By Lance Jennings
JUNE 17, 2025… After a schedule break, the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will return to center stage this Saturday, June 21st, at Perris Auto Speedway. Promoted by Don Kazarian and presented by Heimark Distributors / Anheuser Busch, the tenth championship point race will also feature the PASSCAR Super Stocks and PASSCAR Street Stocks. Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California and the Spectator Gates will open at 5:00pm with racing at “America’s Premier Dirt Track” starting at 7:00pm. For more event information, visit the track’s website at perrisautospeedway.com or call 951.940.0134.
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.)
– 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.
– TIRE RULE: Hoosier tires ARE REQUIRED ON ALL FOUR CORNERS of the car.
– 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.
– MUFFLER RULE: Mufflers ARE REQUIRED at Perris Auto Speedway.
– RULE BOOK: The series rule book is online at usacracing.com.
Since March 6, 2004, Perris Auto Speedway has hosted 261 USAC/CRA Sprint Car events and forty-seven drivers have claimed “home track” victories. Ten-time champion, “The Demon” Damion Gardner leads all series drivers with fifty-one Perris wins and Nic Faas set the 1-lap track record of 15.833 on February 25, 2012. In the three previous visits, point leader Ricky Lewis topped the March 1st appearance and the May 24th “Salute to Indy,” while 2024 Rookie of the Year, David Gasper took the April 1st event. The complete Perris USAC/CRA win list is at the end of this release.
Heading to Saturday’s event, Ricky Lewis of Oxnard, California sits atop the point standings by 16 markers over the competition. The owner/driver of the #41 Coyote Candle Company / Mesilla Valley Transportation DRC raced to his fifth triumph of the season at the Perris “Salute to Indy” and has also posted two heat race victories, eight top-10 finishes, and 132 feature laps led. Now tied with “The Macho Man” Brady Bacon, “Dynamite” David Cardey, R.J. Johnson, and Richard Vander Weerd with nine career wins, Ricky will be a favorite to watch this Saturday night.
Defending champion, R.J. Johnson of Laveen, Arizona ranks second in the championship point chase. Driving the Petty Performance Racing #33P Avanti Windows & Doors / Apache Transport entry, Johnson raced from sixth to third at the May 24th “Salute to Indy” at Perris. At press time, the multi-time Arizona Sprint Car Champion has four Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend Company Access Systems Fast Time Awards, three heat race victories, seven top-10 finishes, and 3 feature laps led on the year. Currently tied with “The Macho Man” Brady Bacon, “Dynamite” David Cardey, Ricky Lewis, and Richard Vander Weerd with nine wins, R.J. will have his sights on his first win of the season at Perris Auto Speedway.
After running second to Ricky Lewis at the “Salute to Indy,” David Gasper of Goleta, California has climbed to third in the chase for the USAC/CRA championship. Piloting the Kittle Motorsports / Gasper Racing #18 Art Klee / Valley Precision Products DRC, Gasper has two feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend Company Access Systems Fast Time Award, one heat race victory, one Factory Wraps Semi-Main win, six top-10 finishes, and 57 feature laps led in the campaign. Last season’s rookie of the year is tied with Max Adams, Darren Hagen, Chase Johnson, C.J. Leary, Kevin Swindell, and Chris Windom with four USAC/CRA wins and will be looking for another win at Perris.
San Diego, California’s A.J. Bender ranks fourth in the USAC/CRA point standings. Driving the family owned #21 Bender Pool & Spa / Matrix Construction Services DRC, Bender scored a sixth place finish at Perris on May 24th. To date, the former USAC Western States Midget Rookie of the Year has posted three heat race victories, one In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, and six top-10 finishes on the season. This Saturday night, A.J. will have his sights on the second win of his career at Perris Auto Speedway.
Yorba Linda, California’s “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams is fifth in the series point chase. Racing the Tom & Christy Dunkel #17W Inland Rigging / Maxima Oil DRC, Williams raced to a fifth place finish at the Perris “Salute to Indy.” At press time, the 2009 Co-Rookie of the Year has one heat race victory, In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, and nine top-10 finishes on the season. Currently tied with Matt Mitchell with eleven career wins, “The Big Game Hunter” will be looking for his first triumph of the year this Saturday at Perris.
Connor Lundy of Peoria, Arizona leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors over Brody Wake, Connor Speir, Brecken Guerrero, Cole Wakim, Dayton Shelton, Lonnie Oliver, Blake Hendricks, Caleb Stelzig, Colt Treharn, Lonnie Hochstetler, and Justin Kierce.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are “The Cadillac” Cody Williams, Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm, Logan Williams, Blake Bower, “The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa, Eddie Tafoya Jr., Verne Sweeney, Elexa Herrera, “Shugah” Shane Sexton, Gary Marshall Jr., and more.
Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California. General admission tickets (13 & over) are $35, Senior tickets (65 & over) are $30, Kids tickets (6 to 12) are $10, and Children (5 and under) are FREE. The Lake Perris Fairgrounds charges $20 for parking. Advance tickets are available online for an additional fee, and for more event information, visit the track’s website at perrisautospeedway.com or call 951.940.0134.
The Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks Factory Wraps, The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner), In Honor of Wiley Miller Sr. & Wiley Miller II, Sexton Fire Protection, Silbermann Solar, WC Friend Company Access Systems, and Woodland Auto Display for their support.
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors 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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AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS 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-Brody Roa, 2024-R.J. Johnson.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 5-Ricky Lewis, 2-David Gasper, 1-Kaleb Montgomery, 1-Jake Swanson.
PERRIS AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA 1-LAP QUALIFYING RECORD: Nic Faas – 15.833 (02/25/12)
PERRIS AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 51-Damion Gardner, 24-Mike Spencer, 19-Tony Jones, 17-Cory Kruseman, 10-Matt Mitchell, 9-Nic Faas, 8-David Cardey, 8-Richard Vander Weerd, 7-Brody Roa, 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, 4-Dave Darland, 4-Charles Davis Jr., 4-R.J. Johnson, 4-Tommy Malcolm, 3-Garrett Hansen, 3-Ricky Lewis, 3-Kevin Thomas Jr., 2-David Gasper, 2-Darren Hagen, 2-Jesse Hockett, 2-Levi Jones, 2-C.J. Leary, 1-Blake Miller, 2-Jake Swanson, 2-Cody Williams, 2-Chris Windom, 1-A.J. Bender, 1-Chad Boespflug, 1-Greg Bragg, 1-Daron Clayton, 1-Josh Ford, 1-Josh Hodges, 1-Bud Kaeding, 1-Adam Mitchell, 1-Johnny Rodriguez, 1-Hunter Schuerenberg, 1-Chase Stockon, 1-Scotty Weir, 1-Jason York.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Ricky Lewis-602, 2. R.J. Johnson-584, 3. David Gasper-511, 4. A.J. Bender-497, 5. Austin Williams-495, 6. Cody Williams-464, 7. Tommy Malcolm-437, 8. Logan Williams-383, 9. Charles Davis Jr.-380, 10. Blake Bower-373, 11. Connor Lundy-327, 12. Brody Wake-319, 13. Brody Roa-304, 14. Jake Swanson-299, 15. Eddie Tafoya Jr.-290, 16. Logan Calderwood-286, 17. Verne Sweeney-251, 18. Elexa Herrera-218, 19. Braden Chiaramonte-204, 20. Connor Speir-197.
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