By Scott Daloisio
(Perris, CA, October 17, 2022) The latest entries for the 26th Annual Heimark Anheuser Busch Budweiser Oval Nationals have arrived at the Perris Auto Speedway office. The season-ending races for the Amsoil USAC/CRA and USAC National Sprint Cars will take place on November 3rd, 4th, and 5th.
Amongst the latest entries is one from three-time Oval Nationals champion and nine-time USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series champ Damion Gardner of Concord, California. The driver affectionately known to his fans as “The Demon,” is closing in on his 10th USAC/CRA title and leads the series with six-main event wins in 2022. The last of his victories, which came at the September 17th Glenn Howard Memorial at The PAS, was his 108th triumph. That broke a tie with National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Dean Thompson for the all-time lead in victories in CRA-SCRA-USAC/CRA competition.
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Three-time champion Damion Gardner is one of the latest entries for the Oval Nationals. Anthony Hernandez photo.
In addition to Gardner, two other USAC/CRA Series regulars have also submitted their entries for the prestigious race. Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm of Corona, California and San Diego’s A.J. Bender will be on hand for the three-night event during the first week of November. Both drivers grew up in their teen years racing at the famous Riverside County half-mile clay oval. Malcolm began competing and winning at the track in the PASSCAR Street Stocks before venturing off to race Late Models and Modifieds. Bender was a regular and a multi-time winner at The PAS in the California Lightning Sprint Car Series.
An entry was also received from Peoria, Arizona native Tye Mihocko. The driver known as “The Bull,” recently sewed up the 2022 season championship at Indiana’s Putnamville Speedway. Mihocko is no stranger to The PAS victory circle having visited there after a win in the tracks Young Gun Sprint Car Series several years ago.
The early entry deadline for the Oval Nationals is this Friday, October 21st. Entries postmarked by that date are $100.00. Entries postmarked after the 21st or at the gate are $250.00. The entry blank is available at the following link http://www.perrisautospeedway.com/2022/22ovalentry.pdf
As always, the Thursday and Friday night portions of the Oval Nationals will be the preliminaries. The winner on each preliminary night will take home $5,000.00 and the races will pay $500.00 to start. On Saturday, the 40-lap main event will pay $20,000.00 to win and $1000.00 to start.
All three nights of the Oval Nationals will be complete nights of racing with qualifying, heat races, preliminaries mains, and an A main event. The top six cars from the first two nights will be seeded straight into Saturday’s main event and will contest a “Super Six Dash” to determine their starting positions in the first three rows.
In addition to being the season-ender for the USAC/CRA and National Sprint Car Series, Saturday will also feature the “Bubby Jones Master of Going Faster” finale. Broken Arrow, Oklahoma’s Brady Bacon currently leads Ion, California’s Justin Grant by 19-points. Greenfield, Indiana’s C.J. Leary is third and is followed by Chase Stockon and Suter, California’s Logan Seavey. Saturday’s race will wrap up the 10-race series that honors Jones, who was a two-time CRA champion driver. He was also one of the key people involved in the design, construction, and management of Perris Auto Speedway.
Advance tickets for the Oval Nationals are available now online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7 or by calling 1-800-595-4849.
Oval Nationals Winners
1996 – Jimmy Sills
1997 – Rip Williams
1998 – Rodney Argo
1999 – Rickie Gaunt
2000 – Tony Jones
2001 – Bud Kaeding
2002 – Bud Kaeding
2003 – Cory Kruseman
2004 – Cory Kruseman
2005 – Dave Darland
2006 – Dave Darland
2007 – Bud Kaeding
2008 – Jesse Hockett
2009 – Damion Gardner
2010 – Chris Windom
2011 – Damion Gardner
2012 – Mike Spencer
2013 – Dave Darland
2014 – Robert Ballou
2015 – Bryan Clauson
2016 – Damion Gardner
2017 – Kevin Thomas Jr.
2018 – Kevin Thomas Jr.
2019 – C.J. Leary
2220 – No Race
2021 – Kevin Thomas Jr.
Fans can stay up to date on track and driver news on The PAS social media efforts at the links below.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Perris-Auto-Speedway/113876798686480?ref=hl
Twitter: Perris Auto Speedway on Twitter.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perrisautospeedway/
Website: http://perrisautospeedway.com/
Perris Auto Speedway wants to thank the following corporate partners. Ahern Equipment Rentals, Anderson Chevrolet, Battery Systems, Chris’ Hauling, City of Perris, Communication Innovations, Daytona Boat & RV Storage, Ed Moore Bullet Proof Driveshaft, Flowdynamics, HD Industries, Heimark/Anheuser Busch, Hoosier Tires, Inland Rigging, Living Water’s Hospice, LKQ Pick Your Part, Luke’s Transmission, Moose Racing, Pepsi-Cola, Performance Online, Pole Position Raceway, PrintItNow.com, Rainbow Bolt & Supply, Rene’s Bar & Grill, Rugged Radios, Shaver Specialties, Square H, Sunoco Race Fuels, Trench Shoring, Upland Rock, Varner Construction and Vista Paint.
Video and DVD productions of all racing sprint cars events at Perris Auto Speedway are available from Loudpedal Productions. For more information on these productions you can contact them by calling (805) 844-3854, E-mailing mailto:trtruex@gmail.com or you can visit the website LoudPedal Productions.
DVDs of all the PASSCAR/IMCA racing and Nights of Destruction at The PAS are available from Fourvideos. For more information call (714) 225-9500.