By Scott Daloisio
(Perris, CA, April 24, 2012) After what many are calling the greatest Sprint Car main event in the 17 season history of Perris Auto Speedway on March 31st, the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Cars return to the famous Riverside County half-mile clay oval this Saturday night, April 28th. Joining the best traditional Sprint Car drivers west of the Mississippi on the program will be the PAS Senior Sprints and the California Lightning Sprint Cars. It will also be night #2 of “The Power of Purple” Relay for Life benefiting the American Cancer Society. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 PM and the first race will be at 7:00.
At the last race, four time defending series champion Mike Spencer of Temecula edged Cal State Fullerton student Nic Faas in one of the closest finishes since the track opened in March of 1996. Like Faas did at the season opening race on February 25th, Spencer had a perfect night by out qualifying the 33-car field and winning his 10-lap heat race as well. His fast qualifying time of 15.871 was the second fastest for a non wing car in track history. Faas has the quickest at 15.833 at the season opener.
“It is to bad the weather affected the crowd at the last race,” promoter Don Kazarian said. “It was one of the best main events I have seen anywhere. Just when you thought it was over as Spencer led Faas through the lapped traffic in turn three on the last lap, Faas threaded the needle through the lappers and nearly stole the win at the line. It was incredible. The race was a great one from start to finish.”
To relive that main event courtesy of Loudpedal Video, please click on the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvou12ybJt8
Spencer, a 30-year old engineering graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, finds himself trailing Faas by 7-points in the championship standings heading into Saturday’s race. Yorba Linda’s Matt Mitchell, who has opened the USAC/CRA season with two successive third place finishes, is only ten points from the lead. Hollister high school student Ryan Bernal, who finished second to Faas in the season opener, is fourth and only 20 points behind. Brody Roa, a 21-year-old from Buena Park who is contesting his first full season of 410 Sprint Car racing, rounds out the top five in the standings.
Saturday’s race will be the third of the year for USAC/CRA and all three will have been at The PAS. Before it comes back to the track at the base of the Lake Perris Dam for the Annual Salute to Indy on May 26th, the series will race at King’s Speedway in Hanford on May 19th.
Murrieta’s Stuart Hielscher Jr., who took three seasons off while playing college football, leads the California Lightning Sprint Car Series back to The PAS on Saturday. Hielscher’s return to racing was a memorable one when he won the main event on March 31st. Longtime veteran Dan Hillberg of Placentia leads 18-year-old Kevin Michnowicz of Lomita by 2-points in the CLS championship standings heading into Saturday event.
Coming off his win in the last PAS Senior Sprint (drivers 45 and older) race, Ventura’s Bruce Douglass has a nine-point lead over defending champion Bill Badger of Santa Clarita as they prepare for Saturday night. Brian Williams of Newport Beach, who had a violent flip in the last main, is third in the title hunt.
After qualifying, fans will be invited onto the racetrack for an autograph and photo session with all of the drivers.
Saturday night’s “Power of Purple” benefit will be the second night in The PAS longtime fight against cancer. Every year, through the generosity of the fans, drivers, teams, sponsors and promoter Don Kazarian, the track raises $10,000.00 for the Relay for Life. On Saturday, there will be special raffles to raise money and the drivers will pass through the grandstands collecting money in their helmets. Other nights for the benefit are May 26th and July 4th.
Fans who live more than 100-miles away from the track can watch the race live on the Circle Track Network. http://www.circletracknetwork.com/ Those who live within the 100-mile black out radius or anywhere else can watch it “On Demand” 24-hours after the final checkered flag.
Adults tickets for Saturday’s are $25.00. Seniors get in for $20.00. For active military members with proper id, teens 13-18 with their school id and kids 6-12 it is just $5.00. Children 5 and under are admitted free.
Media, attached to this release is a photo of 4-time defending USAC/CRA champion Mike Spencer posing with a young fan at the pre race autograph session. Please feel free to publish the photo and please give photo credit to Doug Allen.
The entire 2012 PAS schedule is listed at the end of this release.
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/11387679868
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 2012 season. 1-800LoanMart, 777 Racecars, Aaron’s, Ahern Rentals, All Coast Construction, Amsoil, Ayers Hotel and Spa, Budweiser, Champion Towing, City of Perris, Comfort Inn, Day Construction, Daytona Boat & RV Storage, Frazee Paint, Hoosier Tires, K&N Engineering, P.I.P.E., Pepsi-Cola, Pick-A-Part Auto Salvage, Prolong Super Lubricants, Snap-on, Soboba Casino, Square H, Swedish Speed, Temecula Valley Pipe & Supply, Trench Shoring, US Foods, Valley Auto Salvage and Zanzabuku Sports Lounge.
Video and DVD productions of all racing events at Perris Auto Speedway are available from Loudpedal Productions. For more information on these productions you can contact them by calling (805) 844-3854, E-mailing mailto:trtruex@gmail.com or you can visit the web site http://www.loudpedalvideo.com/
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.
racesatthepas@aol.com is the only authorized Internet address to issue official media news released from The Perris Auto Speedway or Oval Entertainment
Amsoil USAC/CRA Top 10 in Points
1. Nic Faas – Huntington Beach – 141
2. Mike Spencer – Temecula – 134
3. Matt Mitchell – Yorba Linda – 131
4. Ryan Bernal – Hollister – 121
5. Brody Roa – Buena Park – 93
6. Austin Williams – Yorba Linda – 82
7. David Cardey – Riverside – 77
8. David Bezio – San Diego – 69
8. Greg Alexander – Torrance – 69
10. Josh Ford – Camarillo – 68
PAS Senior Sprint Points
1. Bruce Douglass – Ventura – 117
2. Bill Badger – Santa Clarita – 108
3. Brian Williams – Newport Beach – 102
3. Victor Davis – Ventura – 102
5. Ed Schwarz – Santa Fe Springs – 99
6. Wiley Miller – Yorba Linda – 96
7. Mike Collins – Santa Ana – 75
8. Jim Donnely – 39
9. Erik Rickard – 36
10. Mike Cook – 33
California Lightning Sprint Points
1. Dan Hillberg – Placentia – 358
2. Kevin Michnowicz – Lomita – 356
3. Guy Maresch – Anaheim Hills – 330
4. Darren Hillberg – Corona – 315
5. Dale Gamer – Anaheim – 311
6. Alexander Bissett – Hemet – 308
7. Damon Arnett – San Diego – 293
8. Steve Limon – Corona – 257
9. James McCauley – 246
10. Donna Kotlinski – Nuevo – 237
2012 PERRIS AUTO SPEEDWAY SCHEDULE
April 28 – USAC/CRA Sprint Cars, PAS Senior Sprints, California Lightning Sprint Cars, “The Power of Purple” Relay for Life Fundraiser benefiting the American Cancer Society
May 5 – PASSCAR Road Course Challenge: Amsoil Street Stocks, Modifieds, Sport Mods, Factory Stocks
May 12 – Off Weekend
May 19 – PASSCAR Super Stocks, Amsoil Street Stocks, Modifieds, Sport Mods, Factory Stocks, CDCRA Dwarf Cars
May 26 – Salute to Indy: USAC/CRA Sprint Cars, PAS Senior Sprints, California Lightning Sprint Cars, “The Power of Purple” Relay for Life Fundraiser benefiting the American Cancer Society
June 2 – Off Weekend
June 9 – Night of Destruction #2: Demolition Derby, Trailer Figure 8 Races, Figure 8’s, Auto Roller Derby, Demo Cross
June 16 – Off Weekend
June 23 – PASSCAR Super Stocks, Amsoil Street Stocks (Race #2 “1-800LoanMart 2012 PASSCAR Street Stock Challenge), Modifieds, Factory Stocks, Sport Mods, CDCRA Dwarf Cars
June 30 – Off Weekend
July 4 – Firecracker 30 & Sky Concert: USAC/CRA Sprint Cars, PAS Senior Sprints, California Lightning Sprint Cars, “The Power of Purple” Relay for Life Fundraiser benefiting the American Cancer Society
July 7 – Off Weekend
July 14 – Night of Destruction 3: Trailer Figure 8 Races, Figure 8’s, Demo Cross, Auto Roller Derby, Rollover Contest
July 21 – PASSCAR Super Stocks, Amsoil Street Stocks, Modifieds, Factory Stocks, Sport Mods
July 28 – California Racers Hall of Fame Night: USAC/CRA Sprint Cars, PAS Senior Sprints, California Lightning Sprint Cars
August 4 – Off Weekend
August 11 – Off Weekend
August 18 – USAC/CRA Sprint Cars, PAS Senior Sprints, California Lightning Sprint Cars
August 25 – Off Weekend
September 1 – PASSCAR Super Stocks, Amsoil Street Stocks (Race #3 “1-800LoanMart 2012 PASSCAR Street Stock Challenge), Modifieds, Factory Stocks, Sport Mods, CDCRA Dwarf Cars
September 8 – Night of Destruction 4: “Perris Leap” Trophy Truck Long Jump and Engine Meltdown, Trailer Figure 8 Races, Figure 8’s, Auto Roller Derby, Demo Cross
September 15 – Glenn Howard Classic: USAC/CRA Sprint Cars, PAS Senior Sprints, California Lightning Sprint Cars
September 22 – PASSCAR Super Stocks, Amsoil Street Stocks (Race #4 “1-800LoanMart 2012 PASSCAR Street Stock Challenge), Modifieds, Factory Stocks, Sport Mods
September 29 – Off Weekend
October 6 – Southern California Fair: USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
October 13 – Southern California Fair
October 20 – Off Weekend
October 27 – PASSCAR Super Stocks, Amsoil Street Stocks, Modifieds, Factory Stocks, Sport Mods, CDCRA Dwarf Cars
November 1 – 17th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals Practice
November 2 – 17th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals: USAC National Sprint Cars, USAC/CRA Sprint Cars, PAS Senior Sprints, California Lightning Sprint Cars
November 3 – 17th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals: USAC National Sprint Cars, USAC/CRA Sprint Cars, PAS Senior Sprints, California Lightning Sprint Cars
November 22 – TBA
November 23 & 24 – 1-800LoanMart Street Stock Turkey Bowl $15,000.00 purse