By Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – AUGUST 8, 2012… This Friday and Saturday, the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will compete in a special doubleheader with the USAC Western Classic Racing Series. Starting August 10th at John Prentice’s Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, both groups will race the following night at Chris Kearns’ Santa Maria Speedway. With valuable championship points available for both series, a talented roster of drivers are expected at both tracks.
Friday’s event will mark the fourth appearance of USAC/CRA at the Watsonville quarter-mile facility. Last June 15th, Mike Spencer of Temecula claimed his first 30-lap feature at Ocean Speedway. In the two previous visits, “The Kruser” Cory Kruseman of Ventura stormed to victory and both drivers will be among the favorites to watch. Joining the action packed card will be American Stocks, Micro 600s, Sport Mods, and Wingless Sprints. The pit gates will open at 1:00pm, spectator gates will open at 4:30pm, and racing will begin at 6:00pm.
Santa Maria Speedway will showcase the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Cars for the fourteenth time in series history. Yorba Linda’s Austin Williams will be going for his third straight feature win at the 1/3-mile oval.
Saturday’s card will also feature a $1,000 Winner-Take-All Sprint Car Wheelie Contest, the Toste Construction Mini Stocks, California Lightning Sprints, and Mod Lites. The pit gate will open at 2:00pm, spectator gates will open at 4:30pm, and racing is slated for 6:00pm.
Several bonuses have been announced to encourage more local participation and a larger fan base to the Watsonville and Santa Maria point races. The United States Auto Club (USAC) will award a bonus to the three highest finishing drivers with the Western Classic Series at both tracks. $500 will go to the top finishing driver, with $300 to second, and $200 awarded to third for eligible drivers with a current series membership. In addition, Kearns has announced a $200 bonus to the highest finishing USAC West Coast 360 at Santa Maria. Eligible drivers must have a current West Coast membership. Local cars are also eligible to participate in USAC/CRA’s contingency program that awards sponsor certificates to fast time, heat race winners, semi-main winner, hard charger, and more. The incentives will be paid in addition to the regular USAC/CRA purse of $2500-to-win and $300-to-start the main event.
Heading into the eleventh race of the season, Temecula’s Mike Spencer holds a 88-point advantage over the competition. At Perris Auto Speedway on July 28th, the pilot of Ron Chaffin’s #50 Madera Produce / Grubstake Mini Storage Maxim scored his sixth main event win of the campaign. To date, the 4-time USAC/CRA Champion has six Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Awards, two heat race victory, one Ringers Gloves / Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Award, 116 feature laps led, and ten top-5 finishes to his credit. Spencer has his sights set on another championship and claiming wins at Watsonville and Santa Maria.
Nic Faas of Huntington Beach is second in the chase for the championship. Driving Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / Competition Suspension Inc. Spike, the former Rookie of the Year placed fifth at Perris. Faas won the Perris “Sokola Shootout” on February 25th and has two Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Awards, four heat race victories, twenty-six feature laps led, and seven top-5 finishes on the year. Nic will be looking to close the gap in the title chase with feature wins at Ocean and Santa Maria.
Yorba Linda’s Austin Williams is third in the point standings. Piloting Jack Jory’s #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, the former Rookie of the Year scored twentieth at Perris after flipping his machine. To date, Williams has one feature win on the year with four heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Inc. / Diversified Machine Inc. Semi-Main win, one Ringers Gloves / Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Award, twenty-nine feature laps led, and six top-five finishes on the season. Austin will have his sights on adding the Watsonville and Santa Maria main events to his resume.
Brody Roa of Buena Park is currently fourth in the point standings. Driving the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Spike, the 2010 Wagsdash Champion claimed sixth on July 28th. Roa won his first USAC/CRA feature at Yuma on June 2nd and has one heat race victory, one Competition Suspension Inc. / Diversified Machine Inc. Semi-Main win, thirty-one feature laps led, and two top-5 finishes on the year. Roa will be looking to score his first victories at Watsonville and Santa Maria
Yorba Linda’s Matt Mitchell is fifth in the championship points. Driving the J.W. Mitchell Motorsports’ #37 J.M. Mancha Realtors / Sierra Springs Water Maxim, Matt missed the July 28th race at Perris to recover from his Indiana Sprint Week crash at Terre Haute. In 2012, the former USAC Western Midget Series Rookie of the Year has two heat race victories and five top-5 finishes in the campaign. As this writing goes to press, Mitchell is still on the mend and could miss the Watsonville-Santa Maria swing.
Among the other top contenders expected to be in action are Hollister’s Ryan Bernal, “The Ripper” Rip Williams of Yorba Linda, Ventura’s “The Kruser” Cory Kruseman, Yorba Linda’s Cody Williams, Seth Wilson of Las Vegas, and many more.
Heading into Friday’s show, Shauna Hogg leads the point chase with the USAC Western Classic Racing Series. The veteran driver is followed by Tony Hunt, Gordon Rodgers, Scott Pierovich, Marty Hawkins, Brian McClish, Tom Baker, Tim Skoglund, Cody Gerhardt, and Taylor Simas. West Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst swept last weekend’s races at Chico and Placerville.
All competitors must run mufflers at the Watsonville and Santa Maria events. Ocean Speedway has a strict muffler rule and asks competitors to run the Extreme Ventura Legal (4615-3535-8), FlowMaster Suitcase, Spintech Suitcase, or Extreme (6014-3530) & Spin Tech 180 degree mufflers. Santa Maria Speedway has a standard track rule (95dB at 100 feet), similar to those used at California Fairgrounds based facilities. Local track sound standards must be met in order to compete.
Per USAC/CRA rules, 360 iron-block powered Sprint Cars can run their local track or series approved Hoosier tires on all four corners. Cars must pass a tech inspection and one-way radios are mandatory for drivers. USAC/CRA charges a $25 entry fee to all competitors, which includes a transponder rental. Aluminum block 410 powered cars must run either a Hoosier HT2, HTW (105x18x15), DT3, or F55 Right Rear tire. USAC Western Classic Racing entries must follow series rules to earn championship points.
Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville, California at 2601 E. Lake Avenue. For more information, visit the track’s website at www.oceanspeedway.com or call (831) 662-9466.
Santa Maria Speedway is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange at 1900 Hutton Road in Nipomo, California. For more event information, visit the track’s website at www.racesantamariaspeedway.com or call (805) 922-2232.
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 www.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-683, 2-Nic Faas-595, 3-Austin Williams-501; 4-Brody Roa-471, 5-Matt Mitchell-461, 6-Ryan Bernal-458; 7-Rip Williams-438, 8-Cory Kruseman-417, 9-Cody Williams-353, 10-Seth Wilson-313.
USAC WESTERN CLASSIC SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1-Shauna Hogg-478, 2-Tony Hunt-420, 3-Gordon Rodgers-258, 4-Scott Pierovich-248, 5-Marty Hawkins-233, 6-Brian McClish-209, 7-Tom Baker-209, 8-Tim Skoglund-179, 9-Cody Gerhardt-174, 10-Taylor Simas-155.
2012 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE – TRACK – LOCATION
August 10: **Ocean Speedway – Watsonville, CA
August 11: **Santa Maria Speedway – Santa Maria, CA
August 18: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 19: Route 66 Motorplex – Victorville, CA
September 1: **Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 2: **Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 5: **Silver Dollar Speedway – Chico, CA (Non-Points)
September 15: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Glenn Howard Memorial)
October 6: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Southern California Fair)
October 26: *Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Hall of Fame Classic)
October 27: *Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Hall of Fame Classic)
November 2: *Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Budweiser Oval Nationals)
November 3: *Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Budweiser Oval Nationals)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event With USAC National Sprints.
** = Co-Sanctioned Event With USAC Western Classic Racing Series.
This schedule is subject to change.