From Dick Jordan
One of the season’s most appealing events, the “Firecracker 30,” unfolds Thursday, saluting the July 4 holiday at Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway.
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will tackle the half-mile dirt oval for the fifth time this year and Damion Gardner will enter the race with a 51-point lead over Nic Faas in the latest standings.
The two Alexander Racing drivers have fared well in the first four Perris races. Gardner has a win and three seconds, while Faas has a win, two thirds and a fifth.
Matt Mitchell accounts for the remaining Perris win this year, taking the “Salute to Indy” feature in May. The win was Mitchell’s only “top-10” Perris finish in four starts.
Gardner continues to lead the all-time USAC/CRA and Perris victory lists. He has 46 CRA wins and this year’s Perris win was his 27th.
2013 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR STANDINGS: 1-Damion Gardner-739, 2-Nic Faas-688, 3-Bud Kaeding-564, 4-Mike Spencer-558, 5-Matt Mitchell-467, 6-Cody Williams-423, 7-Austin Williams-415, 8-Brody Roa-384, 9-Ryan Bernal-359, 10-Richard Vander Weerd-309.