By Lance Jennings
MARCH 2, 2020… This Friday and Saturday (March 6th & 7th), Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Arizona will be the place to be as the AMSOIL USAC/CRA and Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Cars will clash on the 1/3-mile oval. Promoted by Doug Gabbard, the two-night “3rd Annual Spring Showcase” opens the seventeenth campaign for USAC/CRA’s non-winged 410 sprint cars. The events will also feature the Arizona Differential Modifieds, Askrens Trucking / Flexi Flyer Sport Mods, Allscapes Sport Mods, and non-winged Micro Sprints. The Friday spectator gates will open at 5:00pm, racing is scheduled to begin at 7:30pm. On Saturday, the front gates will open at 5:00pm and racing will start at 7:00pm. For more event and ticket information, visit canyonspeedwaypark.com or call 602.258.RACE (7223).
OPEN PRACTICE: The festivities will start on Thursday, March 5th at 6:30pm with an open practice for all divisions.
NOTICE TO RACERS:
– MUFFLERS ARE REQUIRED AT CANYON SPEEDWAY PARK. 2020 APPROVED/LEGAL MUFFLERS: EXTREME: 6014-3535, 3615-3535; SCHOENFELD: 14272535, 14272735-78; FLOWMASTER: 53545-10, 13516100, 13516101; COAST FABRICATION: 350x625x17-2S; B&B: FRAC-0375S; SPINTECH: 1545P SUPER STOCK
*Failure to comply with the muffler rule will risk disqualification from the event.
– 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/CRA charges a $25 entry fee to all competitors.
– The weight rule is 1,375 lbs. with driver and the USAC/CRA (plus National & SouthWest) Sprint Car Rule Book can be found online at usacracing.com.
– USAC MEMBERSHIPS can be purchased at the track or online at www.usaclicense.com.
Canyon Speedway Park has hosted eighteen USAC/CRA Sprint Car events. Missouri’s Hunter Schuerenberg won last year’s event and New Mexico’s Josh Hodges won the preliminary night. Bryan Clauson leads the series with five triumphs and “The People’s Champion” Dave Darland set the 1-lap track record of 13.072 on November 15, 2014. The Peoria win list is at the end of this release.
When the checkered flags flew at San Tan Valley, Arizona on November 16th, “The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, CA) claimed his seventh consecutive (eighth overall) AMSOIL USAC/CRA title. Piloting Mark Alexander’s #4 Trench Shoring / All Coast Construction Spike, Gardner posted three feature wins, ten Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, eight heat race victories, one semi-main win, eighteen top-10 finishes, and 86 feature laps led in 2018 “The Demon” leads all drivers with 83 feature wins and will be looking to add another “Spring Showcase” to his resume.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, CA) finished second in the USAC/CRA point standings. Driving Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Lucas Oil DRC, Williams had two feature wins, two Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, three heat race victories, one semi-main win, one hard charger award, twenty top-10 finishes, and 31 feature laps led to his credit. “The Big Game Hunter” has nine career series wins and will have his sights on his first victory at Canyon Speedway Park.
Brody Roa (Garden Grove, CA) placed third in the chase for the championship. Driving the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Roa had two feature wins, three heat race victories, one hard charger award, fifteen top-10 finishes, and 105 feature laps led on the year. Brody has eight career series wins and will be looking for his first USAC/CRA triumph at Canyon Speedway Park.
Jake Swanson (Anaheim, CA) ranked fourth in the championship point standings. Racing John Grau and Mike Burkhart’s #34AZ Stratis Construction / KSE Custom Drywall DRC, Swanson finished the year with two feature wins, two Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, one dash win, six heat race victories, thirteen top-10 finishes, and 59 feature laps led on the season. With four career USAC/CRA wins, the USAC SouthWest point leader will have his sights on sweeping the “Spring Showcase.”
Chris Gansen (Verdemont Heights, CA) placed fifth in the USAC/CRA Sprint Car point chase. Racing the family owned #4G Trench Shoring / Circle Track Performance Maxim, Gansen recorded two Wilwood Disc Brakes Lucky 13 Awards, seven top-10 finishes, and 15 feature laps led in the campaign. The veteran driver will be looking to earn his first USAC/CRA feature wins at the “Spring Showcase.”
Eddie Tafoya Jr. (Chino Hills, CA) earned Rookie of the Year honors with both the USAC/CRA and USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series. Racing the family owned #51T Specialty Fasteners / System One 777, Tafoya ran ninth in the USAC/CRA point chase on the strength of one heat race victory and four top-10 finishes on the season. The young driver will have his sights on his first feature win at Canyon Speedway Park.
“Thunder” Tommy Malcolm, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., R.J. Johnson, Eddie Tafoya Jr., Richard Vander Weerd, Matt McCarthy, “Speedy” Stevie Sussex, Steve Hix, “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr., “The Cadillac” Cody Williams, Austin Liggett, “The Magic Man” Mike Martin, Jace Vander Weerd, Verne Sweeney, and Jason McDougal rounded out the top-20 in last year’s point standings.
Entering Friday’s event, Jake Swanson (Anaheim, CA) leads the Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest point chase. “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., R.J. Johnson, “Speedy” Stevie Sussex, “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams, Kyle Shipley, Michael Curtis, Stephen Sanchez, and Dustin Burkhart round out the field.
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. For both nights, Adult Tickets are $25, Seniors (60 and over) and Military Tickets are $20, and Children (11 and under) are FREE.
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks All Coast Construction, Component Repair Company, Flowdynamics, Hoosier Racing Tire, Woodland Auto Display, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, Loudpedal Productions, Rod End Supply, surfNsprint.com, 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 usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
FloSports has USAC/CRA Sprint Car live videos and on demand coverage available for purchase at floracing.com.
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AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2004-Rip Williams, 2005-Damion Gardner, 2006-Cory Kruseman, 2007-Tony Jones, 2008-Mike Spencer, 2009-Mike Spencer, 2010-Mike Spencer, 2011-Mike Spencer, 2012-Mike Spencer, 2013-Damion Gardner, 2014-Damion Gardner, 2015-Damion Gardner, 2016-Damion Gardner, 2017-Damion Gardner, 2018-Damion Gardner, 2019-Damion Gardner.
SPRING SHOWCASE WINNERS: 2018-Damion Gardner, 2019-Hunter Schuerenberg.
2019 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 3-Damion Gardner, 2-Brady Bacon, 2-Tyler Courtney, 2-Brody Roa, 2-Hunter Schuerenberg, 2-Jake Swanson, 2-Richard Vander Weerd, 2-Austin Williams, 1-Josh Hodges, 1-Chase Johnson, 1-R.J. Johnson, 1-C.J. Leary, 1-Austin Liggett, 1-Troy Rutherford
PEORIA AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 5-Bryan Clauson, 3-Damion Gardner, 2-R.J. Johnson, 1-Dave Darland, 1-Tracy Hines, 1-Josh Hodges, 1-Mike Martin, 1-Hunter Schuerenberg, 1-Mike Spencer, 1-Chase Stockon, 1-Jake Swanson.
FINAL 2019 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Damion Gardner-1489, 2. Austin Williams-1418, 3. Brody Roa-1302, 4. Jake Swanson-1234, 5. Chris Gansen-911, 6. Tommy Malcolm-887, 7. Charles Davis Jr.-837, 8. R.J. Johnson-753, 9. Eddie Tafoya Jr. ®-706, 10. Richard Vander Weerd-683, 11. Matt McCarthy-655, 12. Stevie Sussex-616, 13. Steve Hix ®-589, 14. Danny Faria Jr.-583, 15. Cody Williams-562, 16. Austin Liggett-545. 17. Mike Martin-519, 18. Jace Vander Weerd-483, 19. Verne Sweeney-421, 20. Jason McDougal-388.
2020 SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Jake Swanson-166. 2. Charles Davis Jr.-157, 3. R.J. Johnson-150, 4. Stevie Sussex-141, 5. Austin Williams-137, 6. Kyle Shipley-121, 7. Michael Curtis-118, 8. Stephen Sanchez-54, -Dustin Burkhart-54.