By Dick Jordan
AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series point leader Nic Faas leads the series back to Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway this Saturday night for the “Power of Purple” Relay for Life Fundraiser benefiting the American Cancer Society.
Faas, of Huntington Beach, Calif., won the series opener at the PAS last month and has an eight-point lead over Matt Mitchell entering Saturday’s events at the half-mile dirt oval.
Faas and Mitchell will need to keep an eye on Ryan Bernal, currently third in the standings. Bernal won last Friday’s USAC Mopar Western Midget opener at Chico, Calif. and finished third in Saturday night’s USAC Western Sprint Car feature at Bakersfield, Calif. Bernal trails Faas by 12 points in the standings.
Faas has won four of the last six Perris features, including three late in 2011 and this year’s opener. Among his top challengers will be defending four-time series champion Mike Spencer, who owns 17 Perris feature trophies. Spencer will try to become the first driver in USAC history to win five consecutive titles in a single racing series.
2012 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS
1-Nic Faas-74; 2-Matt Mitchell-66; 3-Ryan Bernal-62; 4-Mike Spencer-60; 5-Cory Kruseman-53; 6-David Cardey-52; 7-Brody Roa-51; 8-Rip Williams-42; 9-Richard VanderWeerd-39; 10-Jace VanderWeerd-29.