Mike had an excellent restart and looked to put some distance between himself and the field. Faas pressured Mitchell for second and a hard charging Ryan Bernal made his way to seventh after restarting at the back. At the checkered flags, Spencer was not to be denied on this night as he scored his sixth feature victory of the season.
With his second Louie Vermeil Classic victory, Mike Spencer currently holds a forty-six point lead as the series heads to Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway on Thursday. Earlier in the program, the 3-time defending champion was third quick in time trials and finished second in his heat race. To date, the driver of the Bruce Bromme Jr. wrenched machine has four Sander Engineering Fast Time Awards, five heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Inc. Semi-Main win, and ten top-10 finishes. Spencer will be looking for the Chico victory as he continues his march to another championship.
Matt Mitchell of Yorba Linda took second in the finale of the Louie Vermeil Classic. Driving the J.W. Mitchell Motorsports’ #37 Mancha Realtors / Sierra Springs Maxim, the former USAC Western Midget Series Rookie of the Year qualified sixth and raced to his series leading sixth heat race victory in the DJ Safety sponsored event. Sitting third in the point chase, Mitchell has two feature wins, one Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Award, and eleven top-10 finishes on the year. Matt will be one of the favorites to watch at Silver Dollar Speedway.
Huntington Beach’s Nic Faas drove Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / VP Racing Fuels Spike to third in the 30-lap feature. The 2008 Rookie of the Year was fourth quick on the night and won the Extreme Mufflers / Huntington Beach Glass and Mirror Heat Race #1. Currently second in the standings, Faas has two Sander Engineering Fast Time Awards, five heat race victories, one Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Awards, and ten top-10 finishes on the season. Nic will have his sights set on his first victory of the year at the Gold Cup Race of Champions.
Ryan Bernal of Hollister had his best career finish with USAC/CRA by taking fourth after restarting at the back. The crew of the USAC West Coast 360 standout had repaired a broken tie rod, but reported late after the red flag for Austin Williams. Piloting Danny Olmstead’s #11D S&S Automotive / Moeller Bros. Maxim, Bernal was second quick on the night and claimed second in his heat race. The former Wingless Spec Sprint Champion has one Competition Suspension Inc. Semi-Main win and two top-10 finishes on the year. As the writing goes to press, young driver has school obligations and will miss the Thursday night show at Chico.
Sebastopol’s Geoff Ensign earned the night’s Keizer Wheels Hard Charger / “Best Passing Job” honors with a fifth place run after starting fourteenth. Driving Ted Finkenbinder’s #3F Western X-Ray / Sponsor Needed Eagle, “The Human Highlight Reel” was fourteenth quick and fourth in his heat race. The Western Classic point leader has three top-10 finishes with USAC/CRA and will compete in Thursday’s Gold Cup Race of Champions.
For the second straight night, “The Demon” Damion Gardner of Concord set the standard in Sander Engineering Time Trials over the twenty-four cars in attendance. Piloting the DG Racing #71 Pace Lighting Eagle, the 2005 USAC/CRA Champion was second in his heat race and twentieth in the main event after an early flip. To date, “The Demon” has three top-10 performances and twenty-three feature laps led to his credit.
Yorba Linda’s Austin Williams claimed victory in the Saldana Racing Products / Circle Track Performance Heat Race #2. The pilot of the Jack Jory owned #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Viper, qualified eleventh and scored nineteenth in the feature after a flip ended his night. The 2009 Rookie of the Year is fourth in the point standings with one feature win, two heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Inc., Semi-Main win, one Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Award, and eight top-10 finishes in 2011.
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. For more information, visit www.usacracing.com/cra or follow the series on facebook.
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will make their first appearance at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway on Thursday, September 8th, during the famed Gold Cup Race of Champions. Located at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, more event information can be found at www.silverdollarspeedway.com or calling (530) 891-6535.
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USAC AMSOIL USAC/CRA & WESTERN CLASSIC SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS:
September 4, 2011 – Calistoga, California – Calistoga Speedway – “Louie Vermeil Classic”
SANDER ENGINEERING TIME TRIALS:
1. Damion Gardner, 71, DG-20.551; 2. Ryan Bernal, 11D, Olmstead-20.723; 3. Mike Spencer, 50, Chaffin-20.794; 4. Nic Faas, 4, Alexander-21.082; 5. Danny Sheridan, 18, Kittle-21.110; 6. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-21.148; 7. Andy Forsberg, 92N, Forsberg-21.270; 8. Robert Ballou, 72, Ford-21.300; 9. Marty Hawkins, 3m, Hawkins-21.375; 10. Colby Copeland, 24, Copeland-21.510; 11. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-21.712; 12. Greg Bragg, 92, Sertich-21.775; 13. Scott Pierovich, 14, Pierson-21.881; 14. Geoff Ensign, 3F, Finkenbinder-21.890; 15. Jason York, 25N, York-22.149; 16. Shauna Hogg, 5, Hogg-22.273; 17. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-22.364; 18. Tony Hunt, 56, Phulps-22.369; 19. Tim Sherman, 1x, Sherman-22.765; 20. Tim Barber, 3T, Finkenbinder-22.992; 21. Scott Hall, 56x, Hall-23.180; 22. Todd Miller Jr., 96, Miller-23.406; 23. Pete Lawrence 87F, Lawrence-24.292; 24. Jerry Cisco, 4B, Basden-24.542.
EXTREME MUFFLERS / HUNTINGTON BEACH GLASS & MIRROR HEAT RACE 1: (8 laps)
1. Nic Faas, 2. Damion Gardner, 3. Scott Pierovich, 4. Andy Forsberg, 5. Colby Copeland, 6. Tim Sherman Jr., 7. Shauna Hogg. NT.
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE 2: (8 laps)
1. Austin Williams, 2. Ryan Bernal, 3. Robert Ballou, 4. Geoff Ensign, 5. Tim Barber, 6. Jerry Cisco, 7. Danny Sheridan. NT.
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE 3: (8 laps)
1. Matt Mitchell, 2. Mike Spencer, 3. Greg Bragg, 4. Jason York, 5. Marty Hawkins, 6. Todd Miller Jr., 7. Tony Hunt. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Mike Spencer (6th), 2. Matt Mitchell (4th), 3. Nic Faas (5th), 4. Ryan Bernal (7th), 5. Geoff Ensign (14th), 6. Jason York (15th), 7. Colby Copeland (11th), 8. Greg Bragg (12th), 9. Scott Pierovich (13th), 10. Marty Hawkins (10th), 11. Tim Barber (20th), 12. Shauna Hogg (16th), 13. Cody Williams (17th), 14. Tim Sherman Jr. (19th), 15. Jerry Cisco (22nd), 16. Andy Forsberg (3rd), 17. Robert Ballou (2nd), 18. Todd Miller Jr. (21st), 19. Austin Williams (1st), 20. Damion Gardner (8th), 21. Danny Sheridan (9th), 22. Tony Hunt (18th). NT.
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**Scott Hall flipped during qualifying.
**Austin Williams and Damion Gardner flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-23 Robert Ballou, Laps 24-30 Mike Spencer.
KEIZER WHEELS HARD CHARGER: Geoff Ensign (14th to 5th)
NEW AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS:
1-Mike Spencer-754; 2-Nic Faas-708; 3-Matt Mitchell-707; 4-Austin Williams-551; 5-Greg Bragg-451; 6-Cody Williams-441; 7-Danny Sheridan-412; 8-Rip Williams-387; 9-David Cardey-380; 10-Ronnie Gardner-370.
NEW USAC WESTERN CLASSIC SPRINT CAR POINTS:
1-Geoff Ensign-675; 2-Tony Hunt-665; 3-Shauna Hogg-579; 4-Scott Pierovich-576; 5-Tim Barber-524; 6-Audra Sasselli-314; 7-Tim Sherman- Jr.297; 8-Jerry Kobza-286; 9-Cody Gerhardt-281; 10-Tim Skoglund-263.
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT SCHEDULE:
September 8: **Silver Dollar Speedway – Chico, CA
September 24: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
October 8: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
October 28: *Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ
October 29: *Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ
November 3: *Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
November 4: *Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
November 5: *Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
November 12: *Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway – Hanford, CA
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event With USAC National Sprints.
** = Co-Sanctioned Event With USAC Western Classic Racing Series.
This schedule is subject to change.