By Scott Daloisio
(Perris, CA, May 22, 2012) Southern California’s home to major league Sprint Car racing, Perris Auto Speedway, will play host to the annual Salute to Indy featuring the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Cars this Saturday night, May 26th. Joining the stars of USAC/CRA on the triple header open wheel program will be the PAS Senior Sprints and the California Lightning Sprint Cars. It will also be night #3 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.
The Salute to Indy has taken place on the famous Riverside County half-mile clay oval every year since the track opened in 1996. However, the race’s roots go deeper than that as it has been a Southern California tradition since the days at Ascot Park when many of the same drivers who roared around the dirt oval at 190th and Vermont in Gardena, also raced in the Indianapolis 500. This year two drivers who have competed at Perris Auto Speedway are in the starting field for Sunday’s 500. Bryan Clauson, who won the 2009 Glenn Howard Memorial at The PAS, will start 31st on Sunday and Ed Carpenter, who will start 28th.
Matt Mitchell of Yorba Linda comes into Saturday’s race as the defending Salute to Indy champion. The handsome driver who turned 25-years-old on May 12th has had an outstanding beginning to 2012 on the Don Kazarian prepared dirt surface. In the first three races of the season at the track he has a second place finish and two thirds. However, last Saturday night he was involved in a lap one tangle at King’s Speedway in Hanford and was the first car out of the main event. Heading into Saturday race, Mitchell is ranked fourth in the championship point standings.
Temecula’s Mike Spencer, the 4-time defending USAC/CRA champion, has won two of the first three races at The PAS in 2012, but the Cal Poly Pomona engineering graduate has never sipped the milk of the winner at the Salute to Indy. Last year he had problems and finished 15th in the race. He heads into Saturday’s affair with an 18-point lead over Nic Faas of Huntington Beach in the standings. Last year Faas placed fourth in the Salute to Indy. Third in the standings is Hollister high school senior Ryan Bernal who will be contesting his first Salute to Indy. Bernal won the USAC Western Midget main event last Saturday at Hanford.
Ventura’s Cory Kruseman, who drives Mark Priestley’s bright yellow #7 in USAC/CRA competition at The PAS, has won four of the track’s first 16 Salute to Indy races.
Another note of interest for Saturday’s race features 2010 winner David Cardey of Riverside. The veteran racer will be taking the final ride in his own #59 Sprint Car. When the series comes back to The PAS on July 4th, Cardey will be taking his maiden voyage in the famous Tom & Lauri Sertich owned Moose Racing #92.
Veteran Guy Maresch heads the list of entries for the California Lightning Sprint Cars on Saturday night. The Anaheim Hills veteran took the series point lead two weeks ago at the Bakersfield Speedway. Ventura’s Bruce Douglass tops the points in The PAS Senior Sprints.
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 third 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.
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 defending Salute to Indy winner Matt Mitchell. 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. Mike Spencer – Temecula – 272
2. Nic Faas – Huntington Beach – 254
3. Ryan Bernal – Hollister – 227
4. Matt Mitchell – Yorba Linda – 216
5. Austin Williams – Yorba Linda – 191
6. Brody Roa – Buena Park – 181
7. Rip Williams – Yorba Linda – 173
8. David Cardey – Riverside – 142
8. Richard Vander Weerd – Visalia – 136
10. Jace Vander Weerd – Visalia – 133
PAS Senior Sprint Points
1. Bruce Douglass – Ventura – 177
2. Bill Badger – Santa Clarita – 162
3. Victor Davis – Ventura – 153
3. Brian Williams – Newport Beach – 147
5. Wiley Miller – Yorba Linda – 144
6. Ed Schwartz – Santa Fe Springs – 138
7. Bob Alderman – Santa Inez – 132
7. Mike Collins – Lake Forest – 132
9. Erik Rickard – Carson – 67
10. Jim Donnely – 39
California Lightning Sprint Points
1. Guy Maresch – Anaheim Hills – 615
2. Dan Hillberg – Placentia – 598
3. Steve Limon – Corona – 537
4. Dale Gamer – Anaheim – 521
5. Alexander Bissett – Hemet – 509
6. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita – 508
7. Damon Arnett – San Diego – 506
8. Darren Hillberg – Corona – 477
9. Zach Zauss – Murrieta – 460
10. Kevin Michnowicz – Lomita – 447
2012 PERRIS AUTO SPEEDWAY SCHEDULE
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