By Lance Jennings
APRIL 11, 2023… This Saturday, April 15th, the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car championship chase resumes at Perris Auto Speedway. Promoted by Don Kazarian, the event will be the second of eight “home track” appearances for the non-winged 410s at the half-mile oval. The action packed night will also feature the PAS Senior Sprint Cars, PAS Young Gun Sprint Cars, and Southwest Lightning Sprints plus “Power of Purple Night” benefiting the American Cancer Society Relay For Life Riverside County East. Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California, the Spectator Gates will open at 5:00pm and racing at “America’s Premier Dirt Track” will start at 7:00pm. For more event information, visit the track’s website at perrisautospeedway.com or call 951.940.0134.
Race fans are encouraged to support the race track and watch the races in person. Events at Perris Auto Speedway WILL NOT be live streamed on FloRacing in 2023.
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 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.
Since March 6, 2004, the Lake Perris Fairgrounds has held 243 AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car events and forty-two different drivers have claimed victory. “The Demon” Damion Gardner leads all drivers with 51 “home track” wins and Justin Grant topped the “Sokola Shootout” on March 18th. Nic Faas set the 1-lap track record of 15.833 on February 25, 2012 and the complete Perris USAC/CRA win list is at the end of this release.
After running second to Chase Johnson at Mohave Valley on April 1st, “The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) sits atop the standings by 34 points. Driving the Tom & Christy Dunkel / BR Performance owned #17R Inland Rigging / Dunkel Farms DRC, Roa has two feature wins, two heat race victories, four top-10 finishes, and 40 feature laps led to his credit. With fifteen career wins, the 2019 USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Champion will be looking to add another Perris winner’s trophy to his collection.
“The Cadillac” Cody Williams (Corona, California) ranks second in the championship point standings. Racing his #44 WC Friend Company / Trench Shoring DRC, Williams broke his track record and scored fifth at Mohave Valley. To date, the former National Non-Wing Sprint Car Rookie of the Year has three Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards and four top-10 finishes on the year. “The Cadillac” has three career feature wins and will have his sights on a “home track” victory at The PAS!
R.J. Johnson (Laveen, Arizona) sits third in the USAC/CRA chase for the crown. Piloting the Yeley/Petty Racing #2J Avanti Windows & Doors / Glenn Styres Racing Spike, Johnson raced from eighth to third at Mohave Valley Raceway. At press time, the five-time USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Champion has one heat race victory and four top-10 finishes in the campaign. R.J. will be looking for his eighth career USAC/CRA triumph this Saturday night.
After leading nine laps and finishing fourth at Mohave Valley, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. (Buckeye, Arizona) has climbed to fourth in the championship points. Driving his #47 MP Environmental Services / Black Magic Bead Breaker DRC, Davis has one heat race victory and three top-10 finishes on the year. The 7-time Arizona Sprint Car Champion will be in the hunt for the sixth USAC/CRA win of his career.
After winning at Mohave Valley, Chase Johnson (Penngrove, California) has climbed to fifth in the point standings. Splitting time between Keith Ford’s #73 Surecan LLC Triple X and the May Motorsports’ #8M RDM Mechanics Maxim, Johnson has one feature win, three top-10 finishes, and 28 feature laps led in the campaign. Racing throughout California and the country with several series, Chase is a threat to win every night.
Grant Sexton (Lakeside, California) leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors and sits fourteenth in the point standings. The driver of the family owned #22 Sexton Fire Protection / East County Electric Works Triple X is followed by James Turnbull II (Indio, California), Jim Vanzant (Prescott, Arizona), and Braden Chiaramonte (El Cajon, California).
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are “Thunder” Tommy Malcolm, “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams, A.J. Bender, Logan Calderwood, “The Gunslinger” Austin Grabowski, Verne Sweeney, Matt Mitchell, Chris Bonneau, Brent Owens, Matt McCarthy, Andrew Sweeney, Chris Gansen, Logan Williams, and more.
Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California. Adult tickets are $30, Senior tickets (65 & over) are $25, Kids tickets (6 to 12) are $5, and Children (5 and under) are FREE. The Fairgrounds charges $10 for parking. Advance tickets are available and for more event information, visit the track’s website at perrisautospeedway.com or call 951.940.0134.
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks BillsJerky.net, Factory Wraps, Flowdynamics Incorporated, The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner), Hoosier Racing Tires, WC Friend Company, Woodland Auto Display, BR Motorsports, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, 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-Damion Gardner.
2023 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 2-Brody Roa, 1-Justin Grant, 1-Chase Johnson.
PERRIS AMSOIL USAC/CRA 1-LAP QUALIFYING RECORD: Nic Faas – 15.833 (02/25/12)
PERRIS AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 51-Damion Gardner, 24-Mike Spencer, 19-Tony Jones, 17-Cory Kruseman, 9-Nic Faas, 8-David Cardey, 8-Richard Vander Weerd, 7-Matt Mitchell, 7-Rip Williams, 6-Bryan Clauson, 6-Justin Grant, 6-Mike Kirby, 6-Danny Sheridan, 6-Austin Williams, 5-Brady Bacon, 5-Robert Ballou, 5-Rickie Gaunt, 5-Brody Roa, 4-Dave Darland, 4-R.J. Johnson, 3-Charles Davis Jr., 3-Garrett Hansen, 3-Kevin Thomas Jr., 2-Darren Hagen, 2-Jesse Hockett, 2-Levi Jones, 2-Blake Miller, 2-Jake Swanson, 2-Chris Windom, 1-Chad Boespflug, 1-Greg Bragg, 1-Daron Clayton, 1-Josh Ford, 1-Josh Hodges, 1-Bud Kaeding, 1-C.J. Leary, 1-Adam Mitchell, 1-Johnny Rodriguez, 1-Hunter Schuerenberg, 1-Chase Stockon, 1-Scotty Weir, 1-Cody Williams, 1-Jason York.
2023 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Brody Roa-313, 2. Cody Williams-279, 3. R.J. Johnson-249, 4. Charles Davis Jr.-244, 5. Chase Johnson-237, 6. Tommy Malcolm-231, 7. Ricky Lewis-226, 8. Austin Williams-212, 9. A.J. Bender-204, 10. Logan Calderwood-172.