USAC/CRA SPRINTS MAKE FIRST YUMA APPEARANCE SATURDAY

120529cody — #44 Cody Williams. Photo by Lance Jennings.

From Lance Jennings

SANTA MARIA, CA – MAY 29, 2012… This Saturday, June 2nd, the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will make their first appearance at Yuma, Arizona’s Cocopah Speedway. With Factory Stocks joining the showcase, the pit gates will open at 2:00pm, spectator gates will open at 5:00pm, and racing at the fast 3/8-mile facility will start at 7:00pm.

The track (then known as Yuma Speedway) last featured non-winged 410 Sprint Cars on March 6, 1998. That night, “The Gasman” Richard Griffin drove Ron Chaffin’s car to victory with SCRA. In 1992, CRA hosted a TNN televised event on March 7th and “The Tempe Tornado” Lealand McSpadden won in a Frank Lewis entry. On November 7th of that same year, Mike Kirby claimed victory driving for Danny Pivovaroff. On September 29, 1989, “The Flying Shoe” Ron Shuman won the 30-lap main event in the famed Morales “Tamale Wagon.”

Heading into the sixth race of the campaign, Temecula’s Mike Spencer holds a twenty point advantage. Last Saturday at Perris, the driver of Ron Chaffin’s #50 Madera Produce / Grubstake Mini Storage Maxim won his first career “Salute To Indy.” The 4-time USAC/CRA Champion scored his third feature win and fourth Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Award of 2012. In addition, Mike has one heat race victory, one Ringers Gloves / Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Award, seventy feature laps led, and five top-5 finishes to his credit. Spencer will be looking to add a victory at Cocopah Speedway to his resume.

Nic Faas of Huntington Beach is second in the point chase. Piloting Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / Competition Suspension Inc. Spike, Faas won his series leading third heat race and finished second in the “Salute To Indy.” The 2008 USAC Western Midget Series Champion won the Perris “Sokola Shootout” on February 25th and has one Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Award, two heat twenty-five feature laps led, and four top-5 finishes on the year. Nic will be looking to gain valuable points on Spencer with a 30-lap feature win on Saturday.

Splitting time between the Kittle Motorsports’ #18 Pace Lighting Sherman and Keith Ford’s #73 King Racing Products Spike, Hollister’s Ryan Bernal is third in the standings. Last Saturday at Perris, the Santa Maria Track Champion placed seventh in the main event. To date, Bernal has one heat race victory, thirty feature laps led, and three top-5 finishes on the year. Ryan will be looking to claim his first career USAC/CRA main event at Yuma.

Matt Mitchell of Yorba Linda is fourth in the championship points. Driving the J.W. Mitchell Motorsports’ #37 J.M. Mancha Realtors / Sierra Springs Water Maxim, Mitchell finished ninth at Perris after an early flip. The former USAC Western Midget Series Rookie of the Year has one heat race victory and three top-5 finishes on the season. This Saturday night, Matt will have his sights set on claiming the feature win at Cocopah Speedway.

Yorba Linda’s Austin Williams is fifth in the standings. Piloting Jack Jory’s #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams won the Competition Suspension Inc. / Diversified Machine Inc. Semi-Main and scored fifth at Perris. The 2009 Rookie of the Year has two heat race victories, one Ringers Gloves / Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Award, and three top-five finishes on the season. Austin won at Santa Maria last year and will be looking to add Yuma’s 30-lap feature to his list of accomplishments.

Among the other top contenders expected to be in action are Buena Park’s Brody Roa, “The Ripper” Rip Williams of Yorba Linda, Ventura’s “The Kruser” Cory Kruseman, Seth Wilson of Las Vegas, Yorba Linda’s Cody Williams, El Cajon’s David Bezio, Camarillo’s Josh Ford, and many more.

Cocopah Speedway is located at the intersection of US Highway 95 and County 15th Street in Somerton, Arizona. Adult tickets are $15, Senior/Military tickets are $13, a Family Pass is $30, and Children (12 & Under) are FREE. Pit Passes are $30. For more information, visit www.cocopahspeedway.com or call (928) 344-1563.

The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series would like to thank Hoosier Tire, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Diversified Machine Inc., Extreme Mufflers, Hilborn Fuel Injection, Integra Shocks, Keizer Wheels, LRB Inc. Race Products, Ringers Gloves, Rod End Supply, SBI Fuel Systems, Saldana Racing Products, and Sander Engineering for their support.

For more information on the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, visit usacracing.com/cra or follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/USAC-CRA-Sprint-Car-Series/167535183297971) or Twitter (www.twitter.com/#!/USAC_CRA).

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AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS:

1. Mike Spencer 344; 2. Nic Faas 324; 3. Ryan Bernal 278; 4. Matt Mitchell 258; 5. Austin Williams 244; 6. Brody Roa 216; 7. Rip Williams 211; 8. Richard Vander Weerd 195; 9. David Cardey 177; 10. Seth Wilson 174; 11. Cory Kruseman 167; 12. Jace Vander Weerd 163; 13. Cody Williams 157; 14. David Bezio 127; 15. Greg Alexander 104; 16. Josh Ford 99; 17. Jake Swanson 86; 18. Tony Everhart 41; 19. Josh Pelkey 51; 20. Rusty Carlile 34.

YUMA NON-WINGED 410 SPRINT CAR FEATURE WINNERS:

09/29/89: Ron Shuman – Alex Morales Inc. #2 (CRA)

03/07/92: Lealand McSpadden – Frank Lewis #91 (CRA)

11/07/92: Mike Kirby – Danny Pivovaroff #59 (CRA)

03/06/98: Richard Griffin – Ron Chaffin #50 (SCRA)

2012 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE

DATE – TRACK – LOCATION

June 2: Cocopah Speedway – Yuma, AZ

June 15: **Ocean Speedway – Watsonville, CA

June 16: **Santa Maria Speedway – Santa Maria, CA

June 30: Route 66 Motorplex – Victorville, CA

July 4: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Firecracker 30)