By Lance Jennings
PERRIS, CA – APRIL 13, 2019… Inheriting the lead on lap seventeen, Richard Vander Weerd (Visalia, CA) powered to his first win of the season at Perris Auto Speedway. Driving the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Stone Gate Development Maxim, Vander Weerd earned his eighth career AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car triumph at the annual “Sokola Shootout.” R.J. Johnson, point leader Brody Roa, A.J. Bender, and fast qualifier “The Demon” Damion Gardner followed the 2011 USAC West Coast Sprint Car champion.
“Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. earned the night’s Specialty Fasteners Hard Charger Award with an eighteenth to seventh place run. “The Magic Man” Mike Martin scored the Wilwood Disc Brakes “Lucky 13 Award” with a thirteenth place finish in the feature.
“The Demon” Damion Gardner scored his 83rd Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award over the 28-car roster by posting a time of 16.516.
The ten-lap heat race victories went to “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. (Extreme Mufflers First Heat), R.J. Johnson (Circle Track Performance / Ultra Shield Race Products Second Heat), and Verne Sweeney (Saldana Racing Products / ButlerBuilt Seats Third Heat). Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm took the checkered flags in the 12-lap Competition Suspension Incorporated Semi-Main.
Ventura Raceway will host the next event for the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series on May 4th.
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks All Coast Construction, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, 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, Wilwood Disc Brakes, and Woodland Auto Display for their support.
For more information on the series, visit 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: April 13, 2019 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, California – “Sokola Shootout”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFYING: 1. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-16.516; 2. R.J. Johnson, 51, Martin-16.573; 3. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-16.700; 4. Jake Swanson, 34AZ, Grau/Burkhart-16.855; 5. Matt McCarthy, 28M, McCarthy-16.869; 6. Austin Williams, 92, Sertich-16.894; 7. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-16.931; 8. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-17.045; 9. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-17.132; 10. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-17.137; 11. Stevie Sussex, 12, Allen-17.149; 12. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-17.175; 13. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-17.235; 14. Cody Williams, 44, Williams-17.252; 15. Sterling Cling, 34, Cling-17.402; 16. Kyle Edwards, 39E, Edwards-17.415; 17. Charles Davis Jr., 50, Davis-17.513; 18. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-17.548; 19. Verne Sweeney, 98, Tracy-17.649; 20. Danny Faria Jr., 42, Cheney-17.655; 21. Mike Martin, 16, Martin-17.762; 22. Jeremy Ellertson, 98J, Ellertson-17.800; 23. Joel Rayborne, 12B, Blair-17.910; 24. Jeff Der, 39, Cal-Sun-17.944; 25. Matt Stewart, 90S, Waitman-18.087; 26. Steve Hix, 57, Hix-18.156; 27. Randy Waitman, 90, Waitman-18.346; 28. Eric Englert, 35, Englert-18.446.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Davis, 2. Gardner, 3. C.Williams, 4. Roa, 5. Faria, 6. Mitchell, 7. Hix, 8. Rayborne, 9. Swanson. 2:55.86.
CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE / ULTRA SHIELD RACE PRODUCTS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Johnson, 2. Bender, 3. Tafoya, 4. Cling, 5. McCarthy, 6. J.Vander Weerd, 7. Martin, 8. Waitman, 9. Dyer. 2:58.23.
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / BUTLERBUILT SEATS THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Sweeney, 2. A.Williams, 3. R.Vander Weerd, 4. Edwards, 5. Malcolm, 6. Gansen, 7. Ellertson, 8. Stewart, 9. Englert. 2:59.74.
COMPETITION SUSPENSION INCORPORATED SEMI: (12 laps) 1. Malcolm, 2. McCarthy, 3. Mitchell, 4. Faria, 5. J.Vander Weerd, 6. Martin, 7. Ellertson, 8. Gansen, 9. Rayborne, 10. Hix, 11. Dyer, 12. Waitman, 13. Stewart. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, with starting positions) 1. Richard Vander Weerd (4), 2. R.J. Johnson (5), 3. Brody Roa (2), 4. A.J. Bender (1), 5. Damion Gardner (6), 6. Cody Williams (12), 7. Danny Faria Jr. (18), 8. Jace Vander Weerd (9), 9. Austin Williams (3), 10. Tommy Malcolm (11), 11. Kyle Edwards (14), 12. Chris Gansen (10), 13. Mike Martin (19), 14. Charles Davis Jr. (15), 15. Sterling Cling (13), 16. Jeremy Ellertson (20), 17. Steve Hix (22), 18. Verne Sweeney (17), 19. Joel Rayborne (21), 20. Matt Mitchell (8), 21. Matt McCarthy (7), 22. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (16). NT
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**Sussex flipped during qualifying. Mitchell flipped on lap 16 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-16 Roa, Laps 17-30 R.Vander Weerd
SPECIALTY FASTENERS HARD CHARGER: Danny Faria Jr. (18th to 7th)
WILWOOD DISC BRAKES LUCKY 13 AWARD: Mike Martin
NEW AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Roa-287, 2-Gardner-275, 3-Johnson-262, 4-A.Williams-242, 5-Davis-187, 6-Sussex-184, 7-Martin-174, 8-Malcolm-173, 9-Josh Hodges-164, 10-R.Vander Weerd-158.
NEXT AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: May 4 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California