By Lance Jennings
JUNE 7, 2022… This Saturday, June 11th, the cars and stars of the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will make their only appearance of the year at Ventura Raceway. Promoted by Jim Naylor, the eleventh point race will also feature VRA Senior Sprints, IMCA Sport Compacts, Hobby Stocks, and Kids Classes. Located at the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 West Harbor Blvd. in Ventura, California, the Pit Gates will open at Noon, the Front Gates open at 3:00pm, with Racing scheduled for 5:30pm at “The Best Little Dirt Track in America.” For more event information, visit the track’s website at venturaraceway.com or call 805.648.RACE.
For those that cannot be at the races, floracing.com will broadcast a live stream of the night’s action over the internet.
NOTICE TO RACERS:
– ALL RACERS MUST PURCHASE THEIR USAC LICENSE / MEMBERSHIPS ONLINE PRIOR TO THE EVENT AT USACRACING.COM OR USACLICENSE.COM. (If racers have a membership question, contact Julie Tanaka at julietanaka@aol.com.)
– APPROVED/LEGAL TIRES: Due to the current tire shortages, ANY Hoosier Right Rear Tire is legal for competition until further notice. All four corners must be Hoosier.
– 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.
– ENTRY FEE: There is an entry fee due at registration / pill pick.
– TRANSPONDERS: Transponders ARE MANDATORY and will be available to rent.
– ONE WAY RADIOS / RACECEIVERS: One way radios ARE MANDATORY.
– FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS: Front axle tether systems (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin to King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
– FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS: Full containment seats ARE MANDATORY.
– COCKPIT ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS: Cockpit adjustable shocks ARE ALLOWED.
– RULE BOOK: The USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series Rule Book can be found online at usacracing.com.
– Protocol calls for competitors, crews, officials, and anyone on the grounds to practice safe social distancing, proper sanitizing, and follow local regulations regarding the COVID-19 Coronavirus.
Since May 22, 2004, the Ventura County Fairgrounds has held twenty-one USAC/CRA Sprint Car races. “The Ripper” Rip Williams won the Ventura USAC/CRA debut and “The Kruser” Cory Kruseman leads all drivers with six series wins. “The Bullet” Blake Miller set the USAC/CRA qualifying record of 11.675 on October 25, 2008 and “The Flying Shoe” Ron Shuman posted the all-time 410 non-wing record of 11.527 on October 1, 1994. Using a 360 cubic-inch iron block engine, Troy Rutherford won USAC/CRA’s last visit at Ventura on May 4, 2019. A complete series win list at Ventura is at the bottom of this release.
Entering the eleventh point race, “The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, California) has a 118-point advantage over the competition. Piloting Mark Alexander’s #1 PerformanceOnline.com / Carman Trucking Spike, Gardner finished tenth in the May 28th “Salute to Indy” at Perris Auto Speedway. As this writing goes to press, the nine-time champion has posted five feature wins, three Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, six heat race victories, nine top-10 finishes, and 134 feature laps led to his credit. The “World’s Fastest Sprint Car Driver” has ninety-four series wins and will be looking to claim the third series win of his career at Ventura.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, California) ranks to second in the championship point chase. Racing the family owned #2 Digalert / Full Throttle Scissor Lift Rental DRC, Williams ran fifth in the “71st Running of the Salute to Indy.” To date, the 2009 Co-Rookie of the Year has one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, two heat race victories, eight top-10 finishes, and 12 feature laps led in the campaign. “The Big Game Hunter” has eleven career triumphs and will have his sights on his first win at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.
Matt Mitchell (Yorba Linda, California) sits third in the USAC/CRA point chase. Driving his #37 Trench Shoring / Gansen Engineering Motorsports Maxim, Mitchell raced from tenth to seventh at Perris Auto Speedway. At press time, the 2014 USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Champion has one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, one heat race victory, one semi-main win, two hard charger awards, eight top-10 finishes, and 30 feature laps led on the season. Matt has eight career USAC/CRA triumphs and will be looking for his first Ventura win this Saturday night.
After finishing eighth at Perris, Eddie Tafoya Jr. (Chino Hills, California) has climbed to fourth in the championship standings. Driving the family owned #51T Specialty Fasteners / DRC Chassis entry, Tafoya has one Wilwood Disc Brakes Lucky 13 Award and six top-10 finishes on the season. The 2019 USAC/CRA and USAC SouthWest Rookie of the Year will have his sights on the first USAC/CRA win of his career this Saturday night.
Logan Williams (Yorba Linda, California) has climbed to fifth in the USAC/CRA standings. Driving John McCarthy’s #5W Flowdynamics Incorporated / Drinkpak DRC, Williams finished sixth in the “Salute to Indy.” At press time, the 2014 Rookie of the Year has two heat race victories, and five top-10 finishes on the season. This Saturday, Logan will have his sights on the first USAC/CRA win of his career at Ventura Raceway.
Nate Schank (Santa Rosa, California) leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors and ranks twelfth in the point chase. The pilot of the family owned #1$ Joe Hunt Magnetos / Industrial Machine Maxim will be looking for his first victory at Ventura.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are “The Cadillac” Cody Williams, Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm, Matt McCarthy, Chris Gansen, Verne Sweeney, “T-Dub” Trent Williams, Brody Roa, Austin Grabowski, A.J. Bender, Kyle Edwards, Jeff Dyer, Jake Hodges, Steve Hix, Joel Rayborne, Troy Rutherford, and more.
Ventura Raceway is located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 West Harbor Blvd. in Ventura, California. Adult tickets are $25, Senior tickets (60 and older) are $15, Active Military tickets (ID Required) are $15, Student tickets (with ID) are $15, Kids tickets (7-12) are $10, and Children’s tickets (6 and under) are FREE. For more event information, visit the track’s website at www.venturaraceway.com or call 805.648.RACE.
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks BillsJerky.net, Factory Wraps, Floracing.com, Flowdynamics Incorporated, The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner), Hoosier Racing Tires, Laserworx Manufacturing, Woodland Auto Display, BR Motorsports, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, In Memory of Shawn McDonald, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Vahlco Wheels, and Wilwood Disc Brakes for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, contact Tony Jones at tonyjonesracing@gmail.com or PR Director Lance Jennings at lwjennings@earthlink.net.
For more information on the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car 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 on the USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
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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, 2020-NO AWARD, 2021-Damion Gardner
2022 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 5-Damion Gardner, 2-Cody Williams, 1-Ryan Bernal, 1-Austin Liggett, 1-Matt Mitchell.
VENTURA AMSOIL USAC/CRA 1-LAP QUALIFYING RECORD: Blake Miller – 11.675 (10/25/08)
VENTURA AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 6-Cory Kruseman, 2-Damion Gardner, 2-Troy Rutherford, 2-Mike Spencer, 2-Rip Williams, 1-Alan Ballard, 1-Tyler Brown, 1-Mike Kirby, 1-Blake Miller, 1-Brody Roa, 1-Richard Vander Weerd, 1-Scotty Weir.
2022 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Damion Gardner-729, 2. Austin Williams-611, 3. Matt Mitchell-597, 4. Eddie Tafoya Jr.-527, 5. Logan Williams-526, 6. Charles Davis Jr.-497, 7. Cody Williams-492, 8. Tommy Malcolm-424, 9. Matt McCarthy-376, 10. Chris Gansen-371, 11. Verne Sweeney-369, 12. Nate Schank ®-365, 13. Trent Williams-349, 14. Brody Roa-334, 15. Austin Grabowski-317, 16. Chase Johnson-289, 17. A.J. Bender-268, 18. Ricky Lewis ®-235, 19. Mike Martin-213, 20. Shane Sexton-208, 21. Kyle Edwards-174, 22. Jeff Dyer-162, 23. Logan Calderwood-144, 24. Austin Liggett-135, 25. Jake Hodges-123, 26. Dustin Cormany-114, 27. Travis Buckley-109, 28. Ryan Bernal-106, 29. Danny Parrish-102, 30. Brody Fuson-100, –. Chris Bonneau-100, 32. Tanner Boul-92, –. Dan Taylor-92, 34. Danny Sheridan-90, 35. Jonas Reynolds-88, 36. Jess Beckett-87, 37. R.J. Johnson-76, 38. Steve Hix-75, 39. Dustin Burkhart-74, 40. Shon Deskins-61, 41. Randy Nelson-57, –. Joel Rayborne-57, 43. Dawson Faria-53, –. Ikaika O’Brien-53, 45. J.J. Yeley-47, 46. Gary Marshall Jr.-44, 47. Richard McCormick-42, 48. Austin Ervine-37, 49. Stevie Sussex-35, –. Christopher Muraoka-35, –. Gordon Rodgers-35, 52. Andrew Sweeney-34, 53. Trent Carter-30, 54. Ben Worth-26, –. Tony Everhart-26, 56. Ryan Timmons-24, 57. Sterling Cling-13, 58. Grant Sexton-11, 59. Tuesday Calderwood-10, –. Jim Vanzant-10, –. Camie Bell-10.