By Lance Jennings
SEPTEMBER 10, 2019… After a break in the schedule, the Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Cars are ready to battle this Saturday, September 14th, at Canyon Speedway Park. Promoted by Doug Gabbard, the “Southwest Championships” will be the last visit of the year at the Peoria, Arizona oval. The event will also feature the Askrens Trucking / Flexi Flyer Sport Mods, Allscapes Stock Cars, Modlites, and non-winged Micro Sprints. The Front Gates will open at 5:00pm and Racing is scheduled for 7:00pm. For more event and ticket information, visit canyonspeedwaypark.com or call 602.258.7223.
NOTICE TO RACERS:
– The Schoenfeld 14272735-78 Muffler is MANDATORY for Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest competition at Canyon Speedway Park. Failure to comply will be disqualified from the events.
– 360 BONUS / AAA Car Buying is offering a $100 bonus to the highest finishing 360.
– USAC BONUS / Any racer who enters every event for both the Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest and AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car schedules will have their entry fees reimbursed at the end of the year.
– FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin to King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
– FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS ARE MANDATORY.
– Hoosier Tires are required on all four corners with the 105/16 Medium, 105/18 Hard, and 105/18 F85A as the only approved right rear tires. The “Medium” is also legal with the USAC National, USAC SouthWest, USAC West Coast, and VRA Sprint Cars.
– Cockpit adjustable shocks ARE ALLOWED.
– USAC SouthWest charges a $25 entry fee to all competitors.
– The weight rule is 1,325 lbs. with driver and the USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Rule Book can be found online at usacracing.com.
– USAC MEMBERSHIPS can be purchased at the track or online at usaclicense.com.
Since January 26, 2013, Canyon Speedway Park has hosted sixty-eight Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car events and R.J. Johnson leads all drivers with nineteen victories. In the four previous visits, New Mexico’s Josh Hodges, Missouri’s Hunter Schuerenberg, and California’s Brody Roa, and Arizona’s “The Magic Man” Mike Martin claimed victory at the 1/3-mile oval. “The Demon” Damion Gardner set the 1-lap track record of 13.469 on March 9th and the Peoria win list is at the end of this release.
Entering the eleventh point race, there have been ten different winners. Gardner, Hodges, R.J. Johnson, C.J. Leary, Martin, Brody Roa, Schuerenberg, Logan Seavey, Jake Swanson, and Stevie Sussex have claimed victory.
Heading to Peoria, Brody Roa (Garden Grove, CA) holds a 32-point lead over the competition. Racing the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Roa led nine laps before scoring fourth at the August 17th “California Racers Hall of Fame Night” at Perris. To date, the 2016 USAC West Coast champion has one feature win, one Beaver Stripes Fast Time Award, four heat race victories, two Saldana Racing Products Hard Charger Awards, nine top-10 finishes, and 73 feature laps led on the season. Fresh off running the USAC/CRA “California Sprint Week,” Roa will pilot Tanner Grau’s #34 Western Premier Hauling Maxim at CSP and will be looking to add the “Southwest Championships” to his resume.
R.J. Johnson (Laveen, AZ) ranks second in the USAC SouthWest point standings. Driving the Bobby Martin Racing #51 Martin Family Auto Museum / AME Electrical Contracting Sherman, Johnson placed ninth in the “California Racers Hall of Fame Night.” At press time, the five-time champion has one feature win, four heat race victories, one Saldana Racing Products Hard Charger Award, nine top-10 finishes, and 26 feature laps led in the campaign. R.J. has fifty-six career SouthWest victories as he sets his sights on another win at Canyon Speedway Park.
Stevie Sussex (Tempe, AZ) is third in the chase for the USAC SouthWest championship. Piloting Robbie and Gaye Allen’s #12 ABC Body Shop / PPG Automotive Finishes Maxim, Sussex charged from twelfth to sixth at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds. To date, the 2017 USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year has one feature win, two heat race victories, one Saldana Racing Products Hard Charger Award, nine top-10 finishes and 32 feature laps led to his credit. Stevie has 13 career SouthWest victories and will be looking to win the “Southwest Championships.”
Returning from “California Sprint Week,” “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. (Buckeye, AZ) sits fourth in the championship point chase. Racing his #50 RSS Industries / MP Environmental RSS, Davis finished seventeenth at Perris on August 17th. At press time, the defending champion has one Beaver Stripes Fast Time Award, five heat race victories, six top-10 finishes, and 11 feature laps led on the year. The 2018 “SouthWest Championships” Winner has 30 career SouthWest triumphs and will have his sights on his first victory of the year
After racing in California, “The Magic Man” Mike Martin (Yuma, AZ) ranks fifth in the SouthWest point standings. Driving his #16 Naquin Precision Earth Moving / American FlowTech Maxim, Martin placed sixteenth at Perris Auto Speedway. To date, the 2012 “Hall of Fame Classic” winner has one feature win, one heat race victory, one Saldana Racing Products Hard Charger Award, seven top-10 finishes, and 4 feature laps led in the campaign. “The Magic Man” has seven career SouthWest wins and will be looking to earn a nice payday at Canyon Speedway Park.
Currently ranked twenty-third in points, Ryan Cully (Alger, WA) leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors. Stephen Sanchez (Flagstaff, AZ), Eddie Tafoya Jr. (Chino Hills, CA), and Jeff Dyer (Bermuda Dunes, CA) are also in contention.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are “The Real American” Matt Rossi, Matt Lundy, Michael Curtis, Chris Bonneau, Jonas Reynolds, Daylin Perreira, Justin Kierce and more.
Canyon Speedway Park is located at 9777 West Carefree Highway in Peoria, Arizona. To get to the track, take Lake Pleasant Parkway, then 1.3 miles west on Carefree Highway. Adult Tickets are $20, Seniors (60 and over) and Military Tickets are $15, and Children (11 and under) are FREE.
The Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series thanks AAA Car Buying, AMSOIL, Beaver Stripes, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Butlerbuilt Professional Seat Systems, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Hoosier Racing Tire, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Saldana Racing Products, Sway-A-Way Racing Technology, and Ultra Shield Race Products for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, contact PR Director Lance Jennings at lwjennings@earthlink.net.
For more information on the series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content at southwestsprintcars.com and the USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Facebook and Twitter pages.
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SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2013-R.J. Johnson, 2014-R.J. Johnson, 2015-R.J. Johnson, 2016-R.J. Johnson, 2017-R.J. Johnson, 2018-Charles Davis Jr.
SOUTHWEST CHAMPIONSHIPS WINNERS: 2018-Charles Davis Jr.
2019 SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR WINS: 1-Damion Gardner, 1-Josh Hodges, 1-R.J. Johnson, 1-C.J. Leary, 1-Mike Martin, 1-Brody Roa, 1-Hunter Schuerenberg, 1-Logan Seavey, 1-Stevie Sussex, 1-Jake Swanson.
PEORIA SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR WINS: (Includes non-point shows) 19-R.J. Johnson, 10-Charles Davis Jr., 8-Bryan Clauson, 4-Ryan Bernal, 4-Dave Darland, 4-Stevie Sussex, 3-Josh Hodges, 3-Mike Martin, 3-Matt Rossi, 2-Brady Bacon, 2-Josh Pelkey, 1-Colby Copeland, 1-Tye Mihocko, 1-Brody Roa, 1-Hunter Schuerenberg, 1-Mike Spencer, 1-Richard Vander Weerd.
SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Brody Roa-698, 2. R.J. Johnson-666, 3. Stevie Sussex-639, 4. Charles Davis Jr.-584, 5. Mike Martin-554, 6. Jake Swanson-470, 7. Matt Rossi-413, 8. Matt Lundy-378, 9. Michael Curtis-347, 10. Chris Bonneau-326, 11. Austin Williams-324, 12. Damion Gardner-269, 13. Josh Hodges-202, 14. Jonas Reynolds-201, 15. Isaac Chapple-200, 16. Tommy Malcolm-190, 17. Matt McCarthy-152, 18. Daylin Perreira-151, 19. Chris Gansen-149, 20. Dennis Gile-136.