by Lance Jennings
PERRIS, CA – AUGUST 18, 2013… After engine problems sidelined Matt Mitchell, “The Kruser” Cory Kruseman of Ventura led the final laps to win the “California Racers Hall of Fame Night” feature. Saturday’s $2,500 triumph was Cory’s first Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car victory of the season and his 50th career win at Perris Auto Speedway. “The Demon” Damion Gardner, Nic Faas, “The Ripper” Rip Williams, and “The Cadillac” Cody Williams rounded out the top five drivers.
Spearheaded by longtime Perris and Ascot infield announcer Chris Holt, the annual “California Racers Hall of Fame Night” was declared a success. Thanks to the support of many friends in racing, Holt raised an additional $6,100 for the night’s festivities. The program also featured visits by past Ascot-CRA legends Jimmy Oskie, Mike Sweeney, Ron Rea, John Redican, Duane Feduska, and Eddie Wirth.
Starting from the pole position, Kruseman was ahead of a first lap tangle that involved eight cars. While the majority of those drivers were able to make the restart, “The Kruser” led the first circuit before Mitchell took command. Looking for his second win of the season, Matt dominated the main event before his engine began to smoke. As Cory was chasing down the leader, a late caution flag for a stopped Brody Roa halted the action. Under yellow flag conditions, Mitchell’s engine caught fire and the leader was forced to retire from the event. On the restart, Kruseman paced the field as Gardner and Faas slid past Rip Williams in the first turn. They could not catch Cory as he sailed to his 35th career USAC/CRA main event win.
Racing Mark Priestley’s #7 Roy Miller Freight Lines / Sander Engineering Bullet, Cory Kruseman was seventh fast in time trials and won the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. In limited appearances, the 2006 Champion has two heat race victories, one Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, four top-10 finishes, and 4 feature laps led in 2013.
After restarting at the back, Concord’s “The Demon” Damion Gardner claimed second in the “California Racers Hall of Fame Night” feature. Driving Mark Alexander’s #4A Scott Sales Company / Advanced Racing Suspension Spike, the “World’s Fastest Sprint Car Driver” qualified third overall, won the Walt James Last Man Standing Dash, and was second in his heat race. To date, the point leader has five main event wins, four Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, six heat race victories, one dash win, fourteen top-10 finishes, and 91 feature laps led to his credit.
Nic Faas of Huntington Beach spun on the initial start and raced his way to third from the rear of the field. Piloting Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / Competition Suspension Inc. Spike, the former USAC Western Midget Champion was second quick in time trials, second in the Walt James Dash, and won the DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Currently second in points, Faas has two feature wins, three Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, three heat race victories, thirteen top-10 finishes, and 47 feature laps led on the season.
Yorba Linda’s “The Ripper” Rip Williams scored fourth at Perris Auto Speedway after starting eighth. Racing Jack Jory’s #3 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, the 2004 Champion qualified eighth overall and claimed sixth in his heat race. As this writing goes to press, Williams has five top-10 finishes in the campaign.
“The Cadillac” Cody Williams of Yorba Linda claimed fifth in the “California Racers Hall of Fame Night” main event. Piloting Jack Jory’s #44 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams was sixth fast in time trials and placed seventh in his heat race. The former National Hall of Fame Rookie of the Year has climbed to fifth in points with one heat race victory, one Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, nine top-10 finishes, and 17 feature laps led on the season.
Rowland Heights’ Johnny Bluntach earned the program’s Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a twelfth place run from eighteenth. Racing his #58 Circle Track Performance / Big T Hauling Maxim, “The Racing Sheriff” qualified eighteenth overall and claimed sixth in his heat race.
Mike Spencer of Temecula earned an additional $700 for the “Billy Wilkerson Fast Time Award” in the Woodland Auto Display Time Trials. Driving Ron Chaffin’s #50 Grubstake Mini Storage / Madera Produce Maxim, the five-time champion was fourth in the Walt James Dash, second in his heat race, and sixth in the main event after restarting at the back. Currently, Spencer is third in points with one feature win, four Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, four heat race victories, one Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, eleven top-10 finishes, and 17 feature laps led.
Riverside’s “Dynamite” David Cardey raced to victory in the Saldana Racing Products / Circle Track Performance Heat Race #3. Piloting Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Victory Race Cars entry, Cardey qualified ninth and scored twenty-first in the feature after an early exit. To date, the former California Lightning Sprint Car Champion has four heat race victories, four top-10 finishes, and 44 feature laps led on the year.
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will battle at the famed Calistoga Speedway on August 31st and September 1st for the “6th Annual Louie Vermeil Classic.” Located at the Napa County Fairgrounds, the co-sanctioned event with the USAC Western Classic Sprint Cars will also showcase the Honda USAC Western Midgets. For more event information, visit www.louievermeilclassic.net, www.calistogaspeedway.org or call (916) 773-7223.
To catch all of the action of the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, 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, 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 17, 2013 – Perris, California – Perris Auto Speedway – “California Racers Hall of Fame Night”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TIME TRIALS:
1. Mike Spencer, 50, Chaffin-16.244; 2. Nic Faas, 4, Alexander-16.294; 3. Damion Gardner, 4A, Alexander-16.549; 4. Ronnie Gardner, 93, Gardner-16.604; 5. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-16.613; 6. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-16.715; 7. Cory Kruseman, 7, Priestley-16.724; 8. Rip Williams, 3, Jory-16.756; 9. David Cardey, 92, Sertich-16.766; 10. R.J. Johnson, 51, Martin-16.788; 11. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-16.794; 12. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Wander Weerd-16.821; 13. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-16.870; 14. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-16.949; 15. Greg Alexander, 72, Tyler-17.093; 16. Don Gansen, 7G, Gansen-17.309; 17. David Bezio, 37X, Bezio-17.423; 18. Johnny Bluntach, 58, Bluntach-17.507; 19. Kenny Perkins, 0K, Perkins-17.583; 20. Austin Smith, 36, Springstead-17.624; 21. Tobey Sampson, 82, Sampson-18.331; 22. Jeremy Ellertson, 98, Ellertson-18.728; 23. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-NT.
WALT JAMES LAST MAN STANDING DASH ROUND 1: (3 laps)
1. Damion Gardner, 2. Ronnie Gardner, 3. Nic Faas, 4. Mike Spencer. NT
WALT JAMES LAST MAN STANDING DASH ROUND 2: (3 laps)
1. Damion Gardner, 2. Nic Faas, 3. Ronnie Gardner. NT
WALT JAMES LAST MAN STANDING DASH ROUND 3: (3 laps)
1. Damion Gardner, 2. Nic Faas. NT
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. Cory Kruseman, 2. Mike Spencer, 3. Austin Williams, 4. Ronnie Gardner, 5. R.J. Johnson, 6. Jeremy Ellertson, 7. Don Gansen, 8. Kenny Perkins. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. Nic Faas, 2. Matt Mitchell, 3. Brody Roa, 4. David Bezio, 5. Jace Vander Weerd, 6. Rip Williams, 7. Austin Smith. NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps)
1. David Cardey, 2. Damion Gardner, 3. Greg Alexander, 4. Richard Vander Weerd, 5. Cody Williams, 6. Johnny Bluntach, 7. Tobey Sampson. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Cory Kruseman (1st), 2. Damion Gardner (4th), 3. Nic Faas (5th), 4. Rip Williams (8th), 5. Cody Williams (7th), 6. Mike Spencer (6th), 7. R.J. Johnson (10th), 8. Richard Vander Weerd (12th), 9. Jace Vander Weerd (14th), 10. Greg Alexander (15th), 11. Ronnie Gardner (3rd), 12. Johnny Bluntach (18th), 13. David Bezio (17th), 14. Kenny Perkins (19th), 15. Matt Mitchell (2nd), 16. Tobey Sampson (21st), 17. Brody Roa (11th), 18. Don Gansen (16th), 19. Austin Smith (20th), 20. Jeremy Ellertson (22nd), 21. David Cardey (9th), 22. Austin Williams (13th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Lap 1 Cory Kruseman, Laps 2-27 Matt Mitchell, Laps 28-30 Cory Kruseman.
KEIZER WHEELS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Johnny Bluntach (18th to 12th)
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT POINT STANDINGS:
1-Damion Gardner-951, 2-Nic Faas-826, 3-Mike Spencer-766, 4-Matt Mitchell-645, 5-Cody Williams-591, 6-Bud Kaeding-564, 7-Austin Williams-564, 8-Brody Roa-530, 9-Ryan Bernal-491, 10-Richard Vander Weerd-415.