By Scott Daloisio
(Perris, CA, July 8, 2024) In 2024, the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Over the years, it has had some great battles for the championship. However, the question to be raised is whether this season’s point war is the best in series history. Fans can check into the fight for the crown this Saturday night, July 13th, when round #10 of the season takes place at Perris Auto Speedway. Joining USAC/CRA on Saturday will be the GAS Chassis Young Gun Sprint Cars, PAS Senior Sprint Cars, and the PASSCAR Super Stocks and American Factory Stocks. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m., and racing will begin at 7:00.
Heading into Saturday’s race, Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm, who began his racing career at Perris when he was in his early teens, is seeking his third straight USAC/CRA win. He rolled to the victory at the last race at The PAS on June 22nd and backed that up with a triumph at the newly reopened Santa Maria Raceway last Saturday night. The Yucaipa, California-based racer was dominant and led every lap in each race. In addition, in a series that has produced seven different winners in the first nine races, he is one of only two drivers who have more than one victory. He and Costa Mesa’s Matt Mitchell have two wins apiece.
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Tommy Malcolm will be seeking his third straight USAC/CRA win
Saturday at Perris Auto Speedway. Anthony Hernandez photo.
His prowess in the last two races has propelled Malcolm, who drives a car owned by his stepdad Dino Napier, to reclaim the point lead. Coming into Saturday’s race, he has a two-point advantage over longtime Laveen, Arizona driver RJ Johnson. However, those two veterans cannot rest on their laurels. The drivers ranked third through seventh, Austin Williams of Corona, his younger brother Logan Williams of Yorba Linda, San Diego’s AJ Bender, leading rookie David Gasper of Santa Barbara, and Cody Williams of Norco, are all within 100 points of the lead duo.
Like the impressive number of winners and the close points race through the first nine events, the lead in the standings has changed five times between four drivers. Johnson has led the standings after four races, and Malcolm has been on top of the heap three times.
“It is shaping up as a great season,” said Perris promoter Don Kazarian, whose track has been the series home venue since day one. “You have had several different winners and the points chase is tight. Hopefully, the title race stays tight and will come down to the final races in November. It is great for the series and for the fans.”
“Of the seven drivers within 100 points of each other at the top of the standings, all but one have been around Perris for a while,” Kazarian continued. “All of the Williams brothers followed in their father’s footsteps into sprint car racing and began their USAC/CRA careers at The PAS. The youngest of the three, Logan, was our first-ever PAS Young Guns champion. Before his days in USAC/CRA, AJ Bender raced alongside his older brother Bobby at The PAS with the California Lightning Sprints. Tommy Malcolm started his career with us in street stocks, and RJ Johnson was USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year in 2005. David Gasper started racing with USAC/CRA late last season and is a great addition to the show. He won his first-ever CRA main event at The PAS in March. Whichever one prevails will be a deserving champion.”
The USAC/CRA points battle is extremely close, but there are other great championship fights on Saturday’s card.
“The CRA points race is not the only tight one we have coming into this weekend,” the longtime promoter said. “The PASSCAR Super Stocks and American Factory Stocks are having a phenomenal battle for the season-long championships. In the superstocks, Chuck Becker leads Billy Griffin by one point. Those two have been racing each other for over three decades. In the American Factory Stocks, the top four, David Uraine, David Stites, Ethan Kintop, and James Keller, are only separated by six points. Expect those guys to all be fired up for Saturday as they all want to take the title in their respective classes.”
The GAS Chassis Young Gun Sprints and PAS Senior Sprints will also be in action on Saturday. In the Young Guns, Brecken Guerrero of Westminster has a comfortable 59-point lead over Redlands racer Jake McKee. That also has him putting one hand on the brand-new GAS Chassis that will go to the champion at the end of the year. Riverside’s Cody Deloy, Seth Dyer of Yucca Valley, and Apple Valley’s Sean Rogers have also scored points in the class this season. All four have shown great potential and should be moving up to the USAC/CRA series in the not-too-distant future.
In the senior sprints, Tustin’s Bob Suchy has dominated the action so far and has a 64-point lead over Greg Badgwell of Yorba Linda. Badgwell snared his first PAS win three weeks ago.
Adult tickets for Saturday’s family fun show are $30.00. For seniors 65 and over it is $25.00. Kids ages 6 to 12 get in for only $5.00, and children five and under are admitted free. The fairgrounds charges $10 for parking.
Advance tickets for all Perris Auto Speedway shows are available 24 hours a day online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7 or by calling 1-800-595-4849. For fans who do not wish to buy tickets in advance, there will be plenty available at the ticket window every race night.
The PAS is conveniently located on the freeway close Lake Perris Fairgrounds, home of the Southern California Fair, in nearby Riverside County. Take the 215 freeway. Exit at the Ramona Expressway and go three miles east to the fairgrounds. For directions online, the address to enter is 18700 Lake Perris Drive, and the zip code is 92571.
To keep up with everything happening at The PAS, please visit the track’s social media efforts on Facebook and Instagram and visit the website at perrisautospeedway.com.
2024 Perris Auto Speedway Schedule
July 13th AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS Senior Sprints, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUNS SERIES, AND PASSCAR SUPER AND FACTORY STOCKS
August 10th LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION: DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8’S, TRAILER FIGURE 8’S, MINI STOCKS AND DOUBLE DECKERS
August 17th BROTHER BRETT CLASSIC AT THE CALIFORNIA RACER’S HALL OF FAME NIGHT, AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS Senior Sprints, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUNS SERIES AND PASSCAR SUPER AND STREET STOCKS
September 7th LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION: DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8’S, TRAILER FIGURE 8’S, MINI STOCKS AND DOUBLE DECKERS
September 21st AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS Senior Sprints, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUNS SERIES AND PASSCAR SUPER AND FACTORY STOCKS
October 26th LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION: DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8’S, TRAILER FIGURE 8’S, MINI STOCKS AND DOUBLE DECKERS
November 8th 27TH RUNNING OF THE OVAL NATIONALS Featuring AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS SENIOR SPRINTS, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUN SERIES AND PASSCAR SUPER, STREET AND FACTORY STOCKS
November 9th 27TH RUNNING OF THE OVAL NATIONALS Featuring AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS SENIOR SPRINTS, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUN SERIES – JERRY DODD CHAMPIONS NIGHT, PASSCAR SUPER, STREET AND FACTORY STOCKS
THIS SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
The PAS would like to thank all of its 2024 marketing partners.
Avanti Doors and Windows – https://www.avantiwindow.com/
Budweiser- https://us.budweiser.com/
Chris’s Hauling
Ed Pink Racing Engines – edpink.com
Flowdynamics – http://www.flowdynamicsonline.com/
GAS Chassis
Heimark Distributors – https://heimark.com/
Hoosier Tire – https://www.hoosiertire.com/
Jugo Superfoods – https://jugobrands.com/
Living Waters Hospice – https://livingwatershospice.com/
LKQ Pick Your Part – https://www.lkqpickyourpart.com/
Marjon RV’s – https://marjonrvs.com/
Mike’s Produce
Performance Online – https://www.performanceonline.com/
Premier Medical Transportation – https://pmtpremier.com/
Sunoco Race Fuels – https://www.sunocoracefuels.com/
Symbiosis – https://symbiosiscare.com/
Trench Shoring – https://www.trenchshoring.com/
Team Stites – https://teamstites.com/
Vista Paint – https://www.vistapaint.com/
Wind N Sea Towing – https://windnseatowing.com/
4 Wheel Parts – https://www.4wheelparts.com/
For information on 2024 billboard advertising at The PAS, please call 951-940-0134 and ask for Charlie Watson.
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/
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.
mailto:perrisautospeedway1@gmail.com is the only authorized Internet address to issue official media news released from The Perris Auto Speedway or Oval Entertainment.