By Lance Jennings, surfnsprint.com photo
PERRIS, CA – AUGUST 20, 2012… Leading every lap, “The Kruser” Cory Kruseman of Ventura won last Saturday’s Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car feature at Perris Auto Speedway. For the 2006 series champion, the $2,500 victory was his first triumph with car owner Mark Priestley and his first Perris win since November 27, 2010. Following Kruseman across the finish line were point leader Mike Spencer, “Dynamite” David Cardey, Nic Faas, and Ryan Bernal.
Starting on the outside of the front row, the Kruseman raced past pole-sitter Jace Vander Weerd to take the early command. Primarily running the outside line of the Perris clay oval, the veteran driver managed to build a comfortable lead over the competition. Surviving some tense moments while dealing with slower traffic and bicycling his machine on lap 24, Kruseman’s lead was in jeopardy. As Cardey and Bernal quickly closed the gap, Cory recovered in time to save his lead. A caution-then-red on lap 27 for Austin Williams gave his pursuers another shot at the lead. With a hard-charging Spencer holding down second, Kruseman executed a brilliant restart and led the rest of the way to take his first Amsoil USAC/CRA checkered flags of 2012.
Driving Priestley’s #7 Roy Miller Freightlines / Sander Engineering Bullet, Kruseman scored his 34th career series main event win. Earlier in the program, Cory timed in seventh quick on the night and won the 10-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #3. Currently seventh in the point chase, Cory has five heat race victories (series leader), four top-5 finishes, and 40 feature laps led to his credit.
Piloting Ron Chaffin’s famed #50 Madera Produce / Grubstake Mini Storage Maxim, Temecula’s Mike Spencer ran second at Perris after starting eighth. Earning his eighth Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Award of the Year, the 4-time defending champion won the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. To date, Mike has three heat race victories, one Keizer Wheels / Ringers Gloves Hard Charger Award, thirteen top-5 finishes, and 139 feature laps led on the year.
“Dynamite” David Cardey of Riverside claimed third and earned the night’s LRB Inc. Race Products Award. Driving Tom & Laurie Sertich’s #92 Moose Racing, Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Victory Race Cars entry, Cardey qualified sixth and won the Saldana Racing Products / Circle Track Performance Heat Race #2. In 2012, the former California Lightning Sprint Champion has three heat race victories, one Keizer Wheels / Ringers Gloves Hard Charger Award, and three top-5 finishes.
Huntington Beach’s Nic Faas had a late race charge and scored fourth in Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / Competition Suspension Inc. Spike. The 2008 Rookie of the Year was second fast in time trials and third in his heat race. Currently second in points, Faas has one feature win, two Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Awards, four heat race victories, two Keizer Wheels / Ringers Gloves Hard Charger Awards, 26 feature laps led, and eight top-5 finishes on the season.
Claiming fifth in the Perris 30-lap feature was Ryan Bernal of Hollister. Piloting Keith Ford’s #73 King Racing Products / A&A Precision Machine Spike, the Santa Maria track champion qualified third and placed third in his heat race. Bernal is fifth in points and has two heat race victories, one Keizer Wheels / Ringers Gloves Hard Charger Award, 60 feature laps led, and 6 top-5 finishes on the campaign.
Buena Park’s Brody Roa earned the night’s Keizer Wheels / Ringers Gloves “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a sixth place run after starting thirteenth. Driving the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Spike, Roa borrowed a Shaver engine from Lee & Norma Leonard, qualified thirteenth and ran second in his heat race. Currently fourth in points, the former Wagsdash Champion has one feature win, two heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Inc. / Diversified Machine Inc. Semi-Main win, 33 feature laps led, and three top-five finishes on the year.
David Bezio of El Cajon won the night’s SBI Fuel Systems / Integra Racing Shocks Heat Race #4. It was the first 10-lap victory of the campaign for the driver of the #37X Inga Bezio Salon / Everhart Construction DRC. The California Lightning Sprint graduate was sixteenth fast on the night and ran ninth in the feature after starting sixteenth. To date, Bezio has five top-10 finishes on the season and has been steadily moving up the ranks with USAC/CRA.
Yorba Linda’s “The Cadillac” Cody Williams won his second 12-lap Competition Suspension Inc. / Diversified Machine Inc. Semi-Main of the year. Piloting Jack Jory’s #44 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams qualified ninth, placed sixth in his heat race, and scored thirteenth in the main event. Currently ninth in the point chase, the Watsonville track record holder has one Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Award, three heat race victories, and one top-5 finish in 2012.
To catch the action of the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, Mike Truex’s Loudpedal Productions has DVD videos available for purchase. For more information, call (805) 407-7229 or visit www.loudpedalvideo.com.
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 Racing 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 RACE RESULTS:
August 18, 2012 – Perris, California – Perris Auto Speedway
SANDER ENGINEERING / ROD END SUPPLY TIME TRIALS:
1. Mike Spencer, 50, Chaffin-16.348; 2. Nic Faas, 4, Alexander-16.577; 3. Ryan Bernal, 73, Ford-17.601; 4. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-16.675; 5. Ronnie Gardner, 18, Kittle-16.796; 6. David Cardey, 92, Sertich-16.892; 7. Cory Kruseman, 7, Priestley-16.909; 8. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-16.927; 9. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-16.998; 10. Rip Williams, 3, Jory-17.010; 11. R.J. Johnson, 51A, Martin-17.027; 12. Shane Golobic, 73X, Ford-17.033; 13. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-17.082; 14. Seth Wilson, 1X, Wilson-17.151; 15. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-17.197; 16. David Bezio, 37X, Bezio-17.206; 17. Josh Pelkey, 12A, Allen-17.282; 18. Jake Swanson, 41, Henry/Jones-17.329; 19. Stevie Sussex, 1A, Sussex-17.410; 20. Patrick Clark, 71K, Kruseman-17.416; 21. Rusty Carlile, 51, Carlile-17.482; 22. J.J. Ercse, 36, Springstead-17.532; 23. Bobby Bender, 11, Bender-17.666; 24. Kenny Perkins, 0K, Perkins-17.676; 25. Gavin Matlock, 25, Williams-17.689; 26. Corey Ballard, 20, Ballard-17.792; 27. A.J. Bender, 12, Bender-17.799; 28. Jeremy Ellertson, 23, Ellertson-18.091; 29. Johnny McCall, 44J, Morbitzer-18.093; 30. Billy Blinn, 26, Blinn-18.119; 31. Ton Hendricks, 14K, Kruseman-18.275; 32. John Aden, 12X, Blair-18.297; 33. Jerry Welton, 62, Welton-18.302; 34. Trevor Cooper, 21K, Kruseman-18.419; 35. Mike Collins, 04, Perkins-18.487; 36. Kyle Cline, 35, Perkins-18.710; 37. Verne Sweeney, 98, Tracy-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. Mike Spencer, 2. Brody Roa, 3. Ronnie Gardner, 4. Josh Pelkey, 5. Rusty Carlile, 6. Cody Williams, 7. Johnny McCall, 8. Gavin Matlock, 9. Jerry Welton. 2:51.41
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. David Cardey, 2. Rip Williams, 3. Nic Faas, 4. J.J. Ercse, 5. Jake Swanson, 6. Seth Wilson, 7. Corey Ballard, 8. Billy Blinn, 9. Trevor Cooper. 2:53.85
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps)
1. Cory Kruseman, 2. Richard Vander Weerd, 3. Ryan Bernal, 4. R.J. Johnson, 5. Stevie Sussex, 6. A.J. Bender, 7. Tom Hendricks, 8. Bobby Bender, 9. Mike Collins. NT
SBI FUEL SYSTEMS / INTEGRA RACING SHOCKS HEAT RACE 4: (10 laps)
1. David Bezio, 2. Shane Golobic, 3. Austin Williams, 4. Jace Vander Weerd, 5. Patrick Clark, 6. Kenny Perkins, 7. Jeremy Ellertson, 8. John Aden, 9. Kyle Cline. 2:58.94
COMPETITION SUSPENSION INC. / DIVERSIFIED MACHINE INC. SEMI-MAIN: (12 laps)
1. Cody Williams, 2. Jake Swanson, 3. Rusty Carlile, 4. Seth Wilson, 5. Stevie Sussex, 6. Kenny Perkins, 7. Corey Ballard, 8. Patrick Clark, 9. Johnny McCall, 10. A.J. Bender, 11. John Aden, 12. Billy Blinn, 13. Jeremy Ellertson, 14. Tom Hendricks, 15. Patrick Cooper, 16. Gavin Matlock, 17. Mike Collins, 18. Jerry Welton, 19. Kyle Cline. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Cory Kruseman (2nd), 2. Mike Spencer (8th), 3. David Cardey (3rd), 4. Nic Faas (7th), 5. Ryan Bernal (6th), 6. Brody Roa (13th), 7. Rip Williams (10th), 8. Ronnie Gardner (4th), 9. David Bezio (16th), 10. Richard Vander Weerd (15th), 11. R.J. Johnson (11th), 12. Jace Vander Weerd (1st), 13. Cody Williams (9th), 14. Josh Pelkey (17th), 15. Rusty Carlile (20th), 16. Seth Wilson (14th), 17. J.J. Ercse (21st), 18. Austin Williams (5th), 19. Jake Swanson (18th), 20. Shane Golobic (12th), 21. Stevie Sussex (19th), 22. Kenny Perkins (22nd). NT
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**Bobby Bender flipped during the third heat. Austin Williams flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Cory Kruseman
RINGERS GLOVES / KEIZER WHEELS HARD CHARGER: Brody Roa (13th to 6th)
LRB INC. RACE PRODUCTS AWARD: David Cardey
NEW AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT POINTS:
1-Spencer-890, 2-Faas-761, 3-A.Williams-620, 4-Roa-613, 5-Bernal-602, 6-R.Williams-593, 7-Kruseman-547, 8-Matt Mitchell-461, 9-C.Williams-437, 10-Wilson-392.
2012 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE – TRACK – LOCATION
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.