AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR TITLE CHASE HEATS UP IN 2013

130218spencer — 50 Mike Spencer. 5-Time USAC/CRA Sprint Car Champion. Photo by Korie Layne Lafond.

50 Mike Spencer. 5-Time USAC/CRA Sprint Car Champion. Photo by Korie Layne Lafond.

From Lance Jennings

Santa Maria, CA — (February 18, 2013) — For the past five seasons, Mike Spencer of Temecula has taken on all challengers and claimed the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Championship. Making USAC history in the process, Spencer, Bruce Bromme Jr., and the Ron Chaffin Motorsports Team will be back to defend their crown. However, as this writing goes to press, more teams have announced their intention to run the full schedule and challenge for the title. This will make 2013 one of the most anticipated seasons in recent memory.

Piloting Ron Chaffin’s famed #50 Madera Produce / Grubstake Mini Storage, Spencer had one of his most dominant seasons to date. Winning nine main events, including the Oval Nationals, Mike also had 13 fast time awards, 5 heat race wins, 20 top-5 finishes, and led 167 main event laps. For Chaffin, the 2012 USAC/CRA Championship was his sixth owner’s title in nine years.

For the second straight season, Huntington Beach’s Nic Faas was second in the point chase. Returning behind the wheel of Mark Alexander’s silver #4 Scott Sales Company / Competition Suspension Incorporated Spike, Faas will be looking to break though with a championship year. Recently, the Alexander Team announced that they will run a second car with “The Demon” Damion Gardner of Concord at the helm. The 2005 Champion is back from the Midwest and leads all drivers with 41 USAC/CRA main event victories.

Buena Park’s Brody Roa had a solid campaign, earning Most Improved Driver honors and finishing third in the standings. Driving the BR Performance owned #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Spike, Roa scored his first series victory on June 2nd at Yuma’s Cocopah Speedway. Brody will have his sights on more feature wins and running for the title in 2013.

“The Ripper” Rip Williams of Yorba Linda placed fourth in the final standings. Piloting Jack Jory’s famed black #3 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, the 2004 Champion continues to thrill his many fans. “The Ripper” has over 100 main event wins with CRA, SCRA, and USAC/CRA during his career and will be in the hunt for the championship.

Scoring fifth in the USAC/CRA point chase was Yorba Linda’s Austin Williams. Driving Jack Jory’s #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams claimed his second feature win at Santa Maria Speedway on June 16th. The 2009 Rookie of the Year had a tough season and will be looking to challenge for the crown.

In his first full season with USAC/CRA, Ryan Bernal of Hollister claimed sixth in points. Racing Keith Ford’s #73 King Racing Products / A&A Precision Machine Spike, Bernal won at Victorville and Calistoga’s opening night of the “Louie Vermeil Classic.” The two-time Santa Maria track champion will have his sights adding the 2013 title to his resume.

Finishing eighth in points was “The Cadillac” Cody Williams of Yorba Linda. Piloting Jack Jory’s #44 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams set a new 1-lap track record at Watsonville on August 10th. The former National Rookie of the Year will be looking to make a strong bid for the USAC/CRA championship.

Riverside’s “Dynamite” David Cardey placed ninth in the final points. Driving Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Victory Race Cars entry, Cardey and the Moose Racing Team are planning to run the full schedule. The former California Lightning Sprint Champion has nine feature wins to his credit and will be a threat to claim the title.

Matt Mitchell of Yorba Linda scored tenth in the point standings. The pilot of the J.W. Mitchell Motorsports’ #37 J.M. Mancha Realtors / Sierra Springs Water Maxim had championship aspirations until a Terre Haute crash during Indiana Sprint Week ended his season. The former USAC Western Midget Rookie of the Year has fully recovered and plans on battling for the championship.

Another title contender is Campbell’s Bud Kaeding. Driving Junior Bowman’s #29 Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / Kaeding Performance Bullet, Kaeding won last year’s USAC West Coast Sprint Car Championship. The three-time USAC Silver Crown Champion has five series wins to his credit and is a threat to win on any given night.

The tenth season for the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will kickoff March 1st with the two day “Copper On Dirt” at Canyon Speedway Park. The Peoria, Arizona facility will also host the USAC Western Midgets, West Coast Shootout Late Models, and IMCA Modifieds. Advance tickets are on sale and for more information, call (602) 258-7223 or visit www.canyonspeedwaypark.com.

The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series would like to thank Hoosier Tire, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Extreme Mufflers, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, SBI Fuel Systems, Saldana Racing Products, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series for the upcoming season, please email PR Director Lance Jennings at lwjennings@earthlink.net.

Mike Truex’s Loudpedal Productions has DVDs available for purchase that feature the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series. For more information, call (805) 407-7229 or visit www.loudpedalvideo.com.

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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2013 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE

DATE – TRACK – LOCATION

March 1: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Copper On Dirt)

March 2: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Copper On Dirt)

March 9: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Sokola Shootout)

April 6: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA

April 19: Cocopah Speedway – Yuma, AZ

April 20: Cocopah Speedway – Yuma, AZ

May 4: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA

May 18: Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare, CA