by Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – AUGUST 11, 2013… After heartbreak the previous night at Watsonville, Hollister’s Ryan Bernal won the 30-lap feature at Santa Maria Speedway. The Saturday $2,500 victory was Bernal’s first Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car win of the season as he was followed by Matt Mitchell, “The Demon” Damion Gardner, Austin Williams, and Mike Spencer.
With two career victories at Santa Maria, Austin Williams grabbed the early lead from the pole position. Negotiating slower traffic, Williams led the first sixteen laps before Matt Mitchell took over and led the next two circuits. Racing in close quarters on the fast surface, Bernal slid to the lead and powered his way to his way to the checkered flags. With only one yellow flag in the main event, the action was fast and furious at Santa Maria.
Racing Keith Ford’s #73 Berry Pack / King Racing Products Spike, Ryan Bernal also earned his second Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with the win after starting sixth. Bernal also claimed his first Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of the campaign and was third in his heat race. Currently ninth in the point chase, Ryan has seven top-10 finishes and 36 feature laps led on the year.
After leading laps seventeen and eighteen, Matt Mitchell of Yorba Linda had to settle for second at Santa Maria. Piloting his #37 MPD Racing / A.R.T. Enterprises entry, Mitchell was eighth fast in time trials and won the DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Matt has climbed to fourth in championship points with one feature win, four heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Semi-Main win, nine top-10 finishes, and 32 feature laps led to his credit.
Concord’s “The Demon” Damion Gardner scored third in the 30-lap main event. Driving Mark Alexander’s #4A Scott Sales Company / Advanced Racing Suspension Spike, the point leader qualified fourth and placed third in his heat race. To date, Gardner has five main event wins, four Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, six heat race victories, one dash win, thirteen top-10 finishes, and 91 feature laps led. After the main event, Damion drove to Bonneville, to qualify the “Green Demon” as the World’s Fastest Sprint Car.
Austin Williams of Yorba Linda led the first sixteen laps before claiming fourth at Santa Maria Speedway. Racing Jack Jory’s #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams was tenth fast in qualifications and second in his heat race. Currently sixth in points, Austin has one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, one heat race victory, three Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Semi-Main wins, eight top-10 finishes, and 16 feature laps led.
Temecula’s Mike Spencer was fifth in the Santa Maria feature after starting eighth. Piloting Ron Chaffin’s #50 Grubstake Mini Storage / Madera Produce Maxim, the five-time champion qualified fifth and scored seventh in his heat race. As this writing goes to press, Spencer sits third in the standings with one feature win, three Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, four heat race victories, one Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, ten top-10 finishes, and 17 feature laps led in 2013.
Greg Alexander of Gardena won his first Extreme Mufflers Heat Race of the campaign. Driving Chuck Tyler’s #72 Oil Twins Amsoil / Barnes Systems Inc. Maxim, Alexander was ninth fast in time trials and ran seventh in the main event. Despite limited appearances, Greg hopes to race more with USAC/CRA before the season ends.
This Saturday, August 17th, the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will be back in action at Perris Auto Speedway for the annual “California Racers Hall of Fame Night.” Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds, more event information can be found at www.perrisautospeedway.com or calling (951) 940-0134. To catch all of the action of the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series at Perris Auto Speedway, Loudpedal Productions has DVD videos available for purchase. For more information, call (805) 407-7229 or visit www.loudpedalvideo.com. In addition, Perris Auto Speedway offers a pay per view feed of every event at www.circletracknetwork.com.
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series would like to thank Hoosier Tire, BR Motorsports, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Extreme Mufflers, Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror Inc., Kaeding Performance, Keizer Wheels, King Racing Products, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Rugged Radios, SBI Fuel Systems, Saldana Racing Products, Weld Racing, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, email PR Director Lance Jennings at lwjennings@earthlink.net.
For more information on the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, visit www.usacracing.com or follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/USAC-
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AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS:
August 10, 2013 – Santa Maria, California – Santa Maria Speedway
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TIME TRIALS:
1. Ryan Bernal, 73, Ford-13.938; 2. Rickie Gaunt, 66, Miller-14.049; 3. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-14.102; 4. Damion Gardner, 4A, Alexander-14.134; 5. Mike Spencer, 50, Chaffin-14.270; 6. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-14.330; 7. Aiden Corish, 21K, Kruseman-14.346; 8. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-14.375; 9. Greg Alexander, 72, Tyler-14.387; 10, Austin Williams, 2, Jory-14.506; 11. Marty Hawkins, 3M, Hawkins-14.574; 12. Jay Waugh, 89K, Kruseman-14.801; 13. Markus Niemela, 81, Watt-14.813; 14. Jimmy Thompson, 3E, Eames-14.815; 15. Bill Jones, 16, Jones-15.534; 16. Tobey Sampson, 82, Sampson-15.548; 17. Rip Williams, 3, Jory-17.938.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. Greg Alexander, 2. Marty Hawkins, 3. Ryan Bernal, 4. Brody Roa, 5. Aiden Corish, 6. Markus Niemela, 7. Mike Spencer, 8. Bill Jones. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. Matt Mitchell, 2. Austin Williams, 3. Damion Gardner, 4. Jay Waugh, 5. Cody Williams, 6. Rickie Gaunt, 7. Jimmy Thompson, 8. Tobey Sampson. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Ryan Bernal (6th), 2. Matt Mitchell (3rd), 3. Damion Gardner (4th), 4. Austin Williams (1st), 5. Mike Spencer (8th), 6. Cody Williams (9th), 7. Greg Alexander (2nd), 8. Brody Roa (5th), 9. Markus Niemela (13th), 10. Marty Hawkins (11th), 11. Aiden Corish (10th), 12. Jimmy Thompson (14th), 13. Jay Waugh (12th), 14. Rickie Gaunt (7th), 15. Bill Jones (15th), 16. Toby Sampson (16th), 17. Rip Williams (17th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-16 Austin Williams, Laps 17-18 Matt Mitchell, Laps 19-30 Ryan Bernal.
KEIZER WHEELS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Ryan Bernal (6th to 1st)
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT POINTS: 1-Gardner-889, 2-Nic Faas-759, 3-Spencer-708, 4-Mitchell-613, 5-Bud Kaeding-564, 6-A.Williams-545, 7-C.Williams-538, 8-Roa-505, 9-Bernal-491, 10-Richard Vander Weerd-371.