By Lance Jennings
AUGUST 11, 2025… The Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will take center stage this Saturday, August 16th at Perris Auto Speedway. Promoted by Don Kazarian and presented by Heimark Distributors / Anheuser Busch, the PASSCAR Super Stocks and PASSCAR Street Stocks will join the thirteenth championship point race. 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 263 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. This season, Ricky Lewis has topped three Perris features, David Gasper took the April 1st event, and Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm claimed the victory on July 19th. The complete Perris USAC/CRA win list is at the end of this release.
Entering Saturday’s race, Ricky Lewis of Oxnard, California holds a 22-point advantage over the competition. The owner/driver of the #41 May Motorsports / Mesilla Valley Transportation DRC has posted seven feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend Company Access Systems Fast Time Award, two heat race victories, one In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, eleven top-10 finishes, and 157 feature laps led in the campaign. Now tied with Matt Mitchell and “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams with eleven career wins, Ricky will be a favorite to watch at Perris.
Defending champion, R.J. Johnson of Laveen, Arizona is second in the chase for the USAC/CRA Championship. Driving the Petty Performance Racing #33P Avanti Windows & Doors / Apache Transport entry, Johnson has four Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend Company Access Systems Fast Time Awards, six heat race victories, ten top-10 finishes, and 10 feature laps led on the year. Currently tied with “The Macho Man” Brady Bacon, “Dynamite” David Cardey, and Richard Vander Weerd with nine wins, the multi-time Arizona Sprint Car Champion will have his sights on his first win of the year.
Yorba Linda, California’s “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams ranks third in the point chase. Piloting the Tom & Christy Dunkel #17W Inland Rigging / Maxima Oil DRC, Williams has posted one Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend Company Access Systems Fast Time Award, one heat race victory, two In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Awards, and twelve top-10 finishes on the season. Currently tied with Matt Mitchell and Ricky Lewis with eleven career wins, “The Big Game Hunter” will be looking for his first triumph of the year this Saturday.
David Gasper of Goleta, California sits fourth in the USAC/CRA point standings. 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, eight top-10 finishes, and 57 feature laps led in the campaign. The 2024 rookie of the year is tied with Max Adams, Darren Hagen, Chase Johnson, C.J. Leary, Kevin Swindell, and Chris Windom with four career wins and will have his sights on the Perris victory.
San Diego, California’s A.J. Bender is fifth in the USAC/CRA championship standings. Driving the family owned #21 Rolls Scaffolding / Matrix Construction Services DRC, Bender has four heat race victories, one In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, eight top-10 finishes, and 4 feature laps led on the year. This Saturday night, the former Turkey Night Grand Prix Sprint Car winner will be looking for the second win of his career at Perris Auto Speedway.
Connor Lundy of Peoria, Arizona leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors over Brody Wake, Brecken Guerrero, Connor Speir, Cole Wakim, Dayton Shelton, Blake Hendricks, Lonnie Oliver, Caleb Stelzig, Colt Treharn, Heath Holdsclaw, Trenten Shelton, Lonnie Hochstetler, and Justin Kierce.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm, Blake Bower, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., “The Cadillac” Cody Williams, Logan Williams, Eddie Tafoya Jr., Verne Sweeney, “The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa, Elexa Herrera, Logan Calderwood, Matt Mitchell, Jeff Dyer, “Shugah” Shane Sexton, Chris Gansen, 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: 7-Ricky Lewis, 2-David Gasper, 1-Tommy Malcolm, 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, 5-Tommy Malcolm, 4-Dave Darland, 4-Charles Davis Jr., 4-R.J. Johnson, 4-Ricky Lewis, 3-Garrett Hansen, 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-828, 2. R.J. Johnson-806, 3. Austin Williams-700, 4. David Gasper-684, 5. A.J. Bender-669, 6. Tommy Malcolm-644, 7. Blake Bower-547, 8. Charles Davis Jr.-512, 9. Connor Lundy-479, 10. Cody Williams-474, 11. Logan Williams-418, 12. Eddie Tafoya Jr.-402, 13. Verne Sweeney-389, 14. Brody Wake-362, 15. Brody Roa-339, 16. Elexa Herrera-325, 17. Jake Swanson-299, 18. Brecken Guerrero-294, 19. Logan Calderwood-286, 20. Connor Speir-285.