From Lance Jennings
PERRIS, CA (September 25, 2021) – Starting on the pole position, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. (Buckeye, AZ) led all 30-laps to score the “Glenn Howard Memorial” victory at Perris Auto Speedway. Racing his #47 RSS Industries / MP Environmental Services RSS, Davis earned his first AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car win of the season over “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams, fast qualifier “The Demon” Damion Gardner, Eddie Tafoya Jr., and “The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa.
Before holding off Logan and Austin Williams for the victory, Davis began his night at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds by qualifying eighth out of the nineteen-car roster. The multi-time Arizona Sprint Car Champion would finish second in his heat race to Matt McCarthy and is currently ranked seventh in the point standings.
“The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, CA) posted his sixth Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of the season with a time of 16.312. Piloting Mark Alexander’s #1 PerformanceOnline.com / Carman Trucking Spike, Gardner finished seventh in his heat race after having mechanical issues and finished third in the main event. “The Demon” leads the point chase by 49 markers heading to Arizona Speedway.
Verne Sweeney (Lomita, CA) was triumphant in the 10-lap Flowdynamics Incorporated First Heat Race. Driving the Ken Tracy owned #98 Bill’s Ol Fashion Jerky / Faas Cores DRC, Sweeney was sixteenth fast in time trials and the night’s In Memory of Jim & Chet Gardner Hard Charger with a tenth place run from sixteenth. The veteran driver has climbed to ninth in the championship standings.
Matt McCarthy (Riverside, CA) won the night’s 10-lap Huntington Beach Glass and Mirror Second Heat Race. Racing the family owned #28M Flowdymanics Incorporated / JFK Design Build DRC, McCarthy qualified fourteenth overall and ran thirteenth in the main event, taking the Wilwood Disc Brakes Lucky 13 honors. To date, the 2017 Rookie of the Year sits eighth in the chase for the championship.
“Speedy” Stevie Sussex (Tempe, AZ) claimed the 10-lap All Coast Construction Third Heat Race. Piloting Robbie and Gaye Allen’s #12 ABC Ventures / Beaver Stripes Maxim, Sussex was twelfth quick in time trials and raced from twelfth to eighth in the feature. At press time, the former USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year is sixteenth in the point chase.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, CA) took home the Shawn McDonald Memorial Qualifying Award by timing in sixth quick overall. Driving Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass and Mirror / Phil and Eileen King DRC, Williams finished third in his heat race and had to settle for second in the “Glenn Howard Classic.” The former co-rookie of the year ranks third in the point standings.
Chris Gansen (Verdemont Heights, CA) claimed the night’s Shawn McDonald Memorial Feature Award with a sixth place finish in the “Glenn Howard Memorial.” Racing the family owned #4G Trench Shoring / Cam 2 Blue Blood Oil Maxim, Gansen qualified ninth overall and ran second to Stevie Sussex in his heat race. The veteran driver maintains a fourth place ranking in championship points.
The USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will head to Arizona Speedway (San Tan Valley, AZ) next Saturday, October 2nd as a tune up for November’s “Western World Championships”
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks All Coast Construction, BillsJerky.com, Component Repair Company, Factory Wraps, Flowdynamics, The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim & Chet Gardner), Hoosier Racing Tires, Huntington Beach Glass and Mirror, Woodland Auto Display, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Loudpedal Productions, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Sway-A-Way Torsion Bars, surfnsprint.com, Ultra Shield Race Products, and Wilwood Disc Brakes for their support.
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AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: September 25, 2021 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, California – “Glenn Howard Classic”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFYING: 1. Damion Gardner, 1, Alexander-16.312; 2. Cody Williams, 44, Williams-16.340; 3. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-16.369; 4. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-16.456; 5. Trent Williams, 52V, Williams-16.541; 6. Austin Williams, 92, Sertich-16.560; 7. Logan Williams, 5W, McCarthy-16.570; 8. Charles Davis Jr., 47, Davis-16.617; 9. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-16.732; 10. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-16.772; 11. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-16.822; 12. Stevie Sussex, 12, Allen-16.871; 13. Austin Grabowski, 72, Grabowski-17.047; 14. Matt McCarthy, 28M, McCarthy-17.121; 15. Brent Owens, 71, Martin-17.211; 16. Verne Sweeney, 98, Tracy-17.285; 17. Jeff Dyer, 39, Cal-Sun-17.431; 18. Shane Sexton, 74, Sexton/Gatlin-17.955; 19. Dan Taylor, T5, Taylor-17.956.
FLOWDYNAMICS INCORPORATED FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Sweeney, 2. L.Williams, 3. Tafoya, 4. Bender, 5. Taylor, 6. Grabowski, 7. Gardner. NT.
HUNTINGTON BEACH GLASS & MIRROR SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. McCarthy, 2. Davis, 3. C.Williams, 4. Malcolm, 5. T.Williams, 6. Dyer. NT.
ALL COAST CONSTRUCTION THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Sussex, 2. Gansen, 3. A.Williams, 4. Roa, 5. Owens, 6. Sexton. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Charles Davis Jr. (1), 2. Austin Williams (3), 3. Damion Gardner (7), 4. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (4), 5. Brody Roa (5), 6. Chris Gansen (9), 7. Tommy Malcolm (11), 8. Stevie Sussex (12), 9. Trent Williams (8), 10. Verne Sweeney (16), 11. Brent Owens (15), 12. Shane Sexton (18), 13. Matt McCarthy (14), 14. Jeff Dyer (17), 15. Logan Williams (2), 16. Cody Williams (6), 17. A.J. Bender (10), 18. Austin Grabowski (13), 19. Dan Taylor (19). NT.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Davis
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: Verne Sweeney (16th to 10th)
SHAWN McDONALD MEMORIAL QUALIFYING AWARD: Austin Williams
SHAWN McDONALD MEMORIAL FEATURE AWARD: Chris Gansen
WILWOOD DISC BRAKES LUCKY 13 AWARD: Matt McCarthy
NEW AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Damion Gardner-1,008, 2-Brody Roa-959, 3-Austin Williams-857, 4-Chris Gansen-787, 5-Cody Williams-738, 6-Tommy Malcolm-697, 7-Charles Davis Jr.-596, 8-Matt McCarthy-509, 9-Verne Sweeney-494, 10-Danny Faria Jr.-473.
NEXT AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: October 2 – Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, Arizona