By Lance Jennings
Perris, California… After taking the lead from R.J. Johnson on lap 16, Brody Roa held off all challengers to become the third different driver in as many races to claim an AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car triumph in 2019. Racing the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Roa topped the “So-Cal Showdown” at Perris Auto Speedway over fast qualifier Richard Vander Weerd, “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams, Austin Liggett, and Stevie Sussex.
Starting on the pole position, Roa claimed his seventh career series main event win. Jace Vander Weerd earned the Specialty Fasteners Hard Charger Award with a seventeenth to eighth place run.
Richard Vander Weerd scored his eighth career Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award over the 27-car roster by posting a time of 16.508.
A.J. Bender took the checkered flags in the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. “The Demon” Damion Gardner and R.J. Johnson claimed their 10-lap heat races.
The next event for the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will be the April 13th “Sokola Shootout” at Perris Auto Speedway.
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks All Coast Construction, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, Flowdynamics, Hoosier Racing Tire, Loudpedal Productions, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Saldana Racing Products, Specialty Fasteners, surfnsprint.com, Ultra Shield Race Products, and Woodland Auto Display for their support.
For more information on USAC/CRA, visit www.usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: March 30, 2019 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, California – “So-Cal Showdown”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFYING: 1. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-16.509; 2. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-16.566; 3. Cody Williams, 44, Williams-16.633; 4. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-16.636; 5. Austin Williams, 92, Sertich-16.637; 6. R.J. Johnson, 51, Martin-16.672; 7. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-16.845; 8. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-16.856; 9. Josh Hodges, 74X, Hodges-16.932; 10. Stevie Sussex, 12, Allen-16.935; 11. Charles Davis Jr., 50, Davis-17.012; 12. Landon Cling, 54C, Cling-17.015; 13. Danny Faria Jr., 42, Cheney-17.042; 14. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-17.145; 15. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-17.172; 16. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-17.215; 17. Mike Martin, 16, Martin-17.223; 18. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-17.229; 19. Sterling Cling, 34C, Cling-17.248; 20. Kyle Edwards, 39E, Edwards-17.370; 21. Verne Sweeney, 98, Tracy-17.396; 22. Matt McCarthy, 28M, McCarthy-17.419; 23. Joel Rayborne, 12B, Blair-17.717; 24. Jake Swanson, 42X, Cheney-17.775; 25. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-17.813; 26. Steve Hix, 57, Hix-18.110; 27. Jeff Dyer, 39, Cal-Sun-18.184.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Bender, 2. Faria, 3. Sussex, 4. R.Vander Weerd, 5. Liggett, 6. Malcolm, 7. McCarthy, 8. S.Cling, 9. Tafoya. 2:58.41.
SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Gardner, 2. A.Williams, 3. Roa, 4. Davis, 5. Mitchell, 6. Martin, 7. Rayborne, 8. Hix, 9. Edwards. NT
THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Johnson, 2. C.Williams, 3. Hodges, 4. Gansen, 5. Swanson, 6. J.Vander Weerd, 7. Sweeney, 8. L.Cling, 9. Dyer. 3:00.76.
SEMI: (12 laps) 1. Malcolm, 2. Liggett, 3. J.Vander Weerd, 4. Martin, 5. Mitchell, 6. Sweeney, 7. Edwards, 8. McCarthy, 9. Swanson, 10. S.Cling, 11. Tafoya, 12. L. Cling, 13. Dyer, 14. Rayborne, 15. Hix. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parenthesis) 1. Brody Roa (1), 2. Richard Vander Weerd (6), 3. Austin Williams (3), 4. Austin Liggett (8), 5. Stevie Sussex (10), 6. Charles Davis Jr. (11), 7. Damion Gardner (5), 8. Jace Vander Weerd (17), 9. Danny Faria Jr. (12), 10. Mike Martin (16), 11. Tommy Malcolm (7), 12. Chris Gansen (14), 13. Kyle Edwards (19), 14. Sterling Cling (18), 15. Verne Sweeney (20), 16. R.J. Johnson (2), 17. A.J. Bender (15), 18. Josh Hodges (9), 19. Matt Mitchell (13), 20. Cody Williams (4), 21. Jake Swanson (22), 22. Matt McCarthy (21). NT.
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**C.Williams flipped on lap 1 of the feature. Bender and Johnson flipped on lap 16 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-15 Johnson, Laps 16-30 Roa.
SPECIALTY FASTENERS HARD CHARGER: Jace Vander Weerd (17th to 8th)
NEW AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Roa-218, 2-Gardner-204, 3-A.Williams-188, 4-Johnson-182, 5-Sussex-174, 6-Hodges-164, 7-Davis-144, 8-Martin-136, 9-Malcolm-126, -Isaac Chapple-126.
NEXT AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: April 13 – Perris (CA) Auto Speedway – “Sokola Shootout”