By Scott Daloisio
(Perris, CA, October 1, 2013) Well-liked Riverside, California racer David Cardey has revealed that the 18th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals Presented by All Coast Construction on October 31st, November 1st and 2nd will be his last race in a sprint car. The veteran competitor is presently the driver of the famed Moose Racing #92.
Cardey, who will turn 38-years-old on October 31st, the day the Oval Nationals begins, has been a fixture in the USAC/CRA Series since it debuted in 2004. Along the way he has driven for owners Jim Giardina, Glenn Crossno, Mark Alexander, Don Blair, Massey Motorsports and his current team Moose Racing of Huntington Beach that is owned by Tom & Lauri Sertich. In addition, Cardey also owned and maintained his own car for a couple of seasons.
“I am not quitting racing, I am just looking to head in a different direction,” Cardey said over the phone on Monday afternoon. “I have been racing sprint cars on dirt tracks for about 15-years now. I am just not mentally there to put my butt on the line every week anymore. Sprint car racing is dangerous. Mentally, if I cannot put my butt on the line to win it, I am not going to be happy doing it. So, I need to look for a different form of racing. Maybe something with fenders around it.”
Above is a photo of David Cardey racing at the Salute to Indy at Perris Auto Speedway on Memorial Day weekend. Media, please feel free to publish this photo and the further one below and please give photo credit to Doug Allen.
Cardey’s 9-lifetime USAC/CRA wins sees him tied for sixth overall on the all-time USAC/CRA victory list. On his birthday in 2008, he won what many believe was the greatest sprint car race ever held at Perris Auto Speedway. It was night #2 of the Oval Nationals and in posting the victory, he beat not only the stars and cars from the USAC/CRA Series, but also the USAC National Sprint Car Series as well.
The retirement announcement caught Perris Auto Speedway promoter Don Kazarian by surprise.
“Never saw this one coming,” Kazarian said. “David Cardey is one of the best and most exciting sprint car drivers in the USAC/CRA Series. He always gives 110% when he is in the car and that has made him one of the crowd favorites. He has always been a total pro. I will miss seeing him in a sprint car and everyone from The PAS wishes him the best in his future endeavors.”
Cardey’s best ever finish in the USAC/CRA Championship Series standings came in 2009 when he finished second to multi-time champion Mike Spencer.
“I have not accomplished everything I wanted to,” Cardey, who works for Eibach Springs by day in Corona, California, said. “I wanted to win a championship and that is what is hard about giving it up now as I am on a team that can win a championship. Also, I would like to win the Ovals and there is a bunch of other stuff I would have like to have gotten done, but you know, you only live once. I am at that point that I am not willing to put my butt on the line. I don’t want to waste years when my heart is not totally into it when I could be doing something else. It is time for a change.”
The slender racer got into open wheel racing when his mother bought him a California Lightning Sprint Car for Christmas in the late 1990’s. It did not take him long to make a gigantic impression in that series as he won the championship in 2003. In addition to the title, he won 13-main events that year including all eight or nine staged at Perris Auto Speedway.
“My mom bought a lightning sprint car for Christmas and I did not even know what it was,” Cardey laughed. “I had done other forms of racing and did not know of this particular form of it. It completely changed my life. I met a bunch of nice people that I will be lifelong friends with now. To be able to come out and do what I did and run with some of the best guys, it was awesome. I am going to miss it. I am not going to be one of those guys who leaves and cannot come back and watch a race, though. I plan on working with some young guys.”
Personable David Cardey poised and ready to hit the famous Perris Auto Speedway half-mile in the Moose Racing #92.
While Cardey is hanging up his helmet, the Moose Racing team will continue on with a new driver in 2013.
“We talked and they are going to continue on,” Cardey stated. “They are looking for a driver. They have a couple people they have been talking to. One of them is a younger kid. I would like to work with him. We will see how it plays out. They do not want anybody to head strong who is stuck in their ways.”
Cardey will be helping another young driver who is just starting his racing career as well. His 5-year-old son Drake.
“My son is going to start racing go-karts,” he proudly said. “I will be spending time with him and we will be at the go-kart tracks quite a bit of the time. That is going to be a lot of fun.”
One thing Cardey will definitely miss is the hardcore fans of sprint car racing.
“I want to thank everyone for all of the support,” he said. “I want to thank my mom for buying me my first car and my dad for his endless hours of dedication and car tuning talent as well as my Uncle Carl. And, of course, my lovely wife Dirty Danita and son Drake who have let me do my thing for all these years. Their support has been phenomenal over the years. I made a bunch of fans and friends and I will hopefully still see all of them at the track.”
For Cardey, who currently leads the URA Sprint Car point standings, there could be one more sprint car race after the Oval Nationals.
“The URA has a race at Orange Show on their schedule after the Oval Nationals,” Cardey stated. “We are the point leaders, so if that race does come off, we will be there.”
As well as his prowess in sprint cars, the married father of one son also competed in the NASCAR Grand National West Series and the Jim Russell Formula Racing Series.
For more information call The PAS at: (951) 940-0134.
Camping for all events at The PAS is available for $25.00 per night. The campground will open at noon the day before each event. Tailgating in the spectator parking lot will begin at 1:00 PM for all PAS events as well.
The entire 2013 PAS schedule is listed at the end of this release.
Perris Auto Speedway wants to thank its corporate sponsors for the 2012 season. 1-800LoanMart, 777 Racecars, Aaron’s, Ahern Rentals, All Coast Construction, Amsoil, Ayers Hotel and Spa, Budweiser, CamGuard, Champion Towing, City of Perris, Comfort Inn, Day Construction, Daytona Boat & RV Storage, Edelbrok, Frazee Paint, HD Industries, Hoosier Tires, K&N Engineering, McMahon’s RV, OneDirt.com, P.I.P.E., Pepsi-Cola, Pick-A-Part Auto Salvage, Prolong Super Lubricants, Running Waters Hospice, Scott Sales, Snap-on, Soboba Casino, Sprint Car Driving Experience, Square H, Swedish Speed, Temecula Valley Pipe & Supply, Trench Shoring, US Foods, Valley Auto Salvage, White Nuckl USA and Zanzabuku Sports Lounge.
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Video and DVD productions of all racing events at Perris Auto Speedway are available from Loudpedal Productions. For more information on these productions you can contact them by calling (805) 844-3854, E-mailing mailto:trtruex@gmail.com or you can visit the web site http://www.loudpedalvideo.com/
Fans can participate for free in The PAS 2013 Fantasy League at: http://www.shorttrackin.com/. There are separate divisions for the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Cars and the Amsoil OilTwins.com PASSCAR classes of the LoanMart Street Stocks, Pick-A-Part American Factory Stocks and the Modifieds. Players can compete in as many divisions as they like. The winner of the USAC/CRA game will win a 20-lap ($240.00 value) driving session on the famous PAS half-mile clay oval courtesy of the Sprint Car Driving Experience. The winner of the Modified group will take receive a $50.00 gift certificate for Amsoil products from The Oil Twins. More prizes will be announced as they come in.
Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds (home of October’s Southern California Fair), approximately one hour east of Los Angeles and one hour North of San Diego. To get to the track, take the 215 freeway, exit on the Ramona Expressway and go three miles east to the fairgrounds.
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