By Scott Daloisio
(Perris, CA, September 20, 2011) The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series returns to the “Southern California Home of Major League Sprint Car Racing,” Perris Auto Speedway, for a very special race, the “Glenn Howard Memorial” this Saturday night, September 24th. On hand and serving as Grand Marshal for the event will be one of the most popular drivers ever to turn a wheel at The PAS, Richard “The Gasman” Griffin. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 PM and the first race will be at 7:00.
Media, attached to this release is a photo of second in points Matt Mitchell #37 and point leader Mike Spencer #50 in action at The PAS on August 20th. Please feel free to use the photo and please give photo credit to Doug Allen.
“Glenn Howard was respected and liked by one and all,” Perris promoter Don Kazarian said. “He was a racer, owner, official and a racing entrepreneur. He was a person that everyone involved in the sport could go to get a question answered. It did not matter who you were, he was always ready to offer advice when one asked him. He was a real class guy and the sport really misses him.”
Howard founded So. Cal Performance, which today is run by his son Steve. A former racer with the original CRA series in the 1970s and 1980s, Steve has raised more than $14,000.00 in cash and contingencies to add to Saturday night’s purse.
“Steve Howard has once again done a fantastic job in getting extra sponsors for his dad’s memorial race,” Kazarian said. “On top of the normal race purse, he has brought in a lot of extra money and contingencies and it will all go straight to the racers.”
Another class guy is “The Gasman” Richard Griffin. As in his days as a racer, Griffin will be flying his plane in from his home in Silver City, New Mexico to oversee the action on Saturday night. In the early days of the now famous Riverside County clay oval, Griffin was one of the main drivers to beat. He racked up five SCRA championships and went out on top when he retired after winning the 2003 crown. He won a total of 63 main events which ranks him seventh all-time on the combined CRA, SCRA, USAC/CRA list dating back to the 1940s.
“We are pleased to welcome Richard Griffin back to The PAS,” Kazarian smiled. “When he was racing, he was a superstar both on and off the track. A sensational driver and a great ambassador once he climbed out of the car. He will definitely be inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame within the next few years. He will be on hand on Saturday and will signing autographs, posing for photos and talking to the fans. It will be great to see him back at The PAS..”
Heading into Saturday’s race, the top three in the championship standings are separated by a mere 56-points. Defending three-time champion Mike Spencer of Temecula, who has won four of the six races at The PAS this year, leads Yorba Linda’s Matt Mitchell by 37 points. Mitchell has won the other two races at The PAS this season including the last one on August 20th. Huntington Beach’s Nic Faas, a college student at Cal State Fullerton, is third in the standings and is only 19-points behind Mitchell.
Among the other fan favorites expected to be in action include the Williams clan, comprised of National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Rip Williams and his sons Cody and Austin from Yorba Linda, “Super” Rickie Gaunt of Torrance, Visalia’s Greg Bragg, “Dynamite” David Cardey of Riverside, Norco’s Ronnie Gardner and more.
In addition to the stars of the West Coast’s premiere open wheel series, the CDCRA Dwarf Cars and the gorgeous WRA Vintage Cars will also be a part of the program.
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/pages/Perris-Auto-Speedway/113876798686480.
You can also keep up with the most up-to-date 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: http://racewayvideo.com/
mailto: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 – 810
2. Matt Mitchell – Yorba Linda – 773
3. Nic Faas – Huntington Beach – 754
4. Austin Williams – Yorba Linda – 570
5. Greg Bragg – Visalia – 508
6. Cody Williams – Yorba Linda – 463
7. Danny Sheridan – Santa Maria – 412
8. Rip Williams – Yorba Linda – 387
9. David Cardey – Riverside – 380
10. Ronnie Gardner – Norco – 370
The 2011 Perris Auto Speedway schedule is listed below.
August 20th: USAC/CRA Sprint Cars & California Lightning Sprints
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